I am thrilled to share that Clive Barker, possibly my favorite author, has a new book due out at the end of October. There's a nice summary on skullring. It's called Mister B. Gone. Now I have some serious incentive to finish my applications and to make some time for this little adventure.
I'm still hoping for the final installment in the trilogy of The Art as well as the next book of the Abarat series, but this next one sounds like a wonderful addition to my Halloween celebrations.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Deviations from the plan
I had intended this blog to be a means of communicating with my family and friends about my whereabouts while I was studying in Ireland. Because I am still a student while my dissertation is in review, I figure it is technically appropriate to continue to post to it, even while I am not living in Ireland. I find it appropriate emotionally as well because I feel that part of me is still living in Dublin until my degree is complete.
I'm not sure how much I will post about it, but I am in Hong Kong visiting a dear friend who is teaching theatre here. She has invited me to go with her to one of her classes next week which I think will be interesting on many levels (academically, socially, culturally, and interpersonally). I have explored little at this point as I have been off the plane for less than a day, but the bit I have seen of Hong Kong and Lamma Island is intriguing. The sun is starting to break through and I will probably take a walk later with Jean's exuberant and affectionate dogs. Meanwhile, I will try to relax and to settle myself before I do much more work.
I'm not sure how much I will post about it, but I am in Hong Kong visiting a dear friend who is teaching theatre here. She has invited me to go with her to one of her classes next week which I think will be interesting on many levels (academically, socially, culturally, and interpersonally). I have explored little at this point as I have been off the plane for less than a day, but the bit I have seen of Hong Kong and Lamma Island is intriguing. The sun is starting to break through and I will probably take a walk later with Jean's exuberant and affectionate dogs. Meanwhile, I will try to relax and to settle myself before I do much more work.
Another Dublin farewell
It was more difficult to know I was leaving Dublin after this brief return. Perhaps it was the parallels between my initial arrival that left me excited about what could follow if I stayed for another year. Part of me did want to stay! Apart from the practical things like being a US citizen trying to stay in Ireland or finding a job, the idea of staying in Dublin as a non-student would be a nice way to spend some time. Yet I know that's what it would be: spending time. I know my next steps in life and in my career will lead me away from Dublin and away from the wonderful folks I have come to know and to cherish. I already look forward to being there again for a visit.
And only time will tell if I will return again for more than a visit. I certainly hope I will.
And only time will tell if I will return again for more than a visit. I certainly hope I will.
Fragements of Beckett directed by Brook
Legendary director Peter Brook directed a few selections by Samuel Beckett recently. The original production was in French and now there is a tour of an English version. Historically controversial, Brook was expected to do something interesting and challenging in this project.
For those unfamiliar with the theatrical works of Beckett, he is explicit about the settings, the words, and the gestures of the performers. Productions of his plays that do not adhere to the text in staging (including by changing the gender of a character/performer) have been shut down by the estate. It is not uncommon for discussions of his work to be focused on seemingly minute details because Beckett managed to strip away all the unessential elements for performance. Unfortunately, this means there is little in the text or staging to protect a production that does not thoroughly understand the essential nature of the included components.
This production included four theatre pieces and one prose piece. The arrangement of pieces shifted between the two men and the woman alone with the final piece including all three performers. The pieces with the men involved extensive physical performance, particularly Act Without Words II in which there are no words spoken. The woman performed Rockaby and the prose piece. The final performance of Come and Go defied Beckett's instructions and used this mixed-gender cast in women's dress.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this production was the execution of comedy without playing for comedic effect. The performers were clearly well-trained in clowning, but they didn't let their abilities impede upon the other layers of the text. Yes, Beckett enjoyed music hall and the physical performances of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. But it was wonderful to see the darker elements of Rough for Theatre I exist in an occasionally odd union with the humorous moments. It was measured without feeling restrained and affectionate without being overly reverent. The entire performance finished in under one hour, as advertised, and there was a palpable pleasure in the audience members both for what was seen and in the fading wish there had been more.
