First Meeting
Nitza and I met and the UCLub to work on our project: I was late for about 15 minutes. When I arrived Nitza was on the floor facing the back wall, lying on the left side of her body. When she heard me she turned towards me with a welcoming smile on her face.
We talked for a while about the things that concern us about the program. She told me that she is beginning to be aware of the codes. I told her that I do not care about the codes that I committed to being honest to myself and others. That dishonesty leaves imprints on the soul, scars seems to be a better word. So I expressed my discontent with the classes I had to teach and how much time that took from my own study as a student. She did not know that when I referred to four classes I was talking about the four instead of two classes that Peter told me to teach. She thought that there were only two classes when indeed he said to me personally four. There was a lot of noise to get rid of in that sense, and although it seems like it was all negative, it was good to vent with her and let it all out, something that the program does not provide, a forum for us to express to each other the obvious, and validate and empower each other through the long and arduous work days of a PhD program.
I told Nitza how I was beginning to feel like going somewhere else. However, I cannot let that idea harvest in my heart and mind because it will be very disruptive in many ways.
We began to talk about our work. Nitza had brought a book with her; the title is in Portuguese, something like Immorality of the Soul, Alma Immoral, a book written by a rabbi from Brazil perhaps? The theme was the soul as a place that gets again imprinted when we do not do what is good for it, what the soul knows it wants to do, but we do not do for reasons that have nothing to do with it. I have to go back to the idea again because as I try to express it in writing, I feel I am confused. I brought up the name of Carolyn Myss and the Anatomy of the Soul, which explains how everything we do in life has an effect of the soul and consequently on the body. She also talks about things we do that are wrong and we know it, and how they affect the soul and eventually make us sick.
Thinking of a body of Water that is important for me
We began to work. Nitza brought some ideas for me to work on. The first idea revolved around a body of water that I considered important for me. I was already on the floor. I felt relaxed and ready. It felt we had talked already and it felt the right moment to start. I felt supple and the floor and I began to merge spontaneously and naturally. My eyes were already closed when Nitza told me that she was to put some elements on the space and that I could begin whenever I felt ready.
The body of water I thought of immediately was my mother’s amniotic fluid. I was inside her body, in the water of her body, my body extending, facing up, arms folded, hands folded next to my face, the reverse of the palms touching my neck and shoulders. It felt tender and warm. I was moving slowly propelled by my feet which pressed against the floor rhythmically and continuously as if trying to make the movement imperceptible and smooth, workless, effortless. I felt I was moving in a diagonal across the stage, but I really do not know. It felt however that as I dragged myself across the floor, I was encountering a number of elements that rather than an obstacle gave my movement some important markers. It felt part of the environment and it felt good. I felt caressed by the paper and by the stones as if they had a life of their own in the most animistic sense, perhaps now that I think of it, Zen as well. The whole space seems to have been designed in that sort of philosophical frame.
It felt that once I had dragged myself to the corner, I began to rotate in circles in the same spot and that after a few turns I began to shift my body, finding its balance, slowly , teasing its gravity. It felt, and that was the image I had in my mind, that I was in the water, now outside my mother’s body but in the earth’s water, in the ocean, and the posture in which I had gotten myself into was the posture of a body that surrendered to water letting itself to freely sink all the way to the bottom. There was no bottom though. All I saw was my body in those postures descending infinitely as the water caressed my outer layers, softly ad semi densely. Eventually I came to a position in which I just slowly began to relax slowly, every part of my body slowly, until I feel the surface underneath by nose, my chest, my stomach and genitals, I feel my penis against the floor, my arms and legs last, my shoulders last, my face last. I really felt comfortable in that position, close to the surface and the earth. I knew Nitza was there, but I felt absolutely confident. I knew that she was holding the space and that she was protecting me.
The energy of the earth was strong. I felt a torrent of energy latently waiting to connect with me. I waited for that moment when it felt it hit me and a sound erupted through my thoughts as a result of the energy shock. My body bounced in convulsive estertores (rattles). A gradual swimming began but this movement was not soft, of the contrary it was contracted. Hands, arms, body and torso clinched as if fearfully swimming through the waters of the inferno, defensively as if afraid of being attacked at any moment. This went on for a while; I was moving like a shark, like some creature made to kill of not to be killed. Progressively, I felt the transformation, or in Nitza’s words, the metamorphosis. Slowly, I felt how my body parts began to tune into a different kind of energy. Good energy, soft energy began to soften me and my limbs began to move flowingly and lightly. I was smiling, it seemed I had found healthy waters; It felt I could swim in those waters for ever, at times I just took impulse and kept up planeando (hovering)like a bird, but under water, for long periods of time, facing God, smiling and free falling.
The body of water looked-at from a different angle
Eyes closed, I started with a shape: my body squatting on the right and knee folded on the left, arms rounded over the folded left knee as if encircling it. As I traveled in that position, the left knee kept moving within that circle in both directions clockwise and counterclockwise. The movement involved the torso, the shoulders, both the rounded arms and the knee moving in circles in reference to each other. I kept on traveling and switching directions, until a beam of light coming from the ceiling began to light my closed eyes. I began to play with the beam of light, at times I could feel it on my eyes and at times I missed it. I began to search for it, my face leading my body ascending towards the light until I was completely standing. I had noticed that there was a piece of cloth near, almost under my right foot. I knew I could get it with my toes, so still connected to the beam of light; I tried to grab the cloth with my right toes and then grab it with my right hand, which I succeeded in doing.
Then, I began to move the cloth, scarf, holing it with my right hand, through my left hand, as if purifying it with the light, the scarf in between my face and the beam of light. When the full length of the scarf was extended between my two hands, in between my face and the light, I covered my eyes with it. I wrapped it around my head over my eyes and then kept it tight and extended crossed behind my head, extended on either side of it. I began to walk in the space. I felt totally isolated and free. An impulse took me to ask in Spanish, Hay alguien en casa? I repeated the phrase several times, I added the word hello, and the rest, “hay alguien en casa, donde estan todos, donde estan, hello,” etc at which point Nitza responded from where she was, I supposed the outer edge of the space, “Estoy Aqui.” I went to where the voice was coming from and she met me half way there. She positioned herself next to me and then I put my hand over her shoulder and began to walk through the space. I left myself be guided by her. I trusted her and followed her walking at her pace, no resistance. At one point a sudden need to cry overwhelmed me. I began to utter long and heartfelt lamentations, like a child, like a mourner. We kept walking through the space as I continue crying, no acting, real cry coming from my depth.
Talking as if I were the scarf while it moved
I began to move the scarf and in every move I talked as if I were it. I became the scarf. Gradually it became a conversation with me the mover and itself. She, the scarf demanded me to move her and place her in very specific ways. At one point, it invited me to dance with her. So I danced to a waltz, my eyes closed. I began with the fabric close to my mouth and face as it moving with my breath and words. At another point, I placed it on the floor and lied of top of her. She, the scarf, remarked on how heavy I was. I danced with it by turning in circles and letting it fly with the movement; I forgot what she said then. At one point I began to sing, “Oh, I know who you are, I know how you feel, right here right now, in your eyes I know who you are, can you find the child that want to run with the wind?” The scarf on my face and body.
Sounding the moves of the scarf
There were movements that sounded like the wind that goes through a tine hole or crack. There were sounds coming from my throat. There were expirated sounds that matched sharp and fast movements of the scarf. There were acute sounds that accompanied jumping throws of the scar in the air. There were little and fast T’s and P’s that described zig-zaggy flowing moves. There was a playful moment with the stones and the scarf. I was seated on the floor, Japanese position, and I began to gather the scarf along with the stones, dragging them towards me. I extended the scarf in front of me, parallel to my body’s front and then began to pick the little stones one at a time and as I dropped them on the scarf, I produced different sounds.
Ideas
• The plexi-glass tank.
• The frame with water.
• The crystal design with sequence (lentejuelas)
• The seating area, bare.
• The entrance to the space with water and stones to purify those who come in the space.
• Josh as a set designer.
• Performing in the morning and using the beam of light
Feedback
Nitza was truly moved by the result of the exploration. She remarked on my hands, she called them child’s hands. She said that she had never realized my hands, that my manly presence made her imagine manly hands and not a child’s hands.
She said that she saw me as I am, without the armor.
She liked the song almost whispered.
At one point she saw me dancing a tango with the scarf.
My face was the face of a child when I was finally swimming freely.
UC Davis, Saturday, April 24, 2009
PAR Meeting with Nitza
Today we started with the creation of a sequence of movements related to water during the day.
• At 6:00 AM, urinating, flushing.
Brushing teeth, Drinking water
• At 7:00 AM, washing hands, water on my face, washing my face in the sink
• 8:00 AM watering the plants
• 9:00 body water moving through my system with yoga
• 10:00 shake washing and mixing fruits
• 11:00 Showering
• The water in the atmosphere, outside, through the glass door
• The water in the humidity surrounding my body
• There are many that I do not remember now.
Out of all these movements or actions a sequence was created, only those movements that resonated with me remained.
Urinating facing the back
Turn around and focus in the horizon
Walk towards the front
Gesturing moving fingers, arms extended to either side of the body, describing a semicircle as the move to the top, then move down, my arms and hands meet in front of my pelvis and move upwards (hands together shaping a container) parallel to my stomach, chest, and face, passing my head, arm extended to the max, feet on releve.
Bring hands to my face and squat drink.
Arms rounded move away from the center, body rise, torso concave, head tucked towards chest, feet asymmetrically positioned.
Landing on the floor, extended X shape. Fetal position.
• This same sequence was repeated, and the focus was then made more present, three points of focus were added to the walk from the back to the front. It was done three times super fast, non-stop.
• Then it was done very slowly.
• The voice was added: urinating/acute u, rounded lips and small opening of the mouth; turning around/open throat/breath expirated I walked forward; front/arms extended/fingers moving/semicircle/gibberish/high pitch; ascending arms and hands, low voice/chant; whispering/lower hands/squad/pause; drink form hands/acute cry; pause/transition to rounded arms/concave torso/operatic soprano voice/landing; turning to right/rolling slowly/suspension on the right side of hips/roll/ suspended on pelvis/roll/suspended on left side of hip/; fetal position/gibberish.
• Juego con palabras. Nitza y yo telling each other words.
At seven
During the sequence I was to focus on different points in the space.
UC Davis, April 25, 2009
• Practice as Research: Water Ritual.
In the case of Cuban Exiles who have escaped the island through the straits of Florida, how have the presence of their bodies in the water affected the water, how has the experience of surviving the water passage affected them. Can the re-enactment of this experience through a ritual performance reconcile the exiled body with the water body used as a vehicle for displacement? Can this ritual assuage displacement?
Things to think about:
1. Specificity of what I am doing (the experiment). PAR emerges because this is the way I work.
2. Why am I doing it? I am trying to understand the conditions of exile/home and how it manifests through water. Am I doing this work to engage with these questions?
3. Things we know and things we do not know
4. The effect response of drowning
5. Who are entering a conversation with …? What conversation are you entering with this performance?
6. How is the performance of a ritual going to (heal) change things?
7. Water created the wound (how can we talk about its nature in a way that Perez Firmat cannot)
8. What languages of self-realizations are present here? (Jung)
9. Create a performance genealogy of ritual practices to contextualize the ritual the PAR aspect of the ritual.
10. Examples of water rituals or the notion of ritual healing practices that involve water as a healing medium. (Ex. Oshun, Yemaya)
11. Investigate ritual in water in Ancient Societies in order to recuperate water as a sacred object.
12. Acknowledge the argument which opposes the view of ritual and performance as the same thing. Instead, those who argue that rituals are two different things think that ritual is sacred and that once turned into representation it loses its secrecy, meaning and healing powers.
13. It I defend the universalized view of ritual then I have to acknowledge all of the different arguments and defend my own, by stating it, is spite of.
