Sunday, March 30, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Opening Night Prayer
It's true. There is only one way to learn and it IS through action. Putting Carmen together has made me realize that there is no such thing as too much energy, too much dedication. If people are warning you about your passion, you need the next level up, because there IS a place where that is not only warranted but necessary for survival.
I say this because most of my University training was an onslaught of superiors and peers directing me to chill out and relax a little, reassuring me that I have all the time in the world. To those who are yet to graduate, DO NOT let them tame you! Time is not a luxury you can afford in a world so intricate, so full, so demanding as the performing arts.
An artist in training (and we are all in training) must be working ALL THE TIME. It takes so much time with ones craft to become a great artist. It takes DOING it, on a budget, on a timeline, with professionals.
You must be learning rehearsal room etiquette, hierarchy of professional theater management and production, flexibility, accuracy, communication skills, overcoming nerves and internal barriers.
This is perhaps obvious information for most, however, it is surprising how often passionate artists allow themselves to be tamed by either the discouraging voices of their superiors or the ones in their head.
I DECLARE! Make your dream show! Produce your favorite chamber music! You are not less of an artist because you refused to wait for someone to ask you to perform work that makes you fall in love with life. Be heard and do no let anyone tell you that raising your voice and claiming your stakes is egotistical.
Looking back on this whole process, beautiful and dramatic, heart warming and terrifying, blissful and anxiety ridden, I am most touched by the fact that for a moment in time, a group of artists were faithful to eachother, inspired one another, trusted one another and encouraged the success of each other.
My opening night prayer is this....that we always lift eachother up. That we encourage eachother to shine and share our stories.
See you at the show!
<3 Team CUBE
I say this because most of my University training was an onslaught of superiors and peers directing me to chill out and relax a little, reassuring me that I have all the time in the world. To those who are yet to graduate, DO NOT let them tame you! Time is not a luxury you can afford in a world so intricate, so full, so demanding as the performing arts.
An artist in training (and we are all in training) must be working ALL THE TIME. It takes so much time with ones craft to become a great artist. It takes DOING it, on a budget, on a timeline, with professionals.
You must be learning rehearsal room etiquette, hierarchy of professional theater management and production, flexibility, accuracy, communication skills, overcoming nerves and internal barriers.
This is perhaps obvious information for most, however, it is surprising how often passionate artists allow themselves to be tamed by either the discouraging voices of their superiors or the ones in their head.
I DECLARE! Make your dream show! Produce your favorite chamber music! You are not less of an artist because you refused to wait for someone to ask you to perform work that makes you fall in love with life. Be heard and do no let anyone tell you that raising your voice and claiming your stakes is egotistical.
Looking back on this whole process, beautiful and dramatic, heart warming and terrifying, blissful and anxiety ridden, I am most touched by the fact that for a moment in time, a group of artists were faithful to eachother, inspired one another, trusted one another and encouraged the success of each other.
My opening night prayer is this....that we always lift eachother up. That we encourage eachother to shine and share our stories.
See you at the show!
<3 Team CUBE
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Setbacks and Positive Change
We start tech tonight for Carmen! I feel a calm before the storm on this front and have been stepping in a little more on Caesar rehearsals to help out where I can.
During our High Concept Labs workshop we have been working to discover ensemble building techniques, tactics of devised theater and how to build effective structures for collaboration.
Figuring out which structures of hierarchy are sound and which are faulty is a difficult process. I often wonder if what we are attempting is futile. Are we reinventing the wheel? Are we underutilizing our resources? Do we have forward momentum?
The big question that has arised during the last six months (with all of our projects!) is how and when to create a space for devised theater and when to turn to production/polish/tried and true chains of command to move forward. When to commit to process driven work and when to switch to production mind.
Our initial goal was to build ensemble. Ensemble, we have come to realize, is chemistry. Chemistry is something you trip over, run into, something that takes you by surprise, it is not something manipulated or built with muscle....so to speak (although, one only comes into contact with it if one is out in the field producing work..it doesnt come knockin on your door.)
our HCL workshop time has given us the incredible opportunity to experiment with how to most effectively use rehearsals and company collaboration time to achieve our goals of ensemble driven devised, three dimensional theater.
Are we ambitious? YES. Have we have had setbacks? Yes, on many fronts, but by staying open to constructive criticism and taking steps to manifest change, we have continued on our path to make excellent music theater.
come be a part of our team and support our work at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/la-tragedie-de-carmen--2/x/3412161
<3 Team CUBE
www.cubeensemble.com
During our High Concept Labs workshop we have been working to discover ensemble building techniques, tactics of devised theater and how to build effective structures for collaboration.
Figuring out which structures of hierarchy are sound and which are faulty is a difficult process. I often wonder if what we are attempting is futile. Are we reinventing the wheel? Are we underutilizing our resources? Do we have forward momentum?
The big question that has arised during the last six months (with all of our projects!) is how and when to create a space for devised theater and when to turn to production/polish/tried and true chains of command to move forward. When to commit to process driven work and when to switch to production mind.
Our initial goal was to build ensemble. Ensemble, we have come to realize, is chemistry. Chemistry is something you trip over, run into, something that takes you by surprise, it is not something manipulated or built with muscle....so to speak (although, one only comes into contact with it if one is out in the field producing work..it doesnt come knockin on your door.)
our HCL workshop time has given us the incredible opportunity to experiment with how to most effectively use rehearsals and company collaboration time to achieve our goals of ensemble driven devised, three dimensional theater.
