It is only at night that no shadows exist. - Carl Jung

Post-show musings and excitement!!

2009-08-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hello theatre friends!

(Or whatever dogs and cats happen upon this here page.)

Thanks to everyone who came to support us—even those of you who did not posit a review, and you know who you are. It's been a couple of weeks now since the Fringe closed, and we've all had some time to reflect on the overall Agamemnon experience. It was a positive experience, I think, a good first run as company and producer.

One that could have gone so much worse.

Not gonna lie, it was a little disappointing to read some of the reviews we got:

"The playwright has rendered every character so incredibly incompetent that I can't believe they would be able to tie their own shoes, let alone win a war or plot a murder."
"The only reason to see this show is Heather Quigley as Clytemnestra, and possibly the sock puppets. The material itself is dreadful and makes no sense."
"The script is uneven and left unaided by the uneven (and flat) performances given by the rest of the cast."
"I felt rather embarrassed for the rest of the cast, to have to put up with such terrible material."
"The production seems to lack an understanding of its own strengths, rendering it incapable of developing or capitalizing upon them."

They did seem to like Hannah fairly consistently though:

"Hannah Norris is a consistently bright light of quirky fun in this otherwise murky production."
"Oozes quirky so much, you might step in quirky. One of the stronger performers."
"I will give Hannah Norris some credit as the Watchgirl, whose clownish role at least brought some quirky spark to the stage."

I'm not going to speculate on all the reasons reviewers didn't like the show (and there were many), but the biggest lesson that I took away is that whatever show or project we pursue in the future, it has to start with and stay true to the mission and vision statement of Shadow & Substance, like a rubric:

Shadow & Substance Theatre is a company committed to fostering and investing in the skills of its artists. We want to engage our audience through new, relevant works and bold interpretations of existing literature while stimulating interaction with the culture and the world in which we live.
We are a theatre of images, motion and emotion... limited only by the scope of our imagination... shaped by our shared beliefs... connected to the world and the culture at large by the authors of the works we present, and by the human beings who carry out their vision.

Eric and I started out with the intent of producing something that would be fun and silly. He had a script, I had a company, so it just made sense to do a show together... right?

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But ultimately, the script wasn't worthy of our actors or the Festival, and, as one reviewer put it, needed to be "slick, smart and compact and hew close to the original themes that made the play a classic in the first place." Our adaptation was none of those things.

So onward and upward. I'm kicking around a number of ideas for our next show, which, given how this one turned out, is going to have to be really good to make up for the disappointment of Agamemnon.

In other news, I am very, very excited about Sandbox Theatre's production of .faust in November. June of Arc was incredible (I went twice and loved every minute of it), and I can't wait to see what they're going to do with this one. Apparently it's steampunk themed!!

Be still, my overly-excitable heart!!

Stay tuned...

The Top 10 Fringe Shows that Almost Made my Top Ten

2009-07-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me the other day which shows almost made my top ten list. First, there are a couple of shows that I need to see to support the people I know who are in it (and I'm not just including them because I have to—they really are great shows). I will be going to see all of these though!!

Lost and Found by Focus Dance. My sister is dancing and also helped choreograph.
This dance performance incorporates elements of jazz, modern, and classical ballet to depict the pain of loss and the joy of being reunited. Choreographers use classical and pop music to "spin" dancing.
The Red Tureen by Doolin & Dongle (best name ever). My friend CJ Lewis plays Father Bones!
In 1847, Father Padraig Bones returns to Kilkieran Valley, Ireland, to find that truth starves and food is a political weapon. Can he solve the mystery of the Night of the Burning House before time runs out?
The Rise of General Arthur by Maximum Verbosity. My friend Phillip Andrew Bennett Low wrote, directed and performs this one-man epic!
The fifth century meets the twenty-first as Lance-Corporal Pellinore is shipped off to Baghdad. It's Arthur's story...as you've never heard it before.
Schrödinger's Cat Must Die! by Pauper's Theater. My friend James Belich wrote and stars in this!
WANTED: Applicants for Dr. Volt's Mad Scientist Training Academy. Join now, unleash your inner evil genius! Physics meets physical theater, science made simple, world domination for everyone. Mayhem guaranteed.

