Challenge #2
posted by David Amaral
Challenge: Create a short scene of surprise, which incorporates a…
The response to something surprising is just as important as the surprise itself. So, in this challenge, participants will both create surprise AND will respond to one!
Here’s how this is going to work. All participants will meet at the Building Stage by 7pm, at which time I will reveal a surprise detail. This detail (a prop, setting, sound, text… many possibilities!) must be incorporated into each proposal creation. Once the surprise is revealed, participants will have one hour to create a short performance that both 1) explores the idea of surprise in performance, and 2) incorporates the surprise detail.
It is not necessary for participants to have created or rehearsed anything before 7pm. We’re playing with speed here! We’re interested in using the immediate response to the surprise detail as our catalyst for creation. However, if creators prefer to spend a bit more time developing, they may bring in a planned/prepared piece. The catch here is that it MUST be malleable enough that you can spend the hour of creation time incorporating the Surprise Detail into the prepared performance.
Our goal is to explore, experiment with, and perhaps even expand our definition of “surprise.” What is a surprise? How do you make one? What can a theatrical surprise achieve? What are interesting, innovative, or unusual ways to develop and achieve surprise? Can you make a huge surprise out of something seemingly very small?
Surprise us with your surprise.
Specifics:
-Creations should be short and quick (3-8 minutes.)
-Bring/Use only what you think you need to sink your teeth into the flesh of surprise.
-If you need bodies, let us know! We’re throwing together a ragtag gang of performers who will be assigned to the creators the evening of the presentation.
-All creators will work with the same surprise detail.
LAB: Experiment # 2
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
7pm-Surprise Detail revealed
8pm- Presentation begins; discussion follows.