Oh my goodness The Keys Experiment opens at Artery 2010 in one week. Ah! Getting a bit nervous to say the least. Trying to keep cool about it. I had a good meeting today with Dixie Treichel at The Soap Factory working on the sound design. There were like a million people there working on their Artery pieces, which is great. There's this amazing energy in that space. Fiona MacNeill, the curator, says this year has an A List of artists, and she's not wrong. I'm honored to share the bill with the likes of Annie Rollins, Jaime Carrera, and Kats Kats D Fukasawa, who I met for the first time today, and many other very talented artists. I kind of think of Artery as the fringe alternative. Like the Fringe Festival, there's a sense of the eclectic, but I think audience members are more guaranteed to see some performance that is really pushing the boundaries in terms of form and content (I speak of my fellow artists, not myself- I obviously can't be the judge of whether what I'm doing is worth seeing or not).
I've decided, as I did when I did the show at the Red Eye, to err on the side of simplicity. I've decided against the video projection idea, even though I have images and archive footage to use, because I would rather spend my energy working on the movement and text, and choreographing the piece in the very unique space (I'm performing in the Video rooms toward the back of the gallery). Dixie brought me some sound mixes for one of the new scenes, which I'm really excited about although she hasn't quite finished with it yet. The new movement sequence is the largest new section, although there are also a few new monologues (one by a girlfriend of one of the Conscientious Objectors, and a couple of new Ancel Keys monologues). There are a couple of aspects of the space that are challenging- probably the main difficulty being that there are limited outlets and we can't hang the sound speakers. But I trust Dixie completely and I think she has the thing figured out (in all tech matters I must defer decisions to my collaborators who actually know what they are talking about). Another difficulty is finding the time to rehearse. While the nice thing about doing a one woman show is that I don't have to coordinate schedules with other actors, I have found it's stressful to coordinate rehearsal times with my team of artists helping me (director, choreographer, and sound designer) plus the Soap isn't always available, and often there is a lot of commotion going on.) I think we've nailed some times down to meet in there, though, so hopefully I'll feel a bit better once we hammer out the details of how I'm going to do this thing.
Showing posts with label The Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Soap, Camp and Bedlam
Well last week I kind of got back to the real world following my month-long hiatus during the World Cup. It's been a brutal wake up call to reality, but I managed to get some writing done and work on my show.
Here's a piece I wrote for MN Artists about The Mystery of Irma Vep. I decided that since I had the time, I wanted to instead of just writing a review go a little bit more in depth about the style of the piece. I look at the Camp Style, and how the play exemplifies the goofiness of the genre while at the same time offers layers of deeper meaning through its many literary and cultural references.
While I was working on the MN Artists piece, I was greatly saddened to learn that Bedlam has been given notice to move from their current space. The Star Tribune broke the story, and I then I spent last Thursday and Friday morning madly completing an article containing little bit of the backstory of Bedlam's history, and tried to write also about the situation right now. I'm really sad to be losing one of my favorite venues in town to see shows and hang out (I would argue the building has the best deck for having a drink in summer), but hopefully the theater itself will survive and keep its multifaceted programming.
In the meantime, work continues with my one-woman-show, the Keys Experiment, which I'll be performing at the Soap Factory on July 30. I'm very grateful for having had the experience workshopping the piece at Red Eye, and I've been working lately on adding a few scenes. I met with my sound designer Dixie Treichel on Saturday and she's concocting a new soundscape for a movement section I'm going to work on this week. Also, there's an article in Lavender Magazine about the show, written by John Townsend, which I really appreciate him writing.
Here's a piece I wrote for MN Artists about The Mystery of Irma Vep. I decided that since I had the time, I wanted to instead of just writing a review go a little bit more in depth about the style of the piece. I look at the Camp Style, and how the play exemplifies the goofiness of the genre while at the same time offers layers of deeper meaning through its many literary and cultural references.