Peter Brook was there for the performance. I found it difficult to not observe him in part because he was so unobtrusive. He seemed intent to maintain a low-profile. When I was at the Stag's Head later, I had a wonderful conversation with a gentleman who also saw the performance and who proudly noted he shook hands with Brook. It's amazing how such a small thing can at once be accepted as relatively insignificant while still being worth cherishing. Perhaps that was the theme for the evening.
For those unfamiliar with the theatrical works of Beckett, he is explicit about the settings, the words, and the gestures of the performers. Productions of his plays that do not adhere to the text in staging (including by changing the gender of a character/performer) have been shut down by the estate. It is not uncommon for discussions of his work to be focused on seemingly minute details because Beckett managed to strip away all the unessential elements for performance. Unfortunately, this means there is little in the text or staging to protect a production that does not thoroughly understand the essential nature of the included components.
This production included four theatre pieces and one prose piece. The arrangement of pieces shifted between the two men and the woman alone with the final piece including all three performers. The pieces with the men involved extensive physical performance, particularly Act Without Words II in which there are no words spoken. The woman performed Rockaby and the prose piece. The final performance of Come and Go defied Beckett's instructions and used this mixed-gender cast in women's dress.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this production was the execution of comedy without playing for comedic effect. The performers were clearly well-trained in clowning, but they didn't let their abilities impede upon the other layers of the text. Yes, Beckett enjoyed music hall and the physical performances of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. But it was wonderful to see the darker elements of Rough for Theatre I exist in an occasionally odd union with the humorous moments. It was measured without feeling restrained and affectionate without being overly reverent. The entire performance finished in under one hour, as advertised, and there was a palpable pleasure in the audience members both for what was seen and in the fading wish there had been more.
Peter Brook was there for the performance. I found it difficult to not observe him in part because he was so unobtrusive. He seemed intent to maintain a low-profile. When I was at the Stag's Head later, I had a wonderful conversation with a gentleman who also saw the performance and who proudly noted he shook hands with Brook. It's amazing how such a small thing can at once be accepted as relatively insignificant while still being worth cherishing. Perhaps that was the theme for the evening.
small metal objects
I almost didn't make it to this show because Ruth and I went on an epic walk around south Dublin. In the end, I got to the venue just before they started the performance. The venue was a temporary structure in Mayor Square outside the National College of Ireland in the Docklands. There were seats for about seventy although it was only half full. (The half of the seating that was full was the section where there was full sun for most of the performance. Clearly that dreary summer has left Dubliners sun-hungry.) At each seat was a set of headphones.
For those unfamiliar with this area it is important to know it is primarily a business neighborhood which means the performance occurs during the lunch hour of local office workers. The audience was oriented to look down a long footpath between the NCI and some shops which was full of folks going to and from their meals. Before the performance began, there was an interesting voyeur experience to this location.
Immediately prior to the performance, a man wheeled out a handtruck with a few large signs. A sign instructed the audience members to put on headphones. A sign informing us that there should be music coming from both ears. (To my surprise, I could hear the opening notes of "Shaft" coming through clearly.) A sign said the raising of a hand would signal an usher to come correct any problems. And finally we were assured that the performance would begin shortly.
The music became more of an ambient soundscape while we watched the space in front of us. Eventually we heard voices with the other sounds and the music. The conversation was about making a rice dish for an anniversary, about one of the two men (Gary) being married and having kids, about the other (Steve) wanting a girlfriend. It was clear to me by the tone of voice and the delivery of words that the voices belonged to individuals who were slightly simple. This dialogue continued to shift between lapses of silence and careful conversation with the soundscape in the background. Eventually I realize that two of the individuals in the lunch-hour chaos are speaking in sync with the audio in my ears. The performance emerged unexpectedly from the quotidian.
