Tech. Epiphany. Every breath.

Today is the first of two shows where I am performing in a piece called Babooshka. 

More about it here : 

https://www.annalublina.com/babushka/

For the past few weeks we have been focusing on the language that we are creating amongst us performers since we are essentially translating Russian into gibberish. With earphones on, us actors are listening to Russian as we translate this to whatever sound we can match, since none of us speak Russian.

 We are all people who have grown up bilingual or more ... Is the meaning of the words important here ? Possibly not. Then what is left ? That is the discovery. 

Essentially I was entirely focused on the language aspect of this performance for the most part.  And had ideas of what my actions could be. It was only at tech yesterday... that every moment began to matter. Every slight of hand.  Every pause, pacing of all movement. So yesterday after a long time I was transported back to James Donlon's classes at The Flying Actor Studio in SF... where we were simply clowns or actors who studied physical theatre... every Monday, using sounds, movement, space, etc. There were no words to hold on to. We were aware of all silences, pauses, pacing, gestures, breathing, etc. It felt great to discover those devices that suddenly surfaced. Sure, this should always be the case as a performer. But it was as if my body, mind and my being remembered something so organically that I felt it posses me. I found myself completely focused and committed to .... I don't know how to describe it even. 

I cannot wait to return to it. To feel it again.  To conjure it again when we perform tonight. I have felt it so strongly that today while taking the subway I was entirely aware of all my movements, my facial expressions, every bit of it all. I was curious to an extend that I believed that any movement at all had the power to impact or generate an emotion within me or others around me. It was a thrill yet it was all contained. 

Photos by Effy Grey

Tonight will be more discoveries and this is why I love this work.  

Nov 16. 17. 7:30PM at the Old American Can Factory Brooklyn. 

LOVE REHEARSING AND PERFORMING IN BROOKLYN. L O V E.