'Profuge' Performance Pictures

Opening image. Dr Faustus (Chris Jackson) attached to a wall, before he breaks free. The musicians who play the Mountain Harp are raised on blocks. 

Dr Faustus in the centre being pulled by Good Angel (Justin Groves) and Evil Angel (Shannyn Foon) while Mephistophilis (Laura Bishop) watches in the background.

Dr Faustus lies on the ground while Mephistophilis guides Good and Evil Angels. 

Andrew Peek as Chorus, controls the 'Story Machine', a sculpture created by Glen Butler called 'The Contraption'.

Dr Faustus with Mephistophilis and Good and Evil Angels.

Bec Clarkson playing the Mountain Harp.

Derek Stagg, Sarah Stagg and Bec Clarkson playing the Mountain Harp.

Andrew Peek as Chorus.

Mephistophilis taking Faustus to Hell.

From 'Dr Faustus' to 'Profuge'

The following essay appeared in the 'Profuge' performance programme. It was written by Andrew Peek, who played the Chorus. It discusses the adaptation process from 'Dr Faustus', from Voice Theatre Lab's 2007 and 2008 seasons to 'Profuge', staged from December 1 - 3, 2011. 

The original Dr Faustus is a hybrid, a mixture of comedy, slapstick and satire with high tragedy. Bearing in mind it is five hundred years old, it has lasted remarkably well. Faustus was a man of his time, literally a 'Renaissance man', an over-reacher, a prototype for what Montaigne's Essays and Shakespeare's character, Hamlet, have in mind in relation to man's infinite possibilities and terrible limitations. Of course, this theme as relevant as ever. So is the central action of the play, in which Faustus sells his soul to the devil, in exchange for twenty years of being able to do and get anything he wants, via the services of the devil's agent on earth, Mephistopheles. A Mephistophelian bargain, we still say, meaning a disastrous one, an exchange in which we give everything for little in return. It was an idea Christopher Marlowe, the play's author, got from an earlier German pamphlet, called the Faustbuch

What has made Dr Faustus amongst the best-loved of plays in English, though, is the quality of the language, of Faustus's heart-breaking rhetoric and the menace and desolation of his dialogues with Mephistopheles. Robert Lewis's radical recasting of the play, notably replacing a great deal of dramatic language with physical and vocal expression, is therefore at first glance a risky undertaking. 

How does this new version recast Marlowe's? It has a new title, 'Profuge', deriving from the word 'fugue'. Musically-speaking, a fugue is a composition using several voices or parts gradually building to a strong climax. The 'voices' in Profuge are provided by the actors, in combination with sounds from Greenwood's leather harp, borrowed from the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston. The harp is played by a small team of musicians who follow a carefully developed, improvised program integral to the performance. From the earliest rehearsals, musicians, actors and Lewis as writer/director used the harp as an essential tool and the plan was always that it should be play a prominent role, both in terms of sound and visual appearance, in performance. In psychiatry, fugue describes a period during which a person 'suffers from a loss of memory, often begins a new life' and subsequently 'remembers nothing of the amnesiac phrase'. Lost memory and a new start relate disturbingly to the plight of the central character who has two 'new' starts, the first, the twenty years of knowledge and power provided by Lucifer and Mephistopheles, the second, entry to hell, after which any of the previous twenty years of excitement and pleasure will cease to mean anything at all, except as the price Faustus has paid. The new title, therefore, signals the work's thematic continuities and technical innovations.

Marlowe's text has been reduced by well over fifty per cent in Profuge and actors play multiple parts, a common practice for VTL productions and other small ensembles. Portions of the original text that remained after initial cutting are often subject to further modification so that, for instance, in delivering a speech, Faustus will enunciate only the consonants in every word. This creates a staccato effect overlaying his decisions and acts with internal doubt and confusion. Tension and conflict between characters in the Marlowe's text are represented in Profuge by dramatic, sometimes violent physical gesture. Over six years, VTL has developed a palette of techniques to evoke strong physicality, adapted to meet the needs of individual texts as in this case. Another element in the final production is the organisation of actors' movements on stage. Lewis uses the word blocking to cover a process that continues and movies virtually up to the dress rehearsal and final run. However, blocking isn't really adequate to describe something that takes in complicated directions in relation to music and movement, as well as speech. A better word for this is choreography.

The final production is, in fact, a combination of modern dance, ballet and melody, in addition to dramatic language. After Faustus, the Chorus is given the longest speeches from the original text to deliver. Lines from other characters have also been given to the Chorus -- introducing new levels of complexity within the interplay of characters. Primarily, the Chorus provides a kind of narrative anchor to guide the audience, a function important in the original play and particularly so in Lewis's reformulated script. 

It seems relevant here to quote Robert Daly from a recent 'Life and Style' section of The Age. Commenting on the process of collaboration between composer and librettist in adapting a novel to production as an opera, Daly writes: "As long as the narrative context is clear, it's best to be subtly indirect; that allows the music to be emotionally quite specific and direct". Although spoken word and movement play a more prominent role in Profuge, I think this beautifully suggests the way Lewis's text in performance aims to use gesture, music and movement to get inside the consciousness of the audience in non-verbal ways in more penetrating ways than simple text is able to. 

Classic drama in the English tradition poses its own challenge to directors wanting to work broadly within the terms of the received script. I don't know how Elizabethan audiences dealt with the appearance of Lucifer or the sight of Faustus being carried off to hell at the play's end. Hellfire was more literally accepted then than now but costume and scenery were always representational devices and at that time pretty basic ones, too. These days, hell and the devil are mostly the territory of fundamentalism and cults so, with the exception of radio drama, it's even more important for directors have to avoid thunder-and-lightening theatricalism that distracts from the sheer terror of Doctor Faustus' concluding lines. Robert Lewis's solution is to create a new kind of theatre in which to perform Marlowe's text. Profuge remains true to the spirit of Marlowe's play at the same time representing an extraordinary new exploration of possibilities invested in it.

Andrew Peek

Profuge

Here is the poster for the upcoming VTL show featuring Garry Greenwoods Mountain Harp, played by Derek Stagg, Sarah Stagg and Rebecca Clarkson. VTL's core company members for 2011 will be performing: Chris Jackson, Andrew Peek, Laura Bishop, Justin Groves and Shannyn Foon. The actual image on the poster is of a section of the Mountain Harp.

The most proficient way of rehearsing at the moment is by loosely mapping out each scene first, and discussing the specific imagery for the music.

Movement is loosely mapped out, and the expression of sound is determined by the images drawn from the text.

Launceston Discussion Event: Iteration: Again at Sawtooth ARI. "Two Houses" speech

A CAST event at Sawtooth ARI, 160 Cimitiere St, Launceston, 

6pm Thursday 22 September, 2011

"Iteration:Again is a series of thirteen public art commissions by twenty-two Australian and international artists taking place across Tasmania, September 18 – October 15, 2011. Produced by CAST and David Cross, in conjunction with seven associate curators, Iteration:Again will present a compelling array of temporary artworks in largely unexpected places throughout Hobart, Launceston and beyond.

CAST presents an evening of Iteration:Again discussions at Sawtooth ARI. Participants include: Iteration:Again Curatorial Director, David Cross, Wellington, NZ; Our Day WIll Come curator Fiona Lee, Hobart; Two Houses artist, Voice Theatre Lab’s Rob Lewis, Launceston; and I Live With Birds curator Fernando do Campo."

Discussions regarding our involvement in the project began months ago, and it was quite a challenge for us as a company because this was going to be our first site specific, outdoor performance.

Voice Theatre Lab have been researching methods of vocal and physical synthesis since 2006, and since then have produced 7 productions. Our main focus is combining various non-conventional Eastern performance practices with Western contexts. Two Houses is a good example of how we have used these concepts – combining very strong Butoh training and performance aesthetics with a very Western text as a base: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

The performance has many layers, and I will briefly speak about my experience as conceptual and performance director, and performer. There are 2 main aspects of Two Houses: the performance, and the recorded soundscape.

The show

The narrative aspects of the production(s) itself inexplicitly follow Romeo and Juliet, not in a logical sense, but more of a figurative, conceptual sense. There are 5 overall iterations of Two Houses. The first 4 cover some key elements and emotions: 1) Conflict and Anger; 2) Unity and Love; 3) Betrayal and Jealousy; 4) Death and Sadness. The 5^th and final iteration sees all these come together as one performance.

The performers are attached by red elastic to Henty House and Macquarie House, in Civic Square, Launceston. Two ‘Romeo’s’ are together at Henty House and the two ‘Juliet’s’ are at the opposite end at Macquarie House. The elastic is red, which simbolises the blood ties to each house; the conflict being present in the tension felt within their bodies (and voices) the further each character moves away from their houses. Each iteration (which is each performance) shows different actions that relate to the element and emotion.

The body

The physical aspects are inspired by Butoh dance – being connected to the ground, idea of emptiness, and expression of internal imagery which is determined by the blood ties to the houses, emotions, inner conflict and physicality of the other performer (in the form of Pretzeling).

The voice   

The vocal elements are also an important aspect of the iterations. Each week sees a different way of using the voice, including breath, per-verbal expressions and postverbal expressions (where the word has been intentionally fragmented).

