Sunday 9 May 2010

Another day another rehearsal…in my living room…




Sunday’s the perfect lazy day, well not if you’re part of my project! No, no, no, we had a rehearsal this evening, although I would say it was more of a production meeting in my living room.

We got together to discuss the ideas that I have had and to read through the most recent memories I have collected. Just from reading the memories alone, ideas started flowing. I am getting there with the whole director thing but I still prefer the group to have control as well. The piece is really coming together and has some verbatim theatre within it, as I have used actual quotes from the residents.

As I read through the memories out loud, I realised how much these people and their memories meant to me. I felt connected to them and honoured that they trusted me with them. Something which I have not mentioned before, which I mentioned to my cast today is that one resident, Geoffrey, has begun to write a book about his life and all the places he has been to and the things he has seen. He has told me on numerous occasions that the reason he decided to write was because of me, and that I had made him remember and it made him realise just how much he had done over 84 years. My cast said to me I had created a legacy, I don’t agree I don’t think I did anything, I am grateful to him for sharing with me.

When reading through another set of memories, I realised how fond I am of one lady, Adelaide, she is such a character, who “loves me dancin”. She said to me on Friday, when I visited them all, that she liked talking to me, and that it was nice to remember and to think about the past, it makes her feel alive again, she likes talking about the past and her memories of her first husband, it makes it all feel real again. I was so touched by what she said, but only really took it in today, this lady is 93 years old and has the most amazing past, and she doesn’t mind sharing it with me, I truly am honoured to be running this project.

I cannot wait for us to perform our piece in the home, Suzannah said that there may be the prospect of performing it in other homes, if successful, and that hopefully on the day of performance the local press may attend. Even if neither of these things happen. I have already been rewarded within this project, I have made some truly amazing friends both in my cast and with the residents and that for me is more than enough.

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