Under the Sea - The Little Mermaid

Masks by debora correa

this yuyachkani actress came and talked to us about masks.
her objective was to teach us "como entrenar cuerpo a traves de las mascara
She started by warming up as we do. WHAT! so rupert does make us warm up as real actors? I thought we only did that...and that that was only ruperts way of doing it.
The thing that she told us was that your column help us with the AGE, WEIGHT and VOLUME of your character. Rupert never really told us that...but that was obvios wasn't it? i never really though about it. She kept repeating DISEÑO, and i figured out that DISEÑAR was giving little details to you character using hands and parts of your body, and the other word was PRESENCIA and she told us that a PRESNECIA was = energia diferente a la cotidiana, and you achived that with a mask.

To work with a mask, you need to analize it first and ask question: WHo is this!? WHY!? WHEN, HOW WHAT and so on, understand it...and treat is with respect.She also said that for her characters she compare them to animals (done...we do that too) and also she relates it to the activities she did. For example, she showed us "THe CAPORAL" a character from la Diablada Puneña. and she first, learned the dance of it and also she related it to martial arts. (breathing and rythm...) Interesting, i never though of this..relating it to activities...So, the activities that i'm good at and that i do the most are SWIMMING and MARTIAL ARTS (we had something in common)...and by this a realised that can i use next time. WHen we do super heroes....and even paucartambo. Martial arts makes you develop sincronisation and that might help to do the dances. ALSO martial arts pudo haber sido a biggg help for the one act play to keep a rythm and not to lose it..making it sort of a rutine as well as for my character of Astolfo...!! what a stupid...but now i know..uhm..

Now, the thinkg that i asked her was...that how does maks affects your character if you first build it up and then choose a mask. She said it really was the other way, yo usually get the maks first and then develop a character. Also! i asked her about facee expresion! how do you manage to express your feeling to the audience with a mask if you ahve already an establish face expresion ...she answerd me with actions...move arms use your traingle (neck, shodlesr and arms) and with that you can make also good expresion. Finally i notice that it is a rule that when you have a full mask you don't SPEAK!! (that is fay in paucartambo the only one that speaks really are the Qollas...

Anyway, what is interesting and keeps bouncing in my brain is what she called teh feline look! i'm trying it everywere...and i want to manage to do it well!! i think it is really helpfull. And my question is: will it be better for character building to use a mask and start from it and the when you've got the character take it of?! or will that make another different character!? uuuuuhmmm..