POST MODULAR LAB PROPOSAL

Oliver Wu
Karlwinn Paitan
Intercultural Theatre Institute
Year 1, Fourth Term

This proposal aims to explore Beijing Opera hand gestures and use them to contemporary
acting.

Introduction
Beijing Opera performers make expressive gestures with their hands, such as smoothing a beard,
adjusting a hat, jerking sleeve while raising foot. These hand gestures express different emotions
and characters.
The precision of hand gestures in performance put beauty into every motion. The hand
movements give a certain charisma and charm that draw in an audience and command their full
attention. Thus, hand gestures consider as the fundamental component of stage presence.
Stage presence, on the other hand, is the essence of performer’s being that is projected when
they expose themselves, connecting with the audience, making them feel something. The idea of
“presence” is an authentic sense of self, and so projection and showmanship are the outward
manifestation of it.

Process
This proposal will focus on the following:

 Hand Gestures
o The actor will identify the hand gestures of the Beijing Opera and explore them to
characterization, emotion, facial expression, voice and body projection.
 Stage Presence
o The actor will apply the principles of stage presence as to integrate the hand
gestures in performance in order to achieve the “total presence”.
 Showmanship
o The actor explores the body as to practice the skill of performing in such a manner
that will appeal to an audience or aid in conveying the performance’s essential
theme or message.