west uptowner

defenestra sneak peek, originally uploaded by plastictaxi.

We are at the end of three weeks of work in Bogota with director Patricia Ariza. This shot is of one of the quieter moments of the piece that has come together in that time.

For me, it has been an uphill labour to get the setup I needed for the video component that has been my main focus. 15 minutes before our first presentation yesterday and I was finally hooking up a video monitor - I didn't know what the show would look like until we did it before an audience. Add to that the mundane fact that all of us were feeling pretty greasy because a water main had burst in the neighbourhood and we had been without water for 2 days.

The beautiful thing about Bogota is that you can see the impact of theatre on the people around you. It carries weight. It speaks to their concerns - because they all have deep and immediate concerns. And in the beauty of this community is the sad fact that they are made stronger because they have to live in a country that faces so much adversity. I read the newspaper and wonder what theatre could matter to people here. Then I see how much strength a displaced person takes from seeing - or better yet, participating in - a piece that speaks even indirectly to what they face. It really is a question of engaging in a process that analyses a society's challenges intelligently, and feeds, even a little, the human need for hope.

# posted by trev @ 12:46 p.m.