Exploring Character and the World of the Play 19/10/12

Exploring Character and the World of the Play.

• Given Circumstances
• Themes Discussion
• White Space.

Given Circumstances.

The company explored the given circumstances of the play. Focusing on Syria, they considered and responded to:

• the climate of the country. How that made them move and feel.
• the social differences. How they responded to each other with regards to power/ social standing. 
• the different perceptions of gender. How men perceive women and vice versa.
• the presence of war. How they felt when a) they saw flecks of blood; b) a helicopter flew overhead; c) they saw a war-torn wasteland. 

Themes/ The Big Idea/s.

As a company we discussed what might be the 'big idea' of the play. Some of the ideas that came out of this discussion were:

• Politics. Government versus people. Dictatorship versus Democracy. Misuse of power. 
• Women. Feminism. Women in power. The female influence - Eurydice's choices and Antigone's decisions.
• Sight/ Blindness. Blindness in the literal sense within Haemon and Tiresias. Blindness metaphorically within the politics of the play - unable to see clearly in decision making. Tiresias being blind, but at the same time being able to 'see' into the future: the blind prophet. Theseus blinded by what is going on at home between Hypolitus and Phaedra. 
• Fate. The idea that life is already mapped out and that the outcome is already written. Moira Buffini swapping Creon for Eurydice in what is already a pre-written Greek story - will Eurydice make different decisions. 

"Welcome to the country of the blind." Tiresias (Page 69).

Following on from the idea of Sight/ Blindness, the company took it in terms to lead the blind/ to be led as the blind person around the room. We considered what it was like to experience this. Trust (and the fear of the abuse of trust) became a key aspect of this exercise. 

White Space.

The actors were asked to consider the "white space" of the play - and in particular of their first scene. The "White Space" being the blank canvas - the scene that is not written for the actor. For example:

• What conversations has Theseus been involved in concerning Thebes - how does he feel about the visit?
• What happens between Tydeus and Pargeia before they enter the space for the first time?
• What conversations have already happened when we join Eurydice and Ismene?

This was posed as something to consider and reflect on as part of the company's 'Character exploration' over the half term.