Thankfully the weather is cooler. As much as I like it sunny and warm, it's not advisable to be out in it when you have a heart condition as I have. After the incident at Camphill when I mistook a bout of reflux or heart burn as either an actual, full-on heart attack (correct terminology is myocardial infarction) or angina. I was relieved that it was cooler as I drove to Camphill yesterday (Tuesday.) No the full compliment of residents at the 'check-in,'where everyone has to give a brief description of how they were feeling at the beginning of the day (as I volunteer I don't get off the hook, but I've got used to it. From my first day when I was only there for a few hours, to get the feel of the drama workshop and had the residents firing questions at me to see where I would fit in.) which was somewhat nerve wracking, to several months later when I am feeling as if they are all my friends and chat to me freely and we have such a lovely relationship. They are truly a lovely lot and I am so pleased to have found something so amazing to be part of.
Teo, the leader of the drama workshop and coordinator/manager of the Chrysalis Theatre, was busy elsewhere in the building, busy with a young man who had come in to view the theatre from The Scouting organisation because he was involved in a Gang Show which was going to be staged in the Chrysalis Theatre. We hardly saw him all day because he was also involved with reorganising the rooms beneath the stage, a larger room called 'The Crypt', which is where we've worked on a couple of occasions, as well as the dressing rooms, and another room which used to be a prop room and which is being converted into a sort of tea and coffee bar for organisations who hire the under-stage rooms for various events and courses so they don't have to come upstairs to use the facilities in the theatre foyer when the theatre is being used by other organisations.
We sat in a circle and did a line-run, with some of the absent actors parts being read by either myself or some of the 'co-workers,' as the support staff are called at Camphill. The two girls who have beeb working with us, (one from Brazil and the other from Japan, both have remarkable English-speaking skills, incidentally, and get on well with the drama guys.) and then we were broken up into groups to work with the actors to get them to really push themselves to improve their performances. When we went back into the circle, the drama guys had to take a line from their roles in 'Stranger Danger,' and really give it their all, taking one of us support staff as a sort of audience and really giving a full-blown performance which was intended to get them to give their best. It really worked and it gave an idea of their potential as performers.
We sent some time brainstorming ideas for 'Treasure Island,' which will be the next production. This time we were trying to find out how the production will end and lots of ideas were thrown into the ring. It was really amazing what the guys came up with. I had plenty myself, but I don't really want to over-do it as it should be there ideas that get used. I have no real excuse in this area because I've done a lot of research on story theory, particularly from one academic, called Joseph Campbell, who created the Hero With A Thousand Faces and was used as the blueprint for such movies as the original 'Star Wars' created by George Lucas and has since been used by other film-makers and almost a standard text.
Towards the end of the day Teo put a slideshow on the computer and it was shown on the large screen in the Chrysalis, to show those of us who had more recently come to work or volunteer at Camphill. Over nine years it appears that they've produced quite a wide range of plays, from a production based loosely (and it would appear very loosely.) on Sherlock Holmes, a sort of pantomime version of Robin Hood and other assorted shows, many which not only starred the residents (many of them in the current drama workshop.) but also many volunteers and what they call 'Co-Workers.' One of them being Luke, who seems to be a sort of 'jack of all trades,' from gardener, mower of the lawns at Camphill, to supporter of the residents in various capacities as well as having quite a good go at acting and, so it would appear, being the leading light in many of the productions. The sets and the costumes looked quite remarkable, and quite a few would appear to have been stored in the wardrobe department under the stage, whilst the set for the Sherlock Holmes production appeared (from what I could see from the photographs on the slideshow.) included a revolving stage which would have been used to do many of the scene changes, with one set on one side and then, when it was turned round, would reveal a different set.
When we'd finished watching the slideshow we went downstairs to the area beneath the stage to see what work had been done. We were amazed by how much stuff had been shifted and a lot of it was in The Crypt and the former prop room was being converted into a kitchen area for those who hire these rooms, although there was obviously quite a lot of work to be done with the installation of a sink and kitchen cupboards as space for making tea and coffee.
We sat in a circle and did a line-run, with some of the absent actors parts being read by either myself or some of the 'co-workers,' as the support staff are called at Camphill. The two girls who have beeb working with us, (one from Brazil and the other from Japan, both have remarkable English-speaking skills, incidentally, and get on well with the drama guys.) and then we were broken up into groups to work with the actors to get them to really push themselves to improve their performances. When we went back into the circle, the drama guys had to take a line from their roles in 'Stranger Danger,' and really give it their all, taking one of us support staff as a sort of audience and really giving a full-blown performance which was intended to get them to give their best. It really worked and it gave an idea of their potential as performers.
We sent some time brainstorming ideas for 'Treasure Island,' which will be the next production. This time we were trying to find out how the production will end and lots of ideas were thrown into the ring. It was really amazing what the guys came up with. I had plenty myself, but I don't really want to over-do it as it should be there ideas that get used. I have no real excuse in this area because I've done a lot of research on story theory, particularly from one academic, called Joseph Campbell, who created the Hero With A Thousand Faces and was used as the blueprint for such movies as the original 'Star Wars' created by George Lucas and has since been used by other film-makers and almost a standard text.
Towards the end of the day Teo put a slideshow on the computer and it was shown on the large screen in the Chrysalis, to show those of us who had more recently come to work or volunteer at Camphill. Over nine years it appears that they've produced quite a wide range of plays, from a production based loosely (and it would appear very loosely.) on Sherlock Holmes, a sort of pantomime version of Robin Hood and other assorted shows, many which not only starred the residents (many of them in the current drama workshop.) but also many volunteers and what they call 'Co-Workers.' One of them being Luke, who seems to be a sort of 'jack of all trades,' from gardener, mower of the lawns at Camphill, to supporter of the residents in various capacities as well as having quite a good go at acting and, so it would appear, being the leading light in many of the productions. The sets and the costumes looked quite remarkable, and quite a few would appear to have been stored in the wardrobe department under the stage, whilst the set for the Sherlock Holmes production appeared (from what I could see from the photographs on the slideshow.) included a revolving stage which would have been used to do many of the scene changes, with one set on one side and then, when it was turned round, would reveal a different set.
When we'd finished watching the slideshow we went downstairs to the area beneath the stage to see what work had been done. We were amazed by how much stuff had been shifted and a lot of it was in The Crypt and the former prop room was being converted into a kitchen area for those who hire these rooms, although there was obviously quite a lot of work to be done with the installation of a sink and kitchen cupboards as space for making tea and coffee.
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