Today's Muse: Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me

New toy - A first gen Creative Zen Neeon. A steal, too - 6GB for just $149. Finally, the transition from disc player to mp3 has been made. Even the bundled earphones that came with the player are miles above my old ones.

This video makes me happy. Trying to get me filthy mitts on the Ergo Proxy OST.

More work pouring in. There's the Chingay parade, which promises to be great fun. Assessment projects are taking shape, and expectations are definitely a notch higher than last year. Dance; presentation on Jacques Lecoq for Movement; Legend of The Curse piece for Play Analysis; duologue for Acting... And the Youth Company schedule! Woo.

Everything's going pretty smoothly, methinks. Legend of The Curse, for example, is a self-directed presentation for mid-semester assessment. It's a chorus piece from Berkoff's Agamemnon, and we've got the largest group. But it's surprising how much we've choreographed already, despite our size. In fact, rehearsal processes are a dream - everyone's giving ideas AND listening and considering. We all seem to be on the same wave-length, with movements coming very naturally.

Oh, oh!

Hungry.

We presented about half-an-hour's worth in Scene Prep, and we pulled it off. We had shown various scenes here and there in class this semester, but this was the first time we were running it through for an audience; complete with transitions, something we had been wrestling with since the beginning. And it went well. That's the truth. It is amazing what even a small audience will do - besides our classmates, the Tech Theatre Level 1's sat in. We do have to clean up some of the transitions; get rid of dead time, which I think ate into our half-hour limit.

Teach Matt commented how the surreal nature of the script allowed us to explore; more breathing space around performances - and I think that sums up why Hungry was chosen for this project. Something different, something new, something to play with. And it paid off, playing with character choices and movement - despite the quirky and sometimes extreme performances, they were all balanced.

A shout-out to Jac, our baby-in-a-jar - she's been working really hard on this, despite the difficulty and weird positions the character entails - but during that presentation it really paid off. "Excellent performance developing", were the exact words, and I know those mean a lot to you. I grin at you.

I think we should slow down now, before the final presentation, before we burn out. Just tweaking bits here and there. Hell, yesterday while watching Smoking Incense at the Substation, Laura came up with a brill idea to circumvent the lighting and transition problem.

I get to work with the terrific-est people. Eee hee hee.


First Young Company meet today. It was a working session, involving rolling around and much hopping. Eight weeks of body conditioning for the May extravaganza at Fort Canning. And mooooore shows! On stage! With them bright lights and ev'rything!


I'm so hyped up on how this year is shaping up. And I hope yours is, too. Sweet Amy-girl's all the way in Canada-land, and from her letters and pictures is very happy. Hullo, Amy-girl. I wave at you, here in technologically-primitive Singapore.

And so, I leave you with this:
Bruce Osborn's Oyako Photo Exhibit

Today's Muse: Of Whoredom and Falconry

A couple of posts back I mentioned a concept phone by BenQ Siemens. Now, with Apple set to release the iPhone in June, it's very difficult not to gush.

Exceedingly difficult.

So, I'll just point you to the Wired, which sums up what I'm thinking quite nicely.



So.

First week into the new school year, and already the work begins to pile.

Glee and pie.

There's so much to look forward to this year. The new classes this semester - and the lecturers in charge of them - intrigue me. I'm especially excited by Art, Culture and Society - it promises to be less of a note-taking class and more along the lines of an ongoing debate session. The lecturer in charge of that also seems to be able to stand her ground - I don't see last year's fiasco repeating itself.

So many opportunities for stage work and not enough time. Chances to crew for a variety of shows, and getting paid doesn't hurt either - but. All around the same time period. Bluppt.

Young Company sorted. Woo!



Performance Practice.

I did a monologue from Paula Vogel's And Baby Makes Seven with classmate Fazri's assistance. I didn't beat the hell out of a toilet bowl beforehand, but I did pace. And pace. And pace.

I had a bit of a scare beforehand, though. There had been a mix-up with the timetables, and while everyone else filed into 309 at 1:30pm, the foundation students muddied about, thinking it was at 2pm. Being late for Performance Prac is unthinkable, to say the very least. Being yelled at from across storeys to hurry is just plain scary.

In the rush I forgot to fill the mugs with something, so poor Fazri had to mine sipping, and I ended up flinging imaginary coffee everywhere. But I went through with it, and ended up wanting more; wishing I had prolonged my bit on stage.

