The Geometry of Emotion

When I was in high school, I was pretty good at geometry.

At least, that's what I remember.

Algebra was so completely abstract that I just got through it and trusted that it was good for me.

Like spinach.

But geometry was an entirely different thing.

Once I figured out that we were dealing with real things, things I could draw, things I could actually touch, it finally made sense.

Then trig. Same thing. Suddenly the x and y axis became points in space.

There are calculations for everything in math: triangles, circles, squares.

Calculations in multiple dimensions.

Calculations in real life.

OK, sort of. The real life ones usually come in the guise of word problems that only the most diligent among us can decipher...

”If the height of object a is 6” and the height of object b is 24”, what is the distance required to create a 90 degree angle between the base...”

(What?!?)

Height, length, width...

To be honest, I never fully understood it, but between Sr. Franklin and Mrs. Osmundson, I did alright.

And now it's time to block the play.

Blocking is the process of deciding where everyone and everything will move on the stage.

Simple, you are thinking, no?

No.

The angles are the same ones I learned in high school.

Especially triangles, as we are working on a thrust stage and there will be audience on 3 sides.

The word problems are more concrete now. “If Othello is 6'2” and Desdemona is 5'2”, what is the distance required...”

As the director, it is my job to make sure that the actors are open (visible) to the entire audience as much as possible.

But there are questions that Sr. Franklin couldn't help me solve.

What are the angles of vulnerability onstage?

What is the relationship between objects in space when object a desperately wants to change the mind of object b?

What is the minimum distance required to gain someone's trust.

What is the maximum distance from which you can ruin a reputation?

How do you calculate emotion as it moves through space?

In the theatre we work on four dimensions: height, length, depth, time.

You can do all of the mathematical calculations that you want but only one thing will morph those calculations into magic.

The actors.

They have to achieve such openness in this play. Emotional, physical. They have to be open to each other while staying open to an audience.

Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, Brabantio, Bianca...everyone has to lay themselves on the line to make this work.

It is the work that they do .

The work that actors live to do, love to do and loathe to do all at once.

And they have my utmost respect.

I am here to serve this alchemy; prevent these calculations from appearing on the stage.

Help everyone and everything move so seamlessly that we don't even think about it.

If we all do our jobs right, no one will ever notice the angles.

They will see the openness.