Conference notes Pt 3…

But back on track…

Before we got to the Ben Cameron video, there was a dreamy and yet grounded performance by the Dandelion Dancetheater entitled Friend. There were people dancing on the house floor across the front of the stage and along the far side of the theatre house and in the main aisles. Here’s my video footage, and sadly I was too riveted by the interactions on stage that I didn’t get any of the other dancers. I apologize…

After this moving performance, came the panel discussion from Pt 1 Notes.

Then came a very funny and creative play about an audience talkback by Liz Duffy Adams. The play was actually called “Talkback: A Play About Talkbacks.” In theatre, the most common, but not often the most fun audience participatory event is the talkback. This is when an audience, after a performance, has the opportunity to ask questions of the cast or artistic staff, like the author director, about anything regarding the show. Often times, it becomes more of a critique than a questioning period. In this production, the play is Shakespearean and it’s a talkback about a new show that William has written. Its filled with the comments like “I loved it. It was moving, and well written, but I think it’s too wordy.” Or “Great play, but do you really need three hours to tell me the obvious.” So by the end, William is curled up in his chair trying to just disappear.

One of the last lines from the “audience” was hilarious. A woman stands up and marches to the stage and says, “I was a good play, but it made me feel stupid and I resent that!” then stormed back to her seat. Then the other audience members chimed in as she walked. It was all in the timing. Then, the director and stage manager, once the audience leaves, come up to William to discuss rewrites. Luckily, our “hero” sticks to his guns and says the play is perfect just the way it is.

Then next cool thing that was shown was a seemingly impossible task. Conductor Eric Whitacre, had a brilliant idea and it’s better to let him explain: