Whew, how do you blog a full-on, five-day drama process? Especially when each day mysteriously built up to a final performance where 95% (a reasonable estimate) of the preparation gets thrown out in favour of the 5% of individual contribution that appears on the Freddie Wood stage. As much as I wants to post daily reflections, the seven hour classes had me enthused yet exhausted by the end of the day — also still needed to find the time to complete final assignments for other courses this summer. Perhaps next year, if I am able to sign up for this Institute again, I will clear the rest of summer activities to give a full report. Of course, next year will be vastly different from what could only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Special thanks to George Belliveau and David Beare for offering such an amazing theatrical experience, and I do my best in this post to add up all the 5% contributions to make up our final performance.
Performance inspired by Augusto Boal
The virtues project was the structure for the whole show, where each of the eleven teams would perform one of the virtues at a school assembly which the virtues themselves had attended, bringing back to their Valhallian council a snapshot of what each school discovers in the process. So for instance, my group had selected to represent Responsibility, and we staged a science experiment (capillary action) that got thrown off by one student forgetting to bring a beaker. Responsibility herself watched and reported on our actions. Other virtues included: Flexibility learning that adding one dance step after another only stretches her team too far; Tolerance tries to get her ELL students to perform, and they sing a different version of “Sweet Caroline” for a newly appointed dean; Integrity discovering that anyone can be an Iago during a rehearsal of Othello; Justice attempt to right wrongs inadvertently reproduces the injustice of 19th century head-tax when an MP3 player goes missing; and Creativity admires the straight purple lines of Harold’s city splashed with paint, glitter and feathers. Only a few of the wonderful performance can I recall in this much detail, and while it it possible to watch the entire performance on the video recording, it is not going to have the same energy and virtuosity as when each of us shared one day in July.