While I was working on the MN Artists piece, I was greatly saddened to learn that Bedlam has been given notice to move from their current space. The Star Tribune broke the story, and I then I spent last Thursday and Friday morning madly completing an article containing little bit of the backstory of Bedlam's history, and tried to write also about the situation right now. I'm really sad to be losing one of my favorite venues in town to see shows and hang out (I would argue the building has the best deck for having a drink in summer), but hopefully the theater itself will survive and keep its multifaceted programming.
In the meantime, work continues with my one-woman-show, the Keys Experiment, which I'll be performing at the Soap Factory on July 30. I'm very grateful for having had the experience workshopping the piece at Red Eye, and I've been working lately on adding a few scenes. I met with my sound designer Dixie Treichel on Saturday and she's concocting a new soundscape for a movement section I'm going to work on this week. Also, there's an article in Lavender Magazine about the show, written by John Townsend, which I really appreciate him writing.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Trip to the University Archives
Well, I finally made it over to the University Archives to research for The Keys Experiment play. There was much new information that wasn't available to me online or in the books I've read so far. The librarians there were extremely helpful, and nice. They also seemed interested in my play, and want to come see it. Hooray.
Watching the footage from the experiment was extremely helpful, although it is so frustrating that I have limited movement right now. Some of the experiments that the CO's had to go through are such excellent fodder for intesting movement choices. Ah well, I go back into rehearsal tomorrow, so we'll see what I can incorporate.
I'm also thinking of using the video footage itself- perhaps not for the Redeye version, but at a later date. I need to find a video artist to collaborate with who will be able to help me.
Here's the link to find out more information about Redeye Theatre, where I'll be presenting 15 minutes of the solo performance on June 3-6.
Watching the footage from the experiment was extremely helpful, although it is so frustrating that I have limited movement right now. Some of the experiments that the CO's had to go through are such excellent fodder for intesting movement choices. Ah well, I go back into rehearsal tomorrow, so we'll see what I can incorporate.
I'm also thinking of using the video footage itself- perhaps not for the Redeye version, but at a later date. I need to find a video artist to collaborate with who will be able to help me.
Here's the link to find out more information about Redeye Theatre, where I'll be presenting 15 minutes of the solo performance on June 3-6.
Monday, May 10, 2010
And then everything changed
Well things were going swimmingly with my Redeye piece a couple of weeks ago. I had a showing with Steve and Mirium and my fellow Works in Progress artists, and got some really great feedback about the work that I've been doing. I felt like I was finding some really cool movement with Romina and Maggie was helping me find the shape of the piece.
But a week ago, suddenly, my arm swelled to three times its normal size. I spent about a week in the hospital, had several procedures, and one major operation, and the long and the short of it is- I am currently in absolutely no physical condition to realize the piece as it had been progressing.
I'm going to have to rethink things. Currently, I can barely sit up, let alone roll around on the floor and balance on my shoulder and do various other things I was planning on doing. I'm going to have to go back to the text, go back to the ideas I want to convey, and figure out how to realize those ideas in a way that my body can handle at this time.
It's hard, emotionally. While I know that I could certainly revisit the piece at a later time when my body is healthier, I am sad to find myself with these limitations. This has happened twice in my life before. Once, when I was in college. I was going to be playing Medea and I lost my voice. I went to see a voice therapist and had to figure out a way to play the part without shouting, growling, or doing anything extreme with my voice. In a way it was a great thing to have happened, because I found all kinds of colors to the character that I might not have otherwise found. Another similar experience was when I played Puck, and I had to have knee surgery a couple weeks before opening night. For that performance, I did feel that I lost some of my original character, although I guess I did have to figure out how to act the role without the use of acrobatics.
I emailed Mirium today and told her what happened, and she was very encouraging. She said exactly what I was already thinking: that perhaps this is a good thing, because it will force me to re-examine the piece almost from scratch. Sometimes limitations can be good things.
I'm going to probably take a few days off from thinking about it. I have to get caught up with work, and I still have a lot of resting to do. Hopefully by next week I can begin again. We'll see what happens.
But a week ago, suddenly, my arm swelled to three times its normal size. I spent about a week in the hospital, had several procedures, and one major operation, and the long and the short of it is- I am currently in absolutely no physical condition to realize the piece as it had been progressing.
