Drama
Last night I sped (at an average of 38 m.p.h.) from Emma’s house in the BigCity to a smart theatre in NearbyTown for my first ever participation in a ‘drama workshop’.
Background: I’d seen adverts for these sessions over a year ago, thought ‘interesting’, made a mental note, and decided to come back to it. Fortnight ago I saw similar adverts and thought ‘Heck, why not, at worst it’d be two hours of embarrassing discomfit’. So a place I booked, and along I went. Having seen the original advert I’d guessed it would be a crowd of local am-dram luvvies participating (working their way up to that debut appearance in The Bill). On my more recent viewing of the advert I wondered what percentage of participants might actually be ‘confidence-builders’, having been referred ‘theatre’ by their counselling psychologists. I was feeling a bit nervous as I approached. Wondered if I’d know or recognise any of the participants. I knew several folk who had connections with this place. Further background: I have no experience of call-a-spade-a-spade ‘acting’. I expected to find it extremely difficult.
So: I arrived, and was greeted by a mannish woman who guided me to an attractive rehearsal space. I evidenced being a bit nervous by casually asking far too many questions – ‘How many people take part in this kind of thing?’ ‘Is there anyone else here yet?’ ‘Who is it that runs the sessions?’ ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ ‘Are you a transsexual?’ ‘Did you have an operation on your privates?’ You know, that kind of thing. My greeter dropped a light hand on my forearm, ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be good. Have fun!’ I acted a smile, and nodded. ‘Ok, you’re right, we’re cool, I’m an actor - tonight’ I lied to myself. A woman had already arrived. This was the beginning of my meeting my fellow students:-
Twitch: First impressions: ‘You haven’t just starred in a major west-end production’ I thought, ‘…though you may have just come here straight from your job at a bakery’. She was entirely pleasant, 30ish, explained that she was a regular attender, had previously enjoyed am-dram but had lost interest in her previous group, and into my flurry of questions she inserted a formal introduction – ‘I’m Twitch’. ‘Of course you are. I’m Shane’. I was told that attendance could be anything from four or five, up to fifteen. Seemed a decent sort.
We were soon joined by Smiler and GlamourRuskie.
Smiler: Late 40s, worked on computers, and was also a regular attender. ‘I use what I learn here in my job, it’s surprising, it helps you communicate with lots of different people’ ‘But you work on computers?’ queried I. ‘Yeah - but it’s global’. ‘Right, I haven’t a fucking clue what you’re on about, and I’m really not encouraged enough to pursue this line of dialogue because your fixed Colgate grin is scaring me’ thought I. Despite that, he seemed a decent sort.
GlamourRuskie: Groomed, very well groomed. Very much ‘The Russian did well’. Killer knee-high boots, with some kind of dark tights. Dark tastefully just below the knee ruffled look skirt. Dark top. Hint of cleavage. ‘Tanned’. Lined eyes – making it a little difficult to put an age on her. Guessing mid-30s. Previously hosted a live ‘cultural’ TV show in Russia, had got into this as an academic colleague had not had time to continue in the role, and asked her if she wanted the gig. Worked in classical music. Spoke with stereotypical mixed-pitch Russian accent. Moved to UK in last couple of years having married a Brit. The term ‘internet bride’ may have sprung to my mind. This was her first drama workshop. Seemed a decent sort.
BeardBard: The tutor. 30ish. Big deep booming voice. Gentle, though a big bluff man. ‘Theatrical’. Obvious physicality. Obviously overweight. Worked with offenders and kids on drama intervention projects, and in theatres as an assistant director – which was right for ‘this stage in [his] career’. Seemed a decent sort.
And that was it - tutor, and four students (including two rookies). Intimate.
Our two hours of activities were based around improvisation. Last month the group (of 7 or 8) had worked on ‘stage fights’. Twitch had hurt her thumb. Much of the early ‘work’ was akin to those ‘getting to know one another’ (team-building) exercises that occur in work places and anywhere else that you’re likely to run into complex psychopathologies. I exaggerate. The evening turned out to feature much more head-work (thinking) than I’d expected. Although there was much acting out scenarios I found myself largely ‘playing me’. I let dialogue do the interactional work. I felt little need to screech or yell or grab GlamourRuskie in a passionate (not so mock) embrace. I felt little need to plead with Twitch that actually she could learn a lot from Smiler by taking what she experienced here back out into the real world. I felt no inclination towards back-slapping Smiler in Americano buddy-buddy fashion. I would not over-react to those who would over-act. In context, physically, I was too rigid. However, I played along, and I will return. Because in all of this, what I did do was confirm that I have a good instinct for directing. And at times I did feel pushed – which is no bad thing.
