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“We are in a time of fast change in the theater and it is especially
exciting to incorporate images and mediums of art that we deal with in our everyday
lives – so to bring video and 3-dimensional art pieces to life within the
confines of a play seems very appropriate. The toddler was a great challenge
and joy to work with because I've never had the sensation of trying to do so many
things at once. First of all, he has a particular way of moving and it took
some time to really feel that out and move with him. I played with watching
myself in a mirror at home and then coming into rehearsal and experimenting with
ways he could similarly express emotion through movement while maintaining his
youthfulness. Next, I had to learn how to express through the camera unit
while keeping in mind where to look when it was on my head because I quickly learned
through our creative team that what I needed to see to get around in the space was
not necessarily parallel to what the toddler was seeing and looking at. It's
a tricky balance of knowing your space well enough that you can navigate through
instinct and peripheral vision so that your intent is as if you are the character
yourself even though the real character is the 3 foot large-headed puppet attached
to you.
“The biggest challenge ultimately
was putting the two parts together: puppet and camera and then remembering all the
technical elements while being fully immersed in the emotional space of the character
and the world so that I could act the scenes as if the toddler and I were one
person. In other words: keep flow within my body, remember the movement of all
parts of the puppet, hear and see what the toddler is experiencing, stay engaged with
his emotional state, listen to my fellow actors in the scene and most importantly,
don't fall down doing it!
“With the tree children, there are less moving parts so the challenges
are a little more focused on film techniques as if doing a film entirely in extreme
close-up. Initially we had a stationary camera set-up for the tree children.
I sat in a designated space and had very limited movement of my head and body.
If I didn't stick to that space I would fall out of frame. For this production,
Cory and Erin Grabe developed a wonderful camera helmet that stays on my head the entire
length of the show so that no matter where I am or what else I am doing, I am in
frame. The challenge with the tree children has mostly been keeping in mind that
because my face is projected and distorted onto egg shapes, my facial expressions have
to constantly change in exaggeration as I perform some of the more poetic writings of
the play.
“The most surprising part of the process has been hearing how the audience
reacts to these projected characters. With the tree children they are gratifyingly
disturbed and scared, and with the toddler, they seem truly moved and emotionally attached
to his little journey. We've succeeded in presenting characters that are shown in
multi-media form as real and present!
“Lastly, I can only do this because of the incredible team
that Adhesive has put together. Erin Grabe has truly been my right hand woman this
whole process making sure that each little thing was in place and she is a wondrous
one-woman DIYer. Cory's genius ideas and constant re-inventing has been a true joy
to work alongside as well as Kalle's care and Meghan's vision. Then, when Claire
Moodey stepped in to partner with me for two of the toddler scenes it really opened up
possibilities for larger things like when he jumps off the platform of the stage onto the
deck. She has been such a pleasure and inspiration to work alongside. So that's
how I do it! It seems to me that Adhesive really embodies the name with which it
presents itself because it has brought together such a wonderful team of artists.”
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Cory Einbinder
Kalle Macrides