I'm going to have to rethink things. Currently, I can barely sit up, let alone roll around on the floor and balance on my shoulder and do various other things I was planning on doing. I'm going to have to go back to the text, go back to the ideas I want to convey, and figure out how to realize those ideas in a way that my body can handle at this time.
It's hard, emotionally. While I know that I could certainly revisit the piece at a later time when my body is healthier, I am sad to find myself with these limitations. This has happened twice in my life before. Once, when I was in college. I was going to be playing Medea and I lost my voice. I went to see a voice therapist and had to figure out a way to play the part without shouting, growling, or doing anything extreme with my voice. In a way it was a great thing to have happened, because I found all kinds of colors to the character that I might not have otherwise found. Another similar experience was when I played Puck, and I had to have knee surgery a couple weeks before opening night. For that performance, I did feel that I lost some of my original character, although I guess I did have to figure out how to act the role without the use of acrobatics.
I emailed Mirium today and told her what happened, and she was very encouraging. She said exactly what I was already thinking: that perhaps this is a good thing, because it will force me to re-examine the piece almost from scratch. Sometimes limitations can be good things.
I'm going to probably take a few days off from thinking about it. I have to get caught up with work, and I still have a lot of resting to do. Hopefully by next week I can begin again. We'll see what happens.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Plugging away on starvation play
I've been doing a little bit more research about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. There are still a few historical questions that I still need to find out. Did all of the men sleep in the dorms, for example? Did any of them live off campus? How many hours per day did they have to stay at the lab? I think I may need to go to the University of Minnesota Archive. That's the source of the above film footage. I've been thinking lately about using some video projection in my piece. The only problem is that I don't have a projector, and have absolutely no knowledge about how to set something like that up. However, as my boyfriend said to me the other day: "if your play needs to have projections, you'll figure out a way to have projections." Certainly it seems possibly easier than my other idea of acquiring a treadmill, a vintage scale, and other vintage labratory items to be used or a montage sequence. I could instead of the real objects use projections juxtaposed with movement. So we'll see.
In any case, here are a couple of other links I was reading today:
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wwii/a2.html
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-weve-came-to-believe-that.html
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Just Do It
Okay, so I've been mildly freaking out about my Redeye Works in Progress Show. I'm finding that having six months to create a piece can actually be a difficult thing because it's so easy to procrastinate. It's not like I haven't been doing anything at all, but I do seem to put off working on it in favor of more pressing projects and assignments.
The good news is that I'm happy about my team. I've got Maggie Scanlan directing, and she is someone I trust and who I can rely on to be honest with me and to push myself. I've got Dixie Treichel helping me out with the Sound Design, and I know she's going to do a great job, and now I have Romina Tokimoto helping me out with movement.
I'm very excited to have Romina on board because I think she really connects with me (although we haven't worked artistically together before) and I'm really excited about some of the ideas she is bringing to the piece. She lead the group in an authentic movement session a couple weeks ago which was very helpful in generating some movement vocabulary for the piece, and the last time she met she said she was going to work on some choreography for the movement sections so we'll be able to play with that.
The thing I'm stuck on about right now is the text itself. Originally written as a traditional stage play, I'm re-imagining the work as a solo performance piece, and putting my own experience into it. This has been very scary, and I feel a bit stuck. I sort of know generally what the themes are that I'm working with: isolation, starvation, war, and altruism, but I need to hone in on what it is I'm trying to say more specifically.
Right now, it's difficult to begin working on the staging of it because I don't feel the script is ready. Or Rather, I'm having a moment of doubt about it. Last night, I had a very good conversation with the person whose opinion I respect above all others and he told me that I need to stop fretting about it and just do it. It's true, this momentary drop in confidence needs to be overcome if I'm going to be able to finish this project. I need to find my literary bad-ass gene, as he said, if I have one, and just write the play that has been in my head for over two years.
He also suggested that I re-think the title, and I'm considering changing it from The Minnesota Starvation Experiment to The Keys Experiment (Keys is the lead scientist in the Study).
