Hippy's Update

While the Open Dream Ensemble cast is getting some well-deserved time off during these next few days, an update from actress Lauren Culpepper came in. Lauren underwent hip surgery on Tuesday. Here, in her own words, is how things are going...



Hello guys!
I hope you all are enjoying your much needed break this week...although I know that most of you are working extremely hard on your own projects. anyway, at the lovely Peter Shanahan's request, I am sending out a little "update" as to how I'm doing.
Surgery went well overall. The surgeon did everything he had hoped to do which including "trimming" down bone, removing cysts, inflamation, infection, repairing tears on the top and bottom of the labrum, etc. whew! Sounds like a lot but he acted like it was a normal routine to have all of that going on in this type of injury. I stayed in the hospital for a day and had a sweet 4 hour visit from Steve Davis : )...who doesn't love him?! He brought me a pickle lapel pin.
I was discharged yesterday with about 9 different prescriptions and sooo much instructions as to what I can/cant' do. Apparently this surgery is more meticulous than an entire hip replacement because I have to move in a very specific way as to not use my hip flexors. I can only put "20 lbs" on my left leg when I walk with crutches...(how I am supposed to measure 20 lbs I have NO idea..) The hardest part, I think is whats ahead with rehab. So far, I can't do anything by myself...I can't bathe, dress, get in the car, blah blah blah by myself. Mom has to wait on me hand and foot, literally, to make sure that I don't use certain muscles in my leg. I also have to wear white compression tights that go all the way up to my thighs every second of the day for a month....so sexy. The dog, Jesse, thinks all my new contraptions are the coolest thing but I'm able to succesfully protect myself from him by threatening to whack him with my spider crutches and hip brace. : ) I've been on lots of pain meds which I have recently refused to take as often because they make me feel like a zombie.
I am supposed to be on crutches for the next four weeks, but they're also telling me that this healing process is a speedy one...as in, hopefully I will be able to use the bicycle by next week!
Anyway, Thank you all so very much for your thoughts and well wishes...I can't tell you how MUCH it means to me. This is a huge challenge for me--all I love to do is take care of other people, and now I have to be completely dependent on someone else. But I will progress!!! And soon enough I'll be back with you guys.
Love you all...Haydee, Dia, Peter, Joshua, Brian, KJ, James, Rose, and Rebecca who are all working SO HARD to keep ODE alive without me...you rock my compression tights OFF!!

How did Lenior go??? Please don't forget about me here in SC and update me on everything whenever you can!!!
lots and lots and lots and lots of love,

Lauren

Until Next Month ....

This following post is from Lauren Culppeper. Lauren, a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama, will be taking some time away from Open Dream Ensemble in the next weeks as she undergoes surgery and physical therapy. She writes more about this below....

This past week was definitely an eventful week! It felt like we were in the van for the majority of the time. Regardless, I wanted to soak in as much as I could because unfortunately I am going to have to undergo hip surgery next week, taking me away from the company for the month of November. This is truly an unfortunate occurrence that we all wish was not happening, but everyone has been incredibly kind and willing to help keep Open Dream moving along smoothly in my absence. The GOOD NEWS in all of this is we will have Haydee Thompson returning to the cast in my place! Haydee has been a member of the Open Dream Ensemble in years past and is very talented AND I hear that she's also a wonderful teaching artist as well. She is going to be replacing me in Dream Machines as Katherine Wright, and in Peril, Dia will be playing Diana and Haydee will be playing Dia's role of Demeter. Yesterday we had a brief rehearsal to make these changes and Haydee was able to easily make this transition...cause she's a pro! The cast and myself are so thrilled to have her on board, and I'm just jealous because I'll be stuck in rehab next month instead of getting to know her better!
So...hopefully the surgery will go as smoothly as we hope and I will be happily back in the game in December!!

Lights, Dog, and Home

This post is from the talented and very capable Brian Sutow. Brian is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama and a first-year Open Dreamer. Last night the cast returned from a week on the road that included stops in Florida and South Carolina.


What a week it has been! Tuesday we performed Peril on the Red Planet for approximately 2,200 fifth graders in Panama City, Florida. I think that is the largest (though not if you are counting by a cumulative group age) audience I have ever performed for. The show went quite well, and the kids really seemed to enjoy themselves. One scary moment occurred when the lights shut completely off during our first major set transition. We were supposed to have some red lights on stage to help us see as we maneuvered many heavy (and potentially dangerous) set pieces around the stage. Fortunately, we have been performing this show long enough to literally be able to do these transitions with our eyes closed...well, almost. Joshua found the dangerous set change to be so hilariously adventurous that he couldn't help but giggle as he finished his final move. Well, never being sure of what will happen next is one of the joys of live theater - it certainly keeps you on your toes. I do feel lucky to have an ensemble that works so hard to keep each other safe and happy regardless of the difficulties that come from setting this show up in so many incredibly different situations and environments.

Lauren's parents, David and Lisa, were nice enough to house us all when we were in South Carolina later in the week. I think everyone was grateful to have a delicious home cooked meal, as well as some attention from the family dog. We are all very grateful for their help and support.

I'm also grateful to be able to sleep in my own bed for a couple of nights. My memory foam mattress is just a wee little bit better than the beds at "The Buccaneer Motel."

Out and About

This post is from the marvelous Peter Shanahan. A graduate of the UNCSA School of Music, Peter is a second-year Open Dream Ensemble cast member. His fluting, singing, dancing, and acting skills are well utilized in both Open Dream productions. His navigating skills are well utilized when on tour....

One of the very best things about being in the Open Dream Ensemble is that we travel to many very interesting and beautiful places. I think I found a slice of heaven in Savannah, Georgia this week! If you haven't gone there, I would highly recommend it. Spanish moss is hanging from the many old trees, and the parks and monuments that decorate the city are very special. Everyone seemed to be riding bikes, going on long walks, or having a picnic in the park. That was on a Wednesday during the day!

Another stop for us was Panama City, Florida. Our hotel was right on the bay and there was a mini-private beach for us to get our feet wet. Nobody seemed up for a swim after they noticed the large oil storage tanks next door. Although, I did see some fish swimming happily in the water.

With the many, many long days we have with Open Dream it is so wonderful to be spending time with great people in gorgeous surroundings. Where to next???

Peril on the Red Planet Images

Some photos from Peril on the Red Planet.

Aulander, post 3

This post is from Dia Dearstyne (pictured as the yellow guard robot in Peril on the Red Planet). Dia is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Dance and a first year Open Dream Ensemble member. She is currently working diligently to learn the role of Diana in Peril which she will take over on November 2. -- But more on that in a later post.... For now, here is the most recent news from Aulander Elementary School in Bertie County, NC.

Right now, Peter and I are hanging out in the teacher's lounge of Aulander Elementary School in Bertie county, getting prepared for our last day's work. We just finished creating the costumes that go along with the most original machine we've helped build to date. The "Graduate from College Machine"! It's amazing how far a little construction paper, tape, and imagination can go.

This school is the smallest we've worked with in Residency this season and it's really been a treat. Not only is it slightly easier to manage a classroom of 14 vs. the 27 we've encountered at other schools, but it allows us as teaching artists to really connect on a different level. And at a school like Aulander where "Dream Machines" and "Peril on the Red Planet" are the first live theatre they've ever seen, that connection is really important.

This school has a really lovely set of teachers and staff. Included in that is their AWESOME dance teacher. Mrs. Joy Fipps is such a sweet little ball of energy and has gone out of her way to make sure the ODE cast has everything they need. She has even made us coffee every morning! (Thank you!!!!)

I know my ODE family and I have learned a lot this week from our experience here and I'm looking forward to seeing the debut performances of the students of Aulander Elementary School this afternoon!

Aulander, post 2

This post is from actress Lauren Culpepper. Lauren is pictured in the role of Diana in Peril on the Red Planet.

This week are in residency at Aulander Elementary School. I think this is one of the smallest towns I've ever been in. I was initially taken aback by the environment and level of poverty that I know these children live in, but I was amazed at how well behaved the kids were. It was clear doing Peril that the kids had not had a lot of exposure to live performances. And we heard through one of the teachers that the kids had been asking what "drama" was and how they could do drama. We asked them in class what the difference was between a play and a TV show or movie and quickly realized that we had to explain the difference to them. It was so beautiful to see how quickly they opened up and adapted to the things we were sharing with and teaching them throughout the week. I really felt like I grew very close to these kids and I wish we could stay longer at this school more than any other school we've been at so far because I think it's schools like these that Open Dream Ensemble needs to be doing residencies at. The kids are actually pretty comfortable moving because they have an amazing and passionate dance teacher! Mrs. Fipps has been incredibly helpful and kind to us throughout the week. Not only was she welcoming and supportive of the work we were doing with the students, but she ALWAYS participated, while also keeping a watchful eye on the kids and giving specific attention where it was needed. I think that the work we are doing with the students will really help the work that she's doing with them on a daily basis...over just this past week, we've seen them become much more comfortable with their own individuality and creativity and truly understanding what teamwork is.
I'm so glad to have had this week to spend with Aulander Elementary. I really believe in the kids and this school and the work that Mrs. Fipps is doing with them and I hope that ODE can return next year and for years to come.

