00052: MEXODUS

A few days ago I attended the production of MEXODUS, a new hip-hop play by Brian Quijada. This new production took place at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, CA.  

I was excited to see this production for two reasons, three really. 1: "Mexodus" is a Latinx play and Berkeley Rep hadn't produced one of them in a while. 2: "Exodus" is a hip-hop play and I love hip-hop, and when mix with theatre, I'm in heaven. 3: "Mexodus's" subject matter is a topic I had never heard of and was incredibly interested in learning about it. 

Since this is a new play and Berkeley Rep loves sharing information about their new works by putting displays in their theater's lobby, I arrived about 45 minutes before curtain time so I could have time to read all the dramaturgical information. 

As expected, the lobby display valuable information about the Mexican border, the Treaty of Guadalupe, and how Texas wanted to be an independent state even before the United States was the United States. The main display included data related to the play's topic: The Underground Railroad between Texas and Coahuila, Mexico's border state, that aided many slaved blacks found freedom. After reading the lobby displays and finding my seat in the theater, I was ready to let myself be engulfed in "Mexudos." 

The play only has two characters: Carlos and Henry, played by Brian Quijada (also the playwright) and Nigel D. Robinson respectively. The show (directed by David Mendizábal) starts with both actors coming on stage and introducing themselves first and then letting the audience know that they will be creating all the music and beats live in front of us. Soon, we are transported to cacophony of sounds coming from all types of objects found on stage. These sounds are looped through a mixer found on a Dj's table. 

Within the first two songs there is no doubt that both actors are incredibly talented. They make music, creating beats, deejaying, and rapping and entertaining the audience. After four songs, a pattern has been stablished. There is a little bit of information on "this and that" and then a hip hop song. More information about "this and that" and then another hip hop song. And after the fourth song it felt predictable and I was looking at my watch. 

After the fourth song things change though. The story about Henry, a black slave, starts to take shape as we follow Henry's struggles and journey to freedom. But here is where the problem lies with this play. While I believe Quijada's play carries a very strong message and one that is very necessary to impart, ironically, the message, and ultimately Henry's story is placed in the back burner due to the fact that much emphasis and focus and given to the creation of beats, rapping, deejaying, and music mixes. Instead of feeling as if I was watching a hip hop play, I felt I was attending a hip hop concert where a loosely story was being sporadically being told to sort of give way to more hip hop moments. By the time Henry finds the tunnel that will take him to the underground railroad and ultimately lead him to his freedom, I was disengaged from the story. I was not emotionally involved. The end was so anticlimactic that, but the time I was standing on the street right after exiting the theater, my thoughts and my theatrical experience with "Mexodus" was gone. 

I am not saying the production wasn't good. It was. And both actors are far more talented than I would ever be. But as a play, the script lacks focus and it is in the need of a good dramaturge, of someone who can help Mr. Quijada, as a playwright, find the spine of the play so his story can be central within the hip hop world he has created. 

The hip hop numbers need to thrust the story forward and help create the development of the main character, this is something that doesn't really happen. There are nice moments here and there, like when the actor Nigel, shares a personal anecdote about his birth and how as a black man, coming from generations of black people, and slavery, he now stands on a professional stage, but overall the story and the character's journey take a backseat. 

And because the actors break the fourth wall from the start, there were times when I wasn't sure whether it was the actor or the character communicating with us. A moment that comes to mind is when Mr. Quijada, as Carlos, enters from the audience and starts a fire. The fire effect is created with a small orange light and the crackling fire sound is created by Mr. Quijada's snapping fingers, which are recorded and loop by the actor Nygel who is standing behind the DJ table. All was good until Mr. Quijada look up to the audience and gesture to the fact that he had made the sound of crackling fire. Some of the audience members laughed, others clapped. It was a "tongue in cheek" moment that was confusing because we are forced to ask ourselves who is breaking the fourth wall, the actor or the character. If it's the actor, why would he do that? To let us know how clever he is as a sound maker? If it's the character, why would he do that? So far, Henry's story has been kept completely behind the fourth wall. Perhaps this is not a playwriting thing but a directorial thing. Either way, moments like this keep the audience from engaging with Henry's story, which by now, has taken a backseat anyway.

