NET Summit: Sunday, June 21st

Performance Response:
So I went to the Barber of East L.A. talk back sesh. Overall, I think it went pretty well. People had a lot of good things to say about the story. The main discussion was about the staging. They had used music stands and done a presentational style. I actually liked the staging for this play although I do agree with a couple of peeps who said they would have liked for physicality and for the transitions to be shaper and done with intention.


Catalyst Conversations: Mark Russell
Mark Russell talked about a bunch of different festivals and why they are so cool.
He mentioned Philedelphia Live Art Festival, Fuzebox in Austin, TX, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), and Under the Radar in NYC.

I didn’t take any notes (as I’m sure you guessed, I didn’t sleep much on this trip – so the note taking became less frequent.)

Morning Session: Cultural Exchange and Connections
This session had a panel which discussed their international exchanges and ways of getting grants/funding for cultural exchange programs. This session was a bit dry but there was some good information. Apparently one org applied for the Cultural Envoy grant and were told that there program didn’t promote “democratic ideals and free market principles.” So it looks like things can be a bit tricky when trying to apply for money when it comes to cultural exchange inititives. But it also ooks like there are many opportunities out there: TCG, International Theatre Initiative, Artists from Abroad, US Embasy- Cultural Envoy, NEA, APAP Travel Grant, Performing Arts Alliances, Resource Center for Cultural Engagement, DCA – Cultural Exchange.

Early Afternoon Session: Collisions
So the three Collisions groups performed. The first group had a physical based approach. It was pretty interesting. The best part was the end when the entire group created the intersecting blob that slowly made it’s way across the stage as they sang (can’t remember the song) it was visually stunning and one woman in the audience said she was nearly in tears. Next was my group. We went in with the mindset that we weren’t performing, just having fun. I think it went over well – the peeps seemed to enjoy it. Last was Matt’s group. Because Matt and I had talked about our groups process I was able to tell that the differing pieces that were cut and put together. During the discussion Matt’s group and the first group seemed to bicker back and forth (maybe Matt got a different impression than I did). It was clear that some people were product oriented – which is why I really liked my group. I think this program was more about process and having fun rather than making a product. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I was worried after the first day but I’m glad I stuck with it.


Artburst!
There were a couple of performances. I just realized that I didn’t write down either of the companies who performed. So I just will describe them. The first group is from Northridge – they did a piece that was about the viruses in the US: Mad Cow, Swine Flu, and Bird Flu. It was hilarious!
Next was a dance. It was probably most intense, moving, and breath taking break dances I have ever seen. The dancer had immense focus and tremendous strength. And he was also beautiful – I’m sure half the audience was drooling.


ABC’s Breakout Groups:
This was intended for people to speak out on what they want from NET. My group had a lot of needs and ideas. Such as: Info on developing a board, earned income, Legal 101, grant writing – strategies and resources, Audience development, Community exchange, Resource exchange, Teaching artist resource and training, Advocacy training, and much much more.


Closing Session:
Eric Ehn was the closing key-note speaker. He talked about how social justice theatre seems to make the most impact. That theatre is real when it’s creating new social purpose. Something that resonated with me is that he said we long to kill institutions while living parasitically in them.
After that we had a parade back to campus where we promised to make new connections and ended with a song.

After:
Bellamie, Farrah, Nicole (another fab interpreter, Matt and I had dinner at this amazing pizza place called water + flour. Then we went to the NET Cabaret. There were some tremendous performances. I had a few faves. First was from some Neo-Futurists: they used a blue puppet like the one in Beyond the Mirror (which was the best and most compelling part of the play) and basically made fun of it. I thought I was going to pee my pants I was laughing so hard. Another fave was Bellamie’s ASL lesson. All the dirty stuff everyone wants to know. One word: Hilarious! (Afterwards someone asked her if that’s a skit she does and she said she had never done that before and just made it up on the spot!). Everyone had (an alcohol induced) great time. I wish I had performed. Oh well, maybe next year!
Afterwards we went to the local bar for Karaoke! We closed out the bar. Managed to grab a cab back to the dorms where we went to what we called the “secret garden for smokers” where we all chatted some more. Finally around 4am, I decided I couldn’t stay awake any longer and went to bed.


Monday, June 22, 2009.

