Acting Guide: Supplemental to the Resource Guide

Athol Fugard online:
YouTube: Athol Fugard on My Children! My Africa!
American Theatre Magazine’s November, 2012 feature on Athol Fugard and The Train Driver
Conversation with Athol Fugard at Indiana University
UCSD Burke Lecture: Athol Fugard: A Catholic Antigone: An Episode in the Life of Hildegard of Bingen
Timeline Theatre Company Athol Fugard Timeline

About South Africa and the apartheid era:
YouTube: South Africa: A Shorthand History
YouTube: Soweto Uprisings
YouTube: Apartheid in South Africa: Laws, History (A Documentary Film)
YouTube: Interview with the brother of student activist Steve Biko
YouTube: RSA lecture: Sir Ken Robinson on education and education reform
Podcast: University of Oxford lecture series on literary censorship in apartheid South Africa by Professor Peter McDonald
Podcast: University of Oxford lecture by Professor Jean Camaroff discussing the state of post-apartheid South Africa in 2008
South African History Online
Strangers In Their Own Country: A Curriculum Guide On South Africa

Local Organizations and Conversations:
The August Wilson Red Door Project
via Oregon Humanities: White Out?: The Future of Racial Diversity in Oregon
via Oregon Humanities: Why Aren’t There More Black People In Oregon?

Other Media:
Africa Past and Present Podcasts
via KBOO: Alan Wieder speaks about the part music played in the anti-apartheid struggle

Further Reading:
Athol Fugard: His Plays, People and Politics by Alan Shelley (Oberon Books)
The Dramatic Art of Athol Fugard: From South Africa to the World by Albert Wertheim (Indiana University Press)
Cousins: A Memoir by Athol Fugard (Theatre Communications Group)
Notebooks: 1960-9177 by Athol Fugard (Theatre Communications Group)
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (published by the author, 1994)

The Oregonian review 3.3.13
Oregon ArtsWatch review 3.4.13
Portland Monthly review 3.5.13

Blood Knot Program

Ben Newman as Morris and Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Ben Newman as Morris; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Don Kenneth Mason as Zach and Ben Newman as Morris; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Ben Newman as Morris and Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Ben Newman as Morris and Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
PRINT QUALITY Ben Newman as Morris and Don Kenneth Mason as Zach; Jamie Bosworth Photography
PRINT QUALITY Don Kenneth Mason as Zach and Ben Newman as Morris; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Blood Knot Press Release
Don Kenneth Mason Headshot
Ben Newman Headshot

This partnership offers a phenomenal opportunity for collaboration between these two longstanding Portland theater companies. This agreement quickly fell into place shortly after we learned that our lease at Theater! Theatre! would not be renewed in June.

With Profile’s urgent need to find a home and both organizations embracing a time of transition with new artistic leadership, we believe that despite the unexpected circumstances, the timing and organizational evolution is nearly perfect for both companies.

“Profile’s residency at Artists Rep is a major step toward meeting two of our long-standing company goals: turning our phenomenal facility into a constantly buzzing hive of production and performance, and serving a supportive role in Portland’s artistic community,” said Dámaso Rodriguez, incoming Artistic Director at Artists Rep. “Profile has an undeniably distinct mission and excellent reputation within the Portland theatre community, which I believe both contrasts and complements the work we do.  I expect this residency will inspire collaboration that will greatly benefit each of our companies and will yield artistic rewards for our audiences.”

“I am so thrilled for Profile, and for our artists and audience, that we have found a new artistic home at Artists Rep,” said Adriana Baer, Artistic Director at Profile Theatre.  “While our missions are very different, Artists Rep and Profile share a deep commitment to creating thought-provoking productions, diverse educational outreach and to fostering a strong arts community in Portland.” She continues, “As another new Artistic Director in town, I am especially excited to be coming to Artists Rep at the beginning of Dámaso’s tenure.  I know this move will broaden Profile’s programming opportunities and prove energizing for all involved.”

About Artists Repertory Theatre

Now celebrating its 30^th season, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland.  Artists Rep strives to challenge artists and audiences with plays of depth and vibrancy in an intimate setting.  Artists Rep explores the strengths, frailties, and diversity of the human condition primarily through regional premieres, commissioned works and selected classics appropriate to contemporary issues.

Artists Rep’s Artistic Director is Allen Nause, who is retiring at the end of the 2012/13 season after 25 years as Artistic Director. The Incoming Artistic Director is Dámaso Rodriguez.

The 2012/13 Artists Repertory Theatre season is presented by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Premiere season sponsors are Ronni Lacroute/WillaKenzie Estate and The Oregonian. Season hotel sponsors are Mark Spencer Hotel and Hotel deLuxe. The 2012/13 radio sponsor is KINK.FM. Other support comes from Regional Arts Culture Council, Work for Art, Oregon Arts Commission, Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, All Classical, Maletis Beverage and Poster Garden.

