Working Day #1

An amazing rehearsal day, I am stupid I should have taken more pictures. But it's hard to be present and also documenting, you know? Also, it is amazing enough that I managed to stay awake throughout the day. We began the morning session at 10.30AM, at the Galileo Theater, which is a spacious and lovely facility. The theater is very nice, cut, it kind of reminded me of the Connelly Theater on E 4th St. except with a bit more height or airiness.
We began the morning by first discussing and sharing the root ideas/inspiration of our work for the project. We'd all been given the same "starting points" document that asked many questions about how we represent ourselves in the world, especially in light of technology that permeates our lives. It was good to hear everyone's concerns, and their artistic intentions for what they'd prepared.
By the time we got through each group it was 2PM. We had reserved a place across the street for lunch. We crossed the street and there was our huge-ass banquet table, set up right there on the sidewalk!!!! Friggin' awesome.
It was hard to resist siesta after this lovely sunlit lunch. The weather has been quite nice, beautiful skies and warm. Here are the ISH B-boys catching some rays.


They are like my favorite people right now.

Then in the afternoon session, we all showed our presentations. SO many ideas, and images, so many aspects of identity (cultural, artistic, personal, political) explored and yet several common threads through many pieces -- use of physical materials (swath of white cloth, yellow yarn) masks, music, dance, ritual.Again I didn't take any pics of the really awesome shit. Will try to get it together tomorrow.