on Technology

So when it comes to especially outdoor site specific work, anything electrical can really be a deal breaker.

You just don't have the power outlets, and contained, dry, flat spaces to count on the way you do in a studio, bedroom, or theatre. And the difference can be shocking.

For example, the efforts required to get that damn soundbucket thing require just a nice simple mp3 player (i-pod) taped into the bucket,, suspended, and powered up on batteries to last an hour. No problem, except some jerk rips it off the bridge and does ??? with it!

The day before, we waterlogged the festival director's cell phone. The day before that we smashed Julie's phone screen. Technology gods are telling us something. ("leave us at home!")

I am trying to decide if the bucket is worth it or not. There is a lot going on at the bridge with the music and dancers. While I love the bucket, maybe without higher security and tech help, I should just take the easy route!

Jobs and things to carry/preset

This may change but it is a plan for the next 3 evening shows
Please leave your personal things that you cannot carry in a car trunk or at home.

Theresa= wishes + stick
Jen M= streamers + stick
Jen D= flower pail + stick
Bridget= help out + stick
Julie= sound bucket  + stick
Izumi= washing clothes
Michelle= Michelle
Gerry= canoe help, signs + stick
Bears x + y= fishing buckets
Patrick=audio (cassette boombox)
Justin= picnic basket

Notes from the Wed run:
-beware of dropping the sticks all over- keep it neat and not dangerous
-watch out for crazy bikers- from behind as well
-canoeists say a small good luck prayer or wish before launching.
-work on mostly the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the bridge
-leave phones somewhere- we have killed 2 phones in 2 days~


thanks!

Rehearsal on bridge

So we managed to do our first run- sans music- and the piece looks gorgeous!
(Thanks~ Shaun, Theresa, Jen M, Bridget, Patrick, Izumi and Julie)

bright red really pops and looks beautiful

Emerging from different areas at the start, towards the pagoda, then lining up works well.
We played around the stone bridge- we can focus more on this and define it a bit

Then the slow procession with sticks on head really works nicely. Deviation dancers are fun.

At the tree, Tree can do the wishes, and people can help her as needed, but get the action dancing on the bridge before too long.

Izumi will be washing clothes.

The streamers look lovely. Jen M can be the person who 'lets them go' since she seemed to travel the farthest down the bridge

We are giving Bears most of the fishing bucket and playing with water task on the bridge.

Try to maintain the centre of the bridge when dancing- not so much on the borders or rails. Keep depth distance between each other.

CUE TO END:
At 35-40 minutes, Michelle passes under bridge, cuing Izumi to pack up and go to bridge.
When Izumi appears on bridge, dancers 'run' to meet her. Shoulder to shoulder line with all like the beginning. Wait for all to arrive. bow South. Bow North. end

Next time we need to work out the preset and who carries what- try to handle your own props and set as much as you can.
Thanks again!
G

Streaming 2.0- Found Fest

So this time around, we are Streaming in the same location a few years later, with some new people as well as some old people. Found Fest is hosting us, (Streaming ) giving us some publicity, doing box office, and most importantly, helping us to get Michelle off the banks of the North Saskatchewan, and into the canoe, where I always dreamed she would be!! This is incredibly exciting. Based on our Streaming adventures at Sasquatch a couple years ago, I chose 'sunset' for 2 of these shows. That became a 10 pm start time, which as it turns out has a few challenges.
Core people who came yesterday: Theresa, Jen, Bridget, Patrick.

An added point of interest is that the footbridge is scheduled to be destroyed in favour of the LRT expansion route. So it might be the last chance to dance here that I get (which would be sad)...

We met yesterday for the initial time, and since this is the most gorgeous week in June, and I am not paying people nearly enough, it will be hard to get everyone together at once. So I feel the need to really clarify and simplify the score so that the people who are just going to "show up" or "jump in" are not completely lost or off-kilter with the flow of the piece.

Folks will meet at the little Chinese gazebo in the Louise McKinney Park (N side).
The piece needs to start promptly at 10 pm in the evenings because it will be getting dark.
Dancers 'emerge' from different areas. Props include: big sticks (I have 6), buckets, purse with wishes and pencils,  bears' picnic supplies, and soundsystem.

