#reading 5

The fifth read-through of Coriolanus!

(Most of you are double or triple cast, so double check which lines you have to read.) You can look up the lines of the characters here. The names listed below all go with the Folger Edition.  We will post line changes and cuts shortly. 

Please submit your confirmation or any request to understudy here. If you’re in any doubt, please ask.

Times and time zones: 

EDT (US):  4:00 PM

CDT (US): 3:00 PM

MDT (US): 2:00 PM

PDT (US): 1:00 PM

BST (UK): 9:00 PM

AEST (AU): 6:00 AM Monday, May 26

Leader: @astrangergivingthestrangewelcome

Cast:

Coriolanus: @Shivrane

Menenius: @yelenazaltana

Volumnia, Plebeian Rabble, 6th Citizen: @astrangergivingthestrangewelcome

Sicinius, Noble: @Thethingsnerd

Firsts, Young Martius: @dramamath

Cominius, Volsce (Adrian), 4th Citizen, All People: @Bottomoftheriverbed

Aufidius, Aedile(s), 5th Citizen, Herald: @If-you-come-a-knockin

Brutus, Roman (Nicanor), 7th Citizen, Gentlewoman: @aq2003

Seconds, Valeria, Lieutenant: @kylasedai

Lartius, Virgilia, Thirds: @hollishasatumblr

Please submit your confirmation here- liking/reblogging this post does not count!

Read the Guidelines. To avoid the differences between editions that make for confusion and missed cues, please use the Folger edition of Coriolanus during the read-through.

One of the first things I noticed in the text was Boal’s explanation of language is not necessarily an idiom and it is not essential that it be expressed through verbal means alone. Art forms such as theatre, movement, puppetry, photography and films can also be used as a language in which one can explore a wide variety of ways to expressing themselves. This makes drama work far more accessible to the masses as language becomes more maluable and can be adapted in ways that can be used by any individual. The technique of exploring language was used explored extensively in the ALFIN project, in which the exploration of language was used to help improve the literacy skills of it’s participants. I found this section of the reading particularly interesting as the subject of exploring language in the ALFIN project gave a perfect example of a workshop that was both very successful in providing participants with the tools to make a positive change to their lives, and in a way that was totally unique in it’s own right.

Another thing I found particularly interesting was Boal’s analysis of the development of theatre and how theatre was initially a more open art form, however, over time, theatre began to take on a more particular and structured layout. Over time, a divide began to emerge between actor and audience and their relationship supposedly became one of lower class (whom Boal pinpoints as being the audience) and the elite (the actor, according to Boal). Boal then goes on to state that the main goal of Theatre Of The Oppressed is to regain the common ground between actor and audience member and once again place them on the same level as one another. Boal describes this as ‘the spectator taking on the role of the protagonist’, referring to this notion as ‘the liberated spectator.’ For me, this initially raised the question of how a spectator can take on the role of a protagonist as this seemingly contradicts the definition of ‘spectator’? Is this achieved through interactive work and Applied Theatre methods, like things such as the ALFIN project?

In the  section regarding the photographic replies and the man’s photograph of home, we can learn that every interpretation is a form of expression that is unique to the individual and that any and all interpretations are valid and worthy of discussion within the group. And although some will refer to a literal interpretation as ‘basic’ or ‘unimaginative’, while others may refer to an abstract interpretation as ‘pretentious’ or ‘unnecessary’, it is vital to remember that each answer comes from within the individual and may mean more to them than it might to you, therefore it is always important to keep an open mind and consider what others might see, rather than your own viewpoint and no more. There is always more to an interpretation than meets the eye and this extract teaches us that opinions should not based solely on a first impression. This extract is also a further example of one of the key philosophies within the Applied Theatre genre, this being that there is no right or wrong answer and that everyone’s interpretations, explorations and experiences are valid and should be discussed openly and within a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere.

