Dramaturgy Workshop Day 1
After our first rehearsal as a cast, we met in our director Julia Ashworth's backyard for a dramaturgy workshop. This kicks off a full week of dramaturgical activities helping the cast explore the history and culture of the text, Men on Boats.
This week we are trying to understand the world of the first John Wesley Powell Expedition in 1869 down the Colorado River. Because the majority of the food on the journey (and by the end, all they had left) was flour to make hard biscuits, bacon, and apples, that's what we served for our Family Home Evening together. (We had much more delicious biscuits than they had, I'm sure, plus bacon that wasn't spoiled and apples that were fresh and served with fruit dip!)
The cast shared stories of their experiences over the summer with the "dramaturgy bingo homework" they were given. And we sat in the cool grass eating our nibbles, sharing stories, and then watching highlight clips of old Western movies projected onto the side of Julia's shed. It was actually a lovely evening, and we found so many insights into our characters!
One actress mentioned that she tried to have outdoor experiences this summer as her character might have experienced them.
Another actress mentioned how incredible it was to be outside, camping away from the city, and staring up into a sky full of stars. She let her problems fade from her thoughts for that little trip, and it made her wonder about what these explorers might have felt on their journey, and how many stars they might have been able to see!
What a great start to our rehearsals and our dramaturgy week!
