Georgia's Atmosphere

"Atmospheres for the artist are comparable to the different keys in music. They are a concrete means of expression." - Michael Chekhov, On the Technique of Acting (Collins, 1991)

When Georgia presented The Gift of Nothing the other night, I was so aware of the atmosphere she had created in the auditorium. The lamp-lit room, the time of the day at the end of a long week at the end of rehearsal; on a Friday prior to a vacation; the donuts, the drinks, the draped white cloth, the rapt attention of the audience - all contributed to the atmosphere. But it was also Georgia's relaxed and easy manner, the way the pages of the storybook were turned, her calm voice, the simplicity of the whole event, the cozy circle. I had memories of my childhood, of that Van Dyke painting of the attentive children with the big masiff, of my childrens' years in pre-school; feelings of being safe and sound.
In real life, we're always, whether we're conscious of it or not, affected by the atmosphere in our environment. The atmosphere has a profound influence on our actions, moods, and what we trying to get. A graveyard at midnight, the scene of a car accident, a first date at a drive-in movie theater— all these offer different atmospheres. They all offer a different sensory experience. According to Michael Chekhov, weather conditions, the time of day, the season. But, as we saw in the entrances we experimented with the other night, the back story of the character and the given circumstances also impinge on atmosphere.
Atmospheres are fickle and subject to change. I'm reminded a dramatic example of that in recent history. On 9/11, the President was in a Florida classroom reading a children's book. His chief of staff entered the room and delivered grim news. Unbeknown to the children (at least consciously), the atmosphere in the room had suddenly shifted.
I wonder if our group's atmosphere shifted everytime another gift was given in the gifting improvisation we did in the last rehearsal. I wonder if part of what makes one of our improvisation "successful" or not is determined by the power of the atmosphere created in the room.
In the meantime, my thanks to Georgia for the evocative experience.