DoMA / at HoME Theatre Performance
In summer of 2010, I had the honor to cooperate with an English-speaking
theatre group, HoME, that creates and performs site-specific theatre
in Prague. As the name implies, they perform in people’s homes.
In this case, they temporarily took over my studio and my roommate’s
adjacent spaces in a performance called Hunger. The performance was
then recreated for three nights at the Alfred ve dvore theatre in Prague.
 About the Project
“DoMA
/ at HoME changes format in response to the different spaces it encounters
and the people who live there. … The team intensely
researches the space and its inhabitants for several days. Then
they prepare an hour-long performance about the nature of the space
and
the lives of the people who live in it, using a combination of
prepared material that adapts to fit the space, completely new material
based
on the apartment and people living in it, and improvisation. The
objects, colors, smells, books, and floor-plans, together with events
from the
hosts' lives become the language of the performance.”
The DoMA/ at HoME project won the Next Wave award for “Project/Performance
of the Year” in alternative theatre in the Czech Republic
in 2006.
The Experience
Everything listed in the project-description above actually happened.
The actors came to talk to us and drew inspiration from the space
itself and from how we used it. At the time, we ran the Artist’s
Way courses there, so this became one of the major themes of
the segment
that took place in my work-space, as well as my flower-photographs
and other objects they found in the room. Even our cat had a
part, simply refusing to leave her favorite spot just because
of a performance.
Simply being around this group was amazing - seeing them all
work together in absolute discipline, yet supporting each other’s
free thinking and ideas. Hats-off to the man behind this project,
director, actor
and acting teacher Howard Lotker, who has both a sense of direction
and great sense of humor. Likewise Phillip Schenker and Chip
Persons, who mainly acted the other parts of the play. These
guys are not just
great professionals, but a riot to be around.
 My Alter-Ego
I spent a great deal of time with Mexican dancer, choreographer
and actress Cristina Maldonaldo, who thoroughly “researched me.” Initially,
Cristina was concerned about how differently we appear, until
I told her that I always had self-image of me that looked very
different,
possibly Italian, with dark complexion and black hair. We realized
that she would not represent me as a person, but rather as
my alter-ego, my inner-self.
It was also very fitting that she represented me through dance.
Dance is the one form of expression I cannot use professionally
because
I lack training, but for me it’s more natural than writing
or design. As we developed our vision, things began to unfold
and fall into place
with almost mystical speed, circumstances connecting, symbols
appearing. She ended up dancing in my blue wedding-dress which
her fit perfectly,
despite our size difference.
 The Symbolism
I’m not sure the audience picked up on the myriad of symbols
and gestures within the performance, but for me it was just amazing.
Cristina choreographed a small segment where she and I mirrored each
other’s movements. Then I literally watched my inner-self dance
in front of me, in my wedding dress, shedding a blonde wig halfway
through the performance to reveal black curls, making fans of the peacock
feathers I was “accidentally” given a few months
earlier.
Actor Chip Persons then introduced another line of
the performance
with quotes and thoughts on creativity. Picking up on the flower
idea, he then “watered” the audience members from
our old rusty watering can, somehow symbolically spreading
good vibes. At the end,
we said goodbye to our audience by letting them randomly pick
cards with quotes about art and creativity. Something small
to take home
and remember. I certainly will. Thank you all!
- The at HoME group gathers and performs quite randomly, so if
you hear of an upcoming show, you certainly want to see
it. Wherever it will
be, it’s bound to be fun. More at http://divadlohome.net
- Cristina Maldonaldo occasionally comes back to the Czech
Republic for performances and she runs very interesting
dance workshops,
called Kinergia http://kinergiamethod.com/
- The Alfred ve dvore (Alfred in the Courtyard) theater English website:
http://www.alfredvedvore.cz/en/
Photos from the Original Performance
Photos courtesy of Dragan Dragin © 2010
Photos from Performances in Alfred ve Dvore Theatre
Photos courtesy of Vladimír Burian © 2010
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