Mark Hill's workshop and how it impacted me as a person and an artist

Mark Hill's visit was a blessing in the sense that it helped me mature as an artist, and provided me with tranquility in the most unlikely and subtly beautiful ways. Firstly, I would like to note that I had never considered theatre to be so physically draining until last week. The mental and physical requirements "Physical Theatre" demanded was that of a generous amount.

There was also a wonderful irony to this entire week. I felt that this workshop allowed me to realize how something can be at once so objective but so subjective, so "ensemble," but so personal. 

I do not believe that I can justify the quality of my experience this past week by just listing everything I learned. However, I do have an idea of how this workshop has further enabled me as a possible actor.

The first two days I remember learning about physical awareness, spatial awareness, and group awareness. Without a doubt, all three categories play an essential role in the whole actor, but I would like to focus on spatial awareness. My new knowledge on spatial awareness allows me to consider the silent messages I can deliver to the audience simply in regards to my use of the given space. For example, I could use extreme proximity to immediately represent a direct intimacy on stage without uttering a word. That being said, any of the spatial relations like extreme distance, downstage center, asymmetry, symmetry, line, geometric shape, group, and counterpoint, are similar vessels of silent and physical expression. 

Referring to my previous statement, I believe that the past week allowed me to experience a unique and strong connection with my peers, but also allowed me to explore myself. Towards the beginning of our workshop I remember experiencing Anne Bogart's "Up and Down" activity. By having students trust their ensemble to move in sync, the activity strongly reinforced "group awareness." I remember having to listen carefully to not only what could be audible, but to also "listen" to movements, and perhaps even impending thoughts. Group awareness provided me with the importance of respect and harmony within an ensemble.

I believe that an ideal director is one who can utilize all three to its greatest potential. That being said, I think that through the mastery of all three awareness will come a great project.

As a designer I can now study the given space with the utmost precision. That is because the more I know and see about my space the more I can enhance it with the right colors, texture, and style. My job would be to accomodate the actors and directors spatial awareness with more visual factors.

Thanks to this workshop I know that I will see future plays with an opened eye. I am truly excited to see what I will see in Agamemnon this wednesday. There is no guarantee I will realize all of what will be mentioned but I hope to identify the various spatial relationships and how they convey meaning, the way the actors plant their feet, where the performers hold their center of strength, and how the whole group moves and breathes as an ensemble to create their art.

I know that I don't stand alone when I say that more than just technical knowledge was gained through Mark Hill's visit. Truthfully, the black box sessions provided me with a unique solace at the end of a stressful day. I am constantly anxious, and by constantly I mean incessantly, eternally, perpetually, and infinitely. That being said, the workshops helped me because I was able to focus on something greater than my daily petty worries, and it was like disappearing from the world for just a bit. Like you said, Mrs.Moon, Mark Hill's visit provided a beginning for all of us, and I couldn't personally agree more. This short week gifted me with a sense of hope, a kind of confidence, and further respect for theatre as a unique form of art.

Reference List

Practitioners and Dramatists
Peter Brook
Anne Bogart
Jacques Lecoq
Artaud
Akiro Kurosawa


Books and References
"The Empty Space" by Peter Brook


Theatre Practices
Physical Theatre
- Bhutto

Theatre philosophies and -isms
Realism
Naturalism
Post Modernism
Dadaism

Plays seen
Agamemnon: The Bunker Trilogy

Plays read
Big Love by Charles Mee

Workshops done
Mark Hill's "Physical Theatre"

Quotes
"How many layers silence has.." Peter Brook
"To be an artist means never to avert ones eyes" Akiro Kurosawa
"What it means to be human" Charles Mee

The Deadly Theatre questions

Is Theatre nothing more than entertainment?
Theatre certainly renders casual enjoyment. However, to refer to theatre as nothing more than simple entertainment is a drastic understatement. The word "entertainment"connotes feelings of jovial insincerity, and thus contradicts Theatre's very existence.  To undermine the significance of Theatre is to look lightly upon the qualities and morals human existence provides.

How does the D theatre take easily to Shakespearean theatre?
Shakespeare's plays are probably one of the most well known and therefore most frequently reproduced play's of all time. That being said, the more shakespearean theatre's there are the more difficult it is for each rendition to be original. Such lack of creativity and innovation is where deadly theatre begins to take root.

Is boringness a certain guarantee of a worthwhile event?
The degree in which how boring a play must be in order to have the perfect dose on the audience is subtle and difficult to predict accurately. However, a reasonable amount of dullness always succeeds in instilling a sense of reassurance. This is because the audience expects a certain boringness full of historical speeches and formalities because that is what makes a play somewhat professional and correct. That being said, yes, boringness is a certain guarantee of a worthwhile event because even if the play doesn't strike one as amazing it will still have been an "ok" borderline watch.

What role does mediocrity play?
Mediocrity being literally the "middle" has no firm principles and is thus liable prey to deadly theatre. When mediocre authors "happen" to calculate the precise dose of boringness and continue to support conventional dullness, they are giving way to deadly theatre.

What is the difference between passing down meaning and manner?

Meaning is passed down from generation to generation when the newer generation receives this old knowledge and utilizes its fullest potential with regards to his present, whereas the passing of manner is simply an imitation lacking innovation and substance.


is it true that the best dramatists explain the least? Can you think of some examples from plays you have seen or read? 
The best dramatists dont see the need to explicate details and instead leave the pondering to the audience. This allows for the audience to draw their own conclusions and thus creates a more lively theatre. For example, "The Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller told a depressing story about the struggles faced by an estranged salesman to cope with his reality. However, the play delivers its message through a parallel structure instead of a straightforward explanation.

How can you go from Deadly Theatre to Living Theatre as an actor?
Instead of mimicking a previous actor one can use such former techniques as a source of inspiration, and thus avoid the Deadly theatre.

How did Peking Opera lose its connectedness to the life of society around it?
" Few of the attitudes and meanings of the traditional Pekin Opera relate to the new structure of thought in which this people now lives." The charm of the Peking Opera used to be its unique preservation of traditional morals and chinese ethics, however the meanings of traditional Pekin Opera lost its relevance as society changed and thus lost its value as a popular theatre.

At the heart of the meaning of Living theatre is always a self destructive art and it is always written on the wind. What is your interpretation of this?
The world, culture, people, and the individual are constantly changing. That being said, the morphing of theatre practices is inevitable since theatre is an artistic reflection of human circumstances. Theatre therefore exists only when the roots of its creation are still relevant, and is destroyed when it is no longer heart-felt.

According to Brooks, what should be influencing theatre at all times?
Brooks believes that theatre should avoid repetition and instead be influenced by simplistic yet meaningful and creative theatre.

Does one know that they're apart of the "Deadly Theatre" or must one be a spectator to realize?

Can the Deadly Theatre somehow be beneficial? Economically? Socially?

Charles Mee notes & Post Modernist Theatre

Charles mee
"I try in my work to get pass the traditional forms of psychological realism.."
- shows the rawness of post modern theatre
- realistic
- not just "well crafted"
- audacious man
- innovative
- wants to tell the world whats real
- "human beings are social creatures"
- products of our history and culture

"Big Love" notes
- derived of ancient greek theatre styles
- unique in the sense that it merged ancient components with modern ones
- interesting to note that this play can remind the audience that injustice regarding forced marriages  remains to this day..(child brides)
- sexism
- traditional marriage
- dark
- desperate
- classical music used for the crazy scenes...(used a lot in films) cwo?leon etc.

Regarding the casting process
- believes that race and disability should never interfere with casting
- blind casting
- the true meaning of the play doesn't have anything to do with what the actor looks like in terms of ethnicity or physical capability