Lauren Bone Noble, assistant professor of movement for the actor, talks about "Dreaming Green," our part in the global event Climate Change Theatre Action 2021.
Lauren Bone Noble, assistant professor of movement for the actor, talks about "Dreaming Green," our part in the global event Climate Change Theatre Action 2021.
For more information about Climate Change Theatre Action, please visit: http://www.climatechangetheatreaction.com/
To learn more about the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council's Goodnight Market, visit: https://oxfordarts.com/shop/event-tickets/product/3454-dreaming-green-at-the-goodnight-market
We talked about a piece of devised theater called "Near/Far" that Lauren directed and created with our students last fall; if you haven't seen "Near/Far," you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/TAYcLtW8rX8
Also, if you missed our previous interview with Lauren, check it out here: https://stageandscreen.simplecast.com/episodes/the-poetic-body-with-lauren-bone-noble-assistant-professor-of-movement-for-the-actor
From the Department of Theater and Film at the University of Mississippi, this is Stage & Screen.
Katherine Stewart
Hello and welcome back to Stage & Screen.
Katherine Stewart
I'm your host Katherine Stewart and my guest today is Lauren Bone Noble who is our assistant professor of movement for the actor.
Katherine Stewart
You may remember Lauren from an earlier episode.
Katherine Stewart
We talked to her last year as.
Katherine Stewart
Both a new faculty member and the director of near far an incredible work of devised theatre that she and our students created together as part of our fall 2020 season.
Katherine Stewart
Today we're talking about an event called Dreaming Green, which will take place Friday, October 1st between 6:00 and 8:00 PM during the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Goodnight Market at the Old Armory Pavilion.
Katherine Stewart
This piece is part of the climate Change Theatre Action 2021, a global event in which more than 60 organizations around the world are using theater to draw attention to climate change. And we are one of them. So here's Lauren to tell us all about it.
Katherine Stewart
Good morning, Lauren.
Katherine Stewart
Thank you for joining me today.
Lauren Bone Noble
Welcome.
Katherine Stewart
So you are directing our department's first offering of this semester. This piece is called "Dreaming Green.” Can you tell us a little bit?
Katherine Stewart
About this show.
Lauren Bone Noble
Yes I can.
Lauren Bone Noble
And this event.
Lauren Bone Noble
Kind of came across.
Lauren Bone Noble
My radar this summer.
Lauren Bone Noble
Michael Barnett, our fearless leader and chair of the Department, sent out a notice.
Lauren Bone Noble
From a group.
Lauren Bone Noble
Called Climate change theater action an international event.
Lauren Bone Noble
Looking for participants to create.
Lauren Bone Noble
Theatrical events draw attention to climate change.
Lauren Bone Noble
And and I was all like, yeah.
Lauren Bone Noble
I'll participate in that.
Lauren Bone Noble
And and he's like, what do you want to do?
Is like I don't really know.
Lauren Bone Noble
Oh, so it became a conversation of what kind of thing might I like to make and.
Lauren Bone Noble
Peering with what kind of thing does department want?
To be.
Lauren Bone Noble
Made so it's always a negotiation of what you desire to do and what is possible.
Lauren Bone Noble
And it became a little bit of a project about.
Lauren Bone Noble
Working with the community, right.
Lauren Bone Noble
Improving our community relationships and outreach, and then you and I and our summer tour of spaces and places in our beautiful city of Oxford.
Lauren Bone Noble
And and worked out an agreement with Yahoo.
Lauren Bone Noble
Mustafa Arts Council to be a part of a themed good night market.
Lauren Bone Noble
So we will be performing our theater action.
Lauren Bone Noble
At the market, which I think is a really.
Lauren Bone Noble
Wonderful coming together of all these negotiations.
Lauren Bone Noble
So that we are doing something that really is an action more than a reading or presentation, but I'm excited about it.
Lauren Bone Noble
There's going to be puppets, man, who then like puppets.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, so this piece was originally conceived as a staged reading, and how yeah, now it is.
Lauren Bone Noble
Yeah girl.
Katherine Stewart
It is really the opposite of that what?
Oh yeah.
Katherine Stewart
What was the evolution of this idea?
