Monday, September 21, 2009

Godot Production Update: What the Waters Left Behind


We are eagerly anticipating the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s (CTH) upcoming tour of Waiting for Godot, a much-celebrated production that sets the Samuel Beckett masterpiece in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. Originally, as produced by CTH in 2006 under the direction of Christopher McElroen and designed by Troy Hourie, the set was comprised of a house flooded up to its eaves leaving only the sodden roof and the top of a tree to be seen on a stage filled with water. Subsequently, the production was transferred to New Orleans in 2007 to be performed in situ, on a patch of ground in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, a place that had been virtually scrubbed bare by Katrina's wrath. Technically speaking, this latter setting is nearly a verbatim match of the staging directions offered by Beckett in the script:

A country road. A tree.

Evening.

That’s it. That’s all he wrote. Yet, in either case, the Katrina-informed setting adds a haunting resonance to the script. Who are Vladimir and Estragon waiting for? Is it Godot? Or is it the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)?

Estragon: You’re sure it was this evening?
Vladimir: What?
Estragon: That we were to wait.
Vladimir: He said Saturday. (Pause.) I think.
Estragon: You think.
Vladimir: I must have made a note of it (He fumbles in his pockets, bursting with miscellaneous rubbish.)
Estragon: (very insidious.) But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? (Pause.) Or Monday? (Pause.) Or Friday?

In any case, and as often happens in the world of theatre, it has become necessary to revise the production design for the tour. But in this instance, however, it’s not going to lead to an artistic compromise given that CTH’s production thrived in both “waterlogged” and “water receded” settings. Either way, Katrina's insult and injury remain. While I share with many of you the thrill of navigating the technical considerations involved in filling a stage with water, I’m also keeping my eye on the principal objective: a compelling Godot that is perhaps as relevant as ever. Production designer Troy Hourie took the Lower 9th Ward concept, and transformed it into a ‘what the waters left behind’ stage set that makes palpably real the reason for Didi and Gogo’s persistent desperation and impatient wait. Flotsam and jetsam litter Beckett’s country road, and the lone tree is constructed of this same debris, evidence of the human desire to go on, to make something good with what one has available, to survive, even in the face of desperation. Even though they are daunted, this is Didi and Gogo’s unspoken hope. And it is ours.

Above is Troy Hourie’s exciting model for the stage set that we’ll have here at Purdue. Also, here are links to the preview and review from CTH’s November 2007 staging of Godot in Lower 9th Ward from the Times-Picayune (New Orleans):

Preview:
http://blog.nola.com/davidcuthbert/2007/11/for_new_orleanians_waiting_for.html

Review:
file:///S:/administration/Graphic%20design/0910/Shows/Theatre%20of%20Harlem/GodotArticle.pdf design\0910\Shows\Theatre of Harlem\GodotArticle.pdf

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

24/7 (Theatre infusion in Edinburgh)



How about 24 shows in 7 days?! That was me at the end of August (23-29)! I was a delegate at the British Council Showcase 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and man-oh-man, this was an amazing infusion of theatre. I popped across the Atlantic to scout out performances that could possibly be brought to Purdue, and I'm incredibly pleased to say that there are some likely candidates amongst the bunch. In the coming months, I'll be working out the details to see what we can make happen, but suffice it to say, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a theatre lovers dream. Ok, truth be told, it can also be quite maddening. There are over 250 venues and literally thousands (I kid you not) performances from which to choose. The great part for me is that the British Council produces a "best of" showcase that really does do a great job of winnowing down the massive array of choices and thanks to being one of their international delegates, I had a remarkable slate of theatre filling my daily calendar.

Through these visits to Edinburgh over the years, I've come to know the work and aesthetics of a good number of both established and emerging theatre companies, collectives, and individual artists. I also have the great fortune of meeting theatre producers and presenters from around the globe since this is truly the Mother of All Festivals, ergo a magnet for those of us who do this work.

One of the destinations that deserves a distinct callout is the Traverse Theatre. This is unquestionably the home of new writing for the theatre in Scotland and serves as an important platform for Scottish authors (including David Greig who is one of the important names you should know). Check this place out at: http://www.traverse.co.uk/

Edinburgh is a magical city. Even when it rains. And it always does. Of course, when you're in the theatre for hours and hours each day, the weather is largely irrelevant. Nonetheless, what is always staggering for me to contemplate is that there are tens of thousands of people who are taking vacations to go to a city for a week TO SEE THEATRE! I've always known people who have done this, but to experience it on this massive scale simply makes me giddy. Let's import just a little bit more of THAT here to the States, ok?! ...And just in case you want to know what the secret formula is to see between 4-6 shows a day, it's spelled: e-s-p-r-e-s-s-o.

Great photo moment (but a poor photo on my part): a man riding a "piano-bike" stops to serenade a group of us on the sidewalk briefly before riding down a very steep hill on cobblestones. This is the multitasking strategy of the future: earn money, practice your instrument, and get a workout all at once.