Clowning Around - Fourth Update

Fourth Update: Names, Movement Improvisation, and a Headpiece

I have begun construction on the headpiece!I used a plastic bag and duct tape to create a mold of my head. Then, I took that mold and cut it up into flat pieces to be transferred onto muslin. Once the muslin version of the mold of my head is completed, I will make adjustments so it fits exactly as I like. Once the base layer is complete, I'll attach the decorative fur layer! Per my advisor Sigrid Johannesdottir's request, I have decided to use white fur rather than black fur to better honor the fur found on the Idalus Herois moth.

Naming things is one of the hardest parts of any creative process of mine. I always struggle with summing up something into just a few words. I have yet to name my clown character, so, in an act of desperation I posted on my instagram story asking for name suggestions. Surprisingly I had many responses. Some of my favorites were: Blolana Fuzz (courtesy of Stella Moore), Malampo (courtesy of Nicky Cheir), and Ben (courtesy of Naomi Rose). Nothing feels exactly right quite yet but I am trying to keep my eyes peeled.

I am currently taking a Movement Improvisation class taught by Anna Thompson (a strategic move on my end as it has been extremely useful in the development of my thesis). The culmination of my thesis is a performance consisting of long-form improvisation that interacts with the guests of the NEXT Festival in order to see the costume and the character come to life as one. The class has spent some time focusing around “Improvisational Scores”. Think of a score as a map or a recipe for an improvisational work. The score gives you limitations or directions to follow in your improvisation, you can choose to follow the map or not, but it is there to guide you. In my own rehearsal I have been working with this idea of improvisational scores. How can I create a framework for myself to use in my performance? I have an idea of the arc or the story that my character is following, in many ways that is a score. But I’ve been trying to expand on that and give myself different limitations to work with and to see how this character responds.

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