Chapter - 15

Co-Ordination

Co-ordination is a beautiful thing to see. Co-ordination is form in rhythmic motion.

To experience it, we will simultaneously co-ordinate three units of motion into one multiple unit of motion—a body phrase in which each individual part begins and ends at precisely the same time.

Sit comfortably—hands on knees.

EXERCISE Eyes right—hold it
Smile up—hold it
Left hand to top shirt button—hold it.
Hold all three positions—with energy. Simultaneously, move to:

Eyes center
Smile down
Hand on knee

Start all three units of motion at the same instant and end them at the same instant, regardless of the different distances each unit has to travel.

The longest unit governs the various speeds of all the units. The hand has to travel farther and faster than the "eyes and the smile," in order to reach its objective at the same split second as the "eyes and smile."

You have just used the laws of ratio and proportion to combine—simultaneously—three units of motion into one co-ordinated unit of motion. By combining three units, under a controlling law, you have made a new unit.

You have experienced co-ordination.

CO-ORDINATION EXERCISES

Create your own continuity cavalcade made up of three-way units of motion.

Sample

Eyes right

1. Right hand to top shirt button

Smile up

Left hand to top shirt button

2. Eyes center

Smile down

Right hand down

3. Eyes right oblique down

Smile up etc.

Construct many similar co-ordinated three-way units of motion and practice them according to the following "formula";

FORMULA FOR CO-ORDINATION EXERCISES

1. "Quality of mercy"—first law of timing.

2. Modern play speech—first law of timing.

3. "Quality of mercy"—second law of timing.

4. Modern play speech—second law of timing.

Use this formula for the following two exercises leading toward controlled freedom.

An actor needs freedom to grow, expand and develop according to his needs. However, when the desire for freedom has no chart or "blueprint" to follow, power is dissipated and impact is lost. Without organized freedom the subconscious cannot create.

Undirected freedom causes the performance—and the career to suffer. Uncontrolled freedom is a violation of basic principles.

An unforgettable example of freedom controlled by co-ordinated timing was Maurice Chevalier's performance when he sang, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More," in the film Gigi.
To move on toward a balanced habit of controlled freedom; use the co-ordination formula and apply some full-body actions to it. This means using the entire body in free-form or abstract motions.

Feel free to go into any wild pose you can take—and hold.

Make sure that every bit of motion—of the entire body—begins at the same moment, as though an electric current had been switched on. Make equally sure that every bit of motion ends at exactly the same instant, as though the current had been switched off. It is important in this exercise that there is absolutely no drag or drift—not the slightest extra movement—of an eye, a hand or a foot, etc.

Make these abstract movements with energy and hold them with energy. Use relaxed constriction to hold with energy. Holding the vitality at the ends of these movements helps develop a continuous line of energy.

The last of these co-ordination exercises has to do with the everyday work of an actor: the application of consciously organized form to a subconscious objective of a character.

Select a speech from any play. Search the speech carefully for any word—or words—that will give you a clue to consciously invent and develop a definite subconscious objective.

Head toward this subconscious objective—one unit at a time—by applying the first law of timing, the second law of timing or both laws of timing, as needed for interpretation.

If you do not find sufficient clues for a subconscious object in the text of the speech, create them from the storehouse of your imagination: playing a game of solitaire, writing a note, mixing a drink or even looking up a number in the telephone book.

To develop a dexterity and a fluidity of form in rhythmic motion, create and apply many subconscious objectives to each speech you select to work on.

You are now aware of another common denominator for acting and reality: how to use units and objectives as controls in the two laws of timing.

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