Pink Ribbon Project

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The Pink Ribbon Project directed by Aradhana Tiwari incorporated all the art forms to dramatic effect. Her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Aradhana felt she had to do something, anything, to help. She called together artists of all disciplines to create a show that deals with the physical, mental, and emotional realities of dealing with breast cancer. Though dealing in harsh realities the show also has light moments where I found myself laughing out loud. Ironically when laughing, the deeper emotions have a chance to percolate and surface. Multiple stories intermingle and unfold. Life’s mosaic is sifted for gems. Actors and artists stories are real and told from the heart.

Dancers took to the stage seated in four chairs. Holly Harris choreographed a dance routine which began with nervous anticipation and waiting. When the chairs were in position, they were spiked, meaning glow tape marked where they would be placed in the show. Mundane everyday movements were ignited and intensified. Dancers bit their nails and shook their legs with nervous energy. Heads ticked to the side in beat to the music. At one point the dancers walked as if through quicksilver, lines crossing center stage. A dancer twirled and fell then was lifted by a male dancer in scrubs and taken off stage. The dance was energetic sensuous and vibrant. Everyone in the rehearsal shouted and clapped.

When audience members enter the theater they walk past a large canvas that is lit from behind. People are invited to write their fears on the canvas. In the final moments of the show, the canvas is rolled out center stage. An artist begins to paint white over all the fears. Fear transitions to hope. Art is used to heal. Each of the characters in the play enters and they watch the transformation. A married couple whose relationship was strained by the emotional challenges of fighting breast cancer end up walking away hand in hand. Perhaps together they can fight and win.

There are only two performances of The Pink Ribbon Project left, tonight and tomorrow night at 8pm. Performances are at the Orlando Repertory Theater, 1001 E. Princeton St., Orlando. Admission is $20 for general seating and $150 for a “giving seating” ticket. Purchasing a “giving seat” ticket will fund one mammogram for an uninsured woman. To purchase tickets, go to www.playthemoment.com or call 321-662-0611. Proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, which provides diagnostic testing and treatment for uninsured and under served women in Central Florida.

Pink Ribbon Project Rehearsal

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I went to the Orlando Shakes Black Box Theater expecting to find the Pink Ribbon project rehearsal. A group of teenage girls were tap dancing in a circle. Three of them had pink shirts on but the mood felt wrong. I checked my calender again, I was supposed to be at the Black Box Theater at the Rep. I slipped out and dashed across Lock Haven Park to the Rep. When I arrived, Matt McGrath was getting several brooms and a bicycle pump out of his car. I wondered how these props would tie in to the show.

In the first scene I sketched, Marty Stonerock and Mikki Scanlon sat on stage each bathed in a pool of light. They both spoke on cell phones. At first it seemed like they were speaking to each other but then it became clear they were speaking to their respective spouses. Mikki shifted her position in her chair, leaning forward and twisting, “Can you hear me now? I’m at the hospital. No I wasn’t in an accident! I’m fine, really I’m fine. Well, no, I’m not fine. I have breast cancer.” Marty was having a similar gut wrenching conversation trying to comprehend the impossible. “I have it, I have breast cancer… Are you there? Hello?”

Large pink ribbons were hung from the rafters. They will be used in a dance number early in the show. Aradhana Tiwari was directing and the show carries her signature. Multiple stories overlap and bloom during the course of the production. There is brutal honesty as women confront their own mortality. The show’s mission is, “To raise awareness, educating people about the physical, mental, and emotional realities that dealing with breast cancer entails. The aim to offer a therapeutic and cathartic experience for women and their families who are in the midst of the fight, touching them in the unique way that only the arts can. Lastly, our vision is to bring hope, champion faith, and ignite inspiration that will empower women as they walk forward and continue to battle on.”

I was unexpectedly moved when a young boy excitedly tried to keep his mother engaged and entertained although she had breast cancer. He was a live wire running circles around her. He showed her card tricks, dance moves and offered her brownies. She was unable to eat after chemo. Dejected he looked at the pan of brownies in his hands and muttered to himself, “Your so stupid, you know she gets sick after chemo. I have to keep her going, I just have to keep her going.” I welled up, thinking of my own mom’s battle with breast cancer. At ten years old, I was to young to even know how sick she was. But something was wrong and I just wanted to see her laugh again. I couldn’t visit her in the hospital. I suppose they wanted to keep me safe from the reality of seeing her slip away.