The plot thickens with an attempted drug deal. Again, we hear the voice of a man, Alan, on the phone with Gary, before we see him. There is even a man sitting in profile on a nearby bench who could have been the owner of the voice. Eventually, Alan emerges from the pedestrian background. The phone call has ended and we hear and see him walk up to random men in his attempt to identify Gary. There is some social manipulation when the deal is jeopardized because Steve refuses to leave the spot where he is standing in contemplation and Gary refuses to leave Steve alone (though he does stand a fair distance from Steve during this period of contemplation).
It was an interesting story about boundaries and desires and what is socially acceptable behavior. There were points during the performance that pedestrians inadvertently became part of the action. It was an interesting experience to have the office workers looking at the audience members because, for most of the performance, it was unclear who was performing.
For those unfamiliar with this area it is important to know it is primarily a business neighborhood which means the performance occurs during the lunch hour of local office workers. The audience was oriented to look down a long footpath between the NCI and some shops which was full of folks going to and from their meals. Before the performance began, there was an interesting voyeur experience to this location.
Immediately prior to the performance, a man wheeled out a handtruck with a few large signs. A sign instructed the audience members to put on headphones. A sign informing us that there should be music coming from both ears. (To my surprise, I could hear the opening notes of "Shaft" coming through clearly.) A sign said the raising of a hand would signal an usher to come correct any problems. And finally we were assured that the performance would begin shortly.
The music became more of an ambient soundscape while we watched the space in front of us. Eventually we heard voices with the other sounds and the music. The conversation was about making a rice dish for an anniversary, about one of the two men (Gary) being married and having kids, about the other (Steve) wanting a girlfriend. It was clear to me by the tone of voice and the delivery of words that the voices belonged to individuals who were slightly simple. This dialogue continued to shift between lapses of silence and careful conversation with the soundscape in the background. Eventually I realize that two of the individuals in the lunch-hour chaos are speaking in sync with the audio in my ears. The performance emerged unexpectedly from the quotidian.
The plot thickens with an attempted drug deal. Again, we hear the voice of a man, Alan, on the phone with Gary, before we see him. There is even a man sitting in profile on a nearby bench who could have been the owner of the voice. Eventually, Alan emerges from the pedestrian background. The phone call has ended and we hear and see him walk up to random men in his attempt to identify Gary. There is some social manipulation when the deal is jeopardized because Steve refuses to leave the spot where he is standing in contemplation and Gary refuses to leave Steve alone (though he does stand a fair distance from Steve during this period of contemplation).
It was an interesting story about boundaries and desires and what is socially acceptable behavior. There were points during the performance that pedestrians inadvertently became part of the action. It was an interesting experience to have the office workers looking at the audience members because, for most of the performance, it was unclear who was performing.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Private Peaceful
In all the tickets I booked for the theatre festival, I made an effort to see a diversity of performances. Part of this effort included attending one of the family shows. Private Peaceful is an adaptation of a book about a young man who joins the English Army to fight in World War I. The story moves between him keeping track of time passing as an adult and moments from his youth or adolescence. It is a one-man show of approximately 80 minutes.
The performer, Alexander Campbell, was impressive in his range, in his precision, and in his intensity. He moved smoothly through the character transitions, embodying a stern community elder or the just-school-age Tommo with equal aplomb. Despite the audience's vigorous applause, he declined to return to the stage a third time which, to me, showed a combination of exhaustion and humility that were both reinforced during the talk-back discussion.
There were lots of adults asking questions, but he answered each question with respect (for himself, for the work, and for the speaker). I was particularly struck by two of his answers. To a question about how he keeps his energy up during the show with no one else on stage, he responded that there is fear but there is also the accountability to the material, to those who served and died in World War I, and to the audience. To a question about whether or not he feels Tommo's feelings during the show, he responded about how it varies by space, by audience, and by night because all these factors affect his feeling of safety.
Tonight was the first time in quite a long time that I really wanted to just sit with an actor and have a chat. Each actor I know who has worked on educational and family theatre has told me about how difficult it can be to maintain energy and focus during a tour. Alexander Campbell exuded a passion and respect for his work that was both charming and inspirational. And the queue of audience members who went to talk with him personally makes me think I wasn't the only one who was grateful for his efforts.
