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!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Images from rehearsals
 |
| Tree with Wishes |
 |
| Pagoda= beginning gathering spot |
 |
| Katrina's Laundry Rocks |
 |
| Jason's Table Ghost |
 |
| Slow walk with Bucket |
 |
| Successful full collapse |
 |
| The best clump so far |
Friday, June 10, 2011
Butoh Day
It was great to have our first rehearsal with Sonja today. She showed us some butoh walks, and I found that the suspended, imagistic elements of butoh work really well within the space and also with Shawn's soundtrack. (which he personally lugged through the park today and needs a solution for! note to self...) Her perch on the stone bridge with the bucket, and her walk through the bushes was captivating.
In going through individual journeys, it was very interesting to note that people tended to have the impulse to work in isolation (making them extremely difficult to track in the space!) But I think that the 'perspective' theme is coming back quite strongly, and space between people is good.
The bucket and the red streamer seem to be desired props that work well in a variety of ways. We will soon need a bike trailer to lug all of our stuff around in, and just moving bags from place to place is getting pretty hilarious.
Katrina on the rocks= always cute and fun
The deer are always nice, but they are one of my fetishes right now. Am I overdoing it?
Michelle singing her guts out on the bank= could be triple the length, managed to compete with the Edmonton Queen, and always brings onlookers. With her singing, people always know its art and that it is alright to stare. (with the rest of us they sometimes shyly ask what we are doing or if they can take photos...) I still think she needs: an umbrella and a bucket of stones to throw.
Theresa on the road with her pail, walking so slowly was lovely, as was her spontaneous body break downs on the bridge, collapsing when people passed. I missed her tree today. She fished wildly. She engaged in I LOVE YOU runs, much to our pleasure... (those are originally a Ginette Laurin thing)
I caught a great glimpse of an exciting table dance by Jason. But I think the red string web is cut...single string seems more the point, and the entanglement isn't fitting in yet.
Chad's runs are really funny- in the bushes, on the road, in the field. I still haven't found the greatest way to use everyone, so there is a bit of floundering overall. I am not super worried about it, because this is the time when we get to see each other. As long as once a role is established, it gets full commitment, things work out well. (And you won't get to see some people ever again in the piece!)
I am very excited we get to work with Gabe Wong on design! Go see his website: Gabe Wong
Maybe he will be able to help us come up with something in the space as well...
And of course Sonja coming to the rescue of the drunk man on the riverbank was the cherry on top...
Chad had a dream about convergences of characters on the bridge, and in doing things today it looked like that may just be what happens. We spoke about the difficulty (and perhaps redundancy) of getting off the bridge and back up the hill, of the draw of the river- its in the title after all- and about good endings. I think the hovercraft would be fun! So who knows where it will lead- still many things to be felt out and done, but coming nicely.
In going through individual journeys, it was very interesting to note that people tended to have the impulse to work in isolation (making them extremely difficult to track in the space!) But I think that the 'perspective' theme is coming back quite strongly, and space between people is good.
The bucket and the red streamer seem to be desired props that work well in a variety of ways. We will soon need a bike trailer to lug all of our stuff around in, and just moving bags from place to place is getting pretty hilarious.
Katrina on the rocks= always cute and fun
The deer are always nice, but they are one of my fetishes right now. Am I overdoing it?
Michelle singing her guts out on the bank= could be triple the length, managed to compete with the Edmonton Queen, and always brings onlookers. With her singing, people always know its art and that it is alright to stare. (with the rest of us they sometimes shyly ask what we are doing or if they can take photos...) I still think she needs: an umbrella and a bucket of stones to throw.
Theresa on the road with her pail, walking so slowly was lovely, as was her spontaneous body break downs on the bridge, collapsing when people passed. I missed her tree today. She fished wildly. She engaged in I LOVE YOU runs, much to our pleasure... (those are originally a Ginette Laurin thing)
I caught a great glimpse of an exciting table dance by Jason. But I think the red string web is cut...single string seems more the point, and the entanglement isn't fitting in yet.
Chad's runs are really funny- in the bushes, on the road, in the field. I still haven't found the greatest way to use everyone, so there is a bit of floundering overall. I am not super worried about it, because this is the time when we get to see each other. As long as once a role is established, it gets full commitment, things work out well. (And you won't get to see some people ever again in the piece!)
I am very excited we get to work with Gabe Wong on design! Go see his website: Gabe Wong
Maybe he will be able to help us come up with something in the space as well...