The soundscape

2 speakers have been mounted in the windows of Macquarie House. After each performance, the sounds build. Each week sees a different part of the Romeo and Juliet text. Using a piece of text: Conflict and Anger is represented by breath, Unity and Love is expressed through vowels alone, Betrayal and Jealousy through consonants and Death and Sadness through preverbal expressions of chosen text.   

The experience

As a performer, you are immersed in the immediate environment. In a sense, nothing matters – you feel sweat, mucus, saliva – but you cannot stop and wipe it away or adjust your costume. Nothing matters but just that given moment. You feel the breeze, see litter fly past and even perhaps allow the spectators to walk in front of you or  sense their gaze at the corner of your eye. You must, however, only concentrate on your intention – on your iteration. The space is always there with each performance, but with slight changes in the environment – the space and the happenings in and around it are the iterations itself. In a sense, the space between these two buildings – and all that occur between them (performance, pedestrians, vehicles and the sound), are all part of the process and experience. 

With David Cross, Curator, at the discussion event

Revised - Two Houses Movement

1 Conflict/Anger

Action

4 performers are wrapped in their own elastic on their poles.

2 Romeo’s together, 2 Juliet’s together – partnered.

Slow unravel to meet partner in the centre of their poles.

Begin to Pretzel very slowly with the inside arms.

Neutral mask. Outside arms reach back to their ‘houses’.

Slow walk, while Pretzeling to meet in the centre.

Walk 1 – normal centered walk with breath

Walk 2 – “up, down, slide” stomp with vocal terrain/vocal flocking

Walk 3 – Extended walk focused forwards with full text

Neutral mask slowly transforms into mask of anger.

Anger mask grows to extreme in the centre.

Romeo’s and Juliet’s hold each other’s arms.

Anger towards their own houses.

Yearning towards each other – drop mask of anger

The energy of their houses slowly draws them back to their poles.

Using same walk as used to reach centre

Silence.

Mask of anger transforms to neutral.

Wind themselves and elastic together.

Reach back to houses

Stillness.

Voice

Vocal flocking: the physical movements determine quality of the sound. Vocal dynamics, energies and actions are also determined by the physicality. Sound is vital, not the textual meaning.

Romeo: More light and light it grows, more dark and dark our woes!

Juliet: What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

2 Unity/Love

Both sets of R&J's, in a frozen state expressing their internal image, are facing each other in the centre.

They are connected to their houses and to their opposites by their wrists with red elastic.

One pair of R&J's move apart - J is the kite and R responds physically and vocally, using text (go through text twice). They walk back to the centre.

The other pair repeat the process, but R is the kite and J (use text once) responds. They walk back to the centre.

All walk out, diagonal R&J's act as kites.

What results is:

A tangled wed of movements that the center of the space controls:

Carefully controlled slow movements, which are balanced out with opposing tensions;

Patterns are made with the elastic:

This scene pre-empts the tragedy that is to unfold.

All walk back to the centre.

Repeat the process but with other pair as kites.

The dominating image is light, and every manifestation of it, especially when referencing love and unity.

The centre ‘conducts’ R&J (Invisible String).

The vocals are affected by the movements/gestures of spaces in between the performers.

A performance of physical and vocal flocking occurs – north, east, southwest will be explored.

Voice

During the flocking, these texts will be spoken. Breath, gasps, creaks and aspirate sounds.

Juliet: Take [Romeo] and cut him out into little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garrish sun.

Romeo: I must be gone and live, or stay and die (x2)

3 Betrayal/Jealousy

Action

One pair of R&J’s (diagonal) move to the centre.

They move around each other twice to create a loop with the elastic.

They meet their ‘other half’.

The other pair repeat the action.

What occurs are a few moments of ‘Swipe’ with ‘Elastic’.

They are being pulled and pushed by their energies.

Not making any eye contact – a feeling of contempt.

An emotional line from 0% – 100% expressing the emotion of jealousy.

Voice

Texts during the Swipe, together in unison:

Romeo and Juliet: Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou her maid art far more fair than she.

Be not her maid, since she is envious.

4 Death/Sadness

Action

R&J move to the centre, they are being pulled to the centre by an unseen force.

They face away from the centre, towards their own houses

In the centre: Gargoyles with emotions of sadness and death.

Heads down: each speak a word of text 1

Heads up: silence with mask of sadness

Heads down: each speak a word of text 2. Both J “Montague” Both R “Capulet”

Heads up: silence with mask of death

Repeat until line is complete. Each time getting faster and more frantic

Juliette’s move back towards their house and die a slow death as they attempt to reach their home. Pretzeling

Romeo’s reach to their Juliette’s and slowly fall to the ground.

Voice

All speak the following texts. Each person expresses one aspect of the text:

- Breath

-Vowels

- Consonants

-Physical expression of the images the text possesses

Text 1: Greif that foils the anger.

Text 2: Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague!