Thursday 26/05/2011

I was a wee late for today's lesson.. But I made it in the nick of time. Sir Rey did every lesson's warmup as usual: walking around the room pondering in our own thoughts.

Today's lesson kicked up with an Emotion Ball. Everybody has an emotion in them, the ball transitioned the emotions among each person when it was passed around. Emotions like anger, happiness, sadness, love, were passed around. In my opinion, in real life, emotions really DO pass around like that ball. For example, if I am angry, I can pass that emotion to somebody who is totally innocent, and that person becomes angry as well.

Next we were called to make a circle. Last lesson's activity was 'replayed' again; Sir Rey were to give a word, and we have to act out that word in 2 seconds or less. First activity was to act out Mud, next was a Car Accident, lastly was a Cheating Husband. Sir Rey later related on how spontaneous acts work more efficient, rather than to write a script. Spontaneous acts can make a play in less than 5 minutes, whereas writing a script will take maybe 4 weeks.

Last activity of the day, students were required to move to the center of the circle one by one, and act out something. I believe everybody really learned something about acting.. Every movement, from walking into the act to leaving the scene, is vitally important to putting on a good act. Personally, I've acquired new information today. "You don't have put in too much to make a good act. The lesser you try, the better the show."

Thursday 19/05/2011

My first THTR101 class initiated today. With Sir Rey handling the ice breaking session. We each introduced ourselves later. The introduction was well-off as we understood little pieces about everyone.

Sir Rey later introduced us the two parties involving the performer, and the audience. Sir Rey took a ball and placed it in the center of the room/stage. Obviously the ball isn't doing anything. But I came to know that even so, that IS a performance. Because it is doing 'nothing'. I learnt that anything or anybody can do a performance, as long as the prerequisites of the questions that the audience have in their head are answered, such as 'why is he standing there?', 'what will he do next?', 'how does he do that?'.

Many more self-discovery activities were played on. One of the most in-depth activity was about discovering our most comfortable zone, and our most uncomfortable zone. My most comfortable zone was in a dark corner, whereas my uncomfortable zone was, as long as it wasn't dark. Sir Rey told us that every different individual's comfort zone vary according to their childhood. I throw in my full support to that.

We joined hands later, forming a circle, and I was the troublemaker. Leading the entire team into an impossible twist, and back out again. Sir Rey explained how a leader leads the team into trouble, the whole team will follow the leader. Vice versa, a member of the team can lead a team out of trouble. In theatre, this is bound to happen.

Finally there was the 'epic finale'. In the blind of night, (darkness of the room), we were instructed to close our eyes, students were situated all around the room, and we had to find our circle again. Blindly, I followed my instinct and groped around to join back the hands to recreate the circle. Honestly I wasn't sure what was that for, but I sense a serious deep meaning to it.