February 22nd


3 Chairs
Today's games used some of last period's concepts. We were to create an imaginary environment, and use our improvisational skills. The first game commenced with three people going to sit on three chairs in the front of the class. The three people were to create a scenario that would urge them to leave all at the same time! The catch was it all needed to be improvised, meaning none of the three could talk to each other about what they were going to do, nor could they speak while they were up there. The objective of the game was to see how we could create our environment, and how we could include others using improv. 


I have to say it was nerve wracking watching people up there, and I wasn't even up yet! I kept on thinking of ways that I would lead or follow with my partners that would make the scenario go smoothly and effortlessly. Unfortunately thinking is cheap. My first partners, if my memory serves me well were tau and omar. While sitting up there I felt so silly, I had no idea what to do. I started giggling because there was utter silence going on between the three of us. I assume they didn't know what to do either. Until omar just got up and went off, and I went along with it. My second time was not any easier. I was with sarah, and andre. Again I didn't know what I was doing and once again I started giggling. Sarah offered me a joint and at first I ate it! And so did andre, of course we didn't know at the time. Our scenario ended with us getting the munchies, and needing food desperately. My whole experience in both and action and observation was intriguing. I found that sometimes the people on either side couldn't see what the audience could so that made it difficult. Another one was we couldn't talk. In action it took me awhile to get the hand of saying 'yes,' but with practice I'm sure i'll get the hang of it.


Room, I say
The second activity of the day used the same things as the last. Imagination and a bit of improvisation. We were supposed to imagine a room, basically create a little environment. We were then supposed to create a situation on our own, and the go into our environment acting the situation out. I immediately thought of McDonald's I don't know why. My scenario was first day on the job. I ran in late and apologized to my boss and got started immediately. I then attended to the customer, and put a little humor into it as well. My experience with it was very fun, I enjoyed it very much, but I feel that I could have made the cash register a little more realistic.

February 20th


Pushing and Pulling
Today's games were a continuation of last class' concept. We continued to use our imaginative as well as our improvisational skills. But this time we incorporated pushing and pulling of heavy objects. In order to make pulling and pushing of heavy objects real we were taught a few techniques that could aid us in the matter. Using our knees or legs to bend down and pick up the object, instead of our backs was an important lesson, for real life as well. Using our backs in imagination or real time can cause serious injury. Other lessons taught were things like our facial expressions when carrying the object, and the tension in our bodies as well. I think the objective of this was to help us relate to objects when acting, as well as help the audience relate to it as well.


After a few of these lessons we were paired up with partners. When my partner and I turn came up we picked up a body and carried it across the room. At the end of it one of our constructive critiques was to try to visualize what carrying a dead body in real life would be like. It would be hard because the body is so... flailing. Which makes it harder (one of our previous lessons). My experience with this was that proximics was also quite important when carrying imaginary objects. Because the actual object is isn't there you have to how much space it would take up between you and your partner, and you have to try your best to maintain that proximity as you carry the object across the room, otherwise the illusion is shattered.


We then had another little pushing and pulling exercise. We were told to push and pull the two bookcases across the room to get the feel of what it's really like. Then me and my partner Sarah practiced with our own objects. We pulled a fish out of the water. And we regrettably pushed an imaginary cow over. By the end of the day I had gotten a sense of how pushing and pulling worked. 

February 17th


Where Games
Where games were games that we played that were based on our imagination of the objects we were wielding and, the elements of our sensory environment incorporated into it. Our sensory environment, if you must know includes things like taste, touch/feel, and sound. We sat in a circle and basically Mr. Mouck would tell us to pick up an object. We then had to describe the object in our hands. As I mentioned before, we would describe it based on it's smell, feel, taste etc. The objective of the game was to teach us how to get the feel of our environment, using our senses.


The first object that we started with was a phone, a ringing phone to be exact that we all proceeded to pick up. We all went around the circle describing what kind of phone it was, it's color and any other special physical attributes it contained. Some people *cough,* *cough,* like me did the typical Pinky finger, thumb phone, you know, the one you see in the movies just before the person says call me. Either way I managed to change it quickly and it became a regular phone. Mine was a home phone and purple. We then were asked  to pick up a drink. For some reason I was immediately shifted to a bar scene, everything was blurred out, not because I was drunk, but because my drink was in focus. It was a beer of course, in one of those lager glasses. I remember I could see the water droplets on the glass because of it being cold. And when I took a drink I  felt it going smoothly down my throat, however I didn't taste it. A book was the last of our objects to describe. When we reached back to pick up a book, at first I saw Harry Potter then I saw Twilight. I was conflicted about which book I saw so it was a little harder for me to describe. My experience with this game didn't start off the way I wanted to but I feel that I got the hang of it after a while.


