Mike alfreds lesson notes

Mike Alfred's

Exercise 1 improvisational clap tag 

A leaves the room an B stays in the room. B is told a specific given circumstances. When A re-enters the room A and B must improvise a scene based upon the given circumstance. A has no clue what is going on in the scene and must observe, interpret and respond to what is being offered in the scene by B. Then when your instructor/director claps you can change the given circumstance of your improvised scene. 

The aim of this is to make you be a less selfish and internalized actor. Also this exercise aims to make you exist in a space with another person and to allow yourself to live in the moment. You are trying to not be living in the past or the future intellectually, but physically in the present with your partner. This exercise helps you be a more truthful and physically instinctual actor. Action on stage comes from interaction between characters, which is why making offers and accepting offers on stage is so important. It's all about what you bring to the table. 

Exercise 2 

Laban efforts - Glass coffin 

This exercise begins with you imagining yourself to be inside a glass coffin. You must then map out the corners and confines of your own personal space using your hands, then your feet, legs, arms, shoulders and whole body. Whilst doing so you should experiment with levels and moving around and exploring in your own space. 

The Efforts

Light/Flexible/Sustained = Floating
Light/Flexible/Broken = Flicking
Light/Direct/Sustained = Gliding
Light/Direct/Broken = Dabbing
Strong/Flexible/Sustained = Wringing
Strong/Flexible/Broken = Slashing
Strong/Direct/Sustained = Pressing
Strong/Direct/Broken = Thrusting/Punching

These efforts supposedly come together to make up the complete human emotions and the messages behind each line we speak. 

Defining the Elements

Light:

Light implies functioning with ease. There is no weight to your movements. Your arms and legs are free and able to move softly and without effort. This was an easy movement as it required little effort.

Strong:

Strong implies that you are functioning with hard, powerful movements. As if you are trying to move through sand or mud. It makes your arms and legs move with effort, as though walking through sand up to your knees. This was particularly tiring and required a lot of effort.

Direct:

Direct implies that you are functioning in a harsh and rather forceful way. You know what you want and you are going to get it. You can look at where your hands and feet are moving to, as you move them, to give a sense of purpose. This move was tiring as it involved a lot of effort and a large physicality.

Flexible:

Flexible implies that you have no focus and are able to move or go anywhere. You are able to bend and form lots of different shapes and in different directions. You bend your hands, feet and face and you allow yourself not to have a focus point, so that you are flexible to move or go anywhere. This movement was quite gentle and easy, you have to move gently for it to be flexible.

Sustained:

Sustained implies that you are moving in one motion, you're not breaking the motion or stopping, you have energy flowing from one physical state to another. This movement was quite hard to keep up, especially if the other two elements are strong and direct. It tends to be slower and takes on a gentle physicality, such as moving through water or gliding.

Broken:

Broken implies that your movements are abrupt. You are jabbing through the air, creating a harsh atmosphere. This movement was tiring, as it was hard work to keep up. It tends to be fast, such a swatting away a fly.

Technically: 
Light and Strong are to do with Weight and the intensity of a movement.
Direct and Flexible are to do with Space and how you move in it.
Sustained and Broken are to do with Time or speed of a movement.

Weight - heavy / light
Focus - direct / flexible 
Continuity - sustained / broken 

This exercise can be used before and after the text of a piece has been applied. It is primarily a physical exploration exercise however it can be adapted within the workshop for vocal development. This exercise is all about your process and what you're feeling as an actor living and breathing in the moment on stage. This exercise is very useful in order to establish the physicality of your character. Through this you may link character traits with the vocal and physical exploration of the character.