Working with Collaborators - Second Day

The three of us spent the morning assessing the previous day's activity and coming up with a new plan for the afternoon. 

We decided to plan a simple scenario with clear differentiation between roles, that we would invite collaborators to make real, first by making costumes appropriate for each role, and then by going to a specific nearby square to carry out the scenario. 

IN order to simplify this transition from idea via costume to street action, we decided that the three of us would assume key organising roles, to avoid collaborators having to concern themselves with direction, and also to ensure we stayed on track. 

The roles were:

- central figure / silent clown (Jon)

- high priestess (Hilary)

- ritual organiser (Robyn)

- 2 free clowns

- several ritual enactors

The free clowns had the task of engaging verbally and gesturally with any onlookers, encouraging them to ask questions such as: What are they doing? What is this? What does it mean? The aim was not to provide answers but instead to validate and acknowledge this questioning as an important part of the event as a whole.

The ritual enactors had the task of carrying out the actions necessary for the event to take place, such as: carrying the eggs, throwing the eggs, cleaning up the eggs. The ritual organiser would lead these actions.

The high priestess had the task of being the visible leader of the whole event, seeming to have power, and able to respond to the 'world'.

The scenario was:

All process from work space to the square.

1. Clown lays an egg (ball of string) 

2. Enactors spiral the string out to mark out the space.

3. Eggs are organised

4. Clown is brought back to the centre

5. Clown throws eggs into own hat. Ig misses, enactors throw eggs at him. He dies.

6. Enactors open Clown up and pull out egg containing paper people.

7. Clown wakes up and everyone dances in a circle. 

All process back to work space

Jon Davison

What happened?

We made a more tightly choreographed procession in which eggs figured once again. The 'M/C high priestess' swept along the streets, symbolically cleaning and clearing the way ahead. We moved slowly through the streets to Plateia Anagiron and once there the chorus made a circle and brought the 'sacrificial stooge' into the centre where he  was pelted with eggs and pounced upon by the chorus turned vultures, who ripped off/out his webbing costume/innards, tossing them in the air. The 'sacrificial stooge' was then reborn and we processed back to the studio. The 'clown interlocuters' had spent some time on the edges of the performance, engaging with passers-by and cafe goers.

 

Participant reflections  

Participants:

·       enjoyed the strong performance structure

·       felt we gave a strong, visual impact in the streets

·       enjoyed getting to know each other through the collective choreography

·       felt freedom working as part of the group

·       'interlocuters' reported "positive" comments from onlookers: "You made my day", many seeing it as part of the carnival season, livening up the streets.

·       felt the journey back was different to the way out (the three of us made more reflections on that on the following day, during our final reflection session)  - some performers felt they had settled into their roles and were more comfortable on the streets.

 

Hilary Ramsden