Knowing The Body: The phrase ‘muscular alienations’ alludes to a sense of self awareness of what the body of an individual is and isn’t attuned to. People performing different roles in society have different demands placed on their bodies, thus develop differing muscular structure in accordance with these demands. People’s physicality is also influenced by the psychological demands of their role, for example: someone who is in a position of power will likely stand upright, with a proud and dignified look about them in a display of dominance and superiority, while a peasant who is conditioned to think they are an inferior, is more likely to cower with their head down and eyes to the floor. This is why it is imperative that everyone in an Applied Theatre workshop be placed on an equal level as one another and everyone is aware of their common ground, allowing the participants to break their psychological barriers and access the full potential of their physical capabilities. There are exercises in which a participant can, in a sense, undo the muscular structure which conditions their body, allowing them to study and judge the extent by which their body is governed by their work. Once the participants have deconstructed the conditions of their own body, they are then able to explore a far wider range of physicality through their new found sense of self awareness and even go on to interpret the physicality required for opposing roles in society. Certain techniques such as meditation, yoga and exercises that practice mindfulness can be applied to the body, helping participants to check into their current bodily state. Participants can then utilize such exercises to place their focus on particular areas of tension and thereby dispel it. It is important that any such areas of tension are addressed, Boal implying that a higher level of awareness regarding one’s own bodily capabilities allows the participants to access higher and more productive levels of creativity with which they can explore.

Making the body expressive: In the next section, Boal explores how to unlock and develop further the expressive capabilities of the body that lie beyond verbal language and idioms. Encouraging participants to play games is a good way for them to access their own expressive potential beyond the use of words. And it is important that the facilitator refer to these particular activities as ‘games’ and not ‘exercises’, that the participants are ‘playing’ a character, as opposed to ‘interpreting’ a character. Using too much dramatic jargon can sometimes cause participants to shut down in the face of it, therefore it is vital that they adopt a light hearted sense of play when they first begin to discover and explore their full physical potential, allowing them to freely conduct their exploration in a safe and risk free space. The games can also act as effective ice breakers and can help the participants build their confidence without fear of judgement, as games and laughter give them leave to be playful, thus providing them with a strong sense of liberation they would not usually feel, which is imperative for a positive and effective workshop. What is important in these games is not that the participants are giving an ‘interesting interpretation’, or that they are getting it ‘right’, but that they are expressing themselves in ways that come naturally to them and in doing so, they are unknowingly giving a theatrical performance that is completely unique and personal to them.

The fifth read-through of Much Ado About Nothing! 

Many of you are double or triple cast, so double check which lines you have to read. You can look up the lines of the characters here, but beware the differences in names. The names listed below all go with the Folger Edition. If you’re in any doubt, please ask. 

Also, we recast some readers; we hope you don’t mind reading a smaller part now!

Times and time zones:

EU: 20:00-24:00 GMT: 19:00-23:00 EST: 14:00-18:00 CST: 13:00-17:00 MST: 12:00-16:00 PST: 11:00-15:00

Leader: heresmyfiddlestick

Cast:

Beatrice & Boy: @starlightandcrimescenes Dogberry: [email protected] Understudy: @levianity Hero & Conrade: @imaprincessdammit Margaret & Seacoal: empressofireland Leonato: greengiantburb Benedick: heresmyfiddlestick Borachio: nanyoky Don John & Sexton: icryyoumercy Understudy: @silly_cleo Prince Pedro & Second Watchman: @victorian-orangutan Balthasar & Friar: wefoxesgrin Understudy: roses-en-decembre Ursula & Verges: @thewobblehypothesis Count Claudio & First Watchman: shakesankle Leonato's Brother/Antonio & Messenger: @staythenightwiththesinners

Please send an ask to confirm! 

Read the Guidelines. To avoid the differences between editions that make for confusion and missed cues, please use the Folger edition of Much Ado About Nothing during the read-through.

The fifth read-through of King Lear! 

(Most of you are double or triple cast, so double check which lines you have to read.) You can look up the lines of the characters here, but beware the differences in names. The names listed below all go with the Folger Edition. If you’re in any doubt, please ask. 

We recast some readers; I hope you don’t mind reading a smaller part now!

