Parking It
I finally had a day of rest. The 4th was fun and relaxing. With the matinee and having fun at Eric and Tonia's it was still a long and busy day.
On the 5th, I met Rachel at a coffee shop at 10 AM. I knew it was going to seem insanely early after the previous night's activities, and fortunately we were both running a little late, arriving about 10:30 AM. We did a number of writing exercises, and chatted of our experiences and current goals. Her job search, her impending move to Denmark and the Odin Theatre, my completion of the Meisner Progression which feels like a big new starting point for me.
The writing exercises are at an exploratory phase. Learning each other's internal melody and harmony when writing, as well as where we tend to go. Now that we have developed some of that quiet intuition it'll be interesting to see where our writing goes. More of the same but deeper, or more towards creating worlds and ideas, then exploring and heightening them. Both seem worthwhile.
When we first started on the writing, Rachel said she wanted to make statues. Assuming and holding a physical shape that is meaningful. Then two or three cycles of allowing yourself to go deeper or more committed, and into a new place and holding again. I've done this in several classes, and in a number of rehearsals. Solo, with a partner, or as a group. As we were getting to the end of our writing productivity and freshness I picked up her earlier comment, and suggested we head for the park and make statues.
Grass Lawn Park is quite close to my house, maybe fifteen blocks away. I've only been there once before except to walk across it. We warmed up individually, then 'mooshed'. Massaging, mostly for the spine shoulders arms, and head. A good way to drop some tension, warm up and be present physically and emotionally/spiritually. Then we made statues as partners.
I have been doing this and similar exercises and warm ups for the last year, with an ensemble that bonded very early on. Somewhere in the back of my awareness I was curious how I would work out of that very close and safe environment. I have worked with Rachel in the past, have been in quite a few of her classes. There was already trust as a result.
I felt at ease, wasn't once distracted by the surroundings or feelings of being seen or watched by other folks at the park. While I was mooshing I only thought when I wanted to pay particular attention to what I was doing around joints, taking care of my partner. Otherwise I mostly followed impulses. When Rachel mooshed me, I could feel the focus of her attention. It was a realization, feeling that focus and knowing when it inevitably drifted momentarily. There was a memory of it from the past, but I wasn't aware of what I was feeling then. I felt it yesterday, realizing there was a much increased awareness since I'd taken Rachel's classes. Also an increased focus and awareness when I was the moosher.
It was a gift. Always is, but more so because it confirmed something I had taken away from Meisner. An increased facility to let go, and be present. There was a concern I wouldn't be able to attain the same level without a lot of work now that our class is done. To be able to give and receive attention on that level is very affirming, and conducive to taking risk.
We made four or five statues then made up a few exercises, some more interesting and opening than others. One in particular that I remember, was one I came up with that didn't do much for me, and didn't do much for Rachel either. The interesting thing is that when Rachel did it, basically a free form narrative from childhood with whatever physicality we were moved to use, she said she had wanted to do it without words, and for me watching, it was the words and pictures they painted which gave her whole exercise a texture that I as an observer was able to grasp. Changed it from something merely interesting to something that fully engaged me at the same time. I need to think on, and remember that. Engaging multiple centers, even if muted or subtle, makes for richer work. It seems people understand you need movement, truth, a story, etc. to engage an audience for a play. I have seen a number of movement pieces that are very interesting and evocative, but they usually fade as soon as they are done. The same marriage of multiple centers of perception, and ways of relating to the audience which is commonplace in good plays needs to be applied to experimental work too. Don't know why this seems important to me, as I've not done a lot of experimental work thus far.
I was happy. The writing, the mooshing, the explorations, the attention signaled a move from student/teacher to fellow traveler relationship. In many ways Rachel is much further along, having taken numerous huge risks, and many dedicated and extended learning situations. Though like myself, in the need of occasional grounding or encouragement from friends. So many relationships like that in the arts, people who help you when you need it, and whom you help, at many levels without hesitation or keeping accounts. That is perhaps the biggest gift for the artist that is present and open. The vast number of friendships you can have, each one enriching the others.
Afterwards I relaxed and read for a while at my house, nicely logy from the sun. And finally mowed my front lawn. I was so looking forward to that, and now the dandelions are no taller than the dried grass. Feeling even logier from mowing, I watched Men In Black, noting the respective acting skills of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. So Will could do a little better, though a good deal of it is the 'cute' or 'hip' lines they feed him. All in all, a perfect holiday weekend with a perfect wrap.
