On Friday, August 10, Cynthia and Shyamala performed the first draft of "Super Ruwaxi: Origins" at Highways Performance Space as part of SUBVERSIVE GESTURES, an evening of queering Indian dance. SUBVERSIVE GESTURES was part of BEHOLD!, a queer performance series curated by Highways Performance Space Artistic Director, Leo Garcia.
Note: not seen here is Shyamala in the low left corner of the stage, doing the hands and face into a live feed camera. So the audience actually sees her live as well as on the projection.
Here is the video of the performance! password "ruwaxi"
Note: not seen here is Shyamala in the low left corner of the stage, doing the hands and face into a live feed camera. So the audience actually sees her live as well as on the projection.
Here is the video of the performance! password "ruwaxi"
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS:
(1) What relationships do you see with the other (Un)Epic Wonder Women material? These relationships could be narrative (ie, different super heroine characters interacting) or aesthetic (ie, use of live feed, narrator, etc). How might you imagine the different material intersecting in performance?
(2) What moments pulled you in? Where were you less interested? What would you like to see further developed?
(3) Do you find the music and sound effective throughout the piece? (For this version, we were not able to get original music composed, so the tracks should be eventually replaced in the future.) Does there need to be music during the audience interaction?
(4) What do you think of the theatrical lighting, as far as you can tell from the video?
(5) What do you think of the different backgrounds in the live feed?
(6) How LA or US-specific is the piece and its humor? Would it be necessary to translate some of the jokes cross-culturally, and if so, how might you imagine doing so?
Cyn and I dialogued our feedback for questions 2-5 since we are starting to work on the piece again. Here are the answers so far. We will answer 1 and 6 separately and possibly flesh out our answers more:
ReplyDelete(2) What moments pulled you in? Where were you less interested? What would you like to see further developed?
Cyn:
Most drawn in:
bam, pow, zap
Interaction with male audience member
First see Shy’s face
Some Urvashi/Ruwaxi dialogue
Want more development:
Cyn’s movement
Calligraphy movement involve legs more?
8 legged essay succi hands
costume change more with what body does (was working that legs were farther apart, and arms farther out when tying bandana)
tension of changing because threat of parents
club dance (not longer but work the movement –take hiphop and more in time)
female audience interaction
return home and repeat gestures (calligraphy worked best because same thing but clear change of emotional state, can do that more to other parts?)
Why agree to go along with being a superhero? Seems sudden. does Ruwaxi manipulate her into position?
Cyn and Shy discussion: Do we bring back the chakradar or other movement development to show the transition? Super man type reference, peel off shirt to find S underneath? Put on a hoodie when get home? Or a button up flannel, bathrobe type thing. Transition to home self would be nice to indicate that world and also threat of parents coming in so hide club self.
(3) Do you find the music and sound effective throughout the piece? (For this version, we were not able to get original music composed, so the tracks should be eventually replaced in the future.) Does there need to be music during the audience interaction?
Shy: beg. Section story world could have some spacious magical story sound
Cyn: could see story book sounds starting perfect and then getting dissonant while changing then more as sneak out to create dramatic tension.
Shy: Fade into club not effective probably because too fast, I think longer music and longer to club could work but I like just starting with a bam into club world.
Cyn: not effective because shy shouting over it. If music switches instantly lighting could as well.
Shy: in club don’t miss music until audience does hip gyration because caught up in all the other actions of building a new character etc.. I could imagine it lightly, not distracting. Missed it when he was gyrating but also found it funny when music came in after gyrating and your reaction were established.
Cyn: sound most effective in trailor because supports mood and clear citation of superman. Can use more support throughout. Weird to have little snippets in and out.
Perhaps club music could all be without words, then don’t compete with narration and also Cyn could start dance anywhere with pulse/beat rather then waiting for a specific moment in lyrics…
(4) What do you think of the theatrical lighting, as far as you can tell from the video?
Cyn: generally fine, can see us both, but the backgrounds in the live feed get a bit washed out. Like color of odor cloth…think video may not be reliable.
-Didn’t understand the spot light on the whip moment
shy: was surpised by it, but kinda liked it
Cyn: found it confusing
Female too far downstage ran out of light, would be better to have more room downstage if possible.
Cyn and Shy: Together talked about getting woman up sooner and giving her a repeating gesture to make her a bit more prominent anyway.
Cyn: not seen at all in the end (light her body more, and work with Shy how far look).
(5) What do you think of the different backgrounds in the live feed?
Shy: club yes odor less
Cyn: thought were fine.