u know the drill.
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| FLOWERS FOR A WORLD WITHOUT GENDER |
Let me tell you, I have never seen as incredible of a set reveal as I did for Haußmanns Staatssicherheitstheater. I mean there were audible gasps and then a round of applause before the show had even begun. Stage hands rolled on two set pieces containing different rooms from opposite sides of the stage. We thought that was the entire set... until all of a sudden it started rising. Revealed underneath were two more stories of beautifully small, intricate rooms: bedrooms, a bar, livingrooms, etc.
There were walls, ceilings, doors, and stairs. Everything seemed so planned out, so specific. Actors were using the space the way it is used in real life. And then all of a sudden people were walking through walls. Actors would step out of the little rooms and onto the stage in front of them and then continue to have a conversation with people who were still in the rooms all the while straying further and further from them. And then there were scenes dependant on the structure of real rooms, like when two men broke into and then got trapped in a woman's house when she came home. They didn't just walk through the walls then, but were confined to the small space. Why make such a realistic, intricate space just to not use it? But they did use it. Moments of using the set and ignoring it were deliberate, I'm sure. I would love to talk to that director because I found the choices intriguing, though sometimes puzzling, too. Was it just what worked best for each "bit?" Or was there an overarching pattern/reason for moments that ignored the set and those that encompassed it?
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| Charlotte Does Bunny Ears |
The best part of Die Parallelwelt was the concept. I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew there would be two shows playing at the exact same time, but I honestly didn't think there would be any interaction between them. I thought that the pieces would be separate entities. The same show playing out at the same time, but otherwise separate.
I don't know why I thought that. After seeing the show, it seems obvious that there would be interaction. It makes sense that the shows would work together to create something unique and new rather than being separate.
There are moments from the show that still stick with me: creepy Fred, the upbeat soundtrack, the terrifying moments of the old-man-baby and the dead cat. The play with gender interested me at the time, though now I'm not quite sure if that really was what they were trying to do. I don't know why the choice was made to have some parallel characters the same gender and others as different genders.
As I'm typing this out now, I realize that I have more thoughts about this piece than I originally realized. I was ready to type that although I enjoyed the concept, the execution didn't thrill me. However, now that I've reflected on the moments that stood out to me, I've realized something. This show played a lot with fear. Nearly everything that stuck with me is related to fear; related to being afraid, disturbed, and more than uncomfortable.
I feel like I don't often come across this kind of genre in theater. At least not in this way. This show was creepy, eerie, off-beat, and guttural. It was very different than any other piece we encountered. And for that, I applaud it. I'm interested in seeing more pieces that delve into this genre. So I revoke what I typed earlier. The concept of a parallel-show was not the best part. The world in which this piece lived in was. The fact that it sought to deal with the ominous, frightening, unsettling, and foreboding is what makes it stand out in my memory.
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| Photocreds to Will |
I'll start off by saying that I can't imagine You Are Not the Hero of This Story with a man in it. I'm glad we saw it the way we did. It would have also been cool to have seen it again with the other actor and to be able to compare the performances, takeaways, etc.
The set design was so simple and effective. Watching the actors struggle uphill (literally) sparked in me a fascination and appreciation of the human body.
The voice overs on the other hand left me... wanting more. Whose voices were being played? What were the sources? Why were these voices chosen over others? What was trying to be said? The choices sometimes felt arbitrary. Sometimes weak. If there was a cohesive message in the quotes, I had trouble finding it.
I guess that's how I felt about the entire piece. A little lost. Wanting more. Struggling to discover what was trying to be said.
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| Purple Jessie |
The Misanthrope (Der Menschenfeind) delighted me. A large part in why I enjoyed it was the text. I adored listening to the German rhymes and reading the English ones. I came out of this play wanting to buy the piece and explore it (in all three languages: the original French, German, and English!).
I also absolutely loved the design of the piece. The set, lighting, and costumes all came together to create a cohesive vision. Everything was beautifully done and pleasing to the eye. I didn't notice the qualms some of my fellow artists had with the direction (mainly it being too linear and flat; the actors were often standing in straight lines) because I was too focused on taking in the beautiful fabric of the clothing and watching the movement of the string/elastic/bungee (?) set. Though I will say that as someone who has not studied directing I might not have the trained eye to pick up on those things in the first place.
The only part of the piece that felt out of place for me was the transitions. In each transition sequence, music would start blaring and actors would begin performing acrobatics on stage, using the bungee-cord-set as their means with which to do so. I was excited that the actors were playing with the space they were given, but couldn't really see how these moments tied into the overall vision of the piece.
Transitions aside, I found myself being reminded of Professor Bernhardi while experiencing this play. I think that is because of how controlled and specific it felt while simultaneously feeling very truthful.
All in all, I know what play I'm reading next.
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| The Bowl When It Was Respected vs. The Bowl Now |
Der Palast was the right show to end our journey on. I was floored by the use of language, movement, voice, and pitch. I was once again reminded of the beauty and power of the human body. I think that's something shows in Germany have really done for me. I've come out of them in awe of and with an appreciation for human bodies in a way that I never really have before. It gives me the urge to train my body and use my body to its fullest potential.
As I move forward you can catch me in movement classes, voice classes, and speech classes. And above of all, catch me in my original piece, co-created by Jessie: Open House (Nothing To See Here).
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