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UB students to perform in birthplace of Western theater
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
A delegation of UB faculty and students will travel to the birthplace of Western theater later this month to attend a theater festival and participate in a scholarly meeting being held simultaneously in Olympia, Greece.
The 10 students, all associated with the Creative Research Lab in the International Artistic & Cultural Exchange (IACE) program in the Department of Theatre and Dance, will represent the United States at the third International Meeting of University Theatre, being held Aug. 17-26. The group is one of 23 university theater groups from 16 countries invited to participate in the festival by Neaniko Plano an Athens-based, non-profit organization devoted to the development of audiovisual communication and expression in young people.
The amphitheater in Olympia, Greece will serve as the stage for UB students who will perform during the third International Meeting of University Theatre.
The UB group is being led by Maria S. Horne, associate professor of theatre and dance and founding director of IACE. A scholar and researcher in method acting and international performing arts, Horne is an award-winning international master teacher, director, actor, producer and performing arts judge.
While in Olympia, Horne and Thomas Burkman, director of the Asian Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, will present papers at the fifth World Congress of University Theatre, being held concurrently with the International Meeting of University Theatre. Scholars from five continents will participate in the conference, which was organized by the International University Theatre Association (AITU), of which Horne serves as vice president.
Horne, who also is academic chair of the World Congress, will present a paper entitled "International Education as Building Block of Performing Artists in the University Setting;" Burkman's paper is entitled "Opening Doors for Asian Theatre at the University: The Case of the University at Buffalo."
The UB students also may attend the academic sessions, Horne adds.
But the chief reason for the students' trip to Greece will be to present a play during the university-theater festival, which will feature each university theatre company performing in its own language
The UB students will present an interdisciplinary multimedia adaptation of Leonard Melfi's one-act play "Birdbath," conceived and directed by Horne. The production adds poetic text, music, dance and creative multimedia to the American playwright's original material.
The original Melfi play has become a "beloved vehicle for method-acting practitioners," Horne says, calling it "a boy-meets-girl love story unlike any other."
The plot revolves around a young, unsuccessful poet who meets a young virginal girl while both are working at an all-night cafeteria in Manhattan. "When the diner closes, she waits for him outside. It is obvious that she does not want to return to her home in the Bronx where she lives with her mother," Horne says. "The poet convinces her to stay with him for a while longer at his place. It is the story of their discovery."
Horne's adaptation expands the original two-character, one-act play of about 30 minutes into a full hour performance. "Our cast of seven actors is joined by several media artists and designers who share the stage, either seen or unseen by the audience. Our present production begins by incorporating the poem 'Dawn' by Federico Garcia Lorca from 'Poet in New York'—there is a direct reference to this book on the original script," Horne says. "This poem is, in turn, deconstructed on stage, not only interpretatively, but through sound and movement as well. Music, dance, art, visual projections and creative multimedia are intertwined in the actual performance."
The performance is envisioned as "experimental theater research," derived from work conducted by IACE's creative research team during the past academic year, Horne says. It explores the potential interaction between method acting and new technologies across the performing arts disciplines in multiple cultural and artistic settings, she adds.
After premiering "Birdbath" early in March in a thrust arena stage in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts, the play was presented in a proscenium scenario at the 12th Rencontres Internationales du Théâtre (International Festival of Theatre) at the Université de Franche-Comté in Besançon, France, during spring break.
"Finally at Olympia, this experimental piece will be carried out in a traditional Greek amphitheater, outdoors in the countryside, with the mountains of Olympia for backdrop," Horne says, pointing out that Western theater traces its origins to Greece, where performances were presented in honor of Dionysus, the wine god, at Greek amphitheaters during summer festivals.
Comparative data will be gathered from audience responses in Olympia and added to previous data compiled from the performances in Buffalo and Besan�on.
The purpose of this research, Horne says, is "to further the creative integration of technology in the curriculum by preparing technology-enhanced performances that will challenge the performer, as well as the audience. Thus, by including 21st century technology in the educational experience, UB is fulfilling its commitment to preparing today's students to become tomorrow's professionals."
In addition to performing at the festival, the students will participate in workshops and attend performances by renowned professors and students representing such countries as Bulgaria, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ivory Coast and Korea, among others.
The UB delegation also will identify international theater companies that might be willing to perform at UB in upcoming seasons.
Also on tap is a sojourn to Athens, where the students will conduct research and visit historic and cultural sites.
There are numerous benefits to students of attending events such as those in Olympia, Horne says.
"As artists, students benefit from being exposed to a wide variety of genres, points of view, perceptions and approaches," she points out "Their senses are stimulated, energized and regenerated, so when they come back to UB, there will be a plethora of new ideas that they will try out on their own work, creating thus their own signature art.
"By experiencing different cultures, interacting and getting responses from international peers, we gain a better understanding of who we are, our relationship to others and the importance of our work and how we will contribute to make this place a better world," Horne adds. "Participation in international theater festivals allows for us to share our culture, as well as getting feedback from what we project into the international community."
The students agree, raving about their experience presenting "Birdbath" at the French festival last March.
"I interacted with so many interesting people and was exposed to many different theatrical and cultural elements that have changed my view of theatre and the world," says Dena Roncone. "We are in such troubling times now that to come together with diverse students and share our passion for theater truly gives you a sense of the bigger picture of the world and instills in you a respect and tolerance for all."
Matthew Erickson calls his participation in the French festival one of the high points of his experience thus far as an actor.
"I will never forget the knowledge I achieved in terms of personal relations that spanned across language barriers, viewing art indigenous to different cultural areas of the globe and working to create a piece of art that spoke without words," he says. "I feel very lucky to have had this experience in France and have now begun to consider a life involved in international theater and further education in language study. I have grown as a person."
In addition to Roncone and Erickson, the UB-IACE delegation led by Horne includes students Thomas DeTrinis, Laura Dlug, Jamie Elvey, James Hergenroder, Cate Lynch, Heather Murphy, Lindsay Rogan and Adam Zelasko. Horne's 13-year-old daughter, Chelsea Leigh, will accompany the group as a special guest of the director of the festival. Burkman's son, Wesley, will travel with his father and likely will be recruited to assist the technical director of the UB production, Horne adds.
The academic overseas program of IACE offers international learning experiences for UB students by providing opportunities to participate in highly selected international events and residencies with distinguished foreign universities and arts organizations. The program makes it possible for UB graduate and undergraduate students to conduct research abroad in the area of international performing arts, and also provides multicultural research and development opportunities for UB faculty.