One Year Lease

Conversations on an artform

2011-09-26T14:59:00.001-04:00

The growth of an ensemble theater company involves constantly refining and developing the group’s philosophy and its process for building work.

Articulating the ensemble’s aesthetic and the larger hows and whys of what we find important in the theater is a formidable task, crucial to defining and re-defining our group perspective.

Discussions on the subject in OYL are accepted as organic in nature – allowing for shifts and growth with us as individuals and as a group.

Over the next several months, we will be using this blog to publish excerpts of this larger artistic conversation, and invite your responses. Concurrently, our acting ensemble will be posting about on-going rehearsals and readings.

Our goal is to include you, our audience and supporters, in the discussion and to offer a deeper level of insight into the artistic aspirations of OYL.

Below is an introduction to the conversation, from Ianthe Demos.

All our best,
Ianthe and Nick
Artistic Directors, OYL

If our humanity is predicated on our ability to perceive beauty then the theatrical act is based on this gift – it shows us what could be, both beautiful and horrific.

Theater reminds us that we are not alone, that our similarities outweigh our differences, and that in the art of watching and being watched we learn what we are capable of.

Ours is a theater that uses the recognizable to build a new and extraordinary circumstance. We begin by exploring a familiar condition from multiple angles.

Story, time, place and perspective are all juggled as we create a unique moment theatrically suspended.

As the company at large walks alongside this new moment constructing it through shifting elements of narrative, time, space and points of view, so too does each actor walk alongside his or her character generating a unique being that can only exist in this new theatrical circumstance.

In our theater the actor conducts a search for the absurdist elements within the character, those outside the grasp of our immediate perception of reality. It is a dissection of sorts – a cheerful and almost childlike discovery of concealed facets of the character which will then be exploded or distilled. In equal part the actor explores his or her visceral reaction to the character and harnesses those elements into traits.

What follows is a coming together of these various discoveries to create a unique being. It is important to note that this new person is created for this moment alone – to further inform whatever human condition or situation the work at large is exploring. He or she is not meant to exist outside the world created.

To accept this is to embrace a creative freedom that forms the cornerstone of One Year Lease’s work.

Our goal is to create a unique moment theatrically suspended, challenging our audiences’ perception of what humanity is capable of and uncovering beauty in unexpected places.

-Ianthe Demos

Sunday August 14th - Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris

2011-08-14T19:00:00.001-04:00

The Beginning At the End

Collaboration. It’s been one of this week’s buzzwords. It’s tricky, it’s certainly not always easy, but it is something to strive for. The end result can be quite brilliant. Point of fact, the 2011 Apprentice Company’s village performances. So much sweat and love, frustration and laughter went into the making of ‘Midsummer’. There were many obstacles thrown in their path—3 directors, each with their own unique vision, performing an English play in front of a Greek-speaking audience, re-blocking the show down to the last second. Despite all that was thrown in their path, they banded together as an ensemble, they took the notes, and they made it work. It was thrilling to watch. More than just allowing them to grow as artists and to form impenetrable bonds, this collaboration also brought art to folks who don’t have the Met and Broadway right down the street. The audiences were beaming with warmth and good vibes. I am always struck to my core when I see art bringing a community together. It seems a simple thing that we do sometimes, funneling real life into the artifice that we call theatre. But I truly believe that holding up a mirror to life can have a profound effect. I saw it firsthand change the energy of an entire village. Congrats to everyone involved!!

So today is our final day. We have wrap up meetings to attend and packing to do and
goodbyes to say. Endings tend to be quite tricky for me. Usually the sadness of leaving a place that I love overwhelms my senses. This year, however, I am experiencing a new sensation. Joy. It feels odd to feel such bliss at a time like this, but I am so happy and grateful. The people I’ve met and the sights that I’ve seen are now branded into my soul.

I am particularly gleeful about some of the amazing work that the OYL acting/directing team were able to get accomplished in this short month. We laid the groundwork for a new reading series, a commissioning project, and found a couple of terrifyingly amazing playwrights. My favorite upcoming project is called Shifting Baselines. We have taken on the challenge of devising a play based on immigration, using just our bodies and hearts and minds as inspiration, instead of an existing text. Participating in this piece has enlivened the company’s spirit. I am really proud to get to collaborate with such a brave and creative group of people. Even though we are finishing up here in Greece, there is much to be accomplished and so far to climb in this coming year. We are ambitious and hopeful about the future. We hope to see you there!!

Wednesday August 10th - Nick Corda

2011-08-10T19:05:00.001-04:00

Sunset. Every sunset in these mountains has seemed unreal. As though this place is crafted of dreams and the best we can do is hope to grasp such beauty. Tonight, Apollo created an incredible world for us to play our little comedy in. Timed perfectly, the sun drifted down throughout the performance, and gave us a perfect twilight for the finale: “Lovers, to bed. Tis’ almost fairy time.”

An incredible start to our undoubtably magical run of the bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, tonight’s performance in the small town of Vikos was an absolute joy for all members of the company. Excitement was rampant and we drew the largest and youngest audience to an apprentice performance in the town ever.

How do we explain these magical moments on stage? How do we define them in our mind’s eye? Or, is their truth illuminated in the moment, for a fleeting second, and then gone forever? How long is a moment, a second, a year, a millenia?

Maybe, this beauty lives on within us, becomes one with the soul, and eternally celebrates the wonder of life?

Just a thought.

And thoughts are nothing in the face of the moment. Life is the moment.
Now go out and live.

Wednesday August 10th - Karlee Fomalont

2011-08-10T05:14:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was opening night of our little production of midsummer in Vikos. We had no idea what to expect for a few reasons, one of which is the year round population of Vikos is 7, and we had never performed in a town square before. The show turned out better than I could have imagined, regardless of the fact we had an audience of about 10, (mostly of Greek children who spoke no English!) Everyone who came laughed and participated and allowed us to have as much fun on stage as we did. The energy was contagious. It was incredible to watch the kids talk to each other as the show was going on to further clarify the story and make sure they were all still on board with us!

After, a few of us stayed in Vikos for some snacks and drinks after the show, and a group of kids who watched the performance came over to our table with paper and pens asking for our autographs! It was an amazing feeling knowing we had made an impact on these kids and showed them a world of magic and comedy they never see in their small village. It was a night that will definitely stay with me forever and remind me why I'm doing this. Making connections not only with my scene partner on stage, but truly with the audience is an experience so hard to come by, and I'm so grateful we were all able to be so present and open to allow the show to be such a success.

Tuesday August 9th -Amanda Culp

2011-08-09T13:56:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is the opening night of the 2011 Apprentice Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Two weeks ago they hadn’t even been cast, yet based on the strength and energy of this morning’s run through, you would never know it. They are courageous and dedicated, taking risks and trusting one another in a way that can only be forged in this kind of environment. I have always said that one of the magical things about OYL is that because we live together, work together, eat together, play together for these weeks each summer, we know each other, trust each other in a way that transcends a company dynamic—we are family. As I’ve watched this summer Apprentice Company work over the past few days, it has become apparent to me that that same Papingo magic that feeds our company has also gotten to them.

Four weeks ago they were, for the most part, complete strangers, but by dinner our first night together in Athens they were getting on like old friends. The bravery that takes—to leave home to spend a month in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language with people you don’t know—is, in my opinion, the defining characteristic of this group. From the moment they arrived, they have always and only responded to a challenge with, ‘yes.’

Yes! Let’s go out and explore Athens together. Point us in the right direction!
Yes! I’ll be the first one into an improv scene even though improv terrifies me to my core.
Yes! I’ve never hiked a mountain before, but I’ve got a water bottle and sneakers and I’m ready to go.
Yes! This is an entirely new way of working that I’ve never done before…but I’m learning so much from it.

I am so proud of and excited about the work being done on Midsummer. It is full of all of these wonderful ‘yes!’s: full of a summer full of new experiences and living outside of our comfort zones. The more I think about it, the more I am certain that it is these essential qualities that continue to draw me to theater—watching it, teaching it, making it. When I share a space with bodies on stage who are bold and daring and so committed to life that they are in fact taking on more life in addition to their own, I am challenged to interrogate and really engage in every moment of mine.

On that note, working with this summer’s Apprentice Company has reminded me in so many ways of my first summer here in Papingo, as an intern on OYL’s production of Ariel Dorfman’s Widows. Though I regard that time in my life as a month of unparalleled bravery and growth, in the months and years that have passed—and in the many subsequent stays in Papingo—I have perhaps grown a bit complacent, a bit comfortable in my skin, and a bit jaded by the simple facts of life and of growing up. I arrived this summer feeling like some of that spirit—that woman I knew myself to be in the world, who I had found here—had faded somehow. Sharing in the Apprentice Company’s time here this summer has been the greatest gift I could have asked for. Watching their courageousness has reacquainted me with my own capacity for bravery. Darrell has a rule that he introduced to us in his first days, which is to: “let the little one drive.” This does not mean to let children operate motor vehicles. It means to let that voice in you that always wants to say ‘yes!’ drive, and to put the adult voice—the pragmatic and cynical and judgmental voice—on mute for a little while. Amy, Daniel, Ira, Karlee, Liana, Liliana, Mora, Nick, Ryn, Steven and Vicky are certainly not little ones, but it is their spirit and energy that have driven my summer. And as the house fills with voices after our evening rehearsals, and the porch is illuminated with the rosy glow of sunset, I can say nothing but: I must be the luckiest woman alive.

Monday August 8th - Liliana and Mora

2011-08-08T08:05:00.000-04:00

On Monday, we took the time to move slowly through the entire show, scene by scene, working out kinks and awkward spots. We worked on fine-tuning the physical comedy and dramatizing the soap opera aspect of the show. It was inspiring to watch how changing one simple movement - a turning of a back or the timing of a line - could enhance the humor and bring a scene to life. It took almost six hours to move through the entirety of the show, which normally runs 45 minutes or less. Ira helped us find the small moments that would normally be passed over, and brought them to the foreground. Something as simple as changing the sound the "male fairies" make when they cast their spells gave a whole new vitality to the section in which Titania and Oberon argue over the Indian boy. Moving the Mechanicals from a straight line into a more dynamic circular position opened up the entire scene and freed up the actors to play to the whole space. Another rewarding aspect of the Midsummer rehearsal process has been the gaggles of various onlookers that occasionally appear at our rehearsals. While rehearsing the hilarious play-within-the-play on Monday, we were rewarded with the laughter of local children and their parents, enjoying the over-dramatic death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Most of the time, you don't know how an audience is going to respond to your work. This one sound gave us the confidence that people would both understand and enjoy our performance and made us look forward even more to our show in Vikos on Wednesday. We can't wait!!!

Saturday August 6th - Amy Lynne Berger

2011-08-06T19:03:00.001-04:00

This past week has been pretty incredible! Since beginning our Suzuki/Viewpoints
work, I have found myself being incredibly aware of my body and the space around
me…not to mention being incredibly sore from said activities. :] Today, while
holding different poses, whether standing or sitting statues in Suzuki, we each had
to recite a line or short monologue while holding focus. Meanwhile, whoever else
was on stage with you had to hold their pose for the length of that same time and
vice versa. I quickly realized how important it is to really hit out every single word in a speech or else it loses meaning and sense of value if you are not concentrating on your breath. To end our Suzuki work, we all lined up opposite each other and did a slow walk past each other, keeping aware of the others in our line through our peripheral vision in order to move at the same speed with the same motions. This was something we had done on one of the first few days of our Suzuki work and it was pretty incredible to see, how in such a short amount of time, the group was really able to get in touch with each other and move so beautifully together.

Rehearsal today was pretty laid back. It was fun because instead of working in our
usual space in Megalo Papingo, we decided to just stay in Mikro Papingo and work
where we typically do yoga. It was great seeing everyone adapt to the new location
as practice for how things will need to be shifted depending on where we are
performing at the time. Further, working in a new area gave everyone more freedom
to experiment with their own blocking and seeing if something other than what was
originally directed could also potentially work.

I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t give a brief shout out to where we had dinner
tonight. We were served the most delicious food I have ever had in my life. It began
with greek salad, tsatsiki, and these incredible fried zucchini appetizers and then
was followed by a wide selection of varying entrees. I left very full and more than
satisfied.

