Into the Woods and Through the Fear, You Have to Take The Journey

My spring musical, Into the Woods, scheduled to open April 1st is postponed.  This April Fools' is no joke. Sets abandoned, costumes hanging on their racks, wigs sitting idly on their styrofoam heads in front of makeup mirrors all waiting for somebody to call "places."

Technology has allowed me access to my cast. But when you're trying to rehearse Parts 1 - 9 of the prologue of Into the Woods on Zoom from 56 remote locations, let's just say, it doesn't work.
Wifi signals vary. Lags in transmission play havoc with Sondheim's already complex rhythms creating a cacophony more dissonant than the score itself.

Anyone who knows me, knows that Into the Woods is my favorite musical. But as the Meme going around theatre circles says, "When I said I wanted life to be more like a musical, I didn't mean Act II of Into the Woods."  Eerily on point. Equally chilling was my choice of our 19/20 season theme - Courage.  Irony? Premonition? Intuition? Coincidence? Bad luck? You pick.

"No more questions. Please. No more tests....comes the day you say what for... just no more!" 

The drama we are living will no doubt result in great art.  YouTube is already bursting with creativity.  I've always said, theatre people are the most generous of human beings. With no lights and no stage, they are finding ways to reach out to support the community of out of work performers, writers, directors and most notably, young theatre students through multiple social media platforms.

It will be left to this generation of emerging theatre artists to tell the story of "how it all happened."
An unseen, microscopic giant has come into our midst.
Through our social isolation, we are conversely coming together out of responsibility to the community.  "Careful, no one acts alone."  

As a theatre educator, I am reminding myself every day as I strive to keep my cast inspired, hopeful and connected through tablets, iPhones and computers, "Careful the things you say. Children will listen."

It may be "Hard to see the light now. Just don't let it go. Things will come out right now. We can make it so. Someone is on your side. No one is alone."

VOICES OF COURAGE: A lesson in devised theatre and life

     VOICES OF COURAGE just closed.  The show ended up being a promenade-style semi-immersive hard-hitting experience performed in six locations around the campus culminating in an inspiring and uplifting finale.  

     We began in August experimenting with various approaches to devising.  Given most of the students had never attempted an original work, it was important to introduce them to the process of creating original theatre using various starting points. At the end of the first session, the students began to feel confident that they could do it.  

     For three weeks we played with style, approaches and techniques equipping the students with a vocabulary for devised theatre.  We drew from practitioners such as Anne Bogart, Brecht, and Grotowski. We explored the physical theatre techniques of Jaques LeCoq and Frantic Assembly.  We also explored and unpacked the theme of courage.  Vast and unwieldy, one of the most challenging aspects of the process was narrowing the theme to digestible topics. The whole group brainstormed on the question of what courage looks like.  Their responses ended up as a word collage in the finale of the show.  Each student had to ask themselves where they have been courageous in their own lives and where we lack courage in society today.  We then took all of these ideas and sorted them by different types of courage: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Moral and Personal. 

     The structure of the piece began to emerge – certain topics continued to bubble to the surface.  Students took an inventory of their passion, interests and skills and groups began to organically form.  Ultimately the casting of each ensemble was left to the Story Weavers (Directors) based on the requirements for their performance.  We all agreed that the whole piece had to have a variety of theatrical styles and topics. The issues the students selected for their individual ensembles were: Anxiety, Body Image, The Environment, and Disabilities.  We agreed that the finale needed to bring it all together by focusing on voices of courage throughout history. We ultimately used projections, tableaus and music for the ending. 

     Some of the creative choices were dictated by logistics. Our black box can hold up to sixty people. Were we to have a capacity audience of 240 this would necessitate that we have four ensembles. Each Story Weaver was given the freedom to scout locations on campus to fit their particular piece.  The site- specific locations were anchored by the black box and our main stage theatre which we had determined would be the site for the finale.  The audience would be divided into four groups and would take different paths to the theatre while watching ten -minute performances in a different order. 

     We wanted to tackle the issue of immigration so we elected to start the show  with a prologue at the front gates of the school which became an immigration processing center where the audience was processed in a harsh, dehumanizing way and divided into their groups by being separated into detention centers. We knew there would be some push back from some audience members who did not want to be separated.  This of course, was an intentional choice emphasizing the dehumanizing effect of family separation at the border. Images of Ellis Island and contemporary immigrants at the southern border were used to establish the setting.  

