My thoughts as self-appointed head Puppeteer…
DAY 1
Technical matters… Needs if skyping:
- Wireless headphones
- Better internet connection
- Microphones for skypers to speak into
Human nature matters…
People do not like being puppets
People do not like being REFERED to as puppets (even if that is what they are, putting a label on it makes it more noticeable and they tend to resist the process)
What an outsider witnesses does not necessarily match what the performers feel
They found it interesting, not fun
Would (could) have been fun –THEY SAID – if the skypers had been people they knew and felt more intimate with…
Skypers where more selfconcious, did not interact with one another even from far away. They where women late 30s-40s, an architect and a yoga teacher/engineer.
DAY 2
We had fun today…
The skypers where younger, in their 20s and a couple. On the same computer.
A dancer and a tattoo artist. They interacted, not verbally but they left time to each of us to follow through and each of them considered the other’s instructions
As “ME” I enjoyed participating as a performer. I find great value in phenomenology in this sort of study. To pass from all the roles and put myself in other people’s shoes. To try and feel what they feel, to experience rather than just witness…
Having 2 performers, 2 skypers (on one laptop), 1 music operator, 1 audience member (free to move around, take notes and on the second take also pictures) and 1observer (secretly taking notes and pictures for the first take and moving within the space with a video camera for the second take) created a sort of layered performance and layered audience.
There were different degrees of freedom to each, different levels of interaction and different modes of interaction.
Everyone in their own way and through their own role was a part of the composition.
CHOREOGRAPHY à IMPROVISATION à INSTANT COMPOSITION
AUDIENCE VIEWING à AUDIENCE INTERACITON à AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT
CHOREOGRAPHERà DIRECTOR à IDEA-ER (he had the initial idea)
WHAT AM I???
DAY 3, Final Take for this week
After 3 days, 5 takes and a week of sorting through my jumbled up thoughts I can say that if this project runs on a scale from zero to ten I am now on one… A lot more is to be done, but for now I am happy that the final take went well, we had a lot of fun and learned something new as well.
One skyper was used today, as puppet master leading 3 performers.
He was someone we have worked with before and the experience was enjoyable for all parties. The fact that he was one, facilitated a more coherent performance as one person created his own story on the spot.
As for human nature? Well to say the least, it is clear that familiarity amongst people enables them to have more ease in their interaction… Allows space to breath, less tension and an intimacy that provides cleared communication
Right now my brain is too tired to process any more information…
I will leave it alone, let it rest and trust that it will bring forth my next step when it is rested and ready!
STAY TUNED…