All in all, today was pretty spectacular. Since the schedule changed a bit and we
didn’t have to make the walk to and from Megalo in the afternoon, everyone got a lot
of time to just talk to each other, not only about the work, but about life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love the people here. There is so much love and support for each and every member on this trip and I couldn’t be more thankful to be here.

Thursday, August 4th - Vicky and Ryn

2011-08-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, the company and apprentices traveled to Vikos – one of four villages we will be presenting our summer’s work of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Vikos is a gorgeous village with never-ending views of the gorge we hiked (and conquered) two weeks earlier. The day continued as planned, starting with Greek time with Danny Bernardy. However, Danny had a surprise for us and deviated from the textbook for our lesson that day. He passed out a poem he has fallen in love with during his affair with the Greek language. The apprentices and company members sat around him like eager children as he lead us through “O Glaros.”

Ο ΓΛΑΡΟΣ – The Seagull
Στο κύμα πάει να κοιμηθεί – On the wave he goes to sleep
δεν έχει τι να φοβηθεί – He has nothing to fear
Μήνας μπαίνει μήνας βγαίνει – Months go, months come
γλάρος είναι και πηγαίνει – The seagull is and goes

Από πόλεμο δεν ξέρει – He knows nothing from war
ούτε τι θα πει μαχαίρι – Nor what the knife means
Ο Θεός του 'δωκε φύκια – God gave him seaweed
και χρωματιστά χαλίκια – And colored pebbles

Αχ αλί κι αλίμονο μας – Woe is us
μες στον κόσμο το δικό μας – In our world
Δε μυρίζουνε τα φύκια – The seaweed does not smell
δε γυαλίζουν τα χαλίκια – The pebbles do not shine

Χίλιοι δυο παραφυλάνε – Thousand and two circle above
σε κοιτάν και δε μιλάνε – They look at you and they do not speak
Είσαι σήμερα μονάρχης – Today you are king
κι ώσαμ' αύριο δεν υπάρχεις. – And tomorrow you do not exist

Granted, this is our translation and by no means the scholarly edition. After learning the pronunciation, OYL broke out into song and our voices rang throughout the quiet village. With each verse, our confidence grew, as did our voices. Villagers stopped and smiled at our efforts – hopefully impressed at our impeccable voices and not our attempt at a Greek accent.

After we sang for awhile, the apprentice company started rehearsing the nonverbal “Mechanicals” scenes. The rehearsal consisted of tightening up and heightening the physicality demanded of us. Since we had been rehearsing mainly in Megalo, we had to get accustomed to our new playing space in Vikos. At first we were thrown off by having to change all of our entrances and exits but we ended up being comfortable improving where we should move. Again, we had villagers stop and watch us. We seemed to have created quite a following.

Once our rehearsal was done, we watched the sun set over the mountains and admired the beauty of Vikos. We can’t wait to have our first performance here on Wednesday!

Wish us broken legs!!

Ryn and Vicky

:)

Wednesday August 3rd - Danny Bernardy

2011-08-04T08:01:00.001-04:00

Two hours into a heated conversation about borders and immigration Ianthe popped up (yes, after I prodded her) and said, “Okay, Let’s Go to Albania!” and though we began with a rehearsal that was expected to end in the same room in which it started—the six of us found ourselves caravanning towards the Greek border town of Kakavia.

Our brave and fearless leader Ianthe has been cultivating our minds the past few days with talk of immigration. And an original piece by One Year Lease. And putting the two together.

So with little more than an idea and a chat our group of artists arrived at the sweaty border crossing met with rubber necks and glued eyes.

I was confronted with my feelings of discomfort as we eagerly sought a parking spot; though we had no intention of actually crossing the border (it’s a steep 40 Euros to cross as a US Citizen) I had no identification on me. And let’s face it—it’s a border crossing at a contentious place.

Our goal was simply to observe and see what we could find. (And I am pretty certain we were the only people there to do that.)

Babis popped out of the car and immediately started engaging person and place with his camera.

I wanted to find a place for us to park ourselves.

I saw (you couldn’t miss it) a “Food Café” that was brightly colored and stuck out like neon on a nun’s habit—it was our ticket, our island—our observatory. Albeit a bit safe.

But from there this oddly cheerful Food/Café put us on the apex of a triangle. On either side of the base of this triangle were two sides: a very empty lane that was coming out of Albania and into Greece and a very full lane that was exiting Greece and entering Albania. Not what I expected.

As we began to absorb the activity at the border I started to keep a list of our impressions. Here are a few:
Faded, peeling and pale yellow paint
Sun Drenched
Girl on Cell Phone w/ Headphones and a shirt reading, “what? You now?”
Mercedez Benz
Barefoot children
“Soviet” Art—
Weeds and Wildflower
Litter
Child w/ Souvlaki Stick
Bus shelter w/ broken window pains and taxi numbers scrawled in the shelter walls
Disco version of Pink Floyd playing
Stoves on rooves of cars
People waiting
Smiles
Men
Taxi drivers pacing in tandem
Pigs crossing
Police seated outside a food-truck style cantina
Man asking for money at a car, and a conversation and a photo with that man. Babis, after taking a photo of this young man then asked Babis to please, “Find Mister Panayiannis in Athens and show him these photos of me. Please.” His faith and hope in this possibility—his smile in the midst of his apparent desperation were heartbreaking.

I’m really glad we went.

Tuesday August 2nd - Ianthe Demos

2011-08-02T17:20:00.001-04:00

Today was the first time in many years that I came straight back down the day after hiking up to the refuge at the foot of Astraka, foregoing any additional treks with the company.

Although it is true that I have been recovering from a nasty cold, the main impetus to return to our house came from my desire to get back to the work at hand. These incredible mountains have brought much peace and beauty to my life but I found myself turning to another source of tranquility – the work ahead.

OYL artists in Greece and New York and our Apprentice Company have inspired me daily over the past several weeks. That those around us insist, by showing us possibility, that we become more inquisitive as artists is a blessing. I remain indebted to those who share so generously of themselves by showing me what they see in the world and its possibilities.

The Apprentice Company began the summer exploring possession and violence in Churchill’s MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS. Their presentation after a mere five days of work was striking, resourceful, inventive and quite simply a powerful distillation of the central themes in Churchill’s text. Now in the midst of creating their central piece for the summer, an adaptation of MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, I find myself eager to see more of their work and their growing creativity.

The OYL Company has spent endless hours in discussion – what is important to us as people, as artists, as collaborators. We have also spent hours on our feet with texts that excite us – responding to them, testing our instincts, remembering to play, to explore, to turn things upside down and then right them back again. We have discussed and seen the world through each others’ eyes.

Many new plans will be unveiled in the coming months. For the moment, I can tell you that… we have found a text by an incredible Austrian playwright that thrills us and we are working towards a Fall 2012 production, we are in the beginning stages of creating a devised piece which involves the Balkans and the USA, and we are refining our commissioning initiative to offer opportunities to more playwrights.

I came down from our beautiful mountains early this year, because something equally inspiring was waiting for me at our home base. I am grateful to all of you for that.

Love,
Ianthe

Monday August 1st - Mora Harris

2011-08-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

I am not a great hiker. I am not even a great walker. At school if I have to go more than a block away I take my bike. So, as may be expected, in my time in Papingo, I’ve gotten used to always bringing up the rear. After swallowing my pride on the first walk from Mikro to Megalo, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing the backs of my fellow apprentices and one of the nicest things about the people I’ve met here is that no one complains that I’m slowing them down or tries to get my little atrophied newt legs to move faster. All the same, I know I’ve got to do better!

Armed for our hike to the mountain refuge with the assurance that it would be “easier than the Vikos hike,” I was determined this time to keep up with the group, or at least part of it. But to my pleasant surprise this turned out not to be a problem. Team Slow, consisting of myself, Amy, Vicky, and Ianthe (who I’m pretty sure was just hanging back to make sure none of us got lost and/or eaten by wolves), with cameo appearances by Ryn and Amanda, made hiking up steep inclines feel relaxed, if not exactly easy. While the rest of the group jetted ahead, Team Slow plodded along, stopping for water every few minutes and chirping encouragements to each other. First-time hiker Vicky was an inspiration to see scrambling up the cliffs, Amy (who finds a photo opp at every turn) kept the trip well documented, and everyone was full of optimistic comments and jokes to make the walk feel shorter. I’ve noticed that once a group reaches a certain level of exertion it seems like everything is hilarious, and even my less than inspired comments like “That’s a cool rock!” can result in fits of giggling.

But we really did see some cool rocks! It hardly seems like I need to say it after spending two weeks enjoying the views here, but the scenery was gorgeous. From the heavenly light seeping through the fluffy clouds, the beautiful austerity of trees that had burnt in a forest fire a while back, to mountains that went on and on in the distance, everywhere we stopped we had a glorious sight to see. Ominous dark clouds gathered near the tops of the cliffs throughout the hike making the air feel cool for pretty much the whole way. And despite a little bit of concern on the last part of the trip, we did not get rained on and by nightfall the sky was clear enough to lie out and watch the stars.

At the refuge, in a wave of post-hike euphoria over spaghetti and delicious mountain tea, Amy and I talked each other into doing the optional hike to the Dragon Lakes the next day. Who was I? Going on a non-mandatory hike through the mountains after already hiking the day before? There must be something in the mountain tea.

That night, huddling with my fellow hikers on the cold cobblestones, gazing up at the greatest number of stars I have ever seen, I was freezing, smelly, and exhausted. But I’d finally figured out something I never expected to on a theater apprenticeship, that under just the right circumstances, I could really like to hike.

Sunday July 31st - Nick Corda

2011-07-31T17:02:00.002-04:00

For quite a while now, I’ve been searching tirelessly for something. Something missing. Something lost long ago. Something important. Today, I am certain that the important “thing” is honesty. Before we discuss this realization, I wanted to share an important explanation of τιμιότητα, written by Johann Goethe, who states “What is uttered from the heart alone, Will win the hearts of others to your own.” In light of the German playwright’s wisdom, I will tell you why the past week was an extremely important time for me. Among the most important things, I realized that no person is a one man show. Or one woman show for that matter. And, after a year and a half of tribulation and mistrust, I re-discovered my ability to unearth honesty. I regained the capability to respect myself, and share my real identity with the world. I relearned how to trust my friends and family to respect the person I really am. Humans are social animals by nature, and the very nature of theatre furthers this fact. In truth, it is impossible to create beauty without the collaboration between individuals. No person is a complete piece of the puzzle. Often, we
forget that theatre is not about the individual, but the collective. Only when all the parts are aligned in an honest harmony, will the beautiful image emerge. Only when each artist is true, is happiness achieved. Only together, in an honest effort, can we create something beautiful.

It is a testament to the human race that artistic structure of theatre is by nature
collaborative. In light of this, I am ecstatic to share that the apprentices, full-time members, and Vassar professors that are One Year Lease are both my friends and family, and have given me the opportunity to regain my honesty. To rediscover my trust. To relearn what it means to love.

I realize now that something truly intimate and special occurs between artists on stage. I can attest to this even when playing a scene of great turmoil. For example, yesterday my fellow apprentices and I were rehearsing the first scene of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an extremely tense moment that establishes the overarching conflict of the entire piece. But, while performing, I could feel only a passion that sprung from being able to share myself with my fellow artists on stage. And not only did it allow me to begin to create an honest and real portrayal of Demetrius, but also gave me happiness that I am still soaring on this moment. If we work for the benefit of
each other, we are bound to succeed. If we work only for ourselves, we will surely fail.

After two weeks, in fact, after two days, I knew that this summer would be special. As of today, I sincerely hope that we apprentices stay together as a family of artists in the future. Over the past few days, I’ve spoken with the majority of my comrades, and they agree that we should stay together, if not perform in the United States as a nascent company branched off of One Year Lease. Today, I made a logo for this prospective company as an experimental start for this new group. Although it isn’t much, I hope at least that it can give us a basis of ideas to branch off of in the future.

With much love to everyone, this is Nick Corda, signing off.

