I introduced the frame story to the ensemble today. For the full idea, see the last posting, but here is a summary: a group of students from different cultures are touring the Hagia Sofia and eventually get trapped in it (one idea is through an earthquake-- historically accurate as earthquakes have wracked the building over its 1500 years, and it resonates now given the devastating earthquake in Turkey a few days ago) and encounter shadows from the Hagia Sophia's past (both historic and of our own invention).
This frame leaves room for scenes/episdoes/pieces that are specific to the Hagia Sophia, as well as those more related to the lives of the students.
I asked the ensemble to re look at our themes that we posted all around the room and to break into groups of their choice to create movement sequences, tableuxs, stories, songs, chants, scenes, whatever, inspired by one of the themes. I also gave them the following as a worksheet to get them thinking about it in a way that I find a bit more useful than just: "go create something"...
Devising our play influenced by the Hagia Sophia
In your group choose one of the themes we have worked on or find a new theme. Fill out this form together and then use it to create either a tableux, a movement piece, a monologue, a story, a rhyme, a song, or a complete scene that you can share with the whole ensemble. Don’t forget the pieces don’t necessarily have to be rooted in the Hagia Sophia but they should share some of the themes that are brought to life by this ancient building. Your stories can be modern and based on your own experiences.
How does___________________________ start?
Theme
What makes it _____________________ continue?
What leads people to let _______________ continue?
What gets people to do something about_____________ ?
What changes people’s minds about _________________?
What makes people see ____________________ in a different way?
What stops _______________________ cold?
What divides people over ___________________?
What unites people over ____________________?
What else do we need to know about _____________?
They broke into groups of about 3-5 students and they each, by luck chose different themes:
Swagger
Secrecy
Hate
Survival
Silence
People enjoy status and values….
Mystery
Sacred death
I circulated and watched--we will present them on Wednesday. They still are working abstractly, so I am hoping that once they are presented we can work more on how to ground them into something that can take place on the stage. I can see how each of these themes will work within our larger frame story (for example with swagger: I think of the emperor Justinian's remarks when first walking through the completed Hagia Sophia "Solomon, I have surpassed you", as a form of swagger. Perhaps in the play when a tour guide brings this up, or if Justinian himself appears from the shadows and utters these lines, it will prompt whatever scene or piece is created by these students on swagger.)
Some students came up with some ideas on the frame idea, to add a sense of urgency to it.
1. If the trapped kids don't find a way out by morning they will become "shadows" as well.
2. One of the trapped kids must become a shadow to keep all of them from becoming one
3. Through the night sometimes the trapped kids get separated from each other, leading to a heightened sense of urgency.
All in all a good session: I look forward to seeing their work on Wednesday and building from there, as well as furthering my own thinking about the frame idea. In general the students seemed interested in the frame idea. Hopefully interested will soon turn into excitement. We will see.
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