As I said earlier, the message and the story that Brian Quijada presents in "Mexodus" is much needed and necessary. But in order to truly have an effect and in order to truly makes us understand how far we have come and how "we gon be alright" as Kendrick Lamar's lyrics blast through the speakers, there needs to be a flip in the focus of the play, where the story must be completely integrated into the hip hop numbers rather than the hip hop numbers becoming the central focus of the production. Otherwise "Mexodus' is not a play about the "Southbound Pathway to Freedom," but an opportunity for two very talented actors to showcase their artistic theatrical gifts. 

00051: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

Original Poster National Theatre

Let me start this entry by saying that I have seen this show more times that I ever planned to see it. The first time I saw it was when it first opened at the National Theatre of London back in July 2018. I wasn't planning on seeing it but a friend told me about it and well, I just had to go see it for myself. The production I saw was directed by Sam Mendes, and the only actor from the three actors in the show that I knew of was Adam Godley. 

The show was fantastic. One of the best shows I saw that year and I couldn't stop talking about it. In fact, once back home, I talked about it so much that my theatre friends and colleagues told me to stop talking about it. I did. But by then, one of my good theatre friends bought tickets to the production that was coming to the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. This was back in April/May 2022. Unfortunately, the show was canceled for reasons that were never explained. 

Fast forward to spring 2023. I am on sabbatical in Italy for six months and during my birthday week (April 2023) I decided to treat myself to visiting London and see as many plays and musicals as possible. Yes, I saw many plays and musicals, and one of them was, you guessed it, The Lehman Trilogy. 

The Lehman Trilogy (West End, London)

This time the show was playing in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. I didn't even know it was playing. I was just walking around the London's Theatre District, and viola, there it was. So, I bought me a cheap ticket and decided to see the show. This time I was going to see the play because I wanted to see if the set and all the technical elements from the original production had transferred over. They did. The production starred Nigel Lindsay, Michael Balogun, and Hadley Fraser. They were not the same cast from the national theatre, and the three actors were people I had never heard of. The production was, as expected, as good as the one from the National. 

A year later, in May 2024, The Lehman Trilogy finally made its way to A.C.T. San Francisco. My theatre friend, who already had bough tickets for the one a year before, had tickets and invited me. This time I went with the idea to look at the writing structure of the play. The cast was the same from the Gillian Lynne Production and under Sam Mendes direction. 

I came out of this third viewing talking about two things: The writing and the Directing. The show is called "The Lehman Trilogy," which is about the three original Lehman brothers and their dependents, and how they founded their companies/bank. The show has three acts, which parallels the three brothers. Many of the lines in the show are broken into phrases or fragments. These phrases or fragments come in groups of three. There are many instances where lines and beats are also written in threes, while words or line motifs are also repeated in threes.

SCT's Lehman Program

When it comes to the directing, the blocking and movement is also repetitive and circular, and yes, the repetition and the circular motion of the show also comes in threes. Many of the gestures, mannerisms, and poses the three actors execute throughout the show, while playing different characters, are also repetitive. At times, the physical repetition is done immediately and other times, the repetition is done in one act and repeated later in another, mirroring situations or connecting characters' behavior, the same dramatic action or emotional simile. 

I truly enjoyed watching the show this third time, mainly because I was now looking at the production very objectively, keeping close attention on how the play had been written and how the production had been directed. I cared less about the emotional arc of the characters and concentrated more on the show as a piece of art that needed to be analyzed by someone who continues to learn about writing plays. 

Now that I look back at the excitement I felt when I first saw the show back in 2018, I can say that I couldn't stop talking about it to my theatre friends and colleagues because the show not only impressed me as a production but I was very much trapped by its writing structure and directing approach without even knowing it. The Lehman Trilogy is an excellent piece of writing, and as a production, the show is a visual and acting feast. 

00047: UNWANTED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

For several months now, actually more than a year, many of my fellow theatre artists, theatre colleagues and I have been discussing the, now very popular issue of the unwanted audience participation incidents. 

