With literary works such as this one, motifs, themes and symbols always seem to be creative ways of reinforcing the real essence of the story and characters. However in the process of adapting a text into a theatrical performance we have to rely on other things;
Props
Costume
Set
Music
Sound Effects
Proxemics
Physicality
Vocalization
These are all things that can be representative in a way that can compensate for the same affects that are given linguistically and poetically through texts. The same principle applies to film- camera angles, visuals, time frames etc.
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Solitude in Public & Spiritual Meditation
After reading 'Concentration of Attention' from Stanislavski's 'An Actor Prepares' I came across an extract which relates to my post on 'crossing the threshold';
"Solitude in Public...you are in public because we are all here. It is solitude because you are divided from us by a small circle of attention. During a performance before an audience of thousands, you can always enclose yourself in this circle like a snail in its shell."
This explanation of the 'circles of attention' introduces the method from which an actor can grasp a conscious state being selectively aware of their surroundings to enable their performance to become rich- by doing this they are not confronted or overthrown by the awareness of their audience judging them. They are able to switch off the over-active mind of the actor and be amerced in the mind and being of the character.
It also came to my attention that when practising this exercise which is spoken about in the book, that to really get into this state of being aware and limiting that awareness,a form of meditation is required. No amount of longing to gain that state of being can bring it into action. I feel it is something that relates well to the teachings of some spiritual teachers; true acting is a state of release from our identities and before we can further apply other identities and characteristics, we need to purify and enrich our 'Being'.
The spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle explores this concept with the reference of being in a state of consciousness or 'no-mind' and 'watching the thinker' which essentially cleanses the mind of identity (the identity thinks themselves an actor and not the character- when acting we basically have to create another identity but not before cleansing our own). Tolle states;
"Instead of "watching the thinker" you can also create a gap in the mind stream simply by directing the focus of your attentions into the Now. Just become intensely conscious of the present moment...You draw consciousness away from the mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This in the essence of meditation."
Mind Activity is not a bad thing but in the context of this topic, the 'mind activity' comes in the form of the actor worrying about the audience, lines etc. and focussing his attention on distractions that will prevent the actor from adopting the correct circle of attention, from condensing their perception of limited reality and from fully amercing into the character. Mind activity when acting needs to take the form of the character's mind activity and not the actors.
I think this an effective way into "getting into character" and I want to practice this when creating any naturalistic scene and or character, but as the character of Helena in Look Back In Anger in particular I feel it will help me portray the internal conflict of her character because I feel that she is someone who is analysing the people around her that matter and reflecting on the situation she is in (her living situation, morals, actions etc.) To me personally, its this "mind activity" and thought process that I want to portray in my performance which I feel I can only achieve through practising these methods that I have mentioned.
"Solitude in Public...you are in public because we are all here. It is solitude because you are divided from us by a small circle of attention. During a performance before an audience of thousands, you can always enclose yourself in this circle like a snail in its shell."
This explanation of the 'circles of attention' introduces the method from which an actor can grasp a conscious state being selectively aware of their surroundings to enable their performance to become rich- by doing this they are not confronted or overthrown by the awareness of their audience judging them. They are able to switch off the over-active mind of the actor and be amerced in the mind and being of the character.
It also came to my attention that when practising this exercise which is spoken about in the book, that to really get into this state of being aware and limiting that awareness,a form of meditation is required. No amount of longing to gain that state of being can bring it into action. I feel it is something that relates well to the teachings of some spiritual teachers; true acting is a state of release from our identities and before we can further apply other identities and characteristics, we need to purify and enrich our 'Being'.
The spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle explores this concept with the reference of being in a state of consciousness or 'no-mind' and 'watching the thinker' which essentially cleanses the mind of identity (the identity thinks themselves an actor and not the character- when acting we basically have to create another identity but not before cleansing our own). Tolle states;
"Instead of "watching the thinker" you can also create a gap in the mind stream simply by directing the focus of your attentions into the Now. Just become intensely conscious of the present moment...You draw consciousness away from the mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This in the essence of meditation."
Mind Activity is not a bad thing but in the context of this topic, the 'mind activity' comes in the form of the actor worrying about the audience, lines etc. and focussing his attention on distractions that will prevent the actor from adopting the correct circle of attention, from condensing their perception of limited reality and from fully amercing into the character. Mind activity when acting needs to take the form of the character's mind activity and not the actors.
I think this an effective way into "getting into character" and I want to practice this when creating any naturalistic scene and or character, but as the character of Helena in Look Back In Anger in particular I feel it will help me portray the internal conflict of her character because I feel that she is someone who is analysing the people around her that matter and reflecting on the situation she is in (her living situation, morals, actions etc.) To me personally, its this "mind activity" and thought process that I want to portray in my performance which I feel I can only achieve through practising these methods that I have mentioned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)