The second part of this game was done with partners. It was done with the somewhat the same concept. We were supposed to turn around pick up an object then hand it to our partner. However, this was to be done without telling our partner what it was, and they were supposed to guess what we were handing to them. Using the elements of improvisation, we were supposed to say 'yes' to whatever our partner thought it was. 
It was a little hard for me to get the hang of it at first. I remember giving my partner an orange, and he in turn received a burger. So we played around with the situation a little bit. And eventually I got into it.

February 15th

Absent. Sick :(

February 14th


Moving Tableaux
Moving Tableaux is more or less the same as a regular tableaux but, this time we were moving. We were put into groups and the goal of the game was to create a monster that was supposed to act as a tableaux, but we were given the free space to use movement. Everyone in group was supposed to be somewhat creative, but like a tableaux we had to use other factors like proximics, and levels and most important energy. The objective of the game was to incorporate our last understanding of a tableaux and put movement into it. 


My experience with this game was mostly fun. It turned out to be really goofy and playful, and our monster was pretty funny. I remember Andrew, Tau, Omar and Sua being part of the body. While on the other hand Andre was the tail, and I was the tail of the tail! I did a pretty funny impression of what a tail was supposed to be, one of my arms was attached to Andre while the other was flailing behind me helplessly, as if their was an invisible wind flapping it back and forth,which I might made me look very silly.


Dubbing ( Talk is not cheap...)
Hmmm... this game was fun but it did not go as I had planned. The game went like this, two people would be paired up and one of them would provide sound effects in the back, while the other would act it out front and center, then they would switch. I think the purpose of this game was to introduce improvisation which is definitely not easy. 


My partner and I got down to it immediately we thought of what we were going to say and practiced. But then it was showtime, and let me tell you I panicked. I started of with the dubbing while my partner acted, I can't remember exactly what we did but I do remember throwing him under the bus towards the end. We then switched, and the same thing happened, and I don't blame him. I think the reason I feel I didn't perform so well is partly due to the fact that I had this image in my head of how I wanted things to go and it turned out no so much the same, and the other part is I was afraid to look silly. But I've learnt that when it comes to improvising you just have to go with the flow.

February 9th

Tableaux

Tableaux is the french word for painting. In this particular context when we say the word "Tableaux," we mean a still life painting. This is a painting that  even though 'dead' or 'still', when looking at it you can interpret life from it, you can feel its presence, its energy. Okay so just to get something clear i'm pretty sure that paintings are always in 'still' form, if you are ever looking at a painting and it literally jumps out at you, it may either be a cruel joke, or hopefully for your sake just a dream. Either way alert the police because 3D is one thing but then again it's just an illusion and you weren't wearing glasses were you? You think it was 4D? As for the 'presence' or the 'energy' you feel it's not your dead Aunt Gertrude, at least I hope it's not it's the feeling that you get from the painting, that 'wow' factor as if you just got the meaning behind the portrait. 


For this game we were put into groups and each group was given the same theme. We were to portray this theme in our own ways, but in tableaux form. Regarding factors like proximics, energy, levels and shapes had to be implemented. We had fun with it although one of the positions almost gave me a cramp. After making our own interpretations of the theme, the other group and Mr. Mouck would be called to examine our master piece. We were evaluated on how well we were able to incorporate the factors I mentioned earlier. The objective of this game I believe, was to instill the idea of how important energy and presence is and how it can take anything to a whole other level.
      My experience with this game was quite interesting. It turned out to be fun being in a painting. Plus some of the comments we got were also quite funny. I didn't take well to the shapes that were being formed out of people's bodies when I was evaluating other people's paintings, because I didn't get it, but as for the energy, it's what I was looking for the most, to feel that wow as if looking at a real painting. To me this is probably one of most important lessons so far because, I do believe after watching some shows and movies that presence and energy really do take everything to the next level. I personally believe that energy and presence decide the emotional response that you will have to any type of art from a book to a painting. I believe that having enough energy and presence will be the difference between making your audience feel like a viewer or  like their part of it, breaking the fourth wall.


Real Painting Interpretations
After playing around with tableaux, we actually went around the room and started observing paintings around the room, like a mini museum. We were supposed to see if we got that presence from them. We then sat down in a group to further discuss our thoughts. We started off with the "The Scream" a painting that uses dark colors and a screaming man to convey paranoia  and despair. We then discussed "Yellow and Orange" this is probably the most simplistic painting I have ever seen and I was quite annoyed that we were going to even spend time evaluating this. We came to the conclusion of happiness and joy because of the colors that were used, but the biggest shock came when Mr. Mouck told us not only how much money could be spent on this painting but that people have been moved to tears because of it! I searched some of the artists other paintings that were similar, and I was still dumbfounded as to how people could cry over this. Then I remembered the idea of energy and presence, obviously his paintings created an energy and presence unlike and other for some people, the paintings broke the fourth wall.

