I am wondering how the girls are going to handle a Ramadan performance. On a normal day they like to complain about not having much energy because of the heat...now imagine that mixed in with Ramadan...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bouzalouf
Bouzalouf is a dish that is made from parts of a sheep's head. Like the cheeks and tongue. I got all geared up to eat it last night, as I was famished from having fasted all day (it's Ramadan now) and I just couldn't do it. The part of the tongue flipped up towards me, the same consistency as my own tongue! I felt bad and rude and went to make an omelette. I was a vegetarian from age 9 to 23 and I think I still am one at heart...
Monday, September 1, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Show's Up
31 August
2 performances at the theatre in Bejaia. The first performance was really high energy with a very supportive audience. Because they were not used to such a rambunceous audience the show felt choppy. There is this problem in theatre in Algeria of the INVITATION. Theatres all around Algeria have instigated this invitation policy where the theatre hands out invitations for every seat in the theatre and often times only let people in who have invitation. This means of course your audience is preselected and people who are not priveledged enough to receive an invitation think that going to the theatre is some sort of elitiste HIGH art event. So when a play is open to the public potential audience members don’t even think to come. And the invitation seems to be a sign of prestige. I gave a couple of invitations to the guys who work at my usual lunch restaurant and they let me eat for free that day…for the shows at the TRB I made the invitations at the insistence of the TRB but I let anyone who wanted to come into the theatre.
Friday we all piled into the TRB’s van and drove an hour and a half to the commune of Ait Smail. After lunch the light tech set up the lights and we did a long warm up. Then I said
Ok now we are going to do a run thru. “Normally we don’t do a run thru” says the lighting tech. And the actors “yeah!” And I said “we are in a new space we need do to a run thru!” Especially since volume has been a problem and the theatre was much bigger than the small theatre at the TRB. During the run thru N said something in an improv that was apparently inappropriate. She had said something during a TRB performance and the girls had something to me and I had completely forgot to talk to her. So in the middle of the run thru Sa just walked off the stage. And L followed. And the others tried to cover and somehow made it through to the bow. A couple of talks later we seemed to smooth out the problem. Then right before the show I went backstage to do a final short energy warm up. And I was met with rolling eyes and sagging shoulders and huffing and puffing. So I just said “ok. See you after the show.”
And it was their best performance yet for a couple of reasons—we spent a lot of time checking volume before the show, they are now allowing the show to breath, and the audience was tough—the house was packed, mainly with rather frustrated young people who were hooting and hollering as soon as the lights went to black. The actors had to step up their energy in order to pull in all that chaotic energy and they did it. After the show the cultural association that had invited us treated us all like rock stars, another newspaper interview, light bulbs flashing, the mayor sat in on the interview…
One more performance to go—on Thursday night at the Maison de la Culture in Bejaia as part of their Ramadan program. And today I’m back to Madame’s house until my departure…my lovely apartment was only rented until today…
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Pacing
24 August
Lunch break. First tech through. Slowly making our way. Lots of things left to tighten but we will have 6 run thrus under our belt by the time Wednesday comes round. They are worried and stressed and I want to keep them that way. Wanting to work more so that they get more efficient during rehearsal time. It's not adding more hours and getting exhausted and frayed that will make a better show--it's learning how to be present in the time we have that will make the most difference. So I am trying to manage how to keep encouraging them but also letting them get a little freaked out at the same time. The light fellow is not very sensible--not so good at feeling the beats and timing things with feeling. But again. 6 more run thrus to go.
23 August
Before starting a stop and start run thru for the lighting tech I said to the group:
Being a professional doesn’t necessarily mean getting paid for your work. It’s state of mind, a way of carrying yourself and interacting with others. Many of you have told me that you are professionals or have had professional experience. I have yet to see it. Show me. Don’t tell me. And if there is one more fight I rip up the posters, call the papers to print a little something that says the show is cancelled, and we pack up and go.
And the day went really well.
Lunch break. First tech through. Slowly making our way. Lots of things left to tighten but we will have 6 run thrus under our belt by the time Wednesday comes round. They are worried and stressed and I want to keep them that way. Wanting to work more so that they get more efficient during rehearsal time. It's not adding more hours and getting exhausted and frayed that will make a better show--it's learning how to be present in the time we have that will make the most difference. So I am trying to manage how to keep encouraging them but also letting them get a little freaked out at the same time. The light fellow is not very sensible--not so good at feeling the beats and timing things with feeling. But again. 6 more run thrus to go.
23 August
Before starting a stop and start run thru for the lighting tech I said to the group:
Being a professional doesn’t necessarily mean getting paid for your work. It’s state of mind, a way of carrying yourself and interacting with others. Many of you have told me that you are professionals or have had professional experience. I have yet to see it. Show me. Don’t tell me. And if there is one more fight I rip up the posters, call the papers to print a little something that says the show is cancelled, and we pack up and go.
And the day went really well.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Someone Else Will Clean It Up
The posters were printed yesterday. The invitations will be printed Saturday. The program is ready, the TRB's light tech started hanging yesterday and I'm washing costumes this afternoon. There is going to be a performance. 4 performances. Even if we are all half bald by next Wednesday.
