| Encore
gets lots of inquiries from folks who want to do this, and expansion
has always been a goal. The question is how? Years
ago we entertained the fantasy of having Encore troupes all over
the United States, each with top hats and checked vests. With time,
we've realized how unrealistic that is (unless Eliza and Lydia could
be cloned)! Meanwhile, Encore’s ideas have been spreading
and expansion is happening (without the top hats).
EXAMPLES:
* Teachers and kids get copies of the TRUTHeatre workshop exercises
and continue using them through out the year. Some schools have
created their own form of personal theatre, with kids creating
shows about their experiences and performing them for their peers.
One school in Washington
(the teacher is the daughter of an Encore trouper) has a group
of youngsters reaching out to seniors! The kids take their version
of TRUTHeatre into senior residences and get elders to share their
stories with them.
* Many theatre people from other areas see Encore performances
at conferences, or come to fundraisers in Eugene. They return
home motivated to try some of Encore’s ideas (i.e. create
scripts about their own stories, reach out to youth).
* People come and participate in Patchwork Players, the weeklong
residency program in detention. This is intense intergenerational
work, and it needs to be experienced. The ripples from that remain
to be seen.
* We have made one attempt at creating a troupe and show somewhere
other than Eugene. In the fall of 2003, Eliza and Lydia traveled
to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to work with Vrenia Ivonoffski, the
Artistic Director of Act II Studio at Ryerson University.
Vrenia had seen Encore
at the festival in Ohio (The Ohio
Report), and wanted us to create a similar show in her community.
She’d chosen eight Toronto seniors, ages 64-80, to participate
in the project. We spent 11 intense days with them, getting to
know them very well; this is a process that takes 2-3 months when
we do it here at home!
After a week of gathering their incredible
stories, we had a weekend to write the script, distilling their
lives into a 45-minute show, "Been Here Longer." Two
brand-new songs were written, three Encore numbers revised, and
by the middle of the second week the cast had a completed script,
blocked and choreographed. Then we rehearsed like crazy for the
last three days!
"Been
Here Longer" Troupers
The troupe continued
rehearsing after we left, and began performing their show for
Toronto kids in November. This project was amazing--challenging,
heartwarming, and transforming, and we all learned a lot.
One of the things we
learned was that we wouldn't ever do it quite that same way again!
* * * * *
We have realized
that Encore is a lot more than just a show. There are many facets
to this program, and many of them are teachable and can be shared.
We would love for these ideas to spread, for more seniors to reach
out to youth, for more people to connect with each other through
the truth.
For suggestions
or questions about expansion:
encore.theatre@iname.com
or (541)342-1630
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