Saturday, July 17

Where Have You Traveled?

For the closing activities, Dr. Taylor led the group in a series of reflective exercises under a title he nicked from Dorothy Heathcote, "Where have you traveled?"

1. The students were asked to recreate moments from the name game that I led them in on the first day. They had to remember where they stood in the circle and recreate their movements. Dr. Taylor worked with just a few students at a time. After they presented their initial word and movement combination, he asked them to think of a new word to describe how they feel at the close of the program and add a new movement to accompany it.

2. With the last group of students, Dr. Taylor asked them to create an essence machine of words and movements that evoked how they felt at the end of the program. This image was their work:

2. Dr. Taylor broke the group into three and have them about thirty minutes in which to create a short performance piece that summed up their experiences during the study abroad program. The pieces were to

3. The final request from Dr. Taylor involved suggestions for the future. Among them were:

- modeling process drama for the upper grades/secondary school

- as the work with Judith involved intense community building, perhaps one day could come earlier in the program

- as the school groups are isolated from one another, some organized time should be dedicated to sharing experiences with the whole group

- a suggestion was made that students formally write up some of their experiences and present them as a submission to RiDE

Thursday, July 15

A Final Visit to Regents College

Departing King's Cross

Aquassage

I missed the meat of Judith's work with the students as I was busy assessing their written work. From what I can best surmise, the activities that led up to the performances posted below included:

1. Judith broke the students up into three groups. Each was given the first page of text from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The students were to to read the text and choose one sentence that they wanted to dramatize. The could use any methods they wanted so long as everyone was involved. A strong emphasis was placed on physical theatre (illuminating individual words, instead of specific characters) and I'm not sure if this was the result of their instructions or just emerged organically from the group. A water image emerged from this activity which directly powered the creation of the final performance piece (here labelled as "The Deep End of the Ocean").

2. Judith asked the students to create a piece using the title, "Once Upon a Time." As above, physical theatre was prized over clear characterization. My impression was that sound and movements were to unearth something unexpected for the audience. This focus on sound and movement were also heavily influential in the creation of the final performance piece.

3. In preparation of the performances, Judith led the students in a transformative re-focusing activity, where the students stood in a circle, essentially playing follow the leader. The leader would move his or her body in any variety of ways and the other members of the circle were to duplicate the movements as seamlessly as possible. The leader was changed whenever someone new decided to become the leader, but they did so imperceptibly so that the whole group appeared to continuously be moving together.

Performances

The Deep End of the Ocean:

Great Expectations #1:

Great Expectations #2:

Great Expectations #3

Once Upon a Time #1 (I didn't record 2 and 3 - sorry guys!)

A Secret Garden

Following the performances, we were to have a garden party for Gavin Bolton in Regent College's secret garden. Due to heavy winds, we were forced to hold the party inside, but we took the opportunity to enjoy the garden while the space was set up for the party.

At the party, Gavin was introduced by David Davis, who is currently editing a volume of Gavin's essential writings to be published in the fall. Gavin then spoke about a book he is currently editing wherein current drama practitioners were asked to comment on their work. Gavin indicated that though his work was influential, it was no longer current and he was fascinated by all the innovated areas in which drama was being practiced.

In the second image from the bottom, Gavin appears having a conversation with Latisha Jones.

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch

By far, the best play we've seen on the trip was Sucker Punch by Roy Williams. The play was set in 1980's England, dealing with racism and bigotry against Afro-Caribbeans, which was (according to the play) deeply felt by all, even those Caucasians who lived by and worked with them on a day-to-day basis.

As you will see in the videos below, the play was set in a boxing ring as the main characters are boxers-in-training, spanning their career from the moment they first stepped into the ring until they reach the heights of professional fame. The most affecting moment for me was the father of the protagonist telling his son that the only reason he is famous is because a white audience likes nothing better than to watch two black men beating the life out of each other.

