DAY III — BUFFON, OLD PEOPLE & DEVILISH DANCE

PROTOCOL — WEEK ONE / DAY III

READING

From Act to Acting:

• The Cat, pages 50–53;
• The Tiger, pages 54–56.

DAILY ROUTINE

The routine included:

• Sink into the Floor;
• three-phase breathing;
• Foetus / Star;
• Cat;
• Tiger;
• Lizard;
• Insect;
• Clean the Floor;
• vertical Cleaning variation;
• Rice Paper / Fire.

THE CAT

The performer selected a specific kind of cat.

Examples given in the source:

• a fat, lazy cat;
• a street cat;
• a young, playful kitten.

The task required specificity rather than a generic animal imitation.

VERTICAL CLEANING

The performer:

• chose the surface;
• established its resistance;
• added sound;
• allowed the imaginary material to affect the physical action.

THE DYING ANIMAL

The entire group performed together.

Some participants repeated the exercise.

Others watched in order to collect effective or precise elements from what they observed.

THE BUFFON

Reference:

From Act to Acting, pages 75–77.

The exercise developed through:

1. plasticity of the face;
2. gibberish sound;
3. plasticity of the torso combined with the face;
4. happy and sad conversations with a partner;
5. addition of the arms;
6. addition of sound.

The emotional conversation began physically through the face and torso rather than through conventional psychological dialogue.

OLD PEOPLE

Duration recorded:

Twenty minutes.

The performers stood in two facing lines.

They:

• travelled halfway;
• met another old person;
• did something nasty to one another.

AFTERNOON

DEVILISH DANCE

Reference:

From Act to Acting, pages 142–144.

PREPARATION

During the break, participants looked at visual representations of the Devil.

The group then entered the room together and investigated:

• the walk;
• movement;
• physical qualities;
• the creature’s articulation;
• incorporation of the devilish figure.

DEVILS’ CATWALK

The performers crossed two by two as devilish creatures.

THE DEVILISH CREATURE

The group formed a relatively tight square while sitting on the floor.

One performer entered the centre.

The performer presented the creature through 360 degrees.

The situation:

The devilish creature had been asleep for one hundred years.

The progression included:

1. the first breath of life;
2. returning to life;
3. lubricating or unlocking stiffened joints;
4. adding sound;
5. realising that one is a devilish creature;
6. dancing as the Devil;
7. articulating the whole body;
8. directly approaching three audience members;
9. using three different intentions.

Possible intentions named in the protocol included:

• seduction;
• fear;
• sweetness.

The performer had to find an ending.

SOURCE PROVENANCE

WORKSHOP PRACTICE

Troubleyn CPPM Protocol — Day III.