Reflection Journal Web Page

Community One: Observations at the Governor's School

The 2001 Institute July 22-27, 2001 Erie, PA

Journal created by: Patricia Lommock and Cynthia Matteson

AMAZING RECOUNT
Wedenesday, July 25, Governor's School for the Arts, Mercyhurst College
This evening allowed us to view three student-written and produced theater performances. These were site-specific in that the students were given a location on the campus to use as their performance area where they were to integrate performance content, style, and environment into a coherent unity.

Performance one, low tide, the established enviornment provided a unique and creative area where the actors played. Using a four-story building, which had an open accessible roof, and a satellite dish, the students created an interesting tableau. Focus was created by movement of the actors over the grassy lawn and through the use of wooden platforms, stairs, and to the satelite dish. Each of the actors wore a mask and costumes were individualistic representing various personalities in response to our times. The technical crew was outstanding. The outdoor area offered theatrical lighting, use of video shown on the satelite dish, a four story waterfall and numerous sound effect tapes. The students were very professional. This was an entertaining and interesting event.

 

 

 

The second performance, Union, was staged in the student union building. The entire staging in the multi-leveled student union building included all of these, balconies, rooms, phone booths, restrooms, staircases, and even the interior of a pop machine. This play, which could be classified as theater of involvement, was presented in a dark building using flashlights to direct the focus of the audience from area to area. Timing was amazing for both actors and stage crew. Each character was played by a variety of cast members, without regard for their age, sex or race. Characters were identified by what they were wearing. The audience was in close contact with the performers, and often times were expected to give a reaction to actor's questions or comments. An interesting event, but required much movement in the dark through many staircases and small areas and could have been a problem for safety. Much of the performance was missed if the audience did not move to the location of the action.

The third performance, Our Lady of Sacrifice, was reminiscent of ancient Greek theater. It was a definite story line. This was a play of action, stage combat, dancing, singing, and excellent use of the natural environment -- trees, hillside, walkway. This was a well polished theater piece. The student actors and technicians exhibited an outstanding collaborative production.
Thursday, July 26, 2001, Pennsylvania Governor's School, Mercyhurst College

 
During our morning at Mercyhurst, we had the opportunity to speak with students, an art instructor and two of the dance instructors as well as the poetry and fiction teachers about how they incorporate the 9.2 standard, historical and cultural context, into their instructional plans.

The ballet, jazz and modern dance classes were combined to experience a class with the Group Motion Company, the professional modern company from Philadelphia that performed Wednesday evening. The students benefited from a class based on the Wigmon technique that developed in Germany. The technique gave the students an unique opportunity to contrast styles from modern, jazz, and the ballet genre. Participating in the Wigman technique allowed students to relate to the historical and cultural development. In addition to learning technique and form the studentsin dance as well as all of the arts were introduced to the historical context for an understanding of the development of the art form.