Animals and Psychosis

This was a very busy week followed by an even busier weekend. We filled the whole week with rehearsals, classes and seminars in Lecoq’s movement training and Alexander Technique.

What is Lecoq you ask? Well, it’s French for put a mask on your face and move! Jacques Lecoq developed a method of movement and physical theatre that is greatly respected and celebrated. Lecoq’s widow; Fay and son; François of The Jacques Lecoq International Theatre School in Paris were teaching at RSAMD this past week. The technique is very physical and uses mime, clown and mask work. I had heard of Lecoq’s work but really knew nothing about it until this past week.

Also this week was a master class in Alexander Technique given by Don Weed. F. Matthias Alexander was an Australian born actor that set out to find efficient ways of accomplishing movement and vocal tasks. The idea is to use only the energy needed to accomplish the task and no more. A lot of the focus is on body and breath awareness, finding the tension held and allowing it to be released thus resulting in greater focus and ease in performance. Good stuff!

Saturday some of my classmates and I went to a show. It was a performance piece (not a traditional play with a linear story). The piece was called: 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane. It was an interesting work and quite a technical achievement. When it was time for the audience to be seated we were led in groups of five, single file, holding on to each other’s shoulders. An usher headed our train and another brought up the rear. The ushers wore night vision goggles and we were taken in to complete blackness. Chairs were several feet apart and so we felt very isolated from our companions. We sat alone, in complete pitch with sound effects of street noises coming from the speakers (wherever they were) until the show began. The show was done in the round and incorporated lots of sound and lighting effects. The script was a poem and different voices read different segments via voice over. There was one performer on stage. The set was the frame of a house which made it look very much like a cage (in the round, so all four sides were built). The subject was mental illness. The performer illustrated various stages and effects of mental illness. He spoke very little as the voice overs were doing most of the narration. He gave a very physical performance. The end? Well, let’s just say he didn’t live happily ever after. It was very intense and not for the faint of heart. I have to say I have never been to a performance that was so engaging of the audiences’ senses. I can’t really say I liked it. Let’s be real here, it wasn’t the “feel good show of the year” but it did make a strong impression and was an experience I had never had in a theatre before.

Scene work continued this past week at school. The class is divided into groups of four and each group is working on Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and scenes from a contemporary Scottish play. The wonderful thing about the contemporary scenes is that we have all had the opportunity to meet with the playwright of our piece and ask questions and receive guidance. This is a remarkable opportunity! How often does an actor get to consult the playwright while working on scenes?! My group is doing Mancub by Douglas Maxwell. It’s about an adolescent boy, Paul, struggling with the transition into manhood. It’s based on an American novel called The Flight of the Cassowary by John Levert. Paul finds he is relating to animals more than people, believes that he can converse with animals and also believes he sometimes turns into animals. So my scene partners and I decided that in order to really grasp this scene we needed to take a field trip, to the zoo!!

Sunday: Zoo Day! The zoo is in Edinburgh which is just an hour bus ride from Glasgow. First thing this morning we are off and running. The four of us had a blast today (and got a lot of exercise!) Lions and tigers and leopards! Oh my! Sorry, we didn’t see any bears today. We did see a lot of monkeys. The Spider Monkeys just recently had babies so they were all cute and cuddly and clinging to their moms. The Rhinos were having some kind of cage match that was very exciting. The camels were chewing and so were the zebras. The penguins marched up a path right past all of us silly human spectators. And the line at the café was ridiculously long. It was a fantastic time! Photos below!






Are Lucy and I at the zoo's gift shop or are we working on Lecoq technique?!

