Out of Hand: Science and Art

AM690 OnStage with Larry Larson

2011-04-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

Listen to the radio feature with Larry Larson.

Adam Fristoe and Koos Hogeweg, artistic project leaders of Group Intelligence talk with Larry Larson about Out of Hand Theater and The Lunatics, their past work and collaborations, as well as the current project, Group Intelligence: a mass MP3 experience.

Learn more about the performances here.

Watch the promo videos. Connect through Facebook and look for yourself in the videos.

Watch performance video and learn more about the science in the experiment.

Take some time to watch this fascinating conversation between Martha Grover and Robert Spano on the convergence of new science and music. This conversation digs deep into very similar subject matter explored in Group Intelligence.

WWN at Brave New Works: Final Thoughts

2011-04-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

The cast gathered at the theater bright and early on Saturday morning for our final rehearsal of "Without Which Nothing," followed by our first staged reading of the work.

We began in a flurry of activity, with Anne, our stage manager, hurridly printing pages for a new scene to be inserted that day (!), and Clint rushing in after being blockaded in his neighborhood by marathon runners. Work continued on our opening image for the prologue, as we set more specific actions with our bodies that would compliment Raven's language. We read through our new scenes and decided they made the cut for now, and scrutinized the stage directions throughout the piece, discussing what would be helpful for the audience to hear and what could be left out. After one final read through, we took a break for lunch, feeling nervous and excited in anticipation for the afternoon's staged reading.

A little after 2pm, Matt Huff, our director, and Margaret Baldwin, our lead writer, took the stage and introduced the work, explaining to the audience that today they would be hearing the first movement of the piece. Overall, the reading went well. We had a great team of actors, from the incomparable Clint Thornton, to Emory grad Nick Surbey, to our awesome student actors -- Sophie Edwards, Josh Izaak, Madeline Teissler, and Robin Iriele -- go Emory! It was incredibly helpful to see what moments the audience responded to, what was funny or confusing, where the play dragged on or, conversely, where it felt rushed and compacted.

Out of Hand Co-Artistic Director, Adam Fristoe, lead an engaging talkback session. Audience members were asked to close their eyes, then call out any images or moments that stuck with them as compelling or evocative. Responses included the songs woven throughout; Raven's wings in the beginning; the plight of Perceval the Frog; generational relationships; the rotation of narrators; imagery of water and physical bodies; willful destruction; and the three very different worlds depicted in the play.

Discussion then moved to connections the audience perceived between the three narrative streams in the play (consisting of a scientist searching for water on Mars; three women in a dry place searching for water for a funeral rite; and a modern re-telling of the Frog Prince fairytale). One audience member voiced that a main connection was the quest to obtain or find water, though reasons for this might differ in each stream. Another member added that water seemed to mean different things to different people in each stream, while a third felt the parts of the play were connected through rituals that involved water, whether they be daily or heightened rituals. Raven's interactions and role as a trickster in the Frog and Well Women streams stood out to the audience, and some voiced a desire to see him interact more with Dr. Which and his quest to find water on Mars. Science peeps were well represented in the audience, and commented on the tension between astrophysics and microbiology that emerges through the writing.

As the work we presented in the reading was only the first half of the piece, one question we asked of the audience was, "How do you see this all coming together?" One audience member sensed that the funeral for which the Well Women characters are preparing would be the point of convergence, while another felt that Ada, the youngest character in the Well Women stream, could help connect all narratives in the end, as she is caught between old ways and the new, between the myths of her grandmother and the science she studies in America.

We left the theater feeling accomplished and relieved, with many ideas and much helpful feedback to consider as we move into the next stage of development for "Without Which Nothing."

- Erin Weller Dalton

Music and Collaboration in Without Which nothing

2011-04-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

We gathered on a balmy Friday night for our next- to-last rehearsal at Emory for the staged reading performance of Without Which Nothing. The goal of the evening seemed to be to polish and heighten dynamics we had previously touched on.

Rehearsal began with listening to a capella arrangements that some cast members made of the songs in the script. After hearing the original arrangements sung, both cast and director decided that trying a new arrangement during the reading was worthwhile. One of the actors, Madeline Teisller, had the best arrangement of the night that included layered voices and a beautiful melody.

After listening, the Well Women (Robin Iriele, Madeline, and I) were tasked with learning the new arrangements. The actors who play Dr. Which and Janet, Clint Thornton and Sophie Edwards, were asked to find moments during their scenes together to face each other and when to face the audience. Percival and Jules, Nick Surbey and Erin Weller, worked on staging choices.

Raven, played by Josh Izaak, was given a new monologue from our dramaturg and writing contributor, Barry Carman. Dr. Which, Dr. What, and Janet also gained a scene, once Margaret arrived.

With our additions, we began a full read through. Matt and Margaret discussed and decided on blocking. Our director and our playwright guided us through different takes on character interaction as it pertains to the direction of the actor’s gaze during a staged reading. After trying a few things, a decision was reached.

Raven is the only character for whom many so many parameters are different as he is both in, yet above the action. We played with this character’s rule breaking abilities. Nick played around with Percival’s voice, and staging dynamics were worked out for his interaction with Raven.

We spent some quality time on our staging of the prologue/opening sequence. In my humble opinion, I think the end result is quite striking and I can’t wait to see and hear the audience’s reaction to it. It gives a clear impression of the mythic element to the story and establishes the characters in a subtle but engaging way.

We used the last section of rehearsal to clarify characters within the Well Women narrative and to trim repetitive dialogue from the revamped script. Helpful notes about pacing and vocalization were given by Matt and adjustments were made.

We are so close to the finish line of this part of the development process. I am torn between pride and nerves about our reading. But I am also looking ahead to the play’s next stage.

-Mauree M. Culberson

Without Which Nothing Show Development

2011-04-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

The second night of Brave New Works rehearsal was a mix of physical work, character analysis and in-depth discussion of questions regarding structure and development.

