A very useful rehearsal

Yesterday was a very useful rehearsal in many ways.

At last we got to work out the ending to Good Thunder, which has been changed in order to make more of the relationship between Rai Taro, the Son of the Thunder, and the peasant husband and wife who foster him while he is on earth.  The words are no different, but we have added some movement and changed some of the sculpts, and we are very pleased with the result. 

In doing this, we also finally managed to recreate some of the beautiful, powerful energy of the story.  The Thunder Dance, with it's roaring drum beating music, is powerful in itself, yet this is not the only place of power in the story.  The way the moves are played out - slowly, controlled, purposeful and careful, gives a feeling of intense inner power.  The actors got this tension level very well when we first performed this piece, but a lot of time, and two other very different performances, diluted the effect that we had achieved.
We also got to see the beautiful dress that Becky has made for the narrator.  It is absolutely gorgeous.

We aim to produce excellent drama that carries itself as an art form, but if a talented person is able and willing to create some pieces of costume or scenery to add to our production, we are of course extremely happy and grateful.  In my own mind, this is when drama becomes theatre.


We also managed to have a run through of the Badger Tea Kettle - and made some more good progress.  Sara, who plays the narrator in this one, has adapted her characters movements because of the fact that we are performing in the round.  This brings her closer to the audience, and thus the narrator will more effectively bring the audience into the place of the story.

I've told everyone that they must be responsible for their own costumes and props, as I will forget things and lose things if it is all down to me to gather and remember things.  I still managed to get back to Konnektiv hq with about 4 sets of random costumes.  Never mind.