Stay safe my friends! More next week!
-m

Flower Power through The Poppy Appeal

Tuesday November 11, 2008 is Armistice Day and marks the 90^th Anniversary of the end of World War I. On November 11, 1918 the Allied forces and Germany signed a treaty to cease hostilities on the Western Front. This was the beginning of the end and peace was soon restored to Europe (for a little while anyway). Remembrance and reflection of the Great War and its individual stories has been a dominate feature in the British media and on the streets. News anchors and pedestrians alike wear a red poppy flower with pride. It’s The Poppy Appeal campaign and this fashion trend is sweeping across all generations and genders here in the UK. The Royal British Legion is responsible for this burst of color among the grey clouds and downpour of wintery sleet that hit Glasgow this weekend. They take up the causes of the veterans of Her Majesty's Armed Forces. According to their website:”The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants.” The campaign is simple: make a donation and receive a poppy to wear. We have a collection bank at the Royal Scottish Academy but I made my donation with a group of servicewomen collecting in the shopping district this past weekend. I have the utmost respect for those serving in our military and those serving with our allies, like the United Kingdom. In a time where the word “honor” is often used as a punch line it fills me with hope to see so many people wearing poppies. Our soldiers past and present have made extraordinary sacrifices and I for one am humbled and eternally grateful for the lifestyle I am at liberty to live because of their sacrifices. So I’ll wear my poppy with pride this week. And I encourage you all to give pause for a moment on Tuesday, Veteran’s Day in the US, and remember those that have served and those that still serve. Consider their sacrifices and those of their families. Go Poppy Power!

Tune in next week for adventures with Chekhov's Three Sisters. And find out if my professors are okay with me choosing to play a dog. From goddess to backyard barker; oh how the mighty have fallen!
Hugs!
-m

From Goddess to Insect: Halloween 2008

Halloween: A time of year where young women decide it is okay to look like a porn star in public. This custom seems to travel across the Atlantic. As for me, I prefer not to freeze to death.

I started my All Hollows’ Eve at the wall of Troy. My fabulous class gathered in the morn and rehearsed our ensemble piece. We ran it a few times, worked some trouble spots and returned from lunch ready for battle. Before our 2:15 showing to the rest of the school the cast did warm up exercises, team building games and had a general love fest that ended in a kind of spontaneous football huddle and a great big roar. It was truly an awesome feeling. The group has really gelled and there is a potent energy that runs through us with which we are all in tune.

The audience came in and took their seats. We preformed in a large open studio so there was no “off stage”. We were all just sitting and waiting. Our director made a few comments and then we started to sing a cappella a Tibetan song that ended with some really nice harmonies. Apparently we impressed the musical theatre students with our ability to create chords for cadence. We moved in to position and began. We all played various characters and some times traded off roles and some times two actors were playing the same character at the same time in a scene. I played a wall or the wall, I should say, the wall of Troy. Some people played waves of the ocean; that sort of thing. My featured part was the goddess Athena. I had a wonderful scene with another New York actress, Barbara who played Hera. We plotted the death of Troy. It was fun. The show was a success. People seemed to like our work. Our professors are pleased and so are we. This past week really kicked it up a few levels. There was some concern last week but the rehearsal process intensified and I believe we are all satisfied with the experience. So that’s it. Tory has fallen and we move on.

This week is research week and we have no formal classes. Part of the curriculum entails every student to complete a research project by the end of the year. The subject can cover anything that interests us regarding acting, theatre or The Biz. We have several one on one meetings scheduled this week to discuss projects and the program. I’m going to explore script development and the actor’s contribution to the final text. This will involve me writing a script and work-shopping it with the group and analyzing the process we will have with the playwrights this spring. I’ll let you know how it goes…

After we decimated Troy, it was time to party. One of our classmates was throwing a Halloween party at his flat and costumes were required. I don’t think too many of us had the time, money or energy to put into our costumes. It was a very intense week prepping for our presentation. I myself usually put a lot of effort into my Halloween costumes but not this year people. I went cheap and easy. And I don’t mean porn star. I went as a ladybug. It requires two pipe cleaners and some big dots made out of felt.Voila! Insta-bug! We had a great Halloween! Photo record below:



Tune in next time for more Melanie-mayhem! Have fun kids!
-m

International Men of Mystery and Greek Tragedy

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Well, it stands to reason that as a single woman I might be curious about the courting habits of the native inhabitants of this strange and exotic land. So Friday night I got dolled up, grabbed my classmates and ventured into the wilds of a Glaswegian night on the town. Our safari took us to a pub known as a fantastic venue for spirited Irish bands. Here my fellow singles and I were able to survey the natives in their natural environment. The locale played host to a nice variety of ages and types. And we were excited about the potential of a whimsical and romantic night. The band took the stage, the coats came off, the drinks were bought and the flirting began. We danced with each other and laughed as we made eye contact with alluring Scotsmen from across the room. The team reconvened at intervals and discreetly pointed out prospects to each other. Opinions were shared. Eye contact continued. Smiles were exchanged. Then a turn away. A moment of focus was paid to the band after all, the drummer was very cute. Back to the floor. More glances, more smiles. We said to ourselves, “Any second now one of them will come over and buy one of us a drink or at least say ‘hi’.” The hours passed, the drinks were drained, the money was disappearing, our enthusiasm waning. Some of our party gave up and called it a night. And then the band announced their last song. And then the bartender rang the bell for the last call. But wait! The men! They haven’t approached us yet! We started to realize the potential was fading into the chill of the Scottish night air. The band finished. The coats came on and those of us who remained were turned out onto the cold, hard sidewalk of the mean city’s streets. But we were not broken. Oh no! Glasgow should know; Americans are not so easily defeated! We will be back! But not on Saturday. Not for me anyway. I do have other things to do after all. But some did go out on Saturday night and this time they took a secret weapon. They took a Glaswegian woman. They took a native friend and classmate; one familiar with the ways of the men bearing tartans. A great secret was revealed and passed on to me this very morning: Glaswegian men are often shy of women. They can be hesitant to approach them and if they do manage it, they are nervous to stay. A theory twice proved by friends who were finally approached by men and then quickly abandoned mid conversation for no apparent reason. Strange. And yet not. I can’t say that it so different in the States. Ah well. Maybe one day a man will be brave enough to say “hi”.

In the meantime, we are half way through our ensemble project based on the Iliad. I think it is safe to say most of us want more out of this project than we have so far. We have faith in our abilities as a group and want to incorporate more of our talents. We’d like to see more range in the vocals and movement. We’d like to utilize the rhythm of the text. We’d like to use some traditional Greek theatre techniques like the use of the Chorus. We want to explore more and get creative. There is some concern. But we do have another week of rehearsal. We present on Friday. We are hopeful and excited about the opportunity to show ‘em what we got! Monday’s rehearsal will tell us more.

Stay tuned my friends!

-m

Dress Code

This weekend was the first weekend I saw men in kilts. I was staring. I’ll admit it. I’ve seen them before of course, but it has always been in some sort of ceremonial context or a costume for a performance or international festival. But there they were walking the streets this weekend. Friday evening to be precise. A kilt topped with a shirt and tie. Just as if it was part of a suit, except there were hairy naked legs and then socks and shoes. It struck me as odd. It struck me as rather chilly actually. And it wasn’t just one man or a group of men. There were random sightings all over the city Friday night. I’m still trying to decide if I like the look. Not that the Scots care what I think. There are plenty of kilt shops around the city. Not tourist type shops, although there are those, but legitimate kilt shops like a gentlemen’s suit shop; a tailor. And some are very formal. Fancy stuff. But still, seeing them on the mannequins is different than seeing them walk down the street with a nicely dressed lady in tow. But this is nothing compared to what the young ladies wear…

Young teenage girls; 13, 14 maybe 15. Gaggles of them hit the town on the weekends, often Sunday evenings. Many of the local nightclubs have an underage night, usually Sunday. The adults make way, the taps take a night off and the latest remixes of top 20 bubble gum pop pump in rhythm from the DJ booth. And the girls arrive in their very own signature fashion. Neon tutus with matching leg warmers. I kid you not my friends! Neon yellow, neon pink, neon orange, neon green, neon blue TUTUS! And of course, matching leg warmers. Neon is very, very big among the younger set here in Glasgow and the girls don it in the form of stiff tulle. I have passed some shops that sell the fashion rage but so far I have resisted.

Big Thanks to Cindy Derby for the undercover photos!

That’s the report for now. I’m enjoying my new city and working hard in my new program. This coming week we begin our ensemble work based on Homer’s Iliad. So I’m off to study my Greeks. I’ll let you know how the Trojan Horse scheme turns out if you don’t already know. Be well my friends!
-m

RSAMD-MA CCT

No it’s not a catalogue number. That’s the program of which I am so gleefully a part. Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama - Master of Arts Classical and Contemporary Text. The program is structured in cycles.

First up, we are two weeks in voice and movement classes and text workshops. Our movement teacher, Mark, studied at Jacques Lecoq School in Paris so naturally we are getting some Lecoq training. Our last class focused on the human walk. Did you know there are seven major points in a step? As you emphasize certain points you start to develop a character. Good stuff. I had heard of Lecoq but this is my first venture into his technique.

Our voice teachers, and by voice I mean speaking voice, come from the Roy Hart/Nadine George approach. Relaxation is a big part of class. I so love relaxation! Recent exercises include supporting a deep, rich (sometimes scary) sound using all the resonators and speaking some really gory Greek text. Truly gruesome. And then we went for supper.

This past week our mornings consisted of text workshops. Really they were introductions to the playwrights we will be working with this year. We met with David Harrower, Douglas Maxwell and Linda McLean. These are three celebrated Scottish playwrights who are going to be working with us to develop three new plays. That’s write! They are scripting just for us! How cool! We are going to be developing new works with three truly amazing talents!

So what else is on the agenda you ask? Well, we have another week in this cycle and then the following week we move on to ensemble work. We are going to create an ensemble piece using Christopher Logue’s War Music derived from Homer’s Iliad. Then we move right into scene work from Chekhov’s Three Sisters and selected scenes from previously published works of the authors mentioned above. All the while we are working on individual research projects. So that will take us up to the Holidays and when we come back, it’s down to London to study Shakespeare at The Globe for a month. I know. It is so very cool. Jealous?

So that’s the plan my friends. In the meantime, I’m adjusting. There is much to read and research. I have not spent a lot of time out on the town but from what I can tell the choices for R&R in the evenings are pretty much this pub, that pub or the pub over there. So, I think I’m good in my room reading all these scripts. I did come for the studying after all.

But do not fear there will be plenty of adventures for your amusement! Ok, I’m off to War…Music. Wish me happy reading. Seriously, wish me happy reading because all the Scottish plays I have read so far have been really dark and depressing. Maybe it’s the weather.

More to come…
-m

Glasgow: First Impressions

Hello my faithful readers! Sorry to leave you all in limbo for so long. It took me ages to get connected to the internet in my new home.

I have arrived in Scotland. This is day eleven. The flight was uneventful (thankfully). Customs was a snap (thank goodness). My living quarters are on the fourth floor of a student complex; no elevator (good exercise, especially on move in day with three 70lb suitcases. Feel the burn!). Here is a quick comparison to my life in New York.

Weather: wetter
Walking: the same
Subway: cuter, smaller, not 24 hours
Prices: double (taking into account the exchange rate)
Food: not as accessible especially for my picky tastes and restricted budget (lots of fried food)
Pigeons: the same
Buildings: shorter, older, quite beautiful
Shopping: considering the amount of stores it’s actually kind of challenging. They close earlier and they don’t have the variety I am accustomed to finding. Lots and lots of clothes shops where I live. House wares seem to be harder to find.
Accent: Well they ain’t from Brooklyn are they! Some people are fine but sometimes when listening to people with really thick accents it sounds like another language; I really have to concentrate.

Naturally, there is an adjustment for me. Some level of culture shock. There are quite a few Americans in my program (including three New Yorkers) so it helps to have others going through the same things. But Glasgow is a lovely place with friendly people and so far it’s been easy to get around. And of course things with simplify and relax as I settle into my new life. I am very excited about the coming year and delighted and honored to be here and have these opportunities.

Classes are just starting this week. Last week was a series of orientation sessions. I’ll report more on the program next time. I will say we have 20 fabulous people who all seem ready and willing to work as an ensemble and maximize the benefits available to us. I am very much looking forward to working with these talented and dedicated individuals.

More to come…

Stay tuned!

-m