Milling

This is an exercise design to focus our concentration as an ensemble and to explore spatial relationships and awareness on stage. This was adapted from Jacques le Coq's 7 levels of tension but instead of 7 there was only 5 meaning it was easier to differentiate between the different levels making us more aware of the energy type we were trying portray.

We started off by walking around the room making sure we had everyone in our peripheral vision. We warned not to walk in circles and use the space as a collective responsibility meaning that it was each of our jobs to balance out the space which will translate into every production we ever do to make sure the stage isn't cluttered and is interesting for the audience to watch! We also learnt to move in different ways like cutting through the centre going higher or lower.

We were instructed to walk around and one after another Mr. Rennison would tell us and energy level from 1 - 5 and we would have to walk in the style, The levels were as follows; 1 = Slow almost dead, absolutely no need to be anywhere or do anything, barely moving and near enough no noises is made. 2 = A kind if depressed state which is higher than level one but still isn't fast paced. the kind of character it brings out in me is someone with time to spare, they have somewhere to go but not urgently maybe they'll reach their goal today or maybe tomorrow who knows. 3 = Neutral, A kind of walk that everyone has whether it be walking to the shops or walking down a corridor this in my head slightly fast paced, It;s a walk with purpose like the character is trying to achieve something with the way they are going about life. 4 = Frantic, This a huge step up from a neutral walk, it's a kind of worried like some impending doom is about to happen but you don't know when or what or how it is going to happen. This had everyone running using higher levels and lower ones to bob and weave between other people. I felt like this in character prospects would be someone wanting to escape or get to some where and they are running out of time. 5 = Controlled chaos, To me this felt like fire, like everything was burning and the only thought that should come to mind was to run, and keep running until the danger has subsidised. Never is there a moment when you should stop at level 5 it's 100% tension so every part of you must be engaged a moving.