SPRING FORUM 2009- PRODUCTION BLOGS

FORUM BLOGS

SPRING 2009 WRITER/DIRECTOR FORUM
A semi-annual festival of new works featuring women playwrights and directors
JUNE 4 -28

Another set of blogs about our upcoming Forum:

NOTES FROM WEEK FOUR, June 25-28

Potato Girl by Christine Rusch , directed by Amanda Thompson
Featuring Amie Lytle, Jim Staudt & Danielle Trzcinski

The Things She Kept by Aoise Stratford, directed by Fran Acuna
Featuring Emily Fortunato, Ashley Lovell & Meghan Powe

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Being in week four, we have really been able to take our time and experiment with different ideas during the beginning of our rehearsal process. We’ve been playing with a very stylized version of acting, and using music to underscore the entire piece, making it more dynamic.

Today we had a research focused rehearsal. We looked at images that related to our play to give us inspiration and ideas for movement and body shapes. We also read material that pertained to the play to give us an idea of how people in more rural areas of the country live.

I really love the group of people that I have been working with. They’re all eager to contribute during rehearsal and willing to try new and slightly more experimental things. We have been able to work very collaboratively, and I’m excited to see what comes out of this rehearsal process.

-Amanda Thompson, Director of Potato Girl
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So far we’ve had three rehearsals and the show has really changed since the first read -thru. We’ve played with music and creating pictures and have really explored the language and region in the play. For me the script was a bit hard to understand at first, but the more we go through it the more I learn and I love making discoveries with my fellow cast mates. I think the hardest part so far is scheduling because we all have such crazy lives. The solution: 9AM rehearsals!! It’s worth it though… :)

-Danielle Trzcinski, Spring 2009 Acting Intern, and Dorothy in Potato Girl
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Potato Girl has been a thrilling rehearsal process so far! It is amazing how much the story comes alive with every new exercise we have attempted under Amanda's guidance. We are working to depict the bleakness of the characters’ lives using music and montage while still pursuing honest connections between the characters. Everyone has been fabulous to work with and I am so grateful for the open dialogue between the director and actors in this project!

- Amie Lytle, Narcilla in Potato Girl
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As the AD/SM for Week Four, I am blessed to be stress free for the moment. It is nice to be able to take the time to iron out scheduling, find the perfect font for prop lists, and experiment with extreme styles in rehearsal. The directors, Fran and Amanda, are happy to answer my questions about their techniques and their motives for exercises. My focus is to extract as much knowledge from these two ladies as possible!

I’m realizing that I have responsibilities to the forum as well as to my productions. Helping out at the mailing party, house managing, and making connections to the other AD/SM’s are small ways to help out the festival as a whole. I’m going to try to keep working this aspect of the job, since my first instinct is usually to stay in my comfort zone, and NOT to volunteer! Maybe working with lots of people will force me to be a little more selfless.

- Ariel Francoeur, Assistant Director/Stage Manager for Potato Girl and The Things She Kept
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