    The marketing team went to work creating tags akin to the identification tags worn at Ellis Island. Biographies of famous immigrants who had made a contribution to the USA were affixed to the back of each tag. As the audience was processed they received a Voices of Courage lanyard with a stamped number corresponding to their assigned detention center.  A guard stood watch, dressed in a costume that was vaguely suggestive of a Nazi concentration camp guard. Lighting was harsh and bright and the feeling was intended to be disorienting.  The show opened with narrative and poetry showing three points of view about the issue of immigration: Those opposed, those supportive and the voices of the immigrants seeking safety and  work. 

     The paths were revised numerous times by a student who created elaborate, color-coded maps. The sets, lights, and sound for each location were designed by students.  The costume design team decided to use a similar lyrical dance-wear style with each ensemble being assigned a specific color. This provided a unifying effect throughout.  Tour guides led each group along the path to each ensemble. The performances drew from original material, poetry, and song. The students incorporated voice over, video, and projections in their performances. They staged their pieces to fit the sites they had chosen. 

     The Environmental ensemble effectively used a grassy, tree-lined area of campus for their piece entitled “Our House is on Fire.”  The ensemble that focused on anxiety in “Alex and You,” selected a courtyard surrounded by classrooms. The physical theatre piece that included “mind monsters” progressed along a path as the story unfolded forcing the audience to move along with the characters on the journey to healing.

     In their piece “A World that Wasn’t Made for Us,” the black box ensemble transformed the space into a fractured and multi-leveled environment using projections and sound to capture the experience of disability. The piece incorporated poetry and movement in a highly impactful way which elicited empathy and enlightenment. 

     In “Adjusting to a Sick Society,”  the ensemble interpreted lyrics through three choreographed pieces focused on domestic violence and body image.  A dance floor was set up in a courtyard with imagery painted on flats.

     There were four rotations. The audience was then immersed in a human rights protest march during which the cast of each ensemble converged outside the theatre chanting “Listen to our voices of courage. We rise up with voices of courage.”

The doors of the theatre were opened and a loud sound- scape of  famous protests from the march on Washington D.C.  to Parkland were played with images of the protests projected on stage.  Ensemble members carried signs and banners were hung over the stage with messages that reflected the issues addressed in Voices of Courage.

     The show ended with a performance of the song “Draw Your Own Conclusion,” by Andrew Lippa debuted at the International Thespian Festival for the 90^th anniversary of the Thespian Society. 

     The process was not without its challenges.  One of our greatest artistic difficulties was how to transition the audience from one performance to another. We experimented with numerous approaches and ended up simply tying each piece together by asking the audience a question that began with “Do you have the courage to….?”

     We had hoped to encourage discussion among the audience members but this was only moderately successful.  Ultimately, the subject matter of each performance was so profound that the audience needed time to process before transitioning to the next piece. We adjusted our talk back approach multiple times. 

     Another challenge we faced was that each performance started at a slightly different time. While they all were ten minutes in length, the staggered timing created an issue for the actual transitions.  Thanks to walkie talkies and trials, we opted to allow each performance to begin as the audience settled and then to transition at the same time once the “talk backs” had concluded in each location.

     Weather was on the whole favorable for us given that three of our locations were outside.  It was a warm, October California week. Wind provided a few challenges leading to a lot of gaff tape and sand bags to prevent sets from blowing over. A rainy-day plan bringing all performances into the main theatre was put in to place. Light cues and transitions were recorded just in case of foul weather. 

     The cast of each ensemble was responsible for set up and strike of their individual performance areas each night of dress rehearsal and performance since the campus needed to be cleared for the next school day.  It was a labor-intensive job but provided a lesson in teamwork for all. 

     The result of the entire experience was nothing short of a success.  The students had total ownership of the piece.  They grew by leaps and bounds both personally and artistically.  Each night, I asked them to find their center and to feel the ground beneath them. They stood, solidly rooted to the floor. That center, I told them,  is the strength from which they would find their voice of courage.  I took the opportunity to remind them that while this process was based in devised theatre, the take away are many life lessons.  They overcame challenges. They worked collaboratively as a team. They used their individual gifts to do purposeful work. They persevered. They questioned and doubted but kept going.  In this age of angst and anxiety, they are stronger than they know. I urged them to draw on their experience to always remember that they are not victims. They are strong and resilient.  They are voices of courage.

VOICES OF COURAGE ....The Journey Begins

Over forty Talon Theatre students are courageously diving in to the devising process for the fall production VOICES OF COURAGE.