The comments from the lecturers pointed out some things I had been aware of: Vocal technique (diction floundering, volume, modulation). Something though, caught at me: "The lack of a richly imaginative life". To underscore the speech, the relationships. And it's true. It's this inability to slip into the world of the play, the outlook, that's been nagging at me all of last semester. I'm aware of the performance, how to position myself, where to direct my voice, etc.

But, there was the upside. They liked how it had been kept simple. The sincerity. Good ear for rhythm. "Nice voice." That last one had me go "Eh?" Ach.

So, it went well, I think. I want to go up again; do something completely different. Maybe Lardo Weeping or summat.


I really don't know what I'll do for my BA. I am really more inclined toward the Theatre Arts research course. But Joyce pointed out - "You really seem more of a hands-on person. Will TA really be ideal?"

And I don't know. Hands-on, perhaps. In Hungry there are two different style of directing happening - The motivation/character-driven style approach, and the more lets-try-it-and-see-what-happens-if-we-do-this-without-words kind of method. I tend to favour the latter, while the others find somewhere in between. I'm not interested in working on kitchen-sink drama, as much as I enjoy watching a good piece. I want to work on absurdities, shows that push the envelope - especially design-wise. For example, instead of thinking through the logistics of a character's desires, I'm more interested in whether it would be a stronger visual cue to have her in an actual jar, or wrapping her up like a cocoon to show her being a fetus.

And that is a weakness, to some extent. I haven't much interest in building a character from emotional truth, to tell the truth. I prefer to work from the outside-in. Experimenting with movement, posture to define a character. Does this lead to shallow interpretations? I don't know. I don't know, but that is how I prefer working. In rehearsals, to coax performances, I keep suggesting different ways of doing a scene, like doing it in silence. Improvising. I find it difficult to be told what and why a character should do this and that. Tell me to try it leaping like monkey - Yes. Tell me to jump around because I'm agitated and I need to reinforce my presence and that I feel this because I'm threatened by... Not quite. Sorry. My brain won't compute it.

Physical theatre fascinates me. It is something I'd like to pursue, at one point or another.

Emotional truth eludes me. Wayang interests me. How liddat?

Today's Muse: Lessac, Violins, Violas, and Cellos

Almost done with computer surgery-jitsu. Switched from the IBM to a smaller version of the Acer Da had. Excellent. The best bit is that this one actually has a usable battery. No more sneaky unplugging vending machines when the library and M are both full.

I'm actually digging the Windows Media Player 11. Music, videos, photos all under one umbrella browser. Still fiddling with it. Beats fiddling with the feeds, which seem to have been knocked about during the transfer. I give up on feeds.

You know what I want? A single personal page where I can have the feeds in journal-like entries, with windows into my internet what-not - Comicspace, Flickr, Wists - a calender(Like Google's version), and the Blogger dashboard or something. And maybe be able to split up the feeds into cats - like, maybe a "blog" dedicated to feeds from design sites, and another to comic bits and bobs.

A desktop internet homebase. With a drag-and-drop feature. Mm-mm.


I have a slot for Performance Prac(like open-mic. You perform in front of the faculty, and get feedback from the lecturers and such.) this week. Feeling pretty good.

Funny and worrying: The class was asked how many wanted to audition in February for Acting and Musical Theatre. Quite a number, no surprise. Then the class was asked how many had already prepared audition pieces.

Hardly any hands went up.

Funny, and worrying.

Today's Muse: Just Dandy

*Oh, lookit, lookit: The lovely Natalie has opened up a test shop online, where you can find her handmade wire flowers. Go! Spend!


*The closing party for GBM was brillant. In that speshul way that makes small children explode.


*There are small children at the camp I'm conducting drama whatsits at, but they do not explode. They come very close to it, though.

Seriously, the kids - the youngest is five, and the oldest is twelve, I believe - are a riot. At first I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with them or keep them interested. I shouldn't have. I'm pretty - dare I say it - good at this large-kid-herds-handling stuff. I've probably jinxed it now. Woo.

It's funny, because the oft-repeated "you've got to take up teaching sooner or later to get by in the industry" is, well, repeated. It's a joke, almost.

But not everyone is suited for teaching.


*Something in Warren Ellis' BAD SIGNAL helped crystallize the ideas and lines I had floating around about comics and theatre. Maybe I'll put it up when I'm done outlining.

Today's Muse: Nibble Nibble - The High Point Of Work-a-Day

The more interesting things get, the less I have to say.