February 7th


Madding Crowd
Madding crowd consisted of two parts. The first part involved being spaced out in different parts of the room. The goal was to then take a space whenever someone moved from it. We would continue to do that over and over again, as we filled the empty spaces that people left. Basically no space was to be left empty. The objective of the game I assume was to create movement, as well as incorporate energy into in the process.


At first, I have to admit that I did not get the point of the game. It started off really slow, so I felt that it was quite pointless compared to some of the other fast paced games we've played. The game required a lot of moving around so it got tiring after a little bit. However, the thing that made the game more interesting was how the pace changed. As I said before it started off pretty slow, but then eventually we were made to experience a range of speeds all the way from slow turtle, to New York Time Square. At one point we were also told to pick two people to avoid and follow. It got pretty weird to think that I was stalking someone, at the same time as avoiding someone else. We also observed how different parts of each other's bodies moved which was very interesting. The best part was towards the end of this section when we were told to try to stop at the same time, it was a little challenging to see how we would stop at the same time because everyone was just watching to see what the queue was. But eventually we all got in sync, which is what i think were working towards, to create an energy emitted by a group rather than an individual. 


The second part involved taking and giving energy. We started off all standing still, an individual was to walk around the room and give their 'energy' to someone else in a clever way without talking. The goal was to do this in complete silence, but still manage to do it in creative ways. The objective was to once again create movement, but to incorporate energy as well. 


My experience with this game was again started of slow paced, but eventually got better as the game went on. It was interesting to see how people were going to give away their energy. When it came to me I was slightly nervous because I wanted to make as creative as possible. Things got a little hectic after taking of the energy was added to the mix. Once again it was fun to see all sorts of ways to take someone's energy. It could range from simply grabbing it like your stealing a purse, to throwing a fish line and reeling it in (my idea), which I am very proud of. I don't think I entered the 'zone' for either of the games, mostly because I was to focused on what I was going to do next, but I did gain a new understanding of 'energy.'

February 6th

Adding Actions

This game was fun but required possessing a good memory. The concept of the game is, we all get into a circle and someone starts off with an action. The next person repeats the same action and adds one of there own, and so on and so forth. The game gets pretty hard though because you have to remember everyone's action as well as add something of your own, it can get slightly confusing if your not paying attention. The objective of the game I think was to create rhythm as well as focus.

The game got pretty exciting, it was interesting to see what everyone had in mind and what they would add to the mix. However, it didn't go to smoothly when it came to me. I remember wondering what exactly I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to do something complicated or simple? But then I thought to myself less is more, and I should just have fun with it so I went with the latter of the two and took the easy road, but that didn't make it any less complicated. I think I entered the 'zone' but only partially, more like my own 'space', which is much less divine but more peaceful, somewhere I can take a minute  to memorize what other people's actions were and think about my own at the same time, than take a walk to the other side of the bridge.

Rhythm Fun

In this rhythm section we played a variety of games but one in particular jogged my memory. We stood in a circle, and someone started off by passing a clap. The objective of the game was to keep the rhythm, the beat of the clap. We all had to stick to a specific timing. This is what got confusing sometimes. Some people had a different idea of what rhythm was, and I wasn't a saint either. This led to all sorts of off beats but was nevertheless fun. 

My experience with this game wasn't to special like some of the other games I played. It was still fun though. I think I kept the beat at most times but once again I retreated to my 'space' where I would wait and anticipate for my turn to come. Throughout the rest of the game my 'space' helped me stay focused and pay attention to the rhythm.

February 3rd


Colombian Hypnosis
Unlike some of the other games that have been played in this class the concept of Colombian Hypnosis is quite simple. Your partner holds the 'universe' or the 'world' in their hands, and you follow the 'universe' in there hand as they guide you with movement hence the hypnosis part. Like any good hypnosis technique you must try not to lose focus and you have to pay attention, and not take your eye off of it for one second. Your partner guides you with said universe with lots of different levels so if there hand moves up you move up if they bring it all the way down i'm sad to say you too have to get on the floor. The objective of the game I assume is to create focus and attention within our surroundings, at least that is what i experienced when I was playing.


This game was not my cup of tea, if found it quite odd that I was following an invisible universe and I was quite literally obeying it's every order, it made me feel slightly uncomfortable. My experience with the game was nevertheless still pretty interesting, especially when my partner and I switched and I was now wielding the universe within my palms.The power felt quite good I tried to make them suffer as much as I could because, well it was fun. However, I didn't enter the 'zone' because I don't think I was fully invested. In order to truly enter the 'zone' you really have to become submissive to the control of the 'universe,' as everything around you becomes blurred, and the universe becomes the focus of your attention.