The Post-Laramie Down-Low

Well, before you scream, I know this is the longest I've gone without posting. I have a myriad of excuses, but I'll just sum them up with: hell week before production, production, aftermath, working on my group's MA graduation project (for which I won't be here to perform), working on my own graduation project (Hamlet) and packing up my year of living here before I leave on the 28th of this month for Texas. Stress...is the word you're looking for and the word I've found.

So, The Laramie Project was a huge success! It was so beautifully received by audiences and we, as a cast, really cared about our work and about telling the story with integrity. Performing that show was a real honor and I loved every minute of it. It's one of those rare moments in theatre when you realize that it is possible to actually make a difference with your art. Really, really cool.

Here are a few pictures from the show. Our set was just what you see (along with another table and one more chair). Each of the 51 moments (scenes) in the show was illustrated by a projection on the infinity screen behind us. First, as you can see, is "The Laramie Project" followed by "Moment: A Definition" and so on. Simple and effective.

The marquis outside the entrance of The Corbett Theatre at East 15 Acting School.

Damian, the Aussie, as a member of Tectonic Theatre Company of NYC. So cute.

Something that was so cool that happened was on the Thursday night of the run, one of my former Youth Theatre Northwest kids and her mom came out to see the show. It just so happened that they were vacationing in London and spent their last night coming out to see my show. It was so wonderfully sweet of them and I don't know if they realize just how much it meant to me. To be able see some familiar faces and remind me that not everyone back in Seattle has forgotten about me was incredible. My thanks to Shannon and mom Ginny for their love and support. *warm fuzzies*

Shannon Kane - all the way from Seattle! And boy were her arms tired!

After the show closed it was down to working on MA graduation projects. As I've mentioned before, the University of Essex is allowing me to use Hamlet as my qualification but I am still working with my group in a "creative consultant" capacity, I suppose. My group, composed of Miranda from Wales, Linda from Sweden, Norman from Ireland, Ben from Bath, England and Jeanne from Essex, England (cool, huh?), are working on a treatment of the play Festen based on the Danish film of the same name. It is worth a rental if you can find it. It's great! They are being judged on their creativity in basing a new production based on an existing text.
It's a tough road to hoe, to be honest. For me, I try to give them as much input as I can in the three days a week I am with them. The other two days I am on my own, working on Ophelia and general Hamlet business. We are all to keep a diary, tracking the work we are doing on our projects. As an idea of the kind of work I am doing at the moment, here is my first entry. It's exciting stuff...

5 July 2007

1. The Beginnings

The idea of tackling a role like Ophelia is a daunting one. It has been, I think, both a blessing and a burden in these early stages. It seems as if everyone has his or her opinions on how this iconic role should be played. I’ve been hit from every direction with “don’t do this” or “make sure you do this” reactions to my taking on this part and it’s been a challenge in itself to tune those voices out and focus on what I want my Ophelia to say.
She is an underwritten character. She is talked of more than she speaks for herself; however, this intrigued me. After a closer reread of the version that we are using, I came to understand that Ophelia is a woman on the verge of her adult life. She has all of the pains and excitements of youth behind her and all of the joys and tests that being a woman in love and in transition invites. Ophelia is a character fraught with unrequited love, an over-bearing father and brother and the weight of two scorned hearts on her shoulders – hers and Hamlet’s. This makes for exhilarating and tricky shoes to fill but I am up for the challenge with tremendous amounts of heart and gusto behind me!

So, that's the scoop on the poop, as my brother would say. I hope to post before I leave for Texas but I am not making any promises. For all interested, I will be acquiring a US phone number when in the Lone Star State and will get everyone the number when I get it. I'll leave you with an image of Sully really doing all he could to aid my packing...xoxo