We were asked to walk around the room and then randomly get into groups to create inanimate objects with our bodies and then further develop them by giving them a personality dictated by an emotion or 'mood.' For example we created a sexy chair, angry motorbike and a sad toilet- a strange concept and, at points, slightly awkward; as one is not often faced with the challenge of making a chair sexy. Although these expressions can be natural for the human body, when intertwined with an everyday object, they suddenly become misplaced and unnatural.
Doing this exercise allowed us to challenge perception. Brecht, the theatre practitioner we are studying this term, focused on challenging perception in all his pieces, as was the nature of his theatre style. When introduced to this concept, I found it harder to grasp compared to the more traditional style of naturalism, yet such a simple exercise allowed me to understand the basics of the theatre Brecht was trying to create. When presented with such a unusual image- such as a sexy chair- you question the reason behind the characterisation- the soul goal of Brecht's work. Though I did not initially see it, there is a certain beauty in Brecht's style which was revealed to me during this exercise. From the perspective of an audience member, observing a chairs sexuality may be shocking and confusing, causing you to double take; you will look firstly and see a chair, perhaps with a distinct body language or facial expression, yet it will take a second glance for you to identify the chairs characteristics. Being able to rediscover something within a matter of seconds, is intriguingly beautiful and it further encourages you to question the image you see in front of you.
This exercise was a slightly uncomfortable at times as it asked you to emotionally and physically connect with something that can not return such a connection, thus making it unnatural. However it allowed me to understand Brecht's purpose in a simplified way that identified with both my artistic and logical reasoning.
The 'V' effect
Verfremdungeffekt or the 'V' effect as it is otherwise known, is a technique that can be described as alienation, aiming to make the ordinary, extraordinary and strange. Brecht used this technique to remind the audience that what they were watching on stage was fiction; allowing them to cut any emotional attachment they may have felt with the piece and focus only on questioning the events unfolding before them. It also highlighted important aspects of his play, drawing the audience's attention to a certain moment of the piece. Brecht also played with the natural human thought process and automatic instincts within this technique to make people specifically question the actions of human beings.
Using this within my work will help me present to the audience the message of my piece, putting a spotlight on certain irregularities in my piece to highlight a moral within my work. This is a tool I will use to enhance my political work.
Extension of the character
In this exercise we embodied both a pregnant lady and a capitalist businessman. In doing so we had to adopt a physicality and vocal quality that represented our characterisation including class and emotional state. As the businessman: tall stance with a strained face, holding and smoking a cigar. For the pregnant woman: hunched over and rubbing her stomach, with a look of clear discomfort. When told the news "the factory is on strike" we had to react according to the character we were playing. For the businessman: a dismissive wave of the hand proclaiming "am I meant to care?" And for the woman: running her hands from her head to her stomach, concerned asking "how am I meant to provide?"
These two characters were polar opposites, allowing me to create bold character choices and in so doing understanding the intentions behind a certain character choice and action. This will help me when choosing how to effectively present a character or genre of characters to an audience. I will need to be able to understand the best way to commentate using both my physicality and voice.
No comments:
Post a Comment