I sat ring-side and was at first aghast at the rampant use of epithets (racial and homophobic) and felt entirely turned off by the subject matter. But, as the play progressed, I found myself wrapped up in my own experiences as a biracial male, a glimpse into what the courting experience must have been like for my parents (a black man and white woman in 1971/2--in the US, but not much different--particularly in the way the father speaks to his daughter about her choosing to date a black man and her refusal to speak to him for a time after), and considered the implications for today--in a world that still struggles with these same issues. This has particular relevance to the lives of public school teachers as we make curricular decisions. The program for the play included the script and I look forward to working through it to discover the educational opportunities present in the text.

Wednesday, July 14

Off to Regents College....

Complicité Workshop with Judith Ackroyd

1. Judith welcomed the students to Regents College, explained it’s place as a private institution, and provided a bit of background of Complicité, as the work they will be doing in the following two days will be based on that theatre company’s style of work. It should be understood that Complicité is based upon the idea that the group should be so deeply connected and working together that they behave as a part of a whole and not as individuals.

2. Judith went around the circle allowing each student to introduce him or herself. Thereafter, the group stood in a circle and passed a boxing glove around, at first reciting their names, and then just passing it back and forth with Judith. She then indicated that eye contact must be made before the glove could be thrown to someone across the circle. Two went around at once, then three, then an umbrella, a rubbish bin, and finally (and on its own), a chair. Debrief followed the chair bit—highlighting the skill necessary to successfully catch the chair.

3. Using chairs, the group worked on a musical chairs type concentration game whereby each student had a chair placed somewhere in the space and they sat in it. The goal was for the seated students to lock eyes and exchange chairs without the ‘out’ person getting in a seat first. Rather than being one seat short, however, there were actually enough seats available for everyone – so it’s really a concentrated group effort to move chairs and keep the ‘out’ person continually without a seat. The ‘out’ person could not change direction until the seat they are heading toward was filled. This was a walking activity, and not a wild run in spite of everyone’s desire to speed it up. The real goal is to maintain a constant pace of movement for both those seated and the ‘out’ person. In an advanced turn, one member of the group stood on a chair and tried to conduct the movement.

4. After a break, the group participated in “Red Light/Green Light,” whereby the leader was at one end of the room with his or her back to the group who were at the other end of the group. The group’s objective was to touch the leader, but they could not move if the leader was watching. The objective of the leader is to catch individuals moving, and the penalty for being caught is to be sent back to the beginning. Judith encouraged the group to work together instead of as individuals—one large mass moving toward the leader. Thereafter, the group worked in two smaller groups with the props utilized in activity 3 and created a series of images of the group moving together (still in the same framework-so the leader never knew what to expect when he or she turned around) Some additional items were added (like hats and scarves) in order to offer more variety and each item was a gift of sorts, with the group trying to pass the objects around as part of their movements. Each person was to have held at least three items by the time they were finished. The division allowed half the group to act as audience and assess the work.

5. An extension of activity 4 - Philip is in a garden reading, and the students are throughout the space with props. If Philip looks up, everyone freezes, but when he’s not looking, the group is morphing and moving around him. The parameters from activity 4 still held: each person had to handle at least three items. Leigh was the reader in the second go, and this time the piece was shaped by having the members of the group disappear at the end.

**I left at the lunch break in order to continue assessment of the lesson and unit plans.

Monday, July 12 and Tuesday July 13

On these days, the students were at the school sites teaching the lessons they prepared for the students. In fairness to all, I will not discuss individual lessons. Instead, I will offer one bit of advice from our cooperating teacher that seems invaluable:

Assessment for Learning:

Stop the action and talk about what's going well and what needs improvement. If you do not do this, you never know what's going on inside the children's heads in the moment, and this truly is the only way to assess learning in terms of form and content in the drama classroom.

Love Never Dies

If films can have sequels until the money runs out, why can't a musical?

In theory, it can. In practice, however, if the original was as huge a success as Phantom is, it's best to question why the success was had, and work from there to improve upon the original. Alas, sequels rarely do improve upon the original. They hope to capitalize on the success of the original and fade into oblivion. Love Never Dies is no exception.

