On a sunny Saturday morning I stopped by Christ Church Unity at 771 Holden Avenue for an out door barbecue and goodwill community outreach program called Survive to Thrive. Rick Kirby informed me of this event aimed to feed the homeless and working poor of Central Florida. I only had a couple of hours to sketch and then I had to get to work. I focused my attention on the tented area where volunteers were making sure that the Walmart giveaway bags were full. The bags contained travel sized shampoo, conditioner, soap socks, small towels, tooth brushes, tooth paste, chap stick and a drink.
As I was sketching children ran and played in the open grass behind me. It was a beautiful day. Several people who were just arriving walked up to me and asked where the food was. I pointed towards the outdoor grills. When the grills were fired up I could smell the delicious hamburgers and hot dogs.
There were 143 volunteers at the event and approximately 93 homeless guests enjoyed the food that day. Volunteers and guests all shared the same picnic tables as they enjoyed each others company. The afternoon was filled with live music and games for the children. Events like this humble me and make me realize the importance and true meaning of giving in this holiday season.
Trees – Glory in the Highest
Having seen the final production of “The Singing Christmas Trees”, I now know that “Glory in the Highest” is one of my favorite numbers in the show. Here Jenine, the choreographer, is teaching the children the dance moves. The children are arranged with the smallest in front and the tallest in the back forming perfect wedges. A proud father sits on the side lines shooting digital pictures of his child.
In the final production the core group was on the main stage doing hand signs to the music’s lyrics and the children were on the steps leading up to the stage. They were all dressed in flowing white robes and the long sleeves billowed as they moved. The hand signs were graceful, slow and beautiful when timed to the music. I have to sing every time I hear this song. I always like to skip a beat and then belt out “Highest” a moment after everyone else. The great thing about this show is how everyone rose to the task. Not everyone was professional dancers or actors but after months of dedicated rehearsals everyone came together as a group and put on a stellar show. If someone needed extra help to learn some dance moves another cast member would step up and offer help. Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.
At the beginning of one rehearsal a cast member pointed out to the circled cast that she had wanted to give up on the show. The work was hard and endless and she just wasn’t feeling any joy in the process. Her voice broke as she told everyone this. She read that night a verse that struck a chord in her. “In humility count others as more significant than yourself.” With that thought she decided to rededicate herself to the show, trusting in the director and the cast. When I saw her beaming on the stage swaying to the music during this number, I was filled with wonder and joy celebrating the strength of the human heart.
Trees – Opening Night
Opening night I arrived a little early, walked into the First Baptist Church and made a bee line for the lighting booth to see how Jeff Atkisson was doing. He seemed to feel everything was ready and in place. He had some concern about the Kabuki Drop which reveals the trees. It seems that the air conditioning was causing there to be less pressure on the inside of the drop and so the curtain was billowing inward toward the trees. He feared it might fall into the trees becoming tangled. I said hello to Aradhana Tiwari, the director, and then she had to go back stage to rally the troops. Later when she stopped back she looked a bit nervous. She offered me a better seat but I rather liked sitting behind the camera woman. I had started this sketch and needed to finish. A small family knelled down behind the pew in front of me and ushers later bought them some folding chairs. The director graciously offered her seat to a woman and child and then she turned to walk to the back of the theater. I offered my chair to the the director but I think she needed to keep moving to calm her nerves. I returned to the sketch.
I recognized the camera woman as being the same one who had taped the Caylee Marie Anthony Memorial Service earlier this year. When the Kabuki curtain dropped and the two huge trees were lit up for the first time with the music building, the little 8 year old girl sitting next to me was watching, saucer eyed, chin up, sitting on the edge of her seat rapt and unable to move. Her mother glanced at me and we both smiled. I worked quickly and often in the dark. During one of the jazzy dance numbers I suddenly realized that the young girl was paying no attention at all to the stage but was instead watching my every move as I sketched. She was again mesmerized, and later I apologized to her mom fearing I had been a distraction. The mom wasn’t upset at all but was happy that her daughter had taken such an interest. Maybe another artist was born.