Matt and I returned to LAlaland. I got home around 6pm and went straight to bed!


I loved this experience at the NET Summit. So much so, that I’m interested in becoming more involved with NET. I highly recommend that SOSE members go to future gatherings. There’s nothing like meeting artists across the nation who continue to do what they do purely because they can’t live without it. Ensemble theatre practitioners are a special breed and I think it’s amazing that we have a venue were we can meet equally ambitious artists with different talents and experiences. This way we can create connections outside of our communities and expand our impact across the nation, and even the world.

NET Summit: Saturday, June 20

Performance Responses:
Matt and I thought the performance response for Pretty was today… but it wasn’t. Which means I could have (and should have) slept in. So we sat in on the discussion for Faust. It was a good discussion and made us want to see the show. That’s about all I got from that. I was trying really hard to focus but it wasn’t happening.


Catalyst Conversations: Rhodessa Jones
I LOVE THIS WOMAN. She is the epitome of cool and classy. She is the co-artistic Director for Cultural Odyssey and is the founder of the Medea Project. She performed a few of the spoken word pieces created by people who have been through her program. Very moving and powerful stuff.


Morning Session: Ensembles in Transition: Juene Lune in conversation.
Dominique Serrand and Steve Epps talked about their experience of the evolution and unfortunate downfall of their company. A lot of the downfall had to do with their differing opinions with the board. They talked about how as artists we need to be critically honest with each other. And how in the US we have low expectations because there is not a lot of great theatre that has had the time and development put into it. To summarize: we need higher expectations and more honesty.

Early Afternoon Session: Bridging Ensembles: Politics and Aesthetics
So I was a little frustrated by this session. We all gathered together and threw up issues that we’re all dealing with and need to talk about. Then from all those ideas we chose the top four and then broke up into those four groups. I was in the group that basically discussed racial and cultural inequality. The group got a little heated about diversity and how inequality affects the arts and artists. One point that was brought up was how ensembles are even formed. On one hand there’s the people (usually the white privileged) who graduate from university and form an ensemble (SOSE would go under this one. Then there are the ensembles formed through community and social justice – they are formed out of necessity. These ones don’t have the money or resources to focus on aesthetics whereas the “white privileged” do. I come from a lower working class background so I empathize with the social justice route but I am also a college graduate going into ensemble theatre – and I’m as white as white gets. During this session I basically just kept my mouth shut for fear of saying the wrong thing and then being attacked (it happened to someone else in the group). Some one said something that really resonated with me: We work together as artists to counter the hostility in the world. That is why I am an artist – to help change the world and fight inequality and hate. We all have stories to share and I think that’s the point of talking about the “white privilege.” There was a lot more discussed that I’m not going to get into.


Late Afternoon Session: Collisions
So today was our last opportunity to work together and prepare something for the showing on Sunday. We did a free write session where we wrote for 2 minutes about the things we’ve discovered through our process thus far. Then we paired off and went through gestures that resonated with us. Then we went had the pairs do their sequence of gestures while another pair read their text from the free write. It was really interesting – especially while JP and I read it eerily matched Ben and Bellamie’s gestures.
Then we tried to piece together things we had discovered for the showing. All in all we felt we had an idea of what to do.

Shows:

Butchlalis de Panochtitlan: The Barber of East L.A.
This play is about a Chicana Lesbian in East LA named Chonch who fell in love with another woman. She was beat up and left el barrio, the neighborhood. She returns and opens a barber shop. I really enjoyed the performance. It was presentational with clear and inviting characters. It was also a strong story simply about a barber and the affects home and neighborhood, can affect a person.

Fool’s Proof Theatre: Je suis Dead
This was a very interesting piece to say the least. In the program it says it’s about “identity and the invisible ties that bind us.” The was present in some parts, but overall the piece was too convoluted to really grasp. It felt so jarred that any story or connections were lost. That being said, I thought the acting and characterization were extremely strong and captivating. Ben Phillips (who’s in my Collisions group) has a child like curiosity in him as well as an intensity to him that I find both refreshing and compelling. The other two actresses (yes I still say actress) were equally as strong.

