Stage & Screen

Lauren Bone Noble on Dreaming Green, our Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 Event

Episode Summary

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.

Episode Notes

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

 

 

 

 

Episode Transcription

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.