Bottom line though, the show was fabulous. The pace quickened and became more up lifting with each number. By the end I wanted to dance in the isles and finally a singer came out who encouraged the audience to clap. I couldn’t help myself and I stated singing the songs out loud. I felt a warm glow for the whole cast as they danced, especially the ones I had come to know over the course of many rehearsals. I knew of many personal hardships which had been faced and overcome. Health troubles, drug side effects, caring for an aging parent, relationships eclipsed by time, all while devoting many hours to rehearsals every week since September. So much sacrifice and yet so much all out joy! Getting to this point took grit, patience and heart. Now they were giving their all and it was glorious!
Trees – Core Line up
The night before I did this sketch, I saw the movie, Chorus Line, based on the long running Broadway play. In that show the dancers who are auditioning are asked to reveal intimate, sometime painful details of their life as a performer in order to stay in the show. When I entered the First baptist Church and saw the core group lined up, I instantly was reminded of those scenes where the cast waits in a Chorus Line as the mysterious director sits in the hall with a microphone calling the shots. Here the director, Aradhana, has the group lined up in order to decide if the winter costumes all in blue, gray and white, are working. Actors were asked to bring in whatever they had in those colors from home to save money on costuming costs. Sometimes they were asked to trade items with each other such as scarfs or coats. It was decided that some items would have to be purchased such as blue and white striped shirts. The actors are going to have to dance in these outfits and there was some concern about how hot they will get under the stage lights. When the costuming choices were made, the core group rehearsed the Winter Medley which is an energetic dance number. Joshua, who I believe has never lived in a cold climate didn’t have a coat or scarf. The director at one point asked if he could trade his shirt with another actor but then thought better of that idea.
I wandered behind the trees and found that work is still being done to wire them for the show. Jeff has just finished with the computer programming of the lights so the 45 foot high trees should be lighting up soon. Microphones are now mounted to the trees every few tiers. The orchestra pit now stands ready for the music to begin.
Trees – Oh Holy Night
I arrived late to a Trees rehearsal on Sunday after a sketching assignment for Orlando Home and Leisure. As I walked in the worship center, “Oh Holy Night” was playing and the core company was on stage with their arms raised in reverence towards Mary and Joseph who were perched on top of a monolithic stage platform which had been erected on stage. Since I last saw this stage set piece, it had been painted black. The core group slowly lowered their arms which had an amazing dramatic effect with the music playing. Later a choreographer said she got goose bumps at this moment.
Then the actors approached each other as if discussing the wonders of what they had just witnessed. Aradhana the director got on the stage to show them how to push or exaggerate the action so it would play to the back of the worship center. She approached an actor with so much energy and enthusiasm, that the actor, caught off guard, had to take a step back. She wanted everyone to act with conviction and certainty. The point made in a humerus way is certain to never be forgotten by the cast.
So many things go on simultaneously in this show and yet the emotional focus is never lost. For instance during a number when the core group is dancing on the stage, a large group of teenagers is lined up along the edges of the worship center and they swing to the beat. During another dance number the choreographer shouted out “This is about Jesus, so I want major smiles!” Sometimes surprised when I see a number I had seen rehearsed before. As an artist I am always trying to catch quick isolated moments while the bulk of the show rolls forward. I always feel I am trying to catch up to the action.
