Farida is in the house!
Welcome to the new summary.
Everyone has noticed the attitude of the teacher... she was.... well upset... because this Monday most of us were late, and it was unacceptable dixit TT. By now, each Monday we should be on time... meaning 7.30pm. OOOOh yes!!!TT says!!!
WARMING UP : The circle, warming the voice and shaking the body to take off all the tension of the day.
Also, a new exercise inspired by a workshop on puppets TT took part in on the weekend: in circle, one froggy created a sound that came from his/her body out from his/her mouth, played with it and gave it to another froggy who played with it, swallowed it, created a new sound and so on.
PLAYING IN PAIRS: back to back, we did the same exercise as a couple of weeks ago and developped it : in pairs (usually our partner in the scene we are working on), back to back, we had to try and move together, one being the leader and the other the follower and swapping from time to time. There was some music on: Edward Sharpe of course! But a slow one : "Brother".
Then, face to face, we had to touch each other's face and body. And finally, still facing each other, we had to express different feelings according to TT's ideas: love, hatred, sadness, first touching each other, then only with the face and eyes.
After that, we were ready to work on our short dialogues!
WORKING ON THE TEXT :
We had to work in pairs with our own text and find :
- Our goal and how we can achieve thiat goal
- Who the leader is and who the follower is and at when they swap.
TT gave us 20 minutes to work on our text. Then we showed our performance to the class and to TT as well.
FIRST TEAM ==> Thibault and Farida
- PLOT : A cocktail party. A woman and a man had a conversation with "questions and answers" to see if they.
- TT's direction : Farida has to be sexier and tries to charm Thibault . Thibault has to be shier and focus on his questions and her answers. Then he becomes more entrepresing.This is when the woman begins to be afraid.
SECOND TEAM ==> Florence and William
- PLOT : A man (William) paid another one (Florence) to kill a man. They speak about how and when the killer killed this man.
- TT's direction : William has to be more confident and more directive with the killer when he is speaking. Florence is nconfortable about the situation. Then, Florence feels very confident and speaks loudly about how she killed the man with details. William is impressed and begins to feel less confident than at the beginning.
THE LAST TEAM ==> Gloria, Anaïs and Boubakar
- PLOT : A mother was completly hysterical because her daugther didn't get the audition and felt that it was not fair. She fights with her daughter who is fed up with the behaviour of her mother.
- TT 's directions: Boubakar doesn't need to speak, Gloria was great and Anaïs as well ( sorry I don't, really, remember he commentary of the teacher -:) ) NOT good Farida, not good at all! TT says hé!hé! Actually TT said that the two womend did not need to care about Boubakar, they had to fight around him and then in front of him. Boubakar, the father, couldn't care less.
To finish, we watched some extracts from "Thank God You're Here!", an Australian comedy show where comedians have to improvise in an environment they knew nothing about. Ex: One of the actors discovers she is the anchor of a sports show and has to present a new machine to work out.
The aim: do the same in 2011!
Everyone has worked very hard during this session... and TT added that we were ready, now, to learn by heart the text. Congratulations everyone!
And that's all folks ;-)
By the way, Bradra.... where were last monday ???????
Also, we welcomed a new Froggy: Jiani, who is great of course!
lundi 20 décembre 2010
dimanche 5 décembre 2010
Monday 29th november
An oldie writes our summary down! Thanks Fernie!
Tonight, at nine, everyone was studying the texts they have to play in January.
Gladys and Thibault had an affair with a curious trampoline …
Victoire had to deal with a shallow husband who wants to live in Los Angeles instead of New York, the city of culture, and welcomes a doctor to treat him.
Gloria, Anais and Boubakar had to play a family in great discussion.
William and Florence had to play a scene introducing a serial killer paid to kill and asking his duty.
And, last but not least, Badra was ALONE (what is this T.T ?) and, maybe, bored. (actually she was sleeping Fernie...TT says...)
Everyone had to find five sequences in their texts to show to the others for them to understand the story. Everytime TT switched off the light, the characters had to fix a sequence and stay motionless during the time the light was on.
Thibault and Gladys began. They fixed five sequences to show us a couple in great discussion around a trampoline. Thibault was jumping on the trampoline while Gladys was giving him a roasting. It was brilliant since … it’s not easy being fixed in the air (sorry Thibault for the joke)
Badra and Farida (who joined Badra later on) played a couple. The girl wants to leave but the husband tried by all the means to keep her. They fixed three sequences.
Very nice clash showed by Boubakar, Anais and Gloria. A family in great discussion about the daughter’s career as an actress. The mother doesn’t want her to become an actress, the father is not giving an arm with it and the daughter is trying to convince them. Five sequences.
William and Florence played a serial killer and his boss. The serial killer wanted to be paid. Very impressive.
And, at last, Victoire and Wiliam played a wife and a doctor coming to examine the woman’s shallow husband and finally chatting up with her.
After these exhausting exercises, TT reserved us the best for last.
We had to do an improvisation with five points : a kid, a television, a sentence (“It’s cold today”), a music (Home!), a feeling (joy).
Thibault, Gloria and Boubakar played a family bored in front of the television (actually Barbara’s bag) until Anais, the joyfull baby, came to play. Thibault and Boubakar began to play with her until Boubakar meets the table’s feet (aie, it hurts)
Victoire, William and Florence played a family bored on a cold Sunday afternoon. Gloria, their neighbor, came to play with Victoire. They wanted to play outside but it was too cold for that as the father, William, says. After a long discussion he finally decides to let them play outside.
At last, Farida, Gladys and Barbara played respectively a television, a mother and a child. The child was watching tv. She did the same gesticulations as the tv. Her mother came from outside where it was very cold. She began to play with her kid. Barbara, the kid, wanted to show her mother she could command the television … until the cartoon came out of the television to play with both of them.
And that's it for now!
Tonight, at nine, everyone was studying the texts they have to play in January.
Gladys and Thibault had an affair with a curious trampoline …
Victoire had to deal with a shallow husband who wants to live in Los Angeles instead of New York, the city of culture, and welcomes a doctor to treat him.
Gloria, Anais and Boubakar had to play a family in great discussion.
William and Florence had to play a scene introducing a serial killer paid to kill and asking his duty.
And, last but not least, Badra was ALONE (what is this T.T ?) and, maybe, bored. (actually she was sleeping Fernie...TT says...)
Everyone had to find five sequences in their texts to show to the others for them to understand the story. Everytime TT switched off the light, the characters had to fix a sequence and stay motionless during the time the light was on.
Thibault and Gladys began. They fixed five sequences to show us a couple in great discussion around a trampoline. Thibault was jumping on the trampoline while Gladys was giving him a roasting. It was brilliant since … it’s not easy being fixed in the air (sorry Thibault for the joke)
Badra and Farida (who joined Badra later on) played a couple. The girl wants to leave but the husband tried by all the means to keep her. They fixed three sequences.
Very nice clash showed by Boubakar, Anais and Gloria. A family in great discussion about the daughter’s career as an actress. The mother doesn’t want her to become an actress, the father is not giving an arm with it and the daughter is trying to convince them. Five sequences.
William and Florence played a serial killer and his boss. The serial killer wanted to be paid. Very impressive.
And, at last, Victoire and Wiliam played a wife and a doctor coming to examine the woman’s shallow husband and finally chatting up with her.
After these exhausting exercises, TT reserved us the best for last.
We had to do an improvisation with five points : a kid, a television, a sentence (“It’s cold today”), a music (Home!), a feeling (joy).
Thibault, Gloria and Boubakar played a family bored in front of the television (actually Barbara’s bag) until Anais, the joyfull baby, came to play. Thibault and Boubakar began to play with her until Boubakar meets the table’s feet (aie, it hurts)
Victoire, William and Florence played a family bored on a cold Sunday afternoon. Gloria, their neighbor, came to play with Victoire. They wanted to play outside but it was too cold for that as the father, William, says. After a long discussion he finally decides to let them play outside.