Here, that is. If I run into you on the street, I'd talk your ear off. There are just some stories best told in person.

But I want to tell you. I want to share everything that's been going on - the rude jokes I've heard, the people I've met, the accidents I keep getting into. I want to hear you laugh at some of these stories, because I know you'll love them. I want to see you roll your eyes when you hear about how I manage to get hit in the eye with fucking confetti. I want to show you the script I've got here for school; talk to you about the ideas we've got for transitions, and if we're in the dance studio how we're completely screwed. I want to show you the books I found in the bargain bin.

I'm seeing a pattern with the last couple of posts; are you?



I'm working on The Little Company's The Gingerbread Man, for free. I like to think of it as experience gathering. Ma calls it exploitation.

It's ridiculously fun, whether it's watching the cast work, or repairing props, or listening to the tech team chatter over cans while waiting for the house to fill. The past week had me falling into bed still dressed in stage blacks, but now the show has more or less fallen into some sort of rhythm. Some of the people involved - both cast and crew - are already moving on to other projects while GBM is still playing, with people dashing off after the performances to attend readings or auditions or what-not.

It's been a hoot. They're a vivacious, open lot. Even though I'm not getting paid or extra credit for this, I'm definately getting more out of this than I did from the Mediacorp thing. It helps that I actually know why I'm here, what I can do, and what I can't do I can learn. It's... fwoosh bish-bosh-whee!

There is no wing space at the DBS Arts Centre. Throw in the set with the high platform, the poky mousehole and whatnot - ppfft. You practically have to press yourself against the walls, and hope you don't trip any cables or buttons.

They throw a lot of stuff offstage. Eee-hee.

And the kids! They're pretty much part of the show. Oh, some of the answers they yell back. Today's audience was especially sweet - shushing Cuckoo during his song because the other characters were napping.

And there's no subsitute for that moment in the wings, in the dark, the house holding its collective breath, just before lights go up and tick-tick-tick starts the show...


Hungry rehearsals go slowly. The more we delve into the play the more complex things seem to get. Are we in over our heads? Sometimes it feels like that. Are we going about preparing for this show in the right way?

Are the stakes high enough?

Sometimes it feels like a solid "No."


This house ought to have more cake. That would make everything loads better.

Today's Muse: Bill's "Dark Lady"

I came across an amusing article while preparing for Tuesday's quiz (Psychoanalysis - Go me for finishing them Penguin Freud anthologies back when I shoulda been studying A.Math!).

Apparently, infatuation is "an attraction to a person who combines the worst traits of our parents/primary childhood caretakers, the negative traits we ourselves possess but refuse to acknowledge, traits we find attractive but are repressed due to our upbringing, and 'infatuating traits that society denies our gender' (Whatever that means.)"

Can you tell me why I found this funny enough to snort milk across the screen? Eh? Eh? Ppfft I dunno either.



Ooh, I feeel just lurverly, and it's not because of the cough syrup. Tomorrow is the first reading/meeting o' departments for this SHOW I've been lucky enough to attach meself to. There goes my holiday, but I never liked the slimy thing. Yay dark theatres and blinding lights and funky-smelling props!

Also, my essay is definitely on track. I've finally settled on a title, and the essay is slowly taking shape. I plan to hole myself up in M working on it between lessons. The IBM may be wonky, but at least it's light.

Next three weeks are going to be bluppt. Gamelan exam, Dance, Stage Combat, the SHOW, the other SHOW...

Tally ho!

Today's Muse: "Oh Mother help me I'm looking for..."

We've been divided into groups, to put up a short play of our choosing. Understandable friction. No fear. Passion for script settled on overrides everything.

Local theatre does tend to be very symbolic. So, despite reservations voiced after our initial reading, I still believe this will work. The dialogue is meandering; the short scenes, like MTV clips, often hinge on a single, arresting image or idea. Which reflects the setting of the play; all the characters are trapped in limbo, and seek only food to fill non-existent bellies.

I admit, I am more excited about the look of the play than actually performing. We have full control over direction, design and so on, and we've plunged into it with the glee of Tubby leaping into a tub o' ghee. Much of this, I think, will hinge on visual cues - the dead god's startled, jerky movements; the skeleton puppet-person (if all goes well); the planned lighting...

I'm very vague, no? For some reason I'm hesitant to put up the actual title of the play. I'm afraid of, of what? Of judgement? Of losing my enthusiasm?