A generation of school music students came up playing the melodies of Phantom in orchestra and band or sang them in choir. Phantom brought the spectacle back to the musical theatre, but it was supported by music that simply could not be forgotten, haunting theatre goers for some time after the curtain fell. In a way, it is the music that makes Phantom never die (and I know many a music aficionado would find fault with it--but pop music is not for everyone). That said, Love Never Dies never soars as it could or should because the music is not as memorable as it should be. This is perhaps Sir Lloyd Webber's biggest failure of late--not being able to write songs as he once could, regardless of the works that inspired him. The sung dialogue is jarring (Glenn Slater has written better), and as the melodies are predictable on a note-by-note basis (which is typical of Andrew Lloyd Webber), they are not emotionally moving.

Now, many an NYU student LOVED this show and were weepy at the close, but I was not so inspired. For any budding young directors out there--take note - bringing the curtain down every five minutes for projections or scenery changes is disjointing to an audience. There has to be another way! Emotionally manipulative works must be handled with delicacy--your audience should cry because the characters have moved them - not because you told them to. To budding playwrights--having a character obsess over his life-like mannequin of another character for a better part of Act One and then never seeing it again is bizarre. Phantom Part 3 - the mannequin Christine conquers the world? I hope not.

Henry IV Part Two at Shakespeare's Globe

Tonight we attended another wonderful production at the Globe. The cast is performing Parts 1 and 2 in repertory, so it was wonderful to see some familiar faces reprising their roles from Thursday or conquering new ones. Like Thursday's performance, tonight's featured equally simple staging and an economy of properties and sets allowing the words and characterization to tell the tale.

Friday, July 9

Henry IV Workshop with Cecily O'Neill

Unfortunately, I was grading journals and did not have the opportunity to attend this workshop. I have asked a student to send me their noted and I will post them as soon as they are available.

A Conversation with Helen Nicholson, Editor of RiDE: Research in Drama Education

At the end of the day, Dr. Taylor facilitated a conversation with Helen Nicholson about the creation of RiDE, and the current trends in journal publication. Dr. Nicholson gave a thorough background of the journal as well as explained what has been lacking in recent scholarship (documentation of current teaching practice) and a move on the part of the publisher to incorporate new media (video; web links) into the publication. I found this particularly enlightening as I am now becoming quite adept at documenting drama practice in an online format and am keep to see how I can contribute to such ventures as I move forward in my academic career.

Thursday, July 8

School Observation: Day 2

Year Ten GCSE Drama Class

The teacher had "What is the objective?" on the board for the duration of the lesson. It was not referred to until the end.

Warm Up:

1. The students entered the room and stood in a circle. They held hands in and took a few steps back until they were evenly spaced out. The teacher instructed the students to put their heads up, shoulders back, and release their arms so they might begin from a neutral position. She told them to take a few moments to concentrate on their breathing and to focus, and then slowly counted backwards from 10 to 1.

2. The students were directed to make eye contact with someone across the circle and exchange places with her. This went on at random for a bit before the teacher instructed them to clasp hands again and make the circle much smaller. Again, they made eye contact with a partner and then exchanged places. They all were then directed to turn the left and make the circle much tighter. This time, they had to cross the circle on tip toes in order to avoid stomping on a class mate. They clasped hands a final time and made the circle as large as possible. In this last round, they ran when they exchanged places. After, the teacher led a short reflection session, asking the girls what skills were needed in order to complete the activity. They mentioned awareness of space, eye contact, focus - all skills that are integral to Drama and their successful achievement on the GCSE exam next spring.

3. Energy Pass - the teacher explained that a box was on the floor in front of her containing an enormous ball of energy. The energy could change shape and color as each girl imagined it, but when she opened the box, she would pick up the energy and the objective was to get rid of the energy as enthusiastically as you could, passing it around the circle. In round one, many of the girls used the same physical response to pass the energy, which was not good enough. For the second round, they were encouraged to individualize their reaction and add a sound. The energy was passed fully around the circle from the left and then back again to the right.