After:

A bunch of us went back to the dorms for a “dorm party.” We drank some beers and there were a bunch of peeps playing ping pong. I chatted with Bellamie and Farrah. Jacquelyn (from Neo-Futurists New York) joined us. Here is an excerpt dialogue that I think is worth sharing:
Jacquelyn to Farrah: What do you do?
Farrah: Uh, I’m a sign language interpreter…
J: And?
F: That’s it.
J: Wow, I’m so used to people having multiple jobs. Like, you’re a sign language interpreter, a bartender, and… a burlesque dancer.
F: Yes, I’m all those at the same time.

So that was a running joke between us. I’m now seriously considering become a sign language interpreter – apparently they make bank!

We also taught Jacquelyn how to sign “I love my sheep.” And Erica (also from Neo-Futurists NY) how to sign her dog’s name: AFoxDog.

NET Summit: Friday, June 19th

Friday, June 19, 2009

Matt and I had a miscommunication for the morning session so I missed the talk back for Beyond the Mirror. Apparently it made him respect their process. Sorry I missed it.


Catalyst Conversations: Arlene Goldbard
Arlene has to be one of the best speakers about the arts that I have ever encountered. Her intelligence and enthusiasm for and about the arts is truly inspiring. She talked a lot about a term she coined called “imaginative empathy” which really got me thinking about this amazing art form. After listening her speak I’m sure I’m going into the right field. She also talked about how as artists we are the ones who cultivate creativity and imagination. It’s important to try to do something not yet imagined! She also mention how a sustainable National recovery is inextricably linked to a cultural recovery. Meaning if we focus on cultivating culture and the arts (rather than economics) than the economy will recover. For more go to her website. http://arlenegoldbard.com/


Morning Session: Creating in a Challenging Economic Climate.
Moderated by Lisa Mount.
I found this session really interesting. First we mapped out our companies in the space to see where the companies are in relation to the nation. It was mainly coastal – not much representation in the middle – hmmm. Then we did a diagonal across the room by budget – lowest to highest. Question: Who owns their own space? Most at the highest range did, few other had their own space. SOSE was one of the few in the lower end who had their own space. Then we lined up according to economic distress (as in who is stressed out and who is feeling ok). Those with higher budgets seemed to be the most stressed than those with lower budgets. Again, SOSE was feeling pretty good. Many questions were posed. Who has Staff? Pays fees? most of the higher budget peeps had this. Who has healthcare? Most did but not from their companies. Who has other jobs? Pretty much everyone in the room raised their hands. This just goes to show how dedicated ensemble artists are. We have multiple jobs just so we can do what we love.

Then we went around giving ideas about small changes within companies that made a big difference. There were some great ideas – like creating a wiki office. Selling DVD’s, nickel and diming kids, partnering with community colleges, etc.


Early Afternoon Session:
I went to the Community Responsiveness session. This addressed how companies respond to the needs of their communities. I’m a big supporter of getting involved with the community and using art to help those in need. My concern for SOSE is that we are not affecting those in our community. We bring basically outsiders from the area to our theatre – what can we do to engage the locals? One company said that they did a lot of workshops and invited the community to them and had talk backs afterwards. That way the community had a part in the process. Another idea was interaction. One company had a western musical so they had props and costumes that the audience could participate in which they really enjoyed. One person brought up the dichotomy of the artist as being outside other vs. in the community.


ArtBreak!
Conrad and Elizabeth performed their puppet piece Freeway. It’s about this couple who get married and are in the car on the freeway of life. It was a great performance, very smart, entertaining and poignant.


Late Afternoon Session: Collisions
We started a little late because it took us forever to get to the dance studio – but it was worth it to have the space (Thursday we were outside). We played around with some more gestures and ended up doing like a 20-30 minute improv. Throughout the process we created a physical language that was used during out exercises.


Shows:

Theatre of Yugen: Pretty
This ensemble is founded in Japanese Noh and Kyogen. The play is based on the abduction and murder of a girl several years ago in the Bay area. I thought the music (drums, guitar, and electronics) was really interesting in underscoring the drama on stage. Overall I liked the performance but there were some parts that were weak and could have been sharper and clearer. This is what I call a “one time” show for me. As in seeing it once is all I can appreciate. I do, however, respect and admire the amount of focus required and given by the actors. I’ve never experienced anything that required that much intensity.

