Lack of time, much work and...laziness have prevented the Froggies from summing up 2009's last sessions. But here is a great opportunity to write down the summary of the year: what worked, what can be improved, what to expect from 2010. So here we go! (Comments are more than welcome)
What works
A great group, much implication, a lot of imagination, acceptance of my sometimes weird exercices, quite a good combination between the old froggies and the tadpoles.
A new place to work, ok, a bit cold and not that welcoming, but great area to work, lots of space and...a piano!
The participation of the froggies in writing the summary of the week...in English. Much appreciated by terrifying teacher: good exercise for the froggies and much less work for the guru as well hé!hé!
The involvement of the pianist, who is now participating quite seriously in the acting exercises.
The poetry show, at the Club des Poètes, with Alain, Maria, Gwenola,Thibaut and former froggies Barbara, Michèle, Sylvie and friends, which was an excellent event, with very touching moments.
What can be improved
No change in the number of Froggies anymore, please! We'll start the rehearsals for the play from January and the talent of everybody will be much appreciated.
Being on time: much progress in the air I must say. Our debate on staying later or not depending on the arrival time of everybody was quite positive actually. As you may have noticed, i'm not much of a guru as far as discipline is concerned, so everybody's involvement is very much appreciated. Of course, it is very important to continue being on time as we get closer to our end of the year play.
Songs: I must say, the exercises on singing were not very successful but of great importance, so i'm warning ya: we'll keep on singing! Ok, no "fever" anymore, time to change, but great exercises will be produced i'm quite sure of that.
What to expect from 2010
As you know, we started exercices with words, and we will keep on working with language. So, for those who want to be corrected with their grammar and/or pronunciation errors, please let me know, so i can write down every mistake.
Also, we will focus on feelings and how to express them
And, of course, the play! i'll get the play i've ordered in a week or so. As soon as i get it, we'll start the readings and the cast. Shouldn't be long, probably the 11th or the 18th of January.
Then, "la Compagnie du Pausilippe" really liked our poetry night and would like us to do exactly the same thing on the 3rd of April. We'll talk about that on monday the 4th.
And we need to organize our night at the theatre for the play in English. Again, we'll see that on monday.
Last but not least: we can't start the new year without celebrating it, so we need to organize a short drinking and eating session during the pause on monday, the 4th or the 11th!!
See you on monday dear Froggies and Happy New Year!
mardi 29 décembre 2009
mardi 1 décembre 2009
Alain Allan Allen's summary of the week
Minutes of our latest session, November 30: theme=words at last!
(a somehow prejudiced report, sorry! No, not sorry)
Welcome and warmup
After everybody (i.e. just 7 of us) had come in and a ten minutes sermon and debate about the late arrivals (strangely, those who do not come do not get criticized: does that mean we should go back home when we find out we’re gonna be late?), forward to the usual warmup, of which I have nothing to say, except that for me its (real) benefits are due only to the final Haka, that liberates our energies — like schoolboys rushing to the playground. Another must is the voice warmup, always welcome, even when it precedes a series of wordless (but not soundless) improvisations.
Improvisations
First, a work by groups (2 groups) with a short preparation. The performance is mute, but with sounds. It is then repeated, with a slight change of rule: the sounds are to be made only by the audience (i.e. the other group). Then, one person says a sentence (of her invention) with a certain intention. She is then imitated by all the participants, one by one. We saw that imitation never means perfect duplication, because of the different personalities. Two variants of the exercice followed: instead of imitating, each one said the same sentence with different intentions (in the first case, the choice was made by the performer, in the second case, by the guru). More difficult: several simultaneous dialogues within a short space. The trick is not to shout, murmuring can do as well.The important thing is concentration and this was just a training for the next improvisation. Last, but not least: the musical improvisation, under the direction of a well-known pianist, and based on a song (Fever) that we were supposed to listen to during the previous week. A small band was progressively built: first 2 persons finger-snapping for the rhythm, then two more to provide accompanying and repetitive sounds, then the singers (improvising the text). This gave us a (still vague) idea of what we are heading to for our June performance.
Back to the poems
The date for the Café des Poètes has been fixed to December 10. The effort was directed towards understandability (by taking time) and more freedom and expression in the interpretation (by moving and addressing the “discourse” to various people, or telling the text in one’s own words). The results of this work were very convincing.
Before parting
Not to finish on individual work, back again to a collective improvisation. We all quietly walk on the stage until someone creates an event, by uttering or doing something, to which everybody must react (physical reaction only, no speaking). And that was all!
(a somehow prejudiced report, sorry! No, not sorry)
Welcome and warmup
After everybody (i.e. just 7 of us) had come in and a ten minutes sermon and debate about the late arrivals (strangely, those who do not come do not get criticized: does that mean we should go back home when we find out we’re gonna be late?), forward to the usual warmup, of which I have nothing to say, except that for me its (real) benefits are due only to the final Haka, that liberates our energies — like schoolboys rushing to the playground. Another must is the voice warmup, always welcome, even when it precedes a series of wordless (but not soundless) improvisations.
Improvisations
First, a work by groups (2 groups) with a short preparation. The performance is mute, but with sounds. It is then repeated, with a slight change of rule: the sounds are to be made only by the audience (i.e. the other group). Then, one person says a sentence (of her invention) with a certain intention. She is then imitated by all the participants, one by one. We saw that imitation never means perfect duplication, because of the different personalities. Two variants of the exercice followed: instead of imitating, each one said the same sentence with different intentions (in the first case, the choice was made by the performer, in the second case, by the guru). More difficult: several simultaneous dialogues within a short space. The trick is not to shout, murmuring can do as well.The important thing is concentration and this was just a training for the next improvisation. Last, but not least: the musical improvisation, under the direction of a well-known pianist, and based on a song (Fever) that we were supposed to listen to during the previous week. A small band was progressively built: first 2 persons finger-snapping for the rhythm, then two more to provide accompanying and repetitive sounds, then the singers (improvising the text). This gave us a (still vague) idea of what we are heading to for our June performance.
Back to the poems
The date for the Café des Poètes has been fixed to December 10. The effort was directed towards understandability (by taking time) and more freedom and expression in the interpretation (by moving and addressing the “discourse” to various people, or telling the text in one’s own words). The results of this work were very convincing.
Before parting
Not to finish on individual work, back again to a collective improvisation. We all quietly walk on the stage until someone creates an event, by uttering or doing something, to which everybody must react (physical reaction only, no speaking). And that was all!
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