Presence

I am currently working with a company here in San Luis Called Variable Velocity Performance Group. One of the directors approached me about the idea for the new show and asked me to consider the idea of presence in conjunction with my time in France and my experience abroad. She mentioned that she might want me to say something in French. My immediate thoughts were oh no! I don't speak French, but I do know people who do.

Then I started thinking about presence and what it means to me, what it meant in France, what type of presence was needed for different situations. Specifically I thought about the stuggle in France between wanting to be noticed and having a strong presence and times when you'd rather be invisible and just blend in.

I thought about the fact that presence can also be a lack of presence not just the actual being of it. Therefore I began to play with ideas like in France I knew only a few phrases that really came in handy:

Je ne comprend pas or I don't understand
Je ne sais pas or I don't know
Je ne parle pas francais or I don't speak any french
Je parle francais un peu or I speak french a little
Je veux/je voudrais or I want/I would like
Bonjour/Bonsoir/Au Revoir or good day/good evening/good bye
oui/non, d'accord, pardon, desole, s'il vous plait/merci or yes/no, ok, excuse me, sorry, please/thank you

That was the presence I had and knew. I used them to grab attention when I needed help, or to blend in so people would think I was French. These were my tools I used them in every function imaginable. Most of the time I was a chameleon I tried to slip through the cracks appear French or European at least. I never wanted to be that American or the ugly American, stereotypes were my worst fear.

That is as far as I am in my discovery of presence in my life so far, but I will keep updating the thought process.