Fresh Voices

Fresh Voices is coming up... the apprentices' showcase. We're pretty ready, teching on Monday and opening on Friday (closing on Saturday). Official dress rehearsal on Thursday. Unofficial dress rehearsal - meaning, if we mess up we can start again - on Wednesday.

There are still a lot of things to tweak, to make better. I'm realizing to what extent we are lucky to be doing just exactly precisely what we are doing. Realizing that having a space to express ourselves is, truly, a blessing.

And that, well, it might not last forever. Touchstone, the apprenticeship, over in June!
What the **** am I going to do with myself then?

Just starting to think about this. Unclear, many perspectives and possibilites, but nothing pulling me towards one definite direction. I kind of like that. I kind of like that a lot. It's just a matter of not getting lost in the beauty of indecision.

So, for those of you who will not make it to Touchstone for Fresh Voices, if you would like to have a peak, here are a few pictures from my solo piece and the duo I'm doing with Zach. It's all a learning experience. And some of the stuff we're doing may be a bit obvious. But sometimes, it can be good to get rid of the obvious by expressing it. So, we're talking about a failed relationship. Me, girl, Zach, guy, what are we going to write a play about? A couple. Obvious. But, on the other hand, why not? Why deny ourselves the opportunity to write a piece about relationships?

In my solo piece, I'm talking about Alzheimer's. It has been written about a whole lot. I'm not going to bring anything particularly new to the debate, but hopefully something from my piece will be honest, and touching. I'm still working on that. Because Alzheimer's is a reality in my family's life, I find it hard to approach the subject candidly. But that's also why I chose to work on that theme. Fresh Voices is all about challenging ourselves. And I feel like we have been doing that. We'll see if the audience appreciates the effort...!

Photos from the solo piece Wanderings

Me as the puppeteer and Elena, the puppet representing an Alzheimer's patient.

Me as Elena's younger self and Elena the puppet as her older self.

Photos of the duo - we don't have a name for it yet...

Gus and Fiona in a Scottish pub. They are Celtic football fans, and were previously a couple. Still some unresolved issues there...

Gus and Fiona watching the match on tv, not so happy about what the players are doing:
"You could play some actual football instead of this pissin manky mandgy shite! You're not David Fuckin Beckham beating your nob on Rodeo Drive, you're a fuckin poster boy for Celtic! And if I catch you pulling this shite again, I'll set your mam on fire and make her shit hedgehogs!"

(excuse the langage, but they are Scottish hooligans after all. And the hedgehog line was apparently heard in a pub, for real!)

Gus and Fiona in a fantasy dance scene, involving a football and emotional intensity (what they can't express in the naturalist setting of the pub)


Gus and Fiona dancing - and Fiona (Anne, really) needs to look up at her partner instead of staring at her feet!! (note to self - stop doing that).



Zach about to do a hand stand on top of a soccer ball - Ah, choreography, you gotta love it!

About to be lifted up!