14. When talking about ritual within theatre and performance (Grotowsky, Artaud, Triana, and Schechner) acknowledge the questioning arguments that arise from these practices. (issues of appropriation, exotization of the other)
Possible List of Books
African Gods, Contemporary Rituals and Beliefs
Crossing the Water, a photographic Path of the Afro-Cuban Spiritual World
Cult and Character: Purification Offerings. Day of Atonement and Theodocy
How I write: the Secret Lives of Authors
Mammy Water in Search of the Water Spirit in Nigeria
Mourning the Unborn Dead: A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America
Water and Ritual: the Rise and Fall of Classic Mayan Rulers
Tales of the Expat Harem: Foreing Women in Modern Turkey
Sake: A Modern Guide
Campbell, Joseph. Mythos I: The Shaping of Our Mythic Tradition
Campbell, Joseph. Mythos II: The Shaping or Our Mythic Tradition
UC Davis, May 8, 2009
Water in the Body
• The fluid shift hypothesis suggests that space motion sickness results from the cranial shifting of body fluids resulting from the loss of hydrostatic pressure....
• Regulation of body fluid volume and electrolyte concentrations in spaceflight by: SM Smith, JM Krauhs, CS Leach
• During altitudes beyond normal, sipping small amounts every 15 minutes prevents fluid consumption leading to potential yin deficiency.
• It is a myth that you can "sweat out the germs and toxins". Low levels of exercise increase endorphins and benefit your body, but an intense workout that creates high levels of endorphins can wear down your immune system.
• Dehydration occurs when too much fluid is lost from the body.
• It's important especially during times of sickness to increase fluid intake since we are ridding our body of so much of it while we're sick.
Bodies of Water I have gone across
• El arroyito del muerto
• Cuba and Cayo Conuco
• El rio Camajuani
• The deepest site in this sea is the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica at 7500 m below the surface
• Between Jamaica and Haiti
• Between La Espanola and Miami
• Between Miami and New York
• Between NY and Puerto Rico
• Between PR and Dominican Rep. ( La Mona)
• Between PR and Miami
• Between Miami and Spain/ Between Spain and Ibiza/ Atlántico/ Mediterranean
• River somewhere in Spain
• Between Spain and Miami
• Between Miami and France
• Between Miami and Switzerland
• Between Miami and Saint Martin/ between S.M. and Antigua/ Saint Bars
• Between Europe and Denmark
• River in Krumlov/ ZC Rep.
• Between Miami and Toronto/ nieve/lluvia/lagrimas
UC Davis, May 22, 2009
Deities from the Cuban Pantheon Related to Water
1. Atabey: Mother of the Supreme Being, mother of the waters. She has five names: Atabey, Yermao, Guacao, Apito and Zumacao. Atabey, of exceptional beauty, taught humans about the magical mysteries of the cemies (idols) and the magical ritual and ceremonies to control the beings of the invisible world. Arawaks used to pass her representation over the belly of the woman in labor so she would not suffer misfortune and pain.
Atabey: It means respected mother
Guacar: It relates to the flow in the tides and the menstruation
2. Gabancex: Lady of the winds, Hurricane. Feminine deity destroys everything with the torrential combined forces of the winds and water. She has two assistants Guatauba, gatherer of torrential rains, and Coatrisquie, the gatherer of the waters.
3. Ochun
4. Yemaya
5. Dragon Head Dance: The dance team does mimic the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world. Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which are reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness.
6. Teresa de Avila. (Santa Teresa de Jesus) She claimed that during her illness she rose from the lowest stage, "recollection", to the "devotions of silence" or even to the "devotions of ecstasy", which was one of perfect union with God. During this final stage, she said she frequently experienced a rich "blessing of tears."
UC Davis, May 22, 2009.
Links to Sites related to Taino Information
Guanaroca, la diosa India de Cienfuegos.
Alonso Lorea, Jose Ramon. Y... A ANA MENDIETA LLAMAN ATABEY, GUACAR, MAROYA, GUANAROCA, ITIBA Y GUABANCEX, QUE SON SEIS NOMBRES. May 22, 2009.
Taino Mythology. May 22, 2009.
Camajauni, cultura y tradicion. May 22, 2009.
UC Davis, Tuesday, August 18, 2009
PAR Meeting with Nitza
After the summer vacation Nitza and I reconvened to plan our next rehearsal schedule. She told me that she had finished reading “Yamamoto’s book, and that there were phrases she wanted to use in the piece. Also, after her meeting in ATHA, New York, she thought we could take the piece to the conference next year. I am foreseeing the amount of work ahead of me and the degree of organization I have to develop in order to accomplish all my future commitments.
• I have to schedule rehearsals for The Elephant’s Graveyard
• I have to do TA for the Spanish department and take 4 hours of methodology with them
• I have to schedule rehearsal and performance with Nitza for our PAR performance.
• I have to study, summarize and send the lists of my bibliography
• I have to find out about my schedule with the TA Counseling Fellowship.
UC Davis, Monday, August 24, 2009Vignettes
Betty Boobs
La delegada de grupo se llamaba Deborah Lopez. Era de Trinidad, Cienfuegos y se comportaba como si tuviera a Dios agarrado por las barbas. Su pelo negro y encaracolado, sus ojos grandes, casi redondos y negros, su boca pequena de labios rojos, su piel blanca en contraste con sus cabellos me recordaban a Betty Boobs. Era mandona y despiadada con sus propios companeros. A pesar de sus reportes y desplantes delante de mis companeros me gustaba. Me parecia tan linda, pero a la vez odiaba su arrogancia y despotismo. Un dia la profesora la dejo a cargo del grupo y nos dejo solos. Estabamos supuestos a permanecer en el aula hasta el final de turno de clase. Ella por congraciarse nos dejo ir como veinte minutos mas temprano. Yo corri hasta la catedra donde se encontraba la profesora, su nombre era Mercedes Madrigal y le dije “Deborah nos dejo ir antes de tiempo.” En aquel momento senti la satisfacion de delatar a la delatora y a pesar de que mis companeros se sintieron traicionados, yo sabia que hay veces que para hacer justicia hay que convertirse en el enemigo de todos y asi lo asumi.
No se puede levantar el brazo
La escuela imponia reglas cada vez as absurdas. Despues de haber sido habituado a extender el brazo para contester preguntas en el aula, en esta escuela en el campo, en Tres Atejes, solo se podia apoyar el codo sobre el pupitre con brazo doblado y esperar a que el professor le diera a uno la oportunidad de hablar. El reflejo condicionado de levanter todo el brazo e trajo graves problemas.
Apadrinamiento sucio
Cada dia a las 6 de la tarde, la inspeccion de los dormitories pasaba revista. A cada uno de los sesenta estudiantes del albergue le correspondia la limpieza de una de las ventanas del albergue. La commission de alumnus chivatos pasaba sus dedos por las tablillas de las percianas y si estaba polvorientas, chequeaban el numero de la ventana y gritaba, ventana numero 56, apadrinamiento sucio y entonces reportaba al susodicho padrino de ventana. Nosotros meintras tanto permanecianos de oie en atencion junto a nuesta litera, mientras la comision de aguantapatas miraba si nuestra camas estaban bien tendidas, si nuestros closets estaban bien arreglados. En fin…. Recordarlo me hace vivirlo de Nuevo.
Morejon
Morejon … Mi nombre resonaba en todo la escuela cuando Eddie Sanchez, el director, gritaba mi nombra para llamar mi atencion sobre algo que yo estaba haciendao mal. En este caso era my book bag, la cual yo llevaba en la mano derecha en vez de la izquierda como era requerido …. Aunque era un nino me daba cuenta de que esto no era normal ni razonable y cuando trataba de discutir, su voz de tenor Italiano ahogaba la mia y nuevament mi nombre resonaba como un eco en toda la escuela counsdo el me repondia, “ Morejonnnnn, no me replique….
Un paso derecho
Las dos filas de 15 a veinte estudiantes barones formaba frente al pasillo que conducia al comedor. Esto sucedia tres veces al dia, hora de desayuno, hora de almuerso y hora de comida. Todo era tan ridiculo que contarlo me parece bochornozo. Diametralmente a nuestro frente estaban las ninas quienes tambien tenia que formar una fila india dejando un mosaico de distancia entre cada estudiante. Cunad la fila cercan a la pared entraba al pasillo, la que quedaba tenia que dar un paso hacia el lado, el reponsable del comedor gritaba: “un paso derecho march…. Y nosotros de carneros teniamos que al unisosno marchar hacia la derecha. La veces que lo hicimos exactament al mismo tiempo, tuvimos que formar en la plaza bajo el sol tropical hasta que el jefe del comedor, un alumno como nosotros, decidiera que merciamos regresar a la formacion y una vez mas marchar un paso hacia la derecha para poder comer…
UC Davis, Tuesday, August 24, 2009
Improvisations
1st improv. With a few objects.
Morejon!! (inside pinico and loud)
(bis)
(exploring the sounds in the pinico, forte, cantado, opera, fino, grosso, imponente, etc.)
pspspsppspspss
mexendo na água do pinico e salpicando no chão em volta da cena.
Passando na cabeça ao final
O tambor vira pinico. Morejon em ritmo da batida do tambor.
Pinico vira hapeu.e ele voa côo uma garça, dando passos cuidadosos em torno do filtro velho ao centro. Faz sinal de continência.
Morejon!!
Se exibe , forte, musculoso, carrega a maleta (?) numa mao e algo na outra. Carrega os dois baldes, um em cada mao.
Vai ficando pesado e o corpo dele vai se caindo pra frente, os objetos se arrastando.
Morejon... (bem fininho) jon-jon-jon. Opereta-style. Larga os dois baldes e se esconde no canto da sala. Morejon!!! (grittado)Usa o pinico como escudo, se defende dos que podem lhe atacar. Susurra Morejon.... Pega a bacia maior inicialmente usa como objeto pra bater/jogar. Colide pinicio e panelao. Senta no panelao e coloca novamente pinico na cabeça. Snaps and palmicas, com ritimo interno + mãos e braços a la Carmem Miranda. Dedo indicador no chão. Senta dentro do panelao e Poe pinico na frente. Respira aliviado. Relaxa. Canta morejon. Morejon Jon Jon Jon. Canta e se deita, pés no pinico. Cria ritimo com o nome enquanto canta e estala os dedos. Deitado ao chão como cristo. Senta enviezado no panelao. Se levanta e leva os dois la pra trás.
4 objetos em filala no fundo: pinico, filtro velho, baldinho e panelao.
Concha como guarda-chuva, andando na ponta dos pés. Pega água na concha, deposita um pouco em cada objeto ao fundo. Se molha (cabeça). Deposita o resto de volta (som da água eh lindo). Concha bate nos quatro objetos. Vira microfone e som de carro e cresce ate virar grito. Coloca na blusa como gravata. Pega a blusa e veste.
ADORO a concha multiuso...
Abotoa a camisa, concha cmo gravata. Sentra no filtro velho. Medita Morejoooonnnmmmmmmmm....... Respira e reinicia o som de meditação (ajeita a gravata).
Olhares de soslaio com o dedo e perguntando Morejon? Morejon! Teatrao + expressões dadas a ele. Gravata balança de um lado ao outro. Pega caneca na concha, chacoalha e dança. Ela cai e ele vai atrás. Morejon vira texto. Gibborish com Morejon, grande, empostado, imponente, nervoso, raivoso, ditatorial. Vozinha fina repetindo Morejon varias vezes. Joga caneca no pinico, cospe na concha e joga tamem no pinico. Limpa concha. Empilha baldinho no filtro velho q fica dentro do panelao. Canta o q parece uma musica de marcha de escola (anthem). Rege a marcha. Os objetos em linha no chão (desenham algo no chão – criança deitada?morta? = MOREJON in TRIAL). Speech de alguém melodramático. Figura importante fala para uma multidão.
