ABOUT THE PROJECT
Rehearsing Failure (originally titled Brecht's Brain) is a multi-disciplinary work, concieved by Lisa Channer (Artistic Director of Theatre Novi Most) and co-created with Annie Enneking (composer; former McKnight fellow) and Cory Hinkle (playwright; current McKnight playwriting fellow). The piece will be performed by Barbra Berlovitz (Theatre de la Jeune Lune), Pearce Bunting (Ten Thousand Things Theatre, Open Eye Figure Theater), Billy Mullaney (1419 Artists' Collective) and Sara Richardson (Buzzer at the Guthrie).
It is a fusion of historical research about Brecht and his female collaborators, as well as an investigation of power and what it means to collaborate in the theatre.
The piece is part rock-concert, part performance art, part naturalistic psycho-drama and a historical mash-up of Brecht's final rehearsals of his play, GALILEO, his testimony before HUAC, and his relationships with his female collaborators.
With only microphones, phonographs, and ancient film projectors, an ensemble of actors and musicians use the techniques of Epic Theatre to deconstruct Brecht.
The piece is inspired by the historical truth that Brecht's "women," Ruth Berlau, Elizabeth Hauptmann and Helene Weigel were just as (if not in some cases more) responsible for what has become known as "Brechtian." Our piece is an expoloration of that legacy of history, the legacy of Brecht, and an attempt to create a "Brechtian" examination of Brecht.
The piece has been previously developed with the support of a grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters/Playwrights' Center and time and space at the Tofte Lake Center. As an ensemble, we will co-create this show in April and May 2013. Then in June, we will stage Rehearsing Failure for four performances as a part of Red Eye Theater's Isolated Acts Festival.
WHY WE NEED FUNDS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
In order to realize this world premiere, we need $3,500.
This money will be used almost entirely to pay for artist fees.
Every $9 will be used to pay an actor for one hour of rehearsal to co-create Rehearsing Failure. If we raise more than this amount, we will be able to realize more in the way of design. If we overfund we will have the money to hire a design consultant who can help us realize ambitious ideas that we have for video, and set.
Thank you so much for considering to fund Rehearsing Failure and we hope to see you at the Red Eye Theater, June 20-23, 2013.
