How I can play with different levels, heights and everyday life. You can see the experiments I did and the thinking process.
Act 1.0 Live Silent film.
The live silent film is an experiment in the style of Buster Keaton, a throw towards the silent film, inspired by the thoughts of Edward Gordon Craig (steps and ladders).
Movement was chosen to be the main attention; going up and down the ladder.
The spectator is experiencing a live silent film, their view is framed by the window. They see a naïve and absurd figure dressed in a green overall trying to reach something above him, out of the spectators view, but he isn't able to.
While working on this work, I realized I had to use more pathways, spend more time in risky places to make it more absurd and to show my exhaustion. During the rehearsals it stayed important for me to leave the coincidence existing. I made a plan of which movements I could do, but it stayed spontaneous. I started playing with speed variations (calm-run) and added more slapstick to the work.
Thoughts 1.0. What is the next step?.
This chapter is one of thoughts, it's both looking back and forward.
After making the first work outside, I was considering how I could work further on the same idea, without being bounded to what I made.
IMPORTANT FACTORS
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Variation of the silent film, without language or soundscape (sounds of the space)
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Ladder (creating a vertical movement)
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Restricted view for the spectator (working on the curiousity of the spectator)
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Costume
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Movement (physical exhaustion)
NEW FACTORS?
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Use of gas-discharge lights
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movement with light (getting it up using ropes and wheels).
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Absurdity with ladder (as the actions Stef Aerts did in Land Nod of FC Bergman (link)
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Daily task, but finding another way to fulfill it.
IMAGINATION - CREATIVE - IMPROVISATION - MELANCHOLY
Thoughts 2.0. What are my ingredients?
SPACE-LIGHT
An abstracted empty space, one image as the starting point.
The composition of the space is important because the spectator is witnessing the same restricted view for a long time. The performance is different images, compositions placed behind each other. By simple interventions I can change the atmosphere. For example lighting the light I brought myself in the lighted indoor space. There is the contradiction of artificial lighting and spacial lighting.
SPACE-SOUND
I am using no language or music. The sounds you can hear is the silence of the space and the sounds of the movements of what's happening in the performance.
CHARACTER
The character is a silhouette, somebody who could belong to the space. You can see he is moving through the space and in the end his physical exhaustion of constantly going becomes visible. The person is alone in his surroundings.
SPECTATOR
I am working on the curiosity of the spectator. By giving them a restricted view, they are not able to see everything. I am trying to make the spectator aware of the time passing.
Act 2.0 Distilling the qualities
A new action is introduced; a simple task; hanging a light using ropes and wheels.
The factors which stayed the same are the variation on the silent film, the costume, the movements and the restricted view for the spectator. The simple task needs to be fulfilled before the character might continue.
While using the ladder and ropes I could extend the tension and play with the slapstick moments.
After this experiment I discovered what the other important elements for my research are.
I am making a performance in which the techniques are visible.
The space plays an important role: an empty space where there are height differences. The contrast of artificial light and the light of the space (artificial or daylight) is an atmosphere where changes can happen.
To conclude: I am making performances where the (analogue) techniques are visible in an empty space. The contrast between different lights create a tension, it creates an atmosphere where changes can happen. The audience is witnessing via a restricted view a live silent film.
