Four Sisters In-Studio Workshop

Susanna and Amanda were joined by a phenomenal group of cross disciplinary artists in September 2017 to begin a collective investigation of Four Sisters. Some of our experiments included:

- The ensemble casting themselves -

How can we decide things together? Which character's story attracts, resonates, deeply challenges, or alienates us? Who do we identify with in this text? Who are we drawn to, or not, and why? How can casting be an exercise in empathy building and an exploration of our own individual and group identities? 

- Blurring experiences of time & memory : collapsing linear space-time  -

What is the theatrical equivalent of a photographic blur? What is the personal experience of this 'blurring'? How do we experience it in memory, disassociation, pleasure, cognitive dissonance? How can we stage it? How can we embody it?

- Systems of the body as systems of choreography -

How can the functions/organization of the nervous, circulatory, and endocrine systems relate to characters, how can they inform and inspire specific choreography access points?

- Linguistic mouth patterns as choreography -

How do our mouths move to shape words and sound? Can we transfer/project these movements across the entire body? What happens if we use this lens as a way to "read" the text as a choreographic score?

Our work was hosted by The Theatre Centre, produced by Alison Wong, and featured the following artists:

Kyra Harper, Chala Hunter, Aisha Sasha John, Krystina Bojanowski, Virgilia Griffith, Bea Pizano, Dalal Badr, Ximena Huizi, Jill Connell, and Claudia Moore. This workshop was generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council.