Vai falando Morejon e busca outros objetos, copos, garrafas, cuias, ‘Ahhh.... Morejon, morejon...’. Os novos objetos circundam os anteriores no chão. Os baldes com água ficam por dentro. Vai enchendo todos os objetos do circulo com água via concha.
Bêbado, com garrafa na mao. Faz o tipao bêbado.
GOSTEI da arrumação pra uma cena futura, pegando um objeto pra iniciar uma cena longe da que ficou.
What felt stronger for Morejon:
- walking with two containers and metamorphosis getting more and more heavier. Gets weeker and fails to embrace image of strong/Power. Goes to corner and pinico becomes weapon.
- need of moment of silence & use water for that (pouring water in 4 objects ao fundo)
- objects marked space in warm up – embodying space and creating energy for space.
- concha as tié
- final ritual
- final ritual (efigy) – ‘burial ritual’ felt like closure. At end of performance one can read the objects/instalation that are left.
- the drumming with the urinal/marching band type of atmosphere.
- urinal on head.
2nd Improv. With chosen parts.
Look into the pinico. Try to see yourself?
Morejon!
Fit and adjust hat. Pick up bags. Hold body upt tight and walk in space (find directionality). Gets heavier and heavier. Diagonal pra frente? Hides in corner.
Morejon bem fininho q vira um quase choro. De repente salta e busca no escuro. Susurros maliciosos. Agarra panelao. Bate pinico no panelao. Ameaça com gritos Morejon. Batendo a blusa, diversas vezes com forca (não quer vestir). Veste gravata e entra no panelao e canta a musica de marcha da escola. (good transition from seriousness of walk/dress into clothes). Dança com a concha, batendo nela nochao e no próprio corpo. Vai com a concha atrás do caneco. Fica trimilicando o caneco com a conhca. Cheira a concha. Pintao com concha e caneco. Risada sacana e balançando concha no dedo médio. Andando com caneneco no pe. Parece sargento. Virou sargentão (personagem). Bate concha na bota enquanto caminha. Anda a passos largos.
Script Morejon
[Tentative] Dress concha as tie and then the shirt. Using urinal as speaker to scream Morejon!
Wears urinal as hat, adjusting it to fit properly on the head. (becomes fully dressed for school).Hat transforms you into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future. As you walk towards the back you speak the ‘rules text’. Holds left hand up then slowly pulls it down on the elbow (as description of arms in text), grabs the pipa (cue: três Aterres), turns and speaks ‘el reflexo condicionado...’ facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground.Standing besidesventanta speaks ‘Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’ (text), grabs wet trapo and squeezes water out of it as you speak the text. [create more movement as if cleaning ventana obsessively]. ‘Recordar-lo es volver-lo a vivir.’
Runs to corner, as if living that moment again. Starts uttering Morejon as if cornered. Transition into whispers – the self trying to regain power. Hat becomes escudo and panela becomes potential weapon. Becomes more agressive /deffensive and bangs both objects. Sound accentuates the name. Stands on top of panela, sings march. As you describe Débora (text), you become her, swaying tie representing a female movement. Gargalhada (as Débora) to the concha, which now becomes Morejon. Play with the concha on the tip of your middle finger. Try to fetch the tin cup with the concha and Débora becomes the sargent that enjoys the Delegada Del Grupo position.
(text) ‘Um dia... e asi lo assumi.’ part of the story is share with the audience.
UC Davis, Tuesday, August 24, 2009
Reworking the Script
1st improv. With a few objects.
Morejon!! (inside urinal and loud)
(bis)
(exploring the sounds in the urinal, forte, cantado, opera, fino, grosso, imponente, etc.)
pspspsppspspss
mexendo na água do pinico e salpicando no chão em volta da cena.
Passando na cabeça ao final
O tambor vira pinico. Morejon em ritmo da batida do tambor.
Pinico vira hapeu.e ele voa côo uma garça, dando passos cuidadosos em torno do filtro velho ao centro. Faz sinal de continência.
Morejon!!
Se exibe , forte, musculoso, carrega a maleta (?) numa mao e algo na outra. Carrega os dois baldes, um em cada mao.
Vai ficando pesado e o corpo dele vai se caindo pra frente, os objetos se arrastando.
Morejon... (bem fininho) jon-jon-jon. Opereta-style.
Larga os dois baldes e se esconde no canto da sala. Morejon!!! (grittado)Usa o pinico como escudo, se defende dos que podem lhe atacar.
Susurra Morejon.... Pega a bacia maior inicialmente usa como objeto pra bater/jogar.
Colide pinicio e panelao.
Senta no panelao e coloca novamente pinico na cabeça.
Snaps and palmicas, com ritimo interno + mãos e braços a la Carmem Miranda. Dedo indicador no chão.
Senta dentro do panelao e Poe pinico na frente. Respira aliviado. Relaxa. Canta morejon. Morejon Jon Jon Jon. Canta e se deita, pés no pinico. Cria ritimo com o nome enquanto canta e estala os dedos. Deitado ao chão como cristo. Senta enviezado no panelao. Se levanta e leva os dois la pra trás.
4 objetos em filala no fundo: pinico, filtro velho, baldinho e panelao.
Concha como guarda-chuva, andando na ponta dos pés. Pega água na concha, deposita um pouco em cada objeto ao fundo.
Se molha (cabeça). Deposita o resto de volta (som da água eh lindo). Concha bate nos quatro objetos.
Vira microfone e som de carro e cresce ate virar grito. Coloca na blusa como gravata. Pega a blusa e veste.
ADORO a concha multiuso...
Abotoa a camisa, concha cmo gravata. Sentra no filtro velho. Medita Morejoooonnnmmmmmmmm....... Respira e reinicia o som de meditação (ajeita a gravata).
Olhares de soslaio com o dedo e perguntando Morejon? Morejon! Teatrao + expressões dadas a ele.
Gravata balança de um lado ao outro. Pega caneca na concha, chacoalha e dança. Ela cai e ele vai atrás.
Morejon vira texto. Gibborish com Morejon, grande, empostado, imponente, nervoso, raivoso, ditatorial. Vozinha fina repetindo Morejon varias vezes.
Joga caneca no pinico, cospe na concha e joga tamem no pinico. Limpa concha. Empilha baldinho no filtro velho q fica dentro do panelao.
Canta o q parece uma musica de marcha de escola (anthem). Rege a marcha.
Os objetos em linha no chão (desenham algo no chão – criança deitada?morta? =
MOREJON in TRIAL). Speech de alguém melodramático. Figura importante fala para uma multidão.
Vai falando Morejon e busca outros objetos, copos, garrafas, cuias, ‘Ahhh.... Morejon, morejon...’.
Os novos objetos circundam os anteriores no chão. Os baldes com água ficam por dentro. Vai enchendo todos os objetos do circulo com água via concha.
Bêbado, com garrafa na mao. Faz o tipao bêbado.
GOSTEI da arrumação pra uma cena futura, pegando um objeto pra iniciar uma cena longe da que ficou.
What felt stronger for Morejon:
- walking with two containers and metamorphosis getting more and more heavier. Gets weeker and fails to embrace image of strong/Power. Goes to corner and pinico becomes weapon.
- need of moment of silence & use water for that (pouring water in 4 objects ao fundo)
- objects marked space in warm up – embodying space and creating energy for space.
- concha as tié
- final ritual
- final ritual (efigy) – ‘burial ritual’ felt like closure. At end of performance one can read the objects/instalation that are left.
UC Davis, Monday, August 24, 2009
Script Morejon[Tentative]
Dress concha as tie and then the shirt.
Using urinal as speaker to scream Morejon!
Wears urinal as hat, adjusting it to fit properly on the head.
(becomes fully dressed for school).
Hat transforms you into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future.
As you walk towards the back you speak the ‘rules text’.
Morejon:
Holds left hand up then slowly pulls it down on the elbow (as description of arms in text) La escuela imponia reglas cada vez as absurdas. Despues de haber sido habituado a extender el brazo para contester pregunts en el aula, en esta escuela en el campo, [grabs the pipa] en Tres Atejes, solo se podia apoyar el codo sobre el pupitre con brazo doblado y esperar a que el professor le diera a uno la oportunidad de hablar. [ turns and speaks facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground.] El reflejo condicionado de levantar todo el brazo me trajo graves problemas.
[Standing besidesventanta speaks] ‘Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’ (text), grabs wet trapo and squeezes water out of it as you speak the text. [create more movement as if cleaning ventana obsessively] la inspeccion de los dormitorios pasaba revista. A cada uno de los sesenta estudiantes del albergue le correspondia la limpieza de una de las ventanas. La commission de alumnus chivatos pasaba sus dedos por las tablillas de las percianas y si estaba polvorientas, chequeaban el numero de la ventana y gritaba, “ventana numero 56, apadrinamiento sucio” y entonces reportaba al susodicho padrino de ventana. Nosotros mientras tanto permaneciamos de pie, en atencio,n junto a nuestra litera, mientras la comision de aguantapatas miraba si nuestras camas estaban bien tendidas, si nuestros closets estaban bien arreglados. En fin…. Recordarlo es volverlo a vivir.
[Runs to corner, as if living that moment again. Starts uttering Morejon as if cornered. ]
Transition into whispers – the self trying to regain power. Hat becomes escudo and (pot)panela becomes potential weapon. Becomes more agressive /deffensive and bangs both objects. Sound accentuates the name.
Stands on top of (pot)panela, sings march. [Himno de la Internacional Comunista]
As Morejon describes Débora (text),
La delegada de grupo se llamaba Deborah Lopez. Era de Trinidad, Cienfuegos y se comportaba como si tuviera a Dios agarrado por las barbas. Su pelo negro y encaracolado, sus ojos grandes, casi redondos y negros, su boca pequena de labios rojos, su piel blanca en contraste con sus cabellos me recordaban a Betty Boobs. Era mandona y despiadada con sus propios companeros. A pesar de sus reportes y desplantes delante de mis companeros me gustaba. Me parecia tan linda, pero a la vez odiaba su arrogancia y despotismo.
[he becomes her, swaying tie (spoon)representing a female movement. Gargalhada {laughter} (as Débora) to the concha (spoon), which now becomes Morejon. Play with the concha on the tip of your middle finger. Try to fetch the tin cup with the concha and Débora becomes the sargent that enjoys the Delegada Del Grupo position.
(text)
Un dia la profesora la dejo a cargo del grupo y nos dejo solos. Estabamos supuestos a permanecer en el aula hasta el final de turno de clase. Ella por congraciarse nos dejo ir como veinte minutos mas temprano. Yo corri hasta la catedra donde se encontraba la profesora, su nombre era Mercedes Madrigal y le dije “Deborah nos dejo ir antes de tiempo.” En aquel momento senti la satisfacion de delatar a la delatora y a peasr de que mis companeros se sintieron traicionados, yo sabia que hay veces que para hacer justicia hay que convertirse en el enemigo de todos y asi lo asumi. [part of the story is share with the audience. ]
UC Davis, Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Reworking the Script
- the drumming with the urinal/marching band type of atmosphere.
- urinal on head.
2nd Improv. With chosen parts.
Look into the pinico. Try to see yourself?
Morejon!
Fit and adjust hat. Pick up bags. Hold body upt tight and walk in space (find directionality). Gets heavier and heavier. Diagonal pra frente?
Hides in corner.
Morejon bem fininho q vira um quase choro. De repente salta e busca no escuro.
Susurros maliciosos. Agarra panelao. Bate pinico no panelao. Ameaça com gritos
Morejon. Batendo a blusa, diversas vezes com forca (não quer vestir). Veste gravata e entra no panelao e canta a musica de marcha da escola. (good transition from seriousness of walk/dress into clothes).