Though I only saw the show in fits and starts at the rehearsal, I can tell it will be a multi layered and emotionally inspiring production. The Pink Ribbon Project will be run September 16-18th at the Orlando Repertory Theater, 1001 E. Princeton St., Orlando. Admission is $20 for general seating and $150 for a “giving seating” ticket. Purchasing a “giving seat” ticket will fund one mammogram for an uninsured woman. To purchase tickets, go to www.playthemoment.com or call 321-662-0611. Proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, which provides diagnostic testing and treatment for uninsured and under served women in Central Florida.

Squatters

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Squatters was conceived by Jeremy Seghers. This was one of the few improvised shows at Fringe this year. Jeremy built the idea around the premise that a sitcom about people living through hard times can be funny. I arrived a little early and blocked in the set in my sketchbook since I knew the show was only half an hour. Logan Donahue was a guest star. Every performance of Squatters at Fringe would be unique. Jeremy said he had given prompts and suggestions the evening before in a prior performance and he suspected the actors had too much time to over think the possibilities. On the evening I sketched the actors were given prompts just moments before they went on stage.

I found myself doing improv once when director Aradhana Tiwari insisted I join her group of actors. I was way out of my comfort zone yet the thrill of scenes taking on a life of their own is a thrill. Therefore I was rooting for the cast with every quirky turn.

The show started with a stage hand wearing a head set came who out to announce the beginning of the show. We were the studio audience. The set consisted of an ugly lime green rug and furniture that looked like it was from the 60’s. Hints that the family was squatting were subtle, like when Cody Bush bragged that he had landed a job at Walmart. Logan added a real spark when he entered as a new age guru with a purple mask painted on his face. Scenes where he seduced Ashli Conrad were inspired.

There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and some outright strange surreal moments that were so campy I had to laugh. The laugh track added another layer to the humor. I must say, I had fun and this show took many chances many of which paid off. This is what Fringe is all about.

Project F – Vocals

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This was the second Project F rehearsal I was able to attend and sketch. When I arrived at the Shakespeare Theater there were only a few actors gathered in the space. Aradhana Tiwari, the director, explained to the actors gathered that this night they would begin with a viewpoints session and then move on to vocalizations for the first time. After more actors trickled in, Aradhana turned off the house lights leaving only the Ghost lamp to illuminate the stage. The actors began to walk the grid. Viewpoints is an acting regiment in which actors explore tempo, shape, duration, line, and form. When Aradhana described the process it was as if she was describing the creation of a beautiful canvas using actors and their creative spirits as the medium. She just returned from a month long viewpoints training session in NYC and her intentions and purpose were strong and clear. She often jumped up on the stage to join the actors and affect the session. My favorite quote which came up in the evenings review was, “Art is intention.” The actors were asked to do everything on the stage with a strong clear intention.

After a break. The actors were asked to sit on the stage and review some status updates that had been typed out by the director. All of the updates began with the ubiquitous Facebook “is”.

_____ is wishing and hoping.

_____ is work…again!

_____ is popping Advil like their Tic Tacs.

_____ is sending out healing energy, joy & swirling peas. Namaste ya’ll.

In the next view-pointing exercise, Aradhana divided the actors into 2 groups. When one group moved, the other group would remain still. Actors were asked to only move when they had a status to vocalize. Some fascinating things happened as one group would move in and around the other groups architecture. Sarah Lockhard lead one group and she moved frantically around the stage crouched and peering about as if she was being followed. She said, “Sarah has 534 friends.” The other actors echoed “534 friends” while mimicking her movements. At one point Dennis Neal stood still on one corner of the stage and all the other actors gathered around him. The moment became all about him.

Aradhana said she wants to explore archetypes. She asked the actors to consider what archetypes need to be in the show and how they can be represented through rhythm, melody and movement. She wants the actors to capture a persons signature through movement.

Natalie Peterson expressed the concern that she actually felt scared at one point in the session. Themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism were surfacing and they want to explore the extremes of those ideas. Dennis pointed out that everyone in the room is an exhibitionist, on some level. Aradhana pointed out that shy people can become exhibitionists on Facebook. Mary Hill pointed out that at times she could tell when an actor was reciting a line and when they were speaking from the heart from a personal space. Mary was bought into the cast because she has never been on Facebook. She honestly has no idea what most of the cast was talking about as they spoke of “pokes”, “likes” and “followers.”. She wandered the grid as an outsider.

There was some discussion on how Facebook promotes “revolving door relationships.” Just as in NYC where so many people are in constant close proximity, friendships and relationships can often be short and intense, then people move on. Facebook has the effect of throwing everyone into close proximity, knowing intimate details of people who barely know each other and perhaps have never met in person. This play has limitless potential and I’m excited by the possibilities.