At last, Farida, Gladys and Barbara played respectively a television, a mother and a child. The child was watching tv. She did the same gesticulations as the tv. Her mother came from outside where it was very cold. She began to play with her kid. Barbara, the kid, wanted to show her mother she could command the television … until the cartoon came out of the television to play with both of them.
And that's it for now!
Summary of our 22th of november lesson - Santa Cecile
Florence's great summary with lots of picture that can't show on the blog, damned!
*We are all late (true!!! TT says)
Present : - Thibaud, Boubakar, Gloria, Victoire, Farida, Badrah, Anna and Florence + 2 guests (friends of Anna)
5 Parts
1) Warming up. We should remember all these gestures because it’s the last time Anna leads us.
- The charming voice of Anna in the breath circle (hi!hi! i like that, TT says)
- AH HE HI HO HU … work on our voice
- Exercises on body (very relaxing) – So much vocabulary that I give you a little notice….
Please use your imagination here to try and represent the body of a man and the face of a woman with arrows pointing to the different parts of the body and numbers associated to each arrow
The body
1 La tête The head
2 Le cou The neck
3 L'épaule The shoulder
4 Le bras The upper arm
5 Le coude The elbow
6 L'avant bras The forearm
7 Le poignet The wrist
8 La main The hand
9 Le doigt The finger
10 La hanche The hip
11 La cuisse The thigh
12 Le genou The knee
13 La jambe The leg
14 La cheville The ankle
15 Le pied The foot
16 Les orteils The toes
17 Le thorax The chest
18 L'abdomen The abdomen
- Contraction and up
- The Anna Hacka …
2) Games
- Dracula (everybody close their eyes. There is one Dracula. When he touches someone on the head, the fellow had to scream and he becomes a Dracula too. When a Dracula meets a Dracula they both laugh….) Very fun exercise.
- Modelling clay : 2 statues were modelled by two sculptors and vice versa
3) For Santa Cecile (patron saint of musicians): “HOME”, our SONG
Game on it. Creation of stories on the text
- Thibaud, Boubakar and Badra (Thibaud tried to stay on stage more than 15 minutes…)
- Farida and Victoire
- Gloria & Florence
4) Cigarettes outside with its social role (hé!hé! TT laughs)
5) Work on texts (find an aim, an obstacle and a way to succeed)
GOOD NEWS!
Our master piece will be “The Mouse Trap” from Agatha Christie. If you want to know the queen of polar, I bought the magazine below…. See you tomorrow (just two weeks late for my job but ahead from my friend William!!!!)
Please use your imagination once again to recreate the cover of "Lire Hors-Série/Agatha Christie, une femme fatale
*We are all late (true!!! TT says)
Present : - Thibaud, Boubakar, Gloria, Victoire, Farida, Badrah, Anna and Florence + 2 guests (friends of Anna)
5 Parts
1) Warming up. We should remember all these gestures because it’s the last time Anna leads us.
- The charming voice of Anna in the breath circle (hi!hi! i like that, TT says)
- AH HE HI HO HU … work on our voice
- Exercises on body (very relaxing) – So much vocabulary that I give you a little notice….
Please use your imagination here to try and represent the body of a man and the face of a woman with arrows pointing to the different parts of the body and numbers associated to each arrow
The body
1 La tête The head
2 Le cou The neck
3 L'épaule The shoulder
4 Le bras The upper arm
5 Le coude The elbow
6 L'avant bras The forearm
7 Le poignet The wrist
8 La main The hand
9 Le doigt The finger
10 La hanche The hip
11 La cuisse The thigh
12 Le genou The knee
13 La jambe The leg
14 La cheville The ankle
15 Le pied The foot
16 Les orteils The toes
17 Le thorax The chest
18 L'abdomen The abdomen
- Contraction and up
- The Anna Hacka …
2) Games
- Dracula (everybody close their eyes. There is one Dracula. When he touches someone on the head, the fellow had to scream and he becomes a Dracula too. When a Dracula meets a Dracula they both laugh….) Very fun exercise.
- Modelling clay : 2 statues were modelled by two sculptors and vice versa
3) For Santa Cecile (patron saint of musicians): “HOME”, our SONG
Game on it. Creation of stories on the text
- Thibaud, Boubakar and Badra (Thibaud tried to stay on stage more than 15 minutes…)
- Farida and Victoire
- Gloria & Florence
4) Cigarettes outside with its social role (hé!hé! TT laughs)
5) Work on texts (find an aim, an obstacle and a way to succeed)
GOOD NEWS!
Our master piece will be “The Mouse Trap” from Agatha Christie. If you want to know the queen of polar, I bought the magazine below…. See you tomorrow (just two weeks late for my job but ahead from my friend William!!!!)
Please use your imagination once again to recreate the cover of "Lire Hors-Série/Agatha Christie, une femme fatale
Monday 15th november
William is in the house!
1.The warming up
2. Laughing again , good thing we worked on it , for this laughing point inside of us (a wonderful place i'm sure! ) isn't that easy to reach for everyone , it takes a lot of "peeling" .
But this time it started more directly . We stood in line and, one after the other, we had to face the line of the rest of us and point each person out and start a growing laughter, quite a tensed position...I guess laughter was the key to it , at first on our own and then followed by all the group , the facong line. A good way of learning how to laugh for yourself and TO the others . Everyone can handle a good laugh !
3. Follow the leader : inspired by a leader, the group, still in a row , had to follow the leader through one imaginary walk around the room full of obstacles, one round each and several obstacles at each turn .
4. The sculpture and its sculptor: a sculptor had to sculpt a living sculpture and vice versa
5. The Arrival, a graphic novel by Shaun Tan, exercise 2
After our physical exercise, we setlled down and, following TT's saying, agreed to turn our good old acting place into another proportioned world exept for one person who waited outside while we found out about our new world, new language and new jobs. This was inspired by the main character from The Arrival, who discovers a totally new world with new codes and a different language. When the person who was waiting outisde came back in he/she found out a whole new world , new looks on peoples' faces performing unusual activities , and new ways of reacting with a new freshly concepted language.
The aim of the person arriving in this new dimension was to get around, observe and eventually try to communicate his/her goal , which was either to find a job , or a hotel for the night .
Communication, adaption and understanding was the aim, and because of the lack of words, everything was based on body language, which needed a lot of listening (of unknown words) and interaction , understanding the others' presence.
5. Working on text
After having played with no solid written text, here we were armed with a few lines, there has been long silences ,trying to make those lines go somewhere.
We worked on the aim of each character.
Lots of confrontations and embrassment, shattering breaking ups and magical hooking ups.
And that's it for now!
Ps: No overdose of that sweet Home music , i guess we could have handled even more! :) (I heard you! TT says...)
1.The warming up
2. Laughing again , good thing we worked on it , for this laughing point inside of us (a wonderful place i'm sure! ) isn't that easy to reach for everyone , it takes a lot of "peeling" .
But this time it started more directly . We stood in line and, one after the other, we had to face the line of the rest of us and point each person out and start a growing laughter, quite a tensed position...I guess laughter was the key to it , at first on our own and then followed by all the group , the facong line. A good way of learning how to laugh for yourself and TO the others . Everyone can handle a good laugh !
3. Follow the leader : inspired by a leader, the group, still in a row , had to follow the leader through one imaginary walk around the room full of obstacles, one round each and several obstacles at each turn .
4. The sculpture and its sculptor: a sculptor had to sculpt a living sculpture and vice versa
5. The Arrival, a graphic novel by Shaun Tan, exercise 2
After our physical exercise, we setlled down and, following TT's saying, agreed to turn our good old acting place into another proportioned world exept for one person who waited outside while we found out about our new world, new language and new jobs. This was inspired by the main character from The Arrival, who discovers a totally new world with new codes and a different language. When the person who was waiting outisde came back in he/she found out a whole new world , new looks on peoples' faces performing unusual activities , and new ways of reacting with a new freshly concepted language.
The aim of the person arriving in this new dimension was to get around, observe and eventually try to communicate his/her goal , which was either to find a job , or a hotel for the night .