Artists Rep is located at 1515 SW Morrison Street.

Objective: To explore themes and ideas found in My Children! My Africa! using interactive theatre exercises as the medium of exploration.

Cover the Space

The facilitator sets up a big rectangle in the room, using four chairs or trash cans as markers. Have everyone start walking around within the designated space. The rules are no talking, no physical contact, and keep moving. Tell everyone to be aware of their own body, the bodies around them, and the space on the floor. Then, ask them to begin to make certain that the space on the floor is covered. They need to keep moving at all times, get to corners and sidelines, and to always move to empty spaces to “cover the space.” At random intervals, the facilitator says “Freeze!” When frozen the students should be evenly distributed around the space, filling it. The facilitator then points out how they’re doing, and sends them right back to covering the space. It’s a game of freezing, getting new instructions, and finding their rhythm again.

(5-10 mins. Source: Augusto Boal)

Identify

Students are covering the space. They are told to group themselves, instantly, according to some outside feature that is similar but innocuous. For instance, they might be told to group themselves according to their pants. They might choose color, they might choose fabric, they might choose length, style but they can not discuss with each other the criteria they are using. This is a silent game. After everyone is in a group the facilitator asks the students individually what their criteria was for choosing their group. For instance, one student in the group might say “I chose this group because all of their pants were blue.” And another student in the same group might say, “I chose this group because all of their pants were denim.” Then they resume covering the space and the teacher throws out another feature.

(5-10 mins. Source: Michael Rohd)

Defender

Everyone starts walking around the space without talking and with no contact. After a few minutes the facilitator tells the students to secretly pick an individual in the room that they will consider their own personal defender. They can’t speak to them or otherwise indicate that they have chosen this person and they must continue to move around while doing so. Then, the facilitator asks everyone to secretly pick an enemy. Same criteria apply. Then the facilitator tells them that their goal is to keep their defender between themselves and their enemy at all times. They play this for a couple of minutes. Next, the facilitator gives them circumstances with varying levels of importance. Maybe their enemy annoys them, they owe their enemy money, their enemy is an ex-friend or ex-romantic partner, their enemy is trying to kill them, and so on. The different circumstances should alter the physicality of the students. Push them to get their whole body involved, and make it important to them. This is a silent game. When game is over, discuss how different circumstances were experienced in body and mind.

(5-10 mins. Source: Michael Rohd)

Cross the Line

Class is divided into two groups. They stand in two lines on either side of the classroom, facing each other. Two students are questioners. They stand at either end of the invisible “line” that is in the center of the space (like tennis referees). The questioners take turns asking true or false questions of the two groups. For instance, “Cross the line if you brushed your teeth this morning.” The students in each group cross to the other side if the statement is true for them. They do not cross the line if the statement is not true for them or if they simply don’t want to answer. This should be made clear. There is no talking. No one explains or defends why they did or didn’t cross. No one speaks except the questioners. The questions can move from the innocuous (see above) to the more profound, e.g. “Cross the line if you have ever been discriminated against unfairly.” After three to five questions, each questioner asks if anyone wants to ask the questions. They exchange places with those persons. Afterwards, the facilitator invites the students to discuss how they were affected by the exercise as a whole, what they noticed about the group reactions that were different/the same as their own reaction, whether or not the group reactions affected their desire to share, what they were excited to respond to, what they were hesitant to respond to, what surprised them about their response or the group’s response, etc. The discussion is not about the specifics of any one individual’s response to a given question.

(10 mins. Source: Craig Williams)

Shift

Two students read a two minute scene from My Children! My Africa! The class talks about what the scene means. Then the same two students read the same scene again, only this time with a different emotional spin (they’re angry, they’re sad, they’re flirting, they’re trying to find out information, etc.) no matter what the actual text is.  The class discusses how the emotional spin affected the scene. Then trade out one or both readers, changing the sex/race/attitude of the character. The new pair reads the scene again. And then the class discusses how the new dynamic changed the way the scene was played or the impact it had on the audience.

(10-20 mins. Source: Bobby Bermea)

Identify II

Set up is the same as Identify above. Once divided, one group is designated as superior. One group is designated as inferior. A set of rules are then placed on inferiors by superiors. A list of what those rules can be is decided beforehand by the entire class (e.g., Inferiors have to stand up while superiors are sitting down. Inferiors can never have their heads above or at equal height to the heads of the superiors. Inferiors have to ask permission from the superiors to use the bathroom. The teacher asks the superior a question, if they don’t know the answer, they ask their inferiors to give the answer. The teacher then praises the superior.) The class brainstorms ten options and the superiors select a maximum of three. Go this way for a while and then switch groups. The new superiors select a different set of rules from the list. Discuss.

