In his book Stage Acting Techniques: A Practical Guide, John Hester states that “one of the most important truths about acting is that an actor is only ever as good … as the other actors on stage” (2004, p.33).  Hester’s comment can be particularly applied to The Trail. The play requires a significant amount of action from the ensemble, so it is then important that the performers work closely and are comfortable together. To help the company achieve this Lucy, the director, insisted that before each rehearsal the group played team building games. Although these were predominately fun exercises they did help to create a team spirit within the group that we were then able to channel into our rehearsal process. For example: One of Lucy’s games was to get the group together where she would say a particular word/scene and the group would have 30 seconds to make a tableau of that scene. I felt this exercise not only helped the company to work together but also to get into practise of working quickly and smoothly.

The Trial contains many sequences that involve fast paced movements from the performers. For example: The links between the Taxi Sequence, Lift Sequence and Bank Sequence are swift and rely heavily on each performer knowing exactly where they need to be at a particular moment and where they need to move to. So using the exercise we had done with Lucy we applied the quick and confident movements to the sequences allowing the transactions to take place smoothly.

Here are images of our ensemble work during rehearsal:

The team building games throughout the rehearsal process helped us to  improve ourselves individually as actors which then allowed us to develop our skills as an ensemble. Hester’s statement highlights an actor can only be as good as those he acts opposite. By improving ourselves individually as actors we are also empowering the acting of the group as a whole.

Until next time,

Larissa

xxx

Work Cited

Hester, John (2004) Stage Acting Techniques: A Practical Guide, The Crowood Press Ltd.

From the very start of the company’s rehearsals I have found this production to be incredibly challenging to myself as an actor. I have never taken part in a production that has been so fast paced and has required as much from me physically as well as mentally and emotionally. The Trial necessitates fast moving scene changes and quick character transformations. This in itself is demanding but what adds to the pressure is creating and developing characters that fit within our production’s theme of the grotesque and non-naturalism. Except for Stuart who is performing the play’s protagonist, Joseph K, all actors are multi-rolling. It then becomes important for the actors to make every character they play completely different from the previous.

My first character within the play is that of the Inspector. The audience first see the character delivering news to Joseph K of his arrest but not revealing what K is under arrest for. Lucy suggested the idea of the Inspector displaying characteristics of an old, stereotype image of a school Head teacher. Using this imagery I found myself walking tall with my head held upwards and addressing K as though I was talking down to him. Lucy liked my characterisation, however, felt my movements were to ‘floaty’ and not grotesque enough. Lucy suggested that I re-consider the way I positioned my body and asked me to arch my back. Taking Lucy’s comment into consideration I acted out the scene again and exaggerated  arching my back. I found that keeping my body in this position effected the way I walked. With an arch back my legs became bent and spidery when walking which Lucy felt was perfect for the Inspector as it highlighted a clear difference from K’s natural character.

My second character required a completely different approach. Whereas the Inspector stood with an arched back , Mrs Grubach, K’s landlady, is an elderly, nosey, slightly frail lady. The physicality I created for her was hunched over her knitting needles whilst sitting on a chair. In my opinion there is something quite odd about the character, almost as if she is slightly deranged. Adding onto this I altered my voice to produce a sound which highlighted her elderly persona but also suggested a creepy and eerie quality. K himself notes a difference in the way Mrs Grubach addresses him, so I felt that it was then important to present a character that even the audience finds unsettling. Rodenburg states”Always remember that one of  the actor’s functions is to fill space with presence and with voice” (2002 Rodenburg, p.93). Following Rodenburg’s comment, I believe it is important to consider the voice in every performance. However, I particularly felt it was important in The Trial as the actors were required to present several different characters. The voice helps provide the character with more depth.  I also altered my face to present expressions that would unnerve K by making my eyes wide and exaggerating my smile. Lucy suggested that to make the character appear even more unnerving,  when Mrs Grubach begins talking of what the guards have told her I should to appear as if Mrs Grubach has become lost in her own world. To exaggerate Mrs Grubach’s hunched physicality Lucy directed me to use the chair I was sat on as a Zimmer frame as I exited the stage. I placed my chair several centre metres ahead of me and made small shuffling steps towards it. I did this several times before exiting the stage. When performing this for Lucy she felt I had really captured the grotesque quality of the character and also found my physicality particularly amusing.

The Inspector and Mrs Grubach are just two examples of characters that I will be performing and both highlight the strong physical characteristic demands that this play needs. However, it is also important to consider that The Trial is not a play about the individual actor but a play where the group of performers must work together as an ensemble to successfully create the piece. This is a topic I will explore further in another post.

Thanks for reading,

Larissa

x x x

Work Cited

Rodenburg, Patsy (2002) The Actor Speaks: Voice and The Performer, Palgrave Macmillan.