Looking back at March 26th at our evening event, Lonestar, there was something going on behind the scenes that made the undercurrent of our showing multi-layered. In my previous blogs, I emphasized the stellar performances of the exquisite dancers and actors involved, but didn’t open the curtain wider to talk about the subtext of the process of creating it, nor what occurred on the night itself. This affair very well could’ve been titled, Fellow Souls Swimming in a Sea of Tumult.
What attracts me to an artist is the stuff that makes up their character. We’re all damaged goods, let’s face it, but how we apply the bandages and first aid is partially how I get to see the true treasures of their talent unfold. What’s their process, and how does their life ingredients contribute to their movement message? From the very first phone call to my new performers, I was consciously tuning into their vibration from our conversation. Their unique stories sold me right away. Their energies were like a magnet to me. Somehow, the nine cast members, some of whom have known me and worked with me before, were similarly striking the same tuning fork, and creating a tone that made up the performance of Lonestar.
This perception, that each and every one of us was processing some deep layers from within, laid the groundwork for the subterranean material that blossomed organically with each rehearsal. Everyone was going through some tumult or transition, and we all agreed it felt like the end of a cycle for us. Their personal histories and my conscious sensitivity to that, wove its way into the meaning that was invisibly sewn within the pieces. For example, this deep dimension would end rehearsals with one-on-one chats; whereby, the floodgates would open and an emotional workshopping of sorts would occur. If I only had more time, I would’ve dropped everything and gone out for coffee to sit and jaw for awhile with them. As it was, we utilized the compact time we had with one another to immerse ourselves in the surround sound of our soul’s debriefings. Nurturing the consideration that every member had some awareness of this profound cycle of endings and new beginnings upon them, a vibrant community of artists made their way to the stage, and activated their inner psychotherapy session.
It was as if they all tilled the soil of their core, raking away at their unconscious vaults from within — bodies that stored years of memories that had twisted into their personas… offering up raw, untested insights from their beings, as if from the marrow of their bones. I had had a dream prior to the show that informed me on the content, titles, and how pieces would be laid out on the program. In the dream, the term, “spiritual theater,” presented itself. Looking through this lens of an experience, this collaborative, intimate connective time that bonded us all together, though brief I might add, represented much more than what met the eye. On the outside looking in, it was a beautifully displayed event with all the trappings of a finely tuned cast, within a showcase of colorful, transcendent works. From the inside looking out, it was a pouring out of cellular matter, that collectively transformed from its dark encasement, to what appeared as a light-filled geodesic dome, pulsing with energy and oozing out potential from every structure. These nine Lonestars will, no doubt, light the way for generations to come — and along their way, will hopefully unite with others and initiate them into the ways of working inside-out… or at the very least, help them to pull the silk from their cocoons.
Image above: James A. Pierce III
Featured image: Dominique Dobransky
