CPR has invited some of the most exciting and diverse Wales based and international theatre directors to Aberystwyth for an intensive participatory project that offers a rare opportunity for both experienced and emerging directors to gather and share the methods, approaches and skills of professional directing practice via laboratories and presentations, demonstrations and dialogue.
Richard Gregory’s exploratory started with a quote, “Talent borrows, genius steals”. Richard had stolen this from a shop in Manchester which had borrowed it from Oscar Wilde. The exploratory was to continue in this vein. Richard led the group in exercises that he had stolen from others. Many of these exercises had been altered or changed somehow by Richard. We first did an exercise taken from Marina Abramovic, where the participants were instructed to sit opposite each other in pairs, and look into each others eyes and at each others faces for 10 minutes. He then asked one member of the group to describe the face to the person she was looking at. While she was doing this he asked the person to sit in front and to the side of her, and “do nothing”. This exercise of sitting and “doing nothing” was stolen from Richard Gough’s exploratory the day before. This was furthered by the person sitting at the front changing while the description of the same face continued. For the next exercise the participants were again working in pairs. One person was led, with their eyes closed by their partner around the space while being told in detail a journey to their partner’s front door. This was explored further by one participant giving a tour from their front door to their bedroom, to the whole group. This was done using descriptions and gestures, and physically walking through that space in the room. These exercises led to a discussion about truth and fiction, or fact and fiction. Where does one of these begin and the other end? Richard spoke about some of these aspects in his work. How some of these exercises or similar ones can be using in the making of performance. How he can use the autobiographical elements, and develop certain aspects of them into material for performance. It proved an interesting insight into the work of Richard and his company, Quarantine.
Richard Gregory’s exploratory started with a quote,
ReplyDelete“Talent borrows, genius steals”.
Richard had stolen this from a shop in Manchester which had borrowed it from Oscar Wilde.
The exploratory was to continue in this vein. Richard led the group in exercises that he had stolen from others. Many of these exercises had been altered or changed somehow by Richard.
We first did an exercise taken from Marina Abramovic, where the participants were instructed to sit opposite each other in pairs, and look into each others eyes and at each others faces for 10 minutes. He then asked one member of the group to describe the face to the person she was looking at. While she was doing this he asked the person to sit in front and to the side of her, and “do nothing”. This exercise of sitting and “doing nothing” was stolen from Richard Gough’s exploratory the day before. This was furthered by the person sitting at the front changing while the description of the same face continued.
For the next exercise the participants were again working in pairs. One person was led, with their eyes closed by their partner around the space while being told in detail a journey to their partner’s front door.
This was explored further by one participant giving a tour from their front door to their bedroom, to the whole group. This was done using descriptions and gestures, and physically walking through that space in the room.
These exercises led to a discussion about truth and fiction, or fact and fiction. Where does one of these begin and the other end?
Richard spoke about some of these aspects in his work. How some of these exercises or similar ones can be using in the making of performance. How he can use the autobiographical elements, and develop certain aspects of them into material for performance.
It proved an interesting insight into the work of Richard and his company, Quarantine.