The performer, Alexander Campbell, was impressive in his range, in his precision, and in his intensity. He moved smoothly through the character transitions, embodying a stern community elder or the just-school-age Tommo with equal aplomb. Despite the audience's vigorous applause, he declined to return to the stage a third time which, to me, showed a combination of exhaustion and humility that were both reinforced during the talk-back discussion.
There were lots of adults asking questions, but he answered each question with respect (for himself, for the work, and for the speaker). I was particularly struck by two of his answers. To a question about how he keeps his energy up during the show with no one else on stage, he responded that there is fear but there is also the accountability to the material, to those who served and died in World War I, and to the audience. To a question about whether or not he feels Tommo's feelings during the show, he responded about how it varies by space, by audience, and by night because all these factors affect his feeling of safety.
Tonight was the first time in quite a long time that I really wanted to just sit with an actor and have a chat. Each actor I know who has worked on educational and family theatre has told me about how difficult it can be to maintain energy and focus during a tour. Alexander Campbell exuded a passion and respect for his work that was both charming and inspirational. And the queue of audience members who went to talk with him personally makes me think I wasn't the only one who was grateful for his efforts.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The Newlyweds
I was walking back to Rathgar after the show the evening when I saw a friend and his wife walking down the street. I suppose this wouldn't have been a bit deal had this friend not been from California and had I known he would be in Dublin. I let loose an array of expletives that would be common chatting for us back in our days at college. We laughed and made plans to meet tomorrow morning. So funny! I really feel like it's a small world now.
BLACKland
This Hungarian production was well-designed to accommodate different sensibilities. It was performed in a sterile environment with a white floor and white doors along the three walls of the stage. The back wall had thirteen doors with slightly high handles and the doors on stage left and right did not have obviously visible handles. Between and above the doors was pink carpeting and a border of children near the ceiling. The cast was dressed in formal wear (black dresses and tuxedos).
The performance was sterile and polite with some extremes such as a rendition of 'Hit Me Baby (One More Time)' with lyrics about sexual abuse against women in Hungary and the violence they take out on their fathers-abuser. Another extreme included three men whose hands were bound (very politely) and then a woman took down their trousers and underpants then used their penises as guns while another man videoed the antics. During all of this, a fellow played acoustic guitar while singing bastardized lyrics to 'Old MacDonald'. At the end of this lengthy scene which involved many denigrating activities with the bound men, the screen upstage left put up a message about George W. Bush being re-elected to presidency.
It was an interesting performance that, while it might have benefited from some editing, was effective. It was playful and serious by turns with an enduring sense of humor and intelligence about contemporary affairs in Hungary and the rest of the world.
I am still processing this performance and may write more later. For now, know that I lapsed into silence throughout the evening because there was so much to be considered.
The performance was sterile and polite with some extremes such as a rendition of 'Hit Me Baby (One More Time)' with lyrics about sexual abuse against women in Hungary and the violence they take out on their fathers-abuser. Another extreme included three men whose hands were bound (very politely) and then a woman took down their trousers and underpants then used their penises as guns while another man videoed the antics. During all of this, a fellow played acoustic guitar while singing bastardized lyrics to 'Old MacDonald'. At the end of this lengthy scene which involved many denigrating activities with the bound men, the screen upstage left put up a message about George W. Bush being re-elected to presidency.
It was an interesting performance that, while it might have benefited from some editing, was effective. It was playful and serious by turns with an enduring sense of humor and intelligence about contemporary affairs in Hungary and the rest of the world.
I am still processing this performance and may write more later. For now, know that I lapsed into silence throughout the evening because there was so much to be considered.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
The Pride of Parnell Street
This was an interesting story performed by strong actors (she was in Noah and the Tower Flower and he was in Oedipus Loves You), yet I felt there was something unfulfilling about the experience. The story follows anecdotes from the lives of a wife and her husband in Dublin. Each tells her/his own experience and the focus shifts between them for the entire 100 minutes of performance. I am not opposed to monologue plays as a form, but it is something that I think is best used selectively. There is something in the bearing witness that can be moving, but I didn't feel like it was effective in the majority of this play.
