Drama and Theatre StudiesUnit 2

Movement Objectives

Preliminary Work

• Simultaneous solo work:• Find a space. Shut your eyes and imagine you’re a character

who has a strong statement to say to another character standing a few metres away from you. (only 1 or 2 sentences)

• Open your eyes and make the statement. Use any movement you feel is appropriate – may be a step forward, or a gesture etc.

• Now make the statement again with just one main movement only. Any subsidiary movements need to be reduced or removed. Repeat the statement with simplified movement.

Continued...• Everyone now thinks about their statement

again. This time, a stronger impulse stops you making the statement just in time. When putting this into action a clear intention as well as a change of mind should be evident.

• Repeat this exercise but this time the intention and change of mind should be defined by one clear movement or gesture each.

• Discuss the work accomplished so far.

Discuss:• Why should a character move at all? If a character is in

harmony and balance with life, would the character move?• What forces tend to make the characters move and what

forces tend to block or check movement?• What forces tend to move characters forward? What forces

tend to move charters backward?• As well as external movements, are there internal

movements? If so give an example.• Are internal movements directional?• Is there ever such a thing as a still character?• Is it possible to move and remain neutral?

Guide to exercises

• No exercise is designed to prevent micro movements of the body. Fluidity of movement has to remain.

• We are attempting to match the fluidity of movement to the fluidity of thought.

• Thought processes of the characters need to be led by strong objectives.

• Hopefully everyone's understanding and appreciation will grow as a result of experiencing the execises.

Core exercise- in pairs• Create and act out a short scene where both

actors express a clear intention with a limited number of movements – 3 or 4 is sufficient. Each one of these movements has a single or clear thought or a feeling motivating it.

• Not mime – the movements are linked directly to speech.

Follow up work – in pairs

• Create and act out a fully developed language based scene in which every movement and action has a strong and understandable purpose. The number of movements are unlimited, but try to get rid of subsidiary movements, gestures etc.

• Those movements that remain need to communicate the characters conscious or subconscious decision making.

Script for the scene if needed

• A: What are you doing here?• B: Waiting for you to come back• A: I think you should go. I want you to leave now,

please.• B: I only what to explain to you what I meant, why

won’t you give me a chance?• A: I’ve heard it before. You’re a liar, you can’t help

yourself. You’re pathetic.• B: Who needs you anyway? Not me. See you around.

Follow up to core exercise

• Repeat the exercise as before, this time the movements should be as subtle as possible. However they still need to be clearly communicated.

Script for the scene if needed

• A: What are you doing here?• B: Waiting for you to come back• A: I think you should go. I want you to leave now,

please.• B: I only what to explain to you what I meant, why

won’t you give me a chance?• A: I’ve heard it before. You’re a liar, you can’t help

yourself. You’re pathetic.• B: Who needs you anyway? Not me. See you around.

Variations – in pairs

• Without making a direct movement A has an impulse to move towards B, or to react to B by making a movement, or gesture. This is checked or blocked by a second impulse. The 2nd may originate from a lack of confidence, embarressment, self control , kindness etc.

• A has to generate these two impulses – one to communicate to B and one to prevent that communication. B is asked to watch and detect if it is possible to understand what B is doing. Swap and repeat

• Create and act out a short scene which uses a set of impulses as its climax.

Applying the exercises to your work

• These exercises were created to assist students in their audition pieces, normally monologues just like you are doing at the moment.

• Further reading can be found in the chapter on Restraint and Control in Konstantin Stanislavski’s book ‘Building a Character’