the process
(how can you perform the mystery plays in your own home?)
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AT HOME
The origins of this project was in the early days of lockdown, when only a few shops were open. Limited to what was already in the house, I created plays from cardboard, coins, soil from the garden. Of course, you might have a hobby that provides useful tools. The main thing is to draw on what you already have- so that your play is personal to you and your home. Sustainability is also a plus! Draw on your own craft (and what it means to you). Do you paint? Knit? Sew? Bake? Show off your skills as part of your performance. Think about what you can see in your home- what would make a good stage? It could be a desk or a window ledge. You could turn a bathtub into Noah's Flood, or a fireplace into a fiery Hell. Or you could play against that- what would your Paradise be like if Eden was a patch of concrete in your back yard? |
THROUGH YOUR EYES
(and/or mouth, fingers, ears and nose!) These are personal plays- and your own body is often a great starting point. If you don't feel comfortable showing yourself, you might like to create puppets, or move objects around, or even focus just on your set. You could even record the words separately, and add them together. (I did that in the early films) The plays dealing with Lucifer and Hell were often produced by guilds working with bad smells (the Leather-tanners' Fall of Lucifer) or heat and flame (the Smiths' Temptation in the Wilderness). The Bakers took on the Last Supper, with its need for bread. Likewise, your senses can help you decide what to include in the plays. Don't just think about what your play will look like- think about the smell of your props, the texture of fabric or glue, the sound of traffic in the background. |
ALIVE
The Mysteries@home are an online performance. There's a lot of debate about what makes a "live" performance- and whether watching a filmed performance counts as "theatre". I'm not so worried about that- but I encourage you to use a single take (treat the ones you don't like as a rehearsal); to use physical, tactile objects; and to focus on what's taking place in the moment, not in the editing software. Having said that, filming at home isn't always easy, so if you need to film in stages then you should feel free to do so. It's about finding the best way to present the story you want to tell. |
Whilst you are welcome to make your own plays from the resources available on the website, part of the project's aims is to collaborate over 2020-21, with an online (and possibly offline) showing in Autumn 2021. This page outlines some guidelines for taking part- scroll down to find out more, or contact us directly via e-mail.
TIMELINE
The following is an outline of each stage of producing your play. How long you spend on each stage will depend on your circumstances- although there will be a final deadline in September 2021 in time for the showing.
SIGN UP: Contact Tom Straszewski (thomas.straszewski@york.ac.uk) to say you're interested. If you have a play in mind, then include that, and any initial thoughts.
DISCUSS THE PLAY: We'll spend an hour or so discussing the play and your ideas. This will be arranged to suit you, and will take place over Zoom or another suitable platform- or in a socially-distanced meeting place.
REHEARSE: At home, you'll prepare and rehearse the play. Once you've got the basics down, we'll watch it together and discuss how to develop it further.
PERFORM: Once you're ready, perform and record your play. You'll then need to send the filmed version to us for release. We'll add a title for each one (to give a unified look to the project) and will upload this to Youtube for you. We'll also add subtitles. If you don't have access to a phone camera or a webcam, e-mail us and we'll organise something!
AFTERMATH: We'll have a debrief- discussing what you've learned about the process, what you might have done differently, and what might come next. This might be done via e-mail.
TIMELINE
The following is an outline of each stage of producing your play. How long you spend on each stage will depend on your circumstances- although there will be a final deadline in September 2021 in time for the showing.
SIGN UP: Contact Tom Straszewski (thomas.straszewski@york.ac.uk) to say you're interested. If you have a play in mind, then include that, and any initial thoughts.
DISCUSS THE PLAY: We'll spend an hour or so discussing the play and your ideas. This will be arranged to suit you, and will take place over Zoom or another suitable platform- or in a socially-distanced meeting place.
REHEARSE: At home, you'll prepare and rehearse the play. Once you've got the basics down, we'll watch it together and discuss how to develop it further.
PERFORM: Once you're ready, perform and record your play. You'll then need to send the filmed version to us for release. We'll add a title for each one (to give a unified look to the project) and will upload this to Youtube for you. We'll also add subtitles. If you don't have access to a phone camera or a webcam, e-mail us and we'll organise something!
AFTERMATH: We'll have a debrief- discussing what you've learned about the process, what you might have done differently, and what might come next. This might be done via e-mail.