Defy Gravity

Did anyone else out there want to be an astronaut when she grew up?

I did.

Perhaps I had that dream because I grew up with NASA's Space Shuttle Program. When I was little, NASA began recruiting more women into the program. There was an astronaut Barbie doll flying off store shelves in 1985. The media and public became fascinated with a wonderful new idea: a teacher in space.

I remember the Challenger.

When I was in the 3rd grade, there was a national contest to name the newest addition to the shuttle fleet. I can't remember what I submitted, but the winner was "Endeavor." What a marvelous name.

In college, I became a theatre major. At a college play festival, I saw a beautiful production of a play that perfectly blended my childhood longing to explore and the reality of the Challenger disaster. The play was Defying Gravity , by Jane Anderson. 

A year or so later, I was at a forensics  (speech, not science) competition not far from the Johnson Space Center (aka Mission Control), when news of a shuttle reentry disaster broke. A student at the contest had brought a dramatic interpretation of Defying Gravity. Understandably, this student wasn't sure if presenting the piece was still appropriate. I can't remember a person there who didn't say performing that piece was more important now than ever.

I remember the Columbia.

My interest in all things NASA, the space program, shuttle missions, etc. collided with my passion for the arts the first time I saw Defying Gravity. After the Columbia disaster, my interest in the play became a sort of need to someday work on a production. I even attended graduate school in the hometown of Columbia's final pilot, William "Willie" McCool. Reminders of the shuttle program, my love of space, my need to explore through art, my childhood wish to fly above the earth seem to follow me.

I feel blessed to have the tremendous opportunity to direct a production of Defying Gravity  that will open in January: 30 years after the Challenger disaster. I have had the good fortune to have time to do a bit of traveling this summer. I have taken in any museum within driving distance that has a scientific or air & space emphasis. I can't seem to see or read enough about the space programs, and what drives us all in our own crazy ways to explore, to see beyond the everyday, to do what the play's title states: to defy gravity.

My next several posts will likely focus on the beginnings of my journey with this play. I had to begin by musing about my own love and memories of the space program.

When I was five years old, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Did you?

A part of me never outgrew that dream, and it's taking me on a wonderful artistic journey as an adult. I hope my readers still have childhood dreams driving a part of them to defy gravity in their own ways as well.

Until next time...
Ro Huizinga

Down the Rabbit Hole

Much like the beloved heroine in Lewis Carroll's Children's books, I have had adventures travelling down the rabbit hole recently. And they've been wonderful!

In October, I had the opportunity to play one of my "bucket list" roles. I was cast as Becca in the Paris Community Theatre Off-Plaza production of David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole. It is the toughest role I've ever had the chance to play.

The character is trying to work her way through the terrible grief following the loss of her 4-year-old son in a tragic car accident. I am not a parent, nor do I wish to have children, so honoring the spirit of the character as a parent was extremely important to me. I can only hope I was able to do so.

More importantly to me as an actor was "living truthfully under the imaginary circumstances" of the play. I feel the entire cast was able to reach this goal. Each night the emotions were real, and we worked to connect at a human level as a cast.

I've never worked on a show that could drag such real, honest emotions out of me. It also seemed to drag out all of my insecurities. I know I gave my director a hard time, and I regret that I was often so negative throughout the process. However, in spite of all the ups and downs of the rehearsal process, I am proud of the finished product we presented each night.

Just a few short weeks after Rabbit Hole closed, I began directing an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland as a part of the Paris Community Theatre regular season.

I have a confession to make here: I have never really liked the story. 

So often, the characters are portrayed as grotesque or even frightening. In the take on the story that my amazing company chose, we discovered the characters again for the first time. I was so proud of them for finding lightness and humor. And beauty. Our Duchess, Cook, and Queen of Hearts were all beautiful, funny, and silly!

We also decided that we would approach the play as a kind of  reverse Wizard of OZ. We incorporated many "Steampunk-inspired" elements into the design. We wanted Wonderland itself to be more Earth-toned and mechanized. We reserved the soft, Technicolor-inspired moments for the beginning and ending of the play, which we set at Christmas in Alice's home, since the play closed just before that holiday.

I have never been so happy and relaxed working on a show before and was incredibly proud of the finished product. I can't really say "I" directed or "I" created,  because it was the most collaborative process in which I've ever participated.

Now, I'm preparing to enter the world of Rabbit Hole one more time. We will travel the show to TNT (Texas Nonprofit Theatres) Quad II AACTFest on January 31st.

 
I learned many lessons about myself and the power of performing art working on these two productions.  I am looking forward to learning more as we rehearse Rabbit Hole one more time.  After having been so content working on Alice in Wonderland, and so emotional working on Rabbit Hole the first time,  I hope that I can now approach the process with  an open mind and heart,  and move past my insecurities to do great work.

I plan to write more on the subject as the festival approaches,  but for now,  this marks and celebrates two amazing adventures down the rabbit hole as I look forward to a third!