Dança com a concha, batendo nela nochao e no próprio corpo. Vai com a concha atrás do caneco. Fica trimilicando o caneco com a conhca. Cheira a concha. Pintao com concha e caneco.
Risada sacana e balançando concha no dedo médio. Andando com caneneco no pe. Parece sargento. Virou sargentão (personagem). Bate concha na bota enquanto caminha. Anda a passos largos.
Script Morejon[Tentative]
Dress concha as tie and then the shirt.
Using urinal as speaker to scream Morejon!
Wears urinal as hat, adjusting it to fit properly on the head.
becomes fully dressed for school).
Hat transforms you into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future.
As you walk towards the back you speak the ‘rules text’.
Holds left hand up then slowly pulls it down on the elbow (as description of arms in text), grabs the pipa (cue: três Aterres), turns and speaks ‘el reflexo condicionado...’ facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground.
Standing besidesventanta speaks ‘Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’ (text), grabs wet trapo and squeezes water out of it as you speak the text. [create more movement as if cleaning ventana obsessively].
‘Recordar-lo es volver-lo a vivir.’ Runs to corner, as if living that moment again. Starts uttering Morejon as if cornered.
Transition into whispers – the self trying to regain power. Hat becomes escudo and panela becomes potential weapon. Becomes more agressive /deffensive and bangs both objects. Sound accentuates the name.
Stands on top of panela, sings march.
As you describe Débora (text), you become her, swaying tie representing a female movement. Gargalhada (as Débora) to the concha, which now becomes Morejon. Play with the concha on the tip of your middle finger. Try to fetch the tin cup with the concha and Débora becomes the sargent that enjoys the Delegada Del Grupo position.
(text) ‘Um dia... e asi lo assumi.’ part of the story is share with the audience.
UC Davis, Friday, 27 de agosto de 2009
Script Morejon[Tentative]
(Morejon dresses concha as tie and then the shirt. Using urinal as speaker screams)
MOREJON
Morejon!
(Wears urinal as hat, adjusting it to fit properly on the head. Morejon becomes fully dressed for school. Hat transforms Morejon into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future. As he walk towards the back he speaks the text: Holds left hand up then slowly pulls it down on the elbow as description of arms in text.)
MOREJON
La escuela imponia reglas cada vez mas absurdas. Despues de haber sido habituado a extender el brazo para contestar preguntas en el aula, en esta escuela en el campo, (grabs the pipa de água) en Tres Atejes, solo se podia apoyar el codo sobre el pupitre con brazo doblado y esperar a que el professor le diera a uno la oportunidad de hablar. ( turns and speaks facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground. Takes hat off.) El reflejo condicionado de levantar todo el brazo me trajo graves problemas.
(Standing besides ventanta speaks first as if realistically cleaning the window. The main phrases take place during this speech, one cleaning each persiana, then cleaning the frame of the window, third, cleaning the whole of it. )
MOREJON
Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’, (grabs wet trapo and squeezes water out of it as you speak the text) la inspeccion de los dormitorios pasaba revista. A cada uno de los sesenta estudiantes del albergue le correspondia la limpieza de una de las ventanas. La commission de alumnos chivatos pasaba sus dedos por las tablillas de las percianas y si estaban polvorientas, chequeaban el numero de la ventana y gritaba, “ventana numero 56, apadrinamiento sucio”
(Begins to clean obsessively following the same phrases done slowly, but cleaning obsessively beyond the window area to using the whole space, to eventually, once the text is delivered, end up in corner.)
MOREJON
… Y entonces reportaba al susodicho padrino de ventana. Nosotros mientras tanto permaneciamos de pie, en atencion, junto a nuestra litera, mientras la comision de aguantapatas miraba si nuestras camas estaban bien tendidas, tensas como la cuerda de un equilibrista, si nuestros closets estaban bien arreglados, a pesar de lo pequenos y estrechos que eran .
(Cleans window again obsessively repeating parts of previous text. Cleans beyond window. Steps into the pan and cleans himself as if he were the window. Finally squats and grabs hat seeking solace/protection.)
MOREJON
En fin…. Recordarlo es volverlo a vivir.
(Whispering Morejon as if cornered.)
MOREJON
Morejon....Morejon. Morejon! Morejon!
The self trying to regain power. Hat becomes escudo and pot becomes potential weapon. Becomes more agressive/deffensive and bangs both objects. The sounds accentuates the name. This happens until name and banging become the rhythm for the march. Stands on top of pot and sings the Himno de la Internacional Comunista march in Morejon gibberish.)
MOREJON
Morejon... Morejon.... Morejon jon jon.... (etc.)
(Invites audience to sing with him. Takes hats off and bows at the end. While bowing, sees spoon. Plays with spoon which suggests the charater of Débora. As Morejon describes Débora, he becomes her.)
MOREJON
La delegada de grupo se llamaba Deborah Lopez. Era de Trinidad, Cienfuegos y se comportaba como si tuviera a Dios agarrado por las barbas. Su pelo negro y encaracolado, sus ojos grandes, casi redondos y negros como una asabache, su boca pequena de labios rojos, su piel blanca en contraste con sus cabellos me recordaban a Betty Boop. Era mandona y despiadada con sus propios companeros. A pesar de sus reportes y desplantes delante de todos, me gustaba. Me parecia tan linda, pero a la vez odiaba su arrogancia y despotismo.
(He becomes her Deborah, swaying tie (spoon) representing a female movement. Evil laughter to the spoon, which now becomes Morejon. Debora plays with the spoon on the tip of her middle finger. Tries to fetch the tin cup with the spoon. Débora becomes the sargent that enjoys the Delegada Del Grupo position.
DEBORA
Morejón…. Morejón!
MOREJON
Un dia, la profesora la dejo a cargo del grupo y nos dejo solos. Estabamos supuestos a permanecer en el aula hasta el final de turno de clase. Ella por congraciarse nos dejo ir como veinte minutos mas temprano. Yo corri hasta la catedra donde se encontraba la profesora, su nombre era Mercedes Madrigal y le dije “Deborah nos dejo ir antes de tiempo.” (Deconstructing the character) En aquel momento senti la satisfacion de delatar a la delatora y a pesar de que mis companeros se sintieron traicionados, yo sabia que hay veces que para hacer justicia hay que convertirse en el enemigo de todos y asi lo asumi.
UC Davis, Monday, 31 de agosto de 2009
Email: Just as a reminder for Wednesday:
- pick 4 actions with food coloring and text/questions that elucidate the notion of uniqueness/otherness/difference;
- We WILL look at the Morejón scene, I promise!
;)
Nitza
BeingUniqueor/is beingDifference
Where are you from?
Do you have any Mayan blood in you?
1. Copo de madeira:
- isn’twhat it seems;
- wasdesigned for Diety that doesn’t like metal – la Deusa Del Bosque;
- engravings tell the story of the cicle of life. Although it has a mainstream through which me move, there are many deviations to make it a learning journey. Every time you deviate you must GO back.
- Thedots in the background represent those Who nevermade it; Who are left befind, Who never live their journeys to their full extent.
- the indentations represent the number of days in a human life, beginning and end in a year.
- inner and outer part of engravings juxtapose themselves in real yearlife/days X journey of entirety of life.
- if you are stuck througout your journey you can hear the Diety whispering to you words of wisdom.
2. A panela do feijão:
- já fez muito feijão esta panela.
- ES una oia de uma família pobre
- se tira do fogão pq não se sabe se quando vai se encher novamente
- poe-se mais água do do q comida nesta panela;
- foi maltratada pelo fogo;
- nunca foi nova;
- foi deixada pra trás pela vizinha que partiu pra uma vida melhor;
- já serviu pra fazer panelaço;
- é uma panela estrangeira, feita nos EUA e que foi parar na America Latina;
- a dona da panela nunca entendeu os números na lateral – não lhe fazem sentido;
- foi virada mutas vezes de cabeça pra baixo por estar vazia, seria;
- panela miserável;
Latinidade as otherness:
1. Eu estava falando ela com carinho sobre o nosso projeto. O q eu queria, o que ela achava interessante, o que nos duas juntas pudéssemos oferecer de melhor. Eu estava entusiasmada pensando no som de passarinhos. Uma serie deles, tipo leve revoada?Pássaros anunciando a alvorada? Eu estava começando a achar que ela não era tãorabujenta; que depois de ser tão critica as minhas ideais ela estava finalmente gostando do que estávamos fazendo. E então me senti mais calma ao seu lado, mais tranqüila, mais confortável. E entre os sons saltitantes dos pássaros ouvi um trovejar longinquoque de inicio ignorei. Mas a tempestade me alcançou rapidamente e não consegui mais ignorar o relâmpago: ela, sem tirar os olhos do que estávamos ambas lendo, já dizia pela segunda vez: ‘stoptouching me. Pleasestoptouching me’. Percebi que minha mao estava levemente posicionada sobre o seu braço esquerdo. Muito possivelmente eu já a tivesse tocado muitas vezes, como as possíveis virgulas de uma frase muito comprida. Por isso o segundo relampejar seco e mais firme. Eu a olhei mas ela se quer levantou o rosto e então vi o mar e a distancia entre nos duas se tornou definitivamente infinita. (Nitza)
2. I once read in a book that there are different kinds of blackness. ‘Oh, com on Jorge, you know you have an accent. And you look different.’ Essa frase me atravessou com a velocidade de um raio e em vez de defender-me so disse: Yes, it is true, but that will never stop me from getting to where I need to go.’ That Day, when I got home I went online and with Just one click dropped the class. Afterthat I neverspoke to that professor again and soon after that incident I transfered to another university. (Jorge)
3. Essa noite tinha que dançar em Cheers, a gay club, bu the night was women only. Quando subi a passarela notei q as mulheres em vez de olhar para onde eu estava, olhavam para o outro lado. Eu me sentia que estava dançando no vazio e que a minha presença não significava nada para aquelas mulheres. A minha presence lhes resultava ofensiva ou ate indiferente. For the first time in mylife I felt that my man’s body was read as an adversary and that the attitude of these women, Who like only women was more than any thing else, political.
4. I was once invited to a party of a friend in a very Nice part of town. I knocked on the door and the hostess received me so nicely. I asked for my friend. Ilda. Is Ilda here? She Said No, Ilda es Loca. Entonces entre e todas eram mulheres e todas aos pares. Carmem estava vestida com um trahe saste rosado e depois chegavam dois homens que começavam a dançar um com o outro. O único que não tinha o que fazer era eu. Depois de um tempo vi a Carmem agarrada atrás de uma arvore com uma mulher dizendo: oh my God! Who would have a pennis right now? Então pensei, ta bom, já fui polite o suficiente, já esta na minha hora. E então, sai de la e nunca mais a vi.
5. Let the Foreigner go first.
What makes you unique?
Jorge: My level of sensitivity. Hiper-sensitivity. That affects every thing i do, everything I react to, every decision I make. The traumas in the past have been because of that. Willingness to absorb other’s pains, absorb insidious comments, nuances, expressions of approval and disaproval. The search or quest for Beauty is what keeps me in this field as anantidote to what otherwise seems to be aversive and unecessarily ugly. Anything can set emitional responses, reactions, traumas, etc...
.
Vulnerabilities and sensitivities. Sking deep vulnerabilities. We are the raw material that is easy to throw out. We are not equiped to use oursensitivities to protect our selves. The people that manage the Money are not artists. And yet they manage the Money that eventually get the Money.
What makes you different? (more comparative)
The level of intensity in my interaction with others and the level of investment in everything I do and say. I feel a discrepancy between the way I envision and react to things and the way most people do. Some people find it tôo intense, scary , over the top. The difference between How are you? And no, really, how are you today? I see people that live at a very basic level: they eat, sleep, defecate, have sex, see TV and life is Just dandy. But would I change my life for that one? No. You permeate yourself with what is out there. Like a membrane. At times it is a choice. At times, not so much, because any thing can trigger my sensitivity.
