Author Production - Physical Theatre 2

Subject guarantor:

Roman HORÁK

Name of lecturer(s):

Roman HORÁK

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

1. aim: Acquaintance and developlent of the actor's body as an instrument of articulation - link of body - rhythm - voice. Focused on spontaneity and veracity of acting, the perception of the body as a whole and researching extraordinary/extreme levels of energy, which contain contrasts. Refinement of articulation and expression skills.

2. aim: Focusing on individual and partner work and working in a space - perception of oneself and a partner in a space / focusing on the presence of actors in space-time. Comprehensive concept of the actor in relation to themself and everything around.

3. aim: How to create an acting piece - physical text - how to put together a physical text. How to combine / focus on originality and the composition of movement and intonation material and its functional connections.

4. aim: Preparations and introduction to basic and complementary dramaturgy tasks. Development, directing concept and implementation of the production process of an original work / Performance.

Mode of study:

Movement and vocal exercises which should have clear features. Creating a basic acting structure based on inspirational material (ex: images, music, text,...). Analysis of movment and intonation material. Analysis of media recording examples, interactive discussions, review, teamwork.

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

1. General physical abilities for expression through movement / physical fitness

2. Creativity

3. Analytical and review skills.

Recommended optional programme components:

Monitoring of current events in movement theatre, and/or participation in workshops beyond the study plan.

Course contents:

Physical theatre as a genre of movement theatre focuses on the originality of the actor. There is an introduction of the students to the interpretation and direction of original works which is created independently and in teams.

Curriculum:

1. Refining articulation skills and removing extraneous tension in the body. The focus is to remove insignificant information from physical acting and uncover body articulation and communication skills and the voice so the actor, in creating acting needed maintain vocal recitation of the literary basis or movement illustration of that basis.

For this aim the student will complete various movement and voice exercises which should give movement and voice clear features/contures so the movement, intonation or sound are clearly „defined.“ This is so it is clear where it begins and ends and where it comes from and where it's going.

All these exercises have the goal of removing barriers the actor encounters in execution. Basically, these are focused on the broadening of the actor's movement and vocal register to relax extraneous tension and shift personal limits and skills. The exercises move towards the work motivation so that each even has clear intensity, i.e. intention and motivational content. As well, the exercises are focused on awakening spontaneity of action and reaction and not to manage action by the intellect. In this spontaneity is found the truthfullness of acting performance which is based on joining all acting elements - body/voice/thought. The intention moves towards, also, the presence of the actor in their communication with a partner or a space.

2. Perceiving a partner/co-actor in a space and space as a partner (and space is a partner - the floor, walls, ceiling and everything contained within it). Perception and awareness of working with the presence of actors on stage, awareness of building energy in acting and communication with a partner. The focus is the perception of common energy which creates a team so that the action of two or more partners is confronted the maintenance of a particular flow of energie and liveliness of rhythm which the team creates. Perception of the common rhythm and awareness of communinations not only in the rhythmic elements but also in movement or voice. Transferring energy which one partner builds and the layering of correspondent actions and reactions.

3. Creating acting scenes/physical texts, compostion and working with a scene.

- Definition of sources of inspiration in creating the basic physical and vocal structure. A structure is generated in individual inspirational impulses arranged one after another.

- Working with structure.

a) The economy of movement - cleaning movement or vocal action. Removing extraneous material and focusing on the basis of the inspiration.

b) Focusing on real movement and vocal behaviour. What am I doing with this movement or intonation? What is the most specific definition of movement or vocal action.

c) Structure assembly technique: Use of „physical“ qualities and motivation and placing it into a structure. Focusing on the research of contrasts. In this we must, in ourselves, maintain the original inspirational source but based on joining the original source to motivation or quality arising through new impulses, new events. The process of creating a scene is based on that the interesting „new“ impulse arises in every repetition (is reborn each time) based on the mutual effects of both elements.

This original physical structure changes and transforms, gradually acquiring a more dense networking of individual internal impulses which are linked to movement or vocal action. The structure becomes the scene.

4. Interactive, individual and teamwork on creating the dramaturgical and directorial concept.

Recommended or required reading:

1. M. Čechov, „O herecké technice“, Divadelní ústav, Praha 1996

2. P.Brook, „Pohyblivý bod“, Ypsilon, Praha 1989

3. E.Barba/N.Savarese, „Slovník divadelní antropologie“, Divadelní ústav a Nakladatelství. LN 2000

4. J. Grotowski:„Divadlo a rituál“, Nakladatelství Kalligram, Bratislava, 1999

5. P. Brook:„Prázdný prostor“, London, 1968, II.díl

6. A.Artaud:„Texty“, Nakladatelství Hermann a synové, Praha 2003

7. Erik Exe Christofferson, „The Actor´s way“, Routeledge, London 1993

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

- exercises

- creating physical and intonation structures

- creating the year's performance

- discussion and interactive creative collaboration of the students with the instructor/creative workshop

- attending „Physical theatre“ performances

Assessment methods and criteria:

Credit is awarded based on:

- participation in exercises and in class

- completion and review of a semester paper and the final performance

- presenation of the semester paper and final performance.

Course web page:

Note:

No info

Schedule for winter semester 2012/2013:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2012/2013:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Obor Pantomima (Mg) (compulsory subject of the main qualification)