More Backdrops and Masks

Met up with Sam and Suzanned at the fire station and once again Sam had loads of colours - cloth and paints, and some fab ideas about how we can create the picture we are looking for.  She has decided to take on a more directive approach than she has previously, with the performance now looming so close.  There is still much to be done and seems little time to do it.  

We have cut out and painted so many leaves that It seems impossible to count them.  I spent most of the time wrapping red cloth around a wire bridge structure.  I find repetitive tasks therapeutic, and got quite relaxed sitting, cutting cloth and wrapping and tyeing for about 

two hours.  Saying that, it was quite a relief when it was done and I could draw leaf shapes onto green sparkly material and cut them out instead.  Sam and Suzanne painted some green squares in jazzy streaks of green and pink.  

These were hung around the place to dry and will make up the walls of the temple, and some may also hang separately to the main backdrop, as there is far more of this cloth than will be needed for the temple.  Then Suzanne spent the rest of the time sewing the leaves individually onto the gauze material overlaying the backdrop, whilst Sam worked on the panels for the bridge section.

Time goes really fast when you are doing this sort of thing.  We got quite a lot done, but looks like there is still a long way to go.

Masks

On a separate issue from the backdrops, whilst we are very pleased with how the masks have come out, I have had a realisation tonight, speaking with Mervyn, that we really don't know what we are doing re: working with the masks, and the whole doing Urashima masked is very experimental, as we have no idea how it will turn out.  We haven't practiced with masks, and we have barely touched on the theory of mask work.  We have made these masks as novices, not quite knowing how they will turn out.  

One of the main things I think may be problematic is the fact that our masks are barely larger than our own faces.  When I think of masks in performance, they are usually larger than life, so the audience can see all the odd features and get the feeling of the mask.  

I'm not sure ours do this, and from the audience seats, the masks may lose their effect on the audience.  Also, we will be physically moving not much different from if we were performing without masks.  Ideally, the masks should change the way that we move.  I will be doing a group enrolment, and as much as possible, and enrolment with each individual.  

However how much this will translate into the mask and actor becoming one in performance, remains to be seen.

We will, of course let the audience know some of this, and they are very much participants in this experiment.  we don't know what will happen, we hope it will be effective and enjoyable theatre.  We don't know precicely how the masks will come across, we do know that we are learning constantly and this ongoing process is one of our trademarks.