Robert Paterno
MFA Acting 2010
We saw our first round of shows of the Theatre Festival at the school last night, and it was awesome. Although I wasn't a huge fan of every piece that we saw, it was great to see all of the different aesthetics. The first piece was a movement/dance piece with a live musician and seemed very strange to me. I think perhaps that I tried to read too much into what was taking place. The movement was very intriguing in and of itself, so I'll leave it that, I suppose. The second production, however, was INCREDIBLE. It was a fusion of actors, puppetry, live music, miniatures, and video technology that was totally out there and fascinating. I couldn't understand all of the opening monologue, but I could clearly tell that there was a story being told and that the performer was active and engaged with the material. Even though I couldn't make a direct translation, his energy kept me engaged and interested. And the rest of the show was just amazing. Live musicians on stage, miniature scenes blown up on the big screen, actors manipulating puppets and multiple cameras with perspectives of the stage action, including close-ups of the miniatures and puppet perspectives. I really appreciated the transparency of the whole production. There were no blackouts or curtains; the stage was completely exposed to the audience from start to finish. You could see the puppeteers and all of the manipulation of the miniature scenes, and I think it was very compelling. Nothing was contrived for the sake of the illusion. It really provided the audience an investment in the story and an intimacy that is often lost behind a curtain. And the miniatures were great. They really illustrated what we learn in Sarah's movement class about what's big is big, and what's small is big. Every tiny movement or sequence, especially when shown on the video screen, was important and compelling. And the whole thing was just fun and interesting to watch at every moment. I was amazed at how the puppeteers gave so much life and personality to each puppet, and told the story so clearly, without any dialogue or heavy story plotting.
As I watched, and I as I write in this moment, all I could think about is how to integrate this into my own aesthetic and create new immediate art like this. I haven't seen much avant-garde theatre, but I'm realizing more and more how powerful and immediate it is, and how you can utilize it to tell important stories while engaging audiences in new ways, challenging them and meeting them where they are rather than adhering to conventional modes of theatrical production. I have friends in Cinema Television (Sarah, Juan, I'm talking to you!) who would be fascinated by the kind of work that we saw last night, and I hope to find ways to collaborate to create some really cool stuff when I get back. Hopefully there will be opportunities for C/TV and other divisions to participate in this program in the future; I think there's so much to be gained. And I'm told that we'll be taught by this group from last night, so I cant wait to start class and integrate this into my process and aesthetic. I'm already thinking of ways to tell classic stories using these mixed media, applied movement and new perspectives. I feel like I'm already reaping great benefits from this trip and we've barely started!
I'm excited about tonight's shows. Updates to follow soon. Stay tuned.
Seacrest. Out.