This semester, while barely a functional concept, breached my comfort zone. From crawling on a dirty floor to Zoom meetings, I cannot imagine something (realistically) more strange to happen during my university journey. Despite petitioning the university and government for my tuition to be refunded, this period has lead to a revolution in my mental health, spare time, and sleep schedule. This production is, easily, at the bottom of my list of priorities. I’ve highlighted lines from the third act of Ibsen’s play that I might use, continued to listen to music that inspires me, and I even focus on moving my body more freely – yoga, dancing in public spaces (by ‘public’ i mean the empty trails by Froebel Lake), reading Sophocles out-loud at hellish hours in the morning. Transitioning from a packed schedule of lectures and rehearsals between sight-seeing and concerts to planning out my week based on the weather has proven to be the opposite of what my mind would have needed to produce an inspiring piece.
Moving into May, with my window constantly open and my eyes set on the sliver of London I can see from Lee House’s third floor, I will keep my schedule open and my heart willing. Letting the pandemic move me away from what I need to succeed is (I believe) a common flaw. I’m starting with the Almeida Theatre’s production of Ghosts, as recommended by Susan. I’m drawn to the dark background of the set and costumes; jewel-tones are often associated with the Victorian time period, but the most common pigment seems to be black, a shadow looming over every aspect of the scene. The faces of both the actors in this particular scene are barely lit – this reminds me strongly o film noir, and I would absolutely be intrigued to bring this into our (or, rather, my) production to demonstrate that distinction between what is being said and what is happening in the conscience of the characters.