Inside Gallaudet
Theatre workshop focuses on non-verbal cues
 Photo: Rhea Kennedy |
| Norah Matthews runs toward a fellow actor during a warm-up exercise for the “De-Verbalizing the Scene” workshop. Workshop participant Patricia Hill (left) and instructor Tim Chamberlain look on. |
“De-verbalizing is about body language, how you draw the audience in with it,” said Holt, who teaches as a President’s Fellow in Gallaudet’s Department of Theatre Arts. Chamberlain, who holds a master of fine arts degree in directing from The Catholic University of America, explained, “We embrace any age, skill, or background in an actor, and are open to any kind of script. For in each case these people meet and actions occur, whether these people sign or speak.”
The teaching team attracted a group of deaf and hearing actors from around the Washington, D.C. area as their students, and no ASL skills were required to join. They did, however, have two criteria: “Curiosity and motivation—that’s all we want,” said Holt.
On a recent evening, workshop participants demonstrated both of those requirements. They began with an energetic game of tag based on gestures, which emphasized the importance of goals with the use of visual cues. Then they went on to tell two-minute stories with descriptive facial expressions and body movement. The fact that participants had widely varied signing levels actually brought more focus to the non-language cues they used.
With this kind of acting work, Chamberlain and Holt hope to draw attention to elements that actors might take for granted. Among other things, students are encouraged to listen to the actions and reactions of others, explore the space between people, and examine motivations. The instructors use video recording so that participants can critique themselves later, a technique they say is extremely valuable but woefully underutilized in acting classes.
The approach is indeed revolutionary, but is also based on proven techniques. Chamberlain and Holt’s inspiration comes from actors and teachers like Uta Hagen, who emphasized the thoughts and emotions behind performance, and Anne Bogart, who has used the Viewpoints technique involving non-verbal acting. They also draw inspiration from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, which brought together the two collaborators. As students of Cunningham, they would often practice the steps without music, making the movements occur in their natural rhythm. Similarly, the teachers say, “De-verbalizing the Scene” helps actors find their rhythm--the movement, breathing, and hesitations--which are embodied by the actor, but only suggested in a script.
This summer, the teachers volunteered their time to plan and implement the program. If this pilot is successful, Chamberlain and Holt hope to make “De-verbalizing the Scene” a regular summer event at Gallaudet. It could involve high school students, professional actors, or others, they said.
The timing of the workshop and the mix of deaf and hearing actors are two elements they would like to keep. “The summer months are less busy for students and professionals, and also the perfect time to try something fun and different,” Holt said. Both want a diverse group. Language and culture are not barriers, Holt and Chamberlain believe, but instead opportunities to increase awareness.
When asked about a final performance to show what students have learned, the teaching team was very clear. “Performance and learning are different,” Chamberlain said. They focus on the latter. The students will work on more involved scenes over the seven weeks of the course, and the team hopes that they will take what they have learned into the world with them.
Posted: 17 Aug 2007