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. That moment when that one person in the audience starts to sing during a musical number and purposely (or not) tries to outdo the actor on stage. Oh, yes, instances like this have been happening for a long time now. A quick google search shows people discussing the issue as far back as 2015, so it seems this issue has been happening for a long time. Wait, maybe that is not long ago or maybe it is. I don't know. Since the pandemic everything is in some sort of time warp that is difficult to decipher. 

Anyway, a few years back I went to see a production of West Side Story, and being completely annoyed by a couple of people who started singing "Somewhere" along with the actress on stage. "This isn't a concert," I said to myself. "So shut the hell up." I added as I tried to incinerated them with my gaze. 

That was one incident, long time ago. 

I do think though, that the issue about audience members uninvitingly singing didn't become such an issue until jukebox musicals came into being. Jukebox musicals made used of very popular songs instead of comparing new songs. Most of the time jukebox musicals are bio-musicals (based on someone famous) such as Tina The Musical, Ain't Too Proud, or Jersey Boys or used song from a popular album or music group to create a "new story," such as Mama Mia! Jagged Little Pill, or American Idiot. I'm not putting the blame on jukebox musicals but I do think that the unwanted audience singers phenomenon has become a more unpopular occurrence because of this type of musicals. 

I pause here now to be fully transparent about the fact that I very much dislike jukebox musicals; I do. But I'm not here to talk about that, though this topic merits its own blog entry and I will write about it. Later. 

Since jukebox musicals use pop songs that are well known by most people. And since many of these songs are songs audiences have come to "adore." Or since many jukebox musicals are based on very popular films that contained very popular songs--Sister Act The Musical--when audiences go to see those musicals, they feel they must sing along with the actors on stage or else. After all, in my opinion, many of these audience members only go to see the musical because it is about their favorite music artist or based on their favorite film. And because these people have a "personal connection" to the song(s) they feel they have to sing their hearts out, when their songs are being performed on stage. In Manchester, England, for example, an incident of such behavior happened during the production of the musical "The Bodyguard." The performance of the show had to be cut short, the police called, and an audience member was escorted out, against their will. This individual tried to out sing the actress onstage during one of the most popular songs known on earth: "I Will Always Love You," sang originally by Dolly Parton, and then re-arrange by Dolly herself for the film (and Witney Houston) "The Bodyguard." Another incident happened on Broadway during the production of "Death of a Salesman," where the main actor, Wendell Pierce, had to break character and addressed the unruly behavior of an audience member in the front row, which also had to be escorted out. 

I admit that even though I don't like jukebox musicals, I have attended a few due to particular circumstances: taking a family member, given tickets as a present, or for research purposes. In every show I have attended, there has always been one or two people (or more) who are just singing loud enough to keep me from enjoying the actors' performances. This happened when I when to see Moulin Rouge The Musical, Tina The Musical, and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. 

I get it. I know people love "this song or that song." I get it because I have my favorite pop songs too, I also have my favorite musical theatre songs as well. When I hear them, I sing them. Loud and out of key 99% of the time. But if I'm in a theater, watching a musical and such favorite songs start, I don't sing at all because I'm not there to sing. I'm there to watch others sing those songs. And like me, people paid money to hear those actors sing the songs. If I decide to sing, I'm not only being disrespectful to the actors on stage, but I'm also going to be the unwanted audience rude member that people will hiss at because they paid money to see the musical, not to see me. It's that simple. Just because the cast in Les Miz sings "Do you hear the people sing?" doesn't mean I need to start singing from my seat. 

Unfortunately, these unwanted audience participation situations are happening more often now than before. And at times, it's not even one audience member but many. The time I attended the production of Tina The Musical, people all over the audience were singing along with the actors when the character sang "What's Love Got to Do with It." There is no doubt that such song is a favorite of mostly everyone. And the moment I heard the musical chords I smile because I knew it was coming. But my excitement die when many different audience members started to sing the song. It was truly annoying. And I wasn't the only one because audience members were schussing at those who were singing.

