Reflection on The Chicago Story

11/03/13

The Chicago Story is an exercise linked to the Suzuki method we tried for the first time today. It involves walking in a slow and controlled way towards a partner, passing them, then reaching an opposite point, turning and repeating. This is repeated 4 times. As you pass them each time, you are supposed to connect in a magnetic way, and almost have to pull away from each other, without this being very obvious. Your partner is your enemy, and in the first pass, you acknowledge them. In the second pass, you think "I am going to kill you", and try and transmit this to them and to your audience, obviously subtly and silently. As you turn before your third walk, you decide on a weapon and hide it behind your back. You walk pass them once again, both of you holding your weapons and keeping the intense eye contact all the time. As you turn for the last time, you show your weapon, and you can then use it to kill them at any time during the next walk, the last one.
I enjoyed this exercise as there was an element of improvisation and play about it. You can be creative with the story you give your character, the weapon you choose, and how you kill them. When you choose to kill them is also important for the audience. The last time I passed my partner, just before he was out of my reach I stabbed him in the back, which I think is a more interesting moment than if we had both killed each other standing in front of each other, ready and looking each other in the eye.
People differed in who they found it most comfortable to work with, who they would giggle with and concentrate with. It is quite a social exercise, as it depends on how you feel about your partner whether you can maintain the concentration necessary while keeping eye contact.
It is a useful exercise to practice not only discipline for Suzuki training, but also to develop spacial relationships with others on stage. This is a vital skill for all theatre. It can also be applied to demonstrating silent stories and emotional connections between characters on stage.