Very drowsy. Damnable cough syrup. Better way. Must be a better way.


I don't know if you can tell, but I'm really quite happy.

Today's Muse: Blessed hum and whir and trudge

After a scary couple of days the laptop appears to be working again. Nearly peed meself in terror at the prospect of all the documents and videos gone.

Bloody cat, knocking it into its end.



Yesterday, during Scene Prep we tried something very different from what we usually do in class. Just discussed what we thought goes into a good and riveting scene.

Irksome: argument for the sake of it. Nnngh.

Was divided into smaller groups. Had to come up with a scene, keeping in mind what happened before it and what was to happen after (motivation).

Whenever tasked with something like this, I tend to start gibbering. But that's good; spewing nonsensical phrases which the group might take and bounce off from there. Stuff like: Monkeys. Before the white flag. No gravity. Talking to superheroes in your head. Subway mob. Kittypillars. Ka-boosh.

Then, as a group, we just start improvising. We jump straight into the scene, and see what happens. And it's both great fun and incredibly liberating - usually we come up with loads of ideas and peel back to get the final product (Which, isn't really final until after we've performed it).

Once, when the group was stuck, I wandered around and pulled a school desk over, and jumped on it like a monkey. Almost at once another member threw himself in front of the desk, and mined death throes. And the others joined in, and we were off.

Improv. Sitting down and talking about it - no. I'm very fond of saying, "Lets just try it and see what happens.", as one lovely pointed out.

With Scene Prep, we started out with a girl simply talking to two imagined people, weirding a bystander out. And with each improv, the story evolved - the imagined people became the personifications of the girl's more extreme personality traits; the bystander became a writer looking for an interesting case; the girl had just come from a humiliating experience...

But even as we performed it, it was still evolving. The writer became an awkward fellow. I played him, and it seemed, at that point, so very natural to keep my hands in my pockets and fiddle with my collar. I didn't have to think about stumbling over my words; it came easily. The oversized shirt I used as a jacket suddenly became a way to hide myself - but as the conversation with the girl progressed, it was allowed to fall open.

I'm not quite sure what it was. As I think about it now, I'm not quite sure if I was simply showing the character or being him. Or just being myself.

Matt, the teach, asked us why we cross-gendered. We hadn't really thought about it, to tell the truth. The one guy in the group, played the frightened, child-like personification at first. As part of the improv process he switched roles and played the writer for a bit, before concluding that, hey, his reactions to the girl seemed more along the lines of the child. So, he went back. I'm being terribly vague.

I guess, we cross-gendered because it felt like it would work well like that.

Matt said it worked for him, and I think the class concurred. That was nice, feeling like you've really done good in that class, after the first couple of presentations you did being so... not good.



Today, Marium and I raided the SGST FLEE! Market. I found lovelies galore, going for so very little. Glee.

The highlight of that little escapade, I think, was finding the suede clutch going for just three dollars. Blood red, and superb lining.

I'm easy pleased, I am.

Today's Muse: My Ancient Creaky Joints, For I Am Ancient That Way.

Watched The Beckett Project on Sunday, which was brill. The sheer stamina and control the actors displayed was enough to get me all fired up again; most welcomed after the shit I did on Friday for Scene Prep.

The Beckett Projectwas comprised of four short plays by Samual Beckett. The first one, Mouth, immediately had me sitting up. A single, intense spot was focused on the actress' mouth - which was all you could see of her - as she spoke at bullet-train-derailed-and-out-of-control speed. Every single word was crisp and clear as day. The result was squinty-pain, but in a gooood way. I understood every word and every image that jabbering, rapid-quick mouth was enuciating, but before my brain fully processed the information and filed it away properly the mouth was spewing more, more, too fast, too fast!

Absurd Wheeeee!

Perhaps it was the simplicity of the set, or the intimacy of the Theatre Studio, but I was more interested in the lighting design then I usually am. The quickfire spot movements for Play; the whimsical window motif employed in the final play Rockaby...

I want to do it all.

Tech, Acting, Creation... But fees. And time. And specialisation.
Bah, I'll find a way.

Ran into an old DramaplusArts member. I used to beat him up. Hm. Perhaps I should apologise.

Today: Crazee Monday. For some strange reason I offered to treat anyone who wanted one to an ice lolly. The entire table put up their hands.

D'aww.


Need to find cash for Bouncers!

