The Expressive Gesture

THE EXPRESSIVE GESTURE with Darren Smith

gesture (noun): a movement to express an idea or meaning,
an action performed to convey a feeling or intention

To enter, cross the stage and speak. What could be easier? After all, you have legs, you can walk; you have a voice, and you can talk. But theatrical or cinematic reality – is not real life – it is an artistic endeavour. Creative choices must be made by you, a creative artist.

It does not matter how much work you may have done on a role (for an audition or a scene class or a production) or what you ‘feel’ inside. If it cannot be expressed – then, for your audience, nothing is happening.

Thoughts, emotions, desires, guilty secrets etc – reveal themselves through movement.
This movement – in body and voice – consists of individual gestures. Some big and bold, others so subtle as to be almost imperceptible – almost.

Gestures start from an impulse, they have a beginning, middle and an end. They have unique qualities of tempo, strength, and flow. They can flip the dramatic charge of a moment from negative to positive or vice versa. An archetypal gesture can be the key to a characterisation, a scene, or an entire play.

In this two day workshop we will explore some of the most creatively enriching, transformational tools I know, from master teachers Michael Chekhov, Rudolf Laban, and Yat Malmgren.

Empowering tools that will free up your imagination, inspire you to deeper levels of creativity and give you the confidence to own the moment – whether you are auditioning for drama school, or a role for a film, or simply want to develop yourself as an artist.

Suitable for advanced beginners and more experienced performers.