Chinatown, obviously
Yesterday I went to join the theatre group for the first time. It was nice to meet some new people. And it is going to be exiting to see what will come out of it. There certainly are some talented people in the group, and it is a very creative and inspiring group to be in. I just hope we drop the improvisation sessions soon, because I can’t be creative on command, I am just too shy for that. But otherwise we had a lot of fun, and it is probably a good network to have. And I got my first kiss, on the cheek, and not from Bill the cat. Some Brits really are gentlemen. In London you only get 2 though, not 3 like we do in Holland. All those rules to remember.
I took the day off today from my fulltime jobhunting schedule, which was nice. I haven’t seen anything in the city yet, I haven’t had the time. But there will be time the rest of the year, and the years to come, hopefully. I am back in The Cafe when writing this, for some lunch. This time I am sitting at The Table. Maybe that will bring some luck on the job front. Being here is very inspiring, and if I could be sitting here for a week, I would probably have written a complete book. But I will enjoy my lunch and The Cafe now before I’m ready to go out in London weather again : sunshine one second and rain the next. Very similar to my state of mind at the moment.
But you know the sunlight always shines
Behind the clouds on London skies
Good one Jamie, and very appropriate in more than one way.
Remember to take your brolly!
Improvisation is a great tool to let creativity flow. Just drop all concepts about making mistakes and go with the flow, fall flat on your face, suddenly feel totally connected and above all: accept whatever comes.
I remember my first improvisation-lessons and the feeling of being totally blank; I just didn’t know what to do. Now I can step on the floor (Dutch: de vloer op) and see where the elements take me. If you feel shy, that is a great basis for acting from shyness. Don’t pretend to be different from what you are; start from where you are; people will feel that you are real and respond more normal than when you try to play a role. Actually, acting starts with not acting.
When directing I use improvisation as a basis for actors to find out relations between them.
If you want to know a bit more about the space from where theatre starts, might I suggest you read Peter Brook: Empty Space (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684829576/sr=8-1/qid=1140162479/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4066184-8951834?%5Fencoding=UTF8), under $10 at Amazon.