Jam Session in Albuquerque

I recently got back from Albuquerque where I was participating in the Buran Summit that Adam Burnett, artistic director of Buran Theatre Company (www.burantheatrecompany.com), had put together. It was a truly wonderful and re-invigorating experience overall and I came away with many experiences and thoughts to mull over. One huge experience was that of leading a Jam Session! Not only had I never led one before, but I was leading one with people entirely new to what we do (sans Adam of course). It was awesome to share how we work and train with new people - especially to see how they processed the information - and to see the similarities and differences to how the Anthro's processed the information. It's inevitable (I think) for a group to create its own patterns and I realized how important a new perspective is to shake a group out of its patterns (which is one reason why a jam is so great-- we're always adding new artists to the mix!).

It was also really exciting to just get to lead a jam!! Melissa is always encouraging us to lead a session, but it's been very daunting so I never have. But leading a session made me realize how important it is for everyone to do so. First, you have to think about what exercises you want to do, what exercises work well with each other and in what order to put them all in! Then, the real challenge comes when you have to set the pace! You have to get a sense of what the group is feeling, what they need to keep them on the 'right track', what information they need, and (the hardest part) when to end what it is they're doing!!!

Listening to the feeling of the room and of whats going on onstage (where the actors are mentally especially) is very different when sitting on the outside looking in. After leading the jam I realized that exercising this skill as a sort of super-audience member is a vital element for the performer! It leads to having an heightened awareness and deeper understanding of the audience perspective. I would love to work on this more! Esepecially because I hope this will make my choices as a performer more effective and allow me to communicate whatever I'm trying to say (or whatever ideas I have) in a more focused way.

Ergo, lesson of the day: actively sitting on the outside is just as important as playing on the inside!!! :)

Luxuriating in the Voice

Today's jam, while cut short by an unfortunate scheduling mishap on the part of the space (arg!), was nonetheless fruitful.

The first part of the session was spent doing floorwork, focusing on the ribcage and breathing and freeing the voice.  We used several of Cicely Berry's exercises for this work.

Second, we explored Tina Landau and Anne Bogart's vocal viewpoints, helpful for expanding our vocal ranges, be it pitch, dynamic, tempo, etc.

Unfortunately, our work was cut short at 3PM.  But, when all was said and done, it did feel luxurious to have so much time working on these varying elements of the voice, even before invoking any text.  I'll let the jammers who attended comment on their personal experiences with the exercises but it became evident to me as a theatre practitioner & director that I need to challenge myself to keep finding ways to engage and train the voice as well as the body.

To sign off, here's another quote from Ms. Berry that I thought was particularly salient:

"It is curiously difficult to work on our own voice both boldly and creatively, because it means we have to let go of our own patterns.  Let me explain: given that our voice is our sound presence, and is the means by which we commit our private world to the world outside, it is tied up with how we think of ourselves -- our self-image -- and with the image of ourselves we wish to present.  It is therefore bound absolutely to our own self-confidence, and so is particularly sensitive to both criticism and to feelings of unease."

Tips for the First Time

If you haven't been to jam sessions before, here are a few things that you should know.

LOGISTICS

1. You don't need to RSVP, but we do appreciate it!

2.  Bring or wear clothes you can move and work in comfortably

3.  We ask for a $5 donation to help cover the space rental cost.*

*Why?  Space is expensive in NYC and nice, clean, safe space is sometimes tough to secure! This is a suggested donation but it helps to ensure that we can keep offering and organizing the jam sessions.  We hope, in the future, to be able to find a more permanent home and to be able to offer the sessions for free.

SO WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO?
Jam Sessions are all about experimentation.  They are designed as a laboratory for actors, directors, really anyone who attends.  We often start the day with a plan and end in a completely different place thanks to discoveries made along the way.  Usually, jam sessions are led by me (Melissa, the artistic director).  Sometimes jam attendees will lead a warm-up exercise or a section of the jam session.  The jam sessions are here for everyone's benefit.


WHAT ARE THE TOOLS YOU USE?
- open movement-based improvisation
- guided movement-based improvisation
- principles of Viewpoints, some Laban and Biomechanics
- choreographing tools (Liz Lerman, Doug Varone and others)
- composition work
- experimenting with dialogue and monologue
and lots more!


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