The English Pantomime tradition (very different from the French mime tradition) is a popular form of theatre, performed especially around the holidays in England. It includes singing, dancing, comedy, and references to the events of the day - all gathered up in the outlines of a familiar folk tale or traditional story. The form of the Pantomime grew out of the Italian Commedia Dell-Arte. Like its Italian ancestor, the British Panto incorporates lots of physical humor, sight gags, and slapstick.
The word slapstick comes from a literal stick or paddle. In Commedia, an actor would carry with him a paddle made of wood that had a hinged flap. When the actor wanted to pretend to slap someone, he flicked the paddle and the wooden flap hit against the rest of the paddle to create a loud slapping sound. This sound effect increased the comic moment of the slap. A common "slapstick" routine most of us are familiar with is the pie in the face. As soon as we see a large meringue pie on stage or film, we can guess what’s going to happen.
In Pantos, it's traditional to include an extended messy slapstick fight or catastrophe. At the end of the scene, everyone is covered with whatever the messy substance is. At People's Light, our messy slapstick scenes in previous Pantos have used flour, soapy water with dishes spitting out of a deranged dishwasher, and ice cream (represented by shaving cream). Keep your eye out for what we use to make a mess in Cinderella!
Nancy Shaw
Director of Education
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Chris Triebel on "The Elements of a Play", a class by Lou Lippa
Playwright in Residence, Lou Lippa, has been teaching a class here at People’s Light this summer called The Elements of a Play. Below is a response from one of the students, Chris Triebel:
This class has been a monumental help to me not just as a writer or an actor, but as an artist in general. The way he is able to dissect a play down to its basic format and illustrate it is incredible. I took this class originally to help me with some problems I was having as a writer. After the first class, I knew I was going to get a lot more than I thought. Some of the things we discussed were things I knew but were put in a way I had never thought before, some were brand new ideas, but all of it was useful. I definitely feel stronger as a writer and an actor after having taken this class.
This class has been a monumental help to me not just as a writer or an actor, but as an artist in general. The way he is able to dissect a play down to its basic format and illustrate it is incredible. I took this class originally to help me with some problems I was having as a writer. After the first class, I knew I was going to get a lot more than I thought. Some of the things we discussed were things I knew but were put in a way I had never thought before, some were brand new ideas, but all of it was useful. I definitely feel stronger as a writer and an actor after having taken this class.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Young Lady from Rwanda - Now Extended!
Good news, everyone! Young Lady from Rwanda has just been extended until June 29th. The additional dates and times are listed below.
ADDED DATES
Wednesday, June 25th at 7:30pm
Thursday, June 26th at 7:30pm
Friday, June 27th at 8:00pm
Saturday, June 28th at 2:00 & 8:00pm
Sunday, June 29th at 2:00pm
I'm also sticking in some quotes from the reviews we've received--and of course we couldn't be happier about all of the wonderful comments we've heard from people who've already seen the show!
"...a play you simply cannot miss."
Main Line Times
"an open, intimate and beautiful play."
City Paper
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 4, by Miriam Hyman
Week 4
Well, we are finally open and running until the 29th of June. It has been a tough but very rewarding experience thus far. After we open there aren't any more rehearsals, so with the support of our stage manager we are able to keep the show at a good pace and keep it alive. Our audiences have received the play well as far as I can tell. We, David and I, speak to the audience a lot so it is imperative that we build a genuine relationship with each participant from the beginning or at least with those who are willing, which have been most. It can be odd sometimes when you try to speak to an individual and they look down or away. Some are nervous, some are intrigued, some want to deal with the material, some don't. Nonetheless, my job is to tell Juliette's story and I'm going to do it. Her story, the genocide against the Tutsi Rwandan people, is worth an hour and a half of diligent listening. So I hope you attend and be open to the experience. Till next time.....
Well, we are finally open and running until the 29th of June. It has been a tough but very rewarding experience thus far. After we open there aren't any more rehearsals, so with the support of our stage manager we are able to keep the show at a good pace and keep it alive. Our audiences have received the play well as far as I can tell. We, David and I, speak to the audience a lot so it is imperative that we build a genuine relationship with each participant from the beginning or at least with those who are willing, which have been most. It can be odd sometimes when you try to speak to an individual and they look down or away. Some are nervous, some are intrigued, some want to deal with the material, some don't. Nonetheless, my job is to tell Juliette's story and I'm going to do it. Her story, the genocide against the Tutsi Rwandan people, is worth an hour and a half of diligent listening. So I hope you attend and be open to the experience. Till next time.....
Friday, May 16, 2008
Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 3, by Miriam Hyman
Week 3
To start this week off, Elizabeth Pool, our dramaturg for this show, set up a meeting for me to meet with a woman from The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, an organization that assists foreigners from many different countries to become permanent PA residents. I was fortunate to have met with a woman from Sierra Leone. I won't share her story but I will say that she gave me much more insight as to what my character was feeling during her troubling times. I incorporated this insight and applied it to my character development. I'm off to learn lines and study blocking.
Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 2, by Miriam Hyman
Week 2
We are up on our feet. This week the director David Bradley will begin to block myself and David Ingram, the other actor in the show. We will begin to understand the space and there is an example of the set sitting on the director's table. We start to form the beginning of the play and slowly work through all the scenes, figuring which blocking is interesting and/or a problem for sight lines. Again, another difficult part of the process because we are performing this piece in a three-quarter stage, meaning that the audience will be on three sides of the stage. So we have to engage all sides at all times.