4. Energy Pass #2 - Take the Energy In and Push It Out - the students stood in position where one foot was in and the other was out, as if they were ready to pounce. This allowed them to freely shift their energy towards the center of the circle and away from the circle. They more or less pulsed in and out throughout the activity, as "The Enrgy" could be thrown to them at any time and they had to be ready to receive it and send it back to someone else without breaking the rhythm. You clapped when you received the energy (always when you were leaning back), and you clapped in front on the pulse to push the energy to someone else, whom you connected with eye contact. About three balls of energy were going around at any given time, so you have to be aware of who was sending something to you, so as not to break the rhythm (and it never did).

**These activities were based on a professional development workshop for all Drama teachers in Hackney led by teaching artists from Frantic Assembly, a physical theatre company in London

Story Drama Work

The students had been working on the story of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig (brother of the last man executed by hanging in the UK in the 1950's--made into a film called "Let Him Have It"), but this was disrupted for three weeks because a field trip to the Globe to see Macbeth leading to some writing. Today was the first day the girls would return to the Derek Bentley story, and much of the lesson was to re-introduce the story.

The teacher narrated all the story that had come before and when she got to a particularly visual or evocative moment, she would snap her fingers and ask the girls to do different tasks. Among them were a physical image of a feeling, of a character, improvised conversations between two characters, one sentence responses to a question another character posed, thought tracking, and creating a character walk. These walks were then encouraged to be made bigger and sounds were added. They were put in slow motion as well, until the most effective speed and level of intensity could be found.

Henry IV, Pt. 1 at Shakespeare's Globe

I've been to the Globe at least half a dozen times, and in spite of it being the most uncomfortable theatre space in the world, I have never seen a bad production there. Tonight was no exception. The actor playing Falstaff was incredibly funny and the guy playing Prince Hal was charming and mischievous. At the curtain call, the audience burst into wild applause, and it was well deserved.

The production reminded me (particularly after the disastrous Lear the other night) that Shakespeare is best done when the concept does not interfere with the words. Sure the period costumes are a concept in and of themselves, but the actors are not overshadowed by them--if anything, they help to demarcate one character from another (as they should) and are really not the focal point. The words take center stage, with humor, trickery, dramatic tension, and whimsy all taking their appropriate place in the piece.

A Leisurely Walk Back to London

Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford Present "King Lear"

In this photo, Kathryn Hunter appears in the role of the Fool and Greg Hicks in the role of Lear.


Here, Lear (Greg Hicks) mesmerizes the blinded Gloucester (Geoffrey Freshwater).


Video

In this video, we see a clip from Act 1, Scene 4. Lear (Greg Hicks) attempts to assert himself to his daughter Goneril (Kelly Hunter).



In this video, we see a clip from Act 4, Scene 2. Albany (John Mackay) confronts Goneril (Kelly Hunter) about her duplicitous ways.



In this final video, we see a clip from Act 5, Scene 3. Lear (Greg Hicks) laments the hanging of his beloved Cordelia (Samantha Young).




Review

Based on these videos and images, you get some sense on the production. I have seen Lear a number of times (including Stratford 6 or 7 years ago) and this production was not my favorite. I was never clear what the director was trying to accomplish in the harsh portrayals of the characters or the images represented. It all seemed a bit flat to me. That said, some of the characterization was fascinating to watch (like that of Kathryn Hunter's Fool), but overall, it seemed consistently loud and angry without care for nuance from one scene to the next. Nonetheless, many students were in tears at the end for the story remains tragically heartbreaking.



The copyright for all images and videos on this page belong to the RSC. They appear here as an educational resource and can also be accessed at http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/king-lear

A Tribute to NYU Study Abroad in London from Jonathan Heron

As we neared the close of our day in Stratford and were just about to tuck in to our supper at The Dirty Duck, Jonathan Heron graciously thanked the students and staff for welcoming him on the program and paid tribute to the 37 year legacy of Study Abroad London (began in 1973) and toasted to 37 more years.

