this august (2022) i had the opportunity to bring the pack back into focus for another stage of its ongoing life. the process was a grand total of three weeks and had the following folks involved:
Performers:
Creatures - Amanda Pye, Annelise Hawrylak, Elvina Raharja, Paige Sayles
Light Wizards - Emma Smith, Tanis MacArthur
Costume Design: Tanis MacArthur
Sound Design: Laura Dickens
Assistant Producer: Sky Fairchild-Waller
Accessibility Advisor + Dramaturg: Shay Erlich
All rehearsals took place at DMD and the showing took place at Surface Farm.
my “plan” for this process was “finish” this work. to have a relatively completed project that could be pitched to presenters or festivals. a big part of this push was to complete a number of production elements and have a solid idea of how much it would cost to tour the work. over the course of the mere weeks of this project…this set of goals were largely abandoned. yet again, this process served as a reminder to where my priorities and interests lie and im so fucking happy about it.
the process had/has many moving parts:
onboarding of new collaborators as performers for both creature and LW roles >>>
context of world, character, relationship to one another and the audience
having strategies to bring all performers into the/my physicality, which serves as the basis for this piece
work on cultivating a sense of autonomy for the performers with in the work, which *SPOILER* is a thread in this work for all
i went into this process feeling excited but also from a place of numbness due to personal life circumstances. in reflection, i think that this state benefited me as i was freed of the anxiety i have previously felt in leading group rehearsals. not having enough energy to stress about “ifs”, i made a concentrated effort to focus on what art making is (yes, is. i’m not arguing this point) all about: having fun.
[having fun MAY = making discoveries/pleasure/successful experiments/pushing up against+through personal blocks or artistic challenges/etc]
i can also recognize that the duration of this project likely contributed to my calmness/confidence within leading rehearsals, as the content of this work is so strong in my mind and i have put years of practice into working with groups of performers.
snape vibes
that being said, the in studio process is still an model that is ongoing development. i learned through this process i have been trying to merge a specific aesthetic with the individual (performer), who they are and their ability to make distinct choices. i (think) i discovered that i consider this approach to be different that a guided improvisation and could track it back to a conversation i had with the riotous and innovative Brain Solomon, the memory of which i will share here.
the conversation revolved around his reflections between learning visual art and dance concurrently as a student and teenager. the comparison described how when a emergent visual artist is learning skills, there is often an opportunity to develop their artistic voice (ie: having to decide WHAT to draw when practising the skill of shading). alternatively, western dance forms only offered space to practice a skill, largely omitting the ability for movers to develop and artistic voice while honing their skill (ie: PLIÉ BITCH!).
2. locating a performance site and utilizing the scheduled showing as a proof-of-concept to not only host one show, but consider how the performance would remain adaptable to other/future spaces
k. clearly the site here was/is/continues to be amazing.
im ongoingly wrestling with the idea of integrating set design elements into this show. in this version the site did so much heavy lifting in terms of design. completely found. . .
a part of the story of the pack is that the creatures are in search of a new home. that when humans (aka those in search…will i talk about this later? hard to say,) come across the creatures, it is one glimpse during their ongoing quest for a place to call home. the work touring and the performance altering to adapt to each site it is presented in is how i have wanted this work to be crafted. i am still going through mental hurdles in how to produce my ideal approach to producing this work, as i know it is not the typical way dance is toured. i suppose this creative process+showing was exactly that…is it reasonable to expect a 2 week rehearsal period per site and presentation? this process and presentation was successful in many ways and i know that actually DOING IT in a site and develop many of the production elements and practices is supportive to future versions of the work. that much i know…and that might be all.
3. take the first or next step in developing the other artistic elements of the work, which included costume, sound, FOH/audience experience+accessibility considerations
new and ongoing work with collaborators around production elements of the work and a deep desire for these elements to also react in real time
development of the character of the audience members. this too is connected to a focus on autonomy.
working with Shay to approach creating a work that takes place in nontraditional site-specific locations, that travel through the site, in the dark, with changing proximity to the performers is INSPIRING. stay tuned.
in case ANYONE is reading this, i am in search of a graphic designer/illustrator(???) to create a poster and map for the show and a sculptor to create a large scale sculpture that can be disassembled and continuous built… :D
THANK YOU
its been a full month since the show and im still not over it. hosting this process and working with so many folks who believe in what i am making and genuinely add unique and necessary contributions to the work has re-engaged me in art making in a way that i could not have predicted. i am diving back into other projects and ideas with a sense of possibility that feels completely new. it is a moment that has shifted me as a maker. i am so grateful. <3
