Reflection Journal 4 (3/9/12)

Hendrik Ibsen's 'A Doll House'

We went through the play again but added more layers to it. Jane told us to think about rhythmic movement of it. At first we could not catch what she meant but going through the scene again with her, I realised what she meant. We played around with dynamics, spaces, flow, contrast, settings, constellation of stage, etc. And just by adding dynamics to the play, it was making more sense and life to it. Even for our acting, we had more life to it, making it interesting. We had more to play around with. 

Setting

We first set up the stage with props. From what we know of the script, we set up a christmas tree, table, chairs, stove and piano. We decided who was at the scene, where the door is, which character is standing where, how the door bell would sound. We did a lot of brainstorming and I must say we did a great job in the setting because 18 of us were thinking and deciding where to put it. It was amazing that a bunch of us agreed on the setting. Since it was snowing, we figured our characters' clothes to be big and layered with alot of coats and thick fur. Their movement should be quite restricted because of their thick clothing.

Dynamics

It is important that we know the personality of the characters well. How we imagine and perceive them is how we are going to convince our audience the characters' behaviour and attitude. So we thought of Nora as a bimbo tic, fluttering, chattering, light-hearted, always-pleasing-her-husband kind of woman. There is this cheerful Nora who is always dancing around, pouting her lips kind of woman around Helmer. Helmer would be the one embracing her and giving her the attention. We then decide how Nora would move around the room in her big warm coats. 

Constellation

At one point in time (Nora and Mrs Linde sitting by the fireplace), we played with the staging of the two characters. Would it be better if Nora was on the right hand of the stage or would it be better if Mrs Linde was on the right? The right had more power and attention to it. After switching places, Nora would do good on the right so that attention was given to Nora, which was intended.

Flow

We had to pause in between our sentences so that there will be a flow and it would make sense. The pause also acts as a change of emotion and tone when characters change subject of topic in their sentences. If we do not pause, we find ourselves speaking too fast to communicate with the other party and we may stammer in the end, breaking the flow.

20th Century Theatre Practitioners:

- Bertolt Brecht

- Antonin Artaud

- Jerszy Grotowski

- Peter Brook 

- Alfred Jarry

- Ariane Mnouchkine

- Vladimir Stanislavski

- Augusto Boal

- Samuel Breckett

- Michael Chekhov

Samuel Beckett

Beckett is an Irish Avant Garde PLaywright, novelist, and theatrical director. He did not conform to traditional forms of theatre. He is an absurdist theatre practitioner, who came up with theatre of the Absurd. Like Artaud, he was anti-theatre and did not believe in relying on language or rather texts. His theatre is characterized by poetry and images. Words, images, scenes are repetitive, which makes little sense and flow. In order to create these sequences of poetic images, Ilbtihel (2008) states that Beckett ‘uses visual elements, movement, light’ (Para 7). There is no drama conflict, power struggle or plot within his theatre, which makes the scene more and less meaningless.

Like Artaud, Beckett is influenced by the popular theatre arts such as mime, ballet, acrobatics, conjuring, music-hall clowning, as well as one of the eastern theatre forms, the Noh theatre (whether directly or indirectly). Similar to Noh, Beckett always rely on sounds and effects to create the non verbal element in theater.  Pronko (1967) gave evidence that ‘Beckett’s characters (in Endgame more than in waiting for Godot) are turned toward the past, constantly reenacting the events of a life already lived, it is because they, like the Buddhist ghosts of the Noh, are tied to the wheel of life, unable to escape the effects of their past, unable to free themselves from a cycle that has become meaninglessly repetitious.’ (Pg 108) Though it was not sure whether Beckett went to the East or was influenced by the Noh, but there were similar influences of the Noh theatre on Beckett's Absurdism theatre. 

BIbliography

Ilbtihel (2008) Retrieved from http://englishukairouan.forumotion.com/t126-theatre-of-the-absurd-by-edward-albee         

Pronko, L. (1967). Theater East & West: Perspectives Toward a Total Theater. London: University of California Press.