Matt Huff, our fearless leader, kicked off the night by challenging us to create three non-moving stage pictures inspired by the opening image of the play. He then chose one picture and had us experiment with movement as Raven, the first character we meet in the play, read his beginning monologue. This exercise allowed us to experience the tone and imagery of the scene in a new way. Matt also let us play with setting up our chairs and reading stands in a way that reflected our relationships to each other. The result was unconventional for a typical staged reading, but certainly expressed our characters!

Concentrated work began on the first two scenes. Madeline, Robin and Mauree worked on adding song and music to their scene, as well deepening their understanding of the relationship between the women they portray. Josh explored how bombastic his anthropomorphic character, Raven, should be – where should he emphasize his performance, and where should the words speak for themselves? When is he bird-like, and when is he human? Matt insightfully encouraged actors reading stage directions to think of themselves as engaged storytellers, setting the action for the audience, instead of objective voices that merely relate information.

Margaret, our lead writer, brought new scenes she wanted to hear out loud, helping her consider how to shift the scenes from talking about action to real theatrical action. It was especially helpful to hear comments from our non-writer cast members about what images and moments stood out to them, what was funny, what confused them, etc. This lead to discussion about why characters tell stories in the play, and what those stories can/should reveal. One of our actors, Clint, offered very perceptive ideas about how to use physical action to weave points of a story more organically into one of the new scenes we had just read. We also discussed the challenge of distilling our massive amounts of fascinating scientific research into a few sentences that reveal the world of the play without explaining too much.

We left rehearsal with many questions, and are eager to jump back in at Friday’s rehearsal.

--Erin Weller Dalton

Interactive video. You are the star

2011-04-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

Watch the Interactive Group Intelligence video here!

Check out theses groundbreaking videos created by Captain Crazy TV for Out of Hand's Group Intelligence: a mass MP3 experience. If you allow Facebook connectivity, your pictures show up in the video and it calls you by name. Seriously. It's fantastic and little mind blowing.

Out of Hand collaborates with The Lunatics (Netherlands) collaborates with Captain Crazy TV. This is a cool project.

Without Which Nothing Rehearsals

2011-04-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

Despite the stormy night that preceded it, we met for our first Brave New Works rehearsal at Emory
for Out of Hand’s and Margaret Baldwin’s Without Which Nothing. We were situated on the same floor
as two other BNW pieces being rehearsed that night. We began in a circle and in the middle of it all of
course………a pitcher of water.

Our wonderful director, Matt Huff, began our introductions with a watery twist. He asked each of us to
describe our most scary, sacred, and/or awe inspiring moment with water. The replies varied greatly.
They included nearly drowning, getting caught in dangerous storms, falling off a boat while fishing, and
falling into water in the dark of the woods.

For our first task we turned our attention towards 3 image boards that our lead writer, Margaret
Baldwin, made. Each board contained images that described in visuals some aspects of the 3 narratives
(often called streams) in the play.

We were split into two groups and asked to make 3 slides (stage pictures) inspired by or based upon one
image what we as a group selected from the image boards. Matt gave us the use of chairs and music
stands but we were not to use speech or movement. The slides we came up with were although still
very active and gave the feel of movement. Stand outs included all the actors in one group lying on their
backs in a circle balancing chairs above them. Another of note included a group lift of one actor.

When talking with the other contributors at break, I found that we shared similar feelings after the
initial rehearsal read through of the script. It was great to hear new voices and perspectives on words
that to us contributors seem old. Hearing the interpretations of fresh eyes on the words breathed into
them new life. Things that were funny months ago but not weeks ago were funny again. A slight change
in pacing made pieces that didn’t seem to fit well together flow beautifully. Subtext was rediscovered.

After a break, there was a discussion about Out of Hand’s ensemble approach to creating new work.
Barry, our dramaturg and one of the contributors, spoke of the importance of different voices within
the company coming together to make the play truly poly-vocal. Margaret spoke of her role as head
writer and writing coach on the project and of taking the many voices and making them meld into part
of a whole while still retaining what is important about each of them. (That is a huge undertaking! Go
Margaret.) Erin and I, both writing contributors, spoke of our research and talked a bit about how we
contributed to the writing process, as well as the ever important rewriting process.

There was much talk of science and myth as it relates to water. We chatted about water origin stories
from many different cultures, astrobiology terms and themes, frogs as bioindicators, and waterborne
diseases. We wanted to somewhat familiarize the cast with some of these ideas that we have been
researching and concentrating on these past few months.

As one of our last assignments we were to use one line in the script per character and demonstrate
how we would play that scene if we were given full physical range for the performance but were only
allowed to use our music stand and chair. It was revealing to play with physical distance with the script
and explore what that added to character development.

We had a blast and are looking forward to reading more and helping shape this project into its final
version!

-- Mauree Culberson

International Year of Chemistry

2011-03-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

This year, Out of Hand is in residence at the NASA/NSF Center for Chemical Evolution. Last week, we participated in an International Year of Chemistry event at Emory University. 200 Dekalb County High School students participated in a trial run of GROUP INTELLIGENCE, a mass MP3 experience.

This Science and Art experience uses techniques from MP3 Flash Mobs to create immersive experiences for audiences. In this experiment, participants play the part of primordial molecules forming the universe, solar system and the first complex organisms.

"It was especially entertaining during the theater part. It's fun how you can put two things together (science and art) and something amazing comes out."
- Andre Smith, Dekalb County High School Junior

Without Which Nothing

2011-03-03T14:19:00.001-08:00

a new play created by Out of Hand and Margaret Baldwin

interweaving three stories surrounding the mystery, the sanctity, and urgent global crises of water, this new play is in development as part of Brave New Works at The Playwriting Center at Theater Emory.
April 9th @ 2pm - join usfor the 1st reading of this new work.
More details on ticketing coming soon.

