Copenhagen here I come!!

I’ve landed in Newark, the first stop on my travels to Copenhagen. I have to take 3 planes and two trains and a bus to get there. I’m in the international section of Newark’s airport and all seems normal except that the people going to Tel Aviv are corralled in a secured area guarded by police. Maybe that is normal these days. The passengers going to other countries are free to come and go as they please. I wonder what gated area really does aside from create “the other?”

My journey started at 10AM this morning departing for the airport. I tried to pack as light as I could knowing that part of my journey would include a layover in Oslo. Everybody told me how uncomfortable and obviously American it would be to lug too many bags. I was also told to wear black and a pretty scarf to blend in more with the Europeans. Not that I’ll have that much interaction with the local folk. My workshop schedule is chock full:

Wednesday 02.09.09
14:00 pm. – 14:30 pm. Arrival and accommodation.
14:30 pm. Course
06:30 pm. Dinner
08:00 pm. Course

Thursday 03.09.09 – Thursday 10.09.09
08:00 am. – 09:30 am. Breakfast
10:00 am. Course
12:30 pm. Lunch
14:00 pm. Course
03:30 pm. Coffee and cake
04:00 pm. Course
06:30 pm. Dinner
08:00 pm. Course

Friday 11.09.09
08:00 am. – 09:30 am. Breakfast
10:00 am. Course
12:30 pm. Lunch and follow up
14:00 pm. Departure

This schedule does not leave any time for exploring, although we were told that we would have a day in Copenhagen with Keith. I packed mostly sweats, as I figure I would spend most of my days rolling around on the floor or donning masks to create creature characters.

I leave Newark in about 2 hours and have an “overnight” flight to Amsterdam. The itinerary says it takes a little over 7 hours to fly there but I lose about 6 in the time change. That means I will arrive in Amsterdam about 12:30 AM our time and ready for bed. I hope to not be jet lagged as class begins a few hours later. From Amsterdam I fly into Copenhagen and the catch a train for the outskirts of the city in a place called Annenbergparken, between the forest and the seas on one of Denmark’s many islands. Please let me sleep on the plane so that I’ll be awake enough to meet Mr. Johnstone.

I first heard about Keith Johnstone in acting school. We were assigned his book “Impro” to read for Improvisation class. That being sooooooo long ago I tried looking for the book in local bookstores with no luck. I was hoping to have him sign a copy and to refresh myself on his specific technique. He’s the godfather of Improv having created Theatre Sports and the acclaimed hit Life Game. Anyone who knows any thing about Improv knows about Keith.

How lucky am I that I get to study with a master artist like Keith? This workshop is part of the Fellowship duties I have to complete before 2011. In 2008 I received the Theatre Communications Group Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship for Extraordinary Potential. My goal is to create from interviews and historical research a one-woman show about the Southside, the community where I live. Fascinated by the terrain, the history and its people, I thought the Southside would be a great place to begin creating a docudrama.

I have spent the last few months conducting interviews, researching library archives and brainstorming how I will develop a show that showcases this community. I’m looking to go a less traditional route than most one person shows. Yes, I’ll be playing multiple characters, but I want to explore projection, audience participation, improvisation, images and history.

In order to develop this new brand of show I will enlist the help of master artists. Part of the Fellowship requires I study with 3 master artists of my choice. I chose Ping Chong, an innovator in socially reflective theatre practices. He’s actually developing a show in Pittsburgh in conjunction with The August Wilson Center’s “Aunt Esther Cycle”. His piece “Undesirable Elements” will focus on the women of the Hill district. I have spent time with Mr. Chong interviewing him and observing his interview tactics. I will also observe the rehearsal process for his show this fall.

Lisa Kron is another artist I chose to study under. She’s most famous for her one woman show 2.5 Minute Ride and her work as a writer and performer with The Five Lesbian Brothers. Her play Well, directed by my friend Leigh Silverman on Broadway 2 seasons ago is her most recent offering to the American stage. She creates work from personal stories. I will bring her in next spring to host a “Personal Stories” workshop at City Theatre. This part of my Fellowship I’m sharing with other artists. If you are interested in being one of the participants let me know. I will be selecting people to join me based on inspired criteria.

I was also involved in a workshop earlier this summer with the great Guillermo Gomez-Pena. He’s a beloved international performance artist who taught for 3 days at Bricolage. Art Up facilitated this workshop and I will be forever grateful. Gomez-Pena invited me to be his assistant in the public performance he offered. I had never done performance art in a formal way before and to have the honor of working directly with a master was a dream come true. His approach to story telling through images or what he calls Ethnographic Dioramas, is more than inspiring. I now look at all art with that added filter.

Keith Johnstone is the master artist at hand. Tomorrow I begin 10 days with him. Stay tuned to this blog to follow my adventures. When I return I will be leading a workshop at City Theatre based on what I have learned via the fellowship thus far. More details on the exact workshop dates to come. I ask that anyone interested in participating in this workshop have a basic knowledge of improvisation and comedy.

Thanks for your interest in my blog. I encourage feedback and dialogue at all levels.