File puptcrit/puptcrit.0611, message 43


From: mjm <mmoynihan-AT-wi.rr.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 08:56:35 -0600
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Delsarte and puppetry


 From the in famous Wikipedia:
"Unfortunately, Delsarte never wrote a book explaining his method 
firsthand, and neither did his only protégé, actor Steele MacKaye. 
However, MacKaye=92s student Genevieve Stebbins did write a book in 1885 
titled The Delsarte System of Expression, and it became a wild 
success."

When younger I studied almost every form of movement, mask & mime I 
could find. But it was not until I studies with Tony Montenaro that I 
heard about Delsarte. He  had studied with Marceau as well as Marceau's 
teacher, Decroux. Tony actually cursed both of them for not telling him 
that all their work was based upon the physical emotional expression 
theories of Delsarte, which he had to dig up on his own.

Delsarte divided the body up into areas (as in the hand as example) and 
then explained that all expression is expressed by the body by either 
eccentric or concentric movement (the opening up or the closing). he 
pointed out how Chaplin's Little Tramp character was so popular because 
it embodied emotional conflict (conflict being the basic ingredient in 
theatre). He explained that the Little Tramp communicated internal 
conflict before he even moved. His upper body was mostly concentric - 
closed & restricted - arms crossed with both hands holding his cane. 
The chest is the home of the heart which is emotionally a metaphor for 
feelings. He was protecting & closing off his feelings. But the lower 
body was eccentric - radically turned out - feet pointing left & right, 
causing a very open stance. Since the pelvis is the metaphorical home 
of sexual energy the posture/stance communicates an open or even 
agressive sexuality. Thus the embodiment of emotional conflict in his 
body. Protected, guarded, shy emotional makeup but agressive, open 
sexual makeup.

The action of opening or closing (concebtric or eccentric movement) is, 
actually basic to human expression. When his system was used by actors 
it was amplified to read back to the cheap seats and was not really 
considered false until the invention of the motion picture camera. When 
actors saw how phony they looked it opened the door for Stanislavski 
and his infamous "method". It was modern film that made people abandon 
Delsarte's "method".

But watch good contemporary actors and you will see how they still use 
Delsarte's theories to physicalize emotional states of being. Antony 
Hopkins and the late Marlon Brando are especially interesting in their 
choices of gesture.

Applying it to puppets is not much different than applying to human 
actors. the ting to remember is what is the emotional connection to the 
movement. Is it to hide/protect/close off (concentric) or to 
reveal/open up/push forward (eccentric).

Somebody should do a new book with illustrations to restore Delsarte's 
original goal of emotional truth in expression.

Some sort of version of the old book seems to be here:
http://tinyurl.com/ye9ogg

- m


On Nov 4, 2006, at 3:13 AM, Mathieu René wrote:

> Hi Andrew. I am curious about the Delsarte method, and know a few 
> highly
> studious people in Theatre (including puppet-related) who would be 
> thrilled
> to learn about it.
> Should you find more info about it, please do forward!



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