A Handful of Leaves, A Devised Piece

Hello all,

I'm excited to see this show come together over the next few months and be a part of the collaborative process of the show. As I touched on a bit in comments already, I think we have two major goals with this production:

1. Convey the stories faithfully, to pay respect to the authors of those stories
2. Draw the connection for audience members, let them see that their stories, or their family memoirs are important artifacts for libraries to maintain and make available

With those goals in mind, I believe our biggest challenge in this production will be to "not do too much." When dealing with sensitive subjects like internment, sickness, death, it seems that most artists go with a quieter, more pensive mood. I think it would probably be a good idea to follow in this manner, and allow the audience more "thinking time" to reflect on what they're seeing.

This overall mood can be punctuated with light-hearted moments (such a singing to the girls in the windows, or jumping up out of the grave, for example). But whether we choose to create a somber piece or a more minimalist pensive piece, I think we need to have the discussion of atmosphere, mood, and theme, very early in the process.

We have so many talented people ready to contribute, and I think it would be a good kickoff point in devised theater to say "What are our goals? What mood are we trying to create? What kind of experience are we trying to give to the audience?"

Secondarily, I think we need to put a lot of thought into "What would motivate an audience member to go to their garage, dust of their grandma's memoirs, and donate them to a library?" This is the ultimate goal of the piece, so I think early in our sessions, this should take precedence as well.

Looking forward to a good semester, and a great show.