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.