BARE CHARACTER STUDIES: VIRTUAL REBOOT
A virtual reboot of The Bare Character Studies videos. Actors experimenting with the connection between their instinctual impulses and their rational approach to acting.
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
A while back in NYC, I started a project I called The Bare Character Studies videos. After several sessions of training on the Sensory-Somatic approach to acting and an introduction to The Bare Character concept, a group of actors experimented with the connection between their instinctual impulses and their rational approach to acting.
NOTES FROM THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
ABOUT THE MONOLOGUES - The project was originally named The Mantra Monologues Videos. The idea was to use the monologues as a “mantra” … something to say - without a necessary connection to the feeling or motivation being explored - that would not engage the brain for memorization, etc.
For the most part, the actors participating in the original project chose monologues that not only required memorization but that also were “pre-attached“ to a particular feeling so as a result, some of the actors had a hard time transitioning from the first non-verbal stage - the connection to their bodies and energy of that particular day - to the verbalization of their monologues.
Reboot Proposal: Even though we did work on the monologues selection, the ultimate decision was that of the actor’s and, we all picked the monologues using our “brains” rather than our bodies so, my proposal for the reboot is that of letting our sensory-somatic “musing energy” choose the monologues.
ABOUT THE FINAL VIDEO - When the actors were first approached, they were told that the “final video” was to be mainly a “recording” of the results of the experiment and not an audition tape. The process - the exploratory and training sessions - were the core of this experiment and the product or the final video was just a sort of a souvenir from the experience.
Reboot Proposal: Since the entire process will be virtual and therefore conducted via Zoom or a similar platform, the sessions will be “recorded” so this will hopefully take some of the pressure from the actors to “perform” or focus on the final “session”.
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
It is a “virtual” reboot so, teaching the sensory-somatic approach without the human contact is the biggest challenge for me as a director/coach and as for the actors, not being able to take advantage of the collective energy from having all the actors in the same space is certainly a disadvantage.
PROJECT DEVISING NOTES
October 9th, 2023
Today I made a major discovery during one of my morning Workouts and Recharging Session. While “reciting” the monologue I will use for my own Bare Character Study video, I found that for this study to work, using the monologues as a “mantra” might not be enough … that during the Bare Character connection exercise prior to the video, we might have to “focus” the driving energy by coming up with an “intention” - a path to follow - so the energy can drive the monologues and prevent getting stuck and having to resource to our brains for help. I will further explore this idea in open virtual rehearsals.
August 20th, 2023
I’ve been working on my own Bare video to promote the reboot. Although this will be a “video” - yes, a product - it’s a necessary evil since not only, I doubt anyone will watch a series of recordings from the process but also, the process is different for because I’m doing this on my own, I have the training and I have being exploring this idea since before the original project.
CALL FOR COLLABORATION
At the moment I’m looking for actors to collaborate virtually in this project. There is no charge or pay to participate in this project. If you are interested, please contact me.
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