PEP | Performers Exchange Project

Part Two

[singlepic id=178 w=320 h=240 float=]Pressing forward into the world of text development, we PEPsters began staging the skeleton of Part II during our last rehearsal weekend. Part II focuses on the dilemma of artist vs. wife and centers on Sophia Peabody and Nathaniel Hawthorne with appearances from Frida Kahlo and Phyllis Diller – our American and Central American “Ann Sisters”.

Martha asked us to create a new etude for Part II, which literally had Sian tied up in knots. The etude also reclaimed some material/ideas about wacky medicinal techniques from the nineteenth century that we discussed much earlier in the rehearsal process. It’s interesting how ideas from conversations discussed over a year ago are finding their way into the world of play. Sometimes it feels like an idea crops up in the moment, only to be discovered that it was actually a notion from our early rehearsals – the product of a yearlong rehearsal (or sketchy memory).

In other news, our designers are also moving forward with the set and costumes – and notions of the Victorian-era-meets-the-modern-age theme are developing throughout the architecture and clothing. As Sian said in the last blog, it’s exciting to collaborate with designers on this project, and especially interesting to hear them articulate their ideas based on reading the script and listening to our description of characters and action. Yet another layer to add to the mix…

Doreen

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