We are up on our feet. This week the director David Bradley will begin to block myself and David Ingram, the other actor in the show. We will begin to understand the space and there is an example of the set sitting on the director's table. We start to form the beginning of the play and slowly work through all the scenes, figuring which blocking is interesting and/or a problem for sight lines. Again, another difficult part of the process because we are performing this piece in a three-quarter stage, meaning that the audience will be on three sides of the stage. So we have to engage all sides at all times.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 1, by Miriam Hyman
Week 1
We begin the week of rehearsals by doing table work, reading through the play, discussing characters, and the play’s overall journey and purpose. It's difficult material because of a few reasons: it's based on true events, a horrible one at that, and inspired by real people. My goal for this week is to do a bunch of research about Rwanda itself, the people, their cultures, lifestyles and so on. At rehearsal, the dramaturg and director are kind enough to share several reading materials, such as What Is the What, Life Laid Bare, We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, and Left to Tell, just to name a few. During this week I will also watch many films to give me precise images of the horrific disaster of genocide in Rwanda, such as Sometimes in April, Hotel Rwanda, Last King of Scotland and Ghosts of Rwanda. For me it is necessary to see what my character would have seen. I also observe these films to listen for dialect references and natural rhythms of speech. This is a busy week for me because, in addition to all this research, I must constantly learn lines, more lines, and more lines. Luckily, I began learning lines and doing research before I came to People’s Light to begin the rehearsal process for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. It is a tough process, but there is no place I would rather be and no other show that I would rather do than what’s in front of me. My mission is to do Juliette's (my character) story justice.
We begin the week of rehearsals by doing table work, reading through the play, discussing characters, and the play’s overall journey and purpose. It's difficult material because of a few reasons: it's based on true events, a horrible one at that, and inspired by real people. My goal for this week is to do a bunch of research about Rwanda itself, the people, their cultures, lifestyles and so on. At rehearsal, the dramaturg and director are kind enough to share several reading materials, such as What Is the What, Life Laid Bare, We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, and Left to Tell, just to name a few. During this week I will also watch many films to give me precise images of the horrific disaster of genocide in Rwanda, such as Sometimes in April, Hotel Rwanda, Last King of Scotland and Ghosts of Rwanda. For me it is necessary to see what my character would have seen. I also observe these films to listen for dialect references and natural rhythms of speech. This is a busy week for me because, in addition to all this research, I must constantly learn lines, more lines, and more lines. Luckily, I began learning lines and doing research before I came to People’s Light to begin the rehearsal process for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. It is a tough process, but there is no place I would rather be and no other show that I would rather do than what’s in front of me. My mission is to do Juliette's (my character) story justice.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - An Introduction by Elizabeth Pool
From our Resident Dramaturg Elizabeth Pool:
This spring we are thrilled to be working on Sonja Linden’s play I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. The piece explores the horrors of the Rwandan genocide and tells the story of Juliette, a young survivor struggling to find her story and her voice. Miriam Hyman plays Juliette and agreed to give us a glimpse at her process for creating this character and this play. Over the rehearsal period she will check in with us on a weekly basis to blog about her experience. We hope you will enjoy this peek into an actor’s world and will join us for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda.
This spring we are thrilled to be working on Sonja Linden’s play I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. The piece explores the horrors of the Rwandan genocide and tells the story of Juliette, a young survivor struggling to find her story and her voice. Miriam Hyman plays Juliette and agreed to give us a glimpse at her process for creating this character and this play. Over the rehearsal period she will check in with us on a weekly basis to blog about her experience. We hope you will enjoy this peek into an actor’s world and will join us for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Getting Near to Baby Journal - 4/18/08
Opening Night with the cast of GETTING NEAR TO BABY
We were backstage with the young cast members of Getting Near to Baby on opening night. Here they share how they managed the nerves, jitters, and excitement:
Katie Johantgen (Liz Fingers): Opening night was glorious! My mom, dad, little sister, and her friend were there. The house was packed and really friendly so it made it a really fun and exciting show.
Claire Inie-Richards (Willa Jo): I didn’t want my family to be there on opening night because I knew I would be nervous and didn’t think I could handle the pressure. It was really fun though and I felt great about the show - that took a whole lot of the nerves away!
Maggie Fitzgerald (Little Sister): Opening night was thrilling. I had my mom and grandfather there to support me. Opening night always gives me goose bumps and makes me nervous, but I turn all my nervousness into energy!
We were backstage with the young cast members of Getting Near to Baby on opening night. Here they share how they managed the nerves, jitters, and excitement:
Katie Johantgen (Liz Fingers): Opening night was glorious! My mom, dad, little sister, and her friend were there. The house was packed and really friendly so it made it a really fun and exciting show.
Claire Inie-Richards (Willa Jo): I didn’t want my family to be there on opening night because I knew I would be nervous and didn’t think I could handle the pressure. It was really fun though and I felt great about the show - that took a whole lot of the nerves away!
Maggie Fitzgerald (Little Sister): Opening night was thrilling. I had my mom and grandfather there to support me. Opening night always gives me goose bumps and makes me nervous, but I turn all my nervousness into energy!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Getting Near to Baby Podcast, with Willa Jo!
Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Claire Inie-Richards, who is playing Willa Jo in Getting Near to Baby. What would you have asked Claire if you had done the interview? Write us a comment and let us know!
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