Times and time zones:

Euro: 20:00-24:00 UK: 19:00-23:00 EST: 14:00-18:00

Leader: icryyoumercy

Cast:

motherfuckingshakespeare: Albany & Knight thepudupudu: Burgundy & Messenger & Doctor @palis-delon: Cordelia & Herald jaggedrain: Cornwall & Captain emptyque: Edgar @fire-cannot-kill-a-mockingjay: Edmund cantankerousquince: Fool shakesankle: Gloucester @victorian-orangutan: Goneril & Curan icryyoumercy: Kent @sadcorekieren: King Lear 1 runecestershire King Lear 2 @greatestvoyagehistoryofplastic King of France & Gentleman & Servant 3 writagain: Oswald & Servant 1 & Servant 2 @starlightandcrimescenes: Regan & Old man annathegreenwitch: Understudy nanyoky: Understudy sphinxyvic: Understudy

Please send an ask to confirm! 

Read the Guidelines. To avoid the differences between editions that make for confusion and missed cues, please use the Folger edition of King Lear during the read-through.

Reading 5

  Set 1: Styleguides

  The Yale Style Guide is a very extensive guide on designing for the web. It features chapters on the process, usability, information architecture, interface design, site structure, page structure, page design, typography, editorial style, forms and applications, graphics, and multimedia. The Motif Style Guide is aimed for “application development, widget designers, user interface designers and window manager designers” (Marshall). It features a section on how to design menu style, dialog widgets, drag and drop facilities, interaction and interaction markets.

One thing that I found interesting to discuss in class is the idea of flexible page widths, mentioned in the “Page Design” section of the Yale Style Guide. Flexible page width is something that is increasingly more relevant now that more users are viewing sites on a mobile device, ranging from an iPhone to a Kindle to an iPad. I am interested to know how web designers account for all of the different resolution sizes they may come across. Last semester in my Interactive Foundation class, we learned how to write responsive CSS code of our websites, where we would specify in the style sheet that once the site window is smaller than a certain number of pixels, the page should resize itself. To do this for multiple different resolutions and to change other elements on the page seems like a tedious thing to do, but definitely something that is worth doing considering the amount of mobile users today.

One other thing that I found really interesting from the Yale Style Guide and would like to learn more about is typography. I’m really intrigued by Graphic Design, and I am curious to learn how one knows that one type fits harmoniously with another type. Typography on a web page is definitely a small detail that can be easily overlooked, but simple things such as the line length and justification can really make a difference for the overall reading experience of the user.

Set 2: Accessibility

The first reading provides guidelines from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning. It extensively details how to design a curriculum for the purpose of learning, broken down into three principles: providing multiple means of representation, providing multiple means of action and expression, and providing multiple means of engagement.  The second reading is called Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and features instructions on making content accessible by making it perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

One interesting thing I found from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is the idea that one should make all functionality of content accessible by a keyboard interface. I certainly use a number of keyboard shortcuts that are second nature at this point, but I generally do not consider keyboard shortcuts a necessity. I am curious to learn how you can determine which functions you make accessible by keyboard and which you do not…at what point do you draw the line?

Just a somewhat humorous thing I found in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is the fact that they explicitly state not to design content that induces seizures. First of all, who thought it would be a good idea to have flashing, blinking images in the first place? Secondly, I wonder at what point they decided that was a necessary thing to include in these accessibility guidelines.

  Additional Questions:

Think about the interfaces you have explored in your homework and the interfaces you have built for your course web site and team project page. In what ways are those interfaces following the style and accessibility guidelines and in what way aren't they? Now that you know a little more about style and accessibility, what would you change about these designs?

The interface I built for my course website has very consistent navigation and though there is not too deep a structure to the site as a whole, it is always clear how to get from one page to another as well as an indicator of which page that you are currently on, which is something that was mentioned a lot in the style guides. One flaw of the Snapchat interface that I was investigating is that sometimes I find myself “lost” within the app—this violates the principle mentioned in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: “Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.” Snapchat does this, but not in the most effective way. It could benefit from more descriptive titles and more descriptive icons that indicate the use of the app more clearly.

    What are the affordances of Leap Motion versus Kinect? What do those affordances imply in terms of the types of applications they would be best for? What novel applications would you use Leap Motion for?