After:

PARTY BUS. This has to have been one of the funnest experiences ever! Before we even go on the bus we went to a bar where I had to Jack (and barley any) Cokes. So I was already feeling pretty good. And Derek and I beat Matt and Erica by default at pool.
Then came the party bus. Before I continue our busses for the weekend were two of the coolest buses ever. One was the love bus which had the tops of VW vans on top which were the sleeping areas. The other bus was the Mexican bus which was dect out in Mexicano icons. So the Mexican bus was the party bus. We stopped to get some booze – I got a bottle of Cooks Champagne (classy, I know). Then back onto the bus for some dancing and drinking. It was good times all around. Seriously, one of the best party times ever! I had finished my bottle of Cooks by the time we got to the salsa club so I was – let’s say – feeling pretty good. Did some dancing and then back onto the bus. I guess I passed out on the bus because people were really concerned about me (trust me, they ain’t seen super drunk Ashley. I've been worse) but I was just tired and well, drunk. So I had some lovely people walk me back to the dorms. Ahh good times. I think I went to bed around 2:30/3 o’clock in the morn.

NET Summit: Thursday, June 18th

Thursday, June 18th

Early Morning Warm Up = Crunches and Headstands

Morning Session:
Traveling Jewish Theatre performed two solo pieces from their ensemble. A charming old woman who no one wanted to look at because she’s old and reminds us that death comes to us all eventually. Then there was a rap about an old childhood game the name of which I can’t remember. It’s the wheel that you hit with a stick and you have to run with it and keep it going. Next to perform was Dell’Arte International with a new show about three people who get the pink slip. Then the San Francisco Mime Troupe performed their work-in-progress about how credit and debt; set in Africa.

At lunch they have Regional Breakouts on different days where you can sit and have lunch with other artists from your area and chat. Our region wasn’t that day but we sat with them anyways.


Early Afternoon Session: Case Studies and Conversations: Our Field Now and in the Future.
For this session we broke up into groups. The group I went to discussed partnerships outside the arts and ho we can create fluid and sustainable relationships with non-arts organizations. We mainly focused on working with non-arts entities in terms of creating a piece – like working with health care organizations and human rights groups. We also discussed working with groups to help them create (i.e. working in jails and with at-risk teens, etc.). Then we all got back together and quickly stated idea about ways to help ensembles become stronger and sustainable.


Late Afternoon Session: Collisions.
Collision is an option for the late afternoon sessions were there are three groups that explore the theme of Revolt. It’s a chance for everyone to get together and share the ways their ensemble works and for us to fuse those ways together. My group first went through and introduced themselves and then how they do things. Then we shared a personal story to do with Revolt. After that we each created gestures to go with that story. Then we partnered up and shared out gestures and melded them together to share with the rest of the group. We had a little time left and realized we didn’t remember anyone’s name, so we played a name game.


Shows:

Bond Street Theatre and Exile Theatre: Beyond the Mirror
This was a collaboration between Bond Street from New York and Exile from Kabul. The play was about the live of Afganis durning the past 30 years of conflict in their country. It was an interesting collaboration. It was a bit to slow for me, however there was some beautiful moments. Unfortunately for me those moments weren’t enough to keep my interest.

foolsFury: PORT OUT, STARBOARD HOME
This is a work-in-progress about the company’s experience and discoveries on a cruise. Apparently all you do is eat and drink on a cruise – sounds like something I’d like. I enjoyed their performance and I’m interested to see the finished product.


After
Went to the Haight area and hung out at a bar with Matt, Bellamie, and Farrah. (Bellamie is from Quest: Arts for Everyone in Maryland/D.C. And Farrah is one of the main American Sign Language interpreters for the weekend.) Matt learned how to sign hamburger. He also learned a few other signs that I don't think I'll mention on this blog!

2nd/3rd Day, Net Summit

I'm still up here in San Francisco at the NET Summit.  More panels, discussions and exploration of the sector.  And, more exploration in my creative collision where I am working with 5 other artists from New York, San Francisco and Minneapolis to create a new, brief, performance piece.  We present our piece for the first time tomorrow at 2pm so I'm a bit nervous.

As always, working with artists from other companies does wonders to help you define your personal strengths and to define the kind of theater you truly love. I am doing quite a bit of dance tomorrow (not my strength) and it has been a joy to be pushed into uncharted territory.