Communication, adaption and understanding was the aim, and because of the lack of words, everything was based on body language, which needed a lot of listening (of unknown words) and interaction , understanding the others' presence.
5. Working on text
After having played with no solid written text, here we were armed with a few lines, there has been long silences ,trying to make those lines go somewhere.
We worked on the aim of each character.
Lots of confrontations and embrassment, shattering breaking ups and magical hooking ups.
And that's it for now!
Ps: No overdose of that sweet Home music , i guess we could have handled even more! :) (I heard you! TT says...)
samedi 4 décembre 2010
Bernanos au MC93 mardi soir
Salut les froggies
Bernanos est à mon sens un des plus grands écrivains de langue française, et les occasions sont rares d'entendre ses textes. Le théâtre en partance joue jusqu'à mercredi soir au MC93 de Bobigny une pièce inspirée de ses écrits de combats (que je vous invite par ailleurs à lire). J'y vais mardi, ceux qui veulent venir avec moi sont les bienvenus.
Présentation Compagnons inconnus
envoyé par theatreenpartance. - Futurs lauréats du Sundance.
critique du figaro: Parmi les spectacles forts que l'on peut voir ces jours-ci, il y a cette adaptation remarquable des Écrits de combat de Georges Bernanos. Il s'agit de la reprise d'un spectacle présenté il y a ...deux ans par Théâtre en partance, compagnie implantée en Normandie et qui accomplit un vrai travail de création à Saint-Lô et dans la région. Formés à l'école du Théâtre national de Strasbourg, Valérie Aubert et Samir Siad montent aussi bien les pièces du répertoire que des textes contemporains. Ici, sur un fond d'images, un chœur et un coryphée portent la parole toujours vive de Bernanos. La manière dont il analyse les événements de son temps est si forte que sa pensée semble destinée à nous faire réfléchir aujourd'hui, ici et maintenant
La manche libre:
Le Théâtre en Partance remet Bernanos au goût du jour
“Compagnons inconnus”, la dernière création du Théâtre en Partance, a séduit le public de Bobigny. On la retrouve en Normandie.
Après un magnifique succès au théâtre MC93 de Bobigny, Compagnons inconnus, la dernière création du Théâtre en Partance autour des écrits de Georges Bernanos, vient chercher le triomphe à Saint-Lô mardi 21 avril.Défi littéraire et artistique, le travail achevé par la compagnie de Samir Siad et Valérie Aubert a choisi de se servir du verbe du grand écrivain chrétien pour mettre en lumière l'histoire récente de l'Europe. Et surtout nous aider à en tirer de nouvelles leçons.
Bernanos s’adresse à nous
Aux mots extraits des Grands cimetières sous la lune, de La France contre les robots, des Enfants humiliés ou de La liberté pour quoi faire? s’ajoute une mise en scène ciblée destinée à créer l’émotion. Ballons, terre, lumière, costumes simples, extraits musicaux et vidéo soutiennent une interprétation vécue “au corps” par Samir Siad, Cédric Altadill, Vincent Reverte et Fabrice Hervé, réunis en “chœur” de citoyens combattants de 14-18 se transformant peu à peu en civils, en technocrates, en traders d’aujourd’hui...
Plus que de susciter des battements cardiaques, les quatre comédiens de Bricqueville-sur-Mer se sont donnés pour mission sur scène de faire entendre au public le message, “parfaitement actuel”, d’un écrivain “bien au-dessus des mouvements de pensées dans lesquelles on a voulu le ranger”.
Un public étonné et surpris
“Et non sans drôlerie”, rappelle le codirecteur de la troupe des Embruns, Samir Siad, qui souligne à quel point l’écrivain, malgré une grande gravité, “avait le sens du cocasse”.
Georges Bernanos a traversé le XXe siècle et ses deux guerres mondiales. ”Inspiré durablement par l’expérience des tranchées”, il l’a marqué de sa plume. Assez critique sans être violente, assez étonnée sans être naïve et assez profonde sans être mystique pour être relue aujourd’hui à l’heure de la surconsommation et de “l’abandon de nos libertés au profit de l’Etat, des systèmes économiques et des polices”.
C’est ce challenge sans crânerie, cette leçon d’histoire sans dogmatisme qui a sans doute séduit le théâtre de Bobigny, amateur de textes puissants et de grand art.
“Comme l’arbre peut cacher la forêt, la réputation de Bernanos dissimule une oeuvre plus complexe et plus riche qu’on ne le pense souvent”, a introduit le théâtre de la région parisienne, avant de rappeler comment Georges Bernanos le catholique s’est oposé au “franquisme meurtrier”, à la “lâcheté des accords de Munich en 1938 et à “l’effondrement des démocraties”.
La pièce écrite à partir de ce que les éditeurs ont appelé les “écrits de combats” de Bernanos - ses “articles, conférences et écrits politiques de 1936 et 1948”, explique Samir Siad - a été coproduite avec le MC93 suite à la “venue de Patrick Sommier dans la Manche. Je lui ai avoué ma passion pour Bernanos, il a dit “c’est ça qu’il faut monter”, se souvient le directeur du Théâtre en Partance, qui raconte un public “étonné, surpris, en communion de pensée avec Bernanos, un auteur étonnament libre de toute idéologie et qui disait il y a 60 ans qu’il n’écrivait pas pour ses contemporains mais pour ceux d’après...” Rendre justice au courage intellectuel de cet auteur opposé à tous les totalitarismes, avoir réussi à théâtraliser ses textes, donner à un public non spécialiste l’envie de s’y replonger. Voilà ce que le public normand découvrira en allant applaudir le théatre en Partance.
Isabelle Petiot
Combattant des tranchées...
Georges Bernanos est né à Paris en 1888. Homme de foi et de passion, il débute dans le journalisme en collaborant à L’Action Française. Après sa rupture avec Charles Maurras en 1932, il se rapproche de Mauriac et Malraux. À son retour des tranchées en 1918, il devient inspecteur d’assurances.
... opposant au franquisme...
Le premier roman de Bernanos, Sous le soleil de Satan, sort en 1926. Le Journal d’un curé de campagne est écrit en 1934 aux Baléares. Pendant la guerre civile espagnole, l’écrivain prend le parti des victimes avec Les Grands Cimetières sous la lune (1938).
... puis résistant en exil
Face à la montée des fascismes, Bernanos quitte ensuite l’Europe pour se réfugier au Paraguay, puis au Brésil, où il devient l’un des plus grands animateurs spirituels de la Résistance. En juillet 1945, sollicité par le général De Gaulle, iil rentre en France. Il meurt trois ans plus tard.
Une prophétie de Bernanos?
“Le libéralisme asservissait l’homme à l’économie, pour que l’Etat pût s’emparer de tout ensemble, le moment venu, de l’homme et de l’économie, le capitalisme des trusts frayant la voie au trust des trusts, au trust suprême, au trust unique : à l’Etat technique divinisé” Georges Bernanos.
Bernanos est à mon sens un des plus grands écrivains de langue française, et les occasions sont rares d'entendre ses textes. Le théâtre en partance joue jusqu'à mercredi soir au MC93 de Bobigny une pièce inspirée de ses écrits de combats (que je vous invite par ailleurs à lire). J'y vais mardi, ceux qui veulent venir avec moi sont les bienvenus.
Présentation Compagnons inconnus
envoyé par theatreenpartance. - Futurs lauréats du Sundance.
critique du figaro: Parmi les spectacles forts que l'on peut voir ces jours-ci, il y a cette adaptation remarquable des Écrits de combat de Georges Bernanos. Il s'agit de la reprise d'un spectacle présenté il y a ...deux ans par Théâtre en partance, compagnie implantée en Normandie et qui accomplit un vrai travail de création à Saint-Lô et dans la région. Formés à l'école du Théâtre national de Strasbourg, Valérie Aubert et Samir Siad montent aussi bien les pièces du répertoire que des textes contemporains. Ici, sur un fond d'images, un chœur et un coryphée portent la parole toujours vive de Bernanos. La manière dont il analyse les événements de son temps est si forte que sa pensée semble destinée à nous faire réfléchir aujourd'hui, ici et maintenant
La manche libre:
Le Théâtre en Partance remet Bernanos au goût du jour
“Compagnons inconnus”, la dernière création du Théâtre en Partance, a séduit le public de Bobigny. On la retrouve en Normandie.
