Samantha Sangerman
THAR 10 – Acting Fundamentals
September 25, 2007
1. Martha Graham’s quote in “The Vehicle,” explains how there are thoughts that are produced from “energy” and “quickening” in one’s mind. When and how these thoughts are exerted, or come to life, are unique because they are chosen differently by people. This quote makes sense when talking about “The Vehicle,” because the person who is unique in producing the energy or “life force” is in fact a vehicle.
The vehicle is exemplified as “minute particulars of body, speech, mind, and movement” and make up what is referred to the author as “style” (Freeplay 25). The style of someone’s actions is seen in how they in fact, act. How someone speaks, whether it is a slow or quick pace, is their style – they have chosen this rate as their style when communicating through speech. To be a vehicle of change a person must present feelings of how they themselves have changed to communicate those exact feelings. There are certain habits people obtain because of their culture, physical environment, or time period. All these examples listed can greatly change an artist. “If we should happen to become artists, our work takes on, to a certain extent, the style of time: the clothing in which we are dressed by our generation, our country and language, our surroundings, the people who have influenced us” (Freeplay 26). This quote is unbelievably true for all artists because change is inevitable. Artists are greatly influenced by the style of change and can put the feelings towards the change to good use in polishing their craft.
To me, improvisation is creativity. An actor acts on impulse to create scenes on a set during improvisation. To be a vehicle of creativity means to act on impulse. “Impulse, like improvisation, is not ‘just anything’; it is not without structure but is the expression of organic, immanent, self-creating structure” (Freeplay 29).
In “The Stream,” the act of improvising...