Alfie Boyd Workshop responses and some notes about larval masks

1. connections
2. skills
3. application
4. questions
5. ideas

LARVAL MASK NOTES
- don't lose the mask
- always face the audience 
- create an illusion for the audience
- embody the character of the mask
- exaggerate moments
- don't try to do a lot just focus on a good moment
- masks are universal
- keep your mask even when you leave the stage 
- TENSION
- RHYTHM
- TEMPO

CONNECTIONS
In contrast to the Mark Hill workshop Alfie Boyd's workshop not only seemed more contemporary but also very practical.

The Mark Hill workshop was spiritual and really emphasized the necessity of being rooted, one with the ground, and feeling an inner strength whereas Alfie Boyd's workshop was focused on the specific creation process and procedures required in constructing a scene for a performance.

The idea of group awareness and spacial awareness (especially with the sticks)
- Both Mark Hill and Alfie Boyd's workshop's implemented this fundamental theatrical technique
- On the first or second day of Alfie's workshop we walked around the black box for about 15 minutes stomping and changing speeds while being aware of one another's position in the room. This reminded me a lot about the importance of general awareness.
- We stomped our feet on the first beat of every four so like ONE two three four ONE two three four ONE two three four
- This was reminiscent of Mark Hill's teachings on Tadashi Suzuki's methods.

SKILLS ACQUIRED
- creating a story through a variety of techniques
- miming
- complexity in simplicity
- using empty space
- creating with minimal props (ex. chair became a train)
- inspiration from a WW2 image of small Jewish girl boarding train
- using larval masks
- babushka game
- making a scene even more interesting through the babushka game
- "baby" fetal posture technique
-  inspiration and creation from music
- "human train"
- sticks (how to hold how to throw)
- ideas and inspiration can really appear from anywhere and anything
- using random objects for inspiration and scene production (did this in Mrs. Moon's class)

FURTHER COMMENTS
This workshop mainly helped me understand the necessity of instantaneous and efficient creation. Hence, we worked a lot with imagination and creating something random out of the mundane like when we transformed a desk, a chair, and ourselves into children on a train all from one picture Alfie described to us. Metaphorically speaking, I feel like this workshop  "passed out the literal tools" to me so that I can find and express intangible content floating around in my mind. What I'm basically saying is that stuff like Mark Hill's workshop provide more of a philosophy and approach to a theatre practice whereas workshops like Alfie's help execute those broader concepts.