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A few reflections on a wild, wonderful, hard, and satisfying year under the umbrella along with our plans to tear 2015 up. Duh.
From Hannah In 2014 I think this year was an especially exciting year for Savage Umbrella workshops. We explored new ways of creating narratives and moments in JUNE, dug into the nooks and crannies of THESE ARE THE MEN (full production coming in March/April 2015), discovered new mythologies with the vikings of VINLAND, and tried out some new ways of staging and engaging audiences with HOUSE PARTY. It's not out of the ordinary for Savage Umbrella to try new things, but this year felt particularly satisfying. We're really getting into an awesome groove. In 2015 I'm looking forward to SO MUCH in 2015; Savage Umbrella has some exciting things planned. I think I'm most excited to see what bubbles out of the workshops this coming year. The part of new work that gets me the most excited is the start of an idea -- when the possibilities are infinite and we get to decide where it goes. We haven't announced everything that will happen in 2015 yet, but trust me... you're in for an incredible ride.  JUNE workshopping
From Russ In 2014 We fit more workshops into one year than, I think, we have ever done before. That means we have reached out to and worked with so many new artists and got them under our umbrella and that is so exciting. In 2015 We are gonna make so much awesome stuff!  Ivey Award Posing  but what if they were REAL? Making new art is a lot like getting a tattoo. Stay with me. I want a tattoo. I’ve wanted one for years, but it’s a big decision that takes planning, time, money, some pain and blood and will end with me having a piece of art or statement forever tethered to my person. No backsies. Really, that’s what making new theatre is: it’s a whole lot of work and worry and culminates into a final product that reveals something about you. It’s about commitment. It’s about your stamp of approval. It’s about bringing something into the world that, in most cases, was never asked for and saying, “Hey, this thing matters. You should all take some time to witness it.” You are responsible for its existence.  wherein we realize we have real fur tastes on a fake fur budget. You know how the designers on Project Runway always lose their shit when they have a team challenge? It never fails to catch me off guard for a moment.
“Play nice, acknowledge your strengths, play to them, and knock it out!,” I scream in my mind (usually). And then I remember that they are in competition for money and exposure and all that. Thankfully, we at SU are all about the teamwork! For our upcoming production of THESE ARE THE MEN at The Southern, Laura, Heidi, and I are combining forces to design the costumes. Here is a glimpse into the world of Team Hydra.  A scene in Metrotech Plaza from the Odyssey Works production, When I Left the House it Was Still Dark. Imagine this: one day you receive a personal invitation to an abandoned hardware store. Huh, that’s strange. Out of curiosity, you visit the space. It’s empty. The place is empty save for a notebook. You open the notebook and find a story about a man searching for a cellist, a music recording, and a picture of a prairie.
Several days later, you’re in a car being taken somewhere you don’t know. It turns out that somewhere is the airport. You’re given a ticket and put on a plane and end up in Saskatchewan, Canada. You’re driven to a prairie (the one that was in the picture!), where you find a cellist playing a variation of the music from the recording. This week we’re feeling so, so lucky to be part of the ARTshare family.
Due to some unexpected circumstances, there suddenly came up some free performance evenings during ARTshare’s first slot, and whammo, Savage Umbrella gets two more evenings for performances in late Jan/early Feb. BAM. So we’ve had a little project on the back burner for a while now, a little nugget called FREAKS. Did Tanner and I write it in 2010? Yes. Did we write it for high school students? Yes. Did they want it to be about zombies? Hell yes. Are we going to perform it, script as it lay in 2010 for high school students? You know it. |
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