Oh, and a bit of good news, and also more incentive to get my butt in gear: I've been accepted into Artery at The Soap Factory this summer, so that means that I'll be able to further explore the material following my presentation at the Redeye. So. Time to get to work.
The good news is that I'm happy about my team. I've got Maggie Scanlan directing, and she is someone I trust and who I can rely on to be honest with me and to push myself. I've got Dixie Treichel helping me out with the Sound Design, and I know she's going to do a great job, and now I have Romina Tokimoto helping me out with movement.
I'm very excited to have Romina on board because I think she really connects with me (although we haven't worked artistically together before) and I'm really excited about some of the ideas she is bringing to the piece. She lead the group in an authentic movement session a couple weeks ago which was very helpful in generating some movement vocabulary for the piece, and the last time she met she said she was going to work on some choreography for the movement sections so we'll be able to play with that.
The thing I'm stuck on about right now is the text itself. Originally written as a traditional stage play, I'm re-imagining the work as a solo performance piece, and putting my own experience into it. This has been very scary, and I feel a bit stuck. I sort of know generally what the themes are that I'm working with: isolation, starvation, war, and altruism, but I need to hone in on what it is I'm trying to say more specifically.
Right now, it's difficult to begin working on the staging of it because I don't feel the script is ready. Or Rather, I'm having a moment of doubt about it. Last night, I had a very good conversation with the person whose opinion I respect above all others and he told me that I need to stop fretting about it and just do it. It's true, this momentary drop in confidence needs to be overcome if I'm going to be able to finish this project. I need to find my literary bad-ass gene, as he said, if I have one, and just write the play that has been in my head for over two years.
He also suggested that I re-think the title, and I'm considering changing it from The Minnesota Starvation Experiment to The Keys Experiment (Keys is the lead scientist in the Study).
Oh, and a bit of good news, and also more incentive to get my butt in gear: I've been accepted into Artery at The Soap Factory this summer, so that means that I'll be able to further explore the material following my presentation at the Redeye. So. Time to get to work.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Starvation Update
I met with Maggie Scanlan yesterday to discuss my Redeye solo show about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Last week we had a workshop session with the other Works in Progress participants and I got some good feedback about the first five minutes.
As we presented it last week, it starts out with a person crawling very slowly, painfully slowly from the back of the stage to the front. Then there's a transition, and the second scene is Ancel Keys delivering a monologue, perhaps to a group of fellow doctors, about how they were going to be able to succeed with the experiment.
I got some good feedback. People seemed engaged with the physical energy that I was working with, although Steve Busa suggested that I might look into incorporating some Butoh movement. He also suggested that I start to think about differentiating the characters in the story.
So when I met with Maggie today we watched some Butoh youtube videos, which do indeed inspire me. I think incorporating that style of movement, or at least being influenced by it, is something I'd like to play with.
I also talked to Maggie about really taking a look at the main characters and try to develop a separate physical language, and vocal language for each. We're planning to do that on Friday.
I woke up very early this morning and started thinking about the visual aspect of the show. When I first thought of the piece, I had this idea that there would be projected images of the starving conscientious objectors at various points in the show. I scrapped that idea pretty quickly because it sounds technically difficult to pull that off, but lately I'm reconsidering the possibility, although I'm thinking more abstract images.
Last night I had an interesting conversation about how this piece is an attempt to intersect, or juxtapose, images of war, starvation, altruism, and patriotism. So this morning, when I got up early, I was kind of on the hunt for some images that might inspire me.
I haven't really found what I'm looking for, but it's a start. Below are a number of mostly pro-American propaganda images that for some reason or another drew me in. I'm hoping now to find more pieces of photojournalism from the war, from the starvation experiment itself, and of starvation generally. I'd also really like to find some abstract images that somehow relate to the themes. I most likely won't use these images in the show, but I'm thinking more that they could be a starting point for working on the piece visually and theatrically.
From WW2 in Color
http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/315891-2/life_245
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Title: Disabled Veteren
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0318a.gif
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Title: A record of Boeing-Witchita's 1,000th B-29 moving through the production lines.
