Years ago, I remember dropping a glass with liquid in it on
stage during a performance. I could feel the condensation on the outside of the
glass slowly undermine my grip of the glass. As it was slipping from my
fingers; externally I was presence, delivering lines and listening for cues.
Internally however I was developing a process to deal with the glass that was
about to break at my feet and the feet of fellow cast members. My mind was
developing a strategy for how to clean up the glass. I even considered
going off stage and getting a dust pan between my lines. I was even deciding on
how to incorporate the soon to be broken glass on the floor into the scene
should I have to or need to. The glass did indeed break and all ended well. However,
what stuck with me the most after the show was how ordered and calm my thoughts
were.
I am not suggesting that time slowed down in fact some
research I discovered theorises that it is only our memory of an event that
tricks us into thinking that time slowed down. I did feel like I had time to
consider all my options though. The reference to time slowing down is usually
when people are in a state of danger. While on stage performing a task with an
element of risk, I am not in danger, although a stage fight could replicate a
sense of danger, so possibly tricking the brain. What I am inferring here is
that I was making some informed decisions under pressure. I had enough
experiential training through years of being on stage to be calm under pressure
and respond accordingly and remain present.
How does all this help me now as an educator and
choreographer of physical risk? I relish developing training methodologies that
build a system for actors that align mind and body when they need to response
to problem solving and multitasking should an accident arise. Like any form of
conditioning training it would behove an actor to maintain a mindset that reinforces
the understanding that an accident will eventually happen when performing
movement with an element of risk. That way in the event of a near miss or
accident the actor is not thrown. But rather has the presences of mind and body
to remain calm.
“Play with knives
expect to get cut.” = “Performing slapstick expect a bruise.”
(Disclaimer: I am not advocating to push through injuries or
to perform with a reckless mindset. What I’m entertaining here is that with a
solid training approach, actors can safe guard themselves and be mentally and
physically prepared for when things go wrong)
Mental preparation in the training process is paramount if
the actor wants a physically disciplined response. Therefore, I would theorise
that the key to making an affective training system lies in the development of
sensitivity and listening skills on a macro and micro level. At a level that
involves a mental, aural, visual and tactile sensitivity to one’s immediate
internal and external landscape.
Therefore; the trick is to develop exercises and tasks in
training that replicate choices under pressure. The main principle of my
approach is prioritising how to deal with; and respond accordingly to an issue
or accident that arises. A way into this approach is to start looking for a
range of variables within a spectrum of scenarios that an actor may find
themselves in. By seeking the order in this spectrum of perceived chaos, one
can start to reduce stress levels because a series of responses can be
programmed in the conditioning training level.
Part II coming....
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