Why Us?
Night Light, devised by Claire Ruberg and Julia Wergeles is a movement piece that explores the idea of "sister relationships." Julia and Claire both grew up with older sisters, and yet they both had completely different experiences. When discussing their sisters while working on a class assignment, the two realized that they believe that relationships with your siblings are the most important and longest relationships of your life. While growing up with siblings, children learn empathy, social skills, and companionship. Even though Claire and Julia, grew up in different environments, they both connected on the love and gratitude that they feel for their sisters. After these discussions of sharing childhood memories, the two became curious about what necessarily makes a person someone's "sister", other than biology? This movement piece is based on their research and personal experiences with that very question. What can we experience with our sisters and no one else? Why are there some secrets that we can only tell our sisters in the middle of the night? Claire and Julia hope that this movement piece serves as a reminder for their audience to call their sister.
Claire and Julia are both third year BFA acting majors at UCSB. They performed last year in Particle Collider: An hour of artists’ devised playlets curated by Daniel Stein. Daniel Stein, who is mentoring this project, is a movement professor at UCSB.
What is a Movement Piece, and Why Choose that Medium?
A movement piece is a performance that tells a story without having a written script that is set in stone. While we are in the Bachelor in Fine Arts Acting major at UC Santa Barbara, a movement class in every quarter is required. There we learn what is called "Movement for the Actor" through articulation and partnering. We chose this because using the route of a movement piece gives us a sense of unlimited freedom when storytelling. We feel the most comfortable when we are moving and connecting.
Our Fundraising Plans
Our goal for this fundraiser is to raise $750! We will be using this money to go straight to our designers. They will use this money to build our set, which consists of two beds and a dresser. Beyond what will be built, money will be spent on other set dressings including rugs, posters, stuffed animals, and everything else you may find in your bedroom at home. Additionally, our furniture will provide more than normal functions for our movements. Our overall goal is to transform our stage into a childhood bedroom from the early 2000s!