Behind the Scenes

As Elements stage manager, I came to Chicago for a week to go to some classes with Elements, but mostly to learn more about my job from professional stage managers. It was a great week - I had several meetings with production managers and stage managers from two of the larger theaters in Chicago - their generosity in sharing their craft was overwhelming. They gave me numerous practical tools, literally spent hours answering my questions, told me their stories, and have opened the door for keeping in touch with them as we head into our next production, "Pillars of the Community" by Henrik Ibsen.

I love stage managing and talking with others who have been in the business for 20 and 30 seasons, has been gratifying, energizing, and extremely inspirational!

There is no holding back with Ibsen on the line!  Yesterday we dove headfirst into scenes from various Ibsen plays with two of our teachers.  In the morning, Nick had an array of exercises to help us connect to our characters physically.  Later, with Kestutis, we explored the intentions behind our characters  So many layers to look at!  In improv class with Rachel, using a line of text from "Pillars of the Community", we literally created music with words and sounds as a group.  So passes another full day in Chicago....living to the fullest in every moment.

Breath

It's good to be breathing again.  This week we started our voice work in earnest with Christine Adaire and much of the focus is on breath. Breath being a blue print for speaking, breath being the basis of thought, intention, life and being.  The simplicity of breath, learning to be breathed - trusting myself to my breath believing that it needs no help other than my willingness just to be.  

 

 

Today I couldn't help but think back to our time in New York. These cities are so different from each other -- in Chicago, I don't think twice before I go out the door, whereas in New York, I'm embarrassed to say it would take me half and hour to figure out what to wear. I love the energy and the vibe of New York -- don't get me wrong! -- but if New York is a stiletto, so far Chicago is more like...a flip flop, and I love it. I sent up a prayer of thanks for our teachers, all of whom we have definitely "clicked" with. Everyone's style is different; they add a new color to our canvas and no doubt we are all growing. But back to New York --
Louis Colaianni gave us this word on one of our first days with him. Through all of our work together, no matter what city we're in, or what production we're working, it's still my goal.
-----
To be what I am.
To live the life that was set for me to live.
To voice the things that only I can voice.
To bear the blossoms that are commanded of my heart.
This is what I want, and surely, this cannot be presumptuous.
-Ranier Maria Rilke

Yesterday was our first class with Kestutis Nakas, Associate Professor of The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University in Chicago.   He wanted to just get to know us so he gave us a couple of exercises to get us going and give him a chance to learn a little bit about us.  One exercise was, he had us each tell two stories about ourselves to the group, one that was true and one that was a lie.  Each one had to be something a bit risky - and the rest of the group would guess which was true.  It was eye opening to me how well I know the other people in the group - but also how much I DON'T know about them!

Probably only with a theater company like Elements could this father of three and grandfather of five find himself looking forward to our second day of instruction in Stage Combat bright and early today! Our last class was killer! -well not literally, but it was SO-O-O cool. I especially like the hair pulling and the take downs...and soon we get into the slaps, punches, and swords. It's OK to admit it - I'd be jealous, too!

Falling and Falling

So, day one of classes yesterday and we started with a bang - literally - the bang of our bodies falling to the floor in stage combat!  Our teacher, Nick Pullin, of DePaul University and Fight Director and choreographer for countless regional theatres, colleges and opera companies, was teaching us the basics of falling - and I think a lot of us were feeling it last night!  Improv class with Rachel Slavick, also with DePaul Theatre School, brought some more falling - and some great new games to help us turn off our heads and turn on our instinct (not so easy for some of us who like to think things through and have a plan before we leap)  After our final class, Feldenkrais with Patrice Egleston, Associate Professor at DePaul, we were ready for some good Italian food and a performance of Chekhov's Three Sisters at Steppenwolf Theatre.  What a day - and we get to throw ourselves at it again tomorrow!