Sometimes you question the validity of existence... how can some of these things be? One Day i planted Black olives in the swell and when I first met my neighbor the first thing thatcame out of his mouth was: CUT the avocado tree. Immediately I sensed that this man and I weren’t going to be friends. He killed the only tree in his lawn. I was depressed for 2 weeks. How can some one do this to a tree? Being sensitive is an asset, not a deffect. I acquired instruments to deal with my hiper-sensitivity.
• Whatmakesyouunique?
• Whatmakesyoudifferent?
• Whatmakesyouinvisible?
• Whatmakesyouvisible?
• Whatmakesyoudisapear?
• Whatmakesyouappear?
• Whatmakesyoupresent?
• Whatmakesyouabsent?
• Whatmakesyounecessary?
• Whatmakesyou obsolete?
• Whatmakesyouwelcome?
• What drives you?
• What’sbliss for you?
Invites bringtheirowncups/saucers/jars/goblets/vases/bottles/containers/etc. for drinkingwater.
Givingthempower in thespace: askingthem to placetheircups, markingthespace as theywish. Thespace is immediatelyritualizedwiththeircups/energies.
Tentative scene:
Big transparentvase in themiddle/orwhereallcansee. Writequestions in orderandimprovwithdropsoffoodcoloring.
Ex.: dropmanydropsandask: do youfeellike to you are constantlyreaffirmingyourself to yourselfandothers?
Ex2: onedrop = Whatmakesyouunique?
Ex3: homogenizingthejugofwaterandaskingwhatmakesyouinvisible?
Look for 4 actionswithfoodcoloring + text to goallongwith it.
Sceneendswith Jorge asking Who ownsthecontainersandthengivingthemback to them as hesayswhathesees in theaudiencemembers (via water). Possibilityofasking: what do youthink? (not discarded)
UC Davis, Friday, 4, September, 2009
Reflections
Awful rehearsal. I was very tired and not motivated at all. I had a good talk with Nitza about it. The fact that I had the qualifying exams a week after the performance was stressful and dis- encouraging. (Now I know it is on November), but at the time it was grinding my mind nonstop. Also Nitza’s plan to schedule a showing previous to the performance made me anxious. I so not thing we will be ready.
I had to really use my sense of discipline and respect for the art, to go on. I was tired and fatigued. Yet, I went on and produced good and lots of work. I came up with poems, result of the water and the food coloring exploration I did right before going to rehearsal. Then during rehearsal I danced them and put the two together.
UC Davis, Friday, September 4, 2009Tentative Script
Quasar e Gota de Sangre [Tentative Script]
(Performer dances in the space as he plays with water and speaks the following poem.)
PERFORMER
Quasar y gota de sangre
Tus remolinos se funden en un beso,
El carmin de algun labio
Se disuelve en tus aguas,
Y la nada se impone
Entre tus huecos gigantes
…
(remolinos high up in the air with arms, the kiss being deposited inside the water container(gesture with fingers), shift with foot to the side(facing the back, chase with left foot), then pat hips from behind with pelvis thrust turn to other side (left on warrior II pose, brazo derecho extendido hacia delante, palm facing forward) and extend hand while kneeling and offering palm of one hand open. Return to standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – huecos higantes).
La octava dimension de tus entranhas,
Y un mar- pacifico flotante,
Entre tus aguas descubre,
Tu verdadera identidad.
Eres rosa y espina,
Espuma y flor.
…
Starting at the previous position [standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – ], (squats taking both hands down and out, (hands holding each other in a knot to transition in to open hands, palms completely exposed) stands again towards sky with eyes closed and arms reaching down( steps forward to place himself on a diagonal in reference to center vase) and out then plunges towards one diagonal extending one arm (derecho towards vase) then inverts this position towards opposite diagonal (as if throwing something) comes back to standing positions, hears.) ( right hand next to ear to slowly come back to neutral position and turn as he sings the cante hondo turning)
Performer sings Cantehondo softly as if coming from afar.)
Salpicame de tu hemoglobina
Punzando el agua,
Y déjà que la mia sea,
la razgadura inmensa de la luz.
Hoy te veo claramente,
Desde arriba,
Como lo hace Dios.
…
Salpica-me [drumming over frontal torso](slaps abs, chest then head [de tu hemoglobina], [Punzando el agua]taking right arm to a snap overhead. Reaches back down grabbing forward [Y déjà que la mia sea, la razgadura inmensa de la luz], then slowly meia ponta (releve)with hands open facing floor, elbows open) Hoy te veo claramente, Desde arriba, [palms descending slowly towards the hips] Como lo hace Dios.
Una ultima jornada y ya no son una,
sino dos tus envestidas.
Tu lagrima ardiente, desplazada,
Desvia mi mirada hacia el margen, hacia afuera
Hacia un desierto donde ya nada flota.
Natural, (Performer slowly goes towards window [far right] and then back towards central vase of water.)
(‘Lagrima’ by Francisco Tarrega is heard. The performer slowly raises his arms in an attempt at a distanced embrace with an audience member. When the arms reach shoulder height the hands meet in a sharp slap, eyes still connecting with the audience member. In a continuous and still slow movement the Performer lets a drop of red coloring food tear down the transparent vase of water. This action is done as many times as the Performer feels he can sustain the atmosphere. After his last action, he wipes off an imaginary teardrop from his eye.)
(Performer fills the floor with blue food coloring, steps into the small puddle with one foot. Traces the foot with more food coloring and then speaks ‘Al Pie Desde Su Nino’, the poem by Pablo Neruda below. While he speaks, he dances an open score with Isadora Duncan-like movements so that the foot literally becomes a mariposa.)
PERFORMER
El pie del niño aún no sabe que es pie,
y quiere ser mariposa o manzana.
Pero luego los vidrios y las piedras,
las calles, las escaleras,
y los caminos de la tierra dura
van enseñando al pie que no puede volar,
que no puede ser fruto redondo en una rama.
El pie del niño entonces
fue derrotado, cayó
en la batalla,
fue prisionero,
condenado a vivir en un zapato.
Poco a poco sin luz
fue conociendo el mundo a su manera,
sin conocer el otro pie, encerrado,
explorando la vida como un ciego.
Aquellas suaves uñas
de cuarzo, de racimo,
se endurecieron, se mudaron
en opaca substancia, en cuerno duro,
y los pequeños pétalos del niño
se aplastaron, se desequilibraron,
tomaron formas de reptil sin ojos,
cabezas triangulares de gusano.
Y luego encallecieron, se cubrieron
con mínimos volcanes de la muerte,
inaceptables endurecimientos.
Pero este ciego anduvo
sin tregua, sin parar
hora tras hora,
el pie y el otro pie,
ahora de hombre
o de mujer,
arriba,
abajo,
por los campos, las minas,
los almacenes y los ministerios,
atrás,
afuera, adentro,
adelante,
este pie trabajó con su zapato,
apenas tuvo tiempo
de estar desnudo en el amor o el sueño,
caminó, caminaron
hasta que el hombre entero se detuvo.
Y entonces a la tierra
bajó y no supo nada,
porque allí todo y todo estaba oscuro,
no supo que había dejado de ser pie,
si lo enterraban para que volara
o para que pudiera
ser manzana.
Proposed scene
(The Performer blindfolds himself. He draws a huge iris on the floor using food coloring.)
PERFORMER
In 1936 the idea of iris recognition was first proposed by an ophthalmologist. Almost 50 years later we found out that no two irises are alike. Have you ever tried looking really close into someone else’s iris? You can try it now if you want. Get really close. To where you can see all the finest nuances of color, hue and shade. Isn’t it beautiful? You might want to be careful with distance, here. Getting too close tends to make some people very uncomfortable especially when they start to feel that their souls are being read…
We developed a camera that can read an iris and generate a mathematical algorithm based on its unique pattern using more than 250 points of data. The inventor of this system was attracted to the irregularities of the iris. But how could we recognize an infinite number of patterns? The inventor decided to embrace randomness. And that was how the iris code was made possible. The system finds what it is looking for by failing to find a matching pattern.
(The Performer puts blue food coloring onto his thumb.)
Like a finger print.
(Food coloring runs onto the palm of the Performer’s hand. Starts reading his palm out loud.)
I see… [open text].
Anyone here would like their palm read?
…
Close your eyes.
(The Performer pours food coloring onto the audience member’s thumb, lets the liquid run, and reads the palm out loud.)
UC Davis, Monday, 7, September 09, 2009
Reflections
We went over the water warm up. Using different bodies of water as a reference I invited Nitza to also warm up with me. The new body of water that emerged the previous rehearsal was the pararoca. The indigenous word means the destroyer and it is use to describe a phenomenon in Brazil where the ocean water comes in with the tides and penetrated the river by a few Km’s. On its way up stream the ocean water destroys anything standing on its way.
Then we went on with the poem and the movement: Gota de Sangre. After that we went on with Una Lagrima and ended with Tres Atejes.
The second part of the rehearsal was about recreating Neruda’s poem with El Pie in different voices and intonations. I had a lot of fun playing all kinds of voices.
UC Davis, Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Investigation of the iris in relation to the water
Agua y iris research
• Ojo de Agua
• Se me hacen agua los ojos
• El mirar del agua
• Ojos bajo el agua
• Cociyo, chorros de agua con ojos de lagarto
• Acariciaba el agua los ojos del viajero
• Mana el agua por los ojos
• Flotando en el agua el ojo
• Nino de los ojos de agua (Eyes of Water)
• Maria Lionza, La diosa de los ojos de agua
• Dos ojos cenote
• Cuenca Los Ojos through Agua Prieta, Sonora
• Me fui a poner los ojos en un vaso de agua con sal
• El agua de tus ojos
IRIS & AGUA
• Arco Iris
• water iris
• senile cataracts from altered composition of the aqueous
• Cataratas de agua
UC Davis, Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Hoy grabamos mi voz cuando leia el poema de Neruda. La idea de leer neutral nos llevo a leer en voces de diferentes personajes, con tonos bajos o agudos, rapido lento, sobreactuado o mas natural. Todo eso se mezclo y resulto muy interesante. Nos reimos mucho con lo que creamos.
UC Davis, Friday, September 11, 2009
Script
Bodies of Water
Intro – Cleansing
(The floor is swept as the ASSISTENCE arrives. Festive songs that evoke cleansing are heard as the ASSISTENCE is invited to help with the cleaning of the windows of the performance space with trapos. The PERFORMER cleans the floor with a trapeador. ASSISTENCE, PERFORMER and DIRECTOR engage in the festive cleansing/cleaning activity. DIRECTOR collects trapos and sets them to dry on the black boards. PERFORMER deposits all the dirty water into a single container by the entrance door as the festive music fades out. He throws the dirty water out. He rinses the single container with clean water, throws it out the door once again, and then closes the door behind him thanking the ASSISTENCE for their help. PERFORMER gets clean jar of water and places it on the highest windowsill. He fills all the containers with water then each cup which he distributes to the audience. He toasts with his own glass of water then begins to warm up his body as Neruda’s poem is heard.)
El pie quer ser mariposa o manzana
PERFORMER (off)
El pie del niñoaún no sabequees pie,
yquiere ser mariposa o manzana.
Peroluego los vidrios y laspiedras,
lascalles, lasescaleras,
y los caminos de la tierradura
van enseñando al pie que no puede volar,
que no puede ser fruto redondo en una rama.
El pie del niño entonces
Fue derrotado, cayó
en la batalla,
fue prisionero,
condenado a vivir en un zapato.
Poco a poco sin luz
fueconociendo el mundo a sumanera,
sinconocer el otro pie, encerrado,
explorando la vidacomo un ciego.
Aquellassuavesuñas
decuarzo, de racimo,
seendurecieron, se mudaron
enopacasubstancia, en cuernoduro,
y los pequeñospétalos del niño
seaplastaron, se desequilibraron,
tomaronformas de reptil sin ojos,
cabezastriangulares de gusano.