Letter to the Past

However many students are in the class, cut up that number of strips of paper. On half of them write “Thami” and on the other half write “Isabel” and place them all into a hat. Each student draws one strip of paper. Whoever they get, that’s who they’re portraying, regardless of race, gender, etc. The students then take ten minutes to write a letter to Mr. M from ten years after the events of the play. The letter is what they – as their character – would say to Mr. M now about what happened then, and what has happened in South Africa since, if they could speak to him. The students then pass their letters to the student on their left (or right, it doesn’t matter so long as the student doesn’t “choose” who the reader is). A reader stands up, and another student stands up to portray the “ghost” of Mr. M. The reader then speaks the letter to Mr. M and Mr. M listens. Reader and Mr. M rotate around the class. The facilitator can modify number of letters shared for time.

The Trial of Mr. M

Everybody in the classroom is designated as black South African. The premise is that this trial takes place at the school where Mr. M is waiting for the mob to come get him. Rather than just drag him out and kill him right away, he is given a chance to defend himself and is even granted assistance in his defense.

Set-Up:

One student portrays the judge, one student portrays the prosecuting attorney, one student portrays the defense attorney, one student portrays Mr. M and the rest of the students are divided into support teams for each attorney and the jury. The outcome is unknown. For the purposes of this exercise whether or not Mr. M will live is still a question. If the class feels that the defense has made the stronger case, the ending of the play is changed, that’s it.

The judge is in charge of keeping time, upholding or denying objections and keeping attorneys from badgering the witnesses.

Trial Prep:

The students take ten to twenty minutes to develop their cases for and against Mr. M. No facts about characters that are not introduced in the play can be used (e.g. “Mr. M once fought by the side of Nelson Mandela!”). If such a violation occurs, it is up to the opposing legal team to object. The judge can uphold or deny the objection. However, things can be inferred as long as the inference is made from the text (e.g. “Mr. M has been an upstanding citizen of the community.”) Also, facts learned about apartheid or South Africa, either in the groups’ prep time or previously in class studies, (e.g. “far too many South African blacks have already been hurt or killed by other South African blacks for the cause”) are allowed. After the time allotted to prepare the cases is over, the trial convenes.

The Trial

The prosecution can present up to three witnesses and up to three pieces of evidence gleaned from the script. They have two minutes to question each witness. They do not have to take the whole two minutes. Then the defense is allowed to cross examine, again for two minutes.

Then the defense is allowed three of its own witnesses and three pieces of evidence. Same time limits. One exception is Mr. M can choose to speak for himself if he has something to offer that is different from the evidence proffered by his defense team (e.g. here is where emotional or sentimental appeals might be made: “I’ve watched all of you grow up, I taught your parents before I taught you, etc.”).

Each side offers their summation of their case. A time limit of one to two minutes should be placed on all summations, appeals, etc. There is no pleading the fifth during examinations. Every question has to be answered.

Once each side has delivered their closing arguments, the jury has five minutes to deliberate before delivering their verdict. The judge has the ability to set aside the jury’s verdict if he finds that there was not enough evidence to support it.

Discuss.

The Profile Theatre Guild invites you to join us for our new series of Dinners with the Artists!

Wrap up the Athol Fugard season and learn about My Children! My Africa!
with Artistic Director Adriana Baer

Saturday, May 18 at 5:30pm
rsvp by May 16

Dinner tickets are $40. Tickets for the performance are sold separately.
Profile patrons are welcome to exchange their pre-purchased tickets for that evening’s performance,
or attend the dinner and performance separately.

 All dinners take place at Hoda’s Middle Eastern Cuisine | 3401 SE Belmont.

Please contact the Profile Theatre Box Office at 503.242.0080 to purchase tickets.

The Oregonian review 1.13.13
Willamette Week review 1.16.13
Oregon ArtsWatch article 2.3.13

Eileen DeSandre as Miss Helen; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Eileen DeSandre as Miss Helen; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Amanda Soden as Elsa and Eileen DeSandre as Miss Helen; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Dave Bodin as Marius and Eileen DeSandre as Miss Helen; Jamie Bosworth Photography
Amanda Soden as Elsa and Eileen DeSandre as Miss Helen; Jamie Bosworth Photography
The Road to Mecca Press Release
David Bodin Headshot
Eileen DeSandre Headshot
Amanda Soden Headshot

February 8, 2013

Two of Portland’s only East Side venues to be closed
Profile Theatre loses its home

Profile Theatre, currently in its 16th season, is losing its permanent home in the historic Theater! Theatre! Building in Portland’s vibrant Belmont district. The building’s landlord, owner of the Tao of Tea shop and restaurant in the same building, notified the company last week that its lease would not be renewed after June 30. Plans call for the two theaters in the building to be utilized for Tao of Tea operations.