Then there are the shows that have peaked my interest:

Helen by J & R Co.
Ellen McLaughlin's Helen uses the ultimate female icon to reveal the human cost of constructing gender through image, war through media and reality through simulation. A St. Olaf College collaboration.
Maria by Christina Lein.
Euripides' epic Greek tragedy "Medea" thrust into the present-day United States. Resurrected Maria collides head-first with current immigration turmoil and political corruption.
The Most Massive Woman Wins by Theatre Unbound.
Four women walk into a liposuction clinic-insert witty punch line here. A deeply comic and stinging social commentary on women's relationships with their bodies.
Tech Support: The Musical by Boll & Hertel Productions.
A scheming corporation and clueless customer service reps clash with one angry caller in TECH SUPPORT, the musical comedy that'll strike a chord with anyone who has ever called for help and wished they hadn't.
Thrower of Light by Cathy Wright.
Tales from the hidden corners of the human psyche: Dare to experience total theater of movement, film and voice that thrill and deceive in a chasm of emotion where gender is illuminated.
Two Short Operas: Mr. Berman's Bath-Size Bar and There's a Mastodon In My Backyard by The Dead Composers Society.
Opera? At the Fringe? Yes! It's in English. It's funny. None of the singers weigh 300 lbs. The Dead Composers Society presents two short comic (and a little absurd) operas by Minneapolis composer Stephen Houtz.

Again, if you are reading this and your show didn't make it in, it's not because I hate you or don't like your work. There are 160 shows this year, and I had to make some tough decisions! But again, I do plan on seeing the above shows!! Really.

Trailer of AWESOMNESS!

2009-07-14T21:22:00.001-07:00

My Fringe Schedule of INSANTY (or, my preliminary top 10 list for 2009)

2009-07-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I finished mapping out which shows I really want to see this year at the Fringe. Now, I should caveat this by saying that I don't know yet if any of these shows are good. I'm going solely by show image, description, or online trailer. I was looking for interesting concepts, which for me usually involve something twisted, violent, satirical, ironical, or any combination therein. And no, my show is not on this list (though it should be on yours).

David's Top 10 Fringe List

#10. - Comedy of Errors
Bedlam Theatre

The story of two identical twins separated at birth and find themselves in the same town, which just so happens to be the town where their father is being put to death, all in The Bedlam Theatre's Parking lot.

Why it's in my top pick: One of my top favourite shows of 2007 was Bedlam's Shakespeare's Hystery of Queene Margaret. Bloody, violent, and deliciously fun. While it isn't Jeune Lune (and honestly, who can fill those shoes?), I love Bedlam's style and their adaptations are great, and I'm really curious to see what they can come up with this time around.

#9. - Full Frontal
Zanzibar Productions

Love! Insanity? Brain Damage. A classic tale of boy meets girl meets ice pick.

Why it's in my top pick: The show image is a heart in a brain with an ice pick stuck through it. Again, I don't know much about this show, but again I love the twistedness of this. There is very little information on their Fringe page, which could be intentional or demonstrate a lack of preparedness as is sometimes the case with Fringe shows.

#8. - Rumspringa the Musical
Best Weird Dog

An Amish girl falls in love with a robot. With songs.

Why it's in my top pick: This has the potential to be something very, very silly, and I couldn't be more excited. Check out the videos posted both on the Fringey trailer site as well as on BWD's Fringe main page. It's a technological romance! I couldn't be more excited. The songs seem catchy and full of kitsch—everything that makes for a perfect Fringe musical piece.

#7. - The Curse of Yig
Tim Uren

In 1889, Walker and Audrey came to Oklahoma seeking a new life. They found a horror unimaginable. Learn their fate. Discover a bizarre living victim of the Curse. Feel the terror that endures through the ages.

Why it's in my top pick: I'm a huge fan of Tim Uren's work. It can be a little heavy-handed sometimes, but H.P. Lovecraft's The Rats in the Walls from 2006 was bloody terrifying and brilliant, and he's a fantastic performer as well. He manages to present great source material in a way that is both fresh, original and accessible. Nobody does live sci-fi quite like Uren. Check out the trailer, see what you think.

#6. - Pipa
The Bottling Company

This multimedia solo show follows Pipa as she weaves between the broken lines of a map, chasing her own spirit through the transient worlds of a magician, wire walker and faith healer.

Why it's in my top pick: This show was chosen as first runner-up for Montreal Fringe's 2009 Centaur Award for Best English-language production. It's so unlike me to go for dance shows, but the trailer was really the dealbreaker. The excerpt from the Philip Glass Violin Concerto No.1 was absolutely gorgeous (reminiscent of his score for Naqoyqatsi), and the production itself is impressive and exciting. A longer three-minute video on YouTube showcased a bit more, though it was a little less exciting and more like watching yoga exercises, but the concept is so intriguing that I definitely plan to see this show.

#5. - Crescendo
Allegra J. Lingo

Writer Allegra Lingo discovers that a small start can lead to a powerful end. Inspired by the music of Aaron Copland, it's like Fantasia, except with words instead of dancing brooms and scary demons.

Why it's in my top pick: I've seen some of Allegra's work in past Fringes and it's always engaging, funny, and delightfully honest (her show I Hate Kenny G last year was hilarious). She is a skillful storyteller, especially in the weaving of her own tales, something that most people aren't; but she manages to bring something to the table that teaches you something about your own experience. So I am thrilled to be seeing this offering.

#4. - Re:Trace
Ready At Will (RAW) Dance Collective

Step into a visceral excavation of a living, breathing building. Bold movement and evocative images overlap through hallways, stairwells, arteries and bony landmarks in a world of imagined memories.

Why it's in my top pick: Dance pieces don't really do much for me. For one thing, I don't really understand it, though my sister is a dancer. An exception would be Isabelle Barbat's Requiem Pour Une Ame Seule from 2007, which combined elements of martial arts, yoga, and opera into a stunning piece about birth, life and death. So RAW's piece for this year, which uses "modern dance technique, somatic movement, and contact improvisation," seems right along those lines, and the concept really intrigued me.

I love works that explore physical space, and at the same time bring awareness to issues and are about something. Trace will take the audience through the historic Colonial Warehouse in downtown Minneapolis, a central part of the city's history.

#3. - Monster
Theatre Pro Rata

This is something that really happened. You probably read about it in the papers. A boy. His father. A hacksaw. A box of body parts. Three days of torture. Urban legend becomes cinematic thriller becomes eerie foreshadowing.

Why it's in my top pick: 2009 seems the year of theatre noir (I'm still waiting for a mounting of Ubu Roi for the Fringe, or even better, an adaptation of Marat-Sade). TPR is a "text-based, actor-centered, process-driven" company, and whatever they do is exciting and edgy—the kind of theatre I love. So when I saw that they were going to be doing a show about serial killers and boxes of body parts, I was thrilled to pieces. This sounds intense. That's why I love the Fringe.

#2. - AfterLife
SunsetGun Productions

AfterLife is a dramatic, yet darkly funny take on the evolution of women in modern society told through a 'karmic lens'. Drop in on a significant day in the life of three different women in three very different eras of time. Ruth, a 1928 Appalachian midwife, would kill for a family. Marion, a 1950's homemaker, needs to discover her true yogic nature. And Karma, a slowly unraveling film producer, would settle for a bit of sanity. What do these three seemingly disconnected women have in common? Nothing... and everything. Do you know where your karma's been?

Why it's in my top pick: Performer and Co-writer Candy Simmons was voted Best Female Performer in the 2008 Victoria Fringe, and there is a good reason for that—she's awesome. Taking three characters who have "nothing and everything in common," Simmons, director Virginia Scott and writer Chris Van Strander take us on an incredible (and funny) emotional journey that spans the 1920s to the present. There is both a trailer on the Fringey website (go vote!!), but there is also a 4-minute trailer of excerpts from the show on YouTube. Solo shows are hard to pull off, but this looks absolutely sublime.

#1. - June of Arc
Sandbox Theatre

Take a peek under the apron of the paragon of motherly virtue - June Cleaver! Go beyond the Jell-O and pearls to reveal her shield of cookie-plated resentment. With live-action 1950s commercials!

Why it's in my top pick: Sandbox is an amazing little experimental ensemble theatre company in the Twin Cities that no one (including myself) has heard of. This is a show about everyone's favourite mother, if you're into 1950s pop culture that is, looking behind the mask of the picket fence and perfectly preserved house. I love theatre that reinterprets beloved cultural icons, and it looks like this will be a fascinating and entertaining psychological piece that will do just that in unexpected and exciting ways. Sandbox has an intriguing visual style that is as interesting as the pieces they create, engaging physical and human space.

Pics from last night's rehearsal...