Après un magnifique succès au théâtre MC93 de Bobigny, Compagnons inconnus, la dernière création du Théâtre en Partance autour des écrits de Georges Bernanos, vient chercher le triomphe à Saint-Lô mardi 21 avril.Défi littéraire et artistique, le travail achevé par la compagnie de Samir Siad et Valérie Aubert a choisi de se servir du verbe du grand écrivain chrétien pour mettre en lumière l'histoire récente de l'Europe. Et surtout nous aider à en tirer de nouvelles leçons.
Bernanos s’adresse à nous
Aux mots extraits des Grands cimetières sous la lune, de La France contre les robots, des Enfants humiliés ou de La liberté pour quoi faire? s’ajoute une mise en scène ciblée destinée à créer l’émotion. Ballons, terre, lumière, costumes simples, extraits musicaux et vidéo soutiennent une interprétation vécue “au corps” par Samir Siad, Cédric Altadill, Vincent Reverte et Fabrice Hervé, réunis en “chœur” de citoyens combattants de 14-18 se transformant peu à peu en civils, en technocrates, en traders d’aujourd’hui...
Plus que de susciter des battements cardiaques, les quatre comédiens de Bricqueville-sur-Mer se sont donnés pour mission sur scène de faire entendre au public le message, “parfaitement actuel”, d’un écrivain “bien au-dessus des mouvements de pensées dans lesquelles on a voulu le ranger”.
Un public étonné et surpris
“Et non sans drôlerie”, rappelle le codirecteur de la troupe des Embruns, Samir Siad, qui souligne à quel point l’écrivain, malgré une grande gravité, “avait le sens du cocasse”.
Georges Bernanos a traversé le XXe siècle et ses deux guerres mondiales. ”Inspiré durablement par l’expérience des tranchées”, il l’a marqué de sa plume. Assez critique sans être violente, assez étonnée sans être naïve et assez profonde sans être mystique pour être relue aujourd’hui à l’heure de la surconsommation et de “l’abandon de nos libertés au profit de l’Etat, des systèmes économiques et des polices”.
C’est ce challenge sans crânerie, cette leçon d’histoire sans dogmatisme qui a sans doute séduit le théâtre de Bobigny, amateur de textes puissants et de grand art.
“Comme l’arbre peut cacher la forêt, la réputation de Bernanos dissimule une oeuvre plus complexe et plus riche qu’on ne le pense souvent”, a introduit le théâtre de la région parisienne, avant de rappeler comment Georges Bernanos le catholique s’est oposé au “franquisme meurtrier”, à la “lâcheté des accords de Munich en 1938 et à “l’effondrement des démocraties”.
La pièce écrite à partir de ce que les éditeurs ont appelé les “écrits de combats” de Bernanos - ses “articles, conférences et écrits politiques de 1936 et 1948”, explique Samir Siad - a été coproduite avec le MC93 suite à la “venue de Patrick Sommier dans la Manche. Je lui ai avoué ma passion pour Bernanos, il a dit “c’est ça qu’il faut monter”, se souvient le directeur du Théâtre en Partance, qui raconte un public “étonné, surpris, en communion de pensée avec Bernanos, un auteur étonnament libre de toute idéologie et qui disait il y a 60 ans qu’il n’écrivait pas pour ses contemporains mais pour ceux d’après...” Rendre justice au courage intellectuel de cet auteur opposé à tous les totalitarismes, avoir réussi à théâtraliser ses textes, donner à un public non spécialiste l’envie de s’y replonger. Voilà ce que le public normand découvrira en allant applaudir le théatre en Partance.
Isabelle Petiot
Combattant des tranchées...
Georges Bernanos est né à Paris en 1888. Homme de foi et de passion, il débute dans le journalisme en collaborant à L’Action Française. Après sa rupture avec Charles Maurras en 1932, il se rapproche de Mauriac et Malraux. À son retour des tranchées en 1918, il devient inspecteur d’assurances.
... opposant au franquisme...
Le premier roman de Bernanos, Sous le soleil de Satan, sort en 1926. Le Journal d’un curé de campagne est écrit en 1934 aux Baléares. Pendant la guerre civile espagnole, l’écrivain prend le parti des victimes avec Les Grands Cimetières sous la lune (1938).
... puis résistant en exil
Face à la montée des fascismes, Bernanos quitte ensuite l’Europe pour se réfugier au Paraguay, puis au Brésil, où il devient l’un des plus grands animateurs spirituels de la Résistance. En juillet 1945, sollicité par le général De Gaulle, iil rentre en France. Il meurt trois ans plus tard.
Une prophétie de Bernanos?
“Le libéralisme asservissait l’homme à l’économie, pour que l’Etat pût s’emparer de tout ensemble, le moment venu, de l’homme et de l’économie, le capitalisme des trusts frayant la voie au trust des trusts, au trust suprême, au trust unique : à l’Etat technique divinisé” Georges Bernanos.
dimanche 14 novembre 2010
Monday 8th November
Anaïs's perfect summary (TT speaking...)
After having rested for one week (and some for more than that), here we are back on stage with among us a former froggies: Farida!
Warming up:
As usual we firstly tried to relax ourselves. In a circle, we closed our eyes and tried to breathe deeply from the stomach. Then we made an exercise, which aims at checking if we controlled our breathing and if we were aware of the others. When one person started to produce a sound (“Ah” for example), the others had to start as well. Obviously we had to stop at the same time (otherwise it would have been too easy).
The Froggies in the wilderness:
_ To begin with, TT asked us to walk in the room keeping in mind what goal we wanted to reach (and I would even add “This is the same on stage!”). Then when TT clapped in her hands, we had to form a line from the tallest to the shortest as fast as possible. To make the exercise more complex, we had to walk at different paces. For example, one of us had to walk very slowly, others normally and the last ones had to run. Again, TT clapped in her hands and we had to form a line but this time, from the shortest to the tallest. Finally TT called someone who had to go out of the line then point a finger at the others and laugh!
_ Let’s imagine that you are in a jungle. You are not only afraid of the wilderness, which is surrounding you, you are also hunted by some very, very, very ruthless and dangerous men… But don’t worry! Your leader knows exactly how to escape those men and to overcome every ordeal! All you have to do is listen to him/her. This was the second exercise.
_ Now let’s imagine that… The song “Home” is resounding through the jungle! Successively we all had to create an obstacle or a way to walk in respecting the rhythm and the others had to follow.
One of the major aims: learn to be open to others’ suggestions (just to prove that I have learned my lesson).
How to make a scene magic without any magic words:
Once upon a time, TT brought her froggies a very odd book: language had been banished from it.
To introduce seriously the book: “The Arrival” is a graphic novel, which tells an immigrant’s journey. The main character, a young father, leaves his home in the hope of creating a better life for his family in a remote land.
The exercise was to act a scene full of emotions (the characters are saying good-bye to each other) without talking. TT created 2 groups. In each one, there were a father (Thibaut, William), a mother (Victoire, myself), a little girl (Boubakar, Badra) and a monster/an allegory (Farida, Florence). We had about 10 minutes to think about how we were going to stage this scene and then we acted it.
In my opinion, it helps us to be more involved in our role and more creative, but you can raise objections!
Dialogues:
We finished our session by working on short dialogues. In groups of two persons we were supposed to learn by heart our lines, determine our objective and the obstacle that will prevent our character from reaching it and finally find a solution to overcome this difficulty.
We learned to keep in mind that our objective can change along the way.
THE END
After having rested for one week (and some for more than that), here we are back on stage with among us a former froggies: Farida!