The play circled through some themes such as how violence can destroy a community while an individual's act of compassion in the face of destruction can change someone's life. There was pride in belonging, pride in surviving, and pride in not giving up hope. In the final moments of the play, their stories are still told separately but the actors are in contact for the first and only moment in the play. It was a tender and sad moment that brought me to tears.
Perhaps my frustration is that these talented actors might have done something really powerful if they had been able to interact throughout the play. Perhaps I wouldn't mind the separation if the stories were edited and streamlined a bit more. Perhaps it was the swelling dramatic music that accompanied the closing of each segment of a monologue immediately before switching focus. Perhaps I was unable to access the local significance of the story to an extent that could hold my attention through tangents in their lives.
I am hoping that through further reflection I will find more clarity in this production. In the meantime, I have seen so many good shows in the past year and in the past week that I don't mind too much if this one play lingers in an unresolved place in my mind, especially if that means I can understand it better.
The play circled through some themes such as how violence can destroy a community while an individual's act of compassion in the face of destruction can change someone's life. There was pride in belonging, pride in surviving, and pride in not giving up hope. In the final moments of the play, their stories are still told separately but the actors are in contact for the first and only moment in the play. It was a tender and sad moment that brought me to tears.
Perhaps my frustration is that these talented actors might have done something really powerful if they had been able to interact throughout the play. Perhaps I wouldn't mind the separation if the stories were edited and streamlined a bit more. Perhaps it was the swelling dramatic music that accompanied the closing of each segment of a monologue immediately before switching focus. Perhaps I was unable to access the local significance of the story to an extent that could hold my attention through tangents in their lives.
I am hoping that through further reflection I will find more clarity in this production. In the meantime, I have seen so many good shows in the past year and in the past week that I don't mind too much if this one play lingers in an unresolved place in my mind, especially if that means I can understand it better.
The Playboy of the Western World
The new version of Playboy by Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle is very witty in its contemporary parallels. They managed to transition J.M. Synge's original from its rural West to urban Dublin while maintaining the familial tensions, xenophobia, and violence. Though this production avoided much of the grittiness that can be culled from the text (and that was present in the 2005 DruidSynge production), it seems the text itself maintains the possibility of such a reading.
This production seemed to celebrate the original while finding incisive parallels to the original circumstances in contemporary Dublin. The setting of the play was no longer an illicit bar but a legal bar with illicit crime. There was an amplification of the xenophobia by making Christy an asylum seeker from Nigeria who hopes to locate his distant relatives supposedly living in Dublin. There were a few memorable lines that were very close to the original text while there were also striking deviations, notably the line about 'shifts' and the final lamentation by Pegeen Mike.
While watching the production and laughing aloud, I wondered how this version would play to audiences outside of Dublin. Sure I don't understand all the local references, but I understood enough of them from having lived in Dublin to be aware these jokes will require some dramaturgical endeavours. Of course, this is also true of original plays such as those of Martin McDonagh in which images of contemporary Ireland confront the enduring images of old Ireland. The accounts of terrible productions of McDonagh's work in the US fueled my concern for this new adaptation and the untested ignorance of some theatre-makers.
My fears for its future aside, I delighted at the interesting choices made in the production. The social triumph of Christy through a street fight rather than through a horse race became more striking as the local girls use their mobile phones to show the recordings they had made. This was not only an interesting commentary on local entertainment but it allowed for a staging similar to the effect of everyone gathered around the window to watch the race go past.
There was some awkwardness in the production, but overall it was quite enjoyable and impressively solid for a world premiere.
