Corporeal mimesis: poetry of the day-to-day

• Grant number: 96/07455-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: February 01, 1997
• End date: August 31, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Theatre
• Principal Investigator: Suzi Frankl Sperber
• Grantee: Suzi Frankl Sperber
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Desenvolvimento Universitário (PRDU). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant(s): 00/00708-3 - Kai Bredholt | Odin Teatret - Dinamarca, AV.EXT

Abstract

Lume - The Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Theatrical Research of the Unicamp (State University of Campinas - São Paulo - Brazil) has been conducting research on non-interpretative performing techniques for twelve years. three basic lines of research have resulted from this work, namely the personal dance, a term used to define the dynamization of the actor s potential energies, the clown and the use of the body as an object of comicality and finally the Corporeal Mimesis, which explores the transposition and theatricalization of every physical and vocal actions. The purpose of this methodology is, besides obtaining the codification and systematization of a performing technique for actors, presenting the public with an imitation of the corporeality of the brazilian people. This method has already been put to practice by Lume s team of researcher-actors-actresses on three plays: Wolzen, Taucoauaa Panhé mondo pé and contadores de estórias. The first two titles have no translation into english. The third one could be translated as the story tellers. The nucleus has also been engaged in practical exchange projects with other groups and professionals from Brazil and foreign countries which share the same concern in researching on a specific language for performers. As part of a philosophy of confrontation of it s research methodology to other performing methodologies, Lume´s team of researcher actors/actresses have, since 1991, been participating in exchange projects with butohist actresses-dancers. The japanese dance named Butoh is an artistic manifestation whose main characteristic is the actors/actresses-dancers process of elaboration of a personal technique, which justifies the confrontation with Lume s process, in the sense that both the butohist dancers and Lume s team pursue the same goal, which is a personal specific language. Anzu Furukawa, a Butoh actress-dancer has, on her latest performances, been devising a methodology which has many points in common with Lume s methodology of Corporeal Mimesis. Therefore, Lume s joint project with Mrs. Furukawa aims at the confrontation of two recent and specific methodologies: the imitation process of Butoh, developed by the actress-dancer Anzu Furukawa, on the one side, and the Corporeal Mimesis, developed by Lume s researcher-actors/actresses on the other. There is also an intention to apply the results of these experimental exchange projects to a stage setting, whose thematic universe will be based on Gabriel García Márquez - Cien Años de Soledad (one hundred years of solitude). (AU)