Exploring Archetypal Gestures (Day 1)

Today I read about the use of Archetypal Gesture (AG) in the Chekhov Technique.

From my current understanding, AG's are intrinsic within the daily expression of our underlying intent; they are physical manifestations of the the person's desires/objectives/subtext/etc. These gestures are "archetypal" in the sense that these physical forms of expression are subconsciously used by all individuals to the point that they are identifiable with simple observation. (Example: when retreating from a confrontation, individuals are likely to raise their hands and make a pushing motion).

When practiced within the Chekhov Technique, AG's activate the Will Force--the driving energy which incites action. AG's when practiced by themselves are devoid of thought or emotion and can be used as a means to expand the actor past his habitual forms of gesture.

Flying back over my typical gestures, I see that I am prone to use Lift, Push, and Reach quite frequently in my acting, so I will focus on exploring other forms of AG.

Today I will experiment with the use of Tear.

Flying back over my first exercise in using Tear, I really enjoyed the sense of power in the movement and intention. Each time I performed the Gesture the intent felt stronger. I noticed what I thought at first was an emotional response of frustration or anger, however, upon further reflection I cannot be sure if it was an emotion or simply a highly activated sense in the will force--I want to explore this further to be sure I am not adding in emotion. I believe I activated my will centers because my feet, hips, and the heels of my palms feel tingly with energy and I have an overall sense of greater vitality, a desire to act (not to be confused with acting). I had difficulty maintaining enough breath for the 3 count sustain, but allowed myself to live in those moments anyway. Perhaps a faster tear will solve the breath issue. I would like to invest more in the image of the energy (Grand Gesture) during PASS. My favorite part was definitely the feeling of energy coursing through my body during and after the gesture.

Reading further in the NMCA workbook I see an interesting explanation of the exploration of Tear which I will now incorporate:

"Tear can be two Pulls apart or a Pull away from."

This also leads me to believe that it may be of greatest benefit to begin with the main six AG's (Push Pull Lift Smash Gather Throw) in order to approach Tear with a deeper understanding.

I can't wait to incorporate the practice of these gestures into my script work throughout the week!