First we dance around the gazebo with Michelle singing if possible logistically
(0-5) min

Then we travel down: the rose pathway with sticks on heads and dance deviation solos (dancers)
                                  : the bike path to the picnic table (bears)
(5-15) min

Then, hoping that the public is following us and encouraging them if necessary, we arrive at the tree. This is where we do the 'wishes', which are written on little cards and hung up. 2-3 can do this while others dance and lead people to the bridge. Keep your sticks but they do not have to be on your head here.
(15-25)

On the bridge we have: the Listening Bucket and the fishing bucket. Today maybe we can assign roles to each thing so Theresa, who is the all-star (!) doesn't have to do it all. For the 2 pm show, we will give out the vials of river water to people.

**Michelle begin singing in canoe at 12-15 min after 10 pm in canoe up at the Shaw boat dock, and start travelling downstream.**

This is the part when people dance on the bridge. Spaces between us- working the North half of the bridge. Leave Bears with the buckets. Dance should be slow or still or fast! Consider framing those who are up or down the bridge from yourself, and make slow body frames for them if they are dancing hard. Also consider 'streaming' their movement, which is flocking with variation, more cause and effect with moments of synchronicity. Dance musically to Michelle's singing here as well.
(25-35)

Around 35 min the washer-person should pack up and get onto the bridge. Michelle should pass the bridge also. (cue together).  When the washer gets onto the bridge, I would like to today try us all gathering with her to make an ending that is clumpy an very very obvious!
(35-40)


                                                             

The 'dancers' may or may not have hats with twig-antlers, and carry a big stick. And dance.

The washer-person was Kat last time and just does this....

The bears wear masks, vests, and play picnic and slo motion games.



                                                                      ~fin~

Day 2

Highlights included the beaver, the terrible conflicting sound from the Shumka stage, a fully functioning sound bucket, and quite seamless beginning.
-people need encouraging to get into the wishes.
-ran out of pathway string
Theresa fishing: she needs to start with an empty bucket for it to make sense
Michelle's singing was great/can get crossfaded with Shawn more. Shawn cued but it got missed. Need a flag?
In general Shawn is maybe over subtle, depending where one stands.
Chad: can't hear him well after he is dancing on the pathway. That transition is really working.
Angie- be farther up the wall so people can see you when they arrive on pathway
Sonja reveal worked better today- it will be nice tomorrow when the sound bucket is farther south.
I hoped the bucket for Theresa would be dead centre. And a little bit farther south- directly across from the river water dipping pail.
The streamer fell off!
Angie's reindeer through the pagoda was priceeless. Jason keep more arm integrity in the runs and make sure to begin from up the hill all the way!
The clumps were hot stuff
I liked people holding signs. Maybe do that for the wishing tree sign as well? (Angie)

So we will go back to Angie Chad and Jason fading off until disappearing. Michelle and Kat can wait by tree or out of sight. Sonja is good where she is. Shawn and I will take a solo at the end after Theresa/Sonja interact, Michelle is done, and most people have their water....
thx!

up and running

Well we got the opening under the belt- 5 more to go!!
It was beautiful weather for the first show, and the first time we actually had all of the elements together at the same time/same place, making it feel almost like seeing a collage.
Gabe's signs are lovely- might need some spacing changes to put in the best places.
The program distribution and test tubes felt a bit clunky- not sure if it is just a matter of organizing or if it is too much to add in for the audience.
Without the program instruction to follow the stream, people are quite shy to travel, so we can try to make sure people know to follow the red string.
The dancing and travelling and timing was all quite nice, especially some of the land-based things we have been working on a lot this week- rocks, pathway, highway/wall, picnic table all worked well. The wishing tree seemed nice- not sure if it needs extra help or not...
We could probably re-insert the contact duet in the grass or a Jason solo if wishes take a long time.
The bridge was a bit formless. The audience gathering spot felt clumpy and it might be nice to spread it out farther by placing the sound pail farther up the bridge. Some people who didn't advance enough did not even see Kat/Michelle. The Works volunteers who were helping with things also did not help enough- Theresa was left without vials to fill and the positioning was wrong. So that needs fixing.
Theresa and Sonja's interaction took a long time to occur and the change afterwards was less obvious than it needs to be.
Theresa could definitely fetch water again. It was missed (she was right)
I am curious about feedback people give us...Shawn figured the diffusion ending was not clear enough or strong enough. Michelle suggests maybe all re-convening at the stone bridge?
The departing dancers could do more dancing- flocking with sparklike solos could work. People responded to the falls initiated by passersby. Maybe it would work to double back?? Or do a fall and stay down long enough to be an ending?
and the hanging pails are lovely but need interactions to be meaningful (like the biker hitting it.)
Also for liability we should place a works person at the other end or a sign to warn people!

Music for dancing down the hill path

Music for dancing down the hill path