Here is a transcript of the toast:

Dr. Taylor: It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since we’ve all been together. (laughter) It was last week, wasn’t Robert? (Yes, it was.) We were in the Lamb then…we were in The Lamb’s Pub then, last week, and now we’re here in The Dirty Duck. Now this is becoming quite a tradition for the Program in Educational Theatre…to come to The Dirty Duck. And it’s such a tradition that last year, at The Dirty Duck, Professor Emeritus Gavin Bolton made a toast and he said, “I would like this toast to be a regular event—if not at The Dirty Duck, then certainly in England from now on.” And he made a toast to Nancy Swortzell. And if you look in the back of your course book—I’ve referenced this before of course, so no doubt you have—she in her own hand wrote the chronology of the history of the Educational Theatre Program’s global effort in England since 1973, when she first set it up, and it’s been going every summer since then. Gavin said that’s an extraordinary achievement by any academic in the world in Educational Theatre—to consistently bring students to England to study. And he went on to say a number of other things, but the photo in the course book of Gavin (who you’ll be meeting next week) was actually here at The Dirty Duck in the back room with the picture of Shakespeare behind him. This year, I am very pleased to announce that Jonathan Heron is going to make the toast. (applause) So, without further ado: Jonathan Heron.

Jonathan: Here I am. It’s obviously a great privilege to do something that Gavin’s done and to follow on from Gavin’s work. I feel particularly connected to Dorothy and Gavin because I am from the northeast. I went to school in Durham where Gavin and Dorothy worked from—lectured from. So, it’s a great pleasure to do that. I’m looking at this Appendix I that Nancy created and I’m looking at summer 1974 and I’m thinking, “What kind of expectations did the NYU students of summer 1974 have and how did they compare with our expectations in 2010?” Expectations not just for what we might do with drama…with theatre…with performance—how we might change lives. How lives might be changed by accident through the work we do with performance, theatre, and drama. But also, what might the students thirty-seven years hence be doing? And will the students in 2047 being sitting here in The Dirty Duck about to see a version of King Lear, thinking about how they might change lives with theatre, performance, and drama? And these are simply questions or ramblings of a dangerous mind that I wanted to share before proposing a toast. But it is really in honor—and I use the word honor quite pointedly—honor for those of you who’ve chosen to spend your life trying to help people through the performing arts… those of you who spend your lives trying to use performance as a way to learn to become a human being—a better human being. Somebody who might—through creativity and through connecting with other stories, other experiences, and other journeys—change lives. And in honor to you who are here today to those people in ’74 and to the group of people in 2047, I propose a toast on behalf of NYU, on behalf—I don’t have the authority to do this, but—on behalf of the British government (laugher), I’d like to declare what a great honor and privilege it is to have a constant flow of New Yorkers and Americans through this strange little country that is England, just as those young people are walking through our dining room as a metaphor for the discipline—to ’74, to 2010, to 2047 (Cheers!)!

"King Lear" Workshop and Stratford Trip - Tuesday, July 6

Workshop on King Lear at University of Warwick with Jonathan Heron

1. Jonathan projected an image from the RSC archives of Kathryn Hunter as "King Lear" without revealing who she was or the role she was playing (the photo was a full face shot of her wearing a sort-of crown of thorns and a red nose (perhaps a flower?). The group worked in pairs to discuss what they saw in the image. Jonathan took some observations from each group and then asked which character they thought appeared in the image. Many thought it was the fool and he revealed her to be playing Lear.

2. The whole group was given about a minute in which to mingle around the room and find out something they did not already know about the play. After half the time had passes, he asked them to switch who they were talking to in order to hear a variety of potentially new information. Again, the group shared what they had learned.

3. Jonathan projected another image from the RSC archives - this one of Andy Serkis in the role of the Fool from 1993. This time, the pairs were asked to determine which character he might be portraying. Most guessed the Fool, though some thought it could also be Edgar moonlighting as Poor Tom. He then asked the pairs to talk about relationships in Lear which were then shared aloud.

4. Jonathan distributed two lines of dialogue to each pair and gave them five minutes in order to create a tableau that illustrated the relationship between the characters at that moment in the play. All pairs were given dialogue between Lear and the Fool. After the prep time, everyone showed their image at the same time and then one at a time so the rest of the group could comment on what they saw. Based on the responses of the "audience," Jonathan asked how the themes that emerged from the images otherwise appeared in the play.

