Weight Sharing and Contact Improv

This is way cool, let's do it!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpFeeAN3gK0&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBU9Oernv50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBU9Oernv50

My friend actually does a lot of this kind of dancing and helped me with an audition where I had to do something like this so I can ask her some more about it. But when she was helping me she said to have my whole body follow one part of my body.

Anyway thats all I got but check it out.

Emily

Text - Am I going in the right direction?

So. My mind has been turning its rusty and metaphorical gears in order to come up with some outside text. It has been a bit difficult, because the stuff I have found that might work well for my character might be unnecessary and also slow down the play. Plus, the play is about Houdini, not Margery; however, I gave it a shot. I have been looking for text in terms of both general themes of the play and in terms of my character specifically and what I believe drives her personality. What I have gathered from the text I have read about her was how active a person she was and yet how, when she married Crandon, she married a man of "high class" as opposed to her previous marriage, having to give up some of the activities she participated in. It was as if she had no outlet for the active, witty, and somewhat outlandish portion of her personality, and I imagine that this had a lot to do with her embracing spiritualism and what it brought her. Because it did allow her to concentrate on more universal things than, say, choosing a color for the parlor room rug. So with that in mind, I found this text, called 'Girl' by Jamaica Kincaid, that I transformed slightly. To me it is a bit of her reaction to the "new rules" of her life. Also it could almost mirror Houdini's rules of magic bit nicely. So here that is:

I tried to keep in mind the essential rules of conduct which my husband had carefully instilled in me: 1. Never speak to anyone unless you have been properly introduced (except in case of shipwreck). 2. You must never talk about God or your stomach. 3. Always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach. 4. On Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming. 5. This is how you smile to someone you like completely. This is how you smile to someone you don’t like too much. This is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all. This is how you iron your husband’s khaki shirt so that it doesn’t have a crease; this is how you iron your husband’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease. This is how to sew on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on.

I also think that it would be interesting to try to include some quotes in the seances that I found in the research I did. They are pretty funny and might bring out the personalities of the characters. She would also speak in different languages sometimes or sing, which might add a different dynamic. I thought it was interesting that Walter called Mina "the kid" and dr. Crandon called her "psyche." So it might be cool to play with that a bit, to sort of establish relationships and the closeness of Walter and Mina.

Also direct quotes of Mina:

- “A very famous psychic researcher from Europe … came over to study the mediumship. He held many sittings. He was impressed by the independent voice of my deceased brother which always manifests itself in the séance room. He wasnted to be sure this was not my voice, so he held his hand over my mouth and nose. But the voice came through quite as plainly. ‘Now doctor,’ I said, ‘isn’t that convincing?’ And what do you suppose he said? ‘how do I know you don’t talk through your ears?’ So you see what amazing things people are willing to believe in order to avoid believing the things they don’t want to believe.” (25)

- Her friend said, ‘I’m sure they would not accuse you of knowing so much if they knew how really dumb you are.’ And mina replied, “I hope things are not quite that bad” (26)

- Walked up to Carrington, embraced him, and said, “wouldn’t you like to kiss me?” (59)

-“That’s all poppycock. My husband attends all my séances and I would have to be very rash to go around kissing” (113)

- When Crandon urged her to go into a trance: “I will do nothing of the sort” arguing, that she had such fun watching the proceedings, she didn’t want to miss anything” (21)

Okay so now that I have taken up the entire blog...
good night
..and .. good luck.
Emily

Actor Post - Mostly Concerning Margery

As far as research goes, I’ve been looking for things mostly pertaining to Margery and Spirit Walter (as opposed to living breathing Walter) because I wanted to get a sense of who she is strictly as a person. I thought it might be helpful to look at her mediumship through what Walter said and did, because that might give me both a sense of how real or performed these séances were for her and also why she began and continued to do them. I’ve found a lot of helpful things including a book called “Margery” by Thomas R. Tietze. Although, I’ve been having some trouble finding the book « margery the Medium » by Bird for less than $199.99, so if anyone has it would I be able to borrow it for a few days when we get back to school? What was great about the book I did find was the amount of actual direct quotes. There were some pretty funny Margery and Spirit Walter quotes including the following:

