Performing Lines WA

So considering it was my idea to have a blog on this website to begin with, I thought four months of writing draft posts without pressing the ‘publish’ button was enough warm up time.

As a communications manager, you can only presume that most of my days are spent writing about shows and talking about artists, using facebook for ‘work reasons only’ and making lunch meetings for ‘networking purposes only’. Yes, most of the time you are right. But for the purposes of making this post an interesting read I’m going to let you know some of the things I do which don’t include being behind a computer screen.

When offered the chance to step outside my humble office nestled in what was Country Arts WA’s board room and into a rehearsal space, I take it – usually with a camera around my neck.

Last week the creative team for Domestic Bliss was at CIA studios causing all kinds of raucous in a make-shift lounge room for their first creative development.

Walking into the space I was met by bruised knees (or in Rhiannon’s case – knees, legs and arms), costumes thrown on the floor and the scent of two weeks’ worth of making things happen. Ah – it was good.

Domestic Bliss is the story of two people desperately in love who are having a fully dysfunctional weekend. Set in a replica of a suburban lounge room, an agoraphobic man and a claustrophobic woman are being pulled apart by a figment of their imagination and lip syncing narrator (whose quirky voice is still permeating through my head).

Although I watched most of the rehearsal through my lens, from what I saw – they were up to something pretty cool. The choreography literally drove performers up the walls, on-top of sink benches and inside cupboards.

It is a work I’m defiantly looking forward to talking up in the future.

Domestic Bliss is choreographed by Chrissie Parrott with music composition by Jonathan Mustard; Performers Rhiannon Newton, Jonathan Buckels, Stefan Karlsson and Marty Moon; and Dramaturg Julia Moody.

Sarah Rowbottam, Communications Manager, Performing Lines WA

Yes wow we flew close to the sun!!! tonight!! finished our

TECH/Dress literally 5 mins before the house was open …..

however with the MOST wonderful people and crew we had a fantstic outcome …. hey you dancers what a whirlwind one week to remount with some pertinent changes … It all came together.. and.. future plans for cultural exchange YAY!!!

soon home!!!!

SEA PEA (Chrissie Parrott – Director and Choreographer Metadance)

Hello world. Yep, I’m in the party room too. And I just want to tell you that during tonight’s show there was one cue which made the whole night ( actually the whole day) satisfying while wearing my stage manager hat. It has been a while since I wore a stage manager hat – and I had forgotten the satisfaction of calling a cue in EXACTLY the right spot. Calling it in a spot where it changes from being just a lighting cue to being a moment which contributes to the performance in a way which makes the show bigger than the sum of its parts. Comments on what made the day worthwhile as a Producer will come later …now …more kareoke and soju…5am – airport transfer pick up!
xxx
Fiona (Metadance 2009 – stage/tour/producer/person)

After a huge show with an audience of 1000 people, we have moved on to more Karaoke in the ‘Party Room’ of our hotel.

We are drinking soju (very strong Korean Vodka of sorts) so good luck to us.

There is a video to come that is of Dragon (Co Director of the Chung Mu festival) doing Korean Karaoke.

Over and out.

In 5 minutes I’ll try and give you a Korea update. SO we are about to start our final day in Korea and looking forward to performing in the HUge theater!! Slightly uneven floor so will be an extra challenge…bring it on! Daejong was long days and slow pace but all went well and we had a karoke party to top it off. the four dancers have been struggling to find food to suit us and we were lucky in daejong to find a tofu restaurant where you sit on the floor around a table and feast on mounds of slightly grilled tofu and vegies just what the meta girls were after. Josh has been struggling slightly that was until yesterday when we found a western restaurant that served steak!! so we are running on steak now so the show should be brilliant. Off to breakfast so got to sign off…. Metalove, SALLY