The Dementia Project
- Tanya Lebedeva
- 1 нояб. 2019 г.
- 9 мин. чтения
Обновлено: 15 дек. 2019 г.
Our biggest work of this year is a project for Dementia society. In the start we were given a presentation and a document with what we need to represent. In the start there was a decision, that it would not be a traditional theatre experience. It would be more in site-specific theatre style, where audience can interact with actors. Because it helps to translate our message and educate people. Our audience should be individuals who have a lack of knowledge about Alzheimer disease. Also, we thought about how many people we would like to see per performance and how long it might take. We agreed, that the audience will not be seated and for decorations we will use clip boards, because we can turn them around and use it as different locations (home, care house). In addition, the performance should be educational.
Files from commission:
The first scene is about a person who woke up during the night and could not remember their age, how many years passed by, who is a person next to. Our goal was to show disorientation, confusion, fear, so the audience have opportunity to imagine how it might be stressful for a person with Alzheimer disease just to go to sleep.
On this video we just started our discussion, what we might do, which story we want to show.
On this video we are trying on our first idea - standing bed, screen with light which will be used as a mirror, devising movements for the main character.
Here we rehearsing and discussing what we have done, have a feedback from the course leader.
To emphasise, that the main charcter does not know people who send him to the bed we tried to use masks when group of people lifting him. But it was not comfortable for actors, so we have decided not to use them.
This video shows first result of our work together. This is the first ready scene for dementia project.
Previous video was made day before, so day before we had a small group of 4-5 people. The next day the rest of the group came and we showed them the result we achieved. This video shows the feedback from the rest of the group and the explaining movements of physical theatre to classmates.
In this video we add the element of repetition. Overall there are 3 repetions, the first one is neutral, the second is more tense and the last one is chaotic.
To show the particular spectre of human emotions with this disease we used:
Physical theatre inspired by Frantic Assambley – forgetting himself (an actor behind a mirror, which was made by certain and light behind does not recognise himself), struggling walk to the bed, curried by another people to the bed (to show disorientation, confusion, fear)
Repetition – the situation repeating again and again, turning casual night to absolutely night mare for the main character
Vocal – multiple voices, what means completely disorientation and lack of knowledge about themselves
Music – starting with completely silence and finishing with fast and loud melody helped to create an effect of night mare, of stress which the main character feels
This is the final version of the scene 1
Before starting work on the second scene our group had a meeting with commission from dementia society. We showed the first scene and both of them were amazed how truthful we represented confusion and disorientation. They were very pleased with physical theatre and loud voices, which they have noticed is actually close to what people with dementia might feel. Overall the commission was more than satisfied. Also, on this meeting there were some important decisions:
All performances will be held in the college theatre
The maximum number of people per performance is 8 (however later we have agreed, that we can hold 13 people per perfomance)
Discussion about possibility to have a meeting with social carers for collecting more information about the topic
On this video can be heared a feedback by workers from Dementia Society
For the second scene I was inspired by the video of rehearsal in Jacque Lecoq’s school in Paris. There is a moment where one group of students wearing masks to transform into species from different planet or galaxy and another group of students are playing narrators.
(5.36-6 min)
My thought was that in our play we can use this technique to transform the audience into characters with dementia and narrating them with stick to the direction we need for the scene number 3. It is explained that people with dementia often are following carers without knowing where are they going. The explanation of wearing masks is asking the audience put a smile on, do not be sad. Using other Brechtian technique, we solved a problem with wearing real clothes on the audience. We changed it on stickers with names of the different parts of clothes. And later we printed different parts of clothes and put stickers on them.
In this video we are discussing what we are going to do in the scene number 2, which props we need and where the audience should go.
In this video we try on the idea of putting stickers on the audience, then lead them to the mirrors where they need to look on themselves and close them inside our box which represents a shower. The panick and close space made an effect of disorientation.
Research
As a part of our research we spoke with James (he works in Gloucostershire college) who was a carer for person with dementia for 2 years.
This video shows the dialog with James
After this discussion we have decided to show another side of the disease. People with dementia have problem with short memory, but their memories from 20-30 years ago is perfect. So they might live in their own dream, where they always young and beatiful.
For the next scene we are using one of the Brechtian technique. This time the audience transform to a role of carer. And there should be some tasks for them to do, for example make a cup of tea, make breakfast, help to clean room. But instead of using proper subjects, there was a better decision to use stickers representing them.
Our first try to create the third scene was not successful. The main mistake in my opinion the audience (which was played by our actors) do not know what they should do. Also, whole scene was built on 2 characters, we did not work on the script or characters, so we could not build right mood. The audience did not feel panic or stressed by the main character. After discussion with other members of our group who were playing the audience, we have added two extra characters and started think how to use space to show different places.
This video shows the devising of the third scene, our ideas, rehearsing process
This video shows the result of our work, the feedback by the rest of the group and the course leader
Later we have decided to separate on 3 groups. In our group were me, Keiran and Chloe. Together we created a story about young couple, where husband has been diagnosed with young on set dementia. He is a chef and has his own Youtube channel, during the scene he starts to forget ingredients what makes him anxious. His main concerns that if he forgets such an easy things, what if he forgets everything about himself?
This video presents our rehearsing process on the scene number 3
Research
After working on this scene our group met with workers from Dementia society (Mark, Iona) they gave us some thoughts to think about.
This 2 videos shows our meeting with people from Dementia society
On the meeting were emphasized few interesting points for me:
- the power of music, listening or singing
- carers tend to hide painful truth from patients
- some people with dementia might hallucinate because of shiny surfaces
- it is right to use "living with dementia", not "suffering with dementia"
Relying on this information we devise our further scenes.
The next scene is about talking nonsense, repetitious questions. Firstly Sonia suggested to place chairs in a circle, to create a feeling such as fast date. But during our work we have decided to place them in a line, so we can do elements of physical theater later and show separation from person with dementia and their relative. In the start our scene starts calmly where each actor ask the member of the audience a simple question, for example "Did I turn off the iron today?" and then it transforms in a sentence without any logic or sense. And finishes with technique talking without sound, so the audience see the tension, but can not hear anything.
This video shows the result of the fourth scene
After there is a scene about Lewis Body Dementia. One of the major symptoms is seeing hallucinations, the shining surfaces might seen as a 3D, so person with dementia sees it as an obstacle. For showing it we have picked blue long sheets which can represent water or shiny surfaces.
This video shows the result of the fourth scene
For the next scene we have been inspired by the video which was sent to us by Sian:
On this video is shown an effect of the music on person with dementia. Before listening the music the man did not answer any questions, could not recognise anyone around. After listening the song his face lighted up. He started to have a conversation and talk about the past. We have decided to recreate this scene using the song “A day in the life” by the Beatles.
In the first place the idea was to mime important scenes from the Chloe's character life. For example: school, marriage, divorce, partner's death and etc. It was not a bad idea, however I kept thinking how we can do this better. And in my head I saw how we can use the music to reperesent Chloe's character life. During the rehearsal I understood, that we have more music than I thought. And I have created a plan, Chloe and Catherine created a physical theatre for their characters (Catherine represents Chloe's mind), with exercise Photograph we created 3 small scenes from the life of our character.
A day in the life
The plan
Sam puts headphones on Chloe
Song starts
0.12 – realising music, Chloe starts moving
0.13 – I read a news today oh boy Catherine waking up starts slowly stand up
0.40 – I saw the photograph - Catherine taking mask away/people start walking
0.50 people stand in their point (file attached) after phrase He blew his mind...
0.51 – first date dram sound
0.55 – concert dram sound
1.00 – 1.07 proposal dram sound
1.08 - Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords.... jet pack, taking Catherine away in the left downstage, all actors crossing stage at this moment, Chloe tries to rich Catherine
1.12 – everyone is fallen except Chloe, she goes in direction to Catherine, but stops in the front of all actors
1.14 - i saw a film today oh boy Chloe start to conduct all actors, everyone slowly get up, then repeating slowly after Chloe (as a game what we have played at workshop)
1.37 - Having read the book, I'd love to turn you on Everyone doing Chloes movement differently, so it shows dissonance
1.51 - starts swirling doing different things around finishing in the csntre around Chloe
2.15 – when weird music finish run in different directions
2.20 – starts dancing girls Woke up ...
2.36 - dancing with boys, Find my coat and grab my..
2.49 – guy coming AAAA, everyone is moving slowly, when Fi starts talk everyone stops.
The result is here without music, because of the author rights we can not use the Beatles
Chloe's monologue in the end. Was written by the course leader Sonia and Sam
After this scene there is a happy ending (as much as we can do happy in our context). The music for the last scene is Frank Sinatra - That's Life. In the video I have changed song, because of the author's rights.
Before we had our first perfomance I have decided to change a little bit our scene with Keiran, it was going to be a monologue first and then the cooking show. But when I rehearsed this scene at home I felt that something was not right. So I wrote a scenario for whole scene as it was going to be a real cooking show. While my character explaining everything to the audience and breaking the third wall.
The scenario
Scene starts with music from any show, tuturu. We have same props what we had before…
Keiran: Hello, hello to everyone and welcome to my cooking show; Hello, hello, welcome welcome great to see you here
Tanya: My husband has a cooking show
Keiran: Welcome on Keiran’s big bowl of LOVE (with temptation)
In this moment I take a sign behind camera, “ooooh”, everyone does it
Audience – oooooh
Tanya: he is hot
Then drum sound starts
Keiran: and TODAY we are going to COOK – a traditional ENGLISH BREAKFAST
Tanya hold a sign applause
Her comment after applause – genius
Keiran: well, we start with bacon, I like to make it crispy
Sign ooooh again
Keiran: and then..then.. we have…
Tanya: EGGs, dear..
Keiran: yes eggs..
Tanya take a sign applause
To the audience: he was diagnosed with dementia few month ago
Keiran: and then we take..mmm bread…and put in..put in…this hot thing with 2 holes..
Tanya: …toaster…
Keiran: yes…toaster…(getting angry)
Tanya: right everybody, show is over, we continue tomorrow
Tanya to Keiran: it is okay, we start tomorrow again..
Keiran: blah blah blah about we cant start tomorrow. What if I forget you and blah blah blah
This is a video of the final perfomance is available on the next link:
Due to author rights I can not upload it on Youtube.
The feedback from Mark after the perfomance
The feedback by the member of the stuff
The feedback by a group of student:
Feedback by the comission:
In conclusion I would like to share my own feelings about the project. I agree with Sonia and Mark, that we made a huge progress. Not only as an actors, but as a group. Looking in a history of devising it was always important to listen everyone's ideas, try them on and then make a decision about them. When we just started there was a feeling, that our project is going to be made by one student, however working on further scenes make me act more initiative. I supported to people with their ideas too and I found support by other actors. And in the end of this project I have tried myself not only as a character, but as a director and a writer.
The project was not easy, because of the topic. But the process of the research, of sharing ideas and building the performance was fascinated.
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