At the end, I simply think it is common sense and human decency to not disturb and/or disrupt the theatrical experience everyone is trying to have. But many people feel that paying to see a show gives them the right to do what they want, becoming unwanted audience members instead of being respectful and communing with everyone attending. And knowing that more jukebox musicals are coming and that, in general, most people are showing their true entitlement colors, (I mean, even does anyone remember what Lauren Boebert did?), I'm afraid to say that the unwanted audience participation individuals will continued to exist. And that is an unfortunate reality. 

00045: CURSED THE HOUSE OF ATREUS

The cast of "CURSED: The House of Atreus"

I did it! I finally was able to write a play based on Greek mythology: CURSED: The House of Atreus. It took me two years to write this play. One year to simmer the idea and write a first draft and one year to work on the play in order to make it what is has turned out to be.

At first, I just wanted a short play, somewhere between an hour and 10 minutes and an hour and 20 minutes. At the end, the play ended up being a two-act, two hour play. There was a lot to say about the Cursed of Atreus. 

The Furies

The play, based on Greek mythology and inspired by Aeschylus' The Oristeia, mixes classical and modern language, as well as the used of modern pop references. The play is written for an ensemble of at least 15 people but it can be done with more actors, or if double casting with less. Another cool thing about the play is that any actor can play any role. And as a playwright I have opened the door for any gender, any identity, any body type, any race, and any anything to be part of the show. 

Movement

The play calls for no sets and no props, just one single costume. Although, a director can add a set and props, and even make costume changes if desired, but I think the play works best as written. Another aspect of the show is that it invites the director and the actors to use movement techniques such as viewpoints, Suzuki, Lecoq, Laban or any other theatre movement approach to create transitions and scene changes, especially since the play story jumps from the present to the past, to a near future, has flashbacks, reversals, and so many other theatrical conventions. One last thing about the play, the use of music, which can be from classical to modern, to surreal, to... well, the choices are endless. 

"Look at him! Look! At! Him!

The play was produced this past November 2023 and I was lucky enough to direct it. Now the production will be presented at the Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival, Region 7 Competition in February. Yes, I am very proud of this work. 

00044: ALICIA FROM THE REAL IN WONDERLAND

Contra Costa Production

A while ago, during a work meeting, the dean mentioned that perhaps we needed to produce a play that would cater to young people. "Sure!" Everyone said with enthusiasm as they looked at me for a more concrete answer. "I think something like Alice in Wonderland would be perfect," I said. Everyone agree. "But of course," I added. "If we are going to do that, I'm going to write my own version of the play." I concluded. And the rest, as they say, it's history. 

Contra Costa Production

In Fall 2022, I directed my own version of "Alice in Wonderland." I combined the two books written by Lewis Carroll and using different characters from both manuscripts, I came out with my own version. Being that the story is about a "little girl" who is involved in some weird trip, the version I wrote is about a 17-year old teen Latinx girl who is running away from home, runs into a rabbit and off she goes to wonderland where she realizes home is where she should be. 

College of Wooster Production

It only took me about three months to come out with the first draft. And then, like magic, within two more months I had the first official draft, and by the time auditions came about, a third draft have been written. And of course, as the rehearsal process took place additions, deletions, and changes took place. By the time the show opened, an official version of the play was done. 

College of Wooster Production

Alicia from the Real in Wonderland opened in November 2022. It had a very successful run of six performances (our usual run) but with sold out houses every time. During its run, a friend and colleague from another university heard of the play so he asked me for a copy of it. He presented the script to the director who read it and immediately liked it. So, in Spring 2023, the play was produced at The College ofWooster in Ohio. I heard the show was also a success. During the run of the show, someone from a Children's theatre company saw it, reached out and said they wanted to produce it. So, in Fall 2023, the show was produced by Akron Center for the Arts through Firestone Theatre. Needles to say, so far this play has had a good start. 

00043: INTRODUCING MODERNA SUSPIROS!

The poster

And so it came to past, after a pandemic, several setbacks, challenges, injuries, and personal matters that Moderna Suspiros finally made it to the stage. 

"Lo tuyo es puro teatro"

The show only had two showings but there were beautiful, fun, exciting, and filled with an audience that laughed, cried, and ate bonbons. 

"If you don't know, Google it!"

Why two showings? Because it was part of my sabbatical proposal so it needed to be done to fulfill such promise. 