War of the Worlds – Costume Designer

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As I entered the Shakespeare Theater I noticed one of my blog readers Patricia looking at the board covered with sketches I had done of the War of the Worlds rehearsals. I walked up behind her and said “I know that artist, he is a hack.” We laughed and she introduced me to her friend. She asked if I was sketching or just enjoying the show tonight and I explained that I planned to sketch backstage again. She said she probably would not have known about the show had it not been for my blog posts. That made me extremely happy. Several students from my class at Full Sail also came out to this evenings performance.
Once back stage I decided to watch the hectic activity around the prop table again. Kelly – Anne Salazar the costume designer was relaxing and reading a magazine. She had already put out all the costumes and the actors were busy getting changed upstairs. Lindsay Cohen walked past and said “Hey TT“. She has a nick name for just about everyone in the cast and now everyone refers to me as TT backstage. Sigh, its not very dignified, but I have to live with it.
The stage manager announced “Five minutes” and the actors replied “Thank you five”. Alan who plays Orson Wells quietly went over his opening lines to himself. Everyone began wishing each other luck and then the show was on. What I like about sitting back stage is that the place feels like it is in a time warp. Kelly – Anne looked like she could have been straight out of the 1930’s and the poster on the wall hearkened back to war times.
While I sketched I heard a teenage girl sobbing on the stairs above me. She was one of the younger actors performing in “The Two Gentleman of Verona” in the next theater over. I could hear the muffled singing from this musical as I worked and quite honestly the singing was often way off key. Another girl finally tried to comfort the sobbing actress. “What did you do wrong?” The sobbing actress said something in between the tears, but just thinking about it slowed down the emotions. “OK is that it.” “You didn’t do anything wrong.” “It is soooo not your fault.””We are all freaking out, it isn’t your fault.” The crying actress finally said “I didn’t want to do anything wrong.” “Come on.” The two actresses came down the steps hand in hand and went to the green room.
Suddenly a huge standing ovation broke out in the Golwin Theater and I realized War of the Worlds had rocked the house. The actors came out laughing because there had been a strange sort of group delay when they bowed. The audience didn’t seem to mind, they went wild.

War of the Worlds – Prop Table

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For Friday nights performance I immediately wandered back to the Green Room to contemplate what I should sketch next. I arrived a bit early and found the room filled with chattering and excited teenagers who were performing next door. Sophia was sitting among them. We both wondered where the War of the Worlds actors were going to change. We walked into the Goldwin Theater and Fletch was there to explain what was happening. It turned out the Young Actor Company had a performance in the theater next door at the same time as War of the Worlds. He found two other rooms for our actors to change in.
When Sophia disappeared Fletch told me about another major problem. Lightning had struck the Theater the night before and the stage lights had been blown out. Suddenly everyone as in a panic. In the final minutes before the show an electrician was called in to try and fix the problem. Fletch dreaded the thought of having to performing the play with just the house lights on.
While all this was going on Lesley Ann was working on the wardrobe placing actors props such as hats and shoes in the appropriate taped grid on the floor. Other props rested on a table with a similar grid. The stage manager gently opened the vintage lunch box and placed in an apple which Joshua would eat on the stage edge facing the audience in the first moments of the play.
Before the actors had finished changing into their wardrobes, the electrician walked past me up the stairs with a line of nervous stage hands and lighting technicians behind him. Five minutes later, an eternity for the directors, the electrician walked past me again down the steps saying, “Another tragedy averted.” He was the hero of the day. I spotted Aradhana at the bottom of the staircase I was sketching from and shouted “They fixed the lights! You have lights!” She shouted with glee.
The actors just before going on the stage would tap fists together and tap elbows for luck. Andy who played Orson Wells, flipped through a magazine. The pace of this show is very fast. Actors would often run to the table to grab something and then they dashed right back on the stage.
The small rag doll on the prop table was created by Tanja and her daughters. It is made from extra curtain material she had on hand and filled with cotton balls. The hair was made from curtain lining material that they soaked in tea.The doll has a quirky endearing quality. For Tanja it is now a family heirloom.
I went to Tastings Wine Bar to celebrate with the cast. They had much to celebrate since the night was a near disaster that turned into a glowing success. Tonight is the FINAL performance of War of the Worlds. It starts at 7 PM at the Shakespeare Theater in Lock Haven Park. I plan to dress is a fine suit to celebrate a great run with an amazing cast. The end is near.

