Thursday, October 15, 2009

Robert Taylor and Shakuntala Text

Last Sunday we started to work with the Shakuntala script in the Robert Taylor Text Circle. It was exciting to hear the characters speak out loud to each other. We heard from and saw a great mix of people: Shakuntala, Dushyanta, Priyamvada, Anusuya, the Charioteer, the Clown, Durvasas, Hermits, and Guatami to name a few. I was struck at how modern the dialogue sounds, and I felt inspired to dive further into the text and to explore the colorful array of characters.

I felt an impulse to use the Saju walk for a few exits in the text circle. I'd like to explore entering and exiting the text circle with the Saju walk, and maybe even some jumps. George suggested that we stay open to the impulse to use mudras while we are working on the text. I thought it would be cool to substitute mudras for the 6 different Robert Taylor gestures. For example, how about a "direct" using kangulasca or bhramarascaiva, "sympathy" using alapadmakaha, or using pataka for "retreating," "antipathy," and "feeling forward", or whatever mudra presents itself in the moment.

We might also want to begin to learn some text using mudras, or learning text from different energy centers depending on the character we are studying.

Wendy

1 comment:

Magis Theatre Company said...

Great ideas Wendy. Yes be open open open. We don't even have to consciously substitute, since sometimes the conscious bumps the subconscious out of the way. Different mudras will show themselves on the different impulses of the revelations of speech. The important thing is to trust that we have BOTH of these in us already. The conscious work with each separately is specifically given to open the channels so that they can connect in the body on a pre-conscious level. Let's see how these play out.