5. Jonathan projected several more images of Lear and the Fool from various productions in the RSC archive and compared them to the images the students had created.

6. In the final activity, the group was divided into four and each tried to categorize different groupings of characters (those who are looking for power; those who are looking for companionship; etc.) and then shared their ideas with the larger group.

Here are some photographs of the group presenting their tableaux of Lear and the Fool (apologies to the first group, which I missed):

Walking tour of Stratford

When we arrived in Stratford, Jonathan Heron led the group on a brief walking tour of the Shakespeare sites in order to orient the students so they could take the afternoon to see whatever interested them along the way. He based the tour on the Seven Stages of Man from As You Like It.

At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

We saw stepped off at the Birthplace:















And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.

Then we pressed on to the site of the Stratford Grammar School:

And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.

Here, we were to go to the gardens at New Place but they were closed for a special event:

Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.

As Shakespeare was never a soldier, Jonathan took this bit to be the man at work, so we approached The Swan and RSC Theatre (under construction):

And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.

In this section, with references to a round belly lined with capon, Jonathan pointed our dinner venue, The Dirty Duck:

The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.

As this refers to the aging man, we pressed on to the Courtyard Theatre, where we would be later seeing a performance of “King Lear”:

Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

And at the last bit, we approached the churchyard at Holy Trinity, where Shakespeare is buried:

Monday, July 5

School Visit

Today was the first day that we visited the schools. The full cohort of NYU students were broken up into four groups and sent to four different schools around the city where they are to observe teachers and students, join in Drama lessons, and in the end, teach Drama lessons to the school students.

At my school, the time table was such that there were no Drama lessons offered on today. As such, our cooperating teacher arranged for us to attend an assembly for Year 7 and Year 8 at the top of the day which featured a 5 minute Drama Presentation on a Carnegie Award Winning Children's Book. The presentation had been shown at other schools in the area in competition and was awarded top honors. The piece worked almost like a Boal inspired piece of Image Theatre, presented the main themes and characters from the book, and foretold the skills gained through literacy.

Thereafter, the NYU students were each paired with a Year 9 student whom she traveled with through the two early morning and two late morning classes in order to get a real taste for the distinctions and similarities between the British and US educational systems. I followed along as well and witnessed a Technology Class (similar to Wood Shop), History Class, and English Class. The teachers were very welcoming and allowed us to circulate around the room, taking in the atmosphere and gave us the opportunity to chat with themselves and the students in order to get a feel for what life was like at that particular school.

After the lunch break, we had the opportunity to sit down with the Drama teacher and discuss what we had observed and interrogate how that information might inform the Drama lessons the NYU students will deliver next week. Further, we discussed the schedule for the remainder of the observation days and made a plan for teaching opportunities next week. The student teachers will meet with the Drama teacher at the end of day on Thursday in order to make final plans as to who will teach whom and when, and I will meet with them as needed in the following days to help with planning and preparation.

Beyond the Horizon

In the evening, we had the opportunity to attend a performance of Eugene O'Neill's first full-length play, Beyond the Horizon. There were fortunately many wonderful moments in the performance, and being unfamiliar with the piece, I was very moved by the text and felt quite confident walking out of the theatre that this was a play I would like to direct with high school students as well as teach in Drama and American Literature classes. Beyond the brilliant script and a few stand out moments, there was indeed some poor directorial choices which kept the performance form soaring as high as it might have. Witnessing this reminded me of how important it is to try out different energy and intensity levels during the rehearsal process in order to get the most out of each scene--and even each moment within a scene. A lot of the show was static and lacked depth and there were clear indications that the actors were capable of more, but the director didn't push them far enough to achieve their full potential. And as a former director of high school theatre, it was a shortcoming I knew of myself all too well--but seeing it tonight made me realize that I am capable of doing more and this play really made me want to jump back into the directing pool.

Images from the production: