Theatre workshop held by Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art, Germany

On the morning of October 22nd, 2017, a theatre workshop was held by Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art, Germany at the Thrust Stage Theatre in Changping Campus of the Central Academy of Drama, China by the vice president Viola Schmidt. Ms.Viola Schmidt graduated from the Speech Science and German Language major of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany and she got her Ph.D. in 1985. She is currently in charge of voice and speech as well as international cooperation affairs related to Acting Department. As an expert on voice and speech, she has worked with various German theatres and has held different kinds of workshops in Germany and around the world.

This workshop was held on the basis of Brechtian theatre method–"Gestus". Ms. Viola brought us three training methods like three kinds of games, which made the atmosphere relaxed. The first training required twelve students to introduce themselves and stand in a circle as soon as possible. One of students began to speak out a name that he remembered and walk to his or her position. That student who was called should respond immediately and move to and replace the position of the previous student. Ms. Viola constantly asked everyone to accelerate their moving pace and made an emphasis on "Thiningk First and Then Concentrating". She hoped to improve students’ ability of concentration and reaction through this training method. The second training required students to randomly pass a volleyball-sized bouncing ball. Later, directive message should be added by the one who passed the bouncing ball. Each person must have a clear purpose before throwing the ball. Then he or she threw the ball to the purpose-oriented target after saying a simple “you”. Ms. Viola attached great importance on the principle of "Using your body and voice, communicating, adapting, making decision then reacting". She hoped that students could be able to communicate with each other through human body and voice and then maintain a high degree of concentration and self-awareness. Ms. Viola, adding another ball, held two balls against each other and piled them up. Students needed to complete the task. Students should exchange their hands up and down and re-hold two balls against each other after releasing two balls and keeping them freely falling down with gravity. That was the third training, requiring intense concentration. Afterwards, Ms. Viola also asked international students to read tongue twisters. Imitating and passing tongue twisters in non-native languages was actually a process of quickly creating an impression and giving a sharp response.

All workshop training started under a cooperative, co-explorative or a given circumstance, with an aim to develop students’ ability of listening and sharp reaction as well as improve their capacity of using sounds freely without giving up using “Gestus” in a state of great stretch.

Through over two hours of workshop training, Ms. Viola pointed out that actors should be familiar with their own conditions (body, breathing, pronunciation and speaking) before exercising, take control of their gravity through communicating with different partners as well as find their own stability by paying attention to different relationships involved.

We would find that the interior space is the same as the surrounding space. Besides, we have learnt how to make expressions. People should create impression before expressing. We regarded the language as part of human behavior. Through body and sound messages (visible and audible messages), we would have an understanding of human directive behavior and learn to use physical tension to create personal and deliberate sound. The sound performance exposed physical language to the audience so that they could make the most timely and effective response at the same space.