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0475a.gif
From Northwester University's WWII Poster Collection
Title: Millions now don't get the food they need.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 2
Notes: "Dept. of Agriculture, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 782.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-67.jpg
From Northwestern University's Poster Collection
Title: These breed danger : meals that are too meager, meals poorly prepared, meals low in protective foods.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 5
Notes: "Dept. of Agriculture, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 782
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-72.jpg
Title: Some can't buy : some don't know, some don't try.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 3
Notes: "Agriculture Department, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 781.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-71.jpg
From Northwestern University's WWII Poster Collection
Title: 1 pound sugar allowance coupon /
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: [194-?]
Format: 1 sheet : b & w ; 22 x 22 cm.
Notes: Sheet of 8 coupons. / "OPA form no. R-327"
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1647-62.jpg
From Northwestern University's WWI Poster Collection
Title: We French workers warn you : --defeat means slavery, starvation, death
Artist: Ben Shahn
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww0207-05.jpg
As we presented it last week, it starts out with a person crawling very slowly, painfully slowly from the back of the stage to the front. Then there's a transition, and the second scene is Ancel Keys delivering a monologue, perhaps to a group of fellow doctors, about how they were going to be able to succeed with the experiment.
I got some good feedback. People seemed engaged with the physical energy that I was working with, although Steve Busa suggested that I might look into incorporating some Butoh movement. He also suggested that I start to think about differentiating the characters in the story.
So when I met with Maggie today we watched some Butoh youtube videos, which do indeed inspire me. I think incorporating that style of movement, or at least being influenced by it, is something I'd like to play with.
I also talked to Maggie about really taking a look at the main characters and try to develop a separate physical language, and vocal language for each. We're planning to do that on Friday.
I woke up very early this morning and started thinking about the visual aspect of the show. When I first thought of the piece, I had this idea that there would be projected images of the starving conscientious objectors at various points in the show. I scrapped that idea pretty quickly because it sounds technically difficult to pull that off, but lately I'm reconsidering the possibility, although I'm thinking more abstract images.
Last night I had an interesting conversation about how this piece is an attempt to intersect, or juxtapose, images of war, starvation, altruism, and patriotism. So this morning, when I got up early, I was kind of on the hunt for some images that might inspire me.
I haven't really found what I'm looking for, but it's a start. Below are a number of mostly pro-American propaganda images that for some reason or another drew me in. I'm hoping now to find more pieces of photojournalism from the war, from the starvation experiment itself, and of starvation generally. I'd also really like to find some abstract images that somehow relate to the themes. I most likely won't use these images in the show, but I'm thinking more that they could be a starting point for working on the piece visually and theatrically.
From WW2 in Color
http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/315891-2/life_245
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Title: Disabled Veteren
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0318a.gif
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Title: A record of Boeing-Witchita's 1,000th B-29 moving through the production lines.
http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0475a.gif
From Northwester University's WWII Poster Collection
Title: Millions now don't get the food they need.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 2
Notes: "Dept. of Agriculture, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 782.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-67.jpg
From Northwestern University's Poster Collection
Title: These breed danger : meals that are too meager, meals poorly prepared, meals low in protective foods.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 5
Notes: "Dept. of Agriculture, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 782
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-72.jpg
Title: Some can't buy : some don't know, some don't try.
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: 1941.
Format: 1 poster : b & w ; 64 x 51 cm.
Series: Make America strong series ; no. 3
Notes: "Agriculture Department, Extension Service"--Monthly catalog 1941, p. 781.
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1645-71.jpg
From Northwestern University's WWII Poster Collection
Title: 1 pound sugar allowance coupon /
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. G.P.O.,
Date: [194-?]
Format: 1 sheet : b & w ; 22 x 22 cm.