"I'm your hostess"

Those who saw the show love it, those who didn't see it, wished they could have (or so I've been told.)

"Y la noche era de lentejuelas"

And I couldn't done it without the help of the Drama Department, and those working behind the scenes! Thank you!

The playwright/actor, The Director, The Crew!

There are plans to have Moderna Suspiros travel and share her wisdom. Those plans are in the making. More posts about it will be coming.

All material and images have © copyright 2023 carlos-manuel 

00042: WE'RE BAAAAAACK!

That's right! After a six-month absence, the director and I are reuniting to make sure the production of INTRODUCING MODERNA SUSPIROS: A Fable Based on True Event... We Think takes place. Yes, it has been a long way coming and lots of things have happened. The director, for example, who was scheduled to arrive two days before our week of rehearsals will now be arriving two days later-something to do with a faculty strike in his institution.  

And then we have the issue with my ankle. The ankle, which still  hurts, but it is doing much, much better, may or may not be ready for high heels. The doctor put me on a boot for almost a month. Then I got cortisone injections, two of them, because my tendon and my nerve were damage, or are damage. I don't know any more. 

Have the shots worked? To a certain extend, yes. I'm able to move a little faster; I'm able to walk a little longer; I'm able to see that my foot is no longer swollen. Those are the good things. The bad things: my ankle is a little purple, especially around the area where the two shots were given. And if I put pressure, by that I mean push my fingers onto those spots, it hurts. I'm assuming it is because the needles ripped into my skin and reach the tendon and the nerve through there. 

You know that saying that goes "The Show Must Go On?" Well, theatre artists really mean it. Despite of the complications, obstacles, and last minute shenanigans, the show will happen. I may not be wearing those very high heels, but the show will happen. That is a promise.

I'm writing this on a Sunday morning, a day before we start working on the show once again. This means that, not counting today, we have four days to put the show together before it opens this coming Friday. And yes, I'm very excited, more than I care to admit. 

Tomorrow we will do two main things: Costume fittings and set design set up. The costume fitting will be fun because it is just me and the costume consultant/designer. The set design set up will be a little shaky because the director won't be here to make final decisions so we are just going to go with our semi-professional pencil sketch. The one the director has in his possession so we are just going to go by memory. 

Tuesday, will be interesting because I don't even know what will happen on that day. I know for sure the director will be arriving on that day, at 10:30 PM. Other than that, I have no idea in respects to the show, but something will happen. Maybe we start setting up the lights and the sound. That's it. That sounds like a great plan. Let's just hope both the sound designer and the lighting designer are available. They should be, right? After all, they knew tech rehearsal was coming. 

Alright! Enough! I will update in the production progress later on this week, probably before opening night. If not, I will update AFTER the show is over, sometime next week. 

Don't you love the uncertainty? I very much enjoy it... Not! 

00041: INJURIES!!!

Wear heels they said! You will look good in heels they said! It's easy they said! And yes, it is fun to wear heels, but if you are a person who isn't used to wearing heels and suddenly you have to wear heels, there has to be practice because "practice makes perfect..." and also brings injuries. 

Going into details is not necessary but things have happened and well, see for yourself:

I have a colleague that usually wears high heels, very high heels, and she doesn't walk on those high heels, she glides on them. How does she do it? I have no idea, but it is clear that it won't be me any time soon. 

Let's hope for a quick recovery because we have a show in one month!

00040: SHOES! COSTUMES! AND MAKE UP! OH MY!

Measurements

We had a costume fitting just a couple of weeks ago. The the fitting also included shoes, of course. It has taken me a while to post about this matter because the fitting, although exciting, was also a little bit of a disappointment. Don't take me wrong! The costume fitting fulfilled its purpose but the results were less than desirable. 

I was excited about trying the different costumes and also nervous because what had been imagine the director's head and my head could and would look very different in reality. 

After some laughs about undergarments and how to wear them I finally was able to get on my first costume. It look good, and I felt good about it too. 

Colorful right? Well, this costume was costumed made for me and I got it while I was traveling in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Colorful, a little heavy, and expensive. But it simply worked like a charm! One down, two to go!