Trees – Dance Rehearsal
One of the most challenging things I have been sketching lately is the dance rehearsals for the Trees. Here the core group is rehearsing to the Winter Medley. On this evening of rehearsals began on the main stage in the worship center of the First Baptist Church. The stage must have been smaller than anticipated because the dancers looked like they were about to run into each other. After several run throughs the director finally stood up and stopped everything. She said “Sometimes we try things and they just don’t work. We should re-think this. Lets take a break from this piece and move onto something else. If we didn’t fail sometimes we wouldn’t be successful.” To keep the rehearsal moving forward it was decided that the dancers would move upstairs to the mirrored dance room and work on the Winter Medley number. The choreographer in charge took the notes in stride and this second half of the rehearsal was lively and fun. At one point Gretchen, one of the dancers, did a dance move that the choreographer really liked and that move was incorporated into the final dance routine. Creative ideas have a way of appearing sometimes as if by accident. The director entered the dance studio after several sections of the dance were polished and refined. She sat on the floor in front and watched the improvements with joy and pleasure.
I wedged myself up against the back wall to keep out of the way while I sketched. During a break several of the actors came over and wanted to see what I was up to. It is a rewarding feeling to be a witness to the hard work that goes into making a huge show like this work. I would sketch every time the dance troupe were being given notes. These relaxed moments between periods of fast action are the windows I need to find a composition and pick out the personalities from the dancers different body types.
Dance Auditions
The Harbor room is a kids area of the church which, through murals and a small dock like stage, makes it look like everyone is dancing on water. Molly and Alison were put in charge of the dance auditions. The director was also on hand to offer advice and keep things running smoothly.
First everyone in the room was taught all the steps. Everyone stood up and the instructor went through the moves one at a time. As people started to understand the dance moves they then had to be reminded to smile and look like they were having fun. I can relate since I tend to frown when I draw. If I smiled the whole time I drew however my face would hurt.
Once everyone was up to speed, the director called up 4 or 5 dancers at a time using their numbers. Then this group would go through the moves while Molly and Alison watched. The group would go through the dance moves twice which allowed Molly , Alison and the director to see everyone’s performances. This endless process allowed me to sketch the dancers in deep space. The dance began with a hip thrust from side to side and it was this movement that I tried to catch with each of the dancers. While a group was going through the moves everyone else sat in the back of the room quietly waiting for their turn.
This was a fun process to watch and sketch. When the core group of dancers was finally picked, everyone else knew that they would be working the non dancing actors rolls in the show. I am still shocked by the sheer size of this production.
First Baptist Church Stage Lighting
Here a light is being adjusted that will shine down a light fabric column. To move around the stage you often have to duck down to avoid hitting your head on the booms. In all three large booms were used to set the stage for the upcoming concert. The one being worked on here is the center boom which holds the bulk of the stage lighting. The boom behind it would hold a shear fabric curtain which would be used as a backdrop. The smaller boom in front would hold the front edge of another bolt of fabric which would drape out towards the audience sort of like a lean to tent.
Jeff checked and double checked the lighting electrical connections and he found quite a few that had been set up wrong on the first go around.
I was sitting on the stage floor while I did this sketch. The front boom had LED lights on it that were on and pointed right in my direction. Those LEDs changed colors constantly creating an ever changing light display on the stage. Having spent so much time watching the work that went into setting up the lighting, I decided I had to go to the concert on Sunday to see the final design all set up.
As we said our goodbyes Jeff introduced me to his whole crew. I showed them all the sketches and some crew members were tickled to see themselves in a sketch. Jeff looked around and asked who was wearing the purple tee shirt. Actually no one was wearing a purple tee shirt I just picked that color since it seemed to work at the time.
United Methodist Church Demolition
The First United Methodist Church located at 142 East Jackson Street was demolished in preparation to build the New Performing arts center. When I did this sketch the last wall was slowly being bought down. Many other buildings are slated to be demolished in this neighborhood across from the city hall. With the economy taking a nose dive it will be many years before the city can afford to build this Performing arts center. I am left wondering how long this lot will remain empty. I heard that the members of the church raised the money to built this structure by having bake sales and other fundraisers. I am sure it came down much faster that it went up. It is always easier to destroy than to create.
A fellow in a wheel chair stopped and asked me what I was sketching, I offered the brief story I just outlined and he said “Well maybe they should have asked for more money in the collection basket.”
War of the Worlds – First Baptist
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.