Tackling Shakespeare (from the side)

This fall, I was lucky enough to be cast as part of the ensemble putting on the fifth annual "Walk the Night" in collaboration with the Blue Barn Theatre. Not only was this my first time performing Shakespeare, but it my first time truly diving head-first into immersive theatre. I have done various types of works that have been deemed "immersive" in the past, but this show took that and turned it up to an 11. Whether it was adding elements of acrobatics or meshing pieces of "Titas Andronicus" to our world within "The Tempest", we kept finding new ways to grow our craft.

From the beginning, the process was unique. It was all about creating the character and the relationships between actors and space and audience as a whole, more so than the words on the page. Every rehearsal brought new discoveries (and new bruises) as we climbed onto one another and tore apart the script to find the meaning behind the words. Deciding who my character was going to be, was a challenge enough, but then creating a personal experience between myself and an audience member each night

What was different about this show than their previous four years, was the incorporation of puppetry with the character of Caliban. This was my first experience with multi-actor puppetry so it took some getting used to. At times, it was a very hard adjustment being the arm of a creature, and not its entire being. I took time with myself and also with the actors/directors to find ways to make Caliban's arm be not only a part of a whole, but have qualities of its own essence within. It wasn't until week three of rehearsals when I officially became 1/4 of Ariel that the pieces really began to blend together in my mind. Having a clearer purpose for my actions, gave me ease that flowed throughout my track (scene progression).

Now that closing weekend is coming up, I look back upon each performance, and marvel at how much I've learned through this show and this process. I thank everyone in the cast and crew for allowing me to learn with you and from you. I cannot wait to do more immersive theatre and more puppetry!