Today we got to meet our director Shira. It was after a long day coming off of a weekend break where we read some documents for OYL’s researching process and Suzuki with Leon. The clouds were low in the sky and I was really hoping that I was gonna be able to walk through a cloud today, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. The sun was about a half an hour away from setting and we did the performance we created over the past week for Shira as our first introduction to her as a company. It was challenging to try and do the performance in a different and new space that we are acquainted with but not as connected with that specific performance. It was fun finding a new place for my titan to live and breathe, and just trying something for the sake of trying it and not worrying whether or not it’s perfect. After that we gathered in a circle, and had our first opportunity to introduce ourselves to each other. We have known each other for a week but have yet to have a formal introduction. Shira asked us 4 things. 1st Our Names and Pronouns; 2nd How you define your background? (Where do you come from?); 3rd What are your three stage fantasies (What would you like to do on stage that you haven’t done yet?) And last but not least what has been a magical, difficult, or surprising experience since you’ve come to Greece. The most gripping part of this introduction was how people defined their backgrounds and what that question meant to them. Because people’s backgrounds didn’t just have to be their families or what state their from, but it could be themselves. Being asked to define the most important about where you came from is a profound experience. Your background has shaped you, and to learn about how other people perceive their past and what they think is important for people to know about them is a bonding experience we haven’t yet had within the week and some days we have gotten to know each other in. Then it was inspiring and invigorating to hear the fantasies of what people wanted to do on stage. From things as simple as a grand dress transformation, to an epic battle of friend betraying friend with a long epic fight sequence, to what could be the liberating experience of being in high drag, to having a real horse on stage, or having a swimming pool onstage. All of these things are inspiration and possibilities for what we can do as artists and things to aspire and try whether or not it actually works out. Shira when everyone was talking took breaks in between a number of people about 6 each time, and then we reflected on what each of them said and I appreciated this moment because it asked us to really listen, focus and respect each other and respond to what we connected too with the other person. Also we got Shira to share as well, even though she normally doesn’t. Then at the very end we went back to our titans and did it fully in English, and end where we began. I’m hopeful and excited for the upcoming weeks working on this show and I hope over the course of this process I never stop learning about the people around me and that I never stop wanting to know more about the people around me.
-Krystyna Pinel, 7/30
