Blog Entry 7

Before my group gets killed for the Movement part of the piece..

Characters & character styles:

1. Melvyn (Father):
· EFFORT: DAB – PUNCH: change WEIGHT from LIGHT to STRONG
· PATH: STRAIGHT
· EXTENSION: BIG/FAR

2. Stephanie (Sibling):
EFFORT: FLOAT – WRING: change WEIGHT from LIGHT to STRONG
PATH: CURVED
EXTENSION: NEAR/SMALL AND BIG/FAR

3. Hamid (Friend #1):
EFFORT: GLIDE – FLOAT: change SPACE from DIRECT to INDIRECT
PATH: ANGULAR
EXTENSION: SMALL/NEAR

4. Chen Xing (Friend #2):
EFFORT: FLOAT – GLIDE: change SPACE from INDIRECT to DIRECT
PATH: CURVED
EXTENSION: BIG/FAR

5. Rui Shan (Child):
EFFORT: FLOAT – GLIDE: change SPACE from INDIRECT to DIRECT
PATH: CURVED
EXTENSION: BIG/FAR

Everyone becomes WRING at the end

Finally, some work done on trying to apply Laban to our movements.
We tried to apply mostly the effort level into all scenes for each character in the last rehearsal. In order for each member to have more space to show their character more, I had to made them experience transitions of effort level (Time, Direction and Weight), so that theres equal distribution.
Also, I realised I've emphasized more on weight in the movements throughout the piece and weight and direction of the actors is normally what I've used to show the change in mood of the play.

Among the 8 categories in Effort (Float, Slash, Glide, Wring, Dab, Thrust, Flick, Press), Float is used by most of the children in the piece (meaning child sibling and friend 1, not friend 2 because he's a nerd). Contrast between friend 1 and 2 is the direction. Both are light because they're children but because 1 is more playful than 2, 1's direction is more flexible and 2's direction is more direct.

Transition of Sibling from Float to Wring after father's verbal abuse because weight increases and father keeps pushing her down to the ground. Then when with child, change in power is shown when Sibling transits from Wring to Thrust, whereby level is used alongside, and the direction changes from flexible to direct i.e. sibling crawling quickly towards child.

Image of an adult compared to a child - the space/direction on stage. Father's direction is more direct compared to child and sibling, hence uses Dab. Mood is still happy, so therefore has light weight. And when he starts to get confused over what kind of father he should be, he alternates between Dab and Punch/Thrust, whereby weight changes from light to heavy.

Child alternates between float and glide. Weight is always light but direction changes to direct from indirect in response to the abuse the receives.

In the end, where everyone walks out of their frames (frames representing their individual identity), it's like leaving their identity and understanding how all of us are controlling one another. The weight and mood is heavy and sustained throughout.

p/s:
J3s came to watch our showcase and their comments were:
1. good physicality! :D but no emotional journey, movements looks memorized
2. Music can be overpowering sometimes
3. Nice human web
4. Synchro movements more (timing prob - due to lack of practise)
5. Faces sometimes cannot catch the lights (cannot see expression)
6. Lights Red VS Blue (good idea to show the contrast between sibling and child)