We had our first run thru yesterday. Rocky as can be. But that's to be expected isn't it. Usually is the first run thru before tech. Sa said "But Taous how can we do a run thru? We've never done a run thru?!"
Well dear, there's a first time for everything isn't there.
And three times I shouted "if you don't have something to say that you are supposed to say in the play than don't open your mouth!" And it shows the one's that have been showing up working (A, S) and one's that show up but don't work. And they blame me and other's when things don't work. I can tell. No personal responsibility. Isn't that what I am supposed to be teaching them? I guess in two months you maybe start to chip away at these things...
Like the trash on the street. Everyone thinks someone else will clean it up. Or the trash left in the theatre by the mysterious men at night. We find cigarette butts, empty plastic coffee cups laying around. Because someone else will clean it up.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Placement of a Word
18 August
Ib didn’t show up yesterday. When I called she said she was stuck in Algiers. Her Dad wasn’t ready to come back and wouldn’t let her take the bus back to Bejaia on her own. L had lunch yesterday with her boyfriend. And was 20 minutes late getting back. I tried calling and calling. She wouldn’t pick up. She said “I didn’t want to use up your minutes.” That frustrates me to no end. If I pick up the phone to call you that means I am prepared to pay for the call. And I said for the 100th time: “if you are going to be late just beep me and I will call you back.” They have gotten better. Sa now sends texts if she is late and N as well. But I am wondering if L didn’t want to do this project just to be able to see her boyfriend…she lives in a village 2 hours from the city…
N sleeps through the lunch break—she’s spending the summer at the beach and parties all night long. She wakes up asking who has food to give her.
Both newspaper articles that have come out have had a lot of mistakes—typos, totally changing things I tell them—I told the Depeche de Kabylie journalist that we have been working two months. He didn’t think that was enough so he put four months. He couldn’t quite get it that my name is Taous Claire Khazem. And insisted on writing Taous-Claire. I sent them 4 pictures of the girls and the editor pulled a picture of me off the internet. When I complain to other artists here they say: “what did you expect?”
So has started getting “headaches” every time the work gets a little bit tough. I called her on it yesterday. F got through an entire day without insulting anyone.
A French director and two other actors were touring the theatre yesterday. They came in and sat down during rehearsal. S completely froze. Couldn’t move. Kept giggling. How are you going to be able to perform in front of a packed audience if you can’t in front of three people? She says in the 3 other shows she’s worked on she always gets scared. I told them you have to imagine that the audience is there all the time. This might be a problem…As of next week I am going to start inviting people to watch in small doses.
A lot of these girls were in a show that the TRB produced in Kabyle last year. Sometimes when we are creating dialogue they reference that show. I worry because that is the only reference they have that they sometimes blend and mix up the two projects. I told them yesterday: “Be careful. This is not the same story. We need to stay true to these characters.” But of course I didn’t see this play and I don’t speak Kabyle fluently. I turned to the visiting director yesterday and said:
“I’m crazy! I am directing a play in a language I don’t even speak! Who does that?!”
Oh, and we have a title: Timiqwa n Tmucuha, which loosely translated means, Droplets of Stories.
19 August
I asked if a certain dialogue had been fixed. “No not yet.” So they sat down to write it out. So and F started fighting. An argument about a word. The placement of a word. Then F got up to get her stuff and leave. I intervened. The same pattern as usual. They fight. I don’t understand. I break up the fight. One wants to leave. I insist on figuring out the problem. Maybe I should just let them walk out. But they are only 7. The show is their creation. It would hard to replace them. And with a voice that I don’t know where it came from I said “what would you do in my place?” And Sa said “I would pick up my stuff and leave.” And I said “that is not a solution. I am here to see this project through to the end. I am going nowhere. I did not work for a year and a half preparing for this summer to play referee. You have worked for two months and you are throwing it all down the toilet. Figure it out.”
And then there was this silence like I’ve never heard in that space. Because my voice caught in my throat. And maybe suddenly they realized I’m not so different from them.
After lunch I came back and said “if you have something to say that is not in service of this show that don’t bother saying it.”
Then when they were working on writing out the text they have created in the scene improves I went upstairs and found D who has been working as a director at the TRB for years and years. Some of the girls have worked with him before. Some really want to work with them. I asked him to come down and have a chat. He told me:
You have to be a dictator when you direct in this country. Algeria is only 46 years old. We’ve only had a semblance of democracy since 1988. How do you expect to work with everyone giving their opinions? Collective creation! Ha! We don’t even have democracy in our homes. When I direct here I am a tyrant. You give them an ounce of liberty and…well…good luck…tigers let out of their cages.
He came down into the theatre and amongst other things he said: “I can’t believe you fight in Kabyle in front of your director on stage. That is the most disrespectable thing you could do.” And all of their heads dropped. “Put all of that energy into creation, working on your characters on the show as a hole. Why are you wasting your time? The stage never lies—if don’t put the work in you need than it will show. And it will you in front of that public. Not Taous. And she’s going to leave in two weeks. Back to the US. You might never see her again. But I’ll still be here.” In other words if you even dream of thinking I would ever cast you after seeing how you work here—think again.
