1. Below is our response to the Sound part of the assignment, where we assigned sound consequences to the feminine movement gesture sequence from assignment 1.
password: loop
fem gestures n consequences sounds from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS:
a) How do these sounds shift your understanding of and feeling about the original phrase?
b) What do you think the consequences are?
c) Which parts do you find compelling; which parts confusing?
2. Below is the gendered script for the morphing sequence from Assignment 1.
We noticed that Babli didn't see the parallel intersecting stories of the masculine and feminine characters previously, and so we investigated this more fully here. Our intention is to subvert conventional abhinaya practice by having the same character switch genders rather than one performer showing two different gendered characters interacting. This script more or less follows the previous video, except we imagined some clarified transitions and removed the section with the mirror and lipstick so we could have a clearer narrative.
But first, here is the video of the gender morphing story, hopefully clarified now that we've written the script more clearly with intentions for transitions etc. Watch before reading. We just added this on 1/12/13 so the first two comments below are referring to part 1 above, not to this.
password: loop
Gender morphing study take 2 from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.
S/he
The mature, beautiful and rich courtesan (who is well established in her field) emerges languorously from her bath, her skin still moist as servants wave peacock fans at her. S(he) braids her luxuriously thick, black, long, wavy tresses.
And then s(he) strokes her well groomed beard. (blurred)
and braids her hair and strokes her beard.
braids and strokes, strokes and braids
and strokes
(s)he puts on his yellow silk dhoti and assuredly wraps his princely turban around his well shaped head.
A melodious ghazal drifts in through the window and fills his body with longing. (S)he melts
and s(he) wonders “is my beloved out there, singing to me?”
“But wait, my beloved thinks I’m a man.”
transition f to m: “I must be a man, I must be a real man. There must be no doubt about it.”
(s)he: “I am ready! I will go forth into the world. Where is he? Ah! Come here my little baklava.”
transition m to f: “here you are, I forgot how beautiful you are! I can’t look at you, I feel my whole being dissolve into a river of desire.”
s(he): “What? you would like to play a game of dice?
(s)he: “This is my specialty!”
“What! I lost? What will you have? An earring? I will give you a small one.”
S(he) takes off her earring.
S(he): “Is it my turn? I’ve never played dice before. Do you shake it like this?
Transition f to m: “ooh it feels good! harder, faster!
(s)he “I won!”
s(he): “So, maybe we should go up to my place now?”
Transition back and forth: “oh shit, he thinks I have a penis! how should I act? What will I do? Should I act female or male? I don’t know what to do! etc...” fade out
password: loop
fem gestures n consequences sounds from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS:
a) How do these sounds shift your understanding of and feeling about the original phrase?
b) What do you think the consequences are?
c) Which parts do you find compelling; which parts confusing?
2. Below is the gendered script for the morphing sequence from Assignment 1.
We noticed that Babli didn't see the parallel intersecting stories of the masculine and feminine characters previously, and so we investigated this more fully here. Our intention is to subvert conventional abhinaya practice by having the same character switch genders rather than one performer showing two different gendered characters interacting. This script more or less follows the previous video, except we imagined some clarified transitions and removed the section with the mirror and lipstick so we could have a clearer narrative.
But first, here is the video of the gender morphing story, hopefully clarified now that we've written the script more clearly with intentions for transitions etc. Watch before reading. We just added this on 1/12/13 so the first two comments below are referring to part 1 above, not to this.
password: loop
Gender morphing study take 2 from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.
S/he
The mature, beautiful and rich courtesan (who is well established in her field) emerges languorously from her bath, her skin still moist as servants wave peacock fans at her. S(he) braids her luxuriously thick, black, long, wavy tresses.
And then s(he) strokes her well groomed beard. (blurred)
and braids her hair and strokes her beard.
braids and strokes, strokes and braids
and strokes
(s)he puts on his yellow silk dhoti and assuredly wraps his princely turban around his well shaped head.
A melodious ghazal drifts in through the window and fills his body with longing. (S)he melts
and s(he) wonders “is my beloved out there, singing to me?”
“But wait, my beloved thinks I’m a man.”
transition f to m: “I must be a man, I must be a real man. There must be no doubt about it.”
(s)he: “I am ready! I will go forth into the world. Where is he? Ah! Come here my little baklava.”
transition m to f: “here you are, I forgot how beautiful you are! I can’t look at you, I feel my whole being dissolve into a river of desire.”
s(he): “What? you would like to play a game of dice?
(s)he: “This is my specialty!”
“What! I lost? What will you have? An earring? I will give you a small one.”
S(he) takes off her earring.
S(he): “Is it my turn? I’ve never played dice before. Do you shake it like this?
Transition f to m: “ooh it feels good! harder, faster!
(s)he “I won!”
s(he): “So, maybe we should go up to my place now?”
Transition back and forth: “oh shit, he thinks I have a penis! how should I act? What will I do? Should I act female or male? I don’t know what to do! etc...” fade out
Watching the video, I feel that we need to take more care with the camera-work when filming. Whenever I turn to the corner, I tend to lose the emotional thread because I can't see my facial expression, and yet I know, as a performer, that I did have an emotional transition. I think it might be worth doing several takes, with an emphasis on close-ups and the camera-person actively following the gaze of the performer...otherwise the feedback that we get will be limited in its usefulness.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I find the "ow" and "ching-chong" sections provocative and disturbing in a way that feels resonant with the war sounds in Goode's piece. I feel confused by the loogie sounds while indicating my arms and the last two sounds (breasts and "aoooga"), which seem like non-sequiturs. The sounds I make while looking the mirror and putting on lipstick are clear in meaning, but do not strike an emotional chord in me.
I had a lot of fun creating the written script for the hermaphrodite nayika, and look forward to embodying it more clearly. I wonder how legible the script will be, since we are conditioned to expect "heterosexual coherence" in our abhinaya characters.
I think the sounds are jarring the movement in funny, sometimes disturbing ways. i think this especially works if we've already seen the original movement without these sounds.
ReplyDeleteThoughts on process:
We realized that who is doing the policing can make a really different choice in the sound (and the reaction). The policing could come from the male lover, the female teacher, the male teacher/lover, the female teacher/lover, the internalized self critic. Basically in abhinaya your internalized self critic can be anyone you’re talking to because they’re they’re a character in your head (this is from Cynthia's experience of Navtej Johar's way of teaching abhinaya by being affected by imaginary things in your head that the audience can’t see.
a) How do these sounds shift your understanding of and feeling about the original phrase?
ReplyDeleteThey add a layer of information that colors the sequence. The sounds, even though less specific than words, are narrower than poetic text -- they add another layer of interpretation which make the phrase more specific- communicate specific feelings, especially those of displeasure, pain and violence.
b) What do you think the consequences are?
The interpretive range is narrower. it adds a critical level to the poetics of abhinaya, which on some level seem to contradict what I have thus far associated with rasa: primarily positive emotions.... at least as a stayi bhava. THis occurred to me just now, and I have not really thought it through fully.... will come.
c) Which parts do you find compelling; which parts confusing?
no parts really do confuse; but some are more compelling than others. Compelling:
the "ou" while walking in braiding.
the quick "no" at the end of walking back
the "oh" while looking in the mirror
putting on the earrings
the circling the breasts
slightly confusing: the walking back swiping down each arm
Thanks for your thoughts, Babli! For question (b), which I realize now that I didn't phrase clearly, I actually was curious if you could name what the consequence of each feminine gesture each particular sound embodied. For instance, the "ow!" when braiding my hair might mean that the consequence of "beautifying" oneself was physical pain.
Delete