14C. Transformation, Two Lines

• Form two lines, about eight feet apart and facing each other.

• The first person in one line approaches the first person in the other line by incrementally transforming a sound and movement action with each step. That person quickly mirrors the action (the first person who walked over takes his place in line) and proceeds toward the second person in the opposite line transforming the action as she goes. That person mirrors the action and transforms it as she travels toward the second person in the other line. We'll go up and down the lines this way until the transformations are clear and smooth. We'll work up and down the lines very quickly. Remember, both the form and the content change incrementally ... Take a step or two towards each other. We'll cut the space down so the transformations must happen more quickly.

• After this round, we'll continue to pull the lines closer until the transformations happen in only three or four clean moves.

Transformations may be intimidating. Students are so afraid of doing it wrong, either skipping, missing or imposing, that they end up spinning their wheels. Once they "get it" the process skips along.

Now, students are ready to greet it all head on: Shift, Transform, Develop.

14D. Directed Shift/Transform/Develop

• Everyone, in pairs. One of you will be the Director, and the other will be the Actor. The Director can say three words, Shift, Transform, or Develop. When the Actor hears one of these directions, he responds accordingly.

• Directors, please limit your direction to only those three words, although you can say them in any order. But, you can only say, "Develop," when your actor is transforming. (They automatically develop after every shift.)

• The actors can work with any combination of movement, sound, and language: movement only, sound and movement, sound only, and language with or without movement. Even combining language and sound is possible.

• If the actor hears the word, "Shift," she abruptly stops the action and does something else. She changes her mind and approaches an action which is very different from all the shifts preceding it.

• Actor, if you hear the word, "Develop," while you're transforming, take some care to frame that moment. Notice its physical composition (the action and sensations of the body) and the exact quality of the mind (intention within the action). Then, explore the condition and situation (if any) within that frame. Don't add to it, or subtract. Your timing may have been regular while transforming, but when you're developing, your timing becomes whatever is relevant.

• If the director says, "Transform," then similarly, the actor should frame that moment, set the action with a specific beginning and end, and begins to alter it. With a pulsing rhythm, s/he incrementally changes the sound and movement of the action. If you were speaking when the director said, "Transform," then begin to deconstruct the language into sound, with whatever bit of gesture you were engaged in. If you were moving, then add sound to the movement and transform the two simultaneously.

• Continue until I say, "Stop." Then, Director tell the Actor your experience of their physical and psychological range; whether their shifts, transformations and developments were clear. Share notes. See if you travelled the same road.

• Reverse roles.

Jess stands in neutral. Kevin says, "Shift." Jess makes shapes in space with his finger while humming a lullaby-like melody. Jess explores this for a while, melting into the soothing quality of his actions. Kevin says, "Transform." Jess's arm had just arched over his head and his vocal sound at that moment was an upturned "uhm. "Jess turns his attention to the inside of that moment (framing it) and beginning with the arm arch and the upturning "uhm," he pulses the movement and sound transformation. After a few moments, Kevin says, "Shift. "Jess stops the transforming process and shifts his mind to a different condition and situation: he talks about sunsets in Utah with a squeaky voice, as if he's in pain, slowly pacing back and forth. Kevin doesn't say anything for a long time. Jess stays within the form. He doesn't change it. He develops it. Not bigger. Not squeakier. His pacing remains slow.

Because Kevin doesn't make him shift, Jess has time to give over to his condition more and more. He becomes what he's doing. Totally. 100%. Kevin says, "Transform." Jess had just said, "Frontier," and his right knee was up high in the air. Jess frames this moment of action, deconstructs the word frontier," (frontier... frotee... roti...") while picking up one knee after another, higher and higher. His mood has changed. He's something like a cheer­leader, and on the next move he's something like an animal, and on the next move he's some kind of demon. And he goes on and on allowing his psyche (memory, imagination, feeling) to interact with his body (sensation) and propel him into ever-changing realms of consciousness. During one of the transformation steps, Jess swings his arms to the right. He's very tense. His fingers dart into space. His face bursts open. His weight is on his right foot, and he's saying, "Shum." Kevin says, "Develop." Jess focuses on that moment and explores it. His hands dart here and there around him. He's tense. Weight alternates from foot to foot, moving around the room. He repeats the sound, "Shum." He appears frantic, caught in some kind of turmoil. Rodent-like. Again, Kevin lets Jess stay there a long time before he moves him along.

Lifting the Burden

Being directed may liberate many students. They can freely engage with their experience, knowing the burden of engineering material is carried by the director.

The director protects the actor from the tyranny of his own judgments. When the actor is called upon to change, he's reflecting what the director likes, found interesting or absorbing, or doesn't.

Suppose, we normally would fail to notice the way the fingers spread when we grab for something. Our director might say, "Develop," just as the fingers were spreading. We would then have to notice what our action was at that very moment. If we're limited to the exploration of the spreading of fingers, then that action, which under normal conditions, might slip by unnoticed, becomes a conduit for curiosity.

Practicing "Shift, Transform and Develop" accustoms students to noticing moments of experience. Being directed gives them the experience of someone else's insight and opinions on the work.

Next, the student will self-direct. Not by saying "Shift," "Transform," or "Develop," to themselves, but by following their own rhythms, impulses, and attractions.