Beginning the play, meeting the bed

On October 17th, I entered the space for the first time to watch the cast in rehearsal. I did not know what to expect, or how I would relate to what was happening, but I planned to take note of my observations to share them later. As part of my Social Justice class at the University of Minnesota, I am required to volunteer with an organization that is working to improve or promote social justice issues. After reading through the whole script, I was struck by how many of the same ideas that my Social Justice class has been discussing, regarding colonization, loss of a culture, fear of the other, the plight of prisoners, feminism, white supremacy, and control of the system, I have found in Barbra's Stories. I won't go into too much detail about the script, as I would like you to appreciate it in your own right when you view the performance.

But, thus far, I have thoroughly enjoyed observing the actors, and have found many connections between their process of theatre making and the process of dance making that I have experienced in years of performing and watching choreographers create.

Here are some bits of my stream of notes during the October 17th rehearsal at the Ivy Building:

..Bob, Barbra, and cast of Sheila, Telsche, and Dario talk about how the piece will work in the actual Bedlam space. They discuss whether to use the length or the width of that space, and want to ensure the brick wall is used as some sort of backdrop. A few objects and props are set out in the studio, and the bed on wheels, on which Barbra travels and tells her story, is situated at the center of the room. Bob and Barbra play with different angles for the audience to view the show, and Sheila jokes that the audience could be on the bed, moving around to watch from various places inside the story - "5 seats per show!" Telsche makes the point that it's hard when the stage isn't very deep because it feels like, as an actor, you're always right up against the audience and you can't get distance from them.

..As Barbra and the cast are warming up, Bob and Kristin, the Stage Manager, use a tape measure to figure out placement of the bigger props and make tape marks on the studio floor to mark where the end of the Bedlam stage would be.

..The actors dress up in costumes and look at each other in the mirror, making adjustments, talking about what else they will need to find in the way of outfits for the piece. There are crumpled pieces of paper all around the set of props on the floor. Barbra puts a mesh veil over her head with some of the crumpled papers inside and lays on the bed, surrounded by more papers. There are papers in a suitcase, and some more in Barbra's shirt. Sheila, Telsche, and Dario put all the props on the bed with Barbra - stools, suitcase, blocks of wood, flood light, papers, cart - and wheel her around with it.

..They find there is a platform underneath the bed, and Bob wonders if a person could fit on it. Sheila climbs under and onto the platform. Telsche, Dario, and Bob roll Barbra and Sheila around on the bed. Sheila suggests she could play her violin from under the platform, so Bob grabs it for her and they try that out. He instructs them to try traveling in a circle. They give Barbra papers to drop off the bed as they roll her, Sheila playing under the bed, not seen. After a little while, Bob tells them to stop rolling and asks Sheila how she's doing under there. She says she's fine, but dizzy. "We can't spin too much," Bob says with a smile. He asks Sheila if she can play something fast rather than sentimental since they are really "on the move," and she begins to improvise a little. They all run to pick up the papers and give them back to Barbra to start again.

They play with this part several more times, working with the speed of the bed rolling and Sheila maneuvering to play her violin cramped under the bed. They stop at one point so Bob can help Sheila figure out a better way to situate her violin.
"They don't teach you this in music school," he says with a laugh.
Sheila laughs too: "No, they don't...how to play under a bed..."



I find it quite endearing the way Bob and the actors laugh together while improvising and trying out different ways to do the same part.

They add more to this traveling bed sequence later in the rehearsal...another stream of notes to come.

Here, also, is a photo I took today of the space. I hope it can provide a better image in your mind.

Setting up the environment

Hello Bedlam community,

As many of you may already be aware, there is a current production in the making that will run November 19th to November 22nd at the Bedlam Theatre. Created by Barbra Berlovitz and directed by Bob Rosen, Co-Artistic Directors of the former Theatre de la Jeune Lune, the work is called Stories As Told in a Bed, a piece written by Barbra that reflects the experience of an immigrant leaving all that they have known to come to a new world.

I have had the pleasure of sitting in on weekend rehearsals for the piece and would like to share my observations about their creative process, the space they are working in, and the collaboration that is happening between Barbra, Bob, and the cast.

I will begin by providing a bit of sensory information so you can really put yourself there in the space:

Imagine clean, large white walls, one long white brick wall, huge windows looking out to a quiet autumn day, orange leaves scattered all over the sidewalk. Barbra and cast members Sheila, Telsche, and Dario listen thoughtfully to Bob, who is explaining that he wants to present the image of the horses again, perhaps through transparency this time. All are sitting on stools around a large roughly built, white painted table, glasses of perfectly clear water at their wrists, surrounded by warm, open space and colorful props, posters of Jeune Lune, a tall bookcase filled with everything from circus techniques to Dante to the lives of narcotics addicts in New York. Cookies are shared, smiles shown. A beautifully inspiring atmosphere, if I may say so.

After their table talk, the actors and Barbra move to the spacious area of glossy wood floor to begin warming up. Sheila sings long, loud notes and plays with her violin, Barbra does a few squats and jumps, Telsche runs a circle around them all. Bob collects his notes, and comes to join them in the space. They then take off in the direction they have decided on for the day, moving through the next part of the script, adjusting lines and actions as they go along, and pausing now and then when someone will suggest a different way of embodying the text or a fresh way of interacting two characters or objects. I am amazed at how Barbra's story and Bob's artistic vision can coelesce, and they are so respectful of each other as the collaboration moves forward.

In my next post, I will start from the beginning of the script, as I have seen it, and provide a look into how the process has transformed the piece over time.