This is a reflection on what it was like to be a performer in our latest production #Crossing by Performance Ensemble Member, Margaret Bending
Monday, February 10th was the first day of the rehearsal period for the Performance Ensemble’s production “Crossing”, and it came as a bit of a jolt. We had spent the previous few months working together for a couple of hours every Friday, sometimes with slow walking, more often starting with T’ai Chi with Barney, whose calm, gentle voice would enfold us all as she led us through the opening movements. There would be dancing with Tammy, or working on ideas with Barney, or an occasional session with Chris and a new song. But this was different. Joined by the trained performers of the ensemble, and with a performance only days away, everything suddenly moved up a few gears. We continued to work on the group pieces, but people also went off separately to work on individual stories and smaller group pieces. It seemed disjointed and unclear as to how everything would fit together. Perhaps, down whatever route life had taken each of us, we as individuals were not used to, or comfortable with, not being in control of what was going on around us. Not knowing how it was all going to come together.
Come together it did, and the comments I got from the audience were that it was a very powerful, very moving piece of work. But it was more than that. It brought together a group of people from widely different backgrounds with widely different experiences, and forged a bond where none of that was relevant. There was a place for everyone. I hope that that is a message the audience took as well. Everyone helped everyone else. Everyone listened to each other. I watched “Love Stories” streaming from ChapelFM on Valentine’s Day, and couldn’t stop the tears as Mike talked about Helen. Different tears fell as I sat on the stage and listened to Peter. I heard a whisper from Alex in the dance, encouraging me to go for it, enjoy it. In the end, I don’t think I was performing for the audience: I was performing for the Ensemble.