Saturday July 30th - Ira Tsochantari

2011-07-31T04:53:00.001-04:00

All right! Finally our short play is on its feet! After days of agonizing table-work, we’ve finally started actively rehearsing “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” So far we’ve gotten through three scenes, and already I can see the sizzling potential. Especially the parts involving the Mechanicals – the town simpletons who decide to put on a show for the Duke of Athens – are turning out to be absolutely hysterical! And to think the actors developed them absolutely by themselves. I have load of suggestions to give to Darrell,
our acting coach and source of unending creativity, about how to help us enhance these scenes.

The reason this development is so important to me is because everybody had started becoming nervous and insecure about the performance. This is the stage, in the middle of the program, where anxiety starts to settle in and there are fissures in the group’s confidence. Everybody is doing a great job and the show is going to be so much fun to watch; I promise.

Today was full of fun and memorable moments: Amanda’s Hayavadana project for one thing. The whole group thought it was really interesting to explore Indian culture in this new non-pressurized context. It would be an understatement to say how great Amanda is at leading dramaturgical discussions, and I think everybody the “creepy” Indian play will stay in our minds a long, long time. Amanda helped inspire everybody to read something they might have otherwise skipped, and led us to detect the major themes of the play. If anything, I hope next year she brings more plays like this one and goes on a crusade to
familiarize people with them!

Another highlight of the day was going to the river for lunch and a picnic. MoMo amazed everyone with her sassy bathing suit (she is full of surprises, I swear!) and her cute sunglasses. Ianthe and the OYL Company spent most of the time napping in the shade…Danny was the only brave soul who decided to jump from the rock this year, dragging our very own Daniel with him. I just love watching the change in Daniel since the beginning of this program. He really is what I would call an adorable, quintessentially
pure person, who really allowed himself to become more open and comfortable among us.

We had brought with us a watermelon, which we were chilling in the river water (Good idea, Ianthe). At some point, Amanda decided to eat it…and proceeded to chop it in the most unorthodox way I have ever seen. Geez, Amanda! Didn’t all those Thyestes performances and Fruit Ballets teach you anything about watermelons?? Well, now she knows.

Then, to top it all of, we went to do yoga in another spot near the river. I still have mixed feelings about that one…the forest setting was glorious, but it wasn’t really fun doing all those floor poses with our faces in the dirt. I had the urge to sneeze after every pose…undignified much? Then I thought “What would my OCD stepmother say if she saw me right now?”…and that made me feel a bit better at the thought of her disapproving/horrified face (!) At the end of it we all looked as though we’d had a major
mudfight – a perfect segway to our evening rehearsals, which featured the elves and fairies in an imaginary wood.

I was really disappointed when I heard that our directing tutor, Chris Grabowski, wasn’t able to arrive tonight – I was really looking forward to it and I’d even brought a change of clothes to make myself more presentable at dinner (!) Apparently his flight was delayed in New York and he missed his connecting flight in Poland...oh well, I suppose we’ll have to wait one more day. The good thing is that he’ll be better rested when he does arrive to Greece.

There is another sorrowful fact today: Sarah Jane is leaving the program early. She has to go back to spend some time with her mother in law. During the delicious dinner we had at Kalliopi’s restaurant, both Sarah Jane and Ianthe, as well as the apprentice girls, made very touching toasts. I’m happy to think that we may have inspired Sarah Jane with our amateurish efforts as much as she has helped inspire us with her beauty, kindness and energy.

To wrap up the entire day, I decided to walk back to Mikro with Darrell and his magical iPad application, which can automatically detect star constellations. I learnt how to spot the Big Dipper! How beautiful it is to look at the stars while reciting Shakespeare…the poet’s words, his people, seem to become forms among the stars. They dance!

Friday July 29 - Steven Wolff

2011-07-30T03:26:00.002-04:00

The time here is flying by. Gabrielle Cody has been gone for almost a week and Chris Grabowski is arriving tomorrow. It feels like Darrell James showed up and Gabrielle departed just yesterday. Darrell, although very different from Gabrielle, is wonderful to work and hang out with. Tonight he kept me laughing through the majority of the meal at Diaz. My time here would be nothing without our lovely Vassar professors. I can’t wait see what Chris has in store for us.

We began the day with some some Suzuki lead by Nick Flint. We have had three or four sessions of Suziki now, and I have to say that I hated it at first. Even this morning I found it miserable. But today, for the small amount of free time I had before dinner, I found myself practicing it while watching the sunset. It really is a remarkable training method and exercise. My thighs are still sore, but it has taught me a lot about control, focus, and my own body.

It’s been tough and wonderful. There has been a lot of hard work, and hard work will naturally lead to anxiety and worry. I often feel like I’m in over my head being here. I’m a real city kid who is mostly out of my element; and much of the time I feel like a very incapable and medicore student. But Ianthe says it’s not about being the best, and if you’re in it for that reason than you shouldn’t be in theater. Ianthe is an amazing person and if I could build half of what she has put together I would be a happy man.

Thursday July 28 - Nick Flint

2011-07-29T09:03:00.001-04:00

One of the experiences I treasure in our summer residency in Papingo is the
time and space for focused discussion between the OYL creative ensemble. A
good portion of time is allocated to reading new scripts, discussing
playwrights we are considering for commissions of new work, and in-depth,
frank conversation about what we value in the art form, why it is important
to us individually and how to reflect these elements in our creative process
and the end product itself.

Away from the sirens, subways and Starbucks of New York, the tranquility of
village life and the stronger connection to nature and our own thoughts that
it creates, give us the rare opportunity to check-in with our priorities as
individuals and artists – where we meet and where we collide.

During one of our sessions today, we began by reading a short story about a
taxidermy convention in Springfield, Ohio – the subject for a possible
future commission a playwright had proposed. After only a few pages, the
reading stopped and the conversation began… Over the next two hours, as a
group, we experienced tears, irritation, coalition, disagreement and
laughter as we covered topics as diverse as hunting; gun law; abortion;
illegal immigration; terrorism; tolerance; the manipulative-prone nature of
the human mind; the human need to belong, to identify, and the ideological
structures that exploit that need; bureaucracy as a concept and its unique
expression in different nations; sex slavery in Florida; manipulation in the
mass media and the IRS. We brought gentle attention to what was unexpected
in each others’ reactions and considered the subjectivity of our points’ of
view based on our particular upbringing and opportunities.

Feeling so blessed for this important shared time with such wonderful people
in the midst of another wonderful summer in Papingo, alongside an inspiring
and talented group of tomorrow’s theater artists in our apprentice company,
the OYL artistic ensemble grows another year older together. With the world
around us in a state of ongoing conflict and uncertainty, the importance of
our individual politics, complexities and prejudices and their
reconciliation within our work feels ever-more important.

The precious connection between us as artists is a vital touchstone to the
organic growth of our community - the work we choose, how we approach it,
and how we place ourselves within it to touch audiences with our own human
experience…

Wednesday July 27 - Liana Jackson

2011-07-28T02:09:00.002-04:00

I am so happy sitting here in Ianthe's house with the One Year Lease Company members. I am surrounded by talented, beautiful, inspiring people who make my heart full of joy. Right now we are cooking a delicious dinner and jamming to oldies mixed of rock n roll and Motown. One of my favorite eras besides the 80's.

I can't express enough how much I learned so much in just one week. Its a wonderful experience to grow with people you love and enjoy being around.

Today I woke up ready! Didn't have to know exactly the schedule of the day I just knew I was in a great place and knew that whatever was planned for the day I would enjoy and take with me - long term lessons I will use for the rest of my life.

I am always ready to work because this is a safe, comfortable environment where no one is here to judge or step on your choices. We are all here to support and trust one another as we go forward. We are here to make friends and continue to build our friendship to make our purpose here stronger. These are the two important lessons we as a group learned today: trust and friendship. All of us stood in a line while each individual had to run towards us. We were tightly conjoined in a line...but their eyes were closed. Some barged, some staggered cautiously forward. It was hilarious and cute. You see the best in people. And there are many laughs. Laughter is my favorite sound.

EXPLORE! And I mean exploring. The main challenge thus far is to invent body language that is big and sharp. I've been a fan of the physical actor and now I am getting the chance to explore that process. For instance while we work shopped "A Mouthful Of Birds" in my group we had to take on dangerous animals. I took on a bull. I had to exaggerate the traits of the bull: the arched back, the cuffing of the right arm, the hoofing nose right before the bull charges at its victim. My experience consisted of me using my body in ways I hadn't before and I was very pleased of going in the unknown.

I had a great reading of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" for the first time today. We all went in a circle and assigned characters.Gender didn't matter. And as we kept on reading we changed the characters. Each of us got a chance to read one - five different characters. Not only does this help to adapt to different characters in a short time but you also get to utilize different skills to adapt to the different characters. I find it fascinating and uplifting. We all at one point or another flexed our personality in the text and made the text come to life. I am surrounded by talent and beautiful beings.

From this point on we will work on the cut version of Midsummer. Basically the whole play is going to be more physical based rather than text based because most of the scenes you can create without words. We're also in Greece and the less Shakespeare the more the audience will be able to understand.

There are great teachers and great coaches during this process. There will be a great amount of attention and detail on pronunciation, and how to properly deliver Shakespeare. In the future we will be working one on one with the teacher, which I look forward to so we can concentrate on specifics that lie in just one character.

I feel as though I am in a fun house. I LOVE IT!

Tuesday, July 26 - Liliana Tandon

2011-07-27T01:50:00.001-04:00

"Ready to go on an adventure?" Danny asks me, Karlee, Ryn and Daniel. We all agree to follow him past where most people dare to go at the beautiful watering hole we frequent on hot afternoons. Wearing our bathing suits and confidence, we all begin the trek. We start by walking along the flat rocks that border the flowing stream. Nothing special. We've seen it before in the beginning of the watering hole. We continue on, laughing and talking, unaware of what we are about to experience. We finally arrive at what Danny calls the "vomiting rocks" - a lot more beautiful than it sounds. A sprinkling of water flows down moss covered rocks, creating a natural shower to those passing below. The water is cool and refreshing under the hot Mediterranean sun. But we barely stop to gaze at the beauty, as Danny pushes on, arguing that we haven't seen the half of it.

Our next challenge, the next level of the game, gets a little more tricky and little more wet. We first pass through "fly alley": a patch of rocks over which hovers a disgusting amount of flies. Next, we have to swim through a pool of freezing water to get to a small ledge, which we have to climb. However, after we complete that challenge, we come to a small waterfall. "Now what you have to do," Danny explains, "is put your feet and hands in the middle of the waterfall. Trust me. That's where you won't slip." Immediately, my survival instincts kick in. 'There's no way you can climb up the middle of a waterfall,' I think to myself. 'I'm gonna die this way.' However, after seeing Danny, Karlee and Ryn all climb the waterfall without slipping, I decide to trust him. As I put my first foot down in the rushing water, expecting to feel a slimey slippery mess, my foot remains secure on the rough stone beneath the water. I gain a little more gusto to let go of the dry rock, climbing the middle of my first waterfall. We arrive at a massive, deep pool with a huge waterfall on the other side, and decide we must have reached the end.

Just as we were silently taking in our gorgeous, hidden destination (although by this point, it wasn't so hidden, as another group of adventurers had followed our lead), Danny says, "Alright guys, now all you have to do it swim across the pool, and scale the wall up that waterfall." Is he crazy? He must be kidding. Well, he wasn't. "Wait, um, Danny... How are we supposed to get down?" I ask innocently. "Yeah... you have to jump... Don't worry it's easy. I'll go first." And with that, Danny dives in the clear water, surfacing on the other side. He clings onto a few rocks, pulling himself out of the water. He places one foot in a non-existent foothold, and hoists himself up into the middle of the flowing water. He continues climbing, moving gracefully from "foothold" to "foothold", and soon ends up on the "flatter" part of the waterfall. From the top, he encourages us to join him, luring us by exclaiming about the beauty that lies ahead. Ryn goes next, climbing the waterfall with such ease I actually convince myself it'll be easy.