Hopefully there’ll be more of us next time.
*****
I loved the Brian Clough public persona.
Background: I’d seen adverts for these sessions over a year ago, thought ‘interesting’, made a mental note, and decided to come back to it. Fortnight ago I saw similar adverts and thought ‘Heck, why not, at worst it’d be two hours of embarrassing discomfit’. So a place I booked, and along I went. Having seen the original advert I’d guessed it would be a crowd of local am-dram luvvies participating (working their way up to that debut appearance in The Bill). On my more recent viewing of the advert I wondered what percentage of participants might actually be ‘confidence-builders’, having been referred ‘theatre’ by their counselling psychologists. I was feeling a bit nervous as I approached. Wondered if I’d know or recognise any of the participants. I knew several folk who had connections with this place. Further background: I have no experience of call-a-spade-a-spade ‘acting’. I expected to find it extremely difficult.
So: I arrived, and was greeted by a mannish woman who guided me to an attractive rehearsal space. I evidenced being a bit nervous by casually asking far too many questions – ‘How many people take part in this kind of thing?’ ‘Is there anyone else here yet?’ ‘Who is it that runs the sessions?’ ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ ‘Are you a transsexual?’ ‘Did you have an operation on your privates?’ You know, that kind of thing. My greeter dropped a light hand on my forearm, ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be good. Have fun!’ I acted a smile, and nodded. ‘Ok, you’re right, we’re cool, I’m an actor - tonight’ I lied to myself. A woman had already arrived. This was the beginning of my meeting my fellow students:-
Twitch: First impressions: ‘You haven’t just starred in a major west-end production’ I thought, ‘…though you may have just come here straight from your job at a bakery’. She was entirely pleasant, 30ish, explained that she was a regular attender, had previously enjoyed am-dram but had lost interest in her previous group, and into my flurry of questions she inserted a formal introduction – ‘I’m Twitch’. ‘Of course you are. I’m Shane’. I was told that attendance could be anything from four or five, up to fifteen. Seemed a decent sort.
We were soon joined by Smiler and GlamourRuskie.
Smiler: Late 40s, worked on computers, and was also a regular attender. ‘I use what I learn here in my job, it’s surprising, it helps you communicate with lots of different people’ ‘But you work on computers?’ queried I. ‘Yeah - but it’s global’. ‘Right, I haven’t a fucking clue what you’re on about, and I’m really not encouraged enough to pursue this line of dialogue because your fixed Colgate grin is scaring me’ thought I. Despite that, he seemed a decent sort.
GlamourRuskie: Groomed, very well groomed. Very much ‘The Russian did well’. Killer knee-high boots, with some kind of dark tights. Dark tastefully just below the knee ruffled look skirt. Dark top. Hint of cleavage. ‘Tanned’. Lined eyes – making it a little difficult to put an age on her. Guessing mid-30s. Previously hosted a live ‘cultural’ TV show in Russia, had got into this as an academic colleague had not had time to continue in the role, and asked her if she wanted the gig. Worked in classical music. Spoke with stereotypical mixed-pitch Russian accent. Moved to UK in last couple of years having married a Brit. The term ‘internet bride’ may have sprung to my mind. This was her first drama workshop. Seemed a decent sort.
BeardBard: The tutor. 30ish. Big deep booming voice. Gentle, though a big bluff man. ‘Theatrical’. Obvious physicality. Obviously overweight. Worked with offenders and kids on drama intervention projects, and in theatres as an assistant director – which was right for ‘this stage in [his] career’. Seemed a decent sort.
And that was it - tutor, and four students (including two rookies). Intimate.
Our two hours of activities were based around improvisation. Last month the group (of 7 or 8) had worked on ‘stage fights’. Twitch had hurt her thumb. Much of the early ‘work’ was akin to those ‘getting to know one another’ (team-building) exercises that occur in work places and anywhere else that you’re likely to run into complex psychopathologies. I exaggerate. The evening turned out to feature much more head-work (thinking) than I’d expected. Although there was much acting out scenarios I found myself largely ‘playing me’. I let dialogue do the interactional work. I felt little need to screech or yell or grab GlamourRuskie in a passionate (not so mock) embrace. I felt little need to plead with Twitch that actually she could learn a lot from Smiler by taking what she experienced here back out into the real world. I felt no inclination towards back-slapping Smiler in Americano buddy-buddy fashion. I would not over-react to those who would over-act. In context, physically, I was too rigid. However, I played along, and I will return. Because in all of this, what I did do was confirm that I have a good instinct for directing. And at times I did feel pushed – which is no bad thing.
Hopefully there’ll be more of us next time.
*****
I loved the Brian Clough public persona.
posted by Shane @ 12:46 pm
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