Class Info

Physical Viewpoints

Space

• Architecture - The physical environment, the space, and whatever belongs to it or constitutes it, including permanent and non-permanent features.

• Spatial Relationship - Distance between objects on stage; one body in relation to another, to a group, or to the architecture.

• Topography - The movement over landscape, floor pattern, design and colours.

• Shape - The contour or outline of bodies in space; the shape of the body by itself, in relation to other bodies, or in relation to architecture; think of lines, curves, angles, arches all stationary or in motion.

• Gesture - a) Behavioral gesture: realistic gesture belonging to the physical world as we observe it every day. b) Expressive gesture: abstract or symbolic gesture expressing an inner state or emotion; it is not intended as a public or "realistic" gesture.

Time

• Tempo - How quickly or slowly something happens on stage.

• Duration - How long an event occurs over time; how long a person or a group maintains a particular movement, tempo, gesture, etc. before it changes.

• Kinesthetic Response - A spontaneous reaction to a motion that occurs outside of oneself. An instinctive response to an external stimulus. (realistic/non-realistic)

• Repetition - a) Internal: repeating a movement done with one's own body, and b) External: repeating a movement occurring outside one's body.

Emotion

Psychological or narrative content ascribed to movement.

Movement

• Movement of your body, different ways of moving - for example, jerky versus smooth/flowing versus very slowly or fast. The movement of different parts of your body.

Story[edit]

• Perceptual ability to see and understand logic systems as an arrangement of collected information[2]

All of the different elements influence each other and work together, and can "cause" a change in a different element. For example, the shape of your body may carry a certain emotion with it as well - something in the space of your environment may make a story out of what you are doing - etc.

The actors must focus first on the isolation of each separate viewpoint element on its own, before integrating and working them all together. It is often that a performer finds one of the elements comes naturally, and perhaps uses that one element they really understand to access the other elements, which they must work to become more familiar with.

Vocal Viewpoints

• Pitch: The highness or lowness of a sound.

• Dynamic: The loudness or softness of a sound.

• Acceleration/Deceleration: Speeding up or slowing down a sound.

• Silence: The absence of sound.

• Timbre: The texture or quality of a sound, distinct from its volume or pitch.

Working on Scenes 

1. The essence of their relationship to each other.

2. The essence of their relationship to the space.

3. The blocks of action in a particular scene.

Persona (after answering Persona / Character questions) 

˘ An action with Tempo that expresses character

˘ An action with Duration that expresses character

˘ A floor pattern that expresses character

˘ Three Behavioral Gestures that are particular to the character’s

personality, culture, time or place

˘ Two Expressive Gestures that express the essence of character,

a propelling force or a conflict within

˘ A walk across the room with bold choices regarding Tempo,

Shape and Topography.

MEDEA : Chorus : Vocal Warmup

Ad regum thalamos numine prospero
qui caelum superi quique regunt fretum
adsint cum populis rite faventibus.
primum sceptriferis colla Tonantibus
taurus celsa ferat tergore candido;
Lucinam nivei femina corporis
intemptata iugo placet, et asperi
Martis sanguineas quae cohibet manus,
quae dat belligeris foedera gentibus
et cornu retinet divite copiam,
donetur tenera mitior hostia.
et tu, qui facibus legitimis ades,
noctem discutiens auspice dextera
huc incede gradu marcidus ebrio,
praecingens roseo tempora vinculo.
et tu quae, gemini praevia temporis,
tarde, stella, redis semper amantibus:
te matres, avide te cupiunt nurus
quamprimum radios spargere lucidos.