It kills me that I had to bring D in. What did I do in the beginning that they just assumed they could behave like this? I wish I could work backwards and see. I have been quite severe from the beginning and demanding. And I have been repeating these same things over and over again.
I found some apple juice imported from Turkey last night. Pure apple juice no sugar added. The brand is called Joyful. I think I will keep drinking it up until next Wednesday…
Ib didn’t show up yesterday. When I called she said she was stuck in Algiers. Her Dad wasn’t ready to come back and wouldn’t let her take the bus back to Bejaia on her own. L had lunch yesterday with her boyfriend. And was 20 minutes late getting back. I tried calling and calling. She wouldn’t pick up. She said “I didn’t want to use up your minutes.” That frustrates me to no end. If I pick up the phone to call you that means I am prepared to pay for the call. And I said for the 100th time: “if you are going to be late just beep me and I will call you back.” They have gotten better. Sa now sends texts if she is late and N as well. But I am wondering if L didn’t want to do this project just to be able to see her boyfriend…she lives in a village 2 hours from the city…
N sleeps through the lunch break—she’s spending the summer at the beach and parties all night long. She wakes up asking who has food to give her.
Both newspaper articles that have come out have had a lot of mistakes—typos, totally changing things I tell them—I told the Depeche de Kabylie journalist that we have been working two months. He didn’t think that was enough so he put four months. He couldn’t quite get it that my name is Taous Claire Khazem. And insisted on writing Taous-Claire. I sent them 4 pictures of the girls and the editor pulled a picture of me off the internet. When I complain to other artists here they say: “what did you expect?”
So has started getting “headaches” every time the work gets a little bit tough. I called her on it yesterday. F got through an entire day without insulting anyone.
A French director and two other actors were touring the theatre yesterday. They came in and sat down during rehearsal. S completely froze. Couldn’t move. Kept giggling. How are you going to be able to perform in front of a packed audience if you can’t in front of three people? She says in the 3 other shows she’s worked on she always gets scared. I told them you have to imagine that the audience is there all the time. This might be a problem…As of next week I am going to start inviting people to watch in small doses.
A lot of these girls were in a show that the TRB produced in Kabyle last year. Sometimes when we are creating dialogue they reference that show. I worry because that is the only reference they have that they sometimes blend and mix up the two projects. I told them yesterday: “Be careful. This is not the same story. We need to stay true to these characters.” But of course I didn’t see this play and I don’t speak Kabyle fluently. I turned to the visiting director yesterday and said:
“I’m crazy! I am directing a play in a language I don’t even speak! Who does that?!”
Oh, and we have a title: Timiqwa n Tmucuha, which loosely translated means, Droplets of Stories.
19 August
I asked if a certain dialogue had been fixed. “No not yet.” So they sat down to write it out. So and F started fighting. An argument about a word. The placement of a word. Then F got up to get her stuff and leave. I intervened. The same pattern as usual. They fight. I don’t understand. I break up the fight. One wants to leave. I insist on figuring out the problem. Maybe I should just let them walk out. But they are only 7. The show is their creation. It would hard to replace them. And with a voice that I don’t know where it came from I said “what would you do in my place?” And Sa said “I would pick up my stuff and leave.” And I said “that is not a solution. I am here to see this project through to the end. I am going nowhere. I did not work for a year and a half preparing for this summer to play referee. You have worked for two months and you are throwing it all down the toilet. Figure it out.”
And then there was this silence like I’ve never heard in that space. Because my voice caught in my throat. And maybe suddenly they realized I’m not so different from them.
After lunch I came back and said “if you have something to say that is not in service of this show that don’t bother saying it.”
Then when they were working on writing out the text they have created in the scene improves I went upstairs and found D who has been working as a director at the TRB for years and years. Some of the girls have worked with him before. Some really want to work with them. I asked him to come down and have a chat. He told me:
You have to be a dictator when you direct in this country. Algeria is only 46 years old. We’ve only had a semblance of democracy since 1988. How do you expect to work with everyone giving their opinions? Collective creation! Ha! We don’t even have democracy in our homes. When I direct here I am a tyrant. You give them an ounce of liberty and…well…good luck…tigers let out of their cages.
He came down into the theatre and amongst other things he said: “I can’t believe you fight in Kabyle in front of your director on stage. That is the most disrespectable thing you could do.” And all of their heads dropped. “Put all of that energy into creation, working on your characters on the show as a hole. Why are you wasting your time? The stage never lies—if don’t put the work in you need than it will show. And it will you in front of that public. Not Taous. And she’s going to leave in two weeks. Back to the US. You might never see her again. But I’ll still be here.” In other words if you even dream of thinking I would ever cast you after seeing how you work here—think again.
It kills me that I had to bring D in. What did I do in the beginning that they just assumed they could behave like this? I wish I could work backwards and see. I have been quite severe from the beginning and demanding. And I have been repeating these same things over and over again.
I found some apple juice imported from Turkey last night. Pure apple juice no sugar added. The brand is called Joyful. I think I will keep drinking it up until next Wednesday…
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