Other highlights of the past few days include some inspiring speakers, a very candid discussion about how ensembles can raise artistic evaluation standards and exploring ways of assessment. There was a wonderful discussion of Theater de la June Lune, a 30-year-old (tony-winning) ensemble in Minneapolis that basically is starting over due to a conflict with an the board. His message to us.... "don't grow so big that you have to make concessions over the art" and "be honest with your company members about when you like their work and when you don't."

Other things that have happened include...

   1)  Late night party bus (lots of drunk thespians, dancing and drinking on a hippy bus driving all over the city until midnight, when it eventually parked at a Salsa club and the people departed for even more late-night dancing, drinking and frolic).

   2)  Learning some ASL. There is a person here from Quest who is deaf and we are often chatting with her about our project as well as their own work in Washington, DC.

   3) Morning responses to the plays we're seeing.  Tomorrow I'm doing feedback on a panel about a show I saw tonight. Should be an interesting and difficult discussion. The ensemble is in Liverpool England and they are called Fools Proof.

So... that's it for now.  Going to bed and resting my voice.  Performing tomorrow. Eek.

matt

The First Day of the NET Summit

On Wednesday I arrived in San Francisco at the Network of Ensemble Theaters Summit... it is a festival of dialogues, sharing of best practices, performances and break-out groups to discuss the sector known as "Ensemble Theater".  I've been here for two days... staying in the dorms of the University of San Francisco.  Ah.... memories of dorm life.

The Summit is wonderful, as expected.  Breakfast/Lunch in commissary and then off to the city for dinner and a show.  During the day, sessions from 9am-5pm including one called Collisions, where artists who want to participate in a lab together can do so, bringing a small piece to the stage on Sunday (3 rehearsals, basically).

As always the artists here are inspiring and diverse. They are driven by their passion for the theater (be it dance, text, movement, whatever) and they all are highly interested in knowing and understanding the ensemble-theatre making of everyone else. 

Wednesday was arrival day. Caught up with a friend I hadn't seen in 10 years. 

Thursday we warmed up as a group in the morning with some physical-work. We went to a welcome session where we saw a few performances including SF Mime Troupe, which I had wanted to see for a long time.  They turned 50-years-old this year.  Wowzers.  Commitment.  Then lunch, and then a session with Arts Presenters where we broke into smaller groups to explore various issues pertaining to the sector. I was able to contribute information about SOSE's partnership with CTG to the conversation about how Regional Theaters and Ensemble Theater can collaborate and support each other's goals. Russell from Critical Mass also was in my group and talked about working with CTG and Portland Center Stage on Apollo.  It was exciting to share our unique partnership and here about theirs, in the hopes that more could come of it down the road! Then, off to my 1st day of Colission, where we began work on our piece... on the topic of "Revolting."  (It's hard to describe the work in the room, of course. For now I'll just say that we did some basic ensemble games and then some story-based improv.) Then, off the dinner and the show.

I'll blog more about the show(s) we saw last night another time. So far the process has been wonderful and the people, as always, are superb.  NET knows how to throw a conference!  What fun!  

As has been the case in the past,... I wish more SOSE members could be here with me. Our summer intern Ashley Steed has come with and we are having a great time. She will also be posting her experience, so it'll be nice to hear from someone other than me about what's goin' on up here!

More to come tonight or tomorrow morn.

LA Weekly says "GO" see The Designated Mourner

GO 

THE DESIGNATED MOURNER 

Written in the dark days when humanistic ideals seemed under siege by the barbarian imperatives of globalization (a.k.a. the Clinton-Gingrich years), Wallace Shawn's speculative fable is a pitch-black, comic lament for the demise of the belletrist class. Set in a fictional land that seems strangely to resemble New York, the play follows the travails of an aging literary lion, Howard (Don Boughton), and his hero-worshiping daughter, Judy (Sarah Boughton), as they and their genteel circle fall victim to a fascistic regime. Telling their tale is the play's titular mourner, Jack (Michael Kass), Judy's deceptively genial husband and one of the pettiest, mean-spirited and most unreliable narrators in stage literature. A member of Howard's inner circle by accident of marriage, Jack is a hopeless lowbrow whose envy for his father-in-law's highbrow stature soon turns into a toxic resentment as his own intellectual limitations exclude him from Judy and Howard's rarified world. Director Matthew McCray nimbly navigates a potentially unwieldy text -- essentially three interwoven monologues -- ably realizing all of Shawn's famously acerbic wit and savage ironies. Kass's Jack is a marvel of modulation as the affably sympathetic everyman of Act I metamorphoses into the venomous, solipsistic scoundrel of Act II. Equally fine is Sarah Boughton's sweetly captivating study in filial fidelity. It is Don Boughton, however, with his mesmerizing portrait of the play's deeply flawed patrician poet, who all but steals the show. Son of Semele, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; Mon.-Tues., Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., May 16, 3 p.m.; thru May 30. (213) 351-3507. (Bill Raden)