Lauren Bone Noble
I don't know, man.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think it's very this conversation is very reminiscent of our conversation.
Lauren Bone Noble
Uhm, about last year.
Lauren Bone Noble
You know about near far that sort of I was like I volunteer.
Lauren Bone Noble
Suddenly I feel a little.
Lauren Bone Noble
Bit like I will you know, yeah.
Lauren Bone Noble
Volunteering myself for the reaping, no, I I I had no idea what I was going to make and then, uh, reading seemed like a really straightforward non.
Lauren Bone Noble
Production heavy way of sharing.
Lauren Bone Noble
These plays so private change theater action has curated 50 short plays and people who are participating can pick any of those as many or few as they want.
Lauren Bone Noble
They can make anything they want.
Lauren Bone Noble
And I thought, well, I'll pick like 15 or so of them and do a one hour reading and that will be really low tech but high impact.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then the folks at the Arts Council presented this notion of of us performing at the good night market, which is outside in the old Armory pavilion.
Lauren Bone Noble
And I thought we.
Lauren Bone Noble
Were going to be outside and there's going to be people milling around.
Lauren Bone Noble
We really don't need to do a reading 'cause that just just seems.
Lauren Bone Noble
Like a horrible idea, boring.
Lauren Bone Noble
And all that, all the interactive street theater I've ever done has had some visual element to it.
Lauren Bone Noble
Like something that says look at me.
Lauren Bone Noble
Look at us, we're doing something and draw this attention.
Lauren Bone Noble
So I thought.
Lauren Bone Noble
Pageant puppets?
Lauren Bone Noble
They're going to make giant pageant puppets, and I have a few wonderful student volunteers and we're.
Lauren Bone Noble
We're doing that and to draw focus and attention and make a visual element.
Lauren Bone Noble
Pieces that we're doing.
Lauren Bone Noble
And now we have two.
Lauren Bone Noble
From those 50.
Lauren Bone Noble
One called the Penguin and one called when.
Lauren Bone Noble
So yeah, so that was sort of the evolution of from doing a reading to doing something that's much more of an action and emerging organically out of the market itself.
Lauren Bone Noble
And I think I I'm I'm.
Lauren Bone Noble
I'm very excited about.
Lauren Bone Noble
It and also full of fear and trembling.
Katherine Stewart
So you mentioned that climate change theater action had presented.
Katherine Stewart
Or curated 50 climate inspired plays to choose from?
Katherine Stewart
How did you choose the two that you're going to?
Katherine Stewart
Be working with.
Lauren Bone Noble
I liked him best.
Lauren Bone Noble
The the.
Lauren Bone Noble
It's it was very selfish the the Penguin I think is this funny little.
Lauren Bone Noble
Kind of like fairy tale allegory.
Lauren Bone Noble
It's very Once Upon a time it's very narrated and I could see doing it in this.
Lauren Bone Noble
Kind of space environment.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then the other is more poetic.
Lauren Bone Noble
It's like a long.
Lauren Bone Noble
Poem and I also could imagine doing in this space.
Lauren Bone Noble
So some of it.
Lauren Bone Noble
Was that it seemed to fit the space?
Lauren Bone Noble
And this particular action, and some of it was just personal preference.
Lauren Bone Noble
I just liked these two.
Lauren Bone Noble
I thought the writing, and I think the writing in the Penguin is very clever and sort of ironic and.
Lauren Bone Noble
And also familiar in that.
Lauren Bone Noble
It has this.
Lauren Bone Noble
Fairy tale quality to it and the other one.
Lauren Bone Noble
That seemed to fit an outdoor space in which we don't have to follow storylines so much, but it's more it does the thing that poetry.
Lauren Bone Noble
Does so well.
Lauren Bone Noble
Just convey feel.
Lauren Bone Noble
In a condensed.
Lauren Bone Noble
With condensed verbiage.
Katherine Stewart
And you had mentioned Speaking of the puppets, one of them perhaps being a giant whale, perhaps.
Katherine Stewart
Are these are both of these plays?
Katherine Stewart
Ocean themed or?
Lauren Bone Noble
Well, the Penguin is yes, it's to do.
Lauren Bone Noble
With Penguins a Penguin.
Lauren Bone Noble
The other one is is not it.
