Proxemics is the study of how the cultural, social and aesthetic relationships between individual actors are conveyed to the audience. There are many ways proxemics can be interpreted on stage, and many different dynamics that affect proxemics, but it always concerns the spatial relationship between the subjects, objects and the setting.
The different dynamics that are studied in proxemics are key to shaping the mood and effect that the director intends, for example levels are often used to signify importance, so a performer whose character is of higher importance may be placed higher up in the scene, on a balcony, or hauled up on wires, where his counterpart, the character of lower significance, would stand on the floor below him, or even kneel to emphasise the contrast in proximity between them. However, distance is only one dynamic that can be explored, the performers shape can signify many things also. A closed body with tightly wound limbs could suggest tension towards something; also the direction the performer faced would give added meaning to the situation.
Although all these dynamics affect the spatial relationship on stage, proxemics doesn't just look at still images, and time is often a factor, the amount of time a pose is held can emphasise the intended effect of proximity. Even the movement between held shapes, in velocity, intensity, and rhythm can affect the response from the audience. For example, two characters facing each other at arms length could hold the image for a moment, then both take a sudden step in the same direction, one forward, the other backwards. This sudden contrast between stillness and motion can suggest extreme tension in a predatory manner, one forcing the other to move backwards. However one character could move moments before the other and depending on who leads it might change the situation entirely, from a push to a pull; one enticing the other to follow.
This complicated nature of proxemics means the directing process must be very precise as every movement implies a certain response. During the rehearsal process performers will act out their directions with, sometimes subconscious, inclusions of their own interpretations. The director will see these changes as the directions are not performed exactly as he envisioned them and then may wish to alter his original direction in order to work off of a performers interpretation hence developing the scene. Directors will often make a ground plan, which determines the possible movements for performers as well as defining the potential spatial relationships between them.
Knowing this about proxemics made our devising process easier, as we could include these techniques to develop our piece of theatre to clearly send our message.
Although we did not draw out a ground plan before we started devising, we did draw one after we had a few scenes ready. We felt that devising using physical improvisation in regard to proxemics would be the best and most effective method of getting our ideas out and onto the stage. Once we had an idea of what each scene would look like spatially we took the ground plan into consideration and began altering and editing our movements to emphasise moments. An example of this is a scene where Agamemnon's wife and queen Clytemnestra harasses Cassandra, his concubine, and Agamemnon forces her away to 'protect' his property as he sees it. Clytemnestra stands over Cassandra in the centre of the stage, and walks around her in circles menacingly while delivering her speech. Agamemnon stands to the left of them, slightly downstage of them facing away, showing his arrogance and lack of genuine care or interest in either of them. However when he feels his property is being encroached on he turns his head suddenly, a small yet intense movement that causes Clytemnestra to freeze and meet his stare. After a moment Agamemnon walks towards his queen forcing her to move backwards, we decided to make Agamemnon lead with his head to ensure the audience received this response as leading with the head signifies confidence and aggression. In the rehearsal process to make certain it looked like Agamemnon was willing his wife backwards we ensured that they remained the same distance apart for the length of the movement.
This led fluidly into the next moment, using levels and proximity to depict social status where Agamemnon is standing over Cassandra and he leans down to her level to engage in a sexual activity. By leaning down he is relinquishing his authority and importance momentarily to indulge his desires, however this is met by an abrupt rejection by Cassandra who twists suddenly away as he has dropped to her level. To signify Agamemnon's sense of pride he immediately stands up, re-establishing his vision of importance over his concubine.
One of the main features of our piece was the convention that the chorus represented Clytemnestra's thoughts and would often repeat things she said with a different tone of voice and physicality. We did this in order to convey her true emotions to the audience in place of the charade she acts out to her husband Agamemnon. This contrast of emotions was displayed in many ways, but through our use of proxemics we made clear the difference between the real queen Clytemnestra and her thoughts. Two chorus members played her thoughts, whilst one performer played the queen, this was useful because it made our task of separating the thoughts and the queen easier, as we could have the queen on one side of the stage, and the thoughts together on the other, but saying the same lines, all directed at Agamemnon. The king would also not respond to the chorus, to clarify their position as thoughts, so as not to confuse the audience.
The scene begins with Agamemnon and Clytemnestra performing sexual intercourse centre stage on top of four boxes, this shows that while being 'intimate' with each other they are of the same level and importance, simply as two human beings. While their two bodies are close physically, the queen's thoughts are somewhere distant thinking of more vengeful thoughts. The chorus members representing the queen's thoughts are found either side closing in on them from a crawl on the floor to show the cunning and vicious motives behind the queen's vengeance. However their sexual act soon comes to an end and Agamemnon swiftly distances himself from his wife leaving her alone and feeling used on the boxes. Her body language suggests that she is upset and feeling vulnerable, by resting her head on her shoulder and crossing her arms, both closing her self to Agamemnon, and protecting herself from harm. However her levels contrast her body language as she is left higher up that her husband, we decided upon this as her mood quickly changes to angry and on the offensive, and it becomes clear that she is punishing herself to fuel her hatred for this man who has sacrificed her daughter.
Whilst Clytemnestra's body remains on the boxes centre stage, her thoughts enclose aggressively on Agamemnon control him like a puppet, suggesting that she now thinks of manipulating and killing him. Ribbons are attached to the king's arms and his body is physically manipulated by the thoughts, even though the king is completely unaware of this and continues his speech as if everything was normal. This contrast in physicality between what is really happening and what the character believes to be happening shows his misled arrogance, and lack of control of the relationship with his wife. In doing this we have tried to create a dramatic irony with the audience, who understand that he is being manipulated by his wife, and that he is completely unaware of his current situation.
Through using the different dynamics in proxemics we have been able to ensure a clearer more developed piece, and tie the physicality of the performers to their motives and emotions. This began in the devising process when we used improvisation to set a foundation to how the scene would occur. Then during the rehearsal process we drew up our ground plan to maximize the effectiveness from our use of proxemics, and edited the movements so they were precise and conveyed the exact meaning we intended, in relation to the speech and content of the plot.