And of course Sonja coming to the rescue of the drunk man on the riverbank was the cherry on top...
Chad had a dream about convergences of characters on the bridge, and in doing things today it looked like that may just be what happens. We spoke about the difficulty (and perhaps redundancy) of getting off the bridge and back up the hill, of the draw of the river- its in the title after all- and about good endings. I think the hovercraft would be fun! So who knows where it will lead- still many things to be felt out and done, but coming nicely.
Michelle's opera videos and mostly French chansons
The Flute of Pan
THE FLUTE OF PAN
For the day of Hyacinthies, He gave me
a panpipe made of carefully assembled
reeds, united with a white wax that is sweet
to my lips as honey.
He teaches me to play, I am seated on his
lap; but I am a little nervous. He plays after
me, so softly
Weill's Youkali
It was almost to the end of the world
That my wandering boat
Straying at the will of the waves
Led me one day
The isle is very small
But the kind fairy that lives there
Invites us
To take a look around
and
Debussy
and
Apres un Reve
and
Au Bord de l'eau
and its hard to beat the Italians for drama...so pretty!
O del mio dolce ardor
and I really like this one - same song different colour
more del mio dolce ardor
and a man-song too!
Gabriel Faure
This is a pretty decent chunk of research on songs for water, shipping, sirens, bridges, (death!), so take a listen if you can spare half an hour and see what connects to a) bridge of stone and b) riverbank... I find some of the accompaniment hard to de-imagine in these. But lovely Michelle- thanks! They really have a rolling quality altogether- so interesting.
THE FLUTE OF PAN
For the day of Hyacinthies, He gave me
a panpipe made of carefully assembled
reeds, united with a white wax that is sweet
to my lips as honey.
He teaches me to play, I am seated on his
lap; but I am a little nervous. He plays after
me, so softly
Weill's Youkali
It was almost to the end of the world
That my wandering boat
Straying at the will of the waves
Led me one day
The isle is very small
But the kind fairy that lives there
Invites us
To take a look around
and
Debussy
and
Apres un Reve
and
Au Bord de l'eau
and its hard to beat the Italians for drama...so pretty!
O del mio dolce ardor
and I really like this one - same song different colour
more del mio dolce ardor
and a man-song too!
Gabriel Faure
This is a pretty decent chunk of research on songs for water, shipping, sirens, bridges, (death!), so take a listen if you can spare half an hour and see what connects to a) bridge of stone and b) riverbank... I find some of the accompaniment hard to de-imagine in these. But lovely Michelle- thanks! They really have a rolling quality altogether- so interesting.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
total diffusion
Some days, just being outside in the park, in the wind, in the sun, just completely drains us! After about an hour and a half, sometimes we all just daze around in a stupor, and it is very hard to come to any decisions. This is kind of how I feel when I go camping- time sort of drifts, instead of ticking away regularly. I don't think this is a particularly bad thing, it just diffuses focus and energy and is really hard to work in. But that feeling seems to contain some quality I want our audience to feel- like they aren't aware of time. In a good way!
The water/bridge area contains this energy even more.
The water/bridge area contains this energy even more.
Monday, June 6, 2011
first day with Shawn!
Planking, Clumping, Power Lines, Swooning, Crowd Surfing= group/contact dance vocab games.
beginning = 10 min
bridge = 15 min
end= 10 min
It is exciting to get to work with some sound soon!!
Building memory banks for storytelling has been interesting, and it looks like our whole story could have a context of memory combined with BS to make an exciting fiction of the park that also explains our wild interpretations of it.
Little Michelle singing on the banks needs a parasol, bike, and pile of stones to throw. (lovely!)
We need our signs for the retainer wall story (has to be reversible)
We need to figure out the bears. Chad has a story to try.
Stage manager? Let's hope so!
Rainproofing...
beginning = 10 min
bridge = 15 min
end= 10 min
It is exciting to get to work with some sound soon!!
Building memory banks for storytelling has been interesting, and it looks like our whole story could have a context of memory combined with BS to make an exciting fiction of the park that also explains our wild interpretations of it.
Little Michelle singing on the banks needs a parasol, bike, and pile of stones to throw. (lovely!)
We need our signs for the retainer wall story (has to be reversible)
We need to figure out the bears. Chad has a story to try.
Stage manager? Let's hope so!
Rainproofing...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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