Makeuping

July 27

Description:

During these two weeks what I have done is, with the production girl's help rehearsed scene 5. Since it consists of a banquet, we were supposed to create three specific moments in it: a dance, a comic relief and a counter scene. Anyway, even though it did take a lot of work, what this entry will have the focus on is my production area: makeup. In order to create a make up budget, I had to design and establish the proposals for the play. Once these were accepted, I had to go downtown to find out prices and make the budget. 

Analysis:

Makeup is one of the most essential aspects in theatre production, of course depending on the theatre practice. Since this year we are doing Grotowski's poor theatre, makeup wash;t supposed to be as main as it will be. One of the most important roles makeup will fulfil is contextualise. We already know that makeup is used to emphasise the actors face expressions or the character's features; but this makeup goes beyond that. The use of makeup in this play will help use understand the conventions taken in account by us, regarding poor theatre.

Firstly, we have taken into consideration most of Grotowski's conventions: the use of body as the actor's main source, oppositions, physicality, the use of voice, etc. Anyway, we have taken into account other aspect that do not contribute as much in the support of poor theatre. This kind of theatre is simplistic, therefore there are not as much of production aspects more than the actor's body. 

The play is contextualised in 1950. This gave us the idea of 'pin-up' fashion movement. Back in the time, women were seen as housewives only. They were supposed to take care of their children and husband. They lacked education and were seen rare if they didn't. In this play, we will not show the level of underestimation to women in a harsh was, but we will show it in a way that might be comical in different ways. We idealised the stereotypically well dressed, well makeup-ed, with children, women that will have as their main focus to spend time with her friends to gossip and get prettier. 

In order to achieve the sense of superficiality we want, most of the 'neighbours' will be categorised as such. To provide deepness in the makeup we will use and attribute a meaning, a colour scheme was created:

• Red: as the color of violence, passion and terror. 
• Yellow: as a color to represent normality.
• Blue: to represent supernatural scenes or characters.

This colour scheme not only applies to makeup but to all the other production areas in the play to create uniformity. 

For the male characters in the play, the only makeup used will be foundation. This will help prevent sweat and emphasise their features. As for their hairstyle, it will vary according to their characters. Anyway, I will be working with the idea of cutting and shaving parts of their hair depending on if they are military or civil. 

The scheme applies mostly to female characters. Mainly to Mrs. Redwood and Mrs. Donahue, the leading female characters.In order to have a visual stimulus of how they will end up looking we had the following pictures:

Mrs. Redwood's hair will give the atmosphere of mystery
by not revealing her whole face with a wavier look.

Mrs. Redwood's makeup, will have red indicating passion and
violence. She will have a stronger makeup compared to
other characters.

This is how Mrs. Donahue's hairstyle will be. Giving us a
better angle of her face with a clear, pure look.

Her makeup style will be clear and bright. This will give the
 audience a lead of her personality. 

Both of these characters will have the scheme we are using for each of them. On both cases we are trying to create a contrast specifically between them. This means that both characters are not only opposites in personality but also in characterisation that will be portrayed on their makeup.

On the other side we have a couple of characters that regarding makeup aspects are outcasts. These are the witches, their creatures and the evil forces. Firstly, the witches characters are not only outcast in their personalities but also in how they will look. They break with the conventions established in the play regarding makeup. They will have black and blue to emphasise darkness and supernaturally in their looks. Their creatures will be as well out casts since all of their face will be painted with different designs that will demonstrate they are not normal pet, but their are as outcasts as their owners. 

Finally, the evil forces will have a unisex look trying to foreshadow their gender.  This means they will have a simplistic makeup for both of them. They will have a red hand print on their faces. This will not only look good but in terms of efficiency will help them get ready faster for the next scene.

Connections:

I have found several connections with the plays I have been before this one:

Miyuki y los tres demonios- In this case the most exact connection with it would be the creatures' makeup. This is because in Miyuki most of the makeup was full-faced and with different patterns and designs. In this play we will only use this kind of makeup for the creatures. 

A spoonful of trust- Here, the makeup was more simple, it was exaggerated but still simple. This means that we did not use a lot of makeup to characterise ourselves. This could be linked with the fact that in this play, most of the characters are human so there is not a huge urge for them to have a lot of makeup. 

Reflections:

While, making the makeup designs and checking for prices in different stores I began reflecting on how important and essential could it be. As for a modern women, it might be essential in her daily life, but what about theatre? What is its purpose? According to Grotowski, makeup is not essential at all, but in other theatre practices like Kabuki it is one of the most important elements. How is it possible that for some theatre practices it is absolutely necessary and for others not? Is makeup another way of language? Another way of communication? Is it a mirror reflecting a culture? A social group? It might reflect identity as well? How could certain theatre practice that use make up look without it? Would it influence their image or their message or even the plot?

Understanding Grotowski

March 30th
Description:
These two weeks, knowing what we did about Grotowski, we started teaching it to the kids in the play. Also we separated them according to scenes and character so we could make them explore and see if they would work or not for the character. We directed so they  could create their scenes according to the titles given. The next week, we started working with specific groups of people and getting them to understand 'poor theatre'. As well, we went to the watch two plays: "Antigona" and "Incendios".

