Rehearsal Notes 3/3/10

SPACE PROJECT REHEARSAL
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Milepost 5
Jonathan, Julie, Faith, Maesie, Jerry, Marc, Liz

Jonathan's Notes: Need- space heater, monitor (computer), keyboard.

Warm Ups: 30 min (S-6:12, E-6:40)

Etude:

Faith 2 etudes- 3 people for the 1st, 2 people for the 2nd
Julie 3 etudes- 1 solo, 2 people for the 2nd and 3rd
Maesie 2 etudes- both require all
Jonathan 1 etude- 3 people

Faith, human-exhibits-
Faith sits gives instructions. Shines light on Maesie (Exhibit 1). Asks us to observe her posture and compare ourselves to her. Light out. Light on Julie (Exhibit 2). Compare 1 to 2 and both to ourselves. Light out. Light up, 1 and 2 stand next to each other. Light out. Please stay seated, please listen carefully repeated in the dark. Light up. 1 and 2 next to each other. Focus on expression and emotions. Light out. Light up. 1 standing, 2 seated. Asks us to close our eyes. Light out. Light up. Both stand, we are asked to open our eyes. What differences do we see? 1 and 2 sit crosslegged.

Notes:

Break: 7:30

Jonathan, fear look at the door-
Faith at microphone podium. Strobe downstage R. Maesie sits center, Julie on floor SR. Faith describes being held down by a weight, unable to move. Repeats "I couldn't move." Single floor light aimed at podium SL. Faith moves to Julie, Maesie moves to podium. Looks at door, pauses. Mumbles into microphone, looks at Faith, Julie. Faith speaks quietly in the corner. Maesie repeats "I couldn't breathe", She looks down and holds herself still as she speaks. Looks at Faith, Julie. Moves to chair. Julie moves to podium. Looks at door. Faith and Maesie talk to each other. Julie repeats story, repeats "I couldn't scream". Looks at Faith, Maesie.

Notes:

Julie, the blowjob test tube-
Podium down center. Lights out. Music plays. Lights up on podium. Julie moves slowly upstage L from the house holding a test tube with red goo in front of her. Moves to upstage wall and turns to face us at center. She wears a white paintsuit that covers her head. She moves to the podium and pours red goo into a clear testtube. A foamy reaction occurs.

Notes: Music-'Susperia' by Goblin.

Faith, laugh, jump, laugh-
Lights out. Tense string music plays. Music out. Lights up. Maesie laughs and jumps hysterically upstage. Music in. Lights out. Music out. Lights up. Maesie resumes laughing and jumping. Comes to a place of calm. Takes deep breaths. Lights out. Music in. Music out. Lights up. Maesie is still. Immediate lights out. Music in. Lights up. Music out. Maesie slowly looks SL. Lights out. Music in. Music out. Lights up. Maesie stares SL. A look of joy slowly grows until...music in. Faith rushes onstage and joins her in jumping and laughing.

Julie, test tube picnic.
Music plays. Julie carries a picnic basket onstage. Makes her way to center, looks around, smiles. Places basket on ground. Kneels, spreads a white napkin. Places in carefully in a ziploc bag, presses out the excess air. Sits back, smiles. Takes a white paint suit from the basket. Puts it on over her white dress. Takes an empty test tube from the basket. Places three spoonfulls of white powder from mason jar in test tube. Pours clear liquid from mason jar into test tube. A white foam reaction occurs. She removes paint suit, lays it out. Picks up basket and leaves.

Break: 15 min (7:55)

Discussion:

Source:
Masie -What is the purpose of the source? Structure, text?

Jonathan -wants the source material first, structure later. Source is place to get 'real things from'. Use them to generate content; text, visuals, music.

Marc- State that we are definately working for a set body of sources?

Specificity- narrow from 'epic poems' to 'epic poems by ___'.
Jonathan- Use this source method as a launching point and not an end goal. Need to choose between themes or sources.
Julie- Sources sometimes spring from the themes.
Faith-Until the sources have been picked the guiding force will default to themes.
Jonathan- Need some pressure to kick-start ideas. Force us to make a decision, "who's gonna bring it?"

Sources it is. Until we have it, keep using etudes.

Jonathan-wants to hear one source from each person.
Jonathan-Were there any ideas from last rehearsal that speak to everyone?
Faith-There were a few common threads. Tarkofsky, proust.
Marc- Sources should be digestable in roughly 10min. Bring in highlighted sections of source, or clips.
Julie- Use blog to communicate sources and notes?
Jonathan- It's up to the provider to make the source appealing. Sources should be clearly and effieciently presented.

Liz
-Oryx and Crake, search for the real in a hyper advance world.

NOTES: Drawn to the relationship between Tarkovsky's films and the novels they were based on. Intrigued to view "The Stalker".

