Friday 10th of December and more on One Hander

Today, I worked more on my performance. I thought through my outfit, props and such. I have decided, that since Grotowski believed in poor theatre, I will not use props, and my costume will be simple: a black shirt with jeans. In class we performed to each other, and received feedback. I was told that my facial expressions at the beginning were not clear or articulate enough, which I will have to work on. However, towards the end I do apparently have good facial expressions: when I believe that I’m being watched my eyes really show that. All of this relates to Grotowski’s ideas of the actor being the one who conveys the message, through the body, the movement of the body and tension. I also found that Grotowski encouraged the use of a lot of air in the performances- as much as needed. This is means that when I speak for a longer period of time without taking a breathe to show that I’m taking deep breathes- there are several instances in the beginning where this is possible. My voice at the beginning is articulated, and should convey frustration through the voice. Then towards the end, from the moment the character hugs her daughter; I start to show more movement with my body. My movements are clear and simple. I also experiment with facial masks for instance where I hug good-bye, showing the way the character wants to cry but is holding it in. I believe that the performance does come from me- the actor, as it is meant to in Grotowski style theatre.