Lauren Bone Noble
It does make reference to water, but I think for me when I think about.
Lauren Bone Noble
Climate change, I always think of the oceans.
Lauren Bone Noble
There's such an indicator of health or illness.
Lauren Bone Noble
And as you know, we can see.
Lauren Bone Noble
From the most recent hurricane that moves through here, I don't know about you, but all my friends around the country were like are you OK?
Lauren Bone Noble
Are you OK?
Lauren Bone Noble
Like we're fine if we still lived in New York, we would have gotten slapped.
Lauren Bone Noble
All my friends up in New York and New Jersey.
Lauren Bone Noble
They got hit really hard.
Lauren Bone Noble
By all that water all.
That way.
Lauren Bone Noble
You know, so I guess I just think of the.
Lauren Bone Noble
Oceans as an indicator of.
Lauren Bone Noble
Our climate, Wellness or disease and.
Lauren Bone Noble
Caring for it, tending to it and listening to it seems to be a good.
Lauren Bone Noble
Thing to do so well.
Lauren Bone Noble
Also, I think there's always a connection isn't there to this mammal that lives in the water?
Lauren Bone Noble
It's not a fish like us in some ways.
Lauren Bone Noble
There are such beautiful majestic creatures.
Lauren Bone Noble
They they travel in families.
Lauren Bone Noble
They're smart.
Lauren Bone Noble
And there always seemed to be connected to.
Lauren Bone Noble
Uhm, traditional cultures.
Lauren Bone Noble
Which also seemed.
Lauren Bone Noble
To be more connected to the earth than we.
Lauren Bone Noble
Or so all.
Lauren Bone Noble
For all those reasons, I picked a kind of companion motion theme to go.
Lauren Bone Noble
With those two.
Lauren Bone Noble
Uhm please.
Lauren Bone Noble
Also I just.
Lauren Bone Noble
Want to make a big ol whale?
Katherine Stewart
And and what about our students?
Katherine Stewart
How many students are involved in this, either as performers or you mentioned having some volunteers helping with the puppets?
Lauren Bone Noble
I have 3 puppet.
Lauren Bone Noble
Volunteers, very exciting.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think we're going to be making some garbage patch monsters.
Lauren Bone Noble
Soon and and then the cast is.
Lauren Bone Noble
Gosh, I just sent out an email early.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think we have a cast of eight.
Lauren Bone Noble
And uhm.
Lauren Bone Noble
And one assistant director.
Lauren Bone Noble
So we're we're a a tiny bit brave band and I'm very excited.
Lauren Bone Noble
They were.
Lauren Bone Noble
They were incredibly enthusiastic at the callback.
Lauren Bone Noble
I was so touched by their enthusiasts, enthusiasm and.
Lauren Bone Noble
Willingness to be a part of something like this.
Lauren Bone Noble
Which is new and unusual, and what is it?
I don't know.
Lauren Bone Noble
I'd find out together so I love those kinds of journeys.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, I know with near far the cast of that.
Katherine Stewart
All got to do something they had never done before and really valued that experience.
Katherine Stewart
What kind of opportunity does this show provide for them or or what do you hope they will gain from it?
Lauren Bone Noble
Several things on a.
Lauren Bone Noble
Kind of academic level, I think learning how to do interactive theater.
Lauren Bone Noble
It's a really great experience for young actors.
Lauren Bone Noble
We do a lot of sort of couch down center family dramas or the working class.
Lauren Bone Noble
As often scenes through.
Lauren Bone Noble
Straight plays and and so the opportunity to do something.
Lauren Bone Noble
Where there are.
Lauren Bone Noble
There's no proscenium, there's no walls.
Lauren Bone Noble
There's no lighting, there's no sound.
Lauren Bone Noble
There's people standing around, maybe they're talking.
Lauren Bone Noble
Well, it's very Shakespearean days in some ways, right?
Lauren Bone Noble
The Groundlings, so we want to.
Lauren Bone Noble
Have that experience of interactive theater.
Lauren Bone Noble
In a found space.
Lauren Bone Noble
Which I think is great for young actors.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then on a more global communal scale, the importance of.
Lauren Bone Noble
Using art too.