2009-07-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Agamemnon- In Production

2009-07-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

We’re deep into the rehearsal process for Shadow & Substance's fringe show Agamemnon. I’m finding that directing a longer piece immediately after having written it is a challenge. I did that with a ten minute show when I was in college, but this is something completely different.

As I wrote the show my interaction with the show was on a very abstract level. Just blank pages filling up with both conversations and actions that did not exist yet. I knew I would have to leave that world once I started the directing process. I thought I had escaped the “Writer” mindset by the time we had auditions. It took me the first couple of weeks of rehearsal to realize that I wasn’t providing as strong of direction as the show needed. I was still interacting with the show in a detached, abstract world. I wasn't connecting with the actors, the people, who were going to give this show life.

I had gotten it into my head that I was going to direct the show just like the little movie of it I had playing in my head as I wrote it. I thought that my writing process would work double duty as my directorial preparation. It took a few rehearsals and a couple of conversations with my producer for me to realize I had to change my understanding of the production completely. I was figuring as the director of my own show, I could just ride the waves of what I had already created. All I had to do was put the show into motion and everything would all fall into place. It didn’t. I didn’t have a strong enough vision for the show, I just had a script.

Thankfully after having those conversations I’ve been able to find a stronger, more cohesive vision which has been driving our rehearsals. It's a darker vision than I was working with originally, but the strength of it gives me a valuable tool to draw more energy out of my cast.

The lesson for now is, just because you wrote it doesn’t mean you’re prepared to direct it. Directing takes preparation just like writing. They both take effort, time, and creativity.

Modest beginnings...

2009-07-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

"Good does not become better by being exaggerated, but worse, and a small evil becomes a big one through being disregarded and repressed. The shadow is very much a part of human nature, and it is only at night that no shadows exist."
— Carl Jung. "A Psychological Approach to the Dogma of the Trinity" (1942)

It's a bit of a mystery how I got to be doing theatre.

Started out my adult life a music composition major in college, and by the end had sworn off "serious" music in favour of writing for the stage. I daren't say it's any more lucrative than a life in the Classical world, though it's certainly a tad more respectable in my opinion.

I got into theatre for the sake of telling stories, which has always been my passion. Of course, like any honest performer I also got into it for the attention and the adulation, but what keeps me coming back time and again is the ability to experience someone else's life for two hours, and to come together as a community to create something that a room full of people can enjoy and lose themselves in the visceral hearing.

There I was, surrounded by talented friends—actors, writers, directors, musicians, and few places for them to work and develop their craft. As chiefly a sound designer and composer I was tired of having little creative input on the productions I worked on. And there were so many ideas I wanted to explore and experiment with. So I thought, Why not start my own company and build it up around these people that I know and enjoy working with? Produce some original pieces and do inventive reworkings of plays that have been done to death. Have the freedom to do a Purcell or Mozart opera as much as a play by Brecht or McDonagh.

So Shadow & Substance was born.

It was born partly out of frustration. Theatre today seems to fall largely into two categories: Escapist twaddle, and Postmodern tragedy. These seem the two poles of the continuum, with a myriad of colours between. But if you believe what you see on stage (or on film as well), life is either a big joke or there is no point at all. And I believe that life is neither. While there is plenty to laugh at, there is much to weep for and take very seriously.

I take the words of Carl Jung seriously—"Good does not become better by being exaggerated." Gone is the idealism of the 1950s and the days of the noble hero, though I don't know that this is necessarily an entirely bad thing. I don't think we gained much from the largely one-dimensional characters that were propped up as role models for boys and girls. The true hero is not the man (or woman) who struggles with his enemies but with his own dark side and prevails. Authors like William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler and Tennessee Williams explored this dark side of the human spirit, though with often nihilistic and morally ambiguous conclusions. It was the evils that we ignored and shoved under the carpet and refused to talk about that grew and festered into the divided and confused state that we find America in today.

"It is only at night that no shadows exist." In founding Shadow & Substance, it was my goal to shed as much light as I can and tell honest and truthful stories that portray both the best and the worst of humanity and in that find meaning and context for life. To give our audience members something to think and talk about afterwards rather than just provide entertainment for fools.

My hope and dream is that at the root of both the highest drama and the basest comedy we produce is the common goal of finding something to inspire the soul to bigger and better things.

Now you know.

David Philip Norris
Founding Artistic Director