Brumas Charleston

Description:
This week, I have experienced a whole new aspect of the play: directing. We took a break from rehearsing "Estacion 2" and in the absence of the Form VI girls I was in charge of "Sueño Morado", scene 4. This scene was the one with the 'brumas', after the family scene. Luckily, I had miss Alicia's help to improve and fix it. We worked on the physicality, voice and overall characterisation with the grade 6 and Form I girls.

As well, the measurement for the costumes in the play were taken for each one of the cast members this week.

Analysis:
Firstly, I would like to state that directing this week was something unexpected. When I first saw the scene it took me a while to understand what was going on and a lot of explanation. It was the scene in which the 'brumas' overwhelmed El hombre. They were supposed to make him feel worse after losing his job and being mistreated by his family. The girls had a stimulus of ghosts that haunted the main character. They had zombie-like body postures and ghost voices but as well played with the pitches. The scene has six beats and was mainly structured until beat # 5. What I needed to do was to polish it and improve it, and if possible to continue with the last beat. 

On Tuesday, after knowing the exact structure of the scene, we started improving and fixing the details.  We went line by line to try to improve the volume, the pitch, the intonation and the speed. At first, the girls said their first lines in a a slow pace high-pitch voice with a 'sonsonete', I believe this was done to create a creepy and ghost-like effect so in a way the audience would be skeptic about them. They tried to create an innocent but also negative connotation by using a medium level, postures and voice. 
As for the lines that they all said together, we worked on the pitches by alternating the low ones with the high ones to create dynamism and rhythm in the scene. As the girls started from behind the stage and had to come forward we worked on the body characterisation. As their level was medium, and their faces were neutral and their mouths were wide open, their arms were just hanging and they reminded me of zombies. One of the challenges of this, was that the energy at first, it was low, so we made them add dynamism to the scene in their walking. As they started to move forward, in a sudden moment we told them to acquire levels and it was randomly symmetric. This was more appealing since it gave variety to the scene and we chose to keep it. We worked on their intentions, they all had the same purpose: to haunt him. Anyway the Form I girls, Daniela, Paula and Antonella made some variations to their way of haunting. Antonella acted in a nostalgic but haunting way, Paula in an upset but haunting way and Daniela in a mad but as well haunting way. This was done to transmit the emotions they had and in a way portrayed some of the possible emotions "el Hombre" had. It was interesting to watch how contrasting their emotions could be, even though they were all lead by one purpose. 
During this process, we as well told them to add a creepy smile and have their eyes even wider to create a more overwhelming effect. So overall, on Tuesday we were able to polish what it was already created based on the structure of the scene, we made the movements, voice, actions and body more precise and concrete. We improved it and made things step by step so the girls could remember the changes worked on how much the scene achieved its purpose: to be overwhelming.

On Thursday, it all changed. Our scene stopped being a zombie-like one, but a "Charleston" one. So everything we worked on before was not so useful now. Well, in fact the techniques and intentions were useful for them to develop their acting skills but they didn't particularly fit with this new idea. So first of all, we made the girls watch a Charleston video to get a general idea of it; the movements and the face expression to be specific. Of course it was only so they could understand what it was. 
We made them get in a linear position, one beside the other like before, but this time their posture was straight, their hands were firmly beside them and their palms were facing the floor. This was all to create the elegance atmosphere, to change the mood of the play, to mislead the audience to think things are going to get better for "el Hombre". Charleston is a synonym of elegance, joy, happiness, superficiality and it was a way of entertainment. The effect we are trying to create here is that even though Charleston means all of that we are giving it another focus, a more negative connotation; so the audience might believe in a way the life of "el Hombre" is getting better but then this idea is changed when the girls start talking. Without mentioning they are always trying to make it creepy with elements like their smiles. We worked really hard on their coordination. It was really important so they could be able to to it at the same time without us saying it. We focused on this during the whole rehearsal and chose to keep the voices the same, as well as the intentions. 
For them to have a rhythm, miss Alicia hummed a random song and the became coordinated with it. Since it was the first time we did the scene in a Charleston way, I believe it was a good first draft that needed to be polished.

