Non verbal communication
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This document provides guidance and learning materials for students studying the play "Metamorphosis" by Steven Berkoff. It includes assignments on vocal awareness, language, and non-verbal communication in the context of the play. Students are instructed to practice techniques for demonstrating non-verbal communication and transforming physically into a beetle. They will present next week on the historical, social, political and cultural contexts of the play.
Non verbal communication
- 1. Unit 1 Exploration of Drama & Theatre Metamorphosis by Steven Berkoff
- 2. Exploration Notes (3000 words) • The response to a practitioner • Language • Vocal Awareness • Characterisation • Non-Verbal Communication • The Social, Cultural, Historical and Political Context • The visual, aural and spatial elements of a production • Interpretation • Theatre Review (1000 words)
- 3. Work due • 500 words due today on Vocal Awareness and Language in the context of Metamorphosis.
- 4. Learning Outcomes • To understand the different elements of non verbal communication in the context of acting • To be able to apply non verbal elements of your acting in workshop and performance of Metamorphosis
- 5. Starter work • In pairs • Without using words, each member of the group take turns to demonstrate or explain different types of non verbal communication. Once it is clear the partner has understood, move on to the next. • Share ideas with the group, using your partners to demonstrate. (5 mins max)
- 6. Non-Verbal communication • The language of theatre is about more than spoken language. • Non-Verbal communication refers to any form of action on stage which conveys meaning to an audience. • This includes gesture, facial expressions, movement, mime, tableaux, physical theatre, dance and mask work.
- 7. Realism vs. Artaud • We accept that normally the majority of NVC supports the attitudes, feelings and character of an individual within a play. E.G.? • How does Artaud’s vision of ritualistic, symbolic imagery challenge this? • External representation of the unconscious within mankind • Show and reveal mysterious elements within man’s psyche • Representing humankind • Gesture reveals subconscious and impacts on audience’s imagination
- 8. Practical Task Artaud and the Body • Lie on your back, put your hands by your sides and bend your knees so the soles of your feet are flat on the floor. • Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Monitor your breathing and try to slow it down. • Every time you exhale, turn the breath into a hum. • Try to maintain for as long as possible. • Continue to do this while focussing your body. How do your feet feel? Are they comfortable, tired, tense? Work your way up through your body. • Focus on your stomach. Is it full? Bloated? Is it hungry? Instead of humming, try to express how your stomach feels through abstract noise. • Now focus on the heart. Is it fit and healthy? Does it feel like blood is flowing freely or is it a real effort to send it through the body? • Vocalise this feeling. Use the rhythm of your heart, convert this feeling into a combination of vocal and physical work. • Operating room – part of body being cut into but still alive in some way – become it, using vocals (not word) as well to express pain, fear, shock of how body part reacts to being torn from its place in the world.
- 9. Transformation into a Beetle • The transformation of Gregor into a beetle is the pivotal action of the play and the catalyst that allows the audience to see the changes in other characters. How this transformation is achieved theatrically is vital to the success of the play. • Berkoff chose to represent the beetle physically through the actor’s voice, body and space. This allows the actor playing the beetle to slip easily into human form when he needs to be in flashback or to communicate to the audience.
- 10. Practical Task - Beetle • Lie down face on the floor. • Now pull your knees up and cross your arms in front of your face so that you are resting on your forearms, knees and shins. • Through this simple and yet physically demanding position, Berkoff was able to mimic the legs, head and thorax of the beetle. • His fingers, arms, head, upper body and legs could all work in isolation and begin to emulate the movement and manner of an insect. Move your head mechanically and in a jerky fashion. • Push your arms forward and drag your body forward supported by your knees. Try to create a continuous movement with this action. • Berkoff also found that by swapping his crossed arms and having them on the correct side of his body, but forcing his elbows up by pushing his shoulders down, he could find another dynamic that enabled him to ‘ooze’ as well as crawl. • Experiment with this physicality. • Show how he could move when frightened/angry/hungry/sick
- 11. Q+A • Why do you think Artaud wanted actors to be representations, rather than real-life individuals? • Why do you think Artaud placed such a strong importance upon the actor’s use of gesture?
- 12. EXPLORATION NOTES: • Individually:. Using your notes from the practical session exploring Language
- 13. Next week Student Presentations • Next week YOU will be presenting your findings on the Historical, Social, Political and Cultural contexts of the play. • In groups of 2/3 you will present to the group from your research and discussions in your study periods. • This PowerPoint will be on Moodle (link on the course blog) to support your notes.
- 14. Social/Cultural • Social Context • Cultural context • The environment the • There may be stereotypes or characters are placed in prejudices • The background or • Certain cultures can have different traditions or rituals lifestyle that the audience which people perform comes from • Culture is something that is • The social positions and learned, so look at the roles of the characters education of the characters • The female characters • Do the audience share the positions in society same cultural experiences as • Do all characters share the the characters in the play same social context? • Do all the characters share the same cultural experiences and beliefs?
- 15. Historical/Political • Historical • Political • Refers to the time that the • Is there a particular play is taking place political message the play • Whether the history of the wishes to get across? play affects the meaning • Is it still relevant today as and your interpretations at the time of writing? • Think about what was • Would anything have to be going on in the world changed to make any such when the play was both message still relevant? written and set • Is the play intended to • Consider how the play can inspire political change? be interpreted • Is it aimed at a particular differently, across different group in society? ages and times.