Y luegoencallecieron, se cubrieron
conmínimosvolcanes de la muerte,
inaceptablesendurecimientos.
Peroesteciegoanduvo
sintregua, sin parar
horatrashora,
el pie y el otro pie,
ahora de hombre
o de mujer,
arriba,
abajo,
por los campos, las minas,
losalmacenes y los ministerios,
atrás,
afuera, adentro,
adelante,
este pie trabajó con suzapato,
apenastuvotiempo
deestardesnudo en el amor o el sueño,
caminó, caminaron
hastaque el hombre entero se detuvo.
Y entonces a la tierra
bajó y no supo nada,
porqueallítodo y todoestabaoscuro,
nosupoquehabíadejado de ser pie,
si lo enterrabanparaquevolara
oparaquepudiera
sermanzana.
Quasar y Gota de Sangre
PERFORMER
Quasar y gota de sangre
Tus remolinos se funden en un beso,
El carmin de algun labio
Se disuelve en tus aguas,
Y la nada se impone
Entre tus huecos gigantes
(Remolinos high up in the air with arms, the kiss being deposited inside the water container (gesture with fingers), shift with foot to the side(facing the back, chase with left foot), then pat hips from behind with pelvis thrust turn to other side (left on warrior II pose, brazo derecho extendido hacia delante, palm facing forward) and extend hand while kneeling and offering palm of one hand open. Return to standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – huecos gigantes).
La octava dimension de tus entranhas,
Y un mar- pacificoflotante,
Entre tusaguasdescubre,
Tuverdaderaidentidad.
Eresrosa y espina,
Espuma y flor.
(Starting at the previous position [standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – ] squats taking both hands down and out, (hands holding each other in a knot to transition in to open hands, palms completely exposed) stands again towards sky with eyes closed and arms reaching down (steps forward to place himself on a diagonal in reference to center vase) and out then plunges towards one diagonal extending one arm (derecho towards vase) then inverts this position towards opposite diagonal (as if throwing something) comes back to standing positions, hears. Right hand next to ear to slowly come back to neutral position and turn as he sings the cantehondo turning)
Salpicame de tu hemoglobina
Punzando el agua,
Y déjà que la mia sea,
La razgadura inmensa de la luz.
Hoy te veo claramente,
Desde arriba,
Como lo hace Dios.
Salpica-me [drumming over frontal torso](slaps abs, chest then head [de tuemoglobina], [Punzando el agua]taking right arm to a snap overhead. Reaches back down grabbing forward [Y déjà que la mia sea, la razgadurainmensa de la luz], then slowly releve with hands open facing floor, elbows open)Hoy te veo claramente,Desde arriba, [palms descending slowly towards the hips] Como lo hace Dios.
Unaultimajornada y ya no son una,
sino dos tusenvestidas.
Tulagrimaardiente, desplazada,
Desvia mi miradahacia el margen, haciaafuera
Haciaundesiertodondeya nada flota.
(Natural, PERFORMER slowly goes towards window [far right] and then back towards central vase of water.)
(‘Lagrima’ by Francisco Tarrega is heard. The performer slowly raises his arms in an attempt at a distanced embrace with an audience member. When the arms reach shoulder height the hands meet in a sharp slap, eyes still connecting with the audience member. In a continuous and still slow movement the PERFORMER lets a drop of blue coloring fall into the transparent vase of water. This action is done as many times as the PERFORMER feels he can sustain the atmosphere. After his last action, he wipes off an imaginary teardrop from his eye.)
Três Atejes
(Morejon dresses concha as tie and then the shirt. Using urinal as speaker screams)
MOREJON
Morejon!
(Wears urinal as hat, adjusting it to fit properly on the head. Morejon becomes fully dressed for school. Hat transforms Morejon into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future. As he walk towards the back he speaks the text: Holds lef than dup then slowly pulls it down on the elbow as description of arms in text.)
MOREJON
La escuelaimponiareglas cada vez mas absurdas. Despues de haber sido habituado a extenderelbrazo para contestar preguntasenel aula, en esta escuelaenel campo, (grabsthe pipa de água) enTresAtejes, solo se podia apoyarelcodo sobre elpupitreconbrazodoblado y esperar a que el professor lediera a uno laoportunidad de hablar.
(turns and speaks facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground. Takes hat off.) El reflejo condicionado de levantar todo el brazo me trajo graves problemas.
(Standing besides ventanta speaks first as if realistically cleaning the window. The main phrases take place during this speech, one cleaning each persiana, then cleaning the frame of the window, third, cleaning the wholeof it. )
MOREJON
Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’, (grabswet trapo andsqueezeswater out of it as youspeakthetext) la inspeccion de los dormitoriospasabarevista. A cada uno de los sesenta estudiantes del albergue le correspondia la limpieza de una de lasventanas. La commission de alumnos chivatos pasaba sus dedos porlas tablillas de las percianas y si estaba polvorientas, chequeaban el numero de la ventana y gritaba, “ventana numero 56, apadrinamiento sucio”
(Begins to clean obsessively following the same phrases done slowly, but cleaning obsessively beyond the window area to using the whole space, to eventually, once the text is delivered, end up in corner.)
MOREJON
… y en tonces reportaba al susodicho padrino de ventana. Nosotros mientras tanto permaneciamos de pie, en atencion junto a nuestra litera, mientras la comision de aguanta patas miraba si nuestras camas estaban bien tendidas, tensas como la cuerda de un equilibrista, si nuestros closets estaban bien arreglados, a pesar de lo pequenos y estrechos que eran.
(Cleans window again obsessively repeating parts of previous text. Cleans beyond window. Steps into the pan and cleans himself as if he were the window. Finally squats and grabs hat seeking solace/protection.)
MOREJON
En fin…. Recordarloesvolverlo a vivir.
(WhisperingMorejon as ifcornered.)
MOREJON
Morejon....Morejon. Morejon! Morejon!
(Theselftrying to regainpower. Hatbecomes escudo andpotbecomespotentialweapon. Becomes more agressive/deffensiveandbangsbothobjects. Thesoundsaccentuatesthename. Thishappensuntilnameandbangingbecometherhythm for themarch. Stands on top ofpotandsingstheHimno de la Internacional Comunista march in Morejongibberish.)
MOREJON
Morejon... Morejon.... Morejonjonjon.... (etc.)
(Invites audience to singwithhim. Takeshats off andbowsatthe end. Whilebowing, seesspoon. Plays withspoonwhichsuggeststhecharaterof Débora. As Morejondescribes Débora, hebecomesher.)
MOREJON
La delegada de grupo se llamaba Deborah Lopez. Era de Trinidad, Cienfuegos y se comportaba como si tuviera a Dios agarrado por las barbas. Su pelo negro y encaracolado, sus ojos grandes, casi redondos y negros como un asabache, su boca pequena de labios rojos, su piel blanca en contraste con sus cabellos me recordaban a Betty Boop. Era mandona y despiadada con sus propios companeros. A pesar de sus reportes y desplantes delante de todos me gustaba. Me parecia tan linda, pero a la vez odiaba su arrogancia y despotismo.
(He becomesher Deborah, swayingtie (spoon) representing a femalemovement. Evillaughter to thespoon, whichnowbecomesMorejon. Debora plays withthespoononthetipofhermiddlefinger. Tries to fetchthetincupwiththespoon. Débora becomesthesargentthatenjoysthe Delegada Del Grupo position.)
DEBORA
Morejón…. Morejón!
MOREJON
Un dia, la profesora la dejo a cargo del grupo y nos dejo solos. Estabamos supuestos a permanecer en el aula hasta el final de turno de clase. Ella por congraciarse nos dejo ir como veinte minutos mas temprano. Yo corri hasta la catedra donde se encontraba la profesora, su nombre era Mercedes Madrigal y le dije “Deborah nos dejo ir antes de tiempo.” (Deconstructing the character) En aquel momento senti la satisfacion de delatar a la delatora y a pesar de que mis companeros se sintieron traicionados, yo sabia que hay veces que para hacer justicia hay que convertirse en el enemigo de todos y asi lo asumi. Justicia o traicion? Justice or treason? It was part of learning how to survive. More than just fit. Stay alive. Inside. Where only I know who I really am. (PERFORMER tries to catch blue food coloring essence in water) And I am not like water. I’m its container. Only I know how much I can take.
No two irides are alike
(The Performer blindfolds himself. He draws a huge iris on the floor using food coloring.)
PERFORMER
In 1936 the idea of iris recognition was first proposed by an ophthalmologist. Almost 50 years later we found out that no two irides are alike. Have you ever tried looking really close into someone else’s iris? Getting really close. To where you can see all the finest nuances of color, hue and shade. Isn’t it beautiful? You might want to be careful with distance. Getting too close might make some people very uncomfortable especially when they start to feel that their souls are being read…
We developed a camera that can read an iris and generate a mathematical algorithm based on its unique pattern using more than 250 points of data. The inventor of this system was attracted to the irregularities of the iris. But how could we recognize an infinite number of patterns? The inventor decided to embrace randomness. And that was how the iris code was made possible. The system finds what it is looking for by failing to find a matching pattern.
(The PERFORMER puts blue food coloring onto his thumb.)
Like a snow flake or a finger print.
(Food coloring runs onto the palm of the Performer’s hand. Starts reading his palm but loud.)
I see… [open text].
Anyone here would like their palm read?
…
Close your eyes.
(The PERFORMER pours food coloring onto the audience member’s thumb, lets the liquid run, and reads the palm out loud.)
UC Davis, September 11, 2009
Script(revise)
Bodies of Water
By Jorge Luis Morejón and Nitza Tenenblat
Intro – Cleansing
(The floor is swept as the ASSISTENCE arrives. Festive songs that evoke cleansing are heard as the ASSISTENCE is invited to help with the cleaning of the windows of the performance space with trapos. The PERFORMER cleans the floor with a trapeador. ASSISTENCE, PERFORMER and DIRECTOR engage in the festive cleansing/cleaning activity. DIRECTOR collects trapos and sets them to dry on the wall. PERFORMER places all the objects in space while Ta BuenoYa plays. Silence. He throws the dirty water out, closes the door, and thanks the audience for coming and helping to clean the space. As in a tea ceremony he fills all the containers with water and fills a clean jar of water placing it on the highest windowsill. He distributes a cup of water to each audience member. He toasts with the audience. He takes out T-shirt from inside a bucket that is collecting leaking water from the ceiling. The PERFORMER warms up his body as Neruda’s poem is heard.)
El pie quer ser mariposa o manzana
PERFORMER (Neruda’s poem El Pie Desde Su Nino off)
El pie del niño aún no sabe que es pie,
Y quiere ser mariposa o manzana.
Pero luego los vidrios y las piedras,
las calles, las escaleras,
y los caminos de la tierra dura
van enseñando al pie que no puede volar,
que no puede ser fruto redondo en una rama.
El pie del niño entonces
fue derrotado, cayó
en la batalla,
fue prisionero,
condenado a vivir en un zapato.
Poco a poco sin luz
fue conociendo el mundo a sumanera,
sin conocer el otro pie, encerrado,
explorando la vida como un ciego.
Aquellas suaves uñas
de cuarzo, de racimo,
se endurecieron, se mudaron
en opaca substancia, en cuerno duro,
y los pequeños pétalos del niño
se aplastaron, se desequilibraron,
tomaron formas de reptil sin ojos,
cabezas triangulares de gusano.
Y luego encallecieron, se cubrieron
conmínimosvolcanes de la muerte,
inaceptables endurecimientos.
Pero este ciego anduvo
sin tregua, sin parar
hora tras hora,
el pie y el otro pie,
ahora de hombre
o de mujer,
arriba,
abajo,
por los campos, las minas,
los almacenes y los ministerios,
atrás,
afuera, adentro,
adelante,
este pie trabajó con suzapato,
apenas tuvo tiempo
de estar desnudo en el amor o el sueño,
caminó, caminaron
hastaque el hombre entero se detuvo.
