RECENTLY DE-CLASSIFIED INTEL FROM CHALLENGER H.Q.-

Again, we borrowed the words from Agent Meyerhold, but this principle has been on the Challenger H.Q. list since day one.  Full Expressive Potential means that we must TRAIN our voices and our bodies to accomplish ANYTHING we might ask of it… And we will ask a lot!  Agent Meyerhold’s Cadets were often Olympic caliber athletes, and he trained them to the FULL extent of their physical limits.  Our goal is to take all Cadets and encourage them to reach their individual limits in Strength, Balance, Rhythm, Coordination, Flexibility, and overall Control.  We sing.  We dance.  We do back flips if we have to.  Challengers should be able to PLAY anyone or anything… FULL Expressive Potential.  Even when we do go gray… we go gray BIG!

DEEP COVER, ASSET CONDITIONING and FIELD SITREP –

While foundational work in Voice and Body should be taken on early…

Challenger H.Q. Vocal Work.

• Posture.  H.Q. uses the zeppelin on a wire or walking Jenga puzzle exercises. 

• Breathing.  H.Q. uses the Bellows metaphor and firing blow darts of sound across a room. 

• Diction.  So many tongue twisters in group and competitive formats. 

• Vocal Variables (Volume, Pitch. Rate, Tone, and Accents).  H.Q. uses rapid fire, two line scenes with single phrases or iconic actions to drill vocal variables.

Challenger H.Q.Physical Work.

• Hieratic Gestures (Abrupt, Sustained, Vibratory, Pendular).

• Points of lead (Body parts that lead the body into actions).

• Elemental and Animal (Earth, Water, Air, Fire… all those Animals). 

• Again, H.Q. uses 2 line scenes to drill Physical variables.

…The absolute core, though, of Challenging Improv Training are Agent Meyerhold’s ETUDES.  Challenger Agents and Cadets use Vesevolod Meyerhold’s and Michael Chekhov’s ideas of training the voice and body using repetitive actions and “scenes” to achieve muscle fitness and muscle memory and ultimately, REFLEXIVE reactions to any physical or vocal demands. This is achieved primarily with…

BASIC TRAINING FOR ALL FIELD OPERATIVES –

• Etudes.  These are the foundation for all Challenger physical and vocal training.  Counter-agent Meyerhold laid the foundation and his work can now easily be found on the interwebs.  Challenger H.Q. took liberties with his sequence and switched the number of cycles from 9 to 8 in order to better fit with Supreme Mission Commander Johnson’s limited musical abilities (Meyerhold took his inspiration from one time roommate Dimitri Shostakovitch, one of the most innovative composers in history, whereas Supreme Mission Commander Johnson took his inspiration from Garageband and 4/4 pop songs… it was easier to count to eight).  Whether using variations of Meyerhold’s original etudes (Shooting the Bow, Throwing the Stone, etc.) or creating your own (Challenger H.Q. has taught the “Hero” etude to hundreds of eager Cadets over the years, along with the “Villain” and the “Innocent Bystander”), All etudes should be taught over AT LEAST a week with greater intensity and precision with every session.  Specific Challenges of strength, balance, flexibility, etc. should be incrementally increased as a cadet improves.  Beats should always be used, but cadets can certainly choose which beats they punch and how many beats it takes to get from one cycle to the next.  All Cadets should thoroughly prepare a written and drawn template to work from.  Etudes work very closely with RHYTHM, AIM, and CYCLES, which makes it a good intro to those principles.

• Side Coaching to push cadets to use more physical and vocal intensity and variables in ALL their training is the best way to achieve maximum results out of any training session.

BLACK BAG ACQUISITIONS FOR DOG AND PONY SHOWS –

Any game can benefit from, as well as teach, Full Expressive Potential, but these Performance Games will get you there quickly…

• Machine.  This is an excellent early training game that, if coached in the right direction, can push agents to use strength, balance, and flexibility to represent their part in any machine.

• Limiting games will quickly train Agents to better use their remaining assets.  Any game that removes the voice will better train the body, and vice versa. 

• Backwards and Forwards.  Again, push Agents to create moments where precisely reversing their actions will be “NEARLY” impossible (Any extreme or even mild acrobatics or falls, etc.).  Very fun to watch, and it will whip your Agents into game shape very quickly.

• Put it on Screen (Slideshow).  The Agents playing the “Slides” should be encouraged to create and hold group positions that represent objects and locations more than “People.”  Two or more person Etude work with lifts and carries will help build confidence in supporting fellow Agents. (Ed. note- Sigh... much of this is frowned upon in the age of "Risk Management."  Certifications are required even if you have been doing it for 30 years and never had a real fall.  Fear of "Falling" and "Failing" are so crippling.  Add "Risk Management" to the mix and it's a wonder kids have the confidence to put one foot in front of another... COME ON, SOCIETY!?!?)

• Slow Motion Fight or Dance scenes.  So hard to do well, especially if you include some lifts and carries (See above).  Doing anything in slow motion should exaggerate the original motion and push an Agents limits of strength and balance in particular.