The next costume is what we area calling the "main costume." The character wears this for the entire play. I'm happy to say if really worked and look as it was envision. 

The last costume, which is supposed to be the show stopper or the "surprise" costume, although looked good in vision, it really did not gel as expected. It really did not look good at all.

I don't know but the the costume made me look awkward and that also reflected on my face. And the shoes, well, they didn't work either. At the end, it was decided that both the costume and the shoes were going to be replaced. 

And speaking of shoes, two pairs of shoes and a pair of sandals will be use in the show. One pair of shoes worked, the other didn't, but the sandals did. 

This is the pair of shoes that work:

These are the shows that didn't work:

And there are no images for the sandals. 

Now we are waiting for the new dresses and the new shoes.... let's see what happens. 

00039: FIRST WEEK OF REHEARSALS

Normally, rehearsals for a play take between four to six weeks, sometimes longer depending on the complexity of the production and the company's budget. A one-person show usually rehearses for a minimum of four weeks. However, due to the busy schedules of both the director and myself, the one-person show will only have two weeks of rehearsals. To complicate matters, the two rehearsal weeks will not happen consecutively. The first week of rehearsals already took place, while the second week will be six months later (in December.) The show will be presenting to an audience on December 8 & 9, 2023.

One of my personal goals before starting the first week of rehearsals was to memorize the script, which is a challenge because my ability to memorize lines is not as sharp as it used to be. It's called "getting older." Surprisingly enough, by the end of the week, we did two full "run-thrus" of the show without a script on my hand. This doesn't mean I did not have line issues, it only means that, as it stands, I'm about 90% memorize, which for this rehearsal process it has been a great help. 

As a process, the director and I first went through the entire show, reading it slowly and asking questions that would clarify the reasons why the character is saying "this and that," and deciding how such words fit into the main goal and message of the play. We did this dramaturgical process before the stage reading took place back in Ohio. But between the staged reading and this rehearsal, I worked on the script several times, creating a new draft, similar to the original script but with several new additions and edits. So, a dramaturgical/table reading was necessary. 

Through this dramaturgical process, we were able to "connect the dots," making sure that what the character(s) says make sense, it is clear, and helps with the main messages of the play. It also helps us to discuss costumes, props, lighting, sound, music, makeup, and sets. 

The play takes place in a "nice and comfortable pink house." A loveseat with a coffee table and a minibar will live stage right (when looking at the stage from the audience point of view), to create the living room. On stage left, a 'working table', a dresser, and a variety of hat, shoe, and storage boxes, along with a couple of torso costume mannequin, and rolls of fabric will be found. This will be the character's working room. Upstage center a tall table and a room divider will define "the wall" of the house. The center and downstage area of the stage will be a "free zone" for "moving at will." The image above gives you an idea.

Of course, the set needs to be dressed up and the amount of items and props needed to make the stage look like a cozy and comfortable living space are way to many to list. Three costumes have been decided for the show, which are a challenge because the costume changes happened on stage while the actor is talking to the audience. And the costume changes are not just "putting on a sweater" or "taking off a hat;" they are complete costume changes from head to toe.

Music and sound has been determined, as well as "stage looks" and "special effects." Of course, nothing will really be one hundred per cent "set on stone" until we get to work with the technical designers... and that is not happening until the second week of rehearsal in six months' time.   

During the six months hiatus from the first week of rehearsal to the second, I will be on my own, continuing the memorization of the script and, once in a while, mentally tracing the blocking of the show in order to not forget all the work we did during the first week of rehearsals. I will also be teaching five classes and directing a play. This, without a doubt, will be a challenge. 

It is at times like this when I'm reminded of the wisdom of a character from the film (and play) Shakespeare in Love when speaking about the nature of theatre:

"The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. (But we do) nothing and strangely enough, all turns out well. Don't know how. It's a mystery." Philip Henslowe. (Parenthesis mine.) And this is my motivation, trusting the process with the hopes that everything will turn out well. 

For now, this is the last blog entry. The next one will happen in December once the second week of rehearsal and the production take place. I hope you come back in six months. Until then, the stage is dark with only the ghost light keeping the acting sanctuary company. 