This production seemed to celebrate the original while finding incisive parallels to the original circumstances in contemporary Dublin. The setting of the play was no longer an illicit bar but a legal bar with illicit crime. There was an amplification of the xenophobia by making Christy an asylum seeker from Nigeria who hopes to locate his distant relatives supposedly living in Dublin. There were a few memorable lines that were very close to the original text while there were also striking deviations, notably the line about 'shifts' and the final lamentation by Pegeen Mike.
While watching the production and laughing aloud, I wondered how this version would play to audiences outside of Dublin. Sure I don't understand all the local references, but I understood enough of them from having lived in Dublin to be aware these jokes will require some dramaturgical endeavours. Of course, this is also true of original plays such as those of Martin McDonagh in which images of contemporary Ireland confront the enduring images of old Ireland. The accounts of terrible productions of McDonagh's work in the US fueled my concern for this new adaptation and the untested ignorance of some theatre-makers.
My fears for its future aside, I delighted at the interesting choices made in the production. The social triumph of Christy through a street fight rather than through a horse race became more striking as the local girls use their mobile phones to show the recordings they had made. This was not only an interesting commentary on local entertainment but it allowed for a staging similar to the effect of everyone gathered around the window to watch the race go past.
There was some awkwardness in the production, but overall it was quite enjoyable and impressively solid for a world premiere.
Long Day's Journey Into Night
I was really looking forward to seeing this production for a few reasons. It was hyped immensely because Garry Hynes of Druid Theatre was directing and the cast featured seasoned professionals such as James Cromwell and Marie Mullen. I had never seen a Eugene O'Neill play performed and this was being performed in its entirety which means it lasted more than four hours with two intervals. The added bonus was that Aidan Kelly (whom I have seen and adored in Doubt, a parable and in Terminus) played the elder son Jaime.
As I was watching the performance I recalled reading the play years ago and barely getting through it because I had difficulty grasping the nature of the dialogue. Much as Chekhov and Ibsen are performed as overly dramatic and lacking in comedy, so too is the danger with O'Neill. It was wonderful to see and to hear these fine actors enjoying the rhythms of speech and the familiar banter of family. Of course, it was painful to be caught in the midst of lies, exaggerations, and injuries but it was because their performances were so good that the tensions could mount.
The layering of responses and information throughout the play is interesting and trying at once. The characters discuss the same anecdote or memory multiple times and with variations each time depending on who is present and what the speaker hopes to gain. This was something that was particularly well done in most of the play particularly as the momentum of the exchanges increased. As the energy and attention was more focused, the tragedy of this family became more palpable, more painful. Their history of pride, deception, and complicity in substance abuse became all the more difficult to watch as the characters each reveal past injuries, dashed hopes, and anticipated sorrows. It is an epic tale and truly a long journey towards an ending, though not necessarily to a resolution.
The cast was very strong. James Cromwell's powerful cadence and resonance assured he was a strong presence aurally in addition to the strong physical presence he provides with his stature. Marie Mullen was unexpectedly formidable at times. Aidan Kelly was delightfully affable with a malign edge. Michael Esper managed his turns from advocate to adversary in the familial machinations with intensity and conviction. Overall, it was a solid production and an enjoyable evening that left me painfully aware of the oft barbed interactions of desperate and injured individuals.
As I was watching the performance I recalled reading the play years ago and barely getting through it because I had difficulty grasping the nature of the dialogue. Much as Chekhov and Ibsen are performed as overly dramatic and lacking in comedy, so too is the danger with O'Neill. It was wonderful to see and to hear these fine actors enjoying the rhythms of speech and the familiar banter of family. Of course, it was painful to be caught in the midst of lies, exaggerations, and injuries but it was because their performances were so good that the tensions could mount.
The layering of responses and information throughout the play is interesting and trying at once. The characters discuss the same anecdote or memory multiple times and with variations each time depending on who is present and what the speaker hopes to gain. This was something that was particularly well done in most of the play particularly as the momentum of the exchanges increased. As the energy and attention was more focused, the tragedy of this family became more palpable, more painful. Their history of pride, deception, and complicity in substance abuse became all the more difficult to watch as the characters each reveal past injuries, dashed hopes, and anticipated sorrows. It is an epic tale and truly a long journey towards an ending, though not necessarily to a resolution.