Warming up:
As usual we firstly tried to relax ourselves. In a circle, we closed our eyes and tried to breathe deeply from the stomach. Then we made an exercise, which aims at checking if we controlled our breathing and if we were aware of the others. When one person started to produce a sound (“Ah” for example), the others had to start as well. Obviously we had to stop at the same time (otherwise it would have been too easy).
The Froggies in the wilderness:
_ To begin with, TT asked us to walk in the room keeping in mind what goal we wanted to reach (and I would even add “This is the same on stage!”). Then when TT clapped in her hands, we had to form a line from the tallest to the shortest as fast as possible. To make the exercise more complex, we had to walk at different paces. For example, one of us had to walk very slowly, others normally and the last ones had to run. Again, TT clapped in her hands and we had to form a line but this time, from the shortest to the tallest. Finally TT called someone who had to go out of the line then point a finger at the others and laugh!
_ Let’s imagine that you are in a jungle. You are not only afraid of the wilderness, which is surrounding you, you are also hunted by some very, very, very ruthless and dangerous men… But don’t worry! Your leader knows exactly how to escape those men and to overcome every ordeal! All you have to do is listen to him/her. This was the second exercise.
_ Now let’s imagine that… The song “Home” is resounding through the jungle! Successively we all had to create an obstacle or a way to walk in respecting the rhythm and the others had to follow.
One of the major aims: learn to be open to others’ suggestions (just to prove that I have learned my lesson).
How to make a scene magic without any magic words:
Once upon a time, TT brought her froggies a very odd book: language had been banished from it.
To introduce seriously the book: “The Arrival” is a graphic novel, which tells an immigrant’s journey. The main character, a young father, leaves his home in the hope of creating a better life for his family in a remote land.
The exercise was to act a scene full of emotions (the characters are saying good-bye to each other) without talking. TT created 2 groups. In each one, there were a father (Thibaut, William), a mother (Victoire, myself), a little girl (Boubakar, Badra) and a monster/an allegory (Farida, Florence). We had about 10 minutes to think about how we were going to stage this scene and then we acted it.
In my opinion, it helps us to be more involved in our role and more creative, but you can raise objections!
Dialogues:
We finished our session by working on short dialogues. In groups of two persons we were supposed to learn by heart our lines, determine our objective and the obstacle that will prevent our character from reaching it and finally find a solution to overcome this difficulty.
We learned to keep in mind that our objective can change along the way.
THE END
Monday 25th October
Badra n'arrivant toujours pas...
C'est encore TT qui s'y colle...en version courte cette fois-ci mais toujours en anglais!
General aims of the session : -creating the theatrical group, listening to each other.
-working on texts and objectives of the characters in a scene
1.Warming up
First, the usual: the circle, warming the voice and the body up.
We also practiced how to laugh, mechanically and more naturally : the first person had to laugh mechanically, the second a bit more sincerely, etc etc...
And we played at the "Zip Zap Bang Brrr" game. Aim : listen to each other, be right there at the right time and concentrate.
But the most amazing surprise came from the counting game: in circle, we had to count from 1 to as far as possible, in no particular order, the only rule being not to talk at the same time otherwise it was back to 1 again. Well, TT has to acknowledge: the Froggies are great at that game! Which means: great listening to each other, the group functions as a team. Well done!
2. Home
TT's obsession with that song is driving us mad!
This time we had to dance to the music, first randomly and then following a leader.
Very difficult as usual when the music is fast and much easier when the music slows down. But again, good listening to each other.
3. The texts
Working in groups of two or three, we had to write short dialogues that were performed by another group.
We kept on working on the objectives of the characters in the scene.
It was interesting to see how a scene a group wrote could be completely reinterprated by another group.
And that's it for today!
"-Thank you Badra for that amazing summary.
-You're welcome oh you my favourite teacher ever who didn't yell even if, as usual, i had not done my homework..."
C'est encore TT qui s'y colle...en version courte cette fois-ci mais toujours en anglais!
General aims of the session : -creating the theatrical group, listening to each other.
-working on texts and objectives of the characters in a scene
1.Warming up
First, the usual: the circle, warming the voice and the body up.
We also practiced how to laugh, mechanically and more naturally : the first person had to laugh mechanically, the second a bit more sincerely, etc etc...
And we played at the "Zip Zap Bang Brrr" game. Aim : listen to each other, be right there at the right time and concentrate.
But the most amazing surprise came from the counting game: in circle, we had to count from 1 to as far as possible, in no particular order, the only rule being not to talk at the same time otherwise it was back to 1 again. Well, TT has to acknowledge: the Froggies are great at that game! Which means: great listening to each other, the group functions as a team. Well done!
2. Home
TT's obsession with that song is driving us mad!
This time we had to dance to the music, first randomly and then following a leader.
Very difficult as usual when the music is fast and much easier when the music slows down. But again, good listening to each other.
3. The texts
Working in groups of two or three, we had to write short dialogues that were performed by another group.
We kept on working on the objectives of the characters in the scene.
It was interesting to see how a scene a group wrote could be completely reinterprated by another group.
And that's it for today!
"-Thank you Badra for that amazing summary.
-You're welcome oh you my favourite teacher ever who didn't yell even if, as usual, i had not done my homework..."
jeudi 28 octobre 2010
vendredi 22 octobre 2010
Here we go again!
A new year of English, acting, acting in English, Englishing in acts and French in between has started!
And, as usual, TT will write the first summary of what the Froggies had to go through on the first two sessions until another froggy volonteers for the following session.
So...here we go again!
1. Monday the 11th October : the trial
During that very first session of the year, we focused on introducing the acting course to the newcomers in terms of organization (to sum it up : be on time!!!!), shows during and at the end of the year as well as the actual work that is done during a 3-hour-session. And because showing is far more interesting than talking, we started working straightaway.
The warming-up
TT has been insisting for years on the importance of warming-up to relax from a tiring day and get ready to work. So we warmed up the body as well as the voice, listening to our new hit song (imposed by TT) : Home/Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
introducing ourselves
A series of exercices to get to know each other and have fun :
- In circle. Everyone, one after the other, gave their names and described themselves in a short sentence. ex : Hi, I'm Anna and I have big hair. Then the whole group repeated the sentence as a unique voice. Jumping was an interesting way of repeating the sentences we found out.
- The musical chairs: everyone on a chair in a circle, except one person standing in the middle. That person said something about his/her tastes or things he/she was wearing, Those who had the same tastes or wore the same clothes had to get up and exchange chairs while the person in the middle tried to steal a chair, etc...
Discovering the space and being together
Everybody walked in the same space, without bumping iton each other, everyone walking at their own pace but knowing exactly where they were going:
- at the top, everybody had to go to their closest neighbour, say hi, shake hands or hug, feeling a specific way : happy, sad, angry, in love...
- when one person stopped walking, all the others had to stop. When another person decided to resume walking, everybody had to resume walking, at their own pace.
How we felt : laughing was the most difficult feeling to express. Also, stopping all together was difficult first but at some point everybody was focused and listened to the others and could stop at the same time as everybody else.
Improvisation
In groups of three or four people, everybody had five minutes to prepare a scene including an old person, the feeling of joy and dancing.
How we felt : interesting how with the same rules every group created something totally different. A great sense of imagination too. Listening to each other, again, is the key. Also, silence is very interesting. And taking our time.
Texts
Dialogues taken from everyday-life situations
We worked on playing while expressing different feelings.
Neither of the two actors of each scene knew what feeling his/her partner was supposed to express.
How we felt : the same scene with the same text can create totally different atmospheres depending on the feelings of each character. And here again, listening is the key to know how to react to someone's way of acting.
To sum up : being on time and listening are the two main rules for acting!
2. Monday 18th October : going further
This was supposed to be the first real session of the year since the previous monday was a trial. But we were lucky enough to see the newcomers all come back as well as a new froggy! So we can consider that session is the extension of the first trial session. We tried to explore everything we did last week and go further in that exploration.
warming-up
Compulsory and necessary!
