In the session we looked at Harold Guskin's 'taking it off the page' exercise. I won't describe it as Alex has done that fully elsewhere. The exercise seems to help embed the text in the actor's emotions and imagination, connecting the text to an extra-ordinarily wide range of emotions and stimuli which hopefully allows the actors the freedom to go anywhere. It is also a great way of learning lines without settling (even unconsciously) into any rhythms, patterns of speech, or interpretations. Alex has asked that the company all use this method when looking at/learning their lines as part of this experiment.

In the session we began with each actor looking at a speech their character says, a large-ish chunk, and each went off to different places and played with the exercise. We then came back for notes. We repeated this a few times.

A few things that came up (please add to this guys if you noted anything else):

• Outside is good, different locations are good as they already provide stimuli that can feed into the text
• Getting it out and saying the text with an awareness of the world and other people straight away is helpful
• Sometimes certain sections stay in one emotion - e.g. tearfulness. This may be to do with where the actor is that day, or it may be connected to some unconscious decision that actor has made about what sort of line it is. The second has the potential to limit our choices and crush our freedom.
• It is a good way to ensure we are both incredibly free and creative and yet never general - this is essential for our work
• Often we get a block, our imagination simply does not conjure anything. This is fine. The frustration it creates can be useful, alternatively forcing one option on ourselves as a starting point, or changing location, or simply using it as a reminder that this nothing too, is something. The more we allow nothing as an option, the less it is there.
• Saying yes to whatever thoughts come along and not trying to end-gain or achieve anything specifically with each line can lead to some of the more interesting and surprising responses to the text, staying open-minded and positive can really help to create more options and a deeper connection to the work.
• Following on from the last point - considering any thought to be "wrong" is a form of blocking - by allowing each connection to be completed as a thought you make it easier for the next idea or approach to come to mind. Helping the exercise to flow easily.

After this we split into pairs, chose a section and did the exercise again on our own on all the lines in the section.

We then came back and did the exercise together (both looking down and breathing in the text but only one actor saying the lines).

• Both people read each line before it is spoken, even if the line isn't theirs.
• It helps to take a moment (after both people have read the upcoming section of text) in which they make eye contact or connect to each other in some way before vocalising the line.
• If any response is valid for the speaker then it may be true to say any genuine reaction to that response is also valid for the listener.
• Exploring a variety of physical variations, such as staying side-by-side, facing each other directly, remaining distant from each other, walking around together etc... can also bring about surprising responses.