Physical Theatre: Text in Body and Space

Abstract

his project explores the creative process of making physical theatre. I am exploring the creation of physical performance ‘texts’ that respond to a play script, but that do not incorporate spoken word as part of the storytelling. Up until now, my experience with theatre at Queen’s has been mostly centered around the spoken word as the primary mode of storytelling. Even when that script has been a musical, complete with choreography and vocals, the process has still been largely centered around the spoken (or sung) text. With this research project, I am exploring storytelling in theatre through movement. I am experimenting with creating a physical theatre narrative, inspired by a previously published script (Lilies by Michel Marc Bouchard), but not entirely driven by the spoken word in that text.
 This project includes concentrated research on noted physical theatre theorists such as Jacques Lecoq and Philip Gaulier, as well as on prominent physical theatre companies around the globe. Inspired by that research, I am workshopping a short piece of physical theatre. I will report on my experiences experimenting with creating a physicalized text in the rehearsal hall. The goal of this project isn’t about removing or disregarding the text, but is instead it to use what is given, and perform it through a different medium of theatrical communication: the physical body.