This time listening to a more quiet music from the same band (yes, i know...) : Brother/ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
We also focused on breathing from the stomach and not the shoulders, to relax and project the voice without shouting.
games on names
Again, games to remember names:
- in circle, one person had to propose a movement and say his/her name. The next person had to repeat the same movement and name and add a new movement as well as his/her name. Etc...
-in circle, one person had to stare at another person, say the name of that person and exchange places. Etc.. First, walking normally than faster and faster or adding a specific feeling.
Discovering space and listening to each other
- First, everybody walked in the same space at their own rythm, listening to Home/Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and trying to suggest something with their body. After a while, if some felt like it, they could follow someone doing something interesting and try and do the same.
How we felt : a very easy and difficult exercise at the same time. You don't HAVE to do something, only if you feel like it.
- Walking in space, at the top, everybody had to describe the space around them at the same time. Then, one after the other, everybody had to give a word describing the space in a negative/positive way. Then a positive/negative sentence.
- Still walking, we had to think of a place we really liked. Then, William described his favourite place and made everybody follow him through the woods, go next to a river. Then a complete improvisation took place without TT saying anything!
How we felt : from the rather plain and quite ugly place we work in every monday, we were able to create a completely different place using our IMAGINATION. Also, adapting the rules is quite liberating and interesting, as long as everybody is listening to everybody. Some can be leaders, other just listen, as long as we are connected to each other. Also, silence is not a threat. We can just enjoy it or create something out of it, like an improvised improvisation, which was amazing!
Texts
We continued working on the same dialogues as the previous week.
This time, we worked on defining the aim of each character when the scene starts. What is the objective of my character? was the main question. We tried different objectives
What we learnt : feelings are important to create a scene but having an objective in mind is far more creative. Because everything is possible, the imagination is wider. Ex : "my objective is to get him to do everything i want means" : I can be nice, or bossy, or mean, or angry, or try different feelings to achieve my objective.
To sum up : use your imagination, listen to each other and find your objective!
And that's about it for now!
And, as usual, TT will write the first summary of what the Froggies had to go through on the first two sessions until another froggy volonteers for the following session.
So...here we go again!
1. Monday the 11th October : the trial
During that very first session of the year, we focused on introducing the acting course to the newcomers in terms of organization (to sum it up : be on time!!!!), shows during and at the end of the year as well as the actual work that is done during a 3-hour-session. And because showing is far more interesting than talking, we started working straightaway.
The warming-up
TT has been insisting for years on the importance of warming-up to relax from a tiring day and get ready to work. So we warmed up the body as well as the voice, listening to our new hit song (imposed by TT) : Home/Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
introducing ourselves
A series of exercices to get to know each other and have fun :
- In circle. Everyone, one after the other, gave their names and described themselves in a short sentence. ex : Hi, I'm Anna and I have big hair. Then the whole group repeated the sentence as a unique voice. Jumping was an interesting way of repeating the sentences we found out.
- The musical chairs: everyone on a chair in a circle, except one person standing in the middle. That person said something about his/her tastes or things he/she was wearing, Those who had the same tastes or wore the same clothes had to get up and exchange chairs while the person in the middle tried to steal a chair, etc...
Discovering the space and being together
Everybody walked in the same space, without bumping iton each other, everyone walking at their own pace but knowing exactly where they were going:
- at the top, everybody had to go to their closest neighbour, say hi, shake hands or hug, feeling a specific way : happy, sad, angry, in love...
- when one person stopped walking, all the others had to stop. When another person decided to resume walking, everybody had to resume walking, at their own pace.
How we felt : laughing was the most difficult feeling to express. Also, stopping all together was difficult first but at some point everybody was focused and listened to the others and could stop at the same time as everybody else.
Improvisation
In groups of three or four people, everybody had five minutes to prepare a scene including an old person, the feeling of joy and dancing.
How we felt : interesting how with the same rules every group created something totally different. A great sense of imagination too. Listening to each other, again, is the key. Also, silence is very interesting. And taking our time.
Texts
Dialogues taken from everyday-life situations
We worked on playing while expressing different feelings.
Neither of the two actors of each scene knew what feeling his/her partner was supposed to express.
How we felt : the same scene with the same text can create totally different atmospheres depending on the feelings of each character. And here again, listening is the key to know how to react to someone's way of acting.
To sum up : being on time and listening are the two main rules for acting!
2. Monday 18th October : going further
This was supposed to be the first real session of the year since the previous monday was a trial. But we were lucky enough to see the newcomers all come back as well as a new froggy! So we can consider that session is the extension of the first trial session. We tried to explore everything we did last week and go further in that exploration.
warming-up
Compulsory and necessary!
This time listening to a more quiet music from the same band (yes, i know...) : Brother/ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
We also focused on breathing from the stomach and not the shoulders, to relax and project the voice without shouting.
games on names
Again, games to remember names:
- in circle, one person had to propose a movement and say his/her name. The next person had to repeat the same movement and name and add a new movement as well as his/her name. Etc...
-in circle, one person had to stare at another person, say the name of that person and exchange places. Etc.. First, walking normally than faster and faster or adding a specific feeling.
Discovering space and listening to each other
- First, everybody walked in the same space at their own rythm, listening to Home/Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and trying to suggest something with their body. After a while, if some felt like it, they could follow someone doing something interesting and try and do the same.
How we felt : a very easy and difficult exercise at the same time. You don't HAVE to do something, only if you feel like it.
- Walking in space, at the top, everybody had to describe the space around them at the same time. Then, one after the other, everybody had to give a word describing the space in a negative/positive way. Then a positive/negative sentence.
- Still walking, we had to think of a place we really liked. Then, William described his favourite place and made everybody follow him through the woods, go next to a river. Then a complete improvisation took place without TT saying anything!
How we felt : from the rather plain and quite ugly place we work in every monday, we were able to create a completely different place using our IMAGINATION. Also, adapting the rules is quite liberating and interesting, as long as everybody is listening to everybody. Some can be leaders, other just listen, as long as we are connected to each other. Also, silence is not a threat. We can just enjoy it or create something out of it, like an improvised improvisation, which was amazing!
Texts
We continued working on the same dialogues as the previous week.
This time, we worked on defining the aim of each character when the scene starts. What is the objective of my character? was the main question. We tried different objectives
What we learnt : feelings are important to create a scene but having an objective in mind is far more creative. Because everything is possible, the imagination is wider. Ex : "my objective is to get him to do everything i want means" : I can be nice, or bossy, or mean, or angry, or try different feelings to achieve my objective.
To sum up : use your imagination, listen to each other and find your objective!
And that's about it for now!
dimanche 19 septembre 2010
dimanche 13 juin 2010
lundi 5 avril 2010
En travaux!
Nous avons commencé le travail de répétitions pour notre pièce, un Hamlet revisité, alors d'ici là, plus de blog pour éviter les fuites!
Rendez-vous au Théâtre Pixel les vendredi 11 juin et dimanche 13 juin à 20h45 pour voir le travail fini.
Infos: Théâtre Pixel
18 rue Chamionnet, 75018 Paris
metros: Simplon (ligne 4) ou Jules Joffrin (ligne 12)
lundi 15 mars 2010
PLanning des répétitions du trimestre
Hello, voilà un "post memo"
Répétion générale le dimanche 6 juin au théâtre Pixel de 8h30 à 14h
Répétion générale le dimanche 6 juin au théâtre Pixel de 8h30 à 14h
Planning de travail
Déroulement théorique de chaque séance:
19h30-20h30: échauffement puis travail général sur la pièce (improvisations, travail des personnages, travail de la langue...)