Notes: Sheet of 8 coupons. / "OPA form no. R-327"
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww1647-62.jpg
From Northwestern University's WWI Poster Collection
Title: We French workers warn you : --defeat means slavery, starvation, death
Artist: Ben Shahn
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww0207-05.jpg
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Collaboration
I've asked Maggie Scanlan to help me with The Minnesota Starvation Project. I should say that I've asked her to direct it, although I haven't used that word yet, to her or to myself until just now. I asked her to collaborate with me on it, to help me shape it, to give me feedback, etc. But to ask her to direct it- implies a certain relinquishing of power that I know I need to do but am scared to.
This play is my baby. It has been percolating in my head for years, and I've written several versions of it. It takes a certain amount of humility to be able to say: I need help with this, I can't do it by myself.
As an actor, it's a lot easier for me to work with a director. I think of myself as a hired gun: I do my job, as I know how to do it, in order to carry out the vision of the director and/or writer (if that person is alive). I feel very confident in my abilities, and it doesn't hurt my feelings if I'm told that I made the wrong choice. Perhaps this comes from spending three years of grad school being constantly torn apart- I developed a thick skin.
With writing it's different. I feel a lot more possessive of the work, and a lot more insecure. I have had horrible experiences letting other people direct my work, so much so that for years I absolutely refused to allow anyone direct it but myself. But there is a certain limitation to this approach. This fall, for the first time in nearly eight years that I allowed someone else to direct something I wrote. It was a ten minute play I wrote for Commedia Beauregard's Masterworks: The Goya Plays. I feel like it was a good exercise in letting my work go. It was good practice, and the fact that I wrote the play specifically for the project helped, because I wasn't uncontrollably invested in it.
Also this fall I was in a play that I think was a good example of what a healthy collaboration can be. I had the opportunity to perform with Barbra Berlovitz in her play Stories as Told in a Bed which was directed by her longtime friend and collaborator Bob Rosen. The two had a shorthand form of communication, from their 30 years of working at Theatre de la Jeune Lune together, that was so fun to watch. In a way the dynamic they developed between writer/author and director is one that I would like to use in my own work. While clearly the play was Barbra's vision, she let Bob take charge the artistic direction of the piece once rehearsals started. It was a beautiful balancing act of listening, communication, and play.
I hope that Maggie and I can find a similar fruitful way of working. I know it's possible. We've done a number of shows together and I consider her a great friend. I feel some of my best acting work was done with her as a director. With that knowledge, I plunge ahead, trying to keep my eyes open, trying to keep breathing.
This play is my baby. It has been percolating in my head for years, and I've written several versions of it. It takes a certain amount of humility to be able to say: I need help with this, I can't do it by myself.
As an actor, it's a lot easier for me to work with a director. I think of myself as a hired gun: I do my job, as I know how to do it, in order to carry out the vision of the director and/or writer (if that person is alive). I feel very confident in my abilities, and it doesn't hurt my feelings if I'm told that I made the wrong choice. Perhaps this comes from spending three years of grad school being constantly torn apart- I developed a thick skin.
With writing it's different. I feel a lot more possessive of the work, and a lot more insecure. I have had horrible experiences letting other people direct my work, so much so that for years I absolutely refused to allow anyone direct it but myself. But there is a certain limitation to this approach. This fall, for the first time in nearly eight years that I allowed someone else to direct something I wrote. It was a ten minute play I wrote for Commedia Beauregard's Masterworks: The Goya Plays. I feel like it was a good exercise in letting my work go. It was good practice, and the fact that I wrote the play specifically for the project helped, because I wasn't uncontrollably invested in it.
Also this fall I was in a play that I think was a good example of what a healthy collaboration can be. I had the opportunity to perform with Barbra Berlovitz in her play Stories as Told in a Bed which was directed by her longtime friend and collaborator Bob Rosen. The two had a shorthand form of communication, from their 30 years of working at Theatre de la Jeune Lune together, that was so fun to watch. In a way the dynamic they developed between writer/author and director is one that I would like to use in my own work. While clearly the play was Barbra's vision, she let Bob take charge the artistic direction of the piece once rehearsals started. It was a beautiful balancing act of listening, communication, and play.
