Brainstorming Meeting, 9/2/08

Meeting Notes, Tuesday September 2nd.


"the end of imagination"

This was our last big brainstorming meeting before the storyboarding starts getting serious!

General Notes:

1. We reviewed whats been discussed at previous meetings, and emphasized the need to find a way to make this a Halloween show, not just an epic adventure, and somehow bring the focus back to nature and grieving and the life cycle of the earth.

2. In open discussion, we realized that there might be a good connection between the story and whats happening in The Republic of Georgia today, and that U.S. foreign policy could connect as well.... this could be done thru:
* Using the sacrificial sheep/lamb as metaphor for U.S. public/troops.
* Jason throwing the rock into the skeletons so that they fight themselves could be a good example of political government.
3. Everyone is very excited about the idea of using the space differently... maybe using the trees, or playing the show in the round.


Stories and Ideas that Resonated:
* The Harpies could be a plural being; all identical, but each with a different "gimmick" or power. Maybe they represent hunger? What are they hungry for, and how would we satiate it?
* Maybe we should examine the culture we are focusing on. What if we worked w/ Hispanic and Aztec goddesses instead of more (or exclusively) European mythology?
* The story of Heceta running through the woods with her hell hounds could be a great way to use the dog ideas.
* The portion of the story where Jason and the other adventurers give up hope in the desert and the shepherd gods tell them to "honor their mother" by
carrying the boat to water. The boat is the mother because she carries them in her womb and groans when they labor. Connection to mother earth?
* Medea is a fascinating character: she represents loss and grief and total rejection. Can we find more here?
* For the prologue, it might be really cool to have the audience travel through a tunnel where the different islands of the adventure could be represented... different adventures, different worlds, different experiences.
* A conversation between the sleepless dragon and the golden fleece maybe trying to get dragon to sleep?
* Medea's brother's dead body spread across the field.
* Scale: maybe having many different sized boats, maybe nothing is "human sized" except the sheep and the chorus? Children as Argonaunts....
* Using the chorus in new and different ways (more singing/choreography). Isadora Duncan style movement and costumes.
* The overlapping histories and stories that create history.... how to represent this?
* Better to be builders than soldiers.... the story of the five saved "earth born men" who create Thebes.

Themes:
* "If you commit murder, you cannot go back." How do we find forgiveness and peace with the bad things that we have done? (sheep could tie in here)
* Food: the slaughterhouse. Excessive resources being squandered. The sheep pile up in center of playing space. "people have to die in order to get the golden fleece. What is the fleece? what does it represent?
*

Images that Resonated:

* Hydra as a creature formed of snakes or skulls.
* The audience having lamb hand puppets.
* Centaurs.
* Medea's brother's body being large pieces that can glow and/or physically block the action of the play. Physical reminders of sins past...
* The birds dive bombing the ship, getting stuck in the shields.
* The boat being passed over the audience.
* Fire breathing bulls.
* Hanging pinatas or people from the trees.
* A river of bodies, with people dressed all in black except for the body part they represent. Cool choreography opportunity?
* WATER: how will we represent this? maybe using multiple objects to create a single image/many images. The example given was oars (stolen from the Olympic opening ceremony).
* the gods placed on top of the pavillion, watching the action. (Big Brother?)
* Lantern puppets. Maybe coming together to create shapes/objects... snakes, etc. Snake Ball?
* Isadora Duncan costume w/ lights in hands or on costumes.
* Flesh flower.
* The chorus w/ portable projection or shadow screens.
* Men wrapped in leather and hung from the trees when they died.
* Bike puppets!


Things to Think About:
* Difficulties of using space differently: cars on the road? Moving action?
* How should the sheep sacrifice play out?
* We want to tell the story in five seven minute sections... minus the preshow. Keep in mind this is 35 minutes!!

THANKS FOR A GOOD MEETING, EVERYBODY! Next meeting: Sunday the 7th at 5:30 at Hidden Falls.