No longer functionless

Everything feels like it’s coming together. I still feel like I need a ton of practice to master the skills of seeing what’s important and analyzing symbols, but we’re moving in the right direction. For the first time, ever, Jon claimed out loud that we may have out-analyzed/out-thought him. I hope it’s not the last. This is so encouraging because one of the biggest things I’ve desired is to be able to see and think the way that Jon does when it comes to acting. This comes with so many years of experience, but if I can get just a fraction of that capacity before I even hit the market, I can start off my career by shocking everyone with my auditions that are uniquely interesting.
Sense streaming is essential to this work. It is the foundation for transporting yourself to a place. Building a base of different atmospheres will provide variety to your streaming work and get the senses activated; practice learning the temperature, wind, atmosphere, etc.
This class we changed up the process to us guiding the person streaming. Two actor prompt the other in the process, but don’t story tell. Don’t get them in their head. Ask the kind of questions that allows THEM to explore, not you assuming what’s there and asking a yes or no question.
Bridge is the active work in the reading of the symbols to make connections to the physiology of the character. Look for key words, descriptive words, and symbols.

Take three deep breaths.
Get the atmosphere, then panoramic position of a witness.
See them, then tap forehead, “Project into image” (the finger should be touching the character’s forehead). You are now a foot away from them. Prompt them to explore her, to vocalize everything they sense. Don’t ask questions to put yourself in your head.
Listen to her heartbeat.

This girl had so many interesting things about her. The environment connects to her physiology. She embraces the environment, she’s not a stranger to the place she’s in. What does this say about her? Coarse, gritty, DRY. She doesn’t take care of herself, but her eyebrows she does? We noticed the emptiness of the objects (can, key ring), the contradiction of her being very much of her natural surroundings, but holding tight to a brochure as if she longs to go there. Chris mentioned that she is not lost, but definitely looking for something. She doesn’t know the person on the brochure – fantasy or memories maybe? Maybe she’s an adventurer, but if she’s been there or doesn’t desire to go there, she wouldn’t still hold onto it. So maybe she’s not. She doesn’t want to be around this guy AND she has no keys, just the ring. She is STUCK. She looks like someone who is out in nature, but she’s stuck. Searching for something different. She looks like she is surveying, cautious maybe? After much analyzing, we were given the genre: post-apocalyptic. This fits in perfectly with what we already have without needing to story tell, and also fills in the gaps of our questions of her boots. The other group pointed out the cat/tiger symbolism with the colors (orange and black) and the guitar pick. She is tough and gritty – a warrior archetype. My group also noticed that everything seems old on her except her boots. How does she have an almost brand new pair of boots in a post apocalyptic world? She must have stolen them. With what she has on her possession, especially the brochure, she is longing for a time or a place lost, which means that she doesn’t prefer this life. She has been forced to live in a new way from what she used to be – her innocence has been stolen from her. This is a strong complement to the warrior archetype, creating layers and colors that no one else will have. Jon also mentioned that the key ring shows how it is function less – it is not functioning the way it should. So she is functionless. This also fits in perfectly with everything else already put together because she is just doing what can be done, but it’s not much. She’s surviving, she’s not functioning. Sometimes you can take symbols very literal. Another tip was to look for archetype, not type. I feel more confident in my own abilities, no longer questioning what I come up with, but also trying to push the barriers further to unlock anything and everything about her that makes her a unique and interesting person.

Out thought by a group of amazing women. I am so pleased at how well you are moving toward mastery. Keep it up!