Today's Muse: Eau de Babeh

" Students will arrive with many techniques for avoiding the pain of failure. John Holt's How Children Fail gives examples of children learning to get around problems. If you screw your face up and bite on your pencil to show you're 'trying', the teacher may write out the answer for you. (In my school, if you sat relaxed and thought, you were likely to get swiped on the back of the head.)

[snip]

For example, many students will begin an improvisation, or a scene, in a rather feeble way. It's as if they're ill, and lacking in vitality. They've learned to play for sympathy. However easy the problem, they'll use the same old trick of looking inadequate... makes everyone fed up with them.

[snip]

No one has sympathy with an adult who takes such an attitude, but when they were children it probably worked. As adults they're still doing it. "

Impro, Keith Johnstone

It's a remarkably easy read, Impro. Johnstone writes like he's actually explaining his ideas and methods to you in person, as opposed to simply documenting them. And he's very charming.

To Do:
1. Notebook. [Tech, P. Analysis, Gamelan]
2. Voice Journal Comics. [L.1 layout done. L.2, L.3 - plan lay by Friday, L.4 tmr]
3. Gingerbreadman Set painting. [+ costuming]
4. Scrub locker.
5. Insult list.
6. Buy 10mm crochet hook. [Spotlight 50% thing going down]
7. Ask Jo about Gamelan prac room
8. Add status game overlay to Scene Prep presentation
9. Learn to tell time

Put it up so you lovely can nag me and thus get work done. Like, something smart-like, no.

Gah, it's 1am and I have Voice later. Bbluppt.

Today's Muse: Nnngh My Eyelid Won't Stop Twitching

We're already smack centre, chups.

Look at it this way: Although it's only been two weeks, assesment is in five weeks. That's five lectures or rehearsals for each component.


I have an essay due Monday. "What is Art?"

Fucksicle on a stick!

EDIT:

"Everyone working in theatre has a streak of idealism, a yearning for perfection, and a tendency towards single-minded pursuit of their personal specialty.

Everyone, in the nicest possible way, is in it for grabs."

Francis Reid

The Staging Handbook

What he said.

Today's Muse: Pan Left, zoom in on the steeple of the church

You know, I can put MSI or the Seventh on at full blast (in my futile bid to strike back at the dude downstairs with EVERY FUCKING radio compilation ever spewed) and for the niece to dance to, and no one bats an eyelid.

Then I put on the RENT soundtrack and people come down to my floor asking me to turn it down.

But - Nnngh, I can't get enough of that thing. So, suffer, family!


Hm.

Okay: At the end of last week LASALLE calls and asks if I'd like to take part in a last-minute workshop conducted by a foreign lecturer who was in town to take part in the women's theatre - can't remember the name - festival. Naturally I jumped at it.

It's a bit surreal; watching Christina speak in Italian gesturing violently, then turning to Bruna for the translation. They're part of a theatre company with rather unconventional methods: None of their plays are scripted or plotted. Instead, a series of improv exercises are used and are built upon each other until they... until they have enough for a performance.

Emphasis is put on using only the body. No interacting with the wall, the floor, other people, imagined and mimed objects. Convey the story using just expressions and movements. It's a lot more difficult than it sounds... How does one show the need for attention without pandering to an audience of some sort? How does one laugh at something if there's nothing to be laughed at?

Conventional movements and expressions are frowned upon. Don't show you're happy just by smiling. Swing your arms! Roll around on the ground! Gurgle like a baby!

And the story, the story... What was it that Christina said? "It does not matter if the audience does not understand. What is important is the movement, the things you do matter to you. To the actor. It must signify something important to you."

She likened it to Pablo Picasso's deconstruction of the human face. I don't know exactly how to put it into words. But at that moment, with Christina's face like a rubber band and thin, wiry arms waving around, constantly resting in her grey mane - "Like a lion!" thought I - you get it. You don't understand, but you get it. Do you understand that?

Ach. I'm still not sure where this is going. It's both unsettling and exciting. Who knows what'll happen in the next two days?

There's a great exercise we do before we dive into the improv bits. Working on reaction. Conditioning the body to react instinctively, instead of stopping to think about it. BOOM! Jump! BOOM! Get down! BOOM! Fucking ace, man.

Man, that was vague.


Ten theatre foundation students so far, ranging in age from 17 to 26. One has a driver's license and a huge vehicle. Sweet.

Three days to orientation. Woo bweee. Two weeks to the recital. Woo fuckery.