Last several days from week 2

We are starting to get into a groove with how Don works. After two weeks of working on the "split scene" we finally have a draft that is concise, packed with information and character development. We worked this scene over and over again for days and I found myself frustrated, wondering why we were spending so much time doing this. We would put the scene on it's feet, then sit down and discuss our findings and then the next day we would get a new draft with words taken away and added. By Saturday we felt good and yet we know it still isn't finished. Not even close.

At the sametime I feel like I directly contributed to the construction of this scene. We were asked to write about what Maude might be thinking during the 1st, 6th and 13th day of her "Lost" phase. I didn't realize how much the character had been developed subconsciously by doing this kind of work. Writing was almost effortless. Laura and I had very similar writings.

Shar has now joined us full time and Alex gave us some testosterone for a couple of session. A male presence is still very much needed in this project. I'm not sure if it can end up with an all woman cast. At least now, even though Maude is clearly the focus.

With so many girls we are exploring Maude and Howard's daughters and their relationship. We improv'd a scene all as siblings talking about "Mom" being lost. Don introduced the element of being in a slightly altered state, (i.e. high or drunk) to free up the conversation and emotional rollercoaster. Don has written another scene from this improv and Shar, Laura and I played the scene over and over and over. The cycle has begun again.

It is very very clear that there is NOT ENOUGH TIME for this phase of development. There is so much to explore and I fear the creative process is being hindered with the pressure of a performance in a couple of weeks. I do think a public showing should happen, it just feels too soon. And then after we do the presentation then what? Since I can't bring my critique and need to define things into the rehearsal room, this is where it is manifesting. :)

4th day of Rehearsl

This was primarily a movement workshop. We physically explored the words, "Panic" "Lost" "Fire" and "Dry".

I found the exploration of the word "Lost" to be particularly affective as a way into to the feeling. We took the word "Lost" in stages. 1 being the least and 3 being the most. In the first and 2nd stage I found an extremely similarity in movement to the word "Panic". But in the 3rd stage all three of us (Laura, Danny and I) found ourselves going inward and our movement became very small. Also sounds developed from high pitched moans to counting, singing or general babble. In a way, I had given up. There was nothing else but "lost". Just "lost". Lost is an active word and yet it is so hard to stay active in that state. It's painful. A nightmare.

We worked on the "split scene" again and I don't think we have nailed the ending yet. We need to get to the words, "I'm thirsty" because that is the last thing Howard heard Maude say. But right now it's forced.

By Saturday the scene needs to be memorized. We also need to bring in songs that Maude would sing to share with her daughters and a song she would share with Howard. In addition, I need to write what I think Maude thinks Howard is doing on Day 1, 6 and 13 during her lost journey. How do I get into that state? Lots of day dreaming I think.

In this process I feel very lost. Confused. I don't know where any of this is going and that is scarey. I want answers. I want to feel confident. I fear that 4 weeks is not enough time for this first phase. I want time to absorb more information. But in the world of creativity isn't that always the stuggle, creative process vs. time?

