Photos:1: Hundreds turn out for the show on Saturday, and join the pre-show proceedings with 'Jerry Springer' style committment !
2: Cupcakes for the company baked by the Drama Department's lovely administrator, Rebecca
3: Rob enjoys workshopping with Hollins students, and taking scenes out into locations accross the camus. 4: Our entry to 'The Battle of the Bins" contest - An initiative to paint recycling bins in imaginative ways. 5: A snip of the beautiful campus. 6: Very positive marketing for the show and workshops!
Back in Business!
Reunited with my mac and high speed internet access, happy to post more images!
We have spent a very happy 5 days at the beautiful Hollins University, Roanoke Virginia, and since my last post, have enjoyed two workshops and a show, both hugely attended and appreciated by Hollins staff and students. Saturday evening's show seemed to lure most of the student community, and the pre-show felt like a rock concert, with wild whooping, clapping and folk battling to compete in Mrs Ephesisos competition! Once the show moved inside to the 500 seater theatre, the audience were considerably pumped up and ready to continue participating. They seemed to love it, clapping each scene and vocalising their responses throughout. It was fun to play to such a huge and appreciative crowd.
It is great to watch how much this show has adapted from place to place; from performing in an open field by the lake in Waterville Valley, where changes had to happen behind the bushes, to the Hollins purpose built proscenium arch, high tech theatre with dressing room suites and green room. Such great training for the cast.
The workshops went down well too; attended by about 40-50 students each day, I introduced them to some of our rehearsal techniques and exercises, and sought to enable the students to feel they can approach the classics with their own voice and angle. The second workshop enabled them to work with extracts of our script, and re-locate the setting to find a truth for themselves. Great to watch scenes unfolding in the restrooms, under weeping willows, in the chapel...!
After the show, we all headed downtown to the late night 'no shame theatre' event, which encourages people to take the stage with original material of no longer than 5 minutes. A diverse mix of mind readers, poets, improv and of course - our own Philip Wall, his guitar, and a kooky and unique re-write of Natalie Imbruglia's 'Torn'!
Huge thanks to all at Hollins who made us so very welcome; Ernie Zulia (faculty Chair), John (Theatre Technician - who simply could not do enough for us, and even gave us gaffar tape as a going away gift), and Rebecca (faculty administrator) who understood all my strange workshop copying requests and made us cupcakes.
It was sobering to realise that only a year ago, this town was grieving the tragedy of the Virginia Tech shootings down the road. So strange to find yourself in the place that was at the forefront of world news. So very sad.
I write this from the Super 8 Motel in Pittsburgh, where we moved onto today. En route, we chanced upon an extraordinary lakeside resort in the hills, and after lunch, managed to convince staff (once again) to let us use the luxury pool. It is becoming a habit now!
We are all looking forward to exploring Pittsburgh tomorrow - the city of bridges, and a funky jazz and theatre scene...
Sending love home - we are now officially on our home stretch, as we have turned back around and are moving North.
Until soon,
emma
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