The cast was very strong. James Cromwell's powerful cadence and resonance assured he was a strong presence aurally in addition to the strong physical presence he provides with his stature. Marie Mullen was unexpectedly formidable at times. Aidan Kelly was delightfully affable with a malign edge. Michael Esper managed his turns from advocate to adversary in the familial machinations with intensity and conviction. Overall, it was a solid production and an enjoyable evening that left me painfully aware of the oft barbed interactions of desperate and injured individuals.
Actor Tom Murphy died
I don't know the details but an actor I have been fortunate enough to see a few times since being in Dublin died today. Tom Murphy, sometimes billed as Tom Jordan Murphy, won a Tony award in 1998 for his performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. He is also in the film Adam and Paul and was in the Corn Exchange's Everyday. During the curtain call of multiple performances in the Dublin Theatre Festival this evening, the actors asked the audience to remember him and his work with a round of applause. It was very sad and is a painful loss to the theatre community.
James, Son of James
Fabulous Beast is an Irish company who created a trilogy of performances set in the mid-lands of Ireland, yet they could have happened almost anywhere and are not entirely location-specific. I did not see the first two but have heard them discussed, especially in the past few months as the anticipation of the third production, James, Son of James, grew. What I had gathered was their work is ensemble-based with some narrative elements and lots of movement. In many ways it reminded me of Corn Exchange's Everyday which I saw in the festival last year. There was even one actor who appeared in both productions and for whom I have a tender affection. (He is excellent at performing vulnerability and in his comic timing.) This story also dealt with the interconnectedness of lives in a community though the consequences and media were different.
I found the production to be a sensual and evenly-created presentation. There were sounds and colors and textures constantly being used in the space in interesting ways. The set was a partial frame to a house, mostly made of raw pine which, from the front row, released a faint scent into the air. There were strings of work lights hanging or bundled. The actors sometimes sat at the edge of the stage in chairs. There were three aligned sections in the floor at centre stage that could be opened, two of which contained water. There was a feeling of transparency but there were also things that could not be seen.
I found the story handled the biblical inspirations simply, almost as if the references were only a fleeting parallel. I loved that the movement was used the way music is used: to express something in a heightened emotional state. There were a few songs which had simple tunes and arrangements that belied the witty or pointed lyrics. There was more dialogue than I had expected and I know it bothered some folks. Indeed it was the weakest point in the production, yet I enjoyed their work immensely.
The cast was diverse in countries of origin though the story did not require it. They brilliantly cast an Irish woman opposite an Eastern European man where he was the native person and she was the immigrant seeking work. This subtle displacement reinforced the tension between the transparent and the obscured that was present in the set and elsewhere in the story. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that I hope will have tremendous success in its tour.
I found the production to be a sensual and evenly-created presentation. There were sounds and colors and textures constantly being used in the space in interesting ways. The set was a partial frame to a house, mostly made of raw pine which, from the front row, released a faint scent into the air. There were strings of work lights hanging or bundled. The actors sometimes sat at the edge of the stage in chairs. There were three aligned sections in the floor at centre stage that could be opened, two of which contained water. There was a feeling of transparency but there were also things that could not be seen.
I found the story handled the biblical inspirations simply, almost as if the references were only a fleeting parallel. I loved that the movement was used the way music is used: to express something in a heightened emotional state. There were a few songs which had simple tunes and arrangements that belied the witty or pointed lyrics. There was more dialogue than I had expected and I know it bothered some folks. Indeed it was the weakest point in the production, yet I enjoyed their work immensely.
The cast was diverse in countries of origin though the story did not require it. They brilliantly cast an Irish woman opposite an Eastern European man where he was the native person and she was the immigrant seeking work. This subtle displacement reinforced the tension between the transparent and the obscured that was present in the set and elsewhere in the story. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that I hope will have tremendous success in its tour.