I hope that Maggie and I can find a similar fruitful way of working. I know it's possible. We've done a number of shows together and I consider her a great friend. I feel some of my best acting work was done with her as a director. With that knowledge, I plunge ahead, trying to keep my eyes open, trying to keep breathing.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment
I had my first meeting for Redeye's Works in Progress yesterday. I presented my proposal, which is currently titled The Minnesota Starvation Experiment. It's a one woman show about the 36 conscientious objectors who, during World War II, participated in an experiment at the University of Minnesota in which they basically had to starve for a year.
The volunteers were young, patriotic men who, for religious or moral reasons could not fight in the war, but they wanted to serve their country in the best way they could. They were recruited by the University of Minnesota in a study led by Ancel Keys called "The Minnesota Starvation Experiment".
I first heard about the study when I was in high school, but I've wanted to write a play about it for several years now- starting in about 2007. I started writing it last fall as a full length traditional script, and then recently have re-worked it as a one woman show.
I want to explore the incredible altruism that fueled the actions of these volunteers, and the suffering that they endured- not because they were forced to, but because they wanted to help society.
I also want to look at how a person survives emotionally when their physical needs are not being met. The scientific result of the Keys study was that for the men, when they were in the deep levels of starvation, couldn’t function physically or emotionally. They were in fact barely able to communicate. I’d like to explore this aspect of the study.
I got some really good feedback during the first meeting about the project. Kevin said he really liked that I was challenging the cult of World War II, particularly in a time when our country is engaged in two wars. World War II has historically been labeled "the good war" but as indicated in my piece, not everyone felt that way at the time.
Other feedback included asking how the starvation could be abstracted- how could I make it real to the audience.
Mirium brought up a good challenge which was how will I be able to engage the audience when I am creating a layer of distance by doing the story of these men as a one woman show. "How do you make sure the personal comes through?" she asked. I think making the connection between their struggle and my own experiences will help bridge that distance, but I did voice my fear that I don't want to go too far in terms of personalizing it. "That's a good fear to have," Mirium said. The great thing about the WIP process is that I'll be able to test out how far I can go in the workshop sessions, and get feedback when it needs to be reigned in.
I feel very good about the group of artists in the program, I'm happy to be working with Steve and Mirium again, and also that Maggie has agreed to collaborate on the project. Having people I trust supporting me helps as I look toward working on this kind of scary endeavor.
The volunteers were young, patriotic men who, for religious or moral reasons could not fight in the war, but they wanted to serve their country in the best way they could. They were recruited by the University of Minnesota in a study led by Ancel Keys called "The Minnesota Starvation Experiment".
I first heard about the study when I was in high school, but I've wanted to write a play about it for several years now- starting in about 2007. I started writing it last fall as a full length traditional script, and then recently have re-worked it as a one woman show.
I want to explore the incredible altruism that fueled the actions of these volunteers, and the suffering that they endured- not because they were forced to, but because they wanted to help society.
I also want to look at how a person survives emotionally when their physical needs are not being met. The scientific result of the Keys study was that for the men, when they were in the deep levels of starvation, couldn’t function physically or emotionally. They were in fact barely able to communicate. I’d like to explore this aspect of the study.
I got some really good feedback during the first meeting about the project. Kevin said he really liked that I was challenging the cult of World War II, particularly in a time when our country is engaged in two wars. World War II has historically been labeled "the good war" but as indicated in my piece, not everyone felt that way at the time.
Other feedback included asking how the starvation could be abstracted- how could I make it real to the audience.
Mirium brought up a good challenge which was how will I be able to engage the audience when I am creating a layer of distance by doing the story of these men as a one woman show. "How do you make sure the personal comes through?" she asked. I think making the connection between their struggle and my own experiences will help bridge that distance, but I did voice my fear that I don't want to go too far in terms of personalizing it. "That's a good fear to have," Mirium said. The great thing about the WIP process is that I'll be able to test out how far I can go in the workshop sessions, and get feedback when it needs to be reigned in.
I feel very good about the group of artists in the program, I'm happy to be working with Steve and Mirium again, and also that Maggie has agreed to collaborate on the project. Having people I trust supporting me helps as I look toward working on this kind of scary endeavor.
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