To Tire in Repetition

I was a little frazzled tonight. I showed up late (which I NEVER do) and everyone was already halfway through the opening exercise. I had difficulty getting centered do to my frazzledness, and I did a sort of half asked cat.

This class we did a lot of physical work. We ran a bit and did some things with that, and then we moved into looking at different positions.

We would start with one position and everyone would do it, then we would sort of make it our own. Raymon would pick one that was interesting and we would start doing that one and then transition into our own variation and so on. It was neat to see what things become when we use our imagination. Or perhaps even shut our brains off.

I remember the process of one hand hold the other wrist and then rubbing up and down your arm as if you were cold. Then massaging your neck, then I was putting my hair into a ponytail, then I was taking it out and shaking my hair all over the place. I hope it looked as cool as it felt, haha.

I don’t remember much about what happened after that, except that we were supposed to go get our stuff and put it beside us because we were going to go outside. There were groans, and I will admit to being one of them. I didn’t feel like going outside, but whatever. Raymon told us to get our stuff on and some people were ready in a snap. I had to put on socks, pants, boots, a sweater, a jacket AND mittens. But when I got up to the pants, he told us to take everything off and do it again. I don’t remember exactly how long this went on, but it seemed like FOREVER. I took my pants off and put them on so many times.

There was a method to this apparent madness; the way of the actor is repetition. You have to repeat things over and over whether it is lines or the whole show. Each repetition should be as fervent as the first, just as exciting, just as entertaining. Willing and happy repetition is the way of the actor.