Chicago DirectorsLab 2008
Week long workshop
myth, ritual and archetypes
workshop exercise samples
THREE MOVEMENTS
Partners.
The partners are asked to present three movements each for a total of six movements total. The three movements may be anything they think is interesting.
Each partner must be able to do the other's movements. Generally a short period of time is allowed for the movements--10 minutes at the most.
The partner groups then present their movements to the larger group. The facilitator gives no comment or judgment. Then the partners are asked to develop the movements into a scenario.
Advise the performers to allow the movements to suggest a scenario organically. The movements may repeat and can be in whatever order that best serves the scenario. The scenario need not make sense.
Each of the partners must do each of the six movements at least once in the course of the scenario. Sound may be added during this second round or saved for a third round of development.
The scenarios are presented before the larger group. As the next developmental step, sound may be added or even dialogue. I have used the above exercise as a way to initiate performance development on a low-risk, small scale with a variety of groups. It is also a good way to loosen the performers up creatively and to assess a group's creative abilities.
EXERCISE ALTERNATIVES
The above is often applied as an introduction to the process of performance development. Once the process of the THREE MOVEMENTS exercise is made familiar it can be applied again. The second application asks the performer (no partners) to select three movements.
However, the three movements must respond to the following: one is cultural, one is personal, and one is spiritual. (The movements requested may vary according to need and objectives.) In this variation of the exercise the performer presents the movements to the group. From this the process of RITUAL PREPARATION development takes place.
The process of the three movements in this variation of the exercise provides the raw material by which to begin exploring, discussing, and developing the group's RITUAL PREPARATION.
It is important not to indicate the objective of the exercise, otherwise group members have a tendency to serve the result rather than short-term objective.
NOTE
When applied in Western theatre workshop settings, overwhelmingly people referred to Greek-style, classical, heroic body mythology and arrangements in response to ‘traditional’ movements. This is a starting point.
One must start with what is most familiar. As I asked the performers to investigate their movements further, as to get to their origins and archetypes, deeper meanings began to emerge. In one instance an African-American began to uncover the mythology of movement relating to slavery and tribalism.
Others began to uncover the mythology underneath traditional male-female relationships. The broad stroke of mythological movement is indicative of a homogenized American movement sensibility.
It is general and disconnected with direct place or cultural signification. The issue of dealing and developing a performance language that relates to place in an American context is problematic and challenging.
Work developing a movement language in an American context is untested and, in my limited work in this area, daunting. Someday, someone will take up the challenge.
OBJECTIVE
Creative, ensemble, and performance development.
CULTURAL ARCHETYPE STUDY
Ask the performers to choose a character or an archetype from their culture, pop culture, mythology or classical literature.
Some examples:
Odin
Raven
Coyote
The hero
The damsel in distress
The evil villain
Superman
Mickey Mouse
The dumb blond
Jesus
Krishna
The Zulu warrior
The poor mother
Werewolf
Vampire
The hunter
Ulysses
Zeus
The performer is asked to develop the archetype’s movement and walk. Define the rhythm of the archetype.
The way of moving:
Sharp?
Curved?
How is the body aligned?
Bent? Straight.
Where does the archetype’s energy come from?
Where is their center?
What part of the body do they lead from?
What is their attitude towards the world?
Are they happy? Sad? Angry?
Explore a variety of emotions.
What is it that attracts you to the archetype?
How are you similar? Different?
What comforts you about the archetype?
Frightens you?
Add and subtract questions according to need and the archetypes in play.
There should be no advanced preparation for the study.
The performers should work out of what they know. If their images and ideas about the archetypes are vague ask them to expand and extrapolate from what they know.
The exercise is meant to explore the archetypes that attract the performers.
Several different archetype explorations may occur in one session. The facilitator should note those archetypes that have a special connection with the individual performers.
This exercise may provide a foundation from which performance and/or characters may develop.
EXERCISE VARIATION
Instead of using cultural archetypes, characters from one’s everyday life may be explored.
Examples are characters such as postal worker, doctor, fat man/woman, skinny man/woman, pilot, drunkard, old man/woman, baby, football player, fashion model, bar owner, street merchant, prostitute, farmer, policeman, politician, bureaucrat, etc.
OBJECTIVES
Explore the archetypes that motivate the performers. Performance and character development.
from Creating Ritual