Wallowa - the Second Rehearsal

Don brought in a written draft of the scene we had improvised from before and I was so relieved to have a SCRIPT.  I guess I never realized how much I like knowing where "the edges of my box" are with regards to the text.  Improvising throughout this process is going to be a fantastic challenge and opportunity for me to stretch an obviously saggy muscle. I'm also enjoying the freedom I have with character development since I'm not really cast in the role and Sarah and I so far have had the chance to create a character based on both of our choices and ideas.  It's such a freeing way to approach the work.  I'm getting a sense of how much actor baggage I bring to the first rehearsal of a show.  It's like I'm all up in my character's grill.... We spent the evening exploring the moment Howard and Ora separate in the woods and in that exploration learned so much about the characters and their relationship.  Ora is very dramatic - her language in this draft colorful.  I think she is the kind of woman who lets Howard have the first crack at solving a problem then comes in and sorts it out after he has bungled it a bit. In this draft, Howard is really hard on himself.  He engages in some "beating himself up" about how the events of the last 24 hours have played out. I feel even more strongly that when they split up, they really have no idea just how lost they will become.  No one plans on getting lost.  People plan on getting out, getting found.  The realization of how lost you really are lags behind the reality of how lost you are.  I guess you could also think of that from the perspective of the person who is seconds away from being "found" is probably feeling the most "lost."  Your experience of your "lostness" isn't necessarily equivalent to the nature of your "lostness." When are you lost?  Is it when YOU feel lost?  What if you don't feel lost but everyone is freaking out because they can't find you?  You are lost to them but not to yourself.   Are you still "lost"?  And then Ora returns home and her memory is "lost."  So in a sense she is still lost to her family and friends.  While physically back from the mountains, she is mentally absent.  At what point do you mourn that?  Will her memory return or do you give up the hope of it and focus on creating new memories?  And how disappointing it must have been for her family to find her, but only a part of her.  Where did she go?

2nd Day "Wallowa"

Today Don brought in a scene that he wrote based on the improv we did in the first rehearsal. This was the "Split Scene". The scene where the couple splits up. The last time you see this couple together as a coherent couple, before both of their nightmares begin.

We tore the scene apart. Not critically but in that we explored about 100 of the 1000 ways the scene could go.

Laura and I both played the women's part. We tag teamed and jumped in an out. I enjoyed the experience because I was able to riff on Laura's choices and then watch as she riffed on mine. The character was this person outside of us and within us at the sametime. Two heads working to create a complete character. No judgement, no critiques, just endless possibilities.

A challenge for me is to keep an open mind. When I first read the scene Don wrote, I immediately wanted to critique it and give my two cents about what might be cut or what didn't make sense. But that kind of talk is not welcome and I appreciate that. Or at least it isn't welcome without first exploring all avenues. It's ALL still on the table and I need to remember that.

Wallowa - the First Rehearsal

My shoulders are sore!!  We did a lot of sun salutations which was a fantastic warm-up but now my arms are paying the price. Sarah did a great job of laying out the 3-part set up of our story so I won't repeat it here.  The thing I really came away from the evening with was the concept of PATIENCE with myself.  The improv exercises are challenging and I don't think I'm very good at them but I do believe Don when he says that when we are frustrated with repeating a scene over and over, the real breakthroughs will occur.  I think improv-ing an idea or conflict to see where it takes us is a great way to develop an idea. It takes some effort on my part to NOT go for the funny which is the more traditional comedy improv muscle that I have worked on.  Just being real, simple, true to the circumstances, listening - these are the tools for now.  And Ben-Gay....

First Day of Wallowa

Our first day of the Wallowa project consisted of an overview of the many parts of pieces of this project, clearly well mapped out by Don. The project looks like it will be in three stages, Call Out, Lost (I think) and Recovery.

My first impressions were... "Dear God what the hell is going on???" I'm learning that I will need to be patient with this process. There are more questions than answers.

We worked on improving a scene in which the couple tries to separate. I was impressed by how complicated we all made it. So much conflict! And then when we were finally sick of it, Laura said, Maybe they just separated. Maybe it wasn't a big deal. Which leads me to believe that we will need to get a lot out of our systems in order to find the specific. Those choice few words that say everything.

Our assignment for Thursday is to recall a story about when we were lost at some point in our life. I can't recall a time I was lost and wonder if my memory has blocked those memories out or at least those feelings. The feeling of being lost is such a scarey one. This project will tap into my deepest fear of being alone and being lost. It's primal. When I hike, I never leave the trail. I have hiked with ex-boyfriends who have wanted to leave the trail and I've fought tooth and nail to make them stay on it or simply refused to go along with them. I instinctively take inventory of where I am all the time, especially when I travel. So how do I find this place? How do I tap into something I fear most?

I particularly liked the movement exercises. Don is forcing us to take time to work together in movement. They start with a "follow the leader" component but then take on a life of their own and I find that brings out the other senses. The ones we don't rely on as much.