Whew,
One chapter of the year comes to a close as the dead of winter hits us once again. The holidays represent a brief journey to the surface to gasp for air before I dive under again. This is an exciting time of learning and growth for both myself and Open Pit. Jessica and I are hard at work to ensure we can carry out our plans for next summer.
Last year, we had two major projects. First, the Devised Yukon Project: Phase 1 which resulted in the shows Nowhere Near. Second, we partnered with Nakai Theatre to bring Ker Wells to the Yukon for professional development.
Next year, we are planning three projects. Two new-works development and one training initiative. These are all just in the planning stages, so things may change as the project vision's become distilled. The projects are:
- Devised Yukon Project: Phase 2 (Nowhere Near)
In the second stage of development for Nowhere Near, we plan on investigating dramaturgy for a play created collectively. We will examine the play on both the textual and physical layers. A somewhat final draft will appear out of these explorations.
- The Cordelia Project
The Cordelia Project examines the role of Cordelia in Shakespeare's King Lear. The challenge of this project is being respectful of the source material and its' language while also pushing the boundaries of that language to crack open Cordelia's secrets. The Cordelia Project is another opportunity for us to explore different creation processes.
- Creation Workshop
We are hoping to bring up another professional artist and educator for a workshop centered around creation. Where do good ideas come from? What is the process of going from an idea to a creation? This is workshop is designed for artists of all kinds and will involve working through the process, not just talking about it. I'm very excited about this one.
Again, these projects may shift and change as we get closer to May. I will do my best to keep this updated as details develop. We will have to see how intesive my new year looks.
All the best,
Sam Bergmann–Good