Group Intelligence: a mass MP3 experience - in development

2011-03-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

Out of Hand and The Lunatics make new spectacle theater for Atlanta

Previews April 14 - 16 at Emory University
Premieres April 21 - 23 at Woodruff Park
Touring Europe June - July
A free, spectacular outdoor event about the origins of life and water scarcity. Water is essential for life. Water is running out. In Group Intelligence, world myths and rituals become vessels for contemporary water issues, including water scarcity, water wars, and rising water levels due to climate change.

Join our mailing list, Facebook page and check back here for the latest information

supported by the NASA/NSF Center for Chemical Evolution, Theatre Communications Group, The Playwriting Center at Theater Emory, and Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton

"A timeless, impressive visual spectacle." - Thea van der Schoot, Gelderlander

Associate Artist Auditions September 14 - 15

2010-09-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Associate Artist Auditions
by Out of Hand Theater
Union Audition | Non-Union Audition
Where: Emory University's Rich Building, room 210
When: Tuesday, September 14th 6:30 - 9:30pm
Wednesday, September 15th, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Contact: adam@outofhandtheater.com for an audition

Out of Hand is holding auditions for new associate artists to grow into the core ensemble company. Invited artists will train with Out of Hand throughout the year learning Out of Hand’s brand of theater making, developing new performances, with potential performance opportunities in the SHOW!, One Day Play, The Break Up and others.

This is a year long commitment to weekly company training, providing support to performances and growing the company as a whole. Invited Artists will work with the company to develop The SHOW!, the Water Project and new performances for public spaces. The audition will consist of physical exercises, and ensemble theater making assignments. At the end of the audition, each artist will have an opportunity to perform a special skill. Artists who are extended an offer will be expected to attend Fall Physical Theater training, Sunday morning company training and all Out of Hand events for the year. This is an unpaid position with real potential to grow into a full time Out of Hand Company member.

Visit www.outofhandtheater.com for more information about the company
or email Co-Artistic Director, Adam Fristoe with specific questions. adam@outofhandtheater.com

Hominid Europe Tour part 1

2010-04-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Utrecht, The Netherlands, home of The Lunatics! We’ll be here for about a month rehearsing with the Dutch performers and building the designs before we start the tour.

We have a sweet little apartment right in the center of the old city. We even have a little garden with an enormous, blooming forsythia shrub. The city is gorgeous. We’re right next to the Oude Gracht, the old canal, with great little shops and cafes. And we ride bikes to the LunaLab, The Lunatics offices, shop and rehearsal space. It was pretty scary the first few times on the bikes. There are about a million bikes and scooters on the streets, blithely passing each other with inches to spare.

The company is great. Our nine Dutch performers spent the first week learning Viewpoints and Compositions, studying de Waal’s books and The Family of Chimps, the documentary film about this community of chimpanzees, and building a style. Then Adam arrived and we started staging. We have our first stumblethrough of whatever we’ve made so far on Tuesday night.

The set is enormous. I think it’s 15 meters wide by 25 meters deep. It’s covered with Astroturf, and there’s an actual moat full of water across the front. There are two greenhouses for the sleeping quarters, and a 2 story high metal tree that spouts water for the rain scene and explodes a shower of daisies for the spring.

We rehearse outdoors, so we douse ourselves with sunblock every morning, and sometimes it’s really cold. The company provides lunch, which is really nice, and dinner too when we rehearse in the evening. We all sit down at a big table and eat together every day. The Dutch all eat sandwiches of butter and chocolate sprinkles, and the first time I saw one, I laughed out loud, until I figured out they think it’s perfectly normal. I still prefer Nutella.

Rehearsal photos to come!

Read this new story about HOMINID touring Europe

2010-04-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

EScience Commons is a wonderful Science news blog written at Emory University and covering the exciting science discoveries coming out of Emory University and beyond. We are honored that they chose to cover the tour of HOMINID, a new play by Out of Hand Theater and Ken Weitzman touring Europe this summer in collaboration with The Lunatics, a Dutch spectacle theater company.

Read the story here.

Radio Story with Frans de Waal, PhD and Co-Artistic Director Adam Fristoe

2009-11-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Listen to the radio feature on HOMINID with interviews with Dr. Frans de Waal, Co-Artistic Director Adam Fristoe and actor Carolyn Cook. This lovely piece gives clear insight into the story of Chimpanzee Poltics, the source material for HOMINID, as well as the process of developing the show and includes audio of the rehearsals. Give it a listen.

This radio piece was created by journalist Phil Graitcer.

Production photos by Daniel Weiss

Buy Tickets here or call 404-727-5050 for reservations
Return to the Out of Hand Website here.

Our Family Tree

2009-11-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

This NOVA webpage details how humans are related to the other Hominids in our family tree. In Hominid, we ask the audience to look at humans as apes, rather than asking the actors to play chimpanzees. The premise is that since humans ARE apes, we don’t have to “play” at being apes.

Explore the NOVA Family tree website.

Actually, this premise is part of how we arrived at the production designs. In translating a chimpanzee story for humans, we asked ourselves, what kind of people are these characters? They live in a zoo, so they don’t have to work or forage for food or defend themselves; they’re waited on hand and foot: they’re the idle rich. This was perfect for us because while it’s easy to see that people might behave like animals in extreme situations, in war, in prison, in desperate poverty, our point is that all people are animals, not just some. So costuming our community in elegant tennis whites and giving them a lovely garden to live in suits our needs perfectly. Plus, the production is gorgeous! Watching the first dress rehearsal on Sunday night, I was struck by how well it works: I was looking at apes in clothes.

A conversation with Frans de Waal

2009-10-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

The questions Dr. de Waal tackles in this video are the primary questions we are working from in adapting Chimpanzee Politics for the stage. Take a listen and please leave comments and quesitons below. This video is a good framework for watching HOMINID. We'll see you soon.

A History of the Project

2009-10-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hominid started out as a commission from The Playwriting Center at Emory to develop a play based on the research of Frans de Waal, one of the world’s leading behavioral scientists, who’s also at Emory. The commission was attached to the Evolution Revolution conference last year, so we got to attend the conference and hear a bunch of incredibly interesting scientists, including de Waal, talk about evolution as it relates to their fields.

