Tag: independent theatre

Brush up your Shakespeare, with the help of Dame June Bloom

We would like to offer three people the opportunity to receive some personal coaching in performing Shakespeare with the renowned Shakespearean actress Dame June Bloom, during her 3 appearances at the Phoenix Fringe.

Tell us in 40 words or less which Shakespeare character you would like to be, and why.  Choose your preferred performance, and if you win, you will receive two complimentary tickets (one for you, one for your guest) and be invited to join Dame June on stage during the performance.  You will present 10 lines of your favourite Shakespeare monologue, and Dame June will provide you with her own inimitable style of coaching.

Just fill in the form, and we will advise you by March 30th whether you have won or not.

Theatre Rehearsals resume, in real time

Yesterday we had our first rehearsal, together at last in real time, and in real space.

It’s hard to quantify the difference, but I’ll try. We no longer need to rush back to the computer screen when we feel the need to make a strong point to each other, or just remember that the other person can’t see us if we move too far away from the webcam. We don’t have to stop and restart Skype every time the sound or vision goes down.  We don’t have a constant whistle in the background!

Lauren and Angela

Most significant of all, is the sense of the unique human presence in the room, and the particular energy emanating from that individual presence. It has an effect, physically, on the performers – and I suspect the director also – that is just not there when working online.  This is a challenge for the emerging medium of live, online performance, if it is also to be developed and rehearsed online.  It has something to do with the very essence of live theatre.

Of course, it’s possible to compare online performance with film and tv. But in those cases, the performers were present in real time and space when they were filmed. To create performance from scratch, with only the possibility of working online is a whole new ball game, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves – preferably from the inside!

 

Thunder’s Mouth Theatre arrives in Phoenix

Here I am at last, in Phoenix, Arizona, resting up from the journey from Brisbane in preparation for rehearsals for our independent, professional production: The Fall of June Bloom (or What You Will) – Dame June Bloom on tour!

Sunset, looking east.

Last night I was invited to a family reunion (the family of Micha Espinosa, my friend and colleague, and hostess here in Phoenix) at Scottsdale, just outside of Phoenix. We were treated to much warm hospitality, great food, wine and a fantastic sunset over the desert.

Today Micha took me to ASU to see the studio where we will be rehearsing in a couple of days time.  We begin working together on Wednesday, when Angela Giron (our local director), local actor Lauren Dykes and I will finally get to meet each other in person, and discover what it is like to work in the same room. Skype has been a great way to connect up online, but nothing beats actual physical presence to really get the sparks flying.

This is the first touring production for Thunder’s Mouth Theatre, and we are honoured to be included in the Phoenix Fringe Festival.

It looks like a terrific program, you will find the full schedule at the Phoenix Fringe website. And Micha tells me there is a lot more theatre going on in Phoenix than the Fringe over the next couple of weeks, and a lot of it is free.

I’m looking forward to meeting up with a whole lot of Phoenix theatre-makers while I am here.

Turn around. Yes, this was the other side of the sky.