Thursday, December 15, 2011

Mask Show Meeting Notes (15/12/11), Meeting #1

THOUGHTS:

-Let's keep the show ideas simple
-Consider letting someone watch you during rehearsals for your pieces (Ruth would be happy to do this)
-Let's make sure to use the paper maché masks we all made.



SHOW IDEAS:

STRUCTURE:
-We agreed on having 6 or 7 (or however many) main performance pieces with smaller characters/situations showing up every once in a while throughout the evening
-Set it up like a Dreamscape (if confused about meaning, see Imre) with and without recurring characters. Anyway, we develop this sort of weird feeling, otherworldly.
-3 reoccurring characters interrupting scene with a simple activity of some kind -- like fighting over a pencil
-Evolution of the masks/characters (similar to the Amoeba exercise, but only in the sense that an evolution is taking place, Fabiola)
-Neutral Masks could help create environments (forrest, city, ocean, grocery store, etc)
-Neutral Masks or Larvae Masks could set up for the scenes
-Various Dumpster Masks could be passing in the background constantly.
-One character/object could link each of the scenes (for example, a prop being reused from one scene to the next, or a character walking on stage lost looking for the scene then finding his stage partners and beginning the scene)
-Latex Masks in the balcony like the two old guys from the muppets (Imre's grandma, Yanet's Cigar Guy)


SCENES/CHARACTERS:

To Begin Show:
-Body Bag piece
-Ritual with music using Javanese Masks (Fationa, Yanet, David) -- maybe take place in the middle of the audience, with a High Moon Body Bag character starting the possession of the Javanese Masks
-Neutral Masks start the show?


Middle Scenes:
-Throne Scene (Imre, David, Sam, Ruth, Signe)
-Hip-Hop scene (Fabiola, Signe)
-Poker Game
-Larvae Masks at the cafe (Bikash, Fationa, Signe)
-Imre and David's Body Bag characters from the lamp scene
-Rock Concert with Latex Masks (David, Yanet, Bikash)
-Dumpster Collection Team (Fabiola, Yanet, Imre)


Show Endings:
-Family Photo



TO-DO LIST:
-Everyone should come back after the break with two ideas/characters and we will have another meeting. Yay!



AVAILABILITY/PREFERENCES:

1) Fationa -- available all break (ritual, bar larva mask)
2) David -- returns Jan 2nd
3) Fabiola --available all break (Hip-Hip scene)
4) Signe -- available all break (Hip-Hop scene, Throne Scene, up for other stuff, Call Her!)
5) Imre -- returns Dec 29th
6) Ruth -- returns January 2nd (Moon Body Bag character, her own paper maché mask)
7) Kamal -- available all break
8) Bikash -- available all break



P.S. People, we rock!!!

Love,
Yeah this guy again

Rolling on a Table + Passion vs. State (Th 15/12/11)

Hello peoples,

To waste no time at all, today in

ACROBATICS CLASS!!!!!

we did the following new things:

-Speed Stomach Cruncher (this was when one group of people were down in the doggy position while the rest of the class rapidly switched partners, then we rotated groups)

-Two Dogs Roll on Each Other--this is what I have affectionately named a balancing exercise I will honestly have a hard time explaining. Basically you start with one person in the doggy position on all fours, while their partner is in the same position on their back. Then they sort of roll over on top of each other until you're both in the crab walking position on top of each other (hips up), then you go back to the starting position. Make sense?

-Front roll into a headstand. It is exactly what it sounds like. Remember to do the headstand on your forehead with your head and hands in a triangle position. Much love.

-Roll on a table. Remember that one time we rolled on a block with a mat on it. Well, now we rolled on a table with a mat on it. Next, I think we'll roll on a metro bus.


Now, today in

MASK CLASS WITH OLE BREKKE!!!!!

We worked with the Latex Masks once again, like we did yesterday with Ruth.

First, we wore the masks in groups of five after picking costumes (and eventually getting into a family photo position, then finding a way to say goodbye to each person who you won't see for another 20 years and exit the stage).

Next, we worked with Passions and States. To quote Ole, "When a passion is pushed too far, it becomes this state."

Desire --> Shame
Pride --> Fear
Jealousy --> Waiting
Hunger --> Envy
Longing --> Despair

We were instructed to find a situation where all the characters would only feel one of two of these things in the pairs above. We saw: a Rock Concert (Desire --> Shame), a Jewelry Shop (Desire --> Shame), and a Restaurant (Hunger --> Envy).


Then, we had a meeting about the Mask Show we so desperately want to do in January. In the next post, you will find the notes for that meeting.


Sincerely,
This guy

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow"

Here are two videos. The first is the version we will be singing, but I included the second version so you can get a better idea of the dialect and general feeling of the song:



Here's the 2nd one:




Ne'er say ne'er.

David

Monday, December 12, 2011

All About Your Partner

Well, today we did NOT have acrobatics, because last night was the deliciously successful Commedia School Christmas Party 2011!!

So, we just had MASK class with Ole, working with the Dumpster Masks.

Words:
-Don't worry about yourself, your partner will take care of you.
-Give your partner a chance to be great; help them be great.
-Let yourself change.
-Be ready for anything and change; you don't know what's going to happen.
-"You're creating this thing and you don't know what it is. So, you need to be completely alert all the time." - Ole
-Restrict yourself (if you decide your character's arms are crossed, then keep them crossed no matter what).

Today we did:
-The recognition exercise...four times!! Apparently, we were having a hard time being genuinely surprised and organic. Let's work on that, shall we? I suggest we relax and pretend no one's watching us. Thoughts? -- "It it doesn't happen, it dies, but it better happen. You don't know what's going to happen, but it better happen. It's only you. There's no one else." - Ole
-Work with each of the dumpster masks individually. What works? What doesn't work? Defend the mask!

That's all for today. A short one.

Love,
Uncle David

Monday, December 5, 2011

Swedish song: Horgalåten

Here is the text and at the bottom a video for the Swedish song: Horgalåten, a really old, traditional song from Sweden with a nice easy melody. Hope you like it. You can read the spooky story yourself.... : 


Horgalåten at Youtube 
or 


The well known legend of when the Devil, disguised as a fiddler, made the youths of the village of Hårga, in Hälsingland, dance themselve s to death, upon the mountain of Hårga.


Spelmannen drog fiol ur lådan
och lyfte stråken högt mot söndagssolens kula.
Då blev det fart på Horgafolket,
de glömde Gud och hela världen 

Dansen gick på äng och backar,
högt uppå Horgaåsens topp.
Man slet ut båd' skor och klackar,
aldrig fick man på dansen stopp. 

Varifrån kommer du som spelar,
säg vem har lärt dig detta spel det vilda galna?
Stannar du inte brister hjärtat,
å Gud bevare han har bockfot! 

Klockorna hade ringt i dalen,
och där gick far och mor och bror till socken kyrkan.
Var kan nu Horgas ungdom vara,
å herregud de dansar ännu!

Dansen gick till Horgalåten,
högt uppå Horgaåsens topp.
man har nu inte långt till gråten,
dansar nu sönder både själ och kropp.

Hejda din stråke spelman innan,
vi dansar liv och själ och alla ben ur kroppen.
Nej inte slutar han sin dans
förrän allesammans faller döda! 




Free english translation:

The fiddler grabbed the fiddle from it's case
and lifted his bow towards the dawning Sunday sun
Then the people of Hårga became in a hurry
They forgot about God and the whole world

The dance went on meadows and hills
high upon the top of the ridge of Hårga
One wore out both shoes and heels
One could not stop the dance

Where do you come from, you who is playing
Tell us who have taught you this way to play, so wild and mad
If you don't stop our hearts will burst
Oh God preserve us, he has a cloven hoof!

The bells had rung in the valley,
And father and mother and brother walked to the parish church
Where can Hårgas youths now be?
Oh my God, they are still dancing!

The dance went to the Hårga tune
High up on the top of the ridge of Hårga
They are not far from crying
Now,when dancing, they wore through both soul and body

Stop your bow, fiddler
Before we dance out life and soul and bones
No he doesn't stop his dance
Until we all fall dead down


Saturday, December 3, 2011

"Everything is perfect. We do this all the time." -- Larvae Mask's inner dialogue (1/12/11)

Folks...we have got a lot to cover in this post, so I'll do my best to make it as interesting and attention-grabbing as possible. Lots of good stuff lies ahead.

Also, welcome to December. According to the 5-year-old girl I nanny, it is now officially Winter. Welcome in, Father Winter. Would you like some hot chocolate with rum, or perhaps a kick in the face with whipped cream?




ACROBATICS

-Headstands
-nose-cruncher
-no banana back! It keeps you off balance and wacks out your back something fierce
-try keeping your knees bent and to your chest like a ball when you go into the headstand, it will help you keep control of your hips

-Handstands
-try it starting with your legs spread out very far, and your hands in the normal position, but quite close to your feet to begin with, then go up into the handstand and keep your legs out to the side as far as they will go
-this will also help you keep control of your hips

-Bridge (Three cheers for pain!)
-shake hands with someone
-walk over someone as they lay on the ground

-Big wheels
-run and then sort of jump into doing a cartwheel, go for AIR TIME!!

-Standing Flag (this is the one where one person jumps straight as a stick onto the other persons legs while holding hands and remaining relaxed, of course)
-help your partner by always being straight as a stick
-try taking two people up at a time, booya!




MASK

(1) Exercises for Larvae Masks
-2 masks enter with a workout mat (either together or at different times)
-3 masks enter in a crab walk position with the mask on the back of their heads
-6 masks enter with costumes
-Get together for a Family Photo

(2) Words of Wisdom
-say yes to your partner no matter what, even if they are humping your back. This is how these masks behave, this is their normal lives
-when a change happens (emotion, rhythm, tempo, etc.) stay with it until something interrupts the mask and forces a change again
-when you're not sure what to do, move into the empty space and something will happen, something will provoke action
-"irrational logic"
-Bikash and Fationa had very different masks (like a boss and the worker)
-Fationa's character's thoughts, "Am I helping? Is this right? Is this what you want me to do? I like you."
-Bikash's character's thoughts, "There she is again. Why is she always so close to me?"
-The rhythm of the mask is strict and definite, so keep it consistent
-as soon as we see the actor instead of the mask, it doesn't work
-Make a decision about the movement and stay with it
-First establish what is normal, then it can become abnormal
-Keep going until the mask is in the right place, keep moving until you bump into your partner
-Take your time, hold the positions, time is so flexible with these characters, almost like their thoughts are in slow motion
-"Let your imagination take you away and your concentration hold it together." -- Ole
-"Once you establish a character, it can take all the energy you got!" -- Ole
"No no no no no no no no no no no no there's no limit." -- Sam


Well, there you are folks.

Love,
Uncle David