De Waal is both in the Psychology Department and the head of the Living Links center at Yerkes, the primate research center at Emory. He studies our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, to shed light on the human ape. Ken and Adam and I read a handful of his books (he’s also a bestselling author), interviewed his team, hung out with the chimps, and filled ourselves with de Waal’s ideas. We got interested in the traits we share with other great apes: the need for hierarchy to maintain order, undeniable differences between genders, the power of coalitions, how we reconcile, celebrate and mourn. We knew what content we wanted to include, but we needed a structure, a story, a way to put it together. We workshopped ideas with a group of students and our ensemble, and came up with a number of exciting scenarios and ideas, but still no glue to hold them together. We searched and searched and tried and failed, and then we found it.

The story was staring us in the face. We went back to de Waal’s very first book, Chimpanzee Politics, and realized that the story de Waal captures there, a true story, was far better than any story we could ever invent. It has everything, and if it were made up, people would say it was too far-fetched, but real life is stranger than fiction.

We developed Hominid as part of Emory’s Brave New Works program last winter, again with a mix of students and professionals from our ensemble. I came in each day with a new set of assignments for the group, each assignment a set of parameters for the group to figure out how to stage a segment of the story. I would give them an assignment, and then I’d leave the rehearsal room and let them work without me for a while. When they were ready, I’d come back and watch what they’d done. Later we’d show these segments to Ken, who recorded them and turned them into the script. Then Ken and Adam and I would get together late at night and talk about what worked, what was still missing, where to go next. At the end of three weeks, we showed what we had so far to the public and to Frans, and got feedback. Then Ken and I continued to work on the script over the summer, and Ken introduced the idea of a grad student assistant for the scientist, and fleshed out the scientist character.

This is a slightly new way of collaborating for me. I’ve developed a number of plays with Out Of Hand, our ensemble is very good at making work together, and we’ve worked with playwrights and students many times before. But this process is a new step for us in how an ensemble can work with a playwright and a scientist to develop new work.

Before Lucy came Ardi, new earliest hominid found - Boston.com

2009-10-09T12:59:00.001-07:00

Wondering about the title Hominid? Check this out.

Before Lucy came Ardi, new earliest hominid found - Boston.com

Posted using ShareThis

Our Inner Ape podcast on NPR

2009-10-09T06:07:00.001-07:00

This interview with Frans de Waal on NPR's Talk of the Nation goes into the details of his book, Our Inner Ape. When we recieved the commission from the Playwriting Center at Theater Emory and the Center for Creativity and Arts, we began with this book. Dr. de Waal compares Bonobos with humans as well as Chimps and Humans. We spent the first several months developing pieces based on this book, exploring each of the themes. While none of those pieces made their way directly into HOMINID, the themes, style and particularly the point of view of the researcher has influenced the final script.

In this interview, de Waal also shares the challenges, stresses, and joys of being paid to observe primates.

We share a sense of justice, fairness and empathy with our living ancestors. What can we learn about ourselves by seeing ourselves as Apes?

Are Humans Actually Selfish?

2009-10-09T05:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this mini-review/interview of Frans de Waal's latest book, The Age of Empathy in TIME magazine. It makes particular reference to some of the current research going on at Yerkes in Atlanta about contagious yawning. This is the particular research of our primary primatologist contact at Living Links during the development of HOMINID. Empathy is a particular human trait that makes art possible, particularly the performing arts.

Read the whole article by following this link: Are Humans Actually Selfish?

An excerpt from the article ...

How do you define empathy?

Empathy is sometimes defined by psychologists as some sort of high-level cognitive feat where you imagine how somebody else feels or how you would feel in their situation. But my definition is more focused on the whole of empathy, and that includes emotions. If you are sad and crying, it's not just that I try to imagine how you feel. But I feel for you, and I feel with you.

______________________________________________________________________

Chimpanzee behavior and intelligence

2009-10-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Susan Savage-Rumbaugh has made startling breakthroughs in her lifelong work with chimpanzees and bonobos, showing the animals to be adept in picking up language and other "intelligent" behaviors.

Listen to this TED lecture on Savage-Rumbaugh's ideas about the similarities and differences in Chimps, Bonobos and Humans and her suggestions about what we can do with the information.

In HOMINID, we are primarily working from Frans de Waal's writing and research, but it's always interesting to get a different perspective.

Background on the Chimpanzees in HOMINID

2009-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

HOMINID uses the documentary film The Family of Chimps,

created by Bert Haanstra in October 1983 at Arnhem Zoo in the largest Chimpanzee colony in history. In the film, Haanstra captures the actions and interactions of the Chimps in a way that truly shows their carefull planning, empathy and social codes.

Because we are telling the story of the Chimps in this film, we are able to personalize our movements, gestures and tempos to reflect the actions of the actual Chimps. As usual, this begs the question "are we playing Chimpanzees?" Well, yes and no. At this point, we are describing it as 90% Charm School 10% Chimp. However, having access to the film (and using it in the show) challenges us to make our human version of the story and characters be recognizable in the chimps in the film. It's tricky, because we don't want to imitate the chimps; there will be no knuckle walking, pant grunting or hairy costumes. However, the social rules, gestures and curiosity are very interesting.

So, if you want to know more or care to see pictures of the Chimps from Frans de Waal's Chimpanzee Politics or get info on the Bert Haanstra Film, follow the links at the beginning of this post.

Evoluton of Morals

2009-10-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Haidt is a leading psychologist in the positive psychology movement. This article on Edge.org is very interesting. Haidt researches unresearched emotions. He is currently particularly interested in Awe, which is something live performace always wants to capture and inspire.

His early research on the role disgust plays in moral judgement is one of the subjects we are hoping to tackle in the near future. Out of Hand is looking for a University partner (University of Virginia, where Dr. Haidt is a professor would be nice) to develop this relationship further.

Read this article on the evolution of Morality.