Closer to the waterfall, I can now see that the first rock is straight up... completely vertical. Looking up from my five-foot-two stature, the waterfall seems to continue up forever, Danny and Ryn now looking like small ants. I try once, putting my foot where I think it will be most secure, but quickly decide Daniel should go before me. Watching him, I again convince myself of the ease with which I will now climb the vertical waterfall. With my left foot in the foothold, I try to find a place to secure my hands, but I am at a complete loss. Danny shouts from the top that it will be ok, that I should take a leap of faith. And if not, he says, you'll just fall backwards into the water. As appealing as that sounds, I tried harder to secure myself. At one point, my right foot lifted an inch or so off the bottom rock, but after feeling my heart drop to my knees, I instantly put it back down. By this point, it's been about two minutes of trying, and the line of strangers behind me, waiting to climb the waterfall, continues to grow. But instead of growing impatient, they encourage me. "What's her name?" one man asks Karlee. "Liliana," she responds. "Liliana, you can do it!" His words inspire me to try again. Danny, Ryn and Daniel stand at the top of the infinite waterfall, shouting words that should have made me take that leap of faith. But still I struggle. After another minute of lifting my foot an inch and putting it back down, I make up my mind - to give up. I take my hands off the wall, lowering my left foot back to safety. I look up in pain at my friends at the top. Danny sees my pain, exclaiming, "one more time! Just try one more time!" Ok. One more time.

I put my left foot back in the hole and take a staggered breath in. "Look at me and only me" Danny says quietly above the hubbub of excitement behind me. With that, I take the leap. I lifted my right foot of the rock and manage to get my knee up. I pull myself onto my two knees and try to push myself up, but I immediately feel my security slip away. As I began to hyperventilate, I reached out, finding Danny's outstretched hand waiting to pull me. I find myself on top of the waterfall, hands shaking, knees shaking, heart thumping, but looking at the most beautiful pool of all with the most gorgeous waterfall basking in a ray of sunlight. I fall into Daniel and Ryn's arms, Karlee shouting words of love and excitement from the bottom, and I'm happy to be sharing this moment with people I love. After spending a moment on top, it's time to descend, and I leap off the waterfall, the cool water enveloping my entire body.

The next day is our first day with Darrell - a day of clowning and Lecoq. We walk through the church courtyard, exploring leading with different parts of our bodies - the knees, the pelvis, the chest and the head. We explore the seven different levels of energy with which you can explore a space, from the extreme slowness and instability of drunkenness to the largess of opera. After discovering those levels and those parts of our bodies, we pick a picture of a mask that speaks to us, and create a character. Are they a 'yes' or 'no' person? What is their "go-to phrase"? After about an hour, Darrell asks us to show our characters in little two- or three-person scenes. In the first round of the exercise, he needed a third person to enter the scene. It's hard to go first. No one was going up. I rose from my chair and entered the scene. No one oohed or aahed. No one laughed. I didn't receive a compliment or a pat on the back. But I sat down after the scene, content. It might not have been a waterfall, yet was just as terrifying, and knowing that I had allowed myself to take that leap of faith was enough satisfaction for me.

Sunday July 24 - Karlee Fomalont

2011-07-25T11:36:00.000-04:00

Today was a day of some truly valuable lesson learning, both academically, and existentially:

1. Roadside street meat truck frappes can indeed be delicious.

2. Saying goodbye to a mentor you've grown very close with and admire is difficult. Gaby was a true inspiration for us, and we definitely would have never reached such a successful performance level had it not been for her warm spirit and positive work environment. We had to say goodbye to elizabeth as well which was the buzz kill of the century. Doing yoga to a tape everyday will just not be the same as seeing her beautiful shining face!

3. Being in a car for 8 hours with the same 5 people is a cause for epic bonding time... And epic arguments about absolutely nothing. But in the end, some hilarious stories were shared and I'm super glad we had that time together to laugh and talk.

4. Lilliana said today that our generation is known for being unusually nostalgic, especially when it comes to our childhoods. The most frequent point of car ride bonding conversations tended to revolve around our childhoods, either sharing our nastiest injury stories, favorite tv shows, the epicness of mr bean, or elementary school troublemaker stories. Its funny that the 5 of us all grew up in extremely different places from all ends of the country and still all shared the same points of reference and still feel so much love for the things we appreciated as kids. From LA to Chicago to Boston to Vermont, kids will be kids who love to cause mayhem.

5. Ridiculously long, sweaty, argument filled, squished car rides are 100% worth it if the tomb of alexander the great's father, Phillip, is your final destination. It was easily the best museum I have ever visited. From afar, it is just a giant grassy knoll. We quickly realized as we descended into the hill and underground that this was no ordinary museum. I got chills thinking of Alexander the Great, known through history for his strength, standing just where I was at an intense moment of vulnerability and personal pain. It was a really profound moment thinking back on such great leaders and realizing that everyone is human and inherently experiences the same emotions throughout their lives.

6. Amanda and I had a moment looking at a shield with an image of achilles carved into the front of it. We both realized that the Illiad predated King Phillip's shield by hundreds of years. The myth of Achilles was already ancient history. Time was put into serious perspective for me realizing that I was looking at an image of an inspiring ancient, ancient myth at the tomb of a man seen as an ancient ruler. Essentially, no one should be allowed to visit greece without paying this place a visit. Its pretty incredible.

7. Hercules is actually a real dude. King Phillip and Alexander the great were direct descendants of him. He's not just a figment of Disney people's imaginations/ ancient Greeks after all!

8. I realized that if I could eat only greek salad and tatziki for the rest of my life, I would die happy.

9. Seeing a show in a foreign language is a crazy experience. Especially when the theater you're seeing it is an outdoor greek amphitheater overlooking the water and city of ioanana. I realized how movement truly is universal. Without understanding a single word of what was said, their dancing, specific ways of moving in the space, and their facial expressions and reactions allowed me to follow the whole show. It was truly moving.

PLAY: July 23rd

2011-07-24T04:56:00.004-04:00

How important it is that we PLAY.

At our company meeting yesterday … one statement that stood out (and it’s not a new one ☺), was the fact that we must LOVE and have FUN with the work we are doing, other wise what is the point! Plays are called plays for a reason. One must play!!

In the break I looked around, and there it was, naturally. Playing ping-pong, plea’s to be pushed back and forth on the hammock, climbing trees; we had all allowed ourselves to be in the moment…of play. Delicious!!

Later that night, we were lucky enough to see the interns partake in their play.
It was truly wonderful. We were so impressed with their commitment, the seamless transitions and their creativity. I can’t believe what a wonderful group they are.
As we were taken on a tour through Megalo, we witnessed key moments from Churchill’s “Mouthful of birds” that ended in a frenzy of repetitive movement. At the back of the church …..another ☺

It was a great reminder of why we are in this (the world of acting.. lets face it there are other things that would cause less anxiety) because when you are with your peers, on stage…or running around the ancient villages in Greece we are connecting to our fellow players and allowing ourselves to be free of our adult sensibilities. To let go and let the imagination run…we are allowing ourselves the time to play. Just like we used to, and OH THE PLACES YOU GO

SJ the player

Friday, July 22 - Vicky Walsh

2011-07-23T15:25:00.000-04:00

My day started off with a half hour of mediation, which was lead by Elizabeth. We sat in the church square, overlooking the gorgeous mountains and the small town. As I was mediating, I saw the beauty of Papingo and embraced this incredible place that I have been living in for the past week.

After mediation, the apprentices performed a non verbal ritual of A Mouthful of Birds by Caryl Churchill. The ritual consisted of our interpretation of the play through fruit. We expressed our desire and need for the fruit as different characters in the play. Needless to say, thing got a little messy!

On another note, one of our teachers, Gabrielle will be going back home on Sunday. I have learned so much from her and wish her happiness in the future. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher!

Last but not least, Happy Birthday to OYL company member Sarah-Jane!

Vicky

Thursday, July 21 - Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris

2011-07-21T17:54:00.000-04:00

surrounded

wake up to mountains.
yoga to mountains.
walk up mountains.
surrender to mountains.
peace in the mountains.

being in the mountains, makes you realize what you are capable of: the vastness of existence, with its many possibilities. they are everlasting sources of creation and elevation into the unknown.

today's reading: 'hamlet is dead. no gravity' left me sitting in the mountains, with questions.

is it all hopeless?
are we just empty vessels cycling endlessly through life with no chance of reward or reprieve?
is there anyone out there watching over us?
are we lost?

we are a generation of nothing. we do nothing, we say nothing, we want nothing, we search for nothing, we are given nothing, we are nothing.

then, you read a play like this one and you realize that there, in that work of art, there is something. it could be that we are actually everything. we have language, art, passion to break through the nothing. to break through the machinery of routine and isolation and ennui. we can break through the chaos and despair of the mundane.

art of this caliber propels us to reach for the heavens, and, in so doing, we become mountains. unmovable-impenetrable-boundless sources of life and power, submission and flow.

we are stationary, yet ever-evolving.
we are dangerous and epic. we are poetry. we are beauty. we are the star-gazers, so high up, in order that we may kiss the heavens daily.

ryn likes to call people who show acts of kindness, angels.

perhaps we are that, too.

~sameerah

Wednesday July 20 - Daniel Rattner

2011-07-20T15:23:00.000-04:00

As I learned, there is a festival every summer here in Papingo called the Panigri. There is food, drink, people, music, and lots and lots of dancing. Everyone from the town, and neighboring villages it seems, joins hands and dances in a circle around the courtyard where the festival is held.

After watching the dancers for several hours and seeing enough of my fellow expatriots dancing with them, I felt comfortable enough to join in. As anyone who has ever been in my general vicinity can tell you, I'm not particularly coordinated. My feet rarely do what my brain tells them to, and I often have no idea where my arms are. Keeping up with the dancers, those who had been doing these steps for their whole lives and those who would be, was thus a bit of a struggle for me. I tried to watch the people next to me and the people across the way from me to learn the steps, tried to make my feet do what theirs were doing so easily and so comfortably. Since we had gotten to the festival, I had been practicing some of the Greek I had learned in our afternoon lessons ("Yassas"--"Hello"; "Ti kanete?"--"How are you doing?" "Thelo kotopoulo para kalo"--"I want chicken please"), and I found that "signome" ("excuse me") was especially helpful during the dancing, when I stepped on people's toes or fell into them when my feet got tangled up.

Trying to learn and remember the different steps (left right left left back left) reminded me of the clumsy first few weeks of learning a foreign language (left right right--yassas, signome--left back left). I thought about all the different languages a culture has, the way we enter new places and interact with different people.

At one point I danced next to a gentleman who I learned some jokingly referred to as the mayor of Papingo. I had seen him earlier in the night giving drinks to the dancers in the circle and hugging as many women as he could find, trying to make sure for at least this one night everyone was having fun. When we danced next to each other in the line, he kept squeezing my fingers with one hand as I stumbled over my feet, and moving his other hand in time with music urging me to find the beat. I don't think I did figure out those steps (front back back tap left left left? Front back left tap right left left front?), but I certainly had fun trying and appreciated his help (and slightly embarrassed that I proved a poor student). When the music stopped and everyone released each other from their grips I racked my mind to think if I had learned how to say "Thank you for the help" in Greek so I could thank the man who had helped me ("Thank you"--easy "efaristo." "Help"? "Auxi?"... No). As I tried to puzzle it out, he raised up his hand to me for a high-five: a universal gesture. Sometimes we all speak the same language.

Tuesday July 19th - Richard Saudek

2011-07-19T02:21:00.000-04:00

Today, I was carefully creeping up the winding cascades that flow through what we here call the watering hole. The watering hole was first shown to me the night I arrived in Papingo by some of the other OYL ensemble members. It's summer, of course, and each summer I crave with an almost insane intesity to go, find, and be near water. And watering holes are the best, I think, because they're fresh, alive, churning, and give you the sense that you've stumbled upon a private paradise. When you stumble upon (or are led by kind and knowing friends) one of these private paradises at night the experience is almost magical. The stars! Above us forever, and rippling in the pools below our feet at the same time!
I knew today that I had to explore this watering hole.
So I did.
I climbed up the wet channel that feeds the main watering hole, passed cool pockets of water, dodged leaping frogs and nimbly hopped from rock to rock. Each step revealed a more and more beautiful scene with moss, waterfalls and dappled light. So I chose to take some photos with my camera. Because, as perhaps this blog entry is proving, the beauty is just so difficult to describe with words. (Plus I wanted to prove/brag to friends back home how wonderful this place really is.)
I slipped, fell in the water, and my camera didn't survive.
Now, needless to say, this tainted my personal paradise experience. But thinking now, I realize it's not such a big deal. No photos could describe the peace I felt as we all left yoga this afternoon, all 21 of us, in blissed out silence, walking up the hill to Ianthe's house. No photo could recreate the sound of the cowbells ringing down in the valley as someone sheparded the herd down below. And really, the way that the sunset's radiance moves on the crags and crannies of these gigantic mountain-cliffs (which, I'm told, Zeus entrapped Titans within), I mean, the majesty of this enormous landscape...a photo wouldn't really do it justice.
So...just as well.