“I learned of the landlord’s decision on closing day of The Road to Mecca, our highest selling, most successful production in over six years,” says Profile’s new Artistic Director Adriana Baer. “It’s heartbreaking that this community is losing two of its most valuable venues.”

“We have spent the last six months investing in improvements which would allow Profile to be better stewards of our venue, providing much-needed rental space for nomadic theater companies and music groups and much-needed earned income for us. We were looking forward to deepening relationships with our community,” says Matthew Jones, Profile’s Managing Director.

Theater! Theatre! Is also the permanent home to Theatre Vertigo. The theaters at 3430 SE Belmont have been producing home to: 24 Hour Plays, Action/Adventure, Theatre, Beat BangerZ, Black Tie Comedy Troupe, Classic Greek Theatre, CoToP Theatre, Curious Comedy, Dance Naked Productions, Fantastic Umbrella Factory, Fuse Theatre Ensemble, Hoofers & Co., JANE a theater company, Jewish Theatre Collaborative, La Bodega Productions, Lights Up! Productions, Miss Bee Haven, Inc., Nomadic Theatre Co., Northwest Classical Theatre Co., Playback Theater, Portland Theatre Works, PSU TASO, Public Playhouse, Pyrogen Productions, Renob Control, Sowelu, Staged!, Stumptown Stages, The Phoenix Theatre Co., Theatre Vertigo, Traveling Lantern, Twilight Repertory Theatre, PlayWrite, Inc., The Attic Institute, US Jesco, and over two dozen teachers and individual artists.

Profile Theatre is embarking on negotiations for a venue in which to produce their 2014 Sam Shepard Season, and is moving forward with plans to open that season in January, 2014. Funding to support additional capital expenditures associated with the unexpected move will be sought.

Sam Shepard has a uniquely American voice.  Rural, rough, poetic, violent, and musical. His plays are distinctly of the West, rooted in dreams and longings we all recognize – for family, home, and self-understanding – but moving to their own rhythm. Shepard captures what it feels like to be an American – the good, bad, ugly, and profoundly beautiful.

We are honored to be able to commit an entire season to one of the most important writers of our time.  Shepard’s work is uniquely balanced between the sacred and the profane and though sometimes absurd, each play is filled with emotional truth, working the heart as well as the psyche.

We have not yet announced which plays will be presented in our Shepard season, but we will present three Main Stage productions and a number of supplemental programs (readings, lectures, and events) as part of our new In Dialogue Series.  We will announce the full season line up soon – stay tuned!  Because of our move to Artists Rep, we are overhauling our ticketing system.  Subscriptions and single tickets will be available in the fall.

Sam Shepard was born in 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois.  He worked as a farmhand and musician before moving to New York to begin his career as a playwright.  His first productions, one-acts Cowboys and The Rock Garden, were performed at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery.  His first full-length play, La Turista, was performed at the American Place Theatre and won an Obie Award in 1967.  Mr. Shepard spent several seasons with La Mama and Caffe Cino in New York and as playwright-in-residence at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.  In 1979, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Buried Child.  His screenplay for Paris, Texas won the Golden Palm Award at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. In 1986, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1992 he received their Gold Medal for Drama. Mr. Shepard is also a director and film actor.

Cowboys (1964) The Rock Garden (1964) Up To Thursday (1964) Dog (1965) Chicago (1965) 4-H Club (1965) Icarus’s Mother (1965) Rocking Chair (1965) Fourteen Hundred Thousand (1965) Red Cross (1966) Melodrama Play (1967) La Turista (1967) Cowboys #2 (1967) Forensic and the Navigators (1967) The Unseen Hand (1969) The Holy Ghostly (1969) Operation Sidewinder (1970) Shaved Splits (1970) Mad Dog Blues (1971) Back Bog Beast Bait (1971) Cowboy Mouth (1971) The Tooth of Crime (1972) Nightwalk (1973) Blue Bitch (1973) Little Ocean (1974) Geography of a Horse Dreamer (1974) Action (1975) Killer’s Head (1975) The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill on the Eve of Killing his Wife (1976) Angel City (1976) Suicide in B Flat (1976) Inacoma (1977) Curse of the Starving Class (1977) Buried Child (1978) Seduced (1978) Tongues (1978) Jacaranda (1979) Savage/Love (1979) True West (1980) Jackson’s Dance (1980)  Superstitions (1981) Fool for Love (1983) A Lie of the Mind (1985) The War in Heaven (1987) Short Life of Trouble (1987) Hawk Moon (1989) States of Shock (1991) Simpatico (1994)  When the World was Green (a chef’s fable) (1996)  Eyes for Consuela (1998) The Late Henry Moss (2000) The God of Hell (2004) Kicking a Dead Horse (2007) Ages of the Moon (2009) Evanescence, or Shakespeare in the Alley (2011)  Heartless (2012)  JOIN US.