Are we ambitious? YES. Have we have had setbacks? Yes, on many fronts, but by staying open to constructive criticism and taking steps to manifest change, we have continued on our path to make excellent music theater.
come be a part of our team and support our work at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/la-tragedie-de-carmen--2/x/3412161
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| Rehearsing Julius Caesar @HCL |
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| Theater in the Round (Rehearsing Julius Caesar @ HCL) |
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| Julius Caesar Music Rehearsal Sound Scaping |
<3 Team CUBE
www.cubeensemble.com
Saturday, March 22, 2014
CUBE Update!
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| THE SET BUILDING BEGINS!!! |
Lyric coach, Phil Morehead and Playwright, Thea Richards showed up and watched our Fight choreographer mix up some magic with the cast!
Phil has offered some extra music coachings on the side for our team and we are all so grateful!
Today we held our first full runthrough of Carmen with a few understudies at Depaul Theater School (Friend and CUBE pianist John Urban, stepped in last second to sightread the score for us and did an incredible job!) then moved into our Theater Space at The Den to begin building the set for Carmen!
Ingrid Larsen, Set Designer and Lighting Designer Ellie Humphreys set up shop and began building our gypsy cart and setting lights.
Kroy and myself then left to go put up posters in Wicker Park before we ran to High Concept Labs to set up for Punk Rock Caesar rehearsal.
Punk Caesar previews on march Saturday, March, 29th at the High Concept Labs House Warming Party.
Carmen opens Friday, March 28th and runs through Sunday April 13th!
Get your tickets here: http://cubecarmen.brownpapertickets.com/
Donate to our indiegogo campaign and receive a code for a FREE ticket! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/la-tragedie-de-carmen--2/x/3412161
See you soon!
<3 Team CUBE
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| Kroy working at HCL |
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| Carmen Stage Manager, Tabbi Koeller and Music Director, Emily Barrett after rehearsal |
Monday, March 17, 2014
CUBE @ HCL
Its easy to forget how incredibly blessed we have been with the artists we have absorbed these last few months while building the New CUBE. Last night, while music directing Punk Rock Julius Caesar, I saw a flush of Carmen understudies file down the stairs of the Mana Contemporary building, stop to listen to our Act 3 soundscape that builds to Caesar's death, and send us a great big, inspired smile before they walked to their cars/trains. Standing between the two worlds/shows and seeing this recognition happen between the different kinds of artists we have been nurturing I experienced a very full heart.
We really can build a common language. And artists want it!
These last six months, CUBE has been devising three incredible and varied shows. A promenade style, standing room only, Punk Rock adaptation of Julius Caesar; A devised live album created by 3 dancers, 1 actor, 1 writer and a composer; and an adaptation of Bizet's opera, Carmen, for 4 singers, 1 actor and piano to be performed in a 40 seat black box theater.
During this time we have been learning how to build a common language, objective goals and a technique specific to CUBE Ensemble that will fuse us into a tight knit group of experimental performers and lead us into the future.
Our artists have been receptive, outspoken, open minded, willing, inspired and hungry to discover and resolve each new challenge. They have taken risks, built relationships, made discoveries, left their comfort zones and cried from relief of having a space to truly experiment in their work.
We have given singers Viewpoints technique and given actors voice lessons. We have coached actors in songwriting so they can devise their own character driven songs and have brought a Music Theater Music Director to lead a team of Opera singers to a new nuance of communication.
We have been training our performers with a special focus on voice/body connection and improvisatory skills AND IT IS PAYING OFF!
We are building an incredible nucleus of experimental music theater that would not have been possible without the faith, support and resources (SPACE!!!) donated to us by our friends at High Concept Labs!
We are eternally grateful to the HCL staff and we hope to always be a part of their imminent growth and success as the leading incubator of innovative art in Chicago.
CUBE + HCL = <3 eternal
.............................................................
Come be a part of our team!
Support our production of Carmen via Indiegogo and receive a free ticket!
<iframe src="http://www.indiegogo.com/project/la-tragedie-de-carmen--2/widget" width="224px" height="486px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
www.cubeensemble.com
We really can build a common language. And artists want it!
These last six months, CUBE has been devising three incredible and varied shows. A promenade style, standing room only, Punk Rock adaptation of Julius Caesar; A devised live album created by 3 dancers, 1 actor, 1 writer and a composer; and an adaptation of Bizet's opera, Carmen, for 4 singers, 1 actor and piano to be performed in a 40 seat black box theater.
During this time we have been learning how to build a common language, objective goals and a technique specific to CUBE Ensemble that will fuse us into a tight knit group of experimental performers and lead us into the future.
Our artists have been receptive, outspoken, open minded, willing, inspired and hungry to discover and resolve each new challenge. They have taken risks, built relationships, made discoveries, left their comfort zones and cried from relief of having a space to truly experiment in their work.
We have given singers Viewpoints technique and given actors voice lessons. We have coached actors in songwriting so they can devise their own character driven songs and have brought a Music Theater Music Director to lead a team of Opera singers to a new nuance of communication.
We have been training our performers with a special focus on voice/body connection and improvisatory skills AND IT IS PAYING OFF!
We are building an incredible nucleus of experimental music theater that would not have been possible without the faith, support and resources (SPACE!!!) donated to us by our friends at High Concept Labs!
We are eternally grateful to the HCL staff and we hope to always be a part of their imminent growth and success as the leading incubator of innovative art in Chicago.
CUBE + HCL = <3 eternal
.............................................................
Come be a part of our team!
Support our production of Carmen via Indiegogo and receive a free ticket!
<iframe src="http://www.indiegogo.com/project/la-tragedie-de-carmen--2/widget" width="224px" height="486px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
www.cubeensemble.com
Sunday, March 16, 2014
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