We knew Ellen was a We Player when she drove all the way from Florida and slept in a barn to help us with Romeo and Juliet last summer! We're so glad she's back in action for BEOWULF. We are so grateful to our crew; their work doesn't always get as much attention but it is absolutely necessary to the show! Here are some insights from Ellen:
Describe your experience of this collaborative process. How is it similar or different from past projects/ experiences?
Ellen Boener: I have been a part of collaborative processes before in school but this was my first experience working alongside professionals to devise an original script. It was fascinating to see where techniques differed or meshed. The “games” used to generate material are similar across the board. It’s always about putting things on their feet with a set of basic rules (mirroring, repetition, word games, etc.). Having an outside eye let me deconstruct the evolution of the piece and track ideas that grew or dissipated. The biggest difference was the amount of record keeping we did during the rehearsal process. Nearly every iteration of the scenes were captured on video and notated.
Describe Beowulf in four words.
Ellen Boener: Everything falls. Honor optional.
Share a funny or memorable moment, anecdote, or quote from the process thus far.
Ellen Boener: I often like to award arbitrary points to the BEOWULF collaborators. Steve Adams once got 20 points for playing the Jeopardy Theme while waiting for a cue!
Check back to learn more about our other collaborators, join us on Saturday or Sunday at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park for BEOWULF's opening weekend!
http://www.weplayers.org/beowulf-2017