The journey thus far has been creatively stimulating, thought provoking, and logistically challenging.  We began with a non-traditional “audition” process of collaborative exercises requiring students to develop short performance pieces based on images, news stories, and narratives.  For the first several rehearsals, the cast and design team were introduced to a variety of devised theatre and composing methods, styles, and processes equipping them with tools to create original material. The cast and crew have examined and discussed different types of courage and heard a presentation on courageous figures throughout history.

The whole ensemble was then divided into five individual ensembles lead by story weavers who are serving as the directors of the project.  The make-up of the ensembles was based on the topics, interests, skills and passions of the individual members.  Set, light, costume, prop, sound,  projection, makeup and hair designers have been assigned to each ensemble. 

The first production meeting produced some incredibly creative ideas.

Some of the logistical issues we will face include site -specific technical needs and how to implement the design concepts.

The five ensembles will be developing ten minute performance pieces in different styles dealing with specific topics related to the theme of courage.  These five pieces will be woven together into one dramatic, musical, and movement collage.

Some of the topics being explored include immigration, the environment,  body image, mental health, discrimination, and equality. 

The marketing and publicity team is developing the graphic design and logo for the piece and visual artists are creating a series of murals capturing the overall theme.

The commitment and energy of these students is inspiring!  There is something utterly thrilling about devising original theatre with students.  This truly is theatre on purpose!

Voices of Courage

The feeling is familiar. I can only describe it as a surge of energy pulsing through my veins accompanied by a quickening that can only be compared to expectancy. Equal doses of fear and anxiety - a mixture that is more exciting than scary.  On the precipice -  it is the beginning.  It is the unknown and it is certain - both.
Absolute. Driven. Determined. Important.
At this stage of my career in educational theatre, it is the only thing that matters to me.
Urgent. Necessary. It feels like the only thing I can do and must do because I can.
Theatre on Purpose.
For the next few months, I will be collaborating with students on devising an original piece of theatre focused on the theme of courage.  Why? Because I believe theatre can make a difference. I believe theatre can change the world. I believe theatre can inspire. I believe theatre is essential. I want my students to know that. I want them to have a voice. I want them to be empowered.
Our world needs to hear what they have to say.
They are coming of age in difficult times. I want them to know what it feels like to use their creative gifts and talents for positive change.  I want them to know what courage is, where it comes from and what it looks like. I want them to find their own personal courage.
We will look for examples of courage in our daily lives and throughout history.
Together, we will summon creative courage through collaboration and community to instill and inspire hope.
I will document our process and reflect on the experience of devising an original piece of theatre from beginning to end in weekly blog posts in the hope of inspiring other Theatre on Purpose practitioners.

Definitions of courage:
Merriam -Webster:  noun
mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty

Oxford: noun
The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery

Original definition: The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling one's heart." 

Onward....

Hal Prince - An Appreciation

Last night the lights dimmed on Broadway. This morning, we should all be planning our next creative project. The legendary theatre director and producer, Hal Prince, famously went to work the next day after the opening of every show, flop or a hit, and began working on his next big idea.

 I'll admit that news of Hal Prince's  passing hit me harder than I would have expected. I never had the privilege of meeting the man. I can't say that I thought all that much about him on a daily basis. The fact that he was responsible for many of the Broadway musicals I grew up with, listened to, performed in and directed was not uppermost on my mind. But this morning, as I sat down to write this post,  I couldn't stop thinking about how Hal Prince impacted my creative life.  Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Follies, West Side Story, Evita, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Phantom of the Opera  - just a few of the astonishing musicals he helped create in the twentieth century - are the reason I love the theatre so much. Company and Follies were part of the sound track of my college theatre days. They imprinted on my creative brain. Each starkly different in style, they were something entirely different from anything I'd ever seen before. 

There is no describing the importance that Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story have played in my life. I've directed and performed in each of them twice. Both of these masterpieces rate among my favorite shows of all time.

I'm old enough to have seen Patty Lapone as Evita and I can still remember the utter thrill I felt as she belted out "Don't Cry for me Argentina." But the staging is what struck me the most about the show. It was the first musical I'd ever seen that incorporated film projection.  When the movie reel wound to a stop in the opening scene and the chorus of mourners began to process,  I was mesmerized.
 Phantom of the Opera ushered in the era of the visual and technical spectacle. For just one moment, remember the first time you experienced the chandelier falling. Hal Prince was a master of theatrical storytelling.