Monday 7/18 - Elizabeth Neuse

2011-07-18T17:31:00.002-04:00

I set foot in Papingo for the first time last night. After years of seeing photos and hearing so many stories from the One Year Lease Crew, I had an idea in my mind of what it would be like, but arriving in the village is an experience for which photos and stories cannot prepare you. The parking area where everyone in the village parks their car was obviously apportioned when cars became a normal part of modern life, but the streets are too narrow for anyone to drive directly to their homes. The large stone church behind the parking area must be hundreds of years old. And beyond the church, from the courtyard where the yoga classes and theater workshops take place, is one of the most breathtaking views I have encountered. I couldn’t wait for Tuesday to come so that I could teach yoga there to the group.

After lugging our bags up the steep stone walkway, we settled into our quaint and spotless room complete with kitchenette, but lacking in shower curtain. This is the way in Greece, and even though I personally prefer a curtain, I appreciate the sense of freedom one derives from having no clear shower boundaries. The group met for a debriefing with Ianthe, the director of the company. I stayed back and did my own yoga practice as a way to arrive more fully in the space.

I am Nick Flint’s wife, Elizabeth, and a yoga teacher back in New York. For the past two years the group has been doing yoga to a recording of my voice, which has been weird a few times when people I have never met come up to me after a One Year Lease show in New York and said they did yoga with me every morning for a month. “Really? Where was I?”

But now I am finally here. And while we haven’t started yoga yet, I did have my full initiation today on a really long, and what some might say grueling, but extremely beautiful and unifying hike through the Vikos Gorge. We took a caravan of four cars on a ride to the trailhead. Somehow I got stuck in the back of a pickup truck which careened down slender, snaking mountain roads, the likes of which would have given my mother a heart attack. But once I relaxed into it and decided to stand up and hold onto the bar behind the truck cab, it started to feel like downhill skiing. If I leaned into the turns I could enjoy the wind in my face and avoid getting bugs in my teeth.

We started the hike from a village about 30 minutes drive from Papingo and proceeded to walk down hill over rocky terrain surrounded by the majesty of the gorge for the next 5 hours towards “The Source”. I didn’t really know what The Source was, but at about hour four I was thinking, “This better be the source of all life or else I’m gonna be pissed!” My legs hurt and after 2 days of arduous travel from the countryside of Southwestern France to the mountains of Northern Greece, I was pretty much just ready to lie on a sofa somewhere and watch television. But the closest thing I could get was to lie on a rock and watch Danny re-enact 80’s TV commercials, so I kept walking.

When we finally got to “The Source” it didn’t look like much, a stream amidst many large white rocks, but the proliferation of butterflies did intrigue me, so I sat down near the waters edge amongst a flutter of orange and yellow butterflies. I took off my shoes and socks and slid my puffy feet into the coldest water I have ever felt. It was an immediate elixir that woke up my tired legs and shrunk my toes back to their normal size. Okay, I get it. This crystal clear to the bottom water, which springs up from under the rock bed and pours out of the gulley walls is pretty magical. It is also apparently water that is used by many of the bottled water manufacturers in Greece. Which could never taste like the water we drank straight from a makeshift hose flowing from the spring.

It really was the source of all life. Water, nothing can survive for too long with out it, which we remembered as we guzzled at least a gallon each on the hike. Even though the water was about 5 degrees warmer than ice, almost everyone jumped in, including me, for a shocking, invigorating full body immersion. Then we spent a little time sunning ourselves dry on the sofa rocks before once again hitting the trail for the two and a half hour hike up out of the gorge in the midday July sun.

I think the water actually was magic, at least for me, because after the swim I felt great. Some of the hikers did not fair so well on the rocky, mostly uncovered assent, including my husband Nick, who got a shooting pain down his left outer leg, which turned into a full limp by the time we finally made our way back up to the village. He is now curled up beside me on the bed as I write this, possibly suffering from mild heat exhaustion, definitely not up for reliving the stories I heard from the past of the company doing the hike and then heading to the closest city for a night of clubbing! This is good because I am pretty much never up for that.

Now I relax until the sun passes over the sharp peaks on the far side of the gorge and head to dinner at the local taverna, where 20 of us will break bread and pass endless plates of delicious Greek cuisine. I am truly grateful to be here and enjoy the rest of the week. Now, if I can only wake Nick up…

Sunday, July 17 - Amy Lynne Berger

2011-07-18T13:59:00.002-04:00

These people have become part of my family so quickly. I have never experienced feeling so welcome and safe with a group of people I basically have just met so quickly. Everyone on this program is so full of creativity, support, and compassion for everyone else….and it’s only been 4 days! I can’t wait to see the work we create together! And by the way…I think this is a pretty fabulous picture of us all :]

Not going to lie, still finding it pretty hard to believe that this is what I look at every single day, multiple times. Papingo is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I feel like I am in the renaissance times, bonding with the locals and constantly enjoying the endless scenery around me. This photo was taken going down a stone road on our way to our first group rehearsal.

After our rehearsal, which consisted of a read through and discussion of A Mouthful of Birds, we began our quest on a scavenger hunt throughout Papingo. The hunt not only showed us the entire village and everything it has to offer, but allowed us to further explore everything we had talked about in concerns to the play. This photo shows me finally finding one of the treasures and revealing it to the rest of the group.

This is where I went swimming today…three times. It’s pretty obvious that it’s a remarkable swimming hole and this picture doesn’t do it justice. During and after the scavenger hunt, most of the apprentices decided there was no better way to spend our time than literally soaking in the sun. Some of us even conquered some fears by jumping off some of the rocky cliffs into the water. And some of us wiped out on the slippery rocks. Yet, in the end, I think the general consensus is we want to be at the swimming hole… all the time.

This brings me to home sweet home. After a long, uphill journey, we finally reach our rooms. It still all seems like a fairy tale to me. I don’t know if I will be able to get used to how beautiful it is because every time I walk outside, I discover something totally new and beautiful. The way the sun sets over the mountains, the massive amounts of stars at night, and the peacefulness of the people seems too perfect to be real. Although I may never get used to it, I will definitely enjoy every moment I’m here.

Saturday, July 16 - Kathryn Merboth

2011-07-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

Today we arrived in Papingo...

Pap-ingo
1. Hearts to hearts with new best friends
2. Scenery that you've only seen on desktops and in calendars
3. Endless adventures with uphill battles
4. A place you'll never forget

... and its only just begun.

Friday July 15 - Amanda Culp

2011-07-18T12:21:00.004-04:00

Acropolis Museum, Parthenon, Theater of Dionysus.

We begin!

Wednesday marked the start of our 5^th anniversary summer apprentice program. And where better to begin that program than in Athens?

Very few people have the opportunity and good fortune to make a pilgrimage to a site deeply sacred to them. Often located abroad, a journey and a half away, such sights are nonetheless as familiar as they are foreign—integral to individual identity without the prerequisite of firsthand knowledge or experience. For myself, and for many of the theater artists I have known, Athens and the Theater of Dionysus have always held such an allure. The birthplace of Western Theater, the hallowed ground at this amphitheater knew the footsteps of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides themselves, not to mention the countless wordsmiths whose plays and names have been lost to time. It is a place I have been dreaming about since I was eight years old. It is a place whose history has become my history, and its legacy is the major force that has shaped my life and my interests.

I have now made this pilgrimage a number of times, paying my respects to its ghosts and history, and Friday I was fortunate enough not only to return, but to share the experience with our 2011 apprentice company. Each of our new apprentices approached the millennia old marble risers with a mix of awe, reverence and utter astonishment—almost as if in disbelief that this place, which has lived in their consciousness and imagination for so long does in fact exist. One of the first things I learned in college about Greek theater was the importance of the environment surrounding the theatre: the sloping of a hillside, the expanse of sky, the towering Cyprus trees, the distant sea. Sitting together looking out over the ancient playing space, we imagined how the horizon might have looked in the 500 BCE, before Athens was a sprawling metropolis, when a spectator would in fact have been able to see across the stage, out over the land and out to the Aegean. How small would you have felt then, projected against the unknowable wonders of the natural world, lost in an audience of thousands of spectators? Probably about as small as I felt, contemplating my infinitesimal lifespan when juxtaposed with the age and history of the stones on which we sat.

As I gathered the students together to take a group photograph commemorating their first (of hopefully many) journey to this very sacred space, I encouraged them to fling their arms wide—to wholly embrace the emotion of the encounter. In other words, to celebrate, and to give thanks to the universe, first for the theater that was made here 2,500 years ago, and second for somehow gathering us there together, against all odds. This moment, however, was interrupted by a museum guard who emphatically scolded me—the guilty camera bearer—that ‘We do not allow that here. Only respect.’ At first I thought she meant my camera, but quickly realized she meant the wide flung arm gestures of the camera’s subjects. An inherently sarcastic lady myself, I then thought she was joking with us…after all, there is certainly no playing around in a theater! Suddenly, however, I realized that she was 100% serious, and that what we meant as a genuine and deeply felt gesture of reverence and worship had been interpreted as irreverence and mockery. Ah, language and cultural barriers. How I longed to pull her aside and say, “no no no, we are theater artists. We have nothing but respect.” But neither my Greek, nor her English, nor any amount of convincing could truly express to her just how respectful our gesture had intended to be. So we smiled and quickly returned our arms to our sides. After all, we all have our own way of worshiping.

Thursday, July 14 - Danny Bernardy

2011-07-18T11:52:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning on an island in the middle of the Saronic Gulf— only one hour from Athens.

I was on Angistri: a very small place with idyllic, turquoise waters—(anyone seen here could be posing for the cover of Frommer’s.) It was all turquoise and sun and pine—and me with a mo-ped.

Being there was against all odds in many ways—I had only 36 hours of free time before the One Year Lease company and apprentices would all be gathered in the city to begin our work.

So after my Angistri-island-treasure-day I made it back to Athens in time to meet up with old friends and to meet some new ones. This year we have 11 apprentice company members who will no doubt be diversifying my portfolio of Papingo memories.

Before I move on to the next part of the evening I should mention that I’ve been
learning Greek over the past year. I’m in a wonderfully frustrating place of not
being fluent—but knowing enough that people talk back to me—in Greek – and
very quickly. It’s a place of growing pain—but has been enormously rewarding.
The experience of speaking in their home language has been an unveiling of sorts—
I see more, I hear more and I understand that these people are not conspiring
in jibberish. They are having the same exciting and banal conversations as any
stranger in the streets of New York. (I was grateful to know the Greek word for
hospital—because at one point I was fairly certain I was going to perish from the
heat!)

And now the evening impressions: salty legs and hugs and hotel lobby and new
faces and sun streaming through windows and walking in streets past sun beaten
and graffiti laden builidings and a sophisticated photo collection and an even more
sophisticated lecture and John Demos and we are all Greeks we are all theatre we
are all photography and the Athens House of Photography and sharing several
bottles of water and walking at night and Athens at night and fried cheese on
balsamic laced greens and highly original lentils and loud music and cool evening
breeze and an overall warm fuzzy feeling.

And looking forward to tomorrow’s trip to the Parthenon; this time with John
Demos’ perspective.

The Killing Room is Open...

2011-03-17T11:05:00.003-04:00

and the East Village is buzzing!!

New York Theater Review raves that "The piece, billed as part ancient tragedy, part psychological thriller, and part absurd farce and woven together by Keene’s strong, steady hand, thrills with a wonderfully wicked subtlety lost on many modern playwrights."

