Modular Show!

MULTIMEDIA
In the morning, we worked with Carole on multimedia. Mona and Sangita were present and gave lovely feedback.

Uma^3
We started by piecing together all the Uma material into a single piece: Shy's face dance + Shy's SUNOH abhinaya phrase + I didn't say a word + My Silent Cry. We were interested in how this structure could highlight the supportive friend (the sakhi), the sense of a community of support and sharing stories present at SAN.

password "SAN"

Uma x 3 from Cynthia Ling Lee 3 on Vimeo.

skin remix
(video coming...)

CYN SKYPES SANDRA/HIDDEN TAMARIND

Cyn also had a new idea for introducing the courtesan in her full performative glory (rather than as an abject victim of abuse), while also acknowledging Cyn's positionality and her scholarly relationship with Sandra. Here's a super rough mock-up of the first portion:

password "skype"

Skype with Sandra: writing subaltern courtesan histories from Cynthia Ling Lee 2 on Vimeo.
I envisioned that this could be a real SKYPE call during the show, with me sitting onstage with my computer live, and my computer desktop projected onto the scrim. I couldn't test this with Sandra, so I pretended here using a screenshot -- which is pretty funny and could perhaps be a back-up if a theater doesn't have wireless.

In the live version, I imagined that when Sandra answered the phone, she would be in the middle of undressing from a classical Kuchipudi costume, including taking off a fake braid to reference my Logomotion solo. I might also bring in the same books and kurta that I wear during Cyber Chat.

After finishing up the call, I would invite an audience member to join me as my patron, as shown in the video. During this time the set-up would shift to a similar one as Shy's face dance, with the frames and one live feed camera upstage, and N. Indian light classical music would start floating in. I'm imagining the central arch could look like a lattice work window. The stage crew and/or other performers set up cushions and a rug upstage behind the scrim and escort my patron to his privileged viewing position upstage of the scrim behind the live feed camera. The rest of the audience would peer at our live bodies through the lattice work while also seeing my face/body doing "hidden tamarind." Here's the original video for reference (password "cynthiabai"):

MODULAR SHOW
At lunchtime we met with Sandra on Skype, where we discussed Shy's proposal for how to approach the show in a modular way:
1. There are 8-9 anchoring pieces. We each have two: one being ourselves, and one relating to the courtesan's and/or the SAN women and/or to each other. When there's technical ability we can always end with skin as the 9th anchor. Then, depending on who's in a particular show, those pieces become the main material. So, if the show is a trio, there are 6 anchors and peripheral material. If the show is a duet there are 4 anchoring pieces and supporting material.

2. I like the idea of each piece having others as support (listeners/chorus/peripheral characters), or integral parts (otherwise why is the title "SUNOH! Tell Me, Sister?" and why are we doing a group show?).

3. Rather than connect all the minor pieces to each other, we can choose connecting material based on what will support or frame or contextualize the main material. Whenever possible, the minor pieces also address the long distance process.

After our SKYPE meeting, Shy, Anj, and Cyn brainstormed what a show with the three of us would look like. We mapped out our anchor pieces and considered possible connections to supporting material:

In the end, we came up with the following anchor pieces:
Skype-Shy Letter
Tonsil-Voice story
Ranri
Learning to Walk Like Radha (Logomotion duet)
Uma Stories
skin remix

And the following supporting material:
SUNOH phrase material
I listen - I take you into my body
Sandra Skype Call-hidden tamarind

SUNOH PHRASE MATERIAL

Cyn wrote a rhythmic script combining Anj's phrase material with one of the Skype call rhythms.

Possible Prelude: Someone rushes on, says, “I have something to tell you!” Whispers in others’ ears. This leads into this following rhythmic interaction, combined with Anj’s Sunoh material (abhinaya, BN, contemporary)...

What? Wait – no, really?

-- -- -- You know

that one? -- --

I think I do... -- --

No! -- -- --the

same problem? -- -- What a

(click teeth) God will it ever get

better? -- Such a (slap hand) Hm

will it ever get better? -- If you

(sigh) wait maybe it’ll get

bet -- ter....

repeat 3x