00038: REVISING THE ONE-PERSON SHOW... AGAIN!

Before spending my sabbatical days in Italy learning about Commedia dell'arte, I was already working on a one-person show, also as part of my sabbatical. I spent six months writing a script and having dramaturgical meetings with a theatre director. 

I wrote about the development process of the play and also about the staged reading in two different posts that were done before going to Italy. The stage reading of the play happened in December 2022 when I flew to Ohio to meet the director at his homeschool. After that reading, the project was put on the "back burner" because my time needed to be dedicated to preparing the sabbatical trip and the trip itself. 

Now that the sabbatical trip has ended and I'm back home, the focus is on "wrapping up" the sabbatical, which includes working on the one-person show once again. 

For five days, from 10 AM to 6 PM (with an hour break in between), the director and I will come together in order to "put the play on its feet." This time the director will be flying to my hometown. During these five days, we will decide on the set and the look of the show. We will decide on the costumes for the main character (and other characters) along with all the "props" the characters need to use during the performance. Lighting patterns for the show will also be determined, as well as the different sounds to accompany the lip-synch songs. 

The main goal of these one-week rehearsal is blocking the show and "cementing" its look before we go our separate ways for six months, and then comeback in December to have one more week of rehearsals before presenting the full out production of the one-person show to an audience. Yes, you read right. Six month will pass between this week's rehearsal and the next rehearsal.

The next five days are going to be very hectic, very intense, and very tiring. We only get one week to put the show together before it goes in hiatus for six month. I know this coming week will be very productive... and exhausting. But the show must go on!

00037: A COMMEDIA DELL' ARTE COURSE

One of the main objectives of my sabbatical research is the creation of a new theatre course on Commedia dell'arte. Using the many resources I was able to find, the information I was able to collect, and the different theatre productions I was able to read, as well as other available academic sources regarding the subject matter, a class on commedia has been developed and submitted to the proper channels for evaluation and approval. 

Once the class is approved, the class will be offered to the students, mainly to Drama majors and those interested in the theatre arts. 

This class will have two main objectives: One of the goals will be to offer a history account of the development of Commedia dell'arte, from its origins to the present, while analyzing its influence on modern comedy. The other goal will give students the opportunity to explore physical movement and mask work in order to familiarize themselves with commedia dell'arte characters and physical comedy in general. 

I'm excited about this new course. I can't wait to have it "in the books" and be able to share with the students the wonderful experiences, productions, and information I was able to partake while on sabbatical in Italy. 

00036: DELL' ARTE ALUMNI CONVERSATION

The following transcript is based on conversations with a closed friend who is an alumni from Dell'Arte International. Our conversations centered around her training and the benefits of it. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

--What made you decide to enroll in Dell'Arte International?
I was applying to MFA programs and my college theatre director shared information about Dell'Arte with me. She suggested I audition as she believed it would be a good fit for me. One of the co-founders (of the academy) happened to be working as a resident artist near me an auditioned me herself. The process was welcoming and supporting from the beginning. I visited Blue Lake to tour the school and to meet some people there. I felt in love with the area and the program. I deferred traditional graduate school in order to to attend Dell'Arte.

--What program were you in? When I joined the school, they were in the process of obtaining accreditation for the MFA program. When I enrolled I believe the program was called PTP-Physical Training Program. It was a one-year program and those of us who graduated received a certificate of completion. This program and the accreditation has changed a lot since 1998.

--What classes did you take? So many! Our learning was broken into blocks of study with the second semester culminating in a public performance. There were several different classes each day. There were no books but we journaled everything and were able to take notes as necessary. I have several notebooks full.

Our class size was 40 and people came from all over the world. The specific blocks of study included Commedia, Clown, and Melodrama. We took classes or work in "Contact Improv, Dance, Tango, Acrobatics, Mime, Commedia, Clown, Melodrama, Physical Acting, Voice, Poetic Dynamics, Mask Making, Bunraku Puppetry/Manipulation of Objects, Tai Chi, Improv, Feldenkrais, Yoga, Alexander Technique, Generating and Devising New Work, and coaching and preparing for devising and touring two new works as a final project. 

