University of Huddersfield Repository Morris, Eilon VIA RHYTMÓS : An Investigation of Rhythm in Psychophysical Actor Training Original Citation Morris, Eilon (2013) VIA RHYTMÓS : An Investigation of Rhythm in Psychophysical Actor Training. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/17541/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. 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For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ VIA RHYTMÓS An Investigation of Rhythm in Psychophysical Actor Training by Eilon Morris A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2013 Abstract This thesis investigates the significance of rhythm to the actor, examining the ways it is approached, understood and embodied within a range of training practices. In what ways does rhythm facilitate and transform the practices of individual performers and ensembles, affecting their use of attention, physical coordination, qualities of connectivity, states of consciousness and emotions? The psychophysical mechanisms through which rhythm informs these key aspects of actor training are analysed here via a range of contemporary and historical psychophysical and cultural frameworks. Drawing on this body of research this thesis argues the case for a greater understanding of the pedagogy of rhythm within actor training, indicating a number of areas for further investigation and potential developments within this field. Beginning with Stanislavski’s use of “Tempo-rhythm” and progressing through the practices of Meyerhold and Grotowski, a number of key rhythmic principles will be discussed. This will lead on to a series of case studies on the contemporary training practices of John Britton, Nicolás Núñez, and Reinhard Flatischler. Following this will be an examination of simultaneity in acting practices and an analysis of the author’s own practical research into the use of polyrhythm as a tool for cultivating modes of simultaneous attention and action in actor training. Key words and phrases: rhythm, actor training, musicality, simultaneity, psychophysical, entrainment 2 Copyright Statement The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns any copyright in it (the “Copyright”) and he has given The University of Huddersfield the right to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts, may be made only in accordance with the regulations of the University Library. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of any patents, designs, trademarks and any and all other intellectual property rights except for the Copyright (the “Intellectual Property Rights”) and any reproductions of copyright works, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions. 3 Acknowledgements This research has involved the participation of a large number of individuals and groups, whose willingness, support and encouragement has contributed invaluably to the writing of this thesis. My thanks and appreciation to all who have been involved: My supervisors, Doctor Deborah Middleton Professor Liza Lim and John Britton, my parents Jonno and Hana Morris and my Great Uncle, Theodore Richardson; Judith Adams, Simon Warner and Jarvis ‘Cockatiel’ Warner-Adams of Whitestone Arts Research Centre; Duende’s ensemble cast for The Shattering Man: Hannah Dalby, Aliki Dourmazer, Rachel Horley, Stacey Johnstone, Anna Kavanagh, Yuki Kondo, David McBride and Eva Tsourou; Helena Guardia, Ana Luisa Solis, Nicolás Núñez and the members of the Taller de Investigación Teatral; Esperanza Martinez Rosillo and the Concheros of the Mesa del Santo Niño de Atocha; Reinhard Flatischler and Cornelia Flatischler and TaKeTiNa practitioners, Fabian Bautz, Justine Bristow, Tania Bosak, Henning von Vangerow and Mechtild Weber; Aurelia Sickert-Delin of Alpha Sonoris; Kate Papi and Oliviero Papi of the Au Brana Cultural Centre and the other members of Obra Theatre Company: Hannah Frances Whelan, Pelle Holst, Unai Lopez, Ixchel Rubio and Fabian Wixe; Christopher Sivertsen and The Awake Ensemble; Tray Wilson and the Wild Goose Theatre Laboratory; Victoria Firth and the Lawrence Batley Theatre; The Society of Latin American Studies; the Odin Teatret Archives; Participants in research workshops including: Jessica Baker, Bryan Brown, Chris Coe, Jenny Goodman, Sameena Hussain, Heidi Kearsey, Alex Kyle, Jenny Owen, Olya Petrakova, Aileen Rana, Caitlin Smith, and Amanda Wallace; participating researchers at the University of Huddersfield including: Katherine Brown, Savvina Dalt, Fionnuala McCool, James McNicholas, Dani Morris, Luke O’Connor, Ioulia Routziou, Georgia Tenta, Alexandra Tsotanidou, and Rico Wu. 4 Contents PART 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................10 1.1 A Question of Rhythm ..............................................................................22 1.2 Chapter Overview .....................................................................................33 PART 2: HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALISATION 2.1 An Epoch of Rhythm ................................................................................39 Mechanics of the Heart 2.2 Tapping Emotions ....................................................................................55 Tempo-Rhythm in the Work of Stanislavski 2.3 The Flow of Time ....................................................................................72 Musicality and Meyerhold 2.4 Scoring the Sacred ....................................................................................88 A Rhythmic Vision of Grotowski PART 3: CURRENT PRACTICES 3.1 Dancing to the Beat of More Than One Drum .......................................107 Questioning the Universal Laws of Rhythm 3.2 Collaborating in Time .............................................................................115 Ensemble Actor Training with John Britton 3.3 Between Organicity and Awareness .......................................................137 Instruments of Ecstasy in Nicolás Núñez’s Training Dynamics 3.4 I Make Plans, but It Evolves .................................................................164 “I and It” in the TaKeTiNa practices of Reinhard Flatischler 5 PART 4: SIMULTANEITY 4.1 Vertical Rhythmicity ...............................................................................186 Together in Time 4.2 Simultaneous Acts ..................................................................................200 Time in the Hands of the Actor PART 5: DEVELOPING A PRACTICE 5.1 Orbits ......................................................................................................218 Simultaneity in Time and Space PART 6: CONCLUSION 6.1 Applications and Implications ................................................................243 Appendices ....................................................................................................256 Bibliography .................................................................................................238 6 List of Figures Unless referenced otherwise, illustrations have been designed and produced by the author. Figure 1: “The Word-Tone Drama” (Appia, [1899] 1993, p.36 & p.42) ....................31 Figure 2: Triangulation of research methodologies ......................................................38 Figure 3:Transcription of ‘Tempo-rhythm’ exercise in musical notation .....................64 Figure 4: “The slap in the face” (Barba and Savarese, 1991, p.216) ............................78 Figure 5: Scored notation of physical actions (Barba, 1965, pp.32-3) .........................93 Figure 6: Yantra of the goddess Chāmundā (Khanna, 1981, p.45) ............................100 Figure 7: Schechner’s Ecstasy/Trance Wheel (Schechner, 1988, p.179) ...................140 Figure 8: Three Stages of Tuning, based on d’Aquili (1979) .....................................145 Figure 9: Cartography of Ecstatic and Meditative States (Fischer, 1973, p.60) .........146 Figure 10: Graphic representation of rhythmic and spatial aspects of ‘Huracán’ ......149 Figure 11: Rhythmic stepping patterns in Conchero dance ........................................151 Figure 12: Nested rhythms in an anthropocosmic ecology