Elements of Great Composition and 7-minute play

 Using the Black Box as the stage, we were asked to pick up different elements from the space, be it a heater or a light, a turn it into something different. For example, having one plug hanging from the ceiling is a piñata. Having done that, we were told to a 7-minute performance with the elements we chose to modify. Each person had to direct and invent a one-minute performance and I chose to use the heater being a dog. In this scene, I was trying to save my dog from a dystopian future where humans had to eat dogs to survive. After each one of us did something different, we were told introduced to Zen Zen Zo’s elements of Great Composition that are:

-Extremity

-Contrast/Juxtaposition

-Broken Expectations

-Surprise Entrances and Exits

-Revelation/Transformation of - Space/Object/Character

-Moments of Simultaneous Action/Unison

-Moments of Stillness/Silence

-The Elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Metal

-Sex, Death, Food

-Humour

-Interesting Relationships with the Audience

-A Journey

-The 'WHOOSH' Factor ('wow moments' that combine and roll on)

-Articulate Use of All the Viewpoints

-Metaphor/Moments that use Theatrical Poetry

 We had to use one of these elements into our part, and I choose to have a moment of stillness and silence. I believe it had the effect I want, which was to build tension right after the survivors of the post-apocalyptic world attacked me. This exercise was useful for us to get used to work in a very short amount of time, and feeling the stresses of a director and performer. It was also a good opportunity to use stillness from the Suzuki training and at the same time learn about these elements that will, without a doubt, come handy in the future.