From Conception to Performance: Ensemble in 20 minutes

Found Text Exploration

Presented at the Adjudicated Acting Workshop

Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE)

National Conference, NYC – August 11, 2009

by Richard Gustin

Classroom Application:  Acting, Theatre and Performance oriented classes, literature classes.  Suitable for all student levels from beginning to advanced.

Objective:  To utilize Found Text toward the construction of a group ensemble performance piece.

Goals:

1.)    To explore and develop Found Text in a group setting toward the creation of a vibrant performance piece.

2.)    To acquaint students with a professional working process employed by contemporary theatre companies.

3.) To develop responsive tools for the teacher, director, student and performing artist.

Note to Leader

Consciously try to encourage an atmosphere of collaboration in the work.   Whenever possible, take student suggestions as the work progresses.  In my experience, employing a student suggestion, at least trying it out, is most effective toward the development of true ensemble.  Better to employ an average student suggestion and thereby encourage student ownership of the work than to impose only your ideas.

Student ownership of the work is primary.

THE EXERCISE – Adapting Found Text

Leader: “We’re going to explore how contemporary companies might go about creating an original work.  We will explore a text together to see if it is possible, in the next few minutes, to begin to fashion a piece of theatre that might articulate something of importance.  A piece that might have significance to us, our society and the world around us.”

Leader:  “You were asked to bring three articles on the theme of time.  (Or any other subject) Our lives are filled with the stress of how to manage and prioritize class work with personal relationships, family responsibilities and employment.”

“You were asked to highlight six sentences, or sentence fragments from these articles, that struck a cord within you.”

“Now, please quickly review your six highlighted Sentences/Fragments.  Select three of the six sentences/fragments in your articles.

Choose the three that strike the deepest cord within you.”

“Number them: 1, 2 and 3.”

“Please do that now.”

“Now, please form a circle.”

“Starting from my left, read your first selection in turn until everyone has read their #1 Sentence/Fragment aloud.”

“Remember the person preceding you.  Your lines will always follow this person.”

“Try not to just read your selection, but to interpret it with feeling.”

(After Round One is completed)

“What sentence, or fragment from Round One stands out for you?”

(Group Discussion Follows)

(The Leader, or the Group, [preferably the Group] chooses one sentence, or fragment from Round One.)

“Everyone, please note this sentence/fragment.  It will become our first group choral line.”

“Write this sentence on your sheet now and mark it as Choral Line #1.”

“We will all say this choral line in unison when we next repeat our Round One sentences.”

(Note:  The Choral Line follows the last sentence/fragment of each round.)

“Questions?”

“In addition, a Group Tableau will follow each of our Choral Lines.”

(Leader presents the concept of Group Tableau – Boal Image Theatre)

Explain the concept of Group Tableau, or Boal Image Theatre.

(Possible Demonstration Needed.)

Take participants through a Group Physicalization exploration of Choral Line #1.

(Side Coaching may be needed.)

Have participants explore the Choral Line physically, emotionally, expressively.

Once a general shape of the Group Physicalization of Choral Line #1 is achieved, discussion follows.

(Group Discussion:  “What worked in the Group Tableau?  What didn’t?  What could be improved?  How could we make that improvement?”)

STAGE TWO

Leader:  “Now that we have completed the process for Round One, let’s apply that to the rest of our text.”

(Repeat Round One process with sentence/fragments #2 selections, complete with Group Tableau Physicalization after Chorus Line #2 and discussion following.)

(Then repeat Round Two process with sentence/fragments #3 selections, complete with Group Tableau Physicalization after Chorus Line #3 and discussion following.)

Leader:  “We now have all the components for our performance piece.  Three Sentence/Fragments, each followed by a Choral Line and Group Tableau.”

STAGE THREE:  PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Leader:  “Start moving in a confined area.  Stay as close to one another as possible.  Please keep your eyes open and aware of where people are around you.”

“You will speak your Sentence/Fragments following the person as in our rehearsal. When each Round is completed we will take a breath pause and then the Group will speak the Choral Line in unison

“Following each Choral Line, take another breath pause and move into your Group Tableau.”

(Note to Leader:  Let the Group discover when the timing is right to move out of the Group Tableau and begin the next round of Sentence/Fragments.)

(Reminder: Each Choral Line is followed by a Group Boal Image.)

(The Group executes the entire performance piece consisting of nine components:  Three Rounds of Sentence/Fragments, each followed by a Chorus Line and Group Tableau.)

Note to Leader:  Have the Group experiment will tempo, vocal variety and physicalization.  Experiment also with presentation styles from the Group relating to each other intimately during the piece to broad presentational style.

(Discussion follows your Work Through.  Select from the following questions and feel free to add your own)

“What happened?  What was your experience?  What did you feel?  What worked?  What didn’t work?   Did you communicate individually?  Did you communicate as a group?  Did the distinction between individual and group cease to matter?  Why do this exercise?  What did we accomplish?  How can this process be applied to other work?

“Thank you for exploring this text together.  Thank you for the risks you took and your willingness to share with others.  Would anyone like to make some final comments on our work today?”

(Exercise Conclusions)

Note:

This exercise process has proved very successful in a wide variety of situations; from acting classes, to literature classes, faculty meetings, to common reading groups and workshops.

The Found Text varies, but the process is adaptable to almost any group situation.  I’ve used the piece as one component of acting class performances.  (The Iraq War was the subject of one.)

Invariably, results have shown that participants enjoy creating an original performance piece.  An original piece that they have contributed to, explored and shared.  Regardless of experience, participants gain a sense of greater relaxation and freedom in physically exploring the spoken word along with a deeper sense of contributing and belonging to the Group.

Happy exploration!

Richard Gustin

Copyright © 2009 Richard Gustin

Richard Gustin Bio

Richard Gustin has been seen in major roles at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Cleveland’s Great Lakes Theater Festival, Chicago’s Ivanhoe Theatre, Virginia Museum Theatre and the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.  He is a faculty member of the University of Wisconsin Colleges where he has directed thirty five productions including, Doubt, Picnic, Waiting for Godot, True West, Bus Stop, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Glass Menagerie, Antigone, “Master Harold”…and the boys and his original adaptation of Everyman.

He is available for workshops and consultation.