Final Blog - FOUR WAYS TO SPEAK OUT - NAOMI CHAMROO 0820502

Naomi Chamroo - 0820502

1. Robert Lepage uses the ‘RSVP Cycle’ as a tool for creating a narrative within a piece of devised theatre, using this process enabled us to come up with the narrative for FOUR WAYS TO SPEAK OUT. Conquering the ‘research’ stage, and verifying the ‘score’ stage with the material, we reaffirmed a clear and concise chronological linear structure through, the ‘validation’ phase. Anticipating the events when entering the final phase ‘performance’.

As the ‘validation’ phase, transformed into the ‘performance’ phase, the key themes and issues emerged through the sequence of events within the piece. The key themes of loss, guilt, anger, control, manipulation, confusion and desperation were all explored through our performance. The characters within the community felt these emotions at different points throughout the performance, and individually we experienced these and expressed them through similar gesture with differing intentions.

The issues of domestic abuse and the key themes came to light in the scoring phase, and emerged through the piece as we validated, with the ensemble. The first ensemble saw the community gradually being drawn into a series of emotional gestures lead by Andy, who controlled and manipulated the ensemble who became fixated on him and felt compelled to join in. The ensemble became so physically powerful that Dan who remained on periphery was overwhelmed by the sense of togetherness and eventually forced by Liz to join the piece. This ensemble explored the initial feelings of a sense of loss, manipulation and confusion, mixed with uncertainty as to where the woman has gone and why?

Jean Sabatine explores emotional gestures:-
Emotional gestures: Gestures that replace language when verbalization is impossible or not needed – for example: holding hands; raising a fist; kissing; opening the hands in shock or surprise, (Sabatine,1995, pg:120)

The second ensembles key themes where of fear, anger and desperation, it begins with a sense of fear of Andy, as the story unfolds and the community discovers the woman has been abused at the hands of Andy, the run in desperation and fall into the arms of someone who can save them. As the ensemble moves through the choreographed sequences the anger builds and community separate themselves leaving the perpetrator alone.
In the ‘validation’ phase of the process my individual experience changed dramatically, in ‘scoring’ I welcomed a connection with other members of the community when watching the ‘Diary Entries’ I often become overwhelmed and needed the human interaction. However, I rejected everyone who comforted me in the ‘performance’ stage and remained alone; I felt this was truer to my character as my character was work colleague and new no-one in the community.
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2. The space or the architecture ‘the physical environment in which you are working and how the awareness of it affects movement’, (Bogart, 1995, pg:22). This has a significant impact on how the actors feel and respond to the performance space. Practical things need to be overcome and dealt with, to allow creativity to flourish.

In Anne Bogart’s book on her viewpoints, the architecture is a significant part of the process:
In working architecture as a viewpoints, we learn to dance with the space, to be in dialogue with a room, to let movement (especially shape and gesture) evolve out of our surroundings. (Bogart, 1995, pg:22)
As the community moved in to the theatre space from the rehearsal space initially we encountered logistical problems, the space itself seemed narrower with more depth. Even though in the validation phase we had discussed the set, the bedroom and the bar I did not anticipate how the objects would affect my character. Moving into the space and working practically with props meant overcoming unforeseen nuisance.

We are sensitive to people and objects outside ourselves in space. We develop a response to other people’s use of space and its effects on us. The way in which we relate to space is an important part of our expressive behaviour. (Sabatine, 1995,pg:112)

In order for the community to make the space come alive, the process of exploration must take place. This was explored in our warm-ups; we selected a part on the set where our character felt most emotional or vulnerable, their most heightened emotional state. This part of the stage enabled us to access our most responsive emotion.

This engagement of space and associated emotion was key in my characters development throughout the performance and enabled me to access the required emotion when returning to that space on the set. For example when representing the woman, I was most vulnerable at the stool and this was the most heightened emotional state my character found herself in before my interactions with the other characters.

The development between individuals and the community in the space became more apparent. The division of the bedroom and bar meant that the community split, individuals that connected with that part of the stage remained within that space and chose not to move. For example, my performances as the woman happened in the bar, I felt a connection to this area and never left this space.