Spectacle Version of HOMINID

2009-09-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

I've been talking with Dutch theater companies about a possible production of HOMINID in Holland; the story took place in Arhnem at Berger's Zoo. Out of the blue, and through the help of friends of friends, a very exciting spectacle theatre company called The Lunatics contacted me and are interested in developing a collaboration. They make large scale outdoor theatre, building wild structures, cars, creating fire and ice and magic. This is really exciting stuff or the sort we don't really see in the United States very often.

Check out the Lunatics here. http://www.lunatics.nl/gb/main.htm

I've always been fascinated by spectacle theatre and hope to make it here. At the moment, one of the few companies doing such work in the US is Redmoon Theatre in Chicago.

So the questions is, can the story of HOMINID and the questions that both the play and Frans de Waal's books pose hold up in a spectacle setting. I think the possiblities are exciting.

I'm woring on getting the Lunatics project leader here for our 1st production of the show in November.

HOMINID and Studio360

2009-09-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I struggled with the right language to express the challenges of developing Out of Hand's new show, HOMINID, for a radio interview being aired on PRI's Studio360 in November. This project takes the work of Frans de Waal, a famous evolutionary psycholgist and adapts a story observed in a Chimpanzee colony for the stage.

So, we are dealing with minimal language, blending dstinctive Chimp behavior and social codes with human behavior, all while trying to learn something about what it means that we humans are, in fact Apes. The work of tackling the similarities in a performance is a very mediative experience for the actor. If we do our job, we have to become obsessed with the smallest gestures and posturing we use in everyday life. We have to think about our actions without the shield of language. It seems to me that many of our behaviors and physical tactics are very similar to Chimps and other great apes; but we aren't nearly aware of them or willing to admit them. We like the veneer of language - I mean language is awesome and, ultimately, it's the great separator.

Starting the next phase

2007-09-29T05:57:00.001-07:00

Two hours until our first rehearsal for MEDS. The workshop performance in July was a great success and very helpful in terms of feedback from our audience. We are all excited to get back together and keep working. The script, of course, is still changing and will continue to change until the week we open. As we start working and playing I want to make sure that we keep our content/information clear even within this crazy world of Pharmaland that we are creating. And I want to bring back some of these great images that were made over the summer. I think that for this show, a picture (or maybe i should say a Stage Picture) truly will be worth a thousand words.

News for MEDS

2007-07-06T06:37:00.001-07:00

Hi y'all,

Lauren here... resident writer/curator/herd-master... or something. Basically I'm here for to help this amazing group of actors, performers, musicians and writers create this thing. Its very wonderful to be a part of.

Here's a relevant article today. We're finding this kind of story a lot in our research:

Experts: Pills becoming the new marijuana on campus

From CNN.com Story Highlights
Prescription drugs easier to get, perceived by some as safer than street drugs
Experts: Prescription drugs increasingly popular among college students
ADHD medication also popular target for trade, sale among students

(more here)

creating MEDS

2007-07-05T12:29:00.001-07:00

Follow the creation of Out of Hand Theater's latest EVENT, MEDS. It's about you, me and pharmacology.

Bring on the audience

2006-03-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

The last week and 1/2 have been intense.

We've been pulling long hours making sure that the details of the design - lighting, set, props, sound - match and support the specificity of the performance. In creating any piece of theatre, there is always a risk of losing the show during the tech process. It's easy to throw off the rhythm of the show, become discouraged, have such a desire to have an audience that self-doubt can adversely effect performances and the show as a whole.

Thanks to the tenacity of the Out of Hand crew and all involved, we have managed to hold on and make CARTOON really sing the way it needs to.

In adding several of the technical elements into the show, it became clear that certain transitions, jokes, and nuances no longer work - so we attack those late in the night after already spending hours in rehearsal. At this point in the process, many performers are asked to make adjustments in their timing and style with merely a note and no new rehearsal time. Again, this works with the out of Process, because the ensemble members are so tuned into each other, that they can subtly shift the show to make it stronger and stronger.

Today, in the Creative Loafing "See and Do,” the writer describes CARTOON as "two-dimensional (intentionally.)" It is s an interesting - and accurate - description. It's also deceptively simple, this show. In watching CARTOON over and over this week, it struck me how fine the design, the performances, and the script as a whole are - because it appears to be very simple. And yet, the work that goes into this kind of simple performance and design, is much more intense than most of us are used to. On the surface, CARTOON, can appear easy, perhaps trite (although I hesitate to say that because it's quite loaded and well thought out), but something is bubbling up underneath the surface. And the only way to expose it is to keep the performance clean and simple and precise. The whole team of artists works very hard to make it looks so easy.

Unlike a play with a classic dramatic arc - like a Greek Tragedy - where the actors can follow their own journey and feelings, while hoping the audience cares enough to have a cathartic experience with them, CARTOON takes the audience on that emotional ride. It is perhaps more akin to Dance or surprisingly moving Visual Art or some of David Lynch's best film work - while utilizing the tools and vocabulary of the Theater.

This is something worth seeing. Truly.

On that note, opening night is SOLD OUT. Get tix for remaining performances at www.outofhandtheater.com.

A Sincere Rahr of Sorrow

2006-03-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend's work was about fine tuning the show. We worked slowly through each bit of the 2nd half and made images more specific. We made detailed adjustments to the rythmn of the text for maximum laughter, tears and all over effect.

For all of Out of Hand's big, physical style, we are aiming to truly move the audience, not just impress them. CARTOON really works on the quick juxtaposition of tenderness to violence, high energy to silence, belly laugh to gut wrenching tears. The performers have to change quickly in order to achieve this and it takes repetition of very small moments to make it work perfectly. Then, they have to figure out how to repeat it the moment that way every time. It's partucularly important in the show, because, unlike a traditional drama where an actor tracks their journey throughout a single day or situation, these characters circumstances change every few seconds or minutes. Such a different style. I can't wait for you to see it.

Amidst all the explosions, songs, gags, and tricks are some lovely, touching moments. In talking about a moment late in the show, I had to say - "Yes, it is a sincere 'rahr' of sorrow." Only in the theater.

