Storytellers in Geelong on our National Tour of Prize Fighter
Walking the laneways of Geelong after the show,
we came across this little beauty:
an animation of grand proportions: a beautiful story.
Performing is a strange beast. Do we do it because we love it? Is it the actual performing we love, or is it the delight in telling impactful stories? For me it's the later. To be able to tell stories that create new conversations. That is what I love.
After the show tonight (we are in Geelong, Victoria) we had a question and answer gathering. The audience members were interested in hearing about a variety of things, like how we prepared before the show, the importance of fitness and the relationship of empowerment to the play. They wanted to know about the background of Future Fidel the playwright and whether his newly published book of the same title came first: no it didn't. Several of the audience members had read the book. Others were keen to buy it. I wish we had Future's books in the foyer, so that audience members could take a copy home.
We shared a little bit about the rituals we engage in before the show. Two hours before our beginners call, we all gather for a half hour of Yoga Nidra, a gentle and profound meditative practice that energizes and focuses us as an ensemble. This is followed by a highly energetic fifteen or twenty minutes of drama games and by the end we've laughed ourselves silly ready to do lines runs on stage before engaging in twenty minutes of aerobic work as the audience enters. Well,that's not entirely accurate: my character's job is to make sure the rest of the cast do it. I keep them on track and at the same time engage with the audience. Sometimes we have community engagement and that's great fun. A local gym comes and joins us, running the warm up section as the audience enters. It is a hoot, and the actors participate as much as they can and I watch or boss them around. Love my role.
As for the rituals for post show, we gather together after changing out of our costumes, we talk and walk home to the hotel. Sometimes if we can find a late night restaurant we will eat together, and sometimes we will go our separate ways, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
PS: I've just heard through 'What's up' that the guys have googled a pizza place so they have left in pursuit of a late dinner...they're out there somewhere in cold Geelong eating pizza. I'm in my room, writing this and watching an episode of Outlander. Rati is doing a self tape and Marcus is probably asleep by now. The fridge is humming loudly, the sounds of the night are loud (or is it my tinnitus?) and all is well.
Tomorrow will be fun beginning with a walk along Geelon exquisite bay.
Geelong is beautiful. So beautiful. I had no idea.