“You want to know what it feels like to be a witch? You know that’s what they would have called me in Boston 150 years ago. And they would have hauled me before the general court and executed me for consorting with the devil. But now they send committees of Harvard Scientists to study me. That represents some progress doesn’t it?” – Margery

“A very famous psychic researcher from Europe … came over to study the mediumship. He held many sittings. He was impressed by the independent voice of my deceased brother which always manifests itself in the séance room. He wanted to be sure this was not my voice, so he held his hand over my mouth and nose. But the voice came through quite as plainly. ‘Now doctor,’ I said, ‘isn’t that convincing?’ And what do you suppose he said? ‘how do I know you don’t talk through your ears?’ So you see what amazing things people are willing to believe in order to avoid believing the things they don’t want to believe.” – Margery

“I never saw such a bunch of stiffs in all my life! Talk about dead people; my God!” – Spirit Walter

“Hell is now completely up to date; we burn oil.” -Spirit Walter

Additionally the book was great for tidbits that personalize these characters, giving hints to how to go about trying to see them as real people (i.e. personalities, likes and dislikes, etc). I found out a lot about Margery, which I will leave out here because I do not want to take up the whole blog. But although I found out a lot about her, it left me with a lot of questions such as what are her views on the afterlife and religion? She was raised Christian I think, but did Walter’s death or any other event change things? There are mentions of Crandon questioning her views and her being open to her doubts about how a loving God could impose religious laws, demand abject obedience or allow hell to exist. Also, did she love Crandon or was she unhappy in her marriage? What was her relationship with her son from her previous husband? Was she a good mother? Did she like or was she attracted to Bird at all or was she just using him?

Also, I was looking at the script in terms of what I’d found and I have some questions about the section around page 18, where Margery is being sort of controlled by the ensemble. Margery seems to me like an incredibly in control person throughout her life (considering the circumstances), even though in the end she loses control. I think in terms of this section, I need to find a way to stay in control a bit, even though I’m really getting thrown about. Or maybe a way to make myself think I am in control or think I am enjoying/that it is my choice to not be in control. In this section she says “I did not want my marriage to end.. and now I am beginning to forget Walter’s voice etc.. never wanted to get this far into the limelight.” I was wondering how much of this is sincere? How much does she actually mind being in the limelight? Also, is she talking about her first marriage, which did actually end or the second? I’m assuming the second, which is her marriage to Crandon, and did that end eventually?

Anyway, these are just a bunch of preliminary questions. And I found a lot of great stuff, especially the fact that she may have had her vaginal canal reconstructed by her husband so that ectoplasmic limbs could escape from it undetected.

So on that note, I will bring this post to a close.

Emily (V.)

Designers=fabulous

Everyone:

This is great stuff. You guys are all doing a terrific job, and thanks so much for posting on the proposed deadline. Gold stars all around.

Question: Do Ian and Sylvie need to talk more specifics regarding colors and how the tones and shades of Ian's set (and Matt's lighting) could wash out/highlight certain colors? Do we need to start thinking how different "orientalist" makeup might look under different kinds of lights? For example, I know Ian mentioned a deep red for the curtains that would hang down, and Sylvie mentioned warm tones for the performers (as well as newspapers, which would pop a lot on a red backdrop, I would think). So I'm just thinking it might be helpful for Sylvie to know the kind of palettes Ian's thinking of working with so that she can know what her costumes will look like up against them.

I have never taken a design course, so if these questions are way off base, let me know. Just trying to keep the ball rolling, and also to prepare ourselves for different questions the faculty will probably have when we meet with them back at school.

Separately, actors, are there any questions you guys have about the script? Any new character finds in your research? Tidbits, anecdotes? Now is a great time to ask questions and start discussing this world amongst each other and Kieran.

Also, I think Kieran's find of the recording of one of the seances is pretty terrific. I can't wait to hear it.

Cheers,
GB