Y entonces a la tierra
bajó y no supo nada,
porque allí todo y todo estaba oscuro,
no supo que había dejado de ser pie,
si lo enterraban para que volara
o para que pudiera
ser manzana.
Quasar y Gota de Sangre
PERFORMER
Quasar y gota de sangre
Tus remolinos se funden en un beso,
El carmin de algun labio
Se disuelve en tus aguas,
Y la nada se impone
Entre tus huecos gigantes
(Remolinos high up in the air with arms, the kiss being deposited inside the water container(gesture with fingers), shift with foot to the side(facing the back, chase with left foot), then pat hips from behind with pelvis thrust turn to other side (left on warrior II pose, brazo derecho extendido hacia delante, palm facing forward) and extend hand while kneeling and offering palm of one hand open. Return to standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – huecos jigantes).
La octava dimension de tusentranhas,
Y un mar- pacificoflotante,
Entre tusaguasdescubre,
Tuverdaderaidentidad.
Eresrosa y espina,
Espuma y flor.
Starting at the previous position [standing position pulling hands towards center of gravity – ] squats taking both hands down and out, (hands holding each other in a knot to transition in to open hands, palms completely exposed) stands again towards sky with eyes closed and arms reaching down (steps forward to place himself on a diagonal in reference to center vase) and out then plunges towards one diagonal extending one arm (derecho towards vase) then inverts this position towards opposite diagonal (as if throwing something) comes back to standing positions, hears. Right hand next to ear to slowly come back to neutral position and turn as he sings the cantehondo turning)
Salpicame de tuhemoglobina
Punzando el agua,
Y déjà que la mia sea,
larazgadurainmensa de la luz.
Hoy teveoclaramente,
Desdearriba,
Como lo hace Dios.
Salpica-me [drumming over frontal torso](slaps abs, chest then head [de tuemoglobina], [Punzando el agua]taking right arm to a snap overhead. Reaches back down grabbing forward [Y déjà que la mia sea, la razgadurainmensa de la luz], then slowly releve with hands open facing floor, elbows open)Hoy teveoclaramente,Desdearriba, [palms descending slowly towards the hips] Como lo hace Dios.
Una ultima jornada y ya no son una,
sino dos tus envestidas.
Tu lagrima ardiente, desplazada,
Desvia mi miradahacia el margen, haciaafuera
Hacia undesierto donde ya nada flota.
Natural, PERFORMER slowly goes towards window [far right] and then back towards central vase of water.)
(‘Lagrima’ by Francisco Tarrega is heard. The performer slowly raises his arms in an attempt at a distanced embrace with an audience member. When the arms reach shoulder height the hands meet in a sharp slap, eyes still connecting with the audience member. In a continuous and still slow movement the PERFORMER lets a drop of blue coloring fall into the transparent vase of water. This action is done as many times as the PERFORMER feels he can sustain the atmosphere. After his last action, he wipes off an imaginary teardrop from his eye.)
Três Atejes
(Morejon dresses concha as tie and then the shirt. Using urinal as speaker screams)
MOREJON
Morejon!
(Wearsurinal as hat, adjusting it to fitproperlyonthehead. Morejonbecomesfullydressed for school. Hat transforms Morejon into strong, heafty, macho, socialist man of the future. As he walk towards the back he speaks the text: Holds left hand up then slowly pulls it down on the elbow as descriptionofarms in text.)
MOREJON
La escuela imponia reglas cada vez mas absurdas. Despues de haber sido habituado a extender el brazo para contestar preguntasen el aula, en esta escuela en el campo, (grabsthe pipa de água) en Tres Atejes, solo se podia apoyar el codo sobre el pupitre con brazo doblado y esperar a que el professor le diera a uno la oportunidad de hablar. (turns and speaks facing forward and letting body and pipa come to the ground. Takes hat off.) El reflejo condicionado de levantar todo elbrazo me trajo graves problemas.
(Standing besides ventana speaks first as if realistically cleaning the window. The main phrases take place during this speech, one cleaning each persiana, then cleaning the frame of the window, third, cleaning the whole of it. )
MOREJON
Cada dia, a las seis de la tarde...’, (grabswet trapo andsqueezeswater out of it as youspeakthetext) la inspeccion de los dormitoriospasabarevista. A cadauno de los sesentaestudiantes del albergue le correspondia la limpieza de una de lasventanas. La commission de alumnoschivatospasabasusdedosporlastablillas de laspercianas y siestabapolvorientas, chequeaban el numero de la ventana y gritaba, “ventananumero 56, apadrinamientosucio”
(Begins to clean obsessively following the same phrases done slowly, but cleaning obsessively beyond the window area to using the whole space, to eventually, once the text is delivered, end up in corner.)
MOREJON
… yentoncesreportaba al susodichopadrino de ventana. Nosotrosmientrastantopermaneciamos de pie, en atencio,njunto a nuestralitera, mientras la comision de aguantapatasmirabasinuestras camas estabanbientendidas, tensascomo la cuerda de un equilibrista, sinuestros closets estabanbienarreglados, a pesar de lo pequenos y estrechosqueeran .
(Cleans window again obsessively repeating parts of previous text. Cleans beyond window. Steps into the pan and cleans himself as if he were the window. Finally squats and grabs hat seeking solace/protection.)
MOREJON
En fin…. Recordarloesvolverlo a vivir.
(WhisperingMorejon as ifcornered.)
MOREJON
Morejon....Morejon. Morejon! Morejon!
(Theselftrying to regainpower. Hatbecomes escudo andpotbecomespotentialweapon. Becomes more agressive/deffensiveandbangsbothobjects. Thesoundsaccentuatesthename. Thishappensuntilnameandbangingbecometherhythm for themarch. Stands on top ofpotandsingstheHimno de la Internacional Comunista march in Morejongibberish.)
MOREJON
Morejon... Morejon.... Morejonjonjon.... (etc.)
(Invites audience to singwithhim. Takeshats off andbowsatthe end. Whilebowing, seesspoon. Plays withspoonwhichsuggeststhecharaterof Débora. As Morejondescribes Débora, hebecomesher.)
MOREJON
La delegada de grupo se llamaba Deborah Lopez. Era de Trinidad, Cienfuegos y se comportabacomosituviera a Dios agarradoporlasbarbas. Su pelonegro y encaracolado, susojosgrandes, casiredondos y negroscomounasabache, subocapequena de labiosrojos, supielblanca en contraste con suscabellos me recordaban a Betty Boop. Era mandona y despiadada con suspropioscompaneros. A pesar de susreportes y desplantesdelante de todos me gustaba. Me parecia tan linda, pero a la vezodiabasuarrogancia y despotismo.
He becomesher Deborah, swayingtie (spoon) representing a femalemovement. Evillaughter to thespoon, whichnowbecomesMorejon. Debora plays withthespoononthetipofhermiddlefinger. Tries to fetchthetincupwiththespoon. Débora becomesthesargentthatenjoysthe Delegada Del Grupo position.)
DEBORA
Morejón…. Morejón!
MOREJON
Un dia, la profesora la dejo a cargo del grupo y nosdejo solos. Estabamos supuestos a permanecer en el aula hasta el final de turno de clase. Ella porcongraciarsenosdejoircomoveinteminutosmastemprano. Yocorrihasta la catedradonde se encontraba la profesora, sunombre era Mercedes Madrigal y le dije “Deborah nosdejoir antes de tiempo.” (deconstructing the character) En aquelmomentosenti la satisfacion de delatar a la delatora y a pesar de quemiscompaneros se sintierontraicionados, yosabiaque hay vecesqueparahacerjusticia hay queconvertirse en el enemigo de todos y asi lo asumi. Justicia o traicion?Justice or treason? It was part of learning how to stay afloat. More than justto fit in. Stay alive. Inside. Where only I know who I really am. (PERFORMER tries to catch blue food coloring essence in water) And I am not like water. I’m its container. I know how much I can take. Read my eyes. See the iris?
Proposed Future Scene
No two irides are alike
(The Performer blindfolds himself. He draws a huge iris on the floor using food coloring.)
PERFORMER
In 1936 the idea of iris recognition was first proposed by an ophthalmologist. Almost 50 years later we found out that no two irides are alike. Have you ever tried looking really close into someone else’s iris? Getting really close. To where you can see all the finest nuances of color, hue and shade. Isn’t it beautiful? You might want to be careful with distance. Getting too close might make some people very uncomfortable especially when they start to feel that their souls are being read…
We developed a camera that can read an iris and generate a mathematical algorithm based on its unique pattern using more than 250 points of data. The inventor of this system was attracted to the irregularities of the iris. But how could we recognize an infinite number of patterns? The inventor decided to embrace randomness. And that was how the iris code was made possible. The system finds what it is looking for by failing to find a matching pattern.
(The PERFORMER puts blue food coloring onto his thumb.)
Like a snow flake or a finger print.
(Food coloring runs onto the palm of the Performer’s hand. Starts reading his palm out loud.)
I see… [Open text].
Anyone here would like their palm read?
Close your eyes.
(The PERFORMER pours food coloring onto the audience member’s thumb, lets the liquid run, and reads the palm out loud.)
UC Davis, Saturday, September 19, 2009
Reflections
Yesterday’s rehearsal of bodies of water made me realized two things:
• The ritual/performance’s free structure quality allows me to really search for the truth in the performance without concern for the acting norms and rules.
• The playful element developed through out a performance with free structure in that assuages the very nature of the actual condition of displacement causing the need to perform.
• The ritualized space makes it safe to play haunting memories which in exile become magnified by displacement. But that also give way to the poetic images that are part of the artistic ritual.
UC Davis, Saturday, September 19
Feedback from Performance
Audience: John Duran, PrabaPilar, Sharada, Leila Harris, Regis.
Notes:
- John: went through a lot of emotions as he watched the performance. Doesn’t understand Spanish, so performance was more visual. Thought the sounds and silences were very interesting in the ways that they were used. Also mentioned on the striking changes in emotions as being very powerful. Didn’t know what anything meant and just when he started to feel lost and not engaged felt the performance wrapped it up in the last bit when Jorge spoke English. ‘I was very powerful. I’m not sure why. I had the sense you were cleaning out your emotions. I got the emotional sense that you were cleaning out yourself.’ ‘I had no idea what [it was] but I got the sense you were going through a process on an emotional level.’ ‘That word resonated on some level: you’re the container. I’m not sure why.’ He mentioned thinking about non-verbal cues that non-Spanish speakers could use to follow ‘interplay of humor and drama and fear.’
- Leila talks about not knowing what the words were, but being able to follow the different types of narrative modes. A lot of power. Picked up on the fact that there were moments that were funny and serious at the same time.
- Praba: ‘The complete shifts in emotional tone were very powerful. It didn’t seem random it seemed historic, which is a different kind of random.’ ‘Very effective use of movement interspersed with language, interspersed with these emotional states.’ ‘It wasn’t predictable and so I thought it was a very effective piece.’ Only part that felt abrupt shift and didn’t know how to react was when the screaming Morejón and running from one window to the next happened. She thought: would it be mean to start laughing here? Thought choice of toilet was so funny. Worked very well symbolizing hat, humiliation, etc.
- Sharada: The combination of poetry, narrative and song, and Jorge’s voices, i.e. of literary modes was really engaging for a Spanish speaker.
- Leila and Praba answered ‘Loved it’ to my question about coming in and being asked to clean the space. Praba saw it as a cue that was followed up in the performance. Not only a pleasure and a way of engaging immediately with the space and work when one enters it, but also a cue to what happens later, ‘and it makes you reflect on that’.
- Jorge: marginality of the room that is very in tune with the piece itself.