War of the Worlds – First Baptist

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An alternate rehearsal space had to be found for War of the Worlds rehearsals. Aradhana arranged to rehearse in the cavernous choir room of the First Baptist Church of Orlando.
It is not nap time for the actors. In this scene the public is lying on the ground after the Martian invaders have sprayed a poisonous gas over the human population. The audio playing is of someone changing 1930’s radio programs quickly. The actors coughing rise from their positions. Some actors exit the stage. The radio settles on a broadcast of German marching music and two members of the cast march toward the front of the stage. The effect is chilling and it makes you realize why hysteria was so easily triggered in these times. The scene is elegantly choreographed and perfectly timed to the music. The actors had to return to these starting positions again and again as they rehearsed the scene over and over. With each run through I would get another actor placed in the space relative to the others. Joshua and other actors have started to joke with me so I have started to feel at home at these rehearsals. Only one week remains until War of the Worlds hits the stage here in Orlando. Shows start July 31st through August 9th. Check the War of the Worlds facebook page for show times.

War of the Worlds – Sound Booth

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Here Zac Alfson works his magic in the sound booth. He has his hands full as he often has to fade in the soothing sounds of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra. He of course also had to balance the sounds from the radio broadcast being conducted on the stage while also adding haunting sound effects where needed. Since all the sound cues are not set in stone at this point, Aradhana signals him on when to come in from where she is seated in the theater by turning and raising her hand.
Some complicated staging had to be worked out and Aradhana struggled to communicate to her Public actors while the Mercury Theater performers were rehearsing on stage. Since she couldn’t hear herself think, she asked all of her actors to crowd into the sound booth hoping to muffle the on stage performance. This plan was foiled since the performance was amplified with speakers in the sound booth and the speakers could not be turned off. She ultimately held her acting huddle in the hallway outside the theater.
While doing this sketch I couldn’t really see the colors as I put them on the page since it was so dark in the booth. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the sketch when I got home. I should paint in the dark more often.
During a break I was talking to Erika about how exciting all the rehearsals were to sketch and she said “This is enough isn’t it?” She meant that staging the play was one thing, but also there is enough drama right here and now, that every day is drama enough.

War of the Worlds – Read Through

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In this rehearsal the cast is checking their lines and sometimes trading lines if the dialogue seems to fit another characters personal world view better. Aradhana and Fetch work with the actors to get these details finalized or gelled. Although this wasn’t one of the longer rehearsals, it was very productive. This new stage area in the Goldman Theater is a bit tighter that the first stage the actors had used so adjustments often had to be made to be sure that the actors had room to move.
During this rehearsal as the Mercury Theater announcer is relating the horrific event as they unfolded at Grovers Mill, a thunderstorm erupted outside. The rain could be heard pounding down on the flat metal roof. Reality and fiction began to mix and compliment each other. Loud claps of thunder accentuated the scene as the martians came out of the metal cylinder and began to spray the unsupecting crowd with a fiery heat wave. Erika Wilhite suddenly remembered that she had left the roof off of her convertible and she apologized as she sprinted for the door. It was time for a 5 minute break, Thank you five.

War of the Worlds – The Public Panics

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As I set these notes on paper, I am obsessed with the thought that I might be the only artist to ever have witnessed this amazing journey as simple words on a page are converted into a mysterious and dynamic drama. Toward the end of a rehearsal Aradhana asked the actors who play the parts of “the Public” to all sit in a circle so they could read lines from a book of interviews of people who had lived through the panic caused by the Orson Wells radio broadcast. Everyone insisted I join in this reading circle so I did. Each actor in turn would read a line or paragraph from the interviews and revised excerpts from the readings were incorporated into act 2 of the show. It is surprising what people think of when they assume the end is inevitable. A policeman has to calm callers on one hand while wishing he could escape. A young woman wishes she had lived long enough to have a baby. An impoverished woman is glad she doesn’t have to pay the butchers bill and thinks to herself she might as well eat the chicken in the freezer. Some people heard about the broadcast from friends and tuned in as the worst of the Grover’s Mill invasion took place. For some it was just important to be with family and friends and accept their fate and trust in God. Sitting in this circle and adding my own voice to the confessions and lost hopes was sobering and magical.
In this sketch the actors are highlighting lines that they will later be asked to recite in the final play. When I saw the second act with these lines added the result is haunting and unexpected. This scene is lit with a ghost lamp. The tradition of the ghost lamp is that in Shakespeare’s times the lamp was used to scare ghosts away from the performance. The ghost lamp is left burning in the middle of the stage all night. This superstition continues to this day.