All of the classes incorporated various ideas and explorations in body/mind/soul connection and we were constantly devising, creating, experimenting, failing, and starting again. We also had a devise performance assignment for presentation each week, based on a set of "guidelines." 

The last block of programming included pairs or groups working together to form production companies of traveling performers. Each pair or group created their own piece as part of the whole production that toured through Northern California and Southern Oregon on a beautiful, portable Commedia stage. The tour was a block learning, each student held a different position (production manager, tour manager, food crew, accommodations, transport, etc.) as well as devised work for the production. Our group traveled with a truck that carried all of our gear for outdoor shows and living on the road during tour. We camped on tour and it was an intense experience with nearly 40 people across many rural communities. It was life changing. 

We spent time in class Monday thru Friday and also spent time in the studios outside of class in the evenings and weekends rehearsing our devised pieces for class and/or performance. We were constantly moving and working and creating. 

--What did you learn? I learned so much about myself the most. I grew and evolved in ways that I didn't realize and hadn't expected. When I saw some college friends during a Christmas visit, they comment about the change in my physical form, how I walked, and how I interacted with the world. 

The experience within and outside of the training was life-changing for me. I met people from all over the world and learned about performance through them. I met expert instructors from all over and learned all kinds of new ways to use my body, my voice, my mind, and my soul on stage.

--Was there a class that became your favorite? Poetic Dynamics with Daniel Stein. It was a focused study on the movement of the body and connecting the physical and metaphysical; movement within space and through space; affecting the metaphysical through the physical and the physical through the metaphysical. It was an awesome class and it influenced my work when directing and devising. Daniel Stein's expertise and training is second to none, and it was the greatest honor and privilege to learn from him. Through his class I learned to feel the movement in specific parts of my body, when it wasn't happening and where it was happening. I learned to communicate in a very specific way through the smallest but most controlled physical choices. 

--Did you complete the program? Yes. 38 out of 40 of us made it to the end. The program wasn't for the faint of heart. 

--What did you do after graduation in relation to the academy? I wrote and performed several short, physical solo pieces in various locales. I also worked on several projects as a movement coordinator or movement director in Nebraska and Illinois. I directed several youth theatre productions using the physical work from Dell'Arte to drive not only blocking for scripted works, but also to create highly physical/stylized devised work for scripted and/or devised productions. I also wrote and performed a physical theatre piece that was produced as a work-in-progress while getting my MFA at Arizona State University.

--How did the academy prepare you for an artistic career? It gave me permission to experiment and fail in ways that I hadn't had permission before. It taught me to take pieces that don't fit together and make them fit. It gave me permission to create outrageous art. It pushed me off the cliff of traditional approaches that performers "study." It made me fall and fly at the same time to see new ways of creating. It provided me language that I found difficult to translate back in the "real world." It was hard to go back to traditional programming that didn't trust or understand my new language of performance and experimentation, and physical storytelling. 

I found the most success working with teenagers, they got it quickly while the adults in the room had a hard time letting go, to have permission to play. Higher education was the most confused and unsupportive once I went back for my MFA. Though there were some (students) that were also exploring the physical training/teaching path and that helped. 

--Was the program worth it? I cannot think of anything I've done that has been more valuable to me as an artist and human. 

--Is this (Commedia/Physical Theatre) something you would recommend to theatre artists? It is a lot of work and it is not for everyone. I came from a very conservative and closed environment and it was difficult for me to let go in the work, but I was also open and ready for new ideas, and thinking processes, and experiences, and people. It is an amazing experience if the individual is willing and open. 

--Is there anything you would like to add? The classes and training were the reason we were all there, but it became so much more than that. We grew into the very tiny town around us. We flipped pancakes at the Grange for the local community, and they flipped pancakes for us. We drank beers at The Logger Bar. We filled sandbags with residents as the rivers rose during the winter; we hiked the forests and swam in the streams and lakes and rivers. We taught classes to rural kids and traveled the area to bring joy through performance. I am still in touch with several classmates doing amazing things in multiple countries and across the U.S., and my life is rich beyond words from this opportunity and experience.