Traces
I arrived in Dublin anticipating severe jet lag because that's been the case the past two times I flew over. I was so certain I would be exhausted that I didn't book any tickets for that first night in town. Much to my surprise, I was able to take a brief nap in the afternoon and then get a little work done. I even went to coffee with Pippa and Gabry. Later that night, as I was getting myself dinner in town, I decided to see if there were still tickets for this acrobatic performance Gabry had seen. And so I went to see Traces.
As it turns out it was a wonderful combination of circus skills, dance, and dialogue. The performers started training at early ages which meant the cast was all in their early 20s but could perform with the passionate precision of someone who has been studying for 15 years. They combined personal stories and anecdotes with hilariously timed exchanges. They did tumbling, weight transfers, flips, lifts, pole climbing, dancing, skateboarding, and played music.
This production took the elements that I love about circus (that is, the immediacy and truthfulness of it) to another level by incorporating so many diverse abilities into one performance. Part of my pleasure in juggling and feats of human strength and agility is that these things are actually happening and are not easily faked. There is an honesty and tenacity to these performers and it was a pleasure to bear witness.
The bonus was learning that four of the five performers trained in San Francisco at the circus school and the co-director has ties to the New Pickle Family Circus. It is still funny to me that I went halfway around the world to see artists that trained in the same area where I lived. It definitely made me proud to see local folks being successful.
As it turns out it was a wonderful combination of circus skills, dance, and dialogue. The performers started training at early ages which meant the cast was all in their early 20s but could perform with the passionate precision of someone who has been studying for 15 years. They combined personal stories and anecdotes with hilariously timed exchanges. They did tumbling, weight transfers, flips, lifts, pole climbing, dancing, skateboarding, and played music.
This production took the elements that I love about circus (that is, the immediacy and truthfulness of it) to another level by incorporating so many diverse abilities into one performance. Part of my pleasure in juggling and feats of human strength and agility is that these things are actually happening and are not easily faked. There is an honesty and tenacity to these performers and it was a pleasure to bear witness.
The bonus was learning that four of the five performers trained in San Francisco at the circus school and the co-director has ties to the New Pickle Family Circus. It is still funny to me that I went halfway around the world to see artists that trained in the same area where I lived. It definitely made me proud to see local folks being successful.
Back in Dublin
I moved my belongings back to California at the beginning of September and started my rediscovery of life there. It felt like a holiday rather than something mundane and I suppose I planned it that way: after about three weeks I left for a three-week trip to Dublin and to Hong Kong.
This return to Dublin is an interesting parallel to my first trip over one year ago. I stayed at the same hostel where I met that wonderful Canadian Stephen and I am attending plays at the Dublin Theatre Festival again. I am spending time with my classmates, including Nick whom I met initially at the Dublin Fringe Festival last year. A part of me wishes I were going to stay on in Dublin because I have enjoyed it once I got settled, but a part of me knows it's time for me to take another step towards my goals and that means not being in Dublin.
And so I am soaking up enough Dublin to keep me company in the coming months while I am away. I am going back to restaurants I have enjoyed and walking down familiar streets and discovering how much I have absorbed in the past year. I'm glad to have this week to ease my transition from Dublin and to enjoy a little more of the art and the community that is so much a part of the city in my memories.
This return to Dublin is an interesting parallel to my first trip over one year ago. I stayed at the same hostel where I met that wonderful Canadian Stephen and I am attending plays at the Dublin Theatre Festival again. I am spending time with my classmates, including Nick whom I met initially at the Dublin Fringe Festival last year. A part of me wishes I were going to stay on in Dublin because I have enjoyed it once I got settled, but a part of me knows it's time for me to take another step towards my goals and that means not being in Dublin.
And so I am soaking up enough Dublin to keep me company in the coming months while I am away. I am going back to restaurants I have enjoyed and walking down familiar streets and discovering how much I have absorbed in the past year. I'm glad to have this week to ease my transition from Dublin and to enjoy a little more of the art and the community that is so much a part of the city in my memories.
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