Charleston dance
Visual stimulus the girls used to have an idea of it

On Saturday, as we knew where the scene was heading, we decided to work on the clarity and the intentions of each one as they said their lines. We worked with the ones that were there since many were absent. I believe we were achieving the idea of overwhelming the main character since they are all the same in a way, they are all girls that appear to be innocent but suddenly we realise they are not and instead there is an overwhelming effect due to the amount and actions that take place.
Instead of keeping the 'bruma' talk, we changed it for a more Charlestonish way of speaking; fast-paced, loud. So mainly, we explored the different possible ways of doing it. The main challenge was that the girls got stuck doing the same things over and over again, and explained that they were not a 100% sure of how was Charleston supposed to be like. I told them to watch videos and pictures of it for next rehearsal. Another challenge was still the coordination for the girls in grade 6. The were not able to coordinate their legs all together. While the scene was on, I moved my hands as a sign of where should their legs be and it worked. But we should find a way in which they know without me telling them. Finally, we worked on the upstaging. They were really upstaging each other, and I know that we want to create this effect o crowdedness and overwhelmingness but the use of space was improved when we told them.

The idea of masses is a constant in this scene. As the girls are all 'brumas', in other words they are a collective character and their purpose is the same. The idea of masses attacking a man, how he is absorbed by them, I think it is being achieved with this scene and a creepy touch is being added in.

Connections:
By directing this week, I found some connections. I link this rehearsal to the ones we've had in the past school plays in general. How we work in each scene individually to make it fit with the others in the play. They all make us feel as a part of something bigger. I am now seeing them from a whole new perspective, from the directing point of view. I now, have an opportunity to fix and improve some of the flaws that might be found in the scene. It is an enriching experience but as well as acting in the past plays.

I can't avoid to link these rehearsals with the techniques we learned last year in class. The voice and body characterisation. I have realised along this week how important they are. It doesn't only help me, but the others as well in a really notorious way. We can see how everything they learn in class it is applied to their scene, of course it needs improvement but I can see how essential it is.

It is inevitable, to connect this scene with the ghosts scene of Shadow Queendom. I already know that this particular scene was not very liked because of the shouting and disorder it showed. But what I am linking is the purpose of overwhelming, not only the character but also the audience. We want to create and effect in which the audience shares the feeling of "el Hombre". On both cases, the characters were exerting pressure upon the character they were addressing to, trying to make him/her regret. As well, as the fact that they are all girls and pretty much the same amount.

Lastly, the idea of collectivity of this scene makes me connect it with the Geisha dance form "Miyuki y los 3 demonios". It is pretty much what we are aiming with it: elegance and coordination but of course in a more Expressionist way. The Charleston has to be joyful and fast and hard but it is similar to the Geisha dance in the coordination and dedication to do it.

Reflections:
This week, I learned several skills. I improved on team work, cooperation, understanding and listening to others. Things are not supposed to work only one way and sometimes they don't work the way you planned them. We should be able to listen and be open to new ideas and cooperate with each other. Understand what we are all aiming and achieve it. That is in emotional terms.
Regarding theatre, I learned that a scene can ALWAYS be improved. It never stops getting better, it is never perfect, but it can be really close. This I realised when the girls were getting bored of passing the scene, and it was because they were doing the same thing over and over again. So I asked them to explore different things, to try new things, that if they are not as good, they can be corrected because they were there to learn as well. Also I realised this when we were passing the scene and miss Alicia and I came with different ideas and proposals to make it work better. Just non-stopping ideas that fit with the scene. Of course some better and others, but still I reflected on how small details were able to change the scene. Finally, regarding the sudden change from slow-paced brumas to Charleston; I learned that we should be able to adjust to the director's idea or proposal at anytime, and that sudden changes occur and we must be prepared to change it all. As for the new Charleston idea, we are exploring different aspects of it but I was wondering:
To what extent are we supposed to be lead by Charleston? 

P.S: Thank you miss Alicia, you were awfully helpful and came just in time to save the day ;)