Check out the full review here: http://newyorktheatrereview.blogspot.com/2011/03/killing-room-reviewed-by-joanna-bowzer.html

We've been playing to full houses all week and and are looking forward to a packed weekend. Haven't gotten your tickets yet? There's still time! Get them now at: http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/shows/the-killing-room_176627/

And for your viewing pleasure, get a look at these stills taken by Set Designer James Hunting:

See you at the theater!

T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men

2011-02-23T22:49:00.002-05:00

Playwright Daniel Keene cited a verse from this stunning poem as inspiration at the top of the script for The Killing Room. Can you guess which one?

Mistah Kurtz -- he dead.

A penny for the Old Guy

We are the hollow men

We are the stuffed men

Leaning together

Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!

Our dried voices, when

We whisper together

Are quiet and meaningless

As wind in dry grass

Or rats' feet over broken glass

In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,

Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed

With direct eyes, to death's other Kingdom

Remember us -- if at all -- not as lost

Violent souls, but only

As the hollow men

The stuffed men.

Eyes I dare not meet in dreams

In death's dream kingdom

These do not appear:

There, the eyes are

Sunlight on a broken column

There, is a tree swinging

And voices are

In the wind's singing

More distant and more solemn

Than a fading star.

Let me be no nearer

In death's dream kingdom

Let me also wear

Such deliberate disguises

Rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves

In a field

Behaving as the wind behaves

No nearer --

Not that final meeting

In the twilight kingdom

III

This is the dead land

This is cactus land

Here the stone images

Are raised, here they receive

The supplication of a dead man's hand

Under the twinkle of a fading star.

Is it like this

In death's other kingdom

Waking alone

At the hour when we are

Trembling with tenderness

Lips that would kiss

Form prayers to broken stone.

The eyes are not here

There are no eyes here

In this valley of dying stars

In this hollow valley

This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms

In this last of meeting places

We grope together

And avoid speech

Gathered on this beach of the tumid river

Sightless, unless

The eyes reappear

As the perpetual star

Multifoliate rose

Of death's twilight kingdom

The hope only

Of empty men.

Here we go round the prickly pear

Prickly pear prickly pear

Here we go round the prickly pear

At five o'clock in the morning.

Between the idea

And the reality

Between the motion

And the act

Falls the Shadow

For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception

And the creation

Between the emotion

And the response

Falls the Shadow

Life is very long

Between the desire

And the spasm

Between the potency

And the existence

Between the essence

And the descent

Falls the Shadow

For Thine is the Kingdom

For Thine is

Life is

For Thine is the

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

The Coundown is on!! See you at the theater two weeks from tomorrow...

Calling All Apprentices!

2011-02-16T07:52:00.001-05:00

One Year Lease is very excited to announce that the theme of our 2011 Summer residency is: Language in the Theatrical Event!

Paralleling OYL’s exploration of language through the Biblical story of Babel, (around which we will be developing the mainstage show of our 2012 New York season) the 2011 apprentice company will investigate the role of language-in-performance.

Unlike other performance forms, theater relies heavily on our audience’s capacity to understand the spoken word. Addressing the question of how we use language to tell a story, the work will range from studying Shakespeare, to experiencing language as landscape through the work of Gertrude Stein, to using Greek as a foreign language in performance.

The program will culminate in a week of performances across the villages of Zagorohoria, where students will face head on the challenge of performing for a non-English speaking audience. Using Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a base text for this performance, students will be asked to integrate their exploration of language in theater into a production that, in the words of Antonin Artaud, “is precisely that sort of theatrical language foreign to every spoken tongue, a language in which an overwhelming stage experience seems to be communicated.”

Know someone you think should join us? Send them our way! http://oneyearlease.org/apprentice.php

A Sneak Peak!

2011-02-07T18:16:00.003-05:00

And so it begins: rehearsals for The Killing Room began today! We've got 4 weeks of exciting exploration ahead of us, and we don't want you to miss a bit of it! Check out this exclusive snippet from the script, and stay tuned for rehearsal reports, photographs and much much more, as the countdown to The Killing Room commences!

Also, a big Thank You! to everyone who pledged for our Kickstarter campaign! We are so thrilled to announce that we have surpassed our goal for the project with 9 days still to go! Any pledges made in the next 9 days are now contributing directly to our playwright commissioning program, to continue our commitment to developing and producing new and vibrant theater. Who loves new plays? We do!

The Killing Room

By Daniel Keene

Scene 2

Thy WHO stes???

2011-01-26T17:45:00.003-05:00

Ok, so we've been telling you a whole lot about our upcoming (badass) production of The Killing Room, and how its been inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Thyestes. I realize, however, that unless you are unacceptably nerdy (like me), you might hear or read that and think, Gazuntite! or, 'was that some weird ancient STD?' or 'Thy WHO stes?' So I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone, and indulge my love for Greek mythology while sharing with you a little something about the backstory of our newest production! So, without further ado, I present to you:

The Myth of Thyestes: The Abridged Version

Grandfather Tantalus: The Backstory

Once upon a time, Tantalus was a favorite of the Gods. He was so beloved on Olympus that he was often invited to dine with the Immortal Pantheon, and partake of such delicacies as nectar and ambrosia. Full of hubris, and convinced that he could outsmart the Gods, Tantalus returned their hospitality by inviting the Gods to a dinner they would never forget. In an effort to prove his supremacy to the deities, Tantalus slew his only son, Pelops, and cooked him into the feast he prepared for dinner. The Gods, of course, saw right through his deceit, and as punishment, condemned him to an eternity of suffering. To this day he can be found in Hades, standing in a pool of water, beneath fruit trees. Though perpetually thirsty, whenever he bends to drink from the pool, the water recedes from him; though perpetually hungry, whenever he reaches to pluck a pomegranate or pear from the tree, the branch pulls away. There he stands forever, tantalized by food and drink, in punishment for so offending the Gods.

The Grandsons: Atreus and Thyestes

Twin brothers Atreus and Thyestes schemed together to kill their half-brother, who was heir to the throne. With him out of the way, the brothers agreed to share the rule of their ancestral kingdom, assuming the role of King for alternating years. (Being Greek Mythology, power sharing is something that always ends well, right?) Thyestes had an affair with Atreus’ wife, and together they stole the golden ram, which signified authority to rule. In retaliation, Atreus then convinced Zeus to get the Sun to rise from the west rather than the east, to prove that Thyestes had subverted the natural course of the universe. Once restored to power, Atreus banished Thyestes from the kingdom. He was still not satisfied with his revenge, however, and so concocted a plan akin to that of his grandfather. Feigning forgiveness, he invited Thyestes back to share the kingdom, and celebrated their reunion with a sumptuous feast, consisting of (you guessed it!) Thyestes’ sons. The curse of the House of Atreus then passed to his children, Agamemnon and Menelaus, and Agamemnon’s children, Orestes, Elektra and Iphigenia (of Oresteia fame).

(PS. If you got so excited by this brief snibbet that you think, 'hey, Greek Mythology is awsome!' and you feel like g(r)eek-ing out a bit further, a) no one here will judge you and b) check out the Theoi Classical E-Texts Library of Seneca's play about our main man: http://www.theoi.com/Text/SenecaThyestes.html)

Happy Greek-ing!

Giving Thanks

2011-01-17T19:06:00.012-05:00

The day the world learned of Ellen Stewart’s passing I had tickets to Belarus Free Theater’s Being Harold Pinter. I walked down East 4th Street, past Teatro Circulo to La Mama. With every step I took, I could not help but look around at the block that Ellen made her home and that One Year Lease has made ours. I realized how indebted we are to the commitment, to the creation and the community of theater, that Ellen pioneered.

Being an international theater company is something that every member of One Year Lease carries with great care. Sharing our languages with each other and using our collective voices to create theater is perhaps one of the greatest gifts that has been given to us. Our experiences of performing for five widows in Vikos and full houses in New York give us an insight into the magic of theater and the possibilities of telling and sharing stories.

We must give thanks to Ellen Stewart and recognition that we, like so many other wonderful theater artists, are her children. Her advocacy for international collaboration, for creating performances that celebrate the theatrical, and for bringing to the stage voices of those once unheard is not just an inspiration but a commitment of theater-making that OYL is proud of.

It has been our privilege over the past few years to be a neighbor to La MaMa and Ellen Stewart. Like many we honor her life through our dedication to the theater and to being a part of East 4th Street.

Profile: Daniel Keene

2011-01-11T11:19:00.003-05:00

As we get closer and closer to starting production on The Killing Room, we thought it might be nice to share with you all a little something about the man behind the script: Australia’s own Daniel Keene. Keene first appeared on the OYL radar after the company read his play The Share in 2009. Deeply funny, wonderfully dark and just a tad disturbing, the play instantly caught our attention (what does that say about us?!) There was no doubt that we wanted him to be a part of our growing commision initiative, and that Thyestes was the perfect story on which to set him writing.

Daniel Keene’s multi-award winning plays have been acclaimed throughout Australia, in the United States and Poland, and since the late 1990s he has established himself as one of Europe's most notable contemporary playwrights. He has won the South Australian Premier's Prize for Drama, the Victorian Premier's Prize for Drama (twice), the Wal Cherry Play of the Year, The New Dramatist's Award, New York and the 2000 NSW Premier's Prize for Literature (best play) three times. The 2002 production of his play TERMINUS, directed by Laurent Laffargue at the TNT in Toulouse and the Théātre de la Ville in Paris, won the coveted Le Prix Pierre Jean Jacques Gaultier award for best direction.

(That’s a lot of acclaim!)

Still curious? Check out Daniel’s website.

And here! To see images of La Colline’s production of Scissors, Paper, Rock, from last summer. (I know, I know, it’s in French. So, either google translate it, recall that high school french you took, or just click on the little camera icon on the right side of the screen! Aren’t symbols great!)

And still here! for an interview Keene did for a recent production of his play The Nightwatchman in Melbourne.

Kick-Start 2011

2011-01-01T11:05:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year to our OYL extended family and friends!

We know we’ve been quiet the past few months… ever heard the expression the calm before the storm? Just think of our silence as a harbinger of the biggest, boldest, most exciting season OYL has ever had: not one, but two world premiere plays written specifically for us, the continuation and growth of our playwright commissioning initiative, the fifth anniversary summer of our ever-expanding Apprentice Program in Greece…but I’m getting ahead of myself!

First thing’s first: coming to you in March 2011, the World Premiere production of The Killing Room, by Daniel Keene, directed by Nick Flint. And we are kickstarting 2011 with a Kickstarter Campaign to spread the word!

Help us get this great season underway by pledging (you know you want to see your name in our program!), and sending our project to anyone and everyone you think should come see it.

You know what a great New Year’s Resolution is? To support independent theater!

Stay tuned for inside looks at the project, our process, sneak peaks at the script, stories of what we’ve been up to this fall, and much, much more. Looking forward to seeing you all at the theater!

Amanda

Save the Date! OYL Reading!

2010-09-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

Remember that really terrible movie that came out a few years ago with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore about a woman who wakes up every morning with amnesia? (If you don’t remember it because you didn’t see it, kudos to you. I’m pretty embarrassed for myself that the valuable space in my brain is occupied by facts like this….) Anyway, regardless of how it was carried out, it’s a pretty good premise, right? A woman wakes up every morning not knowing where she is, and a stranger introducing himself as her husband shows her a scrapbook containing photographs of an entire life she doesn’t remember….it sounds almost too good for any Hollywood screenwriter to have come up with, doesn’t it?

That’s because one didn’t! David Lindsay-Abaire did! (Ok, maybe they’re not entirely related, but Abaire did write his play first. Welcome to the sad age of good theater being eclipsed by bad cinema). Now I know some of you out there are going, “David Lindsay-Abaire, David Lindsay-Abaire, I swear I know that name.” You do! He is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Rabbit Hole and Kimberly Akimbo, (and two of the four SATC ladies have starred in his shows. Best guess as to which ones!)

But back to my task: He is also the author of Fuddy Meers, a deliciously dark comedy about an amnesiac named Claire, who is about to experience a day unlike any she’s ever lived (not that she can remember them!) One of the many scripts we read during our Papingo residency this summer, Fuddy Meers appealed to all of our theatrical sensibilities: strong ensemble nature, a little dark and twisted, a dash of warped realism, and funny as hell. So we thought, what better way to introduce our NY family to our new ensemble?! Sure, you’ll meet them this spring in the two amazing projects we’re cooking up, but why wait so long?