On the 5th, I met Rachel at a coffee shop at 10 AM. I knew it was going to seem insanely early after the previous night's activities, and fortunately we were both running a little late, arriving about 10:30 AM. We did a number of writing exercises, and chatted of our experiences and current goals. Her job search, her impending move to Denmark and the Odin Theatre, my completion of the Meisner Progression which feels like a big new starting point for me.
The writing exercises are at an exploratory phase. Learning each other's internal melody and harmony when writing, as well as where we tend to go. Now that we have developed some of that quiet intuition it'll be interesting to see where our writing goes. More of the same but deeper, or more towards creating worlds and ideas, then exploring and heightening them. Both seem worthwhile.
When we first started on the writing, Rachel said she wanted to make statues. Assuming and holding a physical shape that is meaningful. Then two or three cycles of allowing yourself to go deeper or more committed, and into a new place and holding again. I've done this in several classes, and in a number of rehearsals. Solo, with a partner, or as a group. As we were getting to the end of our writing productivity and freshness I picked up her earlier comment, and suggested we head for the park and make statues.
Grass Lawn Park is quite close to my house, maybe fifteen blocks away. I've only been there once before except to walk across it. We warmed up individually, then 'mooshed'. Massaging, mostly for the spine shoulders arms, and head. A good way to drop some tension, warm up and be present physically and emotionally/spiritually. Then we made statues as partners.
I have been doing this and similar exercises and warm ups for the last year, with an ensemble that bonded very early on. Somewhere in the back of my awareness I was curious how I would work out of that very close and safe environment. I have worked with Rachel in the past, have been in quite a few of her classes. There was already trust as a result.
I felt at ease, wasn't once distracted by the surroundings or feelings of being seen or watched by other folks at the park. While I was mooshing I only thought when I wanted to pay particular attention to what I was doing around joints, taking care of my partner. Otherwise I mostly followed impulses. When Rachel mooshed me, I could feel the focus of her attention. It was a realization, feeling that focus and knowing when it inevitably drifted momentarily. There was a memory of it from the past, but I wasn't aware of what I was feeling then. I felt it yesterday, realizing there was a much increased awareness since I'd taken Rachel's classes. Also an increased focus and awareness when I was the moosher.
It was a gift. Always is, but more so because it confirmed something I had taken away from Meisner. An increased facility to let go, and be present. There was a concern I wouldn't be able to attain the same level without a lot of work now that our class is done. To be able to give and receive attention on that level is very affirming, and conducive to taking risk.
We made four or five statues then made up a few exercises, some more interesting and opening than others. One in particular that I remember, was one I came up with that didn't do much for me, and didn't do much for Rachel either. The interesting thing is that when Rachel did it, basically a free form narrative from childhood with whatever physicality we were moved to use, she said she had wanted to do it without words, and for me watching, it was the words and pictures they painted which gave her whole exercise a texture that I as an observer was able to grasp. Changed it from something merely interesting to something that fully engaged me at the same time. I need to think on, and remember that. Engaging multiple centers, even if muted or subtle, makes for richer work. It seems people understand you need movement, truth, a story, etc. to engage an audience for a play. I have seen a number of movement pieces that are very interesting and evocative, but they usually fade as soon as they are done. The same marriage of multiple centers of perception, and ways of relating to the audience which is commonplace in good plays needs to be applied to experimental work too. Don't know why this seems important to me, as I've not done a lot of experimental work thus far.
I was happy. The writing, the mooshing, the explorations, the attention signaled a move from student/teacher to fellow traveler relationship. In many ways Rachel is much further along, having taken numerous huge risks, and many dedicated and extended learning situations. Though like myself, in the need of occasional grounding or encouragement from friends. So many relationships like that in the arts, people who help you when you need it, and whom you help, at many levels without hesitation or keeping accounts. That is perhaps the biggest gift for the artist that is present and open. The vast number of friendships you can have, each one enriching the others.
Afterwards I relaxed and read for a while at my house, nicely logy from the sun. And finally mowed my front lawn. I was so looking forward to that, and now the dandelions are no taller than the dried grass. Feeling even logier from mowing, I watched Men In Black, noting the respective acting skills of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. So Will could do a little better, though a good deal of it is the 'cute' or 'hip' lines they feed him. All in all, a perfect holiday weekend with a perfect wrap.
1 Comments:
Cool -- and a first, for me -- to read about a day I participated in. I'm confident in my ability to create a safe space in which to work, or to know when that cannot be done. That space between two trees, that day, was perfect.
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