IPP Update (#8)

Description: I've finally completed my brainstorming aspect of my IPP performance! It will be in the Topanga Mall food court with an alumni who has had acting experience. He will act as my "manager" as we get into an argument about my working rights. Among the spectators, I will have one of my friends record what is going on as if she is a bystander walking past and recording a scene unfolding in front of her. Another friend will be planted and ask spectators about the conflict going on and try to get some opinions or a reflection about the issue from them. Initially, we will be having a quick dinner that gradually turns ugly as he tells me that as a female, it "fits" more for me to do the mopping, cleaning, and restocking while a guyfriend who supposedly also works at the same place is always the face of the store.
Analysis: I think that the performance will receive some wild looks for 2 different reasons:
1. We're causing a public commotion.

Public Commotion caused by a rude Kanye West

People come to the mall expecting a nice day shopping and looking around, not to hear arguments. Though people don't admit to it, I know that many eavesdrop on conversations happening around them which gives me hope that others will overhear our conversation. Also, the tables at the Topanga Mall food court are so closely packed together that it is inevitable the people at least directly adjacent to us will hear what we have to say.

2. Demographic wise, I am a short, Asian, and young female arguing with a tall, Caucasian, and older male. That, off the bat, I know will look a bit fishy. Even if the spectators don't know what we are arguing about, they may grow suspicious at the conflict from our physical appearances.

Reflection: Planning this performance, I talked with several teachers, other students in my theatre class and asked for feedback on my idea. Slowly, the idea developed until it reached where it is now. I really had a difficult time starting out. I chipped at it one by one though and I think I have a pretty solid performance planned. I first picked the setting. Where the performance is being held definitely sets the ambiance of the performance and where I am can affect how the people around me react. For example, if I had chosen to do this in an upscale restaurant, we might have gotten thrown out pretty fast or the manager of the restaurant definitely would have rushed over in a jiffy because he wants good service in the restaurant. Then after the setting came the actual reason for my being upset and how the argument grows. I think, during the time I'm mad at my "manager", I might take the risk and turn to others around us and directly ask something along the lines of "Can you believe he just said that?!" or "Oh, my, goodness. Would you ever work for a man like him??" And this way, I  can get feedback from the spectators. Finally, one thing I am vehemently against is revealing the fact that the performance is a piece of theatre. I feel that once people find out that it was a theatre performance, they will undermine the meaning behind the piece. I'm afraid that people will think I pulled it as a stunt to see reactions, which is nowhere near my goal. Sure, I want to see how the public reacts, but the primary goal is to get them thinking about the issue and creating social change. Unless violence ensues or the security threatens us, I will try to stay away from putting the fourth wall back up.

Augosto Boal, without whom this wouldn't be possible and to whom I owe my respects and ability to combine my passions.

Workshop of Cruelty (#6)

Description: For her IPP, Kayla chose the Theatre of Cruelty by Antonin Artaud to apply to her acting. We've all been traumatized by cruel theatre, and I think Karen more than most. Last year, she stepped out because she didn't want to watch the video Ms. Ashley was showing us, and I completely understand. This year, Kayla started her Theatre of Cruelty workshop with that same exact video and Karen chose to step out again.

After a whole year of rest from cruelty, I found myself in a flashback of horror and trauma when the scene started. For some reason, the screaming, yelling, and patterns seemed to affect me more than it did last year. As part of her workshop, we also did exercises to loosen our vocal chords and be free and dramatic with our movements. Kayla had us stand in a diagonal line and create a chorus of sounds and movements in a procession like dominoes falling in order. On some rounds, the eerie harmony and strength behind our voices and movement were really creepy. I don't think there's any other way to describe it. To finish it off, we did our own short production of a cruel version of "Little Miss Muffet". In hindsight, all that yelling and flailing was exhilarating and relaxing. Even if it did sound scary as hell.

Analysis: Somehow, I was able to work past the raw emotions and stay in place as we did those exercises. When we started the Little Miss Muffet though, I worried about Karen, that maybe she might want to step aside and refrain from participating. She stuck all the way through though, and I wonder how she was able to endure it... The vocal exercises we did in that diagonal line really helped in becoming freer. The louder we yelled, or the quieter we got, we really gained control over our voices and we were able to use a controlled yet wild tone of voice in acting. It was effective in that we were able to find certain pitches that fit or sounded the "right" amount of cruel. There was a 2nd exercise that I think defined more control in our voices. Kayla had me read a poem aloud on repeat and she would command me to speak "louder, louder!" or "softer, softer, softer". Then I'd have to immediately adjust my volume to match. I knew I could be loud but I had no idea I could get so soft. This workshop helped in our Muffet performance when we would gradually crescendo into an almost climactic mood or dramatically diminish our presence, all with the use of voice.
Reflection: I learned Theatre of Cruelty can be my method of therapy. Maybe not all the time, but once in a while, it's almost an excuse to let out your pent up feelings! It felt really uncomfortable but devilishly enough, there's a part of you that says "hey, this is cool - lets go with it" and keeps you in the theatre.

It has almost a paranormal vibe which surprises me most that I was able to enjoy the workshop. I hate watching paranormal or horror shows, movies, anything. I guess I jumped on this with full determination and it paid off. When I reflect back on it though, I feel like I didn't have to step out of my comfort zone as much as the amount I had to for the monologue of Kate. Maybe it was because we were all being weird and freaky together that I didn't think I would stick out and thus, didn't get too self-conscious. It's amazing how Marian can put herself into any character and absorb herself into it. I think we created a pretty good theatre of cruelty performance, especially without any tools nor much time. If I ever participate in a performance of cruelty later on in life, I'd definitely try not to be afraid of including my raw emotions in there, especially since Artaud emphasizes so much that the spectators feel the raw emotions of a performance. They should leave the theatre feeling confused but more importantly, tense. The only way to go in this practice is up, as in improvement. By not reaching the end goal, there's nothing that's really negative or sacrificed. As a group, we really worked well together. We brought together our different styles and hidden cruel sides.