So, without further ado, I announce OYL’s reading of David Linday-Abaire’s Fuddy Meers, featuring:

Sarah-Jane Casey as Claire: “a generally sunny woman with amnesia”

Bjorn Dupaty as Richard – “a chatty, friendly, sometimes nervous, man”

Danny Bernardy as Kenny – “a troubled teen”

Nick Flint as Limping Man – “a lisping, limping, half-blind, half-deaf man with secrets”

Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris as Gertie – “a clear-headed lady who's had a stroke and can't speak properly”

Babis Gousias as Millet – “an odd man with a puppet”

AND

Featuring a special guest appearance from

Gioia Marchese of Company XIV as Heidi –“a tough woman in uniform”

(Character descriptions by Lindsay-Abaire, from the Dramatis Personae)

So save the date! The reading will be on Monday, October 11^th, time and location coming soon.

See you there!

Amanda

Congratulations 2010 Apprentices!

2010-08-18T06:31:00.010-04:00

Congratulations to our amazing 2010 apprentices for some powerful performances of THYESTES.

Ira, Violeta, Casey, Emily, Tatiana, Sanaa and Claire - we thank you.

I couldn't have asked for a more inspired and inspiring 2010 apprentice program.

- Ianthe

Saying Good-bye

2010-08-17T05:33:00.011-04:00

It's always an emotionally hard day, when it is time to say good-bye. Good-bye to the mountains, the locals, the animals, the security that comes from being surrounded by like minded people, striving to create something special.
There is something magnificent about being so high up, having time to play, create and laugh...and spend time sitting by your-self on the side of a mountain...on the side of the world, connecting to yourself, life , love and your environment.

To be able to wake in the morning, take your time for a walk up the mountain, to the second water source, or .. a run down to Megalo, then.. a bath in one of the many naturally formed bath's that flow down from the water hole..to then join group yoga. Next up to the house for some Greek yogurt, cornflakes and fresh fruit. Then the company sits down with a play and over coffee...and many interspersing rubs of Brooklyn's (Ianthe's yellow lab) belly...we read. This year there were many great plays, it's exciting. Group discussion follows..are we interested in the playwright? The play? The style? the subject matter? where to go from here? We have lunch all together with the interns and then head into the afternoon rehearsals that take pace in Megalo, a half hour walk from the house, on the way you might stop of for a swim in the waterhole or just make your way to the village to grab a frappe and off to work. This year more than ever we worked in an environment that allowed us as a creative team, to explore and create without pressure. Another amazing month in the mountains has come to a close, but we have so much to build off. Our work is now in front of us...and I can't wait to get started on our shows for 2011, nor can't wait to get back to his amazing environment that allows you to be your best self..to put all the city living and worries aside, and to focus on what you truly want to say as a collective. Papingo, thank you.

Sarah-Jane

Waves

2010-08-15T05:34:00.002-04:00

Babis

The Monster in the Shadow

2010-08-13T07:08:00.007-04:00

Hello! I'm thrilled to be Directing my first OYL Project this year - especially with the fascinating new play The Killing Room that OYL commissioned internationally-renowned playwright Daniel Keene to write for the company. It is a darkly comic exploration of what the end of time might look like, and how in the last bastion of civilisation, the detritus of humanity remain driven by the darker appetites of the human soul. As our summer residency draws to a close, so too does our first workshop of the project which has been an intense physical exploration of the characters using theater training methods based around Clowning and project-specific adaptations of the forms of Suzuki. We have been examining how to portray an inhuman level of greed, desperation and inter-dependence, and how to paint a world solely through the actors' bodies that is beyond imagination. It has been hugely exciting to be working with such a strong, focused and daring troupe of actors as the OYL Ensemble. The Killing Room is the first production of our 2011 season, world premiering in March in New York, and it’s gonna be a thrill ride!

Nick

Time Flies!

2010-08-12T04:27:00.003-04:00

It’s hard to believe that we’re in the middle of our last week of our residency in Papingo, Greece! There have been so many discoveries and decisions made in the last three and a half weeks, it is difficult to know where to begin.

This summer our residency has served as an incubator for us to explore all facets of our work. Rather than confining this time to rehearsals for one main project, we have capitalized on having our entire team together for a month – reading, debating and exploring more than ever before. The results have been thrilling!

*The Killing Room by Daniel Keene has been pushed up to our March performance spot. We’ve gone everywhere, from eschatology to cannibalism to Greek myths and clowning…and are on the edges of our seats awaiting Daniel’s next draft!

*Reading countless scripts by up-and-coming playwrights has introduced us to Danny Mitarotondo, whose interest in language and its limits has inspired the second project of our 2011 season as well as our next commission for 2012! Using the Biblical tale of the Tower of Babel as the seed, Danny will be joining us next summer to develop our next full-length production. In the meantime, he’s writing three original one acts for OYL to perform this Spring. Linked thematically to The Killing Room, the one acts will introduce our audiences to Danny’s work as well as give the company a unique chance to sink our teeth into his writing before tackling a full length commission with him.

*Tonight the OYL Jr. Ensemble premiered its adaptation of Caryl Churchill’s Thyestes in Vikos and it was an enormous success. We are so proud of the work the Jr. Ensemble has brought together – it was a powerful, humorous and touching production. Performances in Monodendri, Aristi, and Megalo Papingo, featuring children from the village will follow. Our 7 apprentices, along with our 3 fantastic professors have done outstanding work, inspiring our understanding of Thyestes and constantly reminding us of the importance of bringing theater back to this community, which so generously welcomes us in every summer.

It's been an incredible summer, and it's not over yet! Stay tuned for where the next few days takes us, and for the continuation of this work once we return to NY!

With love,

Ianthe

and all of OYL

The Goat Lady

2010-08-11T07:40:00.002-04:00

Papingo is more than a place to retreat, unplug, and redouble our focus. It's a place to get inspired.

The Pindus Mountains all around us, with their fresh air and pure spring water, are an obvious enough source of inspiration. This summer, though, I've been focusing on the Greek way of life and the lessons that it has for us.

I feel healthier during my Papingo summers than at any other time of the year. Getting healthy in New York always seems to involve some sort of self-denial. Don't eat this, don't drink that, and somehow carve a couple of hours out of your day to make your expensive gym membership worthwhile. Here, my morning speed-hike up the mountain is as irresistible as my sofa might be at home. Here, I can eat until I'm full and I won't have consumed any questionable ingredients. Frying something in olive oil is about the most unhealthy thing the Greeks will do to a piece of food. Even the tsipouro, our nightcap of choice, is friendly the next morning.

We're at the top of a steep, winding, somewhat crumbling road that climbs out of the deepest gorge in the world. An American will buy an SUV to negotiate his fifty-foot gravel driveway, but a year-round inhabitant of Papingo is more likely to drive a well-preserved 1982 Fiat Cinquecento. The Greeks are no good at talking themselves into stuff they don't need.

My favorite example of Papingo living is the Goat Lady. She doesn't want anything to do with us, so we know only what we see and what we learn from others. Eighty-four years young, permanently doubled over, walking with one arm wrapped around her back and the other clutching a walking stick, the Goat Lady drives her flock through town every day. On her way back in the evenings, she's generally carrying what looks like an impossibly heavy load -- firewood, vegetables, whatever she needs -- in her behind-the-back arm. Last year I watched her climb a tree, for reasons unclear to me. Back home, the Goat Lady would be solidly within the target demographic of those daytime commercials for The Scooter Store. Here, she simply lives her life as she always has.

Papingo is not interested in what we cannot do, and it surprises us with what we can.

Mike

Truck Driver Strike Ends!

2010-08-03T15:05:00.002-04:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/01/greek-truck-drivers-strike-ends

If any country could give France a run for its money in the striking department, you're looking at it!

We'll give you this Greece: you certainly knows how to keep us on our toes!

Love

OYL

Zagorohoria Tour 2010 is almost here!

2010-08-02T08:52:00.003-04:00

The cast list is up for OYL's Jr. Ensemble's production of Thyestes, coming next week to a village near you!

Atreus: Sanaa Byfield

Thyestes: Emily Nash

Fury: Casey Stewart

Minister: Tatianna Collet Apraxine

Messenger: Violeta Picayo

Tantalus Sr: Claire Bauman

Tantalus Jr: Ira Tsochantari

Chorus: All

Fury flock: All

Directed by: Ira Tsochantari

Greek Fun-Etics with OYL's Jr. Ensemble!

2010-07-30T07:14:00.003-04:00

For the last two weeks we've been picking up as much Greek as we can--both from our morning sessions led by Ianthe and from our daily encounters around the village. We've been having so much fun learning this beautiful language, that we wanted to share some of our favorite words/phrases with you! So, without further ado, we present:

FUN - ETIC GREEK!

Efkaristo – thank you

Parakalo – please/your welcome

Yasas – hello/goodbye

Kali mera – good morning

Kali spera – good afternoon/good evening

Kali nighta – good night (as in goodbye, not a greeting)

Ne – yes

Ohi – no

Frappe – wonderful shaken coffee drink

Frappe metreo meghala – wonderful shaken coffee drink with milk and sugar

Tha ithela – I would like

Signomi – excuse me

Kolimvitrires – swimming hole

Rokovo – Papingo’s swimming hole

Panieri – Papingo’s annual festival

Taverna – local restaurant

Vuno – mountain

Monopati – path

Thiasos – touring theatercompany

Sinefa – clouds

Elios – sun

Fegarai – moon

Astra - stars

Kali Spera!

Violeta

(and the rest of the OYL apprentices)

Two 'Turgs in Greece

2010-07-27T07:19:00.004-04:00

On Sunday we took a trip to Vergina to see the royal tombs of Alexander the Great’s father and son.

When in Greece, there are always antiquities to search out and be inspired by. And there’s nothing like seeing the face of Dionysus staring back at you from the bottom of a bowl used for pouring libations to strike a powerful sense of awe, wonder, and respect into the heart of any theater maker.

Ianthe and Nick at the tomb of Phillip II

“All right,” you may say, “but how does that relate to the work you guys are doing up there?”

At this very moment our incredible Apprentice Company is working on an adaptation of Caryl Churchill’s Thyestes, just as the OYL ensemble is working on a brand new adaptation of the myth by Australian playwright Daniel Keene.
For those of you not familiar, some cliffsnotes about the myth:

Atreus and Thyestes are twins, grandsons of Tantalus, and princes of Argos. Upon their father’s death, the two conspired to murder their older brother, and share the throne between the two of them, ruling on one year, and off the next. Naturally, this got a bit messy. Thyestes slept with Atreus’s wife and together the two stole the family’s golden ram, given to them by the Gods as a sign of legitimate rule. Atreus, in revenge, petitioned Zeus to have the sun rise from the west instead of the east, to prove his legitimacy. Zeus, familiar with what it’s like to have a brother challenge your rule, agreed, and Thyestes, shame-faced, was banished from the kingdom.
When we meet him, Atreus remains unsatisfied; Thyestes hasn’t been properly punished. Thus, he devises a plan, akin to the plan that got his grandfather punished for eternity. Feigning forgiveness, Atreus invites Thyestes back to Argos with a promise to share the kingdom once more. Never one to say no to power, Thyestes is rather easy to convince, and Atreus provides a decadent feast for them to share, in celebration of their reunion. The main course? Thyestes’ children, which he chases down with goblets of wine laced with their blood. This is the crime that curses the House of Atreus through the Trojan War, culminating with the founding of Athenian Democracy. How very Greek, no?

Now back to Alexander, Phillip and the Vergina Museum:

Alexander, (born in 356 BCE), and his father Phillip II are believed to be directly descended from Hercules himself. At age 13 Phillip hired none other than than Aristotle (of the Poetics, for those theater nerds following along!) to tutor him. We’re talking about a heavy hitter here! Upon Phillip’s death Alexander took over the kingdom, thus beginning his journey of creating one of the most expansive empires in Ancient History. At it’s height, the Alexandrian Empire stretched from Epirus in North West Greece (home to the one and only Papingo!), across Turkey and south to Syene in Ancient Egypt, east through what is now Iraq and Iran, all the way to the Indus river in the Punjab. Not a bad piece of property! By amassing this massive expanse of land, Alexander gave rise to the Hellenistic period, during which Greek cultural influence and power was at its peak in Europe and Asia.