Lauren Bone Noble
Bring attention to.
Lauren Bone Noble
Marginalized peoples to injustice to social.
Lauren Bone Noble
Situations, environmental situations, whatever issues of import.
Lauren Bone Noble
And to know that you can do that, you have power.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think that's important for young actors too.
Lauren Bone Noble
They have that experience and feel that really in their bones that.
Lauren Bone Noble
That the work they do can matter.
Lauren Bone Noble
Right, it's not just actors get a bad rap man being super selfish and I, I think that that's not accurate.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think the best actors are actually really generous.
Lauren Bone Noble
People best actors I have ever worked with.
Lauren Bone Noble
Were incredibly generous on stage, so to be generous to give back.
Lauren Bone Noble
To give to your scene.
Lauren Bone Noble
Partner, yes, but to your community as well.
Lauren Bone Noble
That's what I hope will flow out of it.
Lauren Bone Noble
A feeling of.
Lauren Bone Noble
Of agency and also the experience of doing this different kind of theater outside of a traditional space.
Katherine Stewart
And then what about from an audience standpoint?
Katherine Stewart
Let's say you're just at the goodnight market on a Friday evening, and you're not expecting that this is going to happen.
Katherine Stewart
Or maybe you think something is going to happen, but you're not sure what it.
Katherine Stewart
Is what is the best way for?
Katherine Stewart
For people at just at the market to engage with this.
Lauren Bone Noble
Material it's always my thought.
Lauren Bone Noble
Like I answered this question, were any play I've ever directed, whether it's Shakespeare or you know like this.
Lauren Bone Noble
I always think I want people.
Lauren Bone Noble
To walk away, be.
Lauren Bone Noble
Like what was that you know, with enthusiasm like?
Lauren Bone Noble
That I've never seen anything like that before.
Lauren Bone Noble
I just love surprising people so the puppets are all about delight.
Lauren Bone Noble
I wanna draw focus.
Lauren Bone Noble
I want the audience to be delighted.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then I want.
Lauren Bone Noble
Them to walk.
Lauren Bone Noble
I want them to walk.
Lauren Bone Noble
Away thinking those puppets were incredible.
Lauren Bone Noble
I mean change is bad.
Lauren Bone Noble
Right like?
Lauren Bone Noble
What do I do?
Lauren Bone Noble
How do I contribute to?
Lauren Bone Noble
To climate change, how?
Lauren Bone Noble
How can I be a more responsible citizen on this planet?
Lauren Bone Noble
Like that's isn't that what we're always doing as artists or like drawing, reusing our our art to draw attention to things we think are worthwhile?
Lauren Bone Noble
Just have a look at this and it starts conversation and then hopefully.
Lauren Bone Noble
Conversation leads to.
Lauren Bone Noble
Behavior and action.
Lauren Bone Noble
I mean we can't fix it all with.
Lauren Bone Noble
2 short plays and a whale puppet, but.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think just drawing.
Lauren Bone Noble
Right, drawing attention, drawing attention, drawing attention.
Lauren Bone Noble
The more I think about it, the more I think.
Lauren Bone Noble
Wow, maybe I should.
Lauren Bone Noble
Roll my windows down and stop my car instead of running it for.
Lauren Bone Noble
An hour while I wait to pick up.
Lauren Bone Noble
My kid from.
Lauren Bone Noble
School every day.
Lauren Bone Noble
Maybe I should make the effort to take my recyclables to the recycling.
Lauren Bone Noble
Maybe I should just use less stuff.
Lauren Bone Noble
Maybe I should create less garbage.
Lauren Bone Noble
Maybe I should.
Lauren Bone Noble
Turn the lights off when.
Lauren Bone Noble
I leave my house instead of leaving them on all these choices that we.
Lauren Bone Noble
Make every day.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then maybe I should elect officials who are ready, willing and able to make choices.
Lauren Bone Noble
That will make change like how?
Lauren Bone Noble
What are the things that.
Lauren Bone Noble
I can do as an individual.
Lauren Bone Noble
So I think those are important.
Lauren Bone Noble
That answer your.
Katherine Stewart
Question absolutely absolutely did I'm I'm I'm excited for this I can't.
Katherine Stewart
Wait to see.
