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| Ana Correa in the center: Bernardina, Ashaninka woman and nurse (characters) surrounding her. |
Description
“In the world of the theatre, the one-man show is perhaps the closest thing to having it all, a supreme test of assurance and ability, of magnetism and charisma. The format is both seductive and frightening; there’s no one to play against, to lean on, to share the criticism. But, for an actor, the prize at the end of a successful solo performance is not only applause but also acclaim-unshared”
-Enid Nemy
"Confesiones de Ana correa" is a one-person show, where the actress tells the story of her life, and the appearance and importance of different characters interpreted by her during it.
The scenery is divided in two sections: a square in the middle is marked with tape, and an area at the side has different props and items.
The actress wears different costumes, which appear one under the other when she takes them off after representing a character . The first costume represents a nurse wearing a mask (similar to Paucartambo's), the second one is the costume of a poor woman who sells prints in the town, followed by Bernardina from "Santiago", the teacher, the washerwoman inspired by "Yerma", and the Ashaninka woman from "Sin Titulo".
For her, there's no need to go backstage "to be transformed." This operation of costume changes is continuous until we see herself: a person of flesh and blood, the actress, the human being, the citizen, without fictions. It is her who has offered us her testimony, her confessions.
Analysis
The division of the scenery creates two levels of reality in the play. In the center, the audience sees a level of fiction, while a level of what we could call "realism" is perceived on the other side.
This teaches us that in a play, there can exist different spaces and areas of the stage working in different ways, because the space is transformed by the attitude of actors.
Single items, such as a desk, or candles, are able to transform the space completely, without the need for developed backgrounds or scenery.
On the other hand, lighting, as well as different textures can give different moods to the scenes. This year I've realized more than ever the effect that a single texture has on stage, and the great contrast between a metal for example, and a piece of wood, or plastic.
If you want a warmer feeling, wood would be better than metal (which conveys coldness in a better way).
In "confesiones", textures created completely different atmospheres. A wooden, old desk for the teacher's scene gave an 'old' resonance, while the plastic used for the washing scene was a texture that in my opinion, cannot be replaced by other in order to have the same effect. The plastic's texture gave the impression of the baby's placenta, and the sound produced by it, accompanied by the ocean SFX and blue light created all together a scene that was impressive for the audience, presenting a very strong image.
About the acting...I learnt that dynamic characters catch greater attention on the audience, and scenes can't be too long, specially if they are monologues.
The audience would of course find the teacher's scene much more interesting and dynamic than Bernardina's monologue. The rythm of the scene can't stay the same...it has to change.. a conflict has to occur for it to be interesting.
Connections
Reflection
Over the last week, the idea of the images that aren't on stage but are created in the audience's minds catched profoundly my attention. The magic of theatre appears when the audience is able to see on stage something that isn't there, but until what point should we take this in our school play? shouldn't we use as much props so that the audience figures out things with the actors' actions? Does this work for every type of audience or space? I mean, maybe it wouldn't work as well in out theatre as it does in Yuyachkani's smaller stage, where the audience can watch with details each action.
If the magic of theatre appears when the audience can see something that isn't really there, then why are props used in all of our plays? should we think about being more "abstract" ?
The division of the scenery creates two levels of reality in the play. In the center, the audience sees a level of fiction, while a level of what we could call "realism" is perceived on the other side.
This teaches us that in a play, there can exist different spaces and areas of the stage working in different ways, because the space is transformed by the attitude of actors.
Single items, such as a desk, or candles, are able to transform the space completely, without the need for developed backgrounds or scenery.
On the other hand, lighting, as well as different textures can give different moods to the scenes. This year I've realized more than ever the effect that a single texture has on stage, and the great contrast between a metal for example, and a piece of wood, or plastic.
If you want a warmer feeling, wood would be better than metal (which conveys coldness in a better way).
In "confesiones", textures created completely different atmospheres. A wooden, old desk for the teacher's scene gave an 'old' resonance, while the plastic used for the washing scene was a texture that in my opinion, cannot be replaced by other in order to have the same effect. The plastic's texture gave the impression of the baby's placenta, and the sound produced by it, accompanied by the ocean SFX and blue light created all together a scene that was impressive for the audience, presenting a very strong image.
About the acting...I learnt that dynamic characters catch greater attention on the audience, and scenes can't be too long, specially if they are monologues.
The audience would of course find the teacher's scene much more interesting and dynamic than Bernardina's monologue. The rythm of the scene can't stay the same...it has to change.. a conflict has to occur for it to be interesting.
Connections
- "El valle oscuro"- different settings are created although the scenery isn't realistic at all. Planks and a model of the valley are used to 'locate' the audience, and work to activate imagination.
- This activation is also created by "divided images", where the audience visualizes two separate things, which join in the audience's mind (for example- the echoes in "El valle oscuro" or a sound that gives us a hint of a place or location without showing it.
- Shadows -in expressionism for example- could also work as a divided image, as the audience completes the complete idea on their mind.
- In "a matter of dissection", cloth was needed to gave a hospital impression, while in "split" metal transmitted a colder atmosphere.
- Costumes can also transmit the idea of a divided image...as we did in Shadow Queendom with single props or elements over a black base. It is a rapid way of changing characters, and allows the audience to use its imagination in order to identify them.
Reflection
Over the last week, the idea of the images that aren't on stage but are created in the audience's minds catched profoundly my attention. The magic of theatre appears when the audience is able to see on stage something that isn't there, but until what point should we take this in our school play? shouldn't we use as much props so that the audience figures out things with the actors' actions? Does this work for every type of audience or space? I mean, maybe it wouldn't work as well in out theatre as it does in Yuyachkani's smaller stage, where the audience can watch with details each action.
If the magic of theatre appears when the audience can see something that isn't really there, then why are props used in all of our plays? should we think about being more "abstract" ?