The strengths of validating within another space allows you the freedom to change set and look at logistical problems you may encounter in the ‘p’ stage, it allows a trial and error approach to work. Logistical we were a large group and could often to all fit into the one room and would use the two rooms. The weakness in this meant for some people they felt disjointed from the rest of the group, we had spent the first half of the year connecting together as a community then we were split which some felt disrupted the communities journey. Another weakness, as mentioned previously was the size and shape of the space, when you encounter the actual space which was longer and narrower with a bar, a bed and chairs in it, this meant a great deal of manipulation around the set pieces.
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When everything comes from the actors, what happens in performance is determined by what happens in rehearsal, and accidental discoveries are part of that. (Callery, D., 2001, p164)
The above quotes shows how important each stage of the RSVP cycle is, one without the other simply cannot exist, each stage leads into the next. The three performances saw a different journey for the individuals with the community, the community as a whole and saw the themes emerge with more emotional impetus than ever known in the validation process. ‘Validation’ process explores using movements and gesture to create and physicalise the diary entries. The chronological narrative derived from this stage was very technical and felt less emotional connected to the community, when we reached the ‘Performance’ stage the process became less about technical performance and more to do with transferring an emotional message to the audience.

The RSVP module was executed until the curtain fell on the last performance, as a devised piece of work that is fluid and interchangeable is bursting with unknown exchanges within the performance space, thus leaving the performers in a constant state of readiness and awareness. When the community where placed around the periphery, the characters where constantly active, living in the moments and experiencing the past events, but viewing them for the first told as they are retold, being frozen in that moment in time.
The overall theme of domestic violence and sensitive portrayal one woman’s story of this type of abusive, was done without throwing punches, without bruises and cuts and but by perceptive emotional intention lead physical movements.

Simon Woods of the Zen Zen Zo physical theatre articulated that, ‘...Watching a group of people who go through this incredible process of transformation, physically, spiritually, mentally, intellectually over a period of time together in training room is a truly profound thing. The performance is like opening a door to say ‘This is where we’re at; this is what we’re thinking about’, and the door closes again and we go back into the training room. (Bradley & Woods, 2003, pg:156)

My role within the piece was layered with complications and disjointed emotions, I was torn in two halves. This is due to my experiences as playing two roles within the piece, the representation of the woman, and the character within the community. This unique role was challenging physically and emotionally I felt an automatic affinity with the other four girls playing the role of the woman and instantly felt their feelings when performing there snippets of the diary. However, found it very difficult to regain my character within the community, the insignificant act of putting on a piece of clothing that represented the character enabled me to make that connection, if a little incoherent.

I personally re-scored and re-validated throughout the process, when watching the ‘Bobby’s girl’ sequence, each time I saw this section my reaction changed, in ‘scoring’ I enjoyed the superficial playtime of the ritual of the girls getting ready, and saw a woman supported and loved by her friends. In ‘validated’ this became more sinister, the friends controlling her and manipulating her as her abuser. When it came to performance stage, this section left me feeling sad, gulity and often bringing me to tears, seeing the woman being forced to put on a happy face and carry on. The themes crescendo as the feeling of manipulation and control, now executed by her friends who seem to be unknowingly abusing her.
Through the RSVP cycle I saw the ensemble work flourish into the emotional lead sequences and the individual representations driven with force and meaning, and delivering a story and conveying a meaning through gesture, choreographed movements, moments of repetition and stillness.

As the key issue in the piece was Domestic Abuse, I felt we were successful in conveying meaning and dealing with this subject in a mature and delicate way, we left the narrative open. This left the audience to make their own mind up to how they chose to leave the woman, either empowered by her breaking away from her abuser, or did she simply choose to ‘give up’. Pina Bausch describes how I feel we best delivered this message: ‘It is not how people move, but what moves them’ (Bausch, 2002, Pg: 57)

Bibliography

Bogart, A (1995) Viewpoints USA: Smith and Kraus Inc.
CALLERY, D (2002) Through the body London: Routledge
Dundjerović, A. (2009) Routledge Performance Practitioners: Robert Lepage. Oxon. Routledge.
Govan, E & Nicholson, H & Normington, K (2006) Making a performance: Devising histories and contemporary practices London: Routledge
Huxley, M., 2002, The Twentieth Century Performance Reader London: RoutledgeMackey, S & Cooper, S (2000) Drama and Theatre Studies Cheltenham: ThornesMurray, S & Keefe, J (2007) Physical Theatres A Critical Introduction London: Routledge
Murray and Keefe (2007) Physical Theatres, an introduction. London. Routledge.Oddey, A (1994) Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook UK: RoutledgeSabatine, J (1995) Movement Training for the Stage and Screen London: A&C Black Ltd

Secondary Source

Frantic Assembly: About us. Online. [Accessed: 21st April 2010] Available at: http://www.franticassembly.co.uk/
Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre: About us. Online. [Accessed: 23rd April 2010] Available at: http://www.zenzenzo.com/