20h30-22h30: révision des scènes vues à la séance précédente + travail des nouvelles scènes (en rouge dans le texte)
lundi 8 mars
Acte I, scènes 1, 2
Acte II, scène 1
lundi 15 mars
Acte I, scènes 1, 2, Acte II, scène 1
Acte I, scène 3
lundi 22 mars
Acte I, scène 3
Acte I, scène 4, Acte II, scène 3
lundi 29 mars
Acte I, scène 4, Acte II, scène 3
Acte I, scène 5, Acte II, scène 2
lundi 5 avril (sans Florence et peut-être Gwenola)
Acte II, scène 2
Acte II, scènes 4 et 5
lundi 12 avril (sans Thibaut)
TOUT L'ACTE I
En théorie, avant les vacances d'avril:
Acte I vu en entier, chaque scène au moins 2 fois
Acte II vu jusqu'à la scène 5, chaque scène au moins une fois.
dimanche 14 février 2010
Hamlet au village
Alan a écrit un résumé joussif de notre pièce pour tous les Froggies-et futurs spectateurs-en détresse. TT ne résiste pas au plaisir de le partager avec les Froggies and Co.
Une femme metteur en scène, en chômage de longue durée, se voit imposer par l’ANPE un emploi délocalisé en CDD dans un trou perdu à perpète.
Débarquant avec l’enthousiasme qu’on imagine, elle réalise l’horreur de la situation : on lui demande rien moins que de produire du Hamlet avec un personnel incompétent et en sous-effectifs criant. Autant essayer de caser un éléphant dans une boîte à chaussures : il va falloir tailler dans la viande et le boulot s’annonce peu ragoûtant.
Les premières séances de travail se passent dans un climat de tension entre la chef parachutée et les indigènes qui crient “ Respect !” Consolation, tous sont d’accord pour découper à la tronçonneuse : l’éléphant devient souris.
Et le temps passant, le climat de travail s’améliore. La chef découvre que les indigènes sont aussi des humains et, si on ne peut pas parler de fraternisation, elle se met à pratiquer un paternalisme bien reçu par les locaux.
Et, à la fin des fins, le produit sort sous forme d’un spectacle qui ne fera certes pas date (sauf peut-être dans la feuille de chou locale), mais aura satisfait l’ensemble des participants. Et la chef repartira avec sur son CV une ligne supplémentaire qui devrait l’aider à décrocher de futurs CDD dans les tribus autochtones.
To play or not to play...
My turn to write down the summary of Monday 8th February's session. After all, fake democracy is the basis for real authority...So, here we go!
The warming up
We started the session with the usual warming up. And, as you know, TT is not leading the warming up anymore. But alas! The candidates are rare and I must say I'm struggling to find the perfect leader every week. I was lucky this time though: Farida did an excellent job. Let's see how Badra leads the warming up next time. She promised she would do it, oh yes she did!
After Farida's good job, we did a short exercise to work on language and imagination: we gathered in a circle, very close to each other and created a common movement: rising our right arm up and down. Then TT gave a word and the next person on her left had to give a word inspired by the previous word, but could only speak when his/her arm was above his/her head.
Quite interesting exercise. Some tried to think of a word way before their turn, which is understandable but the main difficulty really is to think of a word related only to the previous one, and also at the right time. Quite difficult but interesting.
After that, we tried to make the exercise even more difficult: still in circle and making the same movement, TT would give the name of a feeling, and the circle had to part (except for TT, who stayed there, doing exactly the same movement) improvise in pair according to that given feeling and come back at the same time in the circle, doing the same movement as TT.
Of course, this exercise helps working on imagination but also concentration, adaptation and cohesion of the group.
The play
As you all know, we chose our play: the little theatre's production of Hamlet, written by Jean Battlo. The text is very interesting because of the parallel with Shakespeare's Hamlet but can seem a bit difficult when you first read it. So TT asked the Froggies first to summarize the play. And thanks to Alan, this went really fast. Then, TT asked the Froggies to stage the summary the way they wanted to. The Froggies chose to tell the story thanks to a narrator (the pianist), describing 5 pictures created by the other Froggies and telling the guidelines of the play. In French. That went really well i must say. Very difficult exercise.
Acting bad
The play tells the story of bad non-professional actors trying to play Hamlet. The idea was to work on how to act in a bad though sincere way. So, we worked on two exercises that took place in a room where people came to audition for Hamlet
first part of the exercise: improvising with no words
two groups of four people were created: the audience and the actors.
The actors had to enter the room one after the other, some were professional actors, other non-professionals and just waited their turn to audition. The audience had to guess who was who.
second part: improvising with words
same exercise but this time, the audience could see the audition with the stage director. Florence and Gwenola are supposed to be the director in the play so TT decided they would obviously play their part. The actors had to choose a monologue from Hamlet and present it in front of the stage director, and of course be as bad as possible!
Crucial exercise before working on the play.
Rules we were able to establish to be bad actors
1. be sincere
2. exaggerate of course in the movements and the voice
3. illustrate the words with movements
4. use the voice to hesitate, talk softly, stammer
in a word: remember all the things to avoid while acting and actually DO them!
No more exercises on the play, please!
Ok...ok...so; to finish, a short exercise to relax and stop talking and talking about the play:
one person is running late and explains to the audience why. He/she tries to get out but is always interrupted by someone.
That was all for tonight folks!
See you next Monday for more pain and hassle AND: deleted scenes from the play and final cast.
TT
mardi 2 février 2010
even shorter than the best
Nobody asked me to do it, but I'll take in charge the sum up of this week session. Ok, let's focus....
Monday February 1st: we read the play.
Ok that's it. Next turn won't be mine for a while...
Monday February 1st: we read the play.
Ok that's it. Next turn won't be mine for a while...
lundi 1 février 2010
Short but good!
English Theatre Lessons of January 25th with Anna of course, Florence, Alain, Gwenola, Thibault, Farida, Joss and the pianist who joined us after a while - hope I have not forgotten anybody?
Warming up
First of all, Anna asked Gwenola to lead the warm up, and she did it in her special way, which indeed was quite funny and efficient.
First exercise
Anna asked us to walk through the room with large movements, and, when she clapped in her hands, we had to freeze.
Then Anna asked each of us (one after the other) to go on with our frozen movement, saying loudly one or several sentences inspired by the freezing process. She then selected one of us to improvise a short story with our movement and sentence(s). After that, one person (the leader)was asked to stand behind (or her) to repeat some chosen words or sentences, and all the others (the chorus) stood behind the leader and were asked to repeat with emphasis the same words or sentences altogether. We also tried singing the chosen sentences.
The bus
Improvisation with a bus driver who is the leader of the story, with three passengers who enter and then leave the bus when the driver decides it. The passengers had to improvise a scene, talking to each other.
Another exercise with the bus was to sit in the bus and follow all the movements created by the driver: turning right, left, braking, etc...(Some drivers were really crazy by the way, says TT aka the guru)
Hamlet
As Anna still did not receive the play, she had printed for us a short summary of the story of Hamlet, and the second part of our English theatre lesson was to play it all together.
After reading this summary, it was decided that Florence would be the director of the story. While reading the main elements of the story, we were playing the scenes described by her, this time in French.
Warming up
First of all, Anna asked Gwenola to lead the warm up, and she did it in her special way, which indeed was quite funny and efficient.
First exercise
Anna asked us to walk through the room with large movements, and, when she clapped in her hands, we had to freeze.
Then Anna asked each of us (one after the other) to go on with our frozen movement, saying loudly one or several sentences inspired by the freezing process. She then selected one of us to improvise a short story with our movement and sentence(s). After that, one person (the leader)was asked to stand behind (or her) to repeat some chosen words or sentences, and all the others (the chorus) stood behind the leader and were asked to repeat with emphasis the same words or sentences altogether. We also tried singing the chosen sentences.
The bus
Improvisation with a bus driver who is the leader of the story, with three passengers who enter and then leave the bus when the driver decides it. The passengers had to improvise a scene, talking to each other.
Another exercise with the bus was to sit in the bus and follow all the movements created by the driver: turning right, left, braking, etc...(Some drivers were really crazy by the way, says TT aka the guru)
Hamlet
As Anna still did not receive the play, she had printed for us a short summary of the story of Hamlet, and the second part of our English theatre lesson was to play it all together.