Katherine Stewart
How it goes, is there?
Lauren Bone Noble
You too.
Katherine Stewart
Anything else about this event that you would like to communicate?
Lauren Bone Noble
What would I like to communicate about this event?
Lauren Bone Noble
Well, I I like making things that.
Lauren Bone Noble
As I said, that are exciting and new.
Lauren Bone Noble
You that you feel like you haven't seen before and also that feel communal.
Lauren Bone Noble
That we're doing something together, which is why it's exciting that we're going to be at the good night.
Lauren Bone Noble
Market as opposed to in a theater where people are expecting a certain thing.
Lauren Bone Noble
I think there's always a sense of excitement when a theatrical event takes place in an unusual setting.
Lauren Bone Noble
Right?
Lauren Bone Noble
What's it going to be in that question?
Lauren Bone Noble
Is exciting I think, so I, I hope that.
Lauren Bone Noble
People will feel, especially after this full period.
Lauren Bone Noble
Of being isolated from one another.
Lauren Bone Noble
Just to feel the the energy of coming together, eating food, drinking drinks.
Lauren Bone Noble
Learning about.
Lauren Bone Noble
Uhm sustainability and then having a moment of entertainment and.
Lauren Bone Noble
Something beautiful, something funny.
Lauren Bone Noble
And something touching.
Lauren Bone Noble
Yeah, those few things I'm gonna write that down.
Lauren Bone Noble
Sure, that happens.
Katherine Stewart
Beautiful, funny and touching, yeah?
Lauren Bone Noble
Really literally ready right now.
Katherine Stewart
I I am literally writing it down.
I don't.
Lauren Bone Noble
Want to forget?
Lauren Bone Noble
I often find.
Lauren Bone Noble
That I have.
Lauren Bone Noble
When I'm running, like when I go for a run, I have ideas about things like, yeah, yeah Lauren, that's a great Oh my gosh and then I get back home and I drink some Gatorade and then I get distracted.
Lauren Bone Noble
And then an hour later, like.
Lauren Bone Noble
What was that?
Lauren Bone Noble
Oh no, it's gone.
Lauren Bone Noble
It's gone so.
Lauren Bone Noble
Write it down.
Lauren Bone Noble
Write it down.
Lauren Bone Noble
Write it down.
Katherine Stewart
Then you start carrying around a little recorder so you can just speak your notes to yourself.
Lauren Bone Noble
I do.
Katherine Stewart
Or I guess your phone might have, that's nothing.
Lauren Bone Noble
Or phone or I think.
Lauren Bone Noble
David Sedaris carries around a little like.
Lauren Bone Noble
Notebook that he drops down strange things.
Lauren Bone Noble
In it, yeah and.
Lauren Bone Noble
This is.
Lauren Bone Noble
This event will be October 1st Friday, October 1st, yes.
Lauren Bone Noble
From 6 to 8.
Katherine Stewart
From 6 to 8 Yep.
Lauren Bone Noble
Yeah, I'm I'm.
Lauren Bone Noble
Hoping we'll perform several times like rotate through.
Katherine Stewart
Well thank you again Lauren for visiting with me about this.
Katherine Stewart
It sounds very interesting.
Katherine Stewart
I'm very excited that this is the first thing we're doing this semester.
Lauren Bone Noble
Yes, thank you, Katherine for being so supportive.
Yeah, absolutely.
Katherine Stewart
Of course, of course alright well, good luck with the puppets and I look forward to seeing them soon.
Lauren Bone Noble
You want to see him now.
Lauren Bone Noble
They're in my hallway.
Lauren Bone Noble
Taking up a lot of space.
Katherine Stewart
Alright, OK.
Katherine Stewart
Maybe I'll snap a picture and add it to the show notes.
Katherine Stewart
Alright, thank you Lauren again. That was Lauren Bone Noble professor and director of Dreaming Green our part in Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 which is taking place Friday, October 1st from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the old Armory Pavill.
Katherine Stewart
And to learn more about this event, please check out the show notes.
Katherine Stewart
There are links to info about this, as well as several other things.
Katherine Stewart
Lauren and I talked about. If you're in or near Oxford, we hope to see you at the event and until next time this is Stage & Screen.