- Praba asked us how we feel about the ending. I say we tried to make it satisfactory for this first round but there is still lots to explore. Wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending. Thought Oh, God, there is so much more! Felt that bringing the voices back form the beginning was very effective. The throwing away of the water was like a mark that signified this is over.
- Jorge: comments on the importance of Spanish in this part of piece. Childhood happening in that language. The language haunting you in the present, which is lived in English.
- Jorge asks if anyone felt that it was too long. Praba: never. Leila was a bit afraid in the beginning but soon the pace changed and the feeling of uh-oh was gone.
- On the pace of the piece. Jorge comments the Zen-like pace can be a challenge to the audience in itself. Sharada said it made her slow down, to listen to the water.
Praba said it felt satisfying.
- Jorge comments on Akira Kurosawa movie – buckets of water.
-Praba felt red die really worked for her. Sharada was mesmerized by solid mass floating in the middle.
- Jorge asks if audience feels like he is dumping his personal monsters on them, if the performance is self-indulgent. John said at times yes, Praba said it she thinks it is a language issue because she understood the poetry and the different parts of it. It never crossed her mind as self-indulgent because of its authenticity. She felt like crying when Jorge started whispering crouched inside the pan. ‘It really affected me emotionally.’ Praba also mentioned that self-indulgent work tends to ignore the audience and Jorge is engaging with it constantly.
- I ask about reserved feelings of drinking the water that Jorge serves to everyone during the performance. Praba says yes, this was huge for her. She was suspicious. John asks about sound of water. He likes it.
UC Davis, Saturday, September 26, 2009
Practice as Research Performance/Exam
Committee Members Present: Liz Constable, Jon Rossini, Lynette Hunter, Peter Lichtenfels
Committee Members Absent: Emilio Bejel, David Grenke
Guest: Praba Pilar
Feedback from committee Members
What initiated the process?
I said that the process was initiated by improvisations that took us several vignettes, several stories explored through body movement. The water, for me as an exile, signifies separation from my place of origin and the stories that revolve around the straits of Florida.
Nitza expressed concern about the language?
Peter: Language was not a problem. He also said that the way the moves with the mother language, the language one is born with, raised with is totally different than the way the body moves with an adopted language, even if that language was spoken at a very early age.
Lynette: She said that the performance energy carried. It turned the piece into a movement and sound piece. “It turned into the story I wanted to tell through the piece.
*This reminded me of what Leila had said the weekend before when we performed the piece for a group of selected friends, that as she saw the piece she was “seeing through the story of her own childhood. “
Peter: He noticed that he positioned himself through the Morejón song. This made him revalue the fact that he did would not understand (the language)
Liz: She understood enough to get the narrative. Still, she was more engages with the body, the tone, the gesture, the movement. She “switched gears away from language.”
Peter: Back to the position of both languages. I guess he is referring to the moment when I finally speak in English.
Praba: “It is important to keep it in Spanish. There are different movements going on in the piece. (I thought of movements as in a symphony… which makes it all somehow more understandable… in terms of structure.)
*A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession.
Often a composer attempts to interrelate the movements thematically, or sometimes in more subtle ways, in order that the individual movements exert a cumulative effect. In some forms, composers sometimes link the movements, or ask for them to be played without a pause between them.
[So, I am thinking about the title of the piece, Bodies of Water Sonata? Bodies of Water Cantata or better yet, Bodies of Water Oratorio or even Bodies of Water Opera, as opposed to opus?] a collection of six cantatas actually intended for performance on six different occasions (days), though together forming as complete an artistic whole as any classical oratorio. S0 find out more about sonata, fugue, cantata, tonal fugue, etc.
Praba: (continue) The metaphorical , interspersed layers with the movement, the welcoming of the audience in the space…
It was easier for him to understand the narrative, than the songs… (Meaning for him who’s Spanish is not good). He asks the others: Did you know what kind of story was going on? Then he explained…
He suggested for us to use betrayal instead of treason (rightly so, traicion in Spanish could be used in either one of the cases, as betrayal and as treason, but in English treason is always related to political reasons).
He also suggested to maybe …retelling some of the story in English for the audience to understand…
At this point I remembered that I forgot some lines, like when Deborah tells Morejón “callate la boca… etc… Which I also forgot to include last night in my recordatorio….(bingo… Maybe this is the word I was looking for…) So, Bodies of Water Recordatorio?
Lynette: “Because it was not in English, I was paying more attention to the gestures…
Liz: “The props became the bones of the narrative..
Peter: “One of the challenges [I faced] is whether there is tension between the movement and the language and the exoticization of the body, when you do not understand the language.”
Jon: He was concern, if in the Cuban enclave, the audience would get attached to the narrative and ignore the movement and the sound in it….
I said that the narrative is not placed specific. It is very universal in what it says….
Lynette agreed… She said that she know enough about me to understand that it was a story about my childhood. “But, there is an interesting way, because it is a children story… not politically [because do the exile, but [because of] the trauma of the childhood. It is political because you are not a child or a woman [who is telling the story of a child or a woman…]
Liz: Undefiness in the way you relate to us. The mode of address powerful because of the androgenouity…
Jon Rossini: He payed a lot of attention to the calabazin, because it was a different texture. It was not glass or metal, compared to the rest of the props. [Good thing I thought of giving it some use right before the performance, nothing worse than having an object on stage that has no use..]
He was also taken by the braking of energy in the extended arms choreography, and the facial expression. He thought he has seen my face changing with the clap, but then he realized it did not. So he realized that he had projected he perception of my facial expression based on the clap… The amount of detail handling the water, pouring the water…
Liz:
The micro-detail – medical surgical connotation and the attention to the water.
The Surgical medical – religious spiritual and the cleaning.
Lynette: We are reading everything through Jorge’s body? How about Nitza?
Nitza: A couple of suggested improve.
A second reading to what he brought in..
I modify or suggest modification…
Reading into the piece and materially adding to it.
Making sure the ideas and intentions are materializing in the ways intended.
Visceral effect…
Are you a kind of first audience?
Jon: How do you know it doesn’t work?
Lynette: Thinking about the critical evaluation is thinking about where that instinct come form, what is the history of it, think about ways to talk/think about it.
Develop the questioning process.
Narrative about what you do and what other people do.
About Jorge’s performance again:
Ritual aspect
Intimacy vs. distance. The idea of being pulled in but not really. Shamanic ritual does that, the shaman does that…
Nitza: thin threads…
What is the intention of washing the written windows? Lynette’s question…
UC Davis, Saturday, September 26, 2009
Jorge Luis Morejón
Feedback Revision
Practice as Research Performance Piece Bodies of Water: Committee Members’ Feedback
Questions and Answers
What initiated the process?
I said that the process was initiated by improvisations that took us several vignettes, several stories explored through body movement. The water, for me as an exile, signifies separation from my place of origin and the stories that revolve around the Straits of Florida.
Nitza expressed concern about the language?
Peter: Language was not a problem. He also said that the way one moves with the mother language, the language one is born with, is totally different than the way the body moves with an adopted language, even if that language was spoken at a very early age.
Lynette: She said that the performance energy carried. It turned the piece into a movement and sound piece. “It turned into the story I wanted to tell through the piece.
*This reminded me of what Leila had said the weekend before when we performed the piece for a group of selected friends, that as she saw the piece she was “seeing through the story of her own childhood. “
Peter: He noticed that he positioned himself through the Morejón song. This made him revalue the fact that he did would not understand (the language)
Liz: She understood enough to get the narrative. Still, she was more engages with the body, the tone, the gesture, the movement. She “switched gears away from language.”
Peter: Back to the position of both languages. I guess he is referring to the moment when I finally speak in English.
Praba: “It is important to keep it in Spanish. There are different movements going on in the piece. (I thought of movements as in a symphony… which makes it all somehow more understandable… in terms of structure.)
Praba: (continue) The metaphorical , interspersed layers with the movement, the welcoming of the audience in the space…
It was easier for him to understand the narrative, than the songs… (Meaning for him who’s Spanish is not good). He asks the others: Did you know what kind of story was going on? Then he explained…
He suggested for us to use betrayal instead of treason (rightly so, traicion in Spanish could be used in either one of the cases, as betrayal and as treason, but in English treason is always related to political reasons).
He also suggested to maybe …retelling some of the story in English for the audience to understand…
At this point I remembered that I forgot some lines, like when Deborah tells Morejón “callate la boca… etc… Which I also forgot to include last night in my recordatorio
Lynette: “Because it was not in English, I was paying more attention to the gestures…
Liz: “The props became the bones of the narrative...
Peter: “One of the challenges [I faced] is whether there is tension between the movement and the language and the exoticization of the body, when you do not understand the language.”
Jon: He was concern, if in the Cuban enclave, the audience would get attached to the
narrative and ignore the movement and the sound in it….
I said that the narrative is not placed specific. It is very universal in what it says…
Lynette agreed… She said that she know enough about me to understand that it was a story about my childhood. “But, there is an interesting way, because it is a children story… not politically [because do the exile, but [because of] the trauma of the childhood. It is political because you are not a child or a woman [who is telling the story of a child or a woman…]
Liz: Undefiness in the way you relate to us. The mode of address powerful because of the androgynouity…
Jon Rossini: He paid a lot of attention to the calabazin, because it was a different texture. It was not glass or metal, compared to the rest of the props. [Good thing I thought of giving it some use right before the performance, nothing worse than having an object on stage that has no use...]
He was also taken by the braking of energy in the extended arms choreography, and the facial expression. He thought he has seen my face changing with the clap, but then he realized it did not. So he realized that he had projected he perception of my facial expression based on the clap… The amount of detail handling the water, pouring the water…
Liz: The micro-detail – medical surgical connotation and the attention to the water. The Surgical medical – religious spiritual and the cleaning.
Lynette: We are reading everything through Jorge’s body? How about Nitza?
Nitza: A couple of suggested improve.
A second reading to what he brought in...
I modify or suggest modification…
Reading into the piece and materially adding to it.
Making sure the ideas and intentions are materializing in the ways intended.
Visceral effect…
Are you a kind of first audience?
Jon: How do you know it doesn’t work?
Lynette: Thinking about the critical evaluation is thinking about where that instinct comes from, what is the history of it, think about ways to talk/think about it.
Develop the questioning process.
Narrative about what you do and what other people do.
About Jorge’s performance again:
Ritual aspect
Intimacy vs. distance. The idea of being pulled in but not really. Shamanic ritual does that, the shaman does that…
Nitza: thin threads…
What is the intention of washing the written windows? Lynette’s question…
UC Davis, Saturday, September 26, 2009
Feedback from Sept. 26 Performance: Notes from Nitza
Audience: Peter Lichtenfels, Lynette Hunter, PrabaPilar, Liz Constable and Jon Rossini.
Notes:
Peter: English speaking X Spanish speaking self was noticeable; speaking mother tongue influenced body movement; Morejón was the one word that he did understand. He then understood that he wouldn’t understand (the language) and relaxed.
- Comment about feeling that the characterization of the performance was non gendered specific.
- Liz: fixation on detail became stronger. Felt incredible virtuosity of Jorge in dealing with water. Micro details and meta-metaphors: medical, spiritual, etc. connotations. Dripping of water gave sensation of ‘deslocamento’.
- Jorge: ‘water is what keeps me away from my homeland’.
-Lynette: performance turned into sound and movement piece; it left space for imaginative engagement.
- Trauma of change: life you are supposed to lead as an adult X childhood that never leaves (Lynette?)
- Comments on process and improvisations: childhood stories, different bodies of water in warm up, water has memory – it contains death and suffering.
- Rituals of distance and intimacy
- Lynette: think about choices of involvement with audience. Why clean the windows? What for if later it isn’t mentioned?
- Lynette: where does instinct for directorial choices come from? How do I know? What patterns do I see in my experience in dealing with people?
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