Category:

7th Day Project

December 10-11, 1999 at the Off Center

What happens when the entire rehearsal process is condensed into a six day marathon? Explosions of creative energy and imagination. A direct outgrowth of the Rude Mechs weekly actor training, The 7th Day Project is an experiment with time and the dynamism that extreme pressure can detonate. For this each of these daring experiments, the Rudes will conceive, rehearse, produce and perform an original performance composition in only 7 days. If you’ve enjoyed Rude Mechs work so far, we dare you to come see it in its most rarefied and concentrated form.

Here’s how it worked in December 1999:

Several of the Company Members who couldn’t participate in the project provided the 7th Day participants with a “recipe” for the performances in a letter we received in a sealed envelope on the first day of rehearsal. Exactly 7 days later, we blew the roof off The Off Center with a performance that surprised even us. And we’re not sure the building will ever recover from the hundreds of Christmas balls smashed that night. There will be another 7th Day Project sometime in the spring of 2000, so if you missed this one, sure hope you can join us then.

12/4/99

Dear 7th Dayers,

We have selected a holiday theme.

Choose four directors to create four 10-minute compositions (leaves five minutes for setup in between each piece) using this recipe.

Text: You may use only the text provided, but you may use it any way you see fit. Keep everything very simple. Rude Mechs, remember the intention of this project and fight urges to expend energy creating anything other than the plays (i.e., no hydrolics, no laser light shows, etc.). There’s nothing a good jambox, a cube and some clip lamps can’t accomplish. Try to create these pieces by first coming up with the idea/story, then create the physical score, then layer in the text. This process is still mysterious. Remember, directors, that this is a truly collaborative process. Your job is to respond to what the actors are doing, use your eye and trust your reactions to their work. Above all else, make damn sure you have as much fun as possible. It’s going to be stressful and insane. We are jealous.

Love, Lana, Kirk, Shawn and Morgan

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