Promenade
Posted by Paige Collins and Ashleigh LaThrop on 3/23/2010
(Paige and Ashleigh play June and Jennifer Gibbons in The Twins Would Like to Say, part of the Visiting Company Initiative Garage Rep)
In true June and Jennifer fashion, we are writing this post together, combined with questions asked by the elusive Mr. Nobody (June and Jennifer’s imaginary friend).
Ashleigh: Hey guys, it’s P. and A.
Paige: OK. Promenade…
Ashleigh: Promenade is…
Paige: Promenade is…
Mr. Nobody: French for walk.
Paige: Promenade IS French for walk.
(Ashleigh and Paige laugh)
Mr. Nobody: What is promenade though? Why are you talking about it?
Paige: Promenade is when the audience can walk around.
Ashleigh: I think part of the reason the directors chose to do this show promenade style was because it (hopefully) makes the audience feel more included than if they were just seated. It allows them to get up close and personal to the action.
Paige: Yeah. It’s not interactive theatre, though. The goal is to try to immerse the audience in the world of the play. It’s cool because this style of theatre is really conducive to allowing the audience to be a part of June and Jennifer’s world for an hour.
Ashleigh: Another thing about the nature of this show is that it’s made the transition into these characters a lot easier to maintain, because it demands an intense level of commitment and focus. We walk through the space and have to be aware of not only the other actors on stage and what they’re doing, but of the audience as well. And if we as a cast aren’t in a high level of focus at all times, people will either get hurt or moments can be missed.
Paige: We take care of each other. Plus, by having it in promenade, I hope it makes it a lot easier for the audience to buy us as these people, because they’re right there.
Mr. Nobody: How do you think it would be different if you had the show in proscenium?
Paige: It would be presentational, which is one way of putting on a play. But the nature of promenade suits the telling of this story.
Ashleigh: The audience, from the moment they step into the space, become part of the play. They are the inhabitants of Wales and they’re just as important as the actors are. If it were proscenium, the audience could sit back and let everything wash over them, and I think with our particular story it wouldn’t resonate as well.
Mr. Nobody: Are you afraid of the audience missing crucial moments of the play?
Ashleigh: Mmm…
Paige: I mean, there are things that people will miss, but I think the directors have done an excellent job of not making them key plot points. You see all the things that you need to see to understand the story, but there are also times when you can also browse around on your own - much like you would in a museum - and stop to focus on specific moments that interest you. I’m sure everyone will get something different from it, which already happens in theatre, but I think it’s especially true of a show like this.
Ashleigh: What you see one night is totally different - depending on the choices you make - than what you’d see on another night.
Paige: That’s why you have to see it more than once.
Ashleigh: The experience you have is unique and specific to you.
Paige: It’s the only show I’ve done where the unpredictability of the show is palpable. The audience plays such a large part in the show.
Ashleigh: The audience feeds the energy.
Paige: The show runs really beautifully when we are, as a cast, focused and listening to each other and the audience.
Mr. Nobody: Do you think that because the audience is so close, it’s more like film acting?
Paige: You know, one of my friends actually compared it to that during the psychologist scene. Many of the scenes in the play seem more intimate, like film, because the audience is right next to us. It’s like you’re looking at a snapshot or a scene in real life. To contrast, the puppet shows and movement sequences are highly theatrical. They compliment each other well. The intimacy makes me think of acting differently. Instead of presenting it to an audience, we are extending this invitation to the audience to be privy to this world.
Ashleigh: Yeah! The show is basically “this is what I am in this moment. This is how I’m feeling” as opposed to trying to force something. The show itself doesn’t try to get to a certain place. The great thing about the show right now as it stands is that it doesn’t try to tell you how to feel.
Paige: It leaves room for the audience to come to their own conclusions about the story.
Mr. Nobody: Is it easier or harder than a traditional show?
Ashleigh: Well, they both have their own challenges… I guess easier? It’s such an ensemble-based show. I like that we created everything from scratch. Everyone had an equal hand in the process. We’ve weaved these moments together, stolen choices from each other… this whole piece was built with these people and there’s such a trust and a love for the cast. That’s what’s most important.
Paige: Well put, A. I think that’s the end. Come promenade with us!