A 40' play that travels through Gaia's dying subconscious, revisiting her life up to the moment of her untimely death.
Project briefed by Pete Brooks, for CSM project The Collective.
For this project we collectively wrote, designed, build, produced and performed a show over a timeframe of 1 month (From the 2nd of October 2023 to the 9th of November 2023). We ran six shows in two days.
During this production, I was part of the writing team, held the role of projectionist and stage manager for the final performances. This was a major project for me as it was my first theatre production, I totally discovered a new area of practice . This project allowed me to undertake new roles, such as writing and stage management, and refine some of my existing skills. Ilearned a huge amount about production, and this project revealed to me new creative practices that I ended up very interested to pursue in my future.
THE COLLECTIVE
Poster by: Nina Hermans
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Image credits: Zhichao Liu
TRAILER
STAGE MANAGING TIMELAPSE
TECH AND PROJECTIONS TIMELAPSE
PROJECTIONS
Setting of the play: Lower East Side, New York, the 80s
The story revolves around a young girl who escaped from a cult and is now a struggling singer in New York. Her past, memories, and the cult continue to haunt her, and this psychological tension is central to the narrative.
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The projection design aims to blend gritty realism with eerie surrealism, reflecting the protagonist's psychological unraveling and turmoil. Detailed research, sourcing of documentaries and archives into the Lower East Side's streetscapes allowed the creation and curation which grounds the narrative in its time and place, while creative editing techniques depict her distorted memories and cult experiences. Inspired by Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," the projections evoke a powerful atmosphere, capturing her emotional turmoil and blending reality with haunting surrealism. It was important for me to explore symbolism, foreshadowing and emotional unraveling through my projections.
Being projectionist was a very enriching, labor intense practice, that allowed me to develop my editing skills, learn new software's (Adobe After Effects, Isadora, QLab) and to explore new time and space references, developing my creative identity and mark. The Link for my Portfolio Pages are all in the section below.
performed by KC Gardiner
PORTFOLIO
CONCLUSION
This project has been an invaluable learning experience, teaching me how to manage a production within a month, collaborate effectively, and communicate clearly. I gained skills in research, reference building, and working under tight deadlines and stressful situations. I also learned about writing for theatre, narrative building, technical skills in lighting cues, production management, budgeting, and mastering Isadora and After Effects.
Overall, this unit has greatly enriched my creative practice. I've refined my projection and editing skills, improved my writing and idea development, and learned the intricacies of running a professional production. I now understand how to work collaboratively, and navigate the complexities of a 40-minute show with numerous set changes and cues, involving 15 performers. This experience has been incredibly rewarding and has significantly advanced my abilities in multiple areas.
ANNEX
Image credits: Sylvian Lockwood, Hollie Sellers