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.