We finished the Schoolgirl's fight and made changes to the Loony Tunes fight between Trouble and Esther, which I'm very pleased with. The actors have really captured the tricks of cartoons and are able to pull them off live, on-stage. It's a pleasure to watch.

We also spent several hours on the Theme Song. Every cartoon has to have one - so we do, too.

Some highlights:

L.i.p.g.l.o.s.s. (kissing sound) "LipGloss!"

Sometimes he'll sing, sometimes he'll dance, but mostly he just hangs there
Winston Puppet ... It's Winston Puppet

... you'll stand there. in. a trance. While he is mauling you.
Rockstar! "Rahr"

Bam! Love Explosion.

It's a high energy patter song, complete with jump rope, jazz squares, and glorious musical theater references. We were able to learn and roughly stange/choreograph the song in about 2.5 hours. That's testament to the effect of the Ensemble Training Out of Hand does and the skill and focus of the performers.

It's gonna be wild.

...and the illustrations keep rolling in. Check this one out.

Load it in

2006-03-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

Friday brought the beginning of technical load-in.

I spent the day shopping for bright blue carpet, electrical conduit, rope and chain, screws, lumber, and picking up lots and lots of Lycra fabric.

This is the lift I'll spend many hours on in the upcoming days.

This is also the beginning of a spandex wall. It's gonna be nice.

Revival Construction came in later in the day to install a few set pieces.

This is not the fun part.

Love and War

2006-03-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

The last 2 days brought 2 sets of characters in for long nights.

Wednesday. Damsel and the Suitor.

We spent the whole night cleaning up their scenes. It's a struggle to work in such a detailed way on such small pieces, but we had to, because one of the 2 is getting married this weekend and won't be with us for 5 days. So, we had to finish the work, so they are ready for tech. It went well.

Schoolgirl showdown.

The schoolgirls appear on stage a lot. And, their scenes are full of simultaneous gestures. It is quick, relentless pacing and precision. It works beautifully and is making them nervous.

We drilled and worked all of their scenes for 5 hours. We choreographed the first segment of their Anime fight, which went very well. Neither of the actors has much stage combat experience, but by the end of the night they were rolling, flying, slapping, biting and knocking out teeth like pros.

We also have the illustrations coming in. They are great.

Load in begins tomorrow.

Back to the table

2006-03-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

The day after the run.

Now comes the work of fine-tuning the play. We have the sketch and the form ... this week is about clarifying muddy parts, coloring the show, and filling things out.

We tackled all the big group scenes tonight.

We started back a the table. We drilled the text to make sure that the rhythms and reading are right. We made sure we know what we are saying - both word by word and metaphorically. We agreed on the story and message and feelings we are telling/eliciting.

Then we cleaned those big scenes up on our feet.

It was a struggle that brought some frustration, a few tears, and, in the end, great results. We made a big breakthrough with Esther, which is a character we've been having trouble finding. But now that we have her, she will steal the show.

Hard night. But I was cheering and elated at the end.

Run it

2006-03-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Monday.

We spent the first 2 hours of rehearsal fine tuning the big group actions. One thing that happens throughout this CARTOON show is a giant hammer gets smashed into the ground, sending all the characters flying into the air and to the ground. We've been struggling to get hang time - all the characters uniformly leaping into the air, hanging there, then rolling to the ground. Tricky, to say the least.

Today we found a relaxed style that works. Flexed feet and hands, with bodies upright gives the illusion of suspension - whereas showing how hard you are working to jump high, makes the jump less impressive and over too quickly.

Then, we ran the tough transitions to make sure they are all synched up. The actors are really nailing the precision elements of this show. I'm impressed every time.

At 8pm, the designers showed up to see a run through. We ran at about 65 minutes - that was skipping the opening number, which isn't finished yet - and skipping some of the songs. Everything looked good, with the exception of 1 scene we haven't staged yet and a few transitions that need adjustments. The shape of the show is good. It is hilarious.

Even though the performers we're nervous and feeling under prepared for the run (we always do) it was great for them to see each other’s work. They were able to see when the style of the show works and doesn't, and why it is so important to be precise and simple. Anytime the Cartoon characters thoughts get too complex, it becomes muddy and difficult to read what's going on.

The designers cried they laughed so hard.

As a result of the run-through, a few costume designs changed and the lighting designer was truly inspired. On break after the run, he was bubbling over with ideas.

We finished the night by working out the faulty transitions. Good night.

Weekend push

2006-03-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend was split up into two long rehearsal days.

Saturday focused on character specific work. We spent 3 hours nailing down the Damsel and the Suitor. These are the simplest of the characters – from the perspective of how complex the character’s inner life is. Their awareness of what’s going on around them. Their basic desires. This makes them especially difficult to play. Their simple, simple thoughts have to be crystal clear and they have to think fast. They have to be versatile and change on a dime. As we work on the Damsel – Suitor sequence over and over, it can feel like it’s not working or that it has lost the thing that made me laugh the first 12 times I saw it. But the rehearsal is about making it perfect. The 2 actors are brave to take on this style of performance. It’s not something we often have the opportunity to do.

The afternoon was dedicated to the more complex characters. Trouble. Esther. And the Rockstar Teddy Bear – who, it turns out, isn’t that complex. We found our way into these characters for the 1st time. And then broke all expectations by making a long fight sequence that is straight out of Warner Brothers, complete with chases, croquet, Bugs style sucker punches, and more chases. Fun.

Sunday.

We returned to the Schoolgirl fight in the morning, but had to take a break for publicity photos.

The afternoon had the entire cast in the room. We worked the 1st 4 scenes of the play – the exposition. There are a lot of group movements – like leaping into the air at the same time, winding up to run, then racing out of the room, falls, chases. So, we drilled. And are getting closer.

Then, we meticulously worked through. It was kind of a show and tell moment. We’ve been working separately a lot, so it was useful for the actors to see what the others are doing. It gives them, and me, and chance to see what work and what doesn’t work in terms of the style and playing of the show.
Tomorrow, we run the whole show for the designers. A true stumble through.