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)... Again!

For the first time in my life I have the pleasure of directing a show for the second time. I'm currently working on a production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) at Children and Adults Theatrical Studio in Lubbock, TX. I first worked on this script as a part of my MFA thesis project in 2010.

There is such joy in working on this script. Its authors- Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield- filled the show with timely pop culture and political references. They created the original "Reduced Shakespeare Company," an RSC for the fast-paced, high tech, America of today. They allow each group that comes together to produce and perform the show to update these references as needed. Much like Shakespeare himself always did with his writing, this show is meant to comment on contemporary events and should never feel stale.

It's a wonderful teaching tool for directors. Although the script is a rollicking comedy at heart, it is difficult to perform if the cast is not familiar with Shakespeare's works. Much like the sketch comedy of Saturday Night Live, The Second City, and The Groundlings, the script involves a great deal of satire. One can't satirize that which one doesn't understand. So, in both productions I've had the honor of working on, we've focused on discovering Shakespeare's plays, studying commentary and criticism, and studying verse. Many of the actors with whom I've worked have not worked on plays written in blank verse before. This show is a wonderful opportunity for actors to throw themselves headlong into the works of one of the greatest playwrights and poets in history.

The real joy of this show lies in each ensemble creating wonderful relationships with each other on stage and with the audience each night. Each group of actors (originally a cast of three, but I enjoy expanding to six to give both men and women the opportunity to work on this fantastic script) becomes a new and singularly unique "Reduced Shakespeare Company." The script really works as a dialogue with the audience, and the actors must react to audience responses each night honestly, quickly, and with wit and humor. I'm not sure there is another play that teaches actors so well that no two audiences are alike.

And... it's just plain funny! I love walking into the rehearsal hall knowing that every night I will laugh. I love creating a safe space for actors to try new approaches and "bits." If any fall flat, we get to keep working and trying and stretching new comedic muscles. What could be better?

So... this is the part of the post in which I switch over to "shamelessly plugging" the show. You should see this play. You should come out and laugh at us and with us. You should see how full of life Shakespeare's plays still are! Especially when they're re-imagined as cooking shows (hosted by a rather infamous Southern chef in our version), raps (yes, we're searching for our inner Kanyes and J-Zs...), and even Football Games (I know that caught the attention of some of our West Texas patrons- come see our Friday Night Lights- complete with cute cheerleaders!)! You think you know Hamlet, but have you ever seen it backwards? Or a cast of six perform that play in under 60 seconds? Can tragedies be funnier than comedies? (Yes!) Should you miss your chance to see a brave cast of only six gender bend their way through Romeo and Juliet as well as parry and thrust their way through a wickedly fast version of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark? (No!)

This really is a show for everyone. This is a show that can prove how transformative and wonderful theatre can be. I know. I've spent a lot of time with two wonderfully talented and hardworking casts, and I hope to revisit this play again in the future. There is always something new and wonderful to discover.

So please, won't you come and spend 90 minutes with us as we laugh and play? We certainly hope so! Huzzah! ( You can get more info at the Children and Adults Theatrical Studio website- and you can make reservations there, too! Or, you can call 806-792-0501.) So...

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga

The 2013 cast and crew! (Clockwise from top left: Zachery Kocurek, Amanda Allen, Chris Luera, Jonathan Keys, Cornelius Brown, Reagan Sudduth, Emily Healy, Robyn R. Huizinga, and Lisa Hernandez)

The 2010 cast! (Clockwise from left: Dr. Sherry Shields Scott, Ashley Pickering, Michael Risinger, Mile Pickering, Juan Espinosa, and Brittani Spang-Klotz )

The Earth Isn't Flat... (and I didn't fall off).

I can't believe the last time I wrote a post was in October!!! Where have I been??? I let myself get wrapped up in classes, holidays, being a dog mom, etc. In short, if one takes off too much time between posts, one may never write another post. 

But... The Earth isn't flat, and I didn't fall off.

I keep thinking that I must think of something particularly witty or wonderful to write before I make my next post. So... I've obviously not made my next post. Tonight I thought, "I miss blogging so much!" So then I thought, "Then just write something, dodo!" 

That's the key! If I make myself write, even if I don't have a topic planned out, the words will come. If nobody reads them... oh, well. At least I wrote! 

So while I haven't fallen off the Earth, here's a bit of what I have been doing:

The Art of Staying Informed

There are certainly some exciting happenings in the arts, humanities, and sciences this week, so today I'd like to share some current events and great sources of arts news:

1) Did you know this is Banned Books Week? The annual event began 30 years ago this week in 1982. You can read more about its history and oft-challenged books online at the American Library Association and at the Banned Books Week site. I think the most recent selections that I've read on this year's list are the three books that make up The Hunger Games Trilogy. What was your most recent or favorite banned or challenged book?