Cleaning up the mess

Our physical sequences are either what are going to make or break the show. And hopefully after cleaning some of them up a bit in rehearsal, they will be making it.

As the office sequence was something I helped create, today I was attempting to create a little bit of structure in the whole piece. Each person has a different focus in the piece so today I created motifs for the mobiles, the keyboards and the paper. Each sequence should fit the count of 4.


The mobiles

The mobile phone sequence I created was as follows:

• take 3 steps forward holding the phone to your ear.
• On the third step move your arm away from your body/head and use your fourth step to jump and meet it.
• Then once you've re-joined your phone turn your feet and head off in a new direction.

The keyboards

The keyboard sequence I created was as follows:

• Hold the keyboard plat across your arms.
• Hit the keyboard 3 times and on the fourth beat throw the keyboard and catch it on its side.
• Holding the keyboard vertically in your right hand with the keys facing away from you tap the keys 3 times again and on the fourth beat throw it so it lands facing outwards.
• Balanced across your arms with the keys facing away tap the keys 3 times and on the fourth beat throw the keyboard back into it's original position.

The paper


The paper sequence I created was as follows:

• Holding the paper in front of you take 2 steps forward.
• On the third beat stand still but step one leg out to the side to form a wide squat.
• On the fourth beat raise the paper above your head and leave it balancing on your back.
• Wait over the count of 4 and then begin the sequence again heading off in a new direction.

My aim with these sequences was to make short, simple, repeatable actions that create opportunities for the ensemble onstage: the extended arm somewhere to quickly duck under, a keyboard facing your direction to quickly tap something onto and a paper resting on someone's back for you to quickly read and sign. With the 4 beat pattern none of the pace is lost but hopefully if everyone can learn and commit to the moves it will tidy up much of the lose ends that make the scene lose the sharp, business edge that I think will make it spectacular. If everyone has a better understanding of what they are doing it will translate to the audience as a world of purpose and power where the employees played around with the creative boundaries of business.