Thursday 5/22
OK, I confess. I played hooky in the morning. I decided I needed to make some money, so I skipped the a.m. sessions which were a rehearsal of Oedipus directed by Syyx Mhlanga from Zimbabwe, followed by a discussion with LCT Executive Director Bernard Gersten. I'm sure both were very interesting, but I wasn't there.
I did, however, arrive in time for the afternoon rehearsal of Goldstar, OH. It was fascinating to watch director Andy Paris continue his process, working with the elements to bring his actors into the text. The process he employs is the same used to develop The Laramie Project. His subject matter - the Iraq war - couldn't be more immediate. There were moments of great enlightenment. Any time limitations are created, the art begins to emerge. I look foward to seeing where this leads.
In the evening I participated in the chorus rehearsal for Oedipus. It involved African dancing, and some re-enactments of old Living Theatre shtick. It was a nice stretch but theatrically unenlightening.
Friday 5/23
This afternoon there was a presentation of Goldstar, OH. Of course, it's unfair to even call it a presentation after only 4 days of work. But the material is gripping. There were some incredibly moving moments. They used the device of the interview, so we watch an actor playing the role of interviewer asking questions of the family who has lost a son or brother or husband. In between there were some non-verbal pieces that explored relationships in space and worked with light. It was a great effort, and I applaud the entire team.
I decided to skip the evening rehearsal of Oedipus. I don't really need to do anymore African dancing. I'll wait to see my colleagues in their presentation tomorrow.
That's all for now folks.
w.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Directors Lab #2 & #3
It's been a whirlwind. I can't write as much as I'd like. Here are some of the notes I jotted down.
Tuesday 6/20
Religious Play Discussions We broke up into small groups to discuss the idea of religion and theater. Here are some bullet points condensed from my group:
Some of the plays under discussion were:
I started the day by attending Ming Cho Lee's Clambake - a gathering of the finest new designers from across the country at Fordham University. I met designers from Yale, NYU, Northwestern, USC, Cal Arts, and Carnegie Mellon. It was great to see the work that is coming out of these schools. More on Ming Cho Lee later in this blog.
In the afternoon I attended a rehearsal for Goldstar, OH directed by Andy Paris. (Andy and I attended NYU at the same time, and he is a member of Moises Kaufmann's Tectonic Theatre Project, starring in the original productions of The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project.) Goldstar is a new work that he is creating based upon interviews with families that have lost a son in the war in Iraq. On the wall at rehearsal was a big sheet of paper with "The Elements" - a technique that was being created at NYU by Wendell Beavers. Here are "The Elements" of Theater, as listed in the rehearsal room:
I then watched an hour of rehearsal of a new play called Hookyjook directed by Chrystal A. Dickinson. Chrystal was doing table work with the actors, and had created a very cheerful and productive environment. It was fun to watch.
The best part of the day was a discussion with legendary designer Ming Cho Lee. Ming was the principal designer for Joseph Papp, creating the sets for nearly every production in Central Park during the 1970's and 80's. He teaches scenic design at Yale University. He had many wonderful things to say. Here are a few:
On technology:
"Nobody goes to the library anymore! You can go online and "google" and get just what you want. But what if you don't know what you want?"
"Image doesn't make the set, or the play. A picture isn't enough. You're dealing with actual space. As opposed to the movies, or TV that is two dimensional, theater is actual space. You creat infinite space within these finite limitations."
"People are manipulating finished images, but they don't go through the process of discovery. They are too lazy to go to the library, where you can open up many sources at once!"
"Everyone wants everything. It's gotten so complex. Instead of actors driving the show, technology is driving the actors."
On directing:
"I will not allow piece-meal decision-making. Don't delay decision-making as a director."
"Don't ask for diagonals in a classic play. Shakespeare calls for symmetry. Don't pin the play down with specificity."
"At the first showing (of a design to the director) the designer is scared out of their wits!"
Tuesday 6/20
Religious Play Discussions We broke up into small groups to discuss the idea of religion and theater. Here are some bullet points condensed from my group:
- What constitutes a "religious" play?
- Community
- Ritual
- City/Country divide
- Asking questions vs. Giving Answers
- Class distinctions
- The Power of the Theatrical vs. the Power of the Spiritual
- Context
- Hope & Light
- Private vs. Public
Some of the plays under discussion were:
- "The Happy Journey" by Thornton Wilder
- "House of Blue Leaves" by John Guare
- "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" by Paul Rudnick
- "White Chalky Substance" by Tennessee Williams
- "St. Joan" by G. Bernard Shaw
- "Androcles and The Lion" by G. Bernard Shaw
- "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht.
- "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice
- "Gilgamesh"
I started the day by attending Ming Cho Lee's Clambake - a gathering of the finest new designers from across the country at Fordham University. I met designers from Yale, NYU, Northwestern, USC, Cal Arts, and Carnegie Mellon. It was great to see the work that is coming out of these schools. More on Ming Cho Lee later in this blog.
In the afternoon I attended a rehearsal for Goldstar, OH directed by Andy Paris. (Andy and I attended NYU at the same time, and he is a member of Moises Kaufmann's Tectonic Theatre Project, starring in the original productions of The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project.) Goldstar is a new work that he is creating based upon interviews with families that have lost a son in the war in Iraq. On the wall at rehearsal was a big sheet of paper with "The Elements" - a technique that was being created at NYU by Wendell Beavers. Here are "The Elements" of Theater, as listed in the rehearsal room:
- Prop
- Choices
- Lights
- Sound
- Color
- Costume
- Gesture
- Space
- Scenery
- Music
- (Text)
- Audience Relationship
- Emotion
- Intent
- Time
- Breath
- Rhythm
- Duration
- Movement
- Unison
- Character
- Subversion
- Tension
I then watched an hour of rehearsal of a new play called Hookyjook directed by Chrystal A. Dickinson. Chrystal was doing table work with the actors, and had created a very cheerful and productive environment. It was fun to watch.
The best part of the day was a discussion with legendary designer Ming Cho Lee. Ming was the principal designer for Joseph Papp, creating the sets for nearly every production in Central Park during the 1970's and 80's. He teaches scenic design at Yale University. He had many wonderful things to say. Here are a few:
On technology:
"Nobody goes to the library anymore! You can go online and "google" and get just what you want. But what if you don't know what you want?"
"Image doesn't make the set, or the play. A picture isn't enough. You're dealing with actual space. As opposed to the movies, or TV that is two dimensional, theater is actual space. You creat infinite space within these finite limitations."
"People are manipulating finished images, but they don't go through the process of discovery. They are too lazy to go to the library, where you can open up many sources at once!"
"Everyone wants everything. It's gotten so complex. Instead of actors driving the show, technology is driving the actors."
On directing:
"I will not allow piece-meal decision-making. Don't delay decision-making as a director."
"Don't ask for diagonals in a classic play. Shakespeare calls for symmetry. Don't pin the play down with specificity."
"At the first showing (of a design to the director) the designer is scared out of their wits!"
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
20 May 2008
note to an ex-husband
by Janet Ward
on the walk across town
the morning sun blasts at corners
where buildings abruptly cease
and gargoyles look out for me
crossing lexington between bumpers.
and then, when the light fades
at six o'clock on the walk back
Mister Softee waits
at sixth avenue
with a tall sweet cone
that tastes like cream
and lasts all the way
to eighth avenue,
where a girl can use her napkin,
wipe her mouth, and
toss it perfectly away
into the purple-line bin.
that's the moment i'd like to see,
when it all comes clear,
that little turn i made
and where we went:
what was lost,
and what wasn't.
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