Pay what you want

2006-03-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Tickets are now available.

We are instituting a new ticket buying idea called Pay what you Want. Between $12 - $35. You really can. Why? Well, read the description below. I'd be curious what you think about this.

Oh, and tell people to come. They really can only pay $12.

Pay what you want?

Well, see, it's very very expensive to make a show. Ticket sales only cover a part of it. A small part. But, we want you to see the show. Even if you're poor, a student, or just cheap. So you get to pay what you think it's worth between $12 and $35. That's reasonable, right? This way, you can throw us a little extra, or just look at this thing we worked on so hard just to share with you. Yes, you.However, this only works at the door, so you do run the risk of not actually getting in. And it only works with cash or a check. To be sure you get a seat or to pay with a credit card, follow the link below. You'll pay what we want, which is actually between $15 and $20. See you soon.

Reserve your seats now at outofhandtheater.tix.com

Hammer, Bombs and Song

2006-03-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

In a few short days, we've made our way through the play.

We've made some breakthroughs about the meaning of many elements in the play.

The characters are coming alive:

The Schoolgirls seem to share a brain and often have the same thoughts and same gesture at the same time. Simultaneous action is so good to watch.

Winston Puppet sees every side of every angle to the point that he's immobile. Ennui. Yet, he sings the most beautiful, haunting songs.

The rockstar teddy bear is so sweet. Yet, knows if he gets too close to someone, he'll maul them. Now, that's a burden to carry.

The Damsel girl clown lives on the edge of laughter and tears. This is such a strong element in this play that is most visible in the Damsel, but really tracks through the play. It's been fun to find and work on that teetering edge where laughter turns to tears and vice versa. This is something we too often forget. At the end of Thursday night, most of us were actually experiencing our own laughter turned to tears and back again.

The 2 political opponents are harder to nail down, but they are coming out now, too. Since I'm pushing for this crisp, sometimes 2 dimensional style from some characters, I think I've confused the progress for these two. They are more complex cartoons - cartoons aren't, after all, all drawn the same. Different genres require different levels of depth.

All in all, I think it's been a good week. We have a basic staging shape for the show. Some scenes are far along. Others are still sketches. But we are going into the week in good shape. We turn our attention to violence and love in the next week.

Crisp and Clear

2006-03-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

The actors are dealing with a myriad of challenges all at the same time. I'm asking for a very clean, crisp, easily recognizable performance style. That means not a lot of complicated psychology, but rather quick, clear changes in emotion, action and thoughts. Cartoons tend to be drawn simply - in part to facilitate the enormous task of drawing cells, but also because clear actions and reaction are exciting to watch. We get to see the story, consequences, and actions without wading through complex, often muddy performances. We get to see the recognizable situations, comedy and drama in simple, clear terms. This gives us, as audience a different relationship to the story than we usually have. It's the beauty of icons. It's why I like sophisticated clown performance so much.

So, we're working in two styles at the same time on each scene. 1 is starting from a place of thought. More cerebral. What does it mean? What do I (as the character) want? What's the motivation? What is the bigger, overarching idea in each image, action and metaphor?

On the other hand, we are working to simplify the inner life of each character. CARTOON is full of juxtaposed images. Love and Death. Torch songs and gunshots. Giant Hammers and soft teddy bears. It moves quickly through the range of human experience. But, it's not necessarily the characters that experience this. The audience does. Yeah, yeah ... I know, artsy talk/big promises, but you'll see.

Putting it up

2006-03-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

The Staging begins.

Monday starts with a production meeting. Set, Costumes, Lighting, Props designers with Stage Management dig deeper into the design elements. We had a 1hr 1/2-production meeting prior to rehearsal to get our ideas together on how the design of the show supports the physical style of the show, the metaphors, and the style sheets we've been creating for each character. All I can really say is that the design team is fantastic. CARTOON is going to be a visually stunning show. Especially considering the small budget of our small theater company. The backspace at 7 Stages is going to feel very different than it has before.

We are working with the image of a live studio taping of a CARTOON. Huh? Well. It's the next stage in Reality television that turns into reality cartoon then back into Live Cartoon's on stage. What that mean? Fun. Good, somewhat disturbing fun.

Next, we revisited the script to prepare ourselves for staging the actual show. This week, we start the task of melding our physical style/skills with the text. We read the show with the entire CARTOON team today. 15 people. That's a lot of ideas all in one room.

In the last 2 hours of the night, we tackled the opening scene. We ended up with nice stage pictures. With being faced with the demanding, precise style the script calls for, and a bit of frustration.

Chasing Weekend

2006-03-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend was long. 7 hours each day. Lots of physical strength and balance training.

We added a new cast member today into rehearsals, but everything integrated nicely. The ensemble building exercises have paid off. The company's singing has improved drastically with its focus. And the palate of physical action is really appearing nicely.

So. We discovered that the Damsel and the Suitor are reminiscent of early Disney Cartoon's. Their lazzi is short and sweet. They offer simple, true desires, and clearly express those desires to each other and the audience. They are adorable. It just doesn't ever work out. These characters are silent - so we have to spend a lot of time of making every beat clear, simple and clean. Much progress. Very funny.

Our next Weekend success was solidifying the CARTOON chase sequence. The company has to work in absolute precision. It's great, because one of Out of Hand's trademarks is precise simultaneous action. Actors will turn in exactly the same direction or bolt across the stage at the same time without a cue or prep. It borrows from dance while working with the gestures of everyday life. I'm excited about these little discoveries.

We also spent a lot time working on the "Expressions Palate" for each character. Cartoon characters all have a set of stock expressions with great descriptions like: "Scared pooplesss" or "Just gosh darn happy." We are trying to limit our characters to a basic set of emotional states (with variation, of course.) The characters are icons, not fully psychologically realized characters, so they require a different approach.