The story of Vergina, how it was found, and what is brings to our present is a constant reminder of the cycles of family, and the duties of blood ties in Antiquity. Though the museum features the artifacts from Phillip’s tomb, it must be remembered that it was Alexander who would have been choosing those items, who would have been placing the crown of golden oak leaves on his father’s cremated body.

The funeral rights documented at Vergina are identical to those practiced at the time of Homer, and are beautifully described by him in the Iliad. These practices—like pouring libations from a sacred vessel, cremating the body along with animal sacrifices, and bathing the bones of the deceased in wine before entombment—had been part of Hellenic cultural consciousness for centuries. And if Homer was writing about them as he told the stories of Atreus’ sons, one needs only to imagine that Atreus himself might have been familiar with such rituals.

So how did he prepare his nephews for dinner? Suddenly, wandering through the museum we began to wonder: would he have poured a libation from a vessel such as this one? Would he have cooked them in a pot like that? And does he tie the prince’s heads with purple ribbons because purple is the color used to traditionally wrap the bones of the deceased (and the color of fabric in which Phillip’s bones were found)?

Morbid? Maybe. Inspiring? You betcha. Incomparable? Absolutely. Our day at the museum this weekend has given us all—OYL and Apprentices alike—invaluable creative fuel with which to attack these upcoming projects of ours.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: you know what Greece does really well? Myths, meat, and museums. Put those three together? It speaks for itself!

Dramaturgically yours,

Amanda and Jess

Meet our new Actors!

2010-07-26T04:38:00.003-04:00

Bjorn Dupaty and Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris reflect on travel, Greece, and working in the mountains….

Bjorn, on the Journey from NYC to Papingo:

My journey began the day before I left for Greece: Greece! The first place I’ll have ever visited outside of the U.S. (well, technically I’ll be stopping in Madrid first....) and a place I’ve always wanted to go.

So, the day before I left a friend of mine, who used to travel a lot for his job, told me that the only thing he regrets was not ever going out and exploring the places he visited. His advice to me was, “Go out and explore, don’t be afraid.”

With those words buzzing in my ears I was sent along on an amazing journey. My first flight (JFK→Madrid) was long and I slept most of the way through it. I usually try to wear myself out before a flight so I can sleep through most of if not all of it. This time, I think the sheer mental stress of the unknown wore me out and the only time I was awake was to eat and when we landed. I woke up in a different country.

Unfortunately, the flight had been delayed, and I ended up in the Madrid airport for over nine hours. I was too afraid to speak to anyone. At one point I overheard three ladies talking in English, but still didn’t feel comfortable talking to them. Maybe they sensed that, and kept standing next to me.

Finally, something inside me told me to speak to one of them. Little did I know that she would be the angel who would help me on my journey?

Her name was Tawnya, and it turned out that we were on the same flight from Madrid to Athens together! Of course, because of the delay in Madrid, by the time we made it to Athens I had already missed my connecting flight to Ioannina. Tawnya argued with the airline staff in Greek because I couldn’t…at all; then she bought me a calling card and got me to a holiday inn. What a saint!

The next morning I was supposed to take the bus to Ioannina, hoping that I would stumble upon someone else to pick up the duties of helping me. Her name was Miriam, and on this 7 hour journey I saw so many beautiful and breathtaking sights, that she took the time to describe and talk to me about.

Finally I arrived at Ioannina—my destination—and it occurred to me that sometimes the journey is more enjoyable and meaningful than the destination. And even though this journey was somewhat forced on me, (the bus part at least!) I always heard the voice of my friend though it all saying “get out and don’t be afraid!”

Bjorn

Sameerah, on workin’ in the mountains:

Makin Art in Greece = HAPPINESS.

Everything takes your breath away.
The views, the history, the deep love people have for this, their home.

My favorites thus far:

Red Moon
Cerulean Blue River
Hiking the Gorge
Reading Plays

Satisfied. I. Am.

~Sameerah

Keeping our Figures Greek...

2010-07-22T08:06:00.003-04:00

How does one keep up with the Jones' while being 4,921.37 miles from the nearest NY Sports Club?
Over the years we've devised a few... Resourceful methods. Some typical-- others less so.
To begin with-- the walk home at night after work is very different than just walking up the stairs outta the 2 train exit at 116th street.
Instead each walk home is a hike-- quite literally.
But that typical place to place meandering is all just residual calorie burning. If ya really want to step it up a notch you can go for morning/ evening jogs along the trails that lace the village and it's environs.
For some reason I am SO much more motivated to get exercise while my view is of green, sheer mountain cliffs and impossibly purple and pink sunrise and sunsets-- it feels so right to commune with dirt/rock/goat-turd pathways than to jog around 120th street dodging everything from cab traffic to fish hooks by the Harlem meer...
But what about resistance training? Surely our precious muscle mass will swindle by the end of our residence...
Well in our '08 residency Greg Waller took me out on one of our early morning jogs to a patch of rocks-- a rockslide sorta stuck in one place--
Here he demonstrated biceps curls with boulders and ripping abs with rock throws--! The Greek Tourism board used to have a slogan-- "make your own myth"
I felt like we were our own Herculean myth in a twenty minute workout--!

Now to get to it this year...

Danny

Flowers From Our Daily Walks

2010-07-19T11:12:00.009-04:00

What follows are some of the flowers from three short walks: two in Papingo and one in Monodendri.

the poppy just inside the gate, growing in the cobble stones—maybe some seeds will find their way into our luggage….

Note: in Greece used olive oil containers double as very sturdy flower pots

Immediately after this photo was taken, we watched

as a goat devoured it for a mid-afternoon snack!

Thistles. (Don't put your eye on that!)

Roses from Ianthe's garden.

The birds and the bees!

Stay tuned for our next entry: the pervading petting zoo of Papingo

Love,

Chris and Gaby

Confessions of a Sunset Addict

2010-07-16T15:36:00.006-04:00

These are things that inspire me: oceans, mountains, and sunsets.

It’s a pretty good list, right?

Unless of course you hail from the kind of urban Eden that most of the OYL crew calls our winter home: Brooklyn. (Not to be confused with our loveable yellow lab!).

Sure, BK has a lot going for it: parks, trees, some waterfront property and some really sweet rooftop views. This is why we love it. Give me a muddled blueberry bourbon iced tea at No.7 in Ft. Greene to restore my sanity any day.

BUT

Let me tell you about some things that most certainly do NOT inspire me: the MTA, huge crowds of people, $14 cocktails, and stifled natural light.

What good do my parks and cocktails and sweet rooftop views do for me if I arrive home cranky and irritated and ready to (pardon my French) cut a bitch? How can I be expected to tap into my deep and creative soul to do meaningful and inspiring artistic work when the amount of natural light that comes in though my window would drive a zoo animal insane?

Let’s come back to the list of things that DO facilitate my artistic impulses: oceans, mountains, and sunsets. This is why I am addicted to our Papingo retreat. OK, fair, maybe Papingo isn’t exactly waterfront property, but we have a watering hole and a river, and with just 2 hours between us and the Mediterranean coast, I’ll let that one slide. Because really, the mountains and the sunsets more than compensate.

I’ve found that working here, antithetical though it may seem, (because who wants to work when there are paths to be hiked?) produces some of the most organic, fruitful and creative work I’ve ever done. And I just want to be working all the time! When the mind has space to look at, it has space to think. And when one is daily confronted with awe and wonder, the questions we ask become deeper, and infinitely more interesting. I mean, who wouldn’t be inspired when confronted with this: (no offense, Brooklyn!)

With love and feta,

Amanda

We got a Grant!

2010-07-14T16:40:00.002-04:00

We are very excited to share that OYL has received our first grant of the season, from The Puffin Foundation Ltd.; and with just one day to go before the company arrives in Papingo. Talk about an auspicious beginning to our 2010-2011 season!

The Puffin Foundation says: “Why the Puffin?
The Puffin, once endangered in the northeastern United States, was returned to its native habitats through the efforts of a concerned citizenry. Our name is a metaphor for how we perceive our mission in the arts: to join with other concerned groups and individuals to ensure that the arts not merely survive, but flourish at all levels of our society.”

Needless to say, OYL is thrilled to receive support from such an outstanding organization. And hey, being compared to one of the most adorable birds in the animal kingdom doesn’t hurt either! Here’s to a season of work that takes one step closer to reclaiming theater art as a vital, flourishing element of society!

Thanks, Puffin Foundation!

With gratitude and respect,

OYL

Supermarket Sweeps!

2010-07-13T15:15:00.003-04:00

Step 1: fill as many shopping carts as you can (5!) with as much food as possible in under 2 hours: GO!

Step 2: Bag everything, and fit it into your 1982 Volkswagen "Gracias" Van, along with 5 bodies, and 10 yoga mats.

Step 3: Strap said bags on your back and carry them up the mountain to the house (camping backpacks recommended!). Entrust parcels to an able bodied captain (Jess!) for sorting, storing and organizing.

Repeat again in 3 days.

Never Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

2010-07-12T14:53:00.011-04:00

It's July 12th! Our full company and Jr. Ensemble arrives in three days! Time to do the shopping.

One of my favorite things about our residency in Nothern Greece happens every evening starting around nine o'clock. After a full days rehearsal the company reconvenes at the house. Inside, someone cooks dinner and outside people relax around the terrace or in front of the stone oven.

Over the last six years we have learned that food is more than just nourishment for the body. Its nourishment for the soul. Our evening meals are filled with artistic discussions, impassioned debates, nostalgic stories, lots of laughter and the occasional impromptu performance.

Papingo gives us bounds of inspiration not just for our theatrics but also for our cuisine. Between Micro and Megalo Papingo there are nine tavernas - each having its own particular speciality. And the local landscape provides us with some of the freshest produce, meat, even water with which to dream new recipes and old make favorites. (We actually had the local butcher tell us that we enjoy the taste of the beef we were buying because it came from a particular mountain that grew a particular kind of grass.)

We have had some wonderful friends/guest chefs come to through our kitchen, most notably reporter and gourmand Indrani Sen who was here with her partner, playwright Clay McLeod Chapman, during our rehearsal of teaser cow. Indrani not only made some of the most amazing feasts for us, but she also did some culinary investigation of her own. If you're ever in Brooklyn and craving Alevropita (Greek flour pie) she is the one to find!

This year we look forward to having a kitchen filled with ensemble members and guest artists cooking away. And I am excited to share with you some of our food adventures along the way!

--Jess

Welcome to OYL's Blog!

2010-07-11T06:31:00.003-04:00

Welcome to OYL’s Blog!

As we prepare to begin our residency time in Greece we want to keep you all updated about developments in the company, our time in Greece, upcoming projects in NYC, and many more crazy and wonderful plans!

We are thrilled to welcome 2 new ensemble members to the company. Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris and Bjorn DuPaty will join OYL starting this summer. We are also proud to announce that ensemble member Christina Bennett Lind has been cast as Bianca on All My Children.

Our summer residency will be chock full of rehearsals, readings, meetings, research and performances by the Junior Company in surrounding villages!

OYL’s Junior Company is formed by a group of seven adventurous students and two wonderful professors that will build a production of Thyestes to be performed in villages squares in the Zagorohoria in mid-August.

In the meantime, OYL’s ensemble will spend the month:
*Re-working Clay Chapman’s Teaser Cow for the festival circuit in 2011
*Workshopping Hunger, a work commissioned from Montenegrin playwright Sladjana Vujovic and inspired by the epic of Gilgamesh
*Workshopping The Murder Room a piece commissioned from Australian playwright Daniel Keene and inspired by the story of Thystes
*Reading a whole pile of new scripts as we search for future projects, playwrights and inspiration.

Stay tuned for more about our upcoming month in Greece including fun facts about the region we reside in for a month each year, rehearsing in the mountains, and living with OYL in a secluded village in northern Greece.

We look forward to sharing our time with you!

Warmly,
Ianthe & all of OYL