We are now entering our fourth week of rehearsals for our performance ethnography adaptation of Lynn Hutchinson Lee’s short story, the morning i died i flew over the tobacco fields. As we are not working with a standard performance script, as a collective we are working on interpreting the text; translating it into a more theatrical form. As is the nature with devised creation, we are currently working within a space of experimentation, play, and questioning. The world constructed for us by Lynn has provided us with a strong foundation – a jumping off point for us to begin constructing this performative work. A number of significant themes have emerged from our first few rehearsals and are informing  the ways in which our two primary characters May (Leanne Hoffman) and Missus Quince (Sadie Wells Liddy) are interacting on stage. Specifically, we are exploring movement and body language as forms of communication, noting the ways in which bodies may tell the truth in ways that words do not.  We are playing with dynamics of power, exploring sources of vulnerability and strength, while drawing attention to how quickly these dynamics can shift between people.

As the rehearsal process continues, we will continue confronting and challenging our assumptions of difference, class, culture, and womanhood.