I am deeply grateful to have come of age in the twentieth century at a time when  musical theatre entered the modern age.

The legacy of Hal Prince has permeated my life in surprising ways.  But what I think I appreciate most about this artistic genius, is that he loved the craft so much that he never gave up. He just kept working. To me that is the epitome of the creative personality. Purpose-driven work is life-giving, energizing, passionate and essential.  I simply cannot imagine my life without the musicals Hal Prince produced. Period.

From everything I've read about Hal Prince, and I think I've devoured virtually everything written since news of his passing broke, he trusted his instincts and had confidence in his vision. There is a lesson in that.  Fearless, bold, larger than life, this legendary theatrical giant may have left this earth, but we will carry on inspired by and grateful for what he left us.

Now get back to work.

On the Creative Process

 I'm guilty of having a lot of creative ideas. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that terrify me the most. Lately, I've begun to examine this pattern.

It goes something like this:
One moment I'm sitting on the couch like a lump feeling purposeless, unmotivated and utterly worthless. The next moment an idea hits like a bolt of lightening. I feel a quickening in my gut. My mind begins to explode with thoughts. I see the potential. I connect the dots. Boom! I have a fully visualized concept!

 It's at this point that the surge of creative energy shifts and the anxiety sets in. I'm consumed with fear and doubt. What was I thinking?
I border on panic.
 It's at this juncture that I face a choice:
Curl up into a ball and pull the covers up over my head or take the first step toward making the vision a reality.

What am I afraid of? I reject the notion that I'm afraid of success. But maybe I am.
Or maybe I fear being consumed. Once I begin a project,  it's a deep dive. I cannot stop until I have mined the depths, explored every option and imagined the big picture.  Time ceases to have meaning. Hours go by without pause. Even when I get up from my computer to eat, my brain is still active. I absentmindedly fix myself a sandwich while the details swirl around in my head.  My desk or office begins to look like a bomb has gone off -  drawers open, files, papers, books, pictures, journals, notebooks are strewn around the floor. Piles with colored post-its identify next steps and to do lists.

If I allow myself to jump in, I know that I may not come back up for air for a very long time. That is the fear. It's all or nothin'.

They say "leap and the net will appear." Almost everything I've done has been aligned with this belief. There is a difference, however, between risk-taking and recklessness. When a creative risk is worth taking, I feel it in the core of my being. There is a palpable tension between the excitement and the fear.

The next step for me is to look for the right people with whom to share the vision. It's very important to be careful in this stage because the wrong person can kill the creative energy. I've learned to stay away from wet blankets!
The right collaborator is equally passionate about the project, understands the creative process and has skills and talents that I lack.
I have very high standards. But I do not allow my perfectionistic tendencies to paralyze me.  I also make mistakes because I move quickly.  I need someone who has my back and the courage to steer me in the right direction when I get off course.

I believe that every obstacle can be overcome. But it's not a straight road. Detours are inevitable. U-turns and changes in direction are part of the journey.  I do not lack patience with the meandering path. I embrace it.

I do lack patience when barriers are erected out of fear.  I believe that it's important to seize the day. When the opportunity knocks, open the door. The intensity of the creative fire begins to wane over time.  After the initial surge of inspiration, the nitty gritty work begins to realize the dream or vision.  I love both of these stages and thrive on the implementation of a project.
It's important to keep going even when you feel lost or out of control.  I always follow Rilke's words, "Live the questions."

I've come to understand my process and my behavior in each stage of a creative project. To quote Rilke again, "Everything is gestation and birthing."  The labor of giving birth to a creative vision takes time.  Determination, perseverance, tenacity, trust, and belief are all critical to success.

Remember:
"A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, a vision and a task is the hope of the world." From a church in Sussex, England, circa 1730

SPEAK UP! Takes Their Show on the Road

Paste the link below into your browser to read about how PROJECT SPEAK UP! is being implemented at Santa Margarita Catholic High School:

https://www.smhs.org/about/news/news-stories-details/~board/talon-theatre/post/speak-up-takes-their-show-on-the-road-for-choc-professionals

SMCHS offers an excellent model of how to implement a Mental Health Task Force in schools and organizations.
https://www.smhs.org/campus-life/wellness

For information about implementing PROJECT SPEAK UP! in your school, contact alb@theatreonpurpose.org

SPEAK UP! Save a Life!