SKETCHBOOK 2015 FINAL OPEN STUDIO SESSION
Collaboraction gathered together at Wesley Kimler’s Studio on December 12th for designer runs of the shows that will be premiering in January at the 15th and Final Sketchbook. This allowed the designers to get an invaluable look at how our devisers and directors were collaborating with actors to produce these plays.
First, we were taken back to the high school prom with Open Arms (The Rapture) by Emily Schwartz and directed by Steve Wilson.
Everyone in attendance was serenaded by Karlis Kandero as the actors and devisers set up for each open rehearsal in the program--Death.
Next the daguerreotype was given voice in an operatic ode to dreams entitled, The Title is Forgotten by Jen Ellison .
The journey to discover roots through Afro-feminist mythology was presented by Honey Pot Performance in Ma(s)king Her.
Theatre people know the problem of a lead dropping out at the last minute. But Joe Zarrow, the writer of the piece Overnight Parking Ban, In Effect handled it extremely well--giving us a energetic and endearing performance of his own work.
Beth Henley’s piece Seven Minutes brings the audience into the turmoil of character’s stuck in a scene. Directed by John Cabrera, slapstick and naturalism mix together in this piece.
Anthony Moseley, the artistic director of Collaboraction, wrote a piece about the perfect moment. Blink, which is technologically designed by Liviu Pasare, allows the audience to see a couple’s idealization of a moment. Because one of our actors, David Dasmalchian, is still in L.A. the only way he and fellow actor, Sandra Delgado, could communicate is through technology.
And then there was Spanx. Written by Dani Bryant, directed by Erica Barnes and choregraphed by Sheena Laird. The video speaks for its self.
After Spanx we switched bands and Mercedes’ group came in and entertained the crowd with their music.
In a journey to the digital world, writer Laura Jaqmin leads us across the ruins of the wasteland. Directed by Greg Werstler, Post-Apocalypto helps to bridge generations through technology.
Next was a run down of Trump Towers, a piece by Benno Nelson and Ethan Dubin.
Silenced by Arlene Malinowski, confronts the issue of prejudice through action and specific word choice. Directed by Lavina Jadhwandi, the tension between right and wrong, perception and reality is fully explored in this piece.
When the Bachelor’s Come out of the Brush by Anne Washburn was performed as an energetic one man show by Jeremy Wechsler, the shows director.
Menagerie by Drew Dir brings together the worst day of someone’s life with the best thing in the world--puppets. Directed by Lee Stark, the piece managed to evoke empathy through unconventional methods.
Thank you to all of the directors, actors, writers, devisers and of course audience members who came out to see these works in progress.This was the first time the designers of Sketchbook got to see the full plays before technical rehearsals. These Open Studio Sessions all lead up to the 15th and Final Sketchbook which begins January 14.
Check out our website collaboraction.org to purchase tickets to see 16 world premiere seven minute plays. Certain nights will feature panels of local Chicago artists and returning theatre artists from around the country, so be on the lookout on our website for those nights.