Some of the characters came alive instantly. Others are still a mystery. It's a funny process. Some of the actors are frustrated or discouraged. If it wasn’t' hard, I don't think it would be worth doing.

Creating the opening number hasn't happened. It will.

Onto the play. We shift gears and start putting this beast on its feet.

Schoolgirl throwdown

2006-03-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

Thursday.

We're hammering away at Jump rope Technique and finding the physical style of the show. We made a lot of progress tonight.

We're training our bodies to jump into the air and suspend - or at least create the illusion of hang-time. We're expanding the vocabulary of 2 dimensional drawings. Trying to learn how to create motion in still pictures and defy (or at least) ignore gravity.

The logic of Cartoon's is peculiar. Everything makes sense according to the "rules." BUT, consequences are different and often not long lasting. Perhaps that's true in the real world, too ... we just buy into the everlasting effects of our bad choices.

Tonight, we dove into developing our own "STYLE SHEETS." Animators - and often brand logos - have very specific rules for how a character is drawn. This is to guarantee consistency, but also to make sure the idea or expressions of a character/story/logo are always clear at the first look. That audiences understand them - at least subconsciously - instantly.

That's our approach to physical character portrayal in CARTOON. A different way of approaching acting, for sure. But it's coming along.

Now - for the title of today's post. Yes, there is violence. Part of it is a sweet fight between 2 Anime Schoolgirls. Tonight, they started slapping, punching and pulling hair. It's only going to get messier from there.

DAY 3 - Songs, Rope, Explosions

2006-03-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

6-11 -
Jump Rope
Viewpoints
Songs 4 Characters
Composition – Flying, Appearing, Dying

Today got focused on Show specific creation work. CARTOON calls for significant amount of music - which is a standard in Out of Hand productions. It also calls for a very clear performance style - one that I haven't ever really seen on stage.

We are working from several classis performance style in order to create our CARTOON style. Classic clown training and Commedia Del 'Arte are precursors for more classical Cartoon chases, camera takes, humor. So, we are taking a look at them. The trick here is that, unlike much of the traditional theater on stages today, CARTOON wants simplicity in thought and action. Ironically, such a thing is often more difficult on performers than psychological realism. We made some progress toward this end.

"Ennui. 'Excuse Me. Ennui. Absolutely!" - from the Winston Puppet theme song composition
"Rahr. Rahr. He's Rockstar!" - From Rockstar composition
"We're best friends. Best Friends Forever!" - From Akane and Yumi composition

Last - we touched on ... just how do all of the characters fly through the air following a big explosion (which is caused by a giant hammer crashing to the floor, naturally)? The Damsel discovered a stunning flat picture, with lines that truly resemble 2 dimensional drawing. Using a concept called reverse action and slideshow compositions, we've gotten a good start.

Day 2 - BOOT CAMP

2006-03-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

6-6:10 Brainstorm – reactions, synthesized moments, gestures
6:10-6:30 Snake – a performance
6:30-6:35 Jump
6:35 – 7:30 Viewpoints
7:30-7:40 Break
7:40 – 8:10 Jump Rope
8:10 – 8:40 Run/Jump Pairs
8:40 – 9:10 Suzuki
9:10-9:20 Break
9:20 – 10:20 Transitions
10:20 – 10:55 Chase

The idea behind the Out Of HAND Boot Camp style of creating theater has several objectives.

1. To develop strength, balance and focus.
2. To create a keen sense of ensemble. To have a group of performers who share a physical and vocal vocabulary.
3. To develop a show specific skill set

For CARTOON specifically, we are focusing on Group Jump Rope as a skill and will be working on that throughout the rehearsal. In developing the Opening number/Theme Song for the CARTOON world in this show, we intend to have a lovely, complex and exciting jump rope number ... so we will take the time to learn and create such a thing.

These first days focus is also on discovering and creating the physical style of the play. Since we are working with the notion of CARTOON stereotypes, we are searching for how to make lines, pictures, and effects that relate to or bring the audience closer to the CARTOON world. It's tricky. Gravity is different in animated landscapes. Characters can often fly. Death has little meaning or bearing. Jump cuts do wonders for story telling.

Today, we found some interesting new ways to capture movement in still pictures. We got all of the characters jumping in the same rope. We exhausted our ab muscles in Suzuki training. We captured a series of CARTOON gestures that will be the beginning palate for the style of the show.

Everyone is sore and exhausted. It's been a good 2 days.

It begins

2006-02-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Day 1

Read it.
Measure for Costumes.
Dream of ACME Bombs and Black Holes. And lots of musing on blood. Yes, this one's going to be messy.
Snake.
Clurmp/Motor.
Jump rope.
Ooops, somebody vomited. Must be working hard.
Run and Jump in Pairs.
We made Songs. Complete with choreography, solos and good, old-fashioned fun.
A great start.

This 1'st week is dedicated to Out of Hand Boot Camp. We train as an ensemble to create the physical language and style of the show. To develop the strength and focus needed to pull off amazing feats, stunts, comedy and the bloody, bloody violence. This cast of Out of Handers - favorites who have worked/trained and created this kind of work together before - jumped right in and has already discovered some nice, nice images.

a more precise look:

6:00-6:30 Arrival, hellos, and waiting for the few missing individuals.
6:30-7:30 Run Thru – show clocked in at 44 minutes – gathering thoughts about things we liked and things that confused us, made list of cartoon-specific images and items, list of songs that the cartoons would get together and sing, list of songs we would get together and sing.
7:30-8:00 Break/Measurements
8:00-8:30 Snake
8:30-8:35 Jump
8:35-9:00 Clump/Motor
9:00-9:45 Break and Jump Rope
9:45-10:15 Run and Jump in Pairs
10:15-10:55 Song
10:55-11:00 Joys and Concerns

CARTOON begins

2006-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

CARTOON, the newest collaboration with Steve Yockey, Atlanta's hottest Young Writer, begins tomorrow. Fristonicals will post the process with pics, commentary and insight into the making of an Out of Hand Theater EVENT.