the Portrait Studio Site

Media and production info for The Portrait production…

Chamber Epic

The Portrait will be an enormous tiny show. To guide us on how the work will look, feel, sound, we’ll use the concept of “chamber epic” - a performance that completely fills its frame with intentional overwhelming amount of intentionality. Here’s some thoughts on how to focus on that.

A chamber epic is Proficient, Strange, and Full.

It will be proficient in how its performed and designed. A high level of specificity, scale, control, space in all aspects. Actions and design will be ‘clean’ with a focus on precision and clarity. Even chaos will be highly executed. A key concept here will be deployment and management of ‘space’ (in the sense of Japanese 間 “ma”). Gesture and design will have a clear framework of space, emptiness, holding, suspense. This is the definitive period after a vocal, physical, or choral statement.

It will be strange in how we use unexpected and unusual events, timing, shapes, and space. Combinations and contradictions will be used to keep the audience from settling in too comfortably. We’re not trying to lull them into a lovely evening of gentle storytelling. We’re engaging them, challenging them, keeping their sense of curiosity piqued at all time. This show will make choices based on how we manipulate the audience’s sense of expectation, sometimes leaning into it, sometimes dropping the floor out underneath them.

It will be full by the quantity and depth of detail. At times it will be purposely overwhelming. The doesn’t always mean busy. We will use silence and stillness to fill moments. Visually, there will be a lot to watch. The soundscape will be close to music scoring. There will be singing. There will be puppets. There will be moments of orchestrated chaos. There will be improv. There will be group choreography. It will be a mechanically impressive feat.

But what about emotion? Isn’t that what audiences want? To feel something? Why tell a story if it’s all just a bunch of circus shenanigans? I WANT TO EMOTE!

dates tbd

Character, Composure, Chaos

Our first workshop for building The Portrait will focus on the performer. We’ll explore and explode the discrete elements of physical and vocal traits that make up a character.

We’ll be using individual, small group, and ensemble creation techniques to create without editing. We’ll share, shop, and steal from each other to start defining the edges to the creatures inhabiting this world.

At the end of the workshop we’ll have an initial - but broad - sense of the unique palettes to deploy for building these characters.

Servant 1.

In a plain there’s a beast, barely more than an ape, standing tall and as fierce as he can. Protecting his kill from his covetous kin, with a big pointy stick in his hand. Instead of just sharing, he stabs his poor neighbor to notch the first homicide among man. He pulls out his spear, and lifts up his deer, and lets out a bloody war cry…

I’m just doing my job, just holding on hope for something more than what i’ve been dealt, than what i’ve got left, that i can transcend myself.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da die.

Servant 2.

There’s a thief in the stocks, an unwitting accomplice to crimes that he can’t understand. Was paid by a vicar to purloin some liquor, but nothing went quite as was planned. The brewer was brutal, while eating his strudel, stabbed the dim-witted chap in the hand. And the crow on his shoulder that pecks at his neck cocks his head to the preacher and craws…

I’m just doing my job, just holding on hope for something more than what i’ve been dealt, than what i’ve got left, that i can transcend myself.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da die.

Servant 3.

In a war-ravaged village a rare celebration, a chorus of shouting and cheer. A wedding, not fighting, an excuse for inviting a moment of joy over fear. But the cheering falls silent with the groom pointing skyward at the whirring of a strange-looking bird.And the pimply lieutenant on a distant continent takes his finger from the trigger and lies…

I’m just doing my job, just holding on hope for something more than what i’ve been dealt, than what i’ve got left, that i can transcend myself.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da die.

Servant 4.

There’s a tech CEO who must put you on hold since the screaming has gotten so loud. Her self-driving wheels wheeled themselves off the road, popped a curb and up into a crowd. But if you’d all quit your crying can’t you see that she’s trying to secure the next funding round? And the luckless bartender pinned under her fender looks up through the wheel well and sighs…

I’m just doing my job, just holding on hope for something more than what i’ve been dealt, than what i’ve got left, that i can transcend myself.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da die.

ALL.

There’s no art to being humane. And no science for how to be kind. But the two words somehow cancel out when combined into one: humankind.

Servant 1.

I would rather burn down my house than share my table.

Servant 2.

I will chew off my arm before giving you a hand.

Servant 3.

I have a billion and you have none. Oh - i’ll invent charity! Here, you get one.

ALL.

We don’t struggle because the world is unfair. We don’t languish because life is impossible. We strive to merely survive because humans are just fucking awful!

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da.

Aye, la da di da die, la da di da die, la da da die.