Workshopping A Little Creation : a scenographic approach to theatre for young audiences, oral tradition and the concrete indian

• Main Author: Vanessa, Imeson Lynne
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43081

This thesis describes the production of A Little Creation, a play that I wrote and developed, which took place on the Frederic Wood stage during November 2011. The intent was to workshop my original script as a dramatic piece and explore its theatrical and visual elements. It was initially planned for the black box space of the Dorothy Somerset Studio on the University of British Columbia Campus, but was shifted to the Frederic Wood Theatre main stage. This shift to a much larger venue meant an increase in production scale and technical possibilities; the production literally grew to fit the space. The workshop production ran for three evening performances and one matinee during the week of November 24th until the 26th, 2011. Advisors for the project were Professor Alison Green, Professor Dory Nason, Professor Ron Fedoruk and Melody Anderson. The workshop consisted of a staged realization of my script in progress of the same title where I functioned as playwright, puppet designer and developer, as well as costume and set designer. In collaboration with Director Patrick New, UBC MFA candidate in Direction, Stage Manager Ashley Noyes, Designers Gua Khee Chong (Sound), Emily Hartig (Lighting), Jon Tsang (Lighting Supervisor), Brady Villadsen (Projections) Carolyn Rapanos (Graffiti and Head painter), and Actors Nyla Carpentier, Alex Carr, Meaghan Chenosky, Laura Fukumoto, David Kaye, Ashley McAllister and Lisa Smith, the workshop was intended to explore my creative process as an Indigenous person and artist alike, and to create a theatrical piece that I wanted to design rather than design a director’s vision; which is often the case. This thesis is a description of that workshop process concluding in an evaluation of the workshop and its effect on my creative process.