Faith
-Films of Tarkovsky (has posted a clip from "The Mirror" on the blog. Will be posting further clips tomorrow.)
-"The Stalker", similar to "Solaris", title means 'to approach vertically'. Based on book "Roadside Picnic". Professional guide to THE ZONE, a wilderness area cordoned off by the gov. It is a room that grants wishes and desires of inhabitants. A place where laws of physics no longer apply. Other films include "The Sacrifice" and "Nostalgia". Faith will work on acquiring the remaining films. Exploring metaphysical and emotinal states.

NOTES: Borges- excited by the idea of looking at speeches (as a counter-point) to articulate what the show as a whole is attempting. How can we use this more "heady material".

Maesie-
-Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" (7 volumes, 4,000 pages translated). Most famous passage "madeline episode" the bite of a madeline takes him back to a memory. The study of involuntary memory. Had an impact on the study of neurology. The book explores formation of experience vs. a linear plot. Art triumphs over the destructive power of time. (Harold Pinter wrote a screenplay for "In Search of Lost Time" in entirety). The book is a circle, with a cyclical emphasis on Time. Maesie is intrigued by the idea of tackling, digesting, and adapting this 4,000 page document. Focus on themes of memory and time.

-"Future Archive". People discussing the present as if they were speaking in the future.

NOTES: Living History- A description of what you are about to see. Using living history as a frame (creating worlds). More lighthearted than the work has thus far been.

Julie-
-Intro to Science Fiction books as a gateway to philosophy. Science Fiction as a means of exploring the present (by donning the trappings of the future, being an "other"). It allows the viewer/reader, to suspend disbelief and delve deeply into the ideas and feelings behind the story. J.G. Ballard, Borges, introductions.

-Borges, "The book of imaginary beings". Discussing the taking of children to zoos. Zoo of reality, zoo of mythology. "The Zoology of dreams is far pooer than the zoology of the Maker."

-Phillip K. Dick, what is reality? what constitutes the authentic human being? "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." A secret love of chaos. Do not assume that order and stability is always good. Before new can be born, old must perish. The viable, elastic organism, that can absorb change; the authentic human being.

NOTES: Different modes emerging. Narrative and non-fiction conceptual exploration. How do our ideas compliment each other or contrast. Film makes us think about theater space as opposed to the literal adapting of a text. Proust- Not sure it makes sense to have something be the core of the show that the rest of the company doesn't fully understand.
Seeking out a richer, fuller text than sci-fi provides.

Jonathan-
- All sources from websites of organizations that do ____________ for a living. The Association of Living History and Farm Agriculture Museums.

-History is always changing, the recent development of "living history". The recreation of particular moments from the past, ignoring modern intrusions.

-Re-enacting ancient battles. Ancient manufacturing techniques. Feasting. Ancient poetry and presenation of literatuer. Socializing.

-Colonial "blop-blop". Only the tourists are out of time and place.

-Shaker historic village. Traditional music, production techniques.

-Aboriginal living skill school in Arizona. Offers well-rounded and honest survival and aborigianl livings skill education.

-History interpreters (=actors). A time in which everday lives were transformed by advances in agriculture and industry.

-Interested in "Future History Museum".

NOTES: Films a good source of images (that can be redefined in a new context). Proust- a well-written text is a golden trump card. A well to return to.
Tarkovsky- Attracted to films as a source of similar moments and themes. Recurring characters, motifs.

Marc-
-Looking for non-fiction work of famous sci-fi/fantasy writers. Intros and prefaces to sci-fi books. Has posted some passages to the blog. Why do artists create off-kilter worlds and scenarios. Accessing the non-ficiton behind sci-fi. Looking for speeches, letters, essays. The corespondance of Phillip K. Dick as he developed "A Scanner Darkly". Interested in hearing writers explain the importance of their works.

-Milan Kundera "The Art of the Novel". What works in fiction and what doesn't. (100 pages long, tries to cover everything).

NOTES: Excited about Proust. It stood out on Sunday. Something of that size would become the 'bible of the show'.
Intros- Short, sweet, could denature the intros and apply them to a different source.
Living History- A re-enactment of the furture.

Jerry-
-Would like to go back to the well. Find a source he is passionate about.

NOTES: Wary of putting to much emphasis on a singular source. Seems harder to use a film (vs. text) to not pull literal moments from the source. Proust provides a wealth of material that brings a freedom to pick and chooses what applies.

Phillip k. Dick- The device of speaking directly to his audience is very performative.

FINAL NOTES:
Building code: 4196. We will try to get someone here 15min early to turn on the heaters. Will prop kitchen door.

Go to googledoc of rehearsal schedule (write in initials for times when you will be present)

If you are more than 10min late call ahead.

Wants to get back into the habit of starting rehearsl at 6pm. Jonathan will be at the space early tomorrow (so will Nick!).

Homework:
Prepare research for a more detailed source discussion this Sunday (3/7). Keep producing etudes from prior notes.