After reading this summary, it was decided that Florence would be the director of the story. While reading the main elements of the story, we were playing the scenes described by her, this time in French.
mercredi 27 janvier 2010
let's do it live (don't think)
Well, if I want to fulfill my duty, I'd better write it down immediatly ("Don't think" would say the terrifying teacher - who knows what she speaks about - )
So, what did we do 3 weeks ago, let me remember...
For now on, she said, we must be able to warm up by ourselves (i bet in a few weeks she will tell us to learn theatre on our own and will stay at home with the pianist)...
So I had to sacrifice myself and take the lead of the warming up. First, the travel through the day that I still don't get (don't think! wow, ok, ok) but time will tell (usually, it does regarding the exercises we do here). Then the body warm up (this one is really usefull when you feel tired, it really wakes your body up for a new day). And the last element that Anna introduced the week before is just really funny to add (when you've got to do all the moves at the same time).
Then, I don't remembre exactly the order and maybe I will forget some of the exercises.
-We worked like the week before on the crescendo/decrescendo of the feelings: two team facing each other, and the closer you get, the more intense is the expression of the feeling. We focused particularly on love and hate this week. With the weeks it becomes easier each time to jump in the feelings. But I found hard to go back to love after playing hate.
-Then another exercise on the same theme. We teamed by pair. Climbing in a conversation from happiness to deep anger and then back to tenderness. funny how it really worked well.
-Third exercise: two teams. Anna gave randomly three cards to each team establishing two characters and one place. One member of each team had to direct the two others in a story around these cards. First team: Alain, Jocelyne and I. Alain as the young romantic lead, naive sweet little girl from the mountain, had left everything behind her to marry in the big city the beautiful Jocelyne but she soon realised he is an awfull pimp who wants her to walk the streets and will use all his psychological weapons to get what he wants. It was great to direct them (takes energy too, but that's a great feeling). I guess Alain doesn't get spanks like that every day, right? (Well, you never know).
Then the second team brought us into a piano bar to tell us Casablanca meeting Gruss circus.
Last exercise ... shit I can't remember. It's like I never did it. Memory, you know... I don't think anyway.
I can't remember either actually, such a long time...good memory though and interesting point of view (TT aka the guru)
So, what did we do 3 weeks ago, let me remember...
For now on, she said, we must be able to warm up by ourselves (i bet in a few weeks she will tell us to learn theatre on our own and will stay at home with the pianist)...
So I had to sacrifice myself and take the lead of the warming up. First, the travel through the day that I still don't get (don't think! wow, ok, ok) but time will tell (usually, it does regarding the exercises we do here). Then the body warm up (this one is really usefull when you feel tired, it really wakes your body up for a new day). And the last element that Anna introduced the week before is just really funny to add (when you've got to do all the moves at the same time).
Then, I don't remembre exactly the order and maybe I will forget some of the exercises.
-We worked like the week before on the crescendo/decrescendo of the feelings: two team facing each other, and the closer you get, the more intense is the expression of the feeling. We focused particularly on love and hate this week. With the weeks it becomes easier each time to jump in the feelings. But I found hard to go back to love after playing hate.
-Then another exercise on the same theme. We teamed by pair. Climbing in a conversation from happiness to deep anger and then back to tenderness. funny how it really worked well.
-Third exercise: two teams. Anna gave randomly three cards to each team establishing two characters and one place. One member of each team had to direct the two others in a story around these cards. First team: Alain, Jocelyne and I. Alain as the young romantic lead, naive sweet little girl from the mountain, had left everything behind her to marry in the big city the beautiful Jocelyne but she soon realised he is an awfull pimp who wants her to walk the streets and will use all his psychological weapons to get what he wants. It was great to direct them (takes energy too, but that's a great feeling). I guess Alain doesn't get spanks like that every day, right? (Well, you never know).
Then the second team brought us into a piano bar to tell us Casablanca meeting Gruss circus.
Last exercise ... shit I can't remember. It's like I never did it. Memory, you know... I don't think anyway.
I can't remember either actually, such a long time...good memory though and interesting point of view (TT aka the guru)
dimanche 17 janvier 2010
Florence's summary of Monday 11th Januray 2010
The first workshop of 2010 : a festive meeting and fireworks of feelings!!!
Only five team members (Jocelyn, Badra, Alan, Thibault and Florence) but many guests: - Mary with her “polichinelle dans le tiroir”, - Suzie, one of Anna’s friends, who is Australian and a singer, - Helen, who is American, one of Suzie's friends, and from 9: 30 PM to the end, some of the 2008-2009’s team members: Sylvie, Georges, Triduc.
At the beginning, we made the circle as usual but with new exercises;
breathing, different gestures one after another and then, all of them altogether – It is an exercise that is very appeasing. After, we made some gestures on music. One after another, we walked to the middle of the circle to dance on the sound of the music. Maria mimed a great scene of delivering!!!
Then, Anna parted us in two teams. We were placed in two lines face to face and far away and we had to walk step by step altogether telling the same sentence crescendo and decrescendo with different feelings.
Next exercise: we had to walk and Anna whispered a feeling in someone’s ear. The fellow mimed it and touched the others to contaminate them.
After that we had to invent a story workind in pair to express three feelings : Suzie and Thibault, who made a great show ( love, jealousy, anger)-Alan and Joss-Badra and Florence (joy, appeasement, fear)
PAUSE, a long PAUSE with everybody with wines and food….
Even the guardian came to share our Apéro! Feeling: JOY to meet our old companions again. Sylvie, Tri Duc and Georges stayed for the end of the workshop and even participated.
After the pause, we made some games with songs.
It was better than usual because Suzie, the singer, was there….Still two teams facing one another and singing, first “Au clair de la lune” and then, “I am singing in the rain”. One sentence was sang by a team according to a given theme/feeling, and the following sentence was sang by the other team according to another theme/feeling. We played on contrasts.Very good moments!!
And for the end, we had to invent a story with three feelings as at the beginning of the workshop but in a team of five.-Orchestra under Suzie the conductor’s baton (annoyance, pride and joy) -A plane highjacked by Georges’s crew! (fear, anger, revenge)
And that was it!
Only five team members (Jocelyn, Badra, Alan, Thibault and Florence) but many guests: - Mary with her “polichinelle dans le tiroir”, - Suzie, one of Anna’s friends, who is Australian and a singer, - Helen, who is American, one of Suzie's friends, and from 9: 30 PM to the end, some of the 2008-2009’s team members: Sylvie, Georges, Triduc.
At the beginning, we made the circle as usual but with new exercises;
breathing, different gestures one after another and then, all of them altogether – It is an exercise that is very appeasing. After, we made some gestures on music. One after another, we walked to the middle of the circle to dance on the sound of the music. Maria mimed a great scene of delivering!!!
Then, Anna parted us in two teams. We were placed in two lines face to face and far away and we had to walk step by step altogether telling the same sentence crescendo and decrescendo with different feelings.
Next exercise: we had to walk and Anna whispered a feeling in someone’s ear. The fellow mimed it and touched the others to contaminate them.
After that we had to invent a story workind in pair to express three feelings : Suzie and Thibault, who made a great show ( love, jealousy, anger)-Alan and Joss-Badra and Florence (joy, appeasement, fear)
PAUSE, a long PAUSE with everybody with wines and food….
Even the guardian came to share our Apéro! Feeling: JOY to meet our old companions again. Sylvie, Tri Duc and Georges stayed for the end of the workshop and even participated.
After the pause, we made some games with songs.
It was better than usual because Suzie, the singer, was there….Still two teams facing one another and singing, first “Au clair de la lune” and then, “I am singing in the rain”. One sentence was sang by a team according to a given theme/feeling, and the following sentence was sang by the other team according to another theme/feeling. We played on contrasts.Very good moments!!
And for the end, we had to invent a story with three feelings as at the beginning of the workshop but in a team of five.-Orchestra under Suzie the conductor’s baton (annoyance, pride and joy) -A plane highjacked by Georges’s crew! (fear, anger, revenge)
And that was it!
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