From the Director: Synaptic Connections and Memory

Synaptic Connections and Memory

Poe in Process

Mark Hardiman

I am becoming aware through this collaborative process that the group and I have begun to function like a brain, or rather memories within a brain. We have worked through various iterations of ways to stage scenes within the production and left them in a progressive state of development. Each time we work a scene we create an imprint on the group-mind. Over time, that memory changes, and in fact, we hope that it does. The highlights, the brilliant moments, remain glimmering and when we return to the piece we capture and recapture that. The synaptic web of our consciousness is constantly paring off what is less exceptional and helping us to both consciously and unconsciously capture the best of our work.

Actors Devon and Brandon exploring Cask of Amontillado. 

The Sea of Creative Collaboration

The Sea of Creative Collaboration

By Mark Hardiman

I sit in the center of a line of colleagues. In a sense, I captain a ship that is sailing at night in turbulent waters. Its goal is both to explore the dark waters around us and land on some imagined destination for which there is no chart. Among my shipmates are two students and a former student who are familiar to my work, they have done multiple productions with me and are help to translate the process to the rest of the crew. I have the good fortune of working with a dramaturg, an august sage, who has spent more years in the theatre as a teacher, writer, performer and director than I can imagine. I also have a writer who is new to theatre and our process. We comprise the directorial team, we navigate, call to trim sails and rudder the craft we sail on the sometimes tempestuous sea of Poe’s writing. Each has a unique point of view and something to bring to the process. Our directorial process has emerged as a focused collaboration. In front of most of us we set a shared Google document in which we both document and comment on the construction and vision of the piece. In this storm of creativity, We explore alternatives, and discuss different approaches to illuminating the material. There are times when I sit in the center of competing views of how a piece should be best done and how it may make the most sense to an audience. It often find myself synthesizing disparate ideas. At times ideas aren’t initially incorporated but later emerge in the process as new problems emerge.

My peculiar propensity is to create theatre pieces which envelope the audience and as a result, exists in two realms: the rational and non-rational. My work is full of connections, symbols, signs and suggestions that evolve as the piece evolves and may not make sense initially, nor may not even make sense in a logical way, ever. The team is constantly challenging me and asking that the work be understood and clear, they solve technical problems and in moments, just step in to solve a problem or make what I am trying to relate to the actors more clear to them while testing my vision. The challenge for me at the center of the table, is to keep the ideas coming while filtering, selecting, enhancing the work of the team, while trying to maintain the course of our sail into these uncharted waters.

Below are a series of pictures of the afore mentioned collaborative team as they work through rehearsals.

The collaborative team, including Dramaturg Jim Seay, Composer Jefferson Davis, Stage Manager A. J. O'Shea, Director Mark Hardiman, Assistant Director Shannon Murphy, and Lighting Design Student Tim Creason. 

Dramaturg Jim Seay and Writer Enjoni West contemplating Eulalie. 

A deep discussion between Director, Stage Manager, and Assistant Director regarding staging of a scene while Enjoni West and Jim Seay listen and make notes. 

Assistant Director Shannon Murphy works hard to notate the discussion of the piece.