Analysis:
One of the most challenging things I faced during directing the scenes was explaining Grotowski's "poor theatre" to smaller people. In the witches scene, which was the first I directed the idea of making them understand that their main instruments were their body and voice was difficult to explain. The simple idea of eliminating effects, light, scenery to make theatre's only essence the actor's connection with the audience was difficult for us to understand too.

As well, making the witches act trying to convey Grotowski's conventions out of some things we told them and making it out of the blue was challenging. This was only to see if the actors we chose would work fine for their characters.

Then we went to see, Antigona. As for the this play, we could actually see what 'poor theatre' looked like. The way there weren't many lights, sound effects, makeup, etc. helped me get an idea of what this theatre meant. It created a connection with the audience. It transcended. The way it was only one person on stage portraying several characters helped emphasise the fact that the actor's only instrument is their body and voice uniquely.

Connections:
The connections I found these two weeks were:
Rehearsing with the child actors and "Antigona"- I believe that it helped me realise there were few things they could use except from their body. The understanding of their body being their only tool was specifically portrayed in the play.
Rehearsing with the kids and our own rehearsal - Even though our rehearsal required more physical ability and we asked the kids only to do certain things. What differed between these two processes is that there way a different level of concentration and focus.

Reflection:
Working this week with child actors helped me realise that they need to work on a higher concentration level. I need to be able to explain how Grotowski's theatre works in an easy and understandable ways they will be able to understand this theatre and break their barrier?
Is it possible to make children reach a high level of concentration? What do known child actors do in order to cent rate and be able to transcend?

Fresh start

March 16th 

Description:

We have started a new year of our IB year 2 theatre arts class. So, beginning this new year, we have started to learn about Jerzy Grotowski's 'poor theatre'. This is for us to apply in this year's school play. In order to do this, we had two hard-working, physical rehearsal sessions. This included a physical preparation by doing a walking warm-up and other exercises. 

On the second rehearsal we had a much more personal and physical experience.

Analysis:

"The theatre that values the body of the actor and its relation with the spectator and does away with costumes, decor and music"

That is how Jerzy Grotowski defines 'poor theatre'. This is done with the actor breaking any physical boundaries or limits they have by employing physical work. "Poor theatre" seeks to create a personal relationship between the actor and the spectator and convert it into the central role. In other words Grotowski's 'poor theatre' actors would establish such a peace of mind and harmony by reaching a certain level of concentration. This theatre practice what to transform a being, in this case an actor, that can connect with another being, the audience.
This week we have tried to accomplish that for future school play rehearsals. Trying to understand the theatre practice ourselves before we teach them to other actors.

One of the main things that I could encounter by doing these rehearsals, is the fact that the actor finds its very own personal barriers. For example, the effort exerted into the physical practices caused tiredness, thirst, boredom, etc. In my case it was tiredness, I realised it had been a long while since I did any physical effort and got tired pretty quickly. This was definitely one of my barriers. I had to recover after each exercise by breathing heavily. How could I get rid of something that my body was needing? Well, according to Grotowski, we should use the via negativa - what shouldn't I do?

While doing this, we had to break our own barriers. Whatever you felt, you didn't have to do according to the via negativa.
Another of the barriers I found myself in was the lack of confidence at first. While doing the small pirouettes, I was afraid to fall on my face or hurt myself. I realised that barriers that were presented were not only physical but also physiological. The idea of harming myself frightened me and prevented me from doing it comfortably. 

Connections:

One of the most important connections I found was with previous physical trainings. 
Kabuki training - I found these rehearsals similar because they require certain level of concentration for the actor. As well, you should have self-discipline and control every single movement you do. In contrast with Kabuki, "poor theatre" should be much more personal while in Kabuki there was a certain physicality that you had to do in order to fulfil the conventions.
Paucartambo - The spontaneity was a common factor in both. They both show a reflection of the person's ideas. They both represent a certain image given (in Paucartambo any of the troupe characters and in 'poor theatre' a specific image). What is different is the syncretism found behind Paucartambo and the individual reasons in 'poor theatre'.
German Expressionism - As for GE similarities, I can say that they were similar as both had certain physicality.

Acrobatics - These exercises seemed like the ones you would do in yoga or perhaps in gymnastics making you stretch your backbone.

Reflections:
Overall, even though this week has been exhausting since it was the first time in the year we rehearsed it was gratifying. I can say now that I learned from the outside in. I used my body to learn something, to understand it, and then internalised it. This week has left me wandering about some things...

To what extent does using the via negativa help in order to break barriers? Why is it so important to break barriers in order to perform for an audience? Is it possible to keep certain barriers in and perform in the same someone without them would do? What happens when an actor is handicapped or is missing any limb? Can they perform this kind of theatre practice? Will they have to accommodate their bodies in order to fit in it? Do these kinds of limitations prevent them from a plain performance or could otherwise benefit them?