Rewarding Residencies

This post is from the multi-faceted James Stewart. In addition to being a third-year Open Dream Ensemble member, James is a composer (yes, he wrote the music for Peril and along with Joshua Morgan team-wrote the music of Dream Machines), music minister, carpenter and daddy. (James is in the far right of the photo holding a sign stating "MARS").

Five days in Bertie county
Four groups of teaching artists from the Open Dream Ensemble
Three shows for the students, teachers, and communities
Two classes of amazing kids
One "informance" (informal - performance) that the students will share with each other on Friday afternoon.

The countdown is on and we are having a wonderful time at Aulander Elementary School in Bertie County, North Carolina this week.
This is the fourth week of residency work we've done so far this season and I have to say it is always a rewarding experience: to come into a new school, a new environment, to share our talents and then to spend time in the classroom having the students share their talents with us.
I am always impressed, always enriched, always rewarded.

Bertie County Residency

As this is being written, the cast is hard at work getting the set up and walking through Dream Machines. Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. we will perform for the students of Aulander Elementary School in Bertie County.

One of the reasons this will be an interesting show is that Rose Shields will be playing the role of Katharine Wright rather than Lauren Culpepper. Lauren will take back her role later this week in the community performance. This should give the students an interesting point of comparison.

For now, we will soon sit down for some supper and belated birthday cake (Peter and James). We'll enjoy some conversation, listen to some stories, and hope to get some good rest before tomorrow arrives.

We look forward to out time at Aulander and will keep everyone posted throughout the week.

Shuford Elementary 3-day Residency

Today Open Dream Ensemble completed a three-day residency at Shuford Elementary School in Conover, NC.

The three days were pretty intense for the cast and included two performances, 30 classes, and one staff development session.

Needless to say, the students at Shuford are creative and fun, the teachers are supportive and helpful, and the principal is an enthusiastic proponent of the arts. Shuford has a lot of good things happening!!!!

I would also like to thank the cafeteria staff for being so accommodating to the many vegetarians in the cast.

Thanks Shuford for a great three days and I hope that we will return in seasons to come!

Also, thanks to the NC School of the Arts Fund for Catawba County Endowment for giving financial support for a portion of this residency.

Photo by Martin Tucker. Guard-Robot scene from Peril on the Red Planet

Joshua's World

This post is from the energetic and thin (yes, really!) Joshua Morgan. This is Joshua's first season with Open Dream Ensemble. He is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama.

We've just started up our third week of residency work. The kids are so appreciative of the work we're doing with them. They love these shows and have been more than willing to dive into all of the explorations we're asking them to participate in.

With that said, there were these two girls in this fourth grade class the other day who had raised their hands to be "musicians". Note...they rose their hands to be "musicians". They spent the entire 15 minutes we had as a small group complaining about how they wanted to be with the "dancers". They made snide comment after snide comment and completely shut down the other kids in the group. They said one too many things and I told them to get out and go with the dancers. I'm sure I was pointed because I was angry so they backed down and were relatively quiet for the rest of the class. I felt bad but I was more upset that they were ruining the experience for everyone else. I'm not one who deals well with a complete lack of respect for other people. It doesn't matter who you are...if you're demeaning an experience or someone, you shouldn't get any respect back. I just wonder to what extent we're allowed to put these kids in their place if they get out of line. I suppose it should be the teachers responsibility but they're not always around if they're working another group. Anywho, to make a long story short, I beat them. Just kidding! We've done three performances already this week and all have gone well. Oh! Except for the fact that Orville's shirt wasn't packed yesterday so I had to wear fellow ODE member Peter Shanahan's button down in place of it. I actually liked it better... Alright. Talk soon.

White Oak Elementary 3: The Beach, Birthdays, and A Beautiful Performance!

This post is from the vivacious and talented Dia Dearstyne. This is Dia's first season with Open Dream Ensemble. She graduated from the UNCSA School of Dance in the spring. The photos are from Dia -- lending her expert eye as her students prepare an informance and appearing with the cast.



Well, where to begin?
Our week at White Oak Elementary School in Carteret County was such a lovely experience! Mr. Peter and I had the great pleasure of working with 4 different classes, all of whom were smart and enthusiastic. It never ceases to amaze me what goes on in the minds of children...how free and unlimited their dreams are. We heard about how they wanted to be anything from a Marine Biologist, to a Broadway Star! From wanting to be "Buff", to wanting to be the wheel of a car! And there were so many more. Such minds! The highlight of this residency for me was getting the whole school into the gym to share what each class had worked so hard on all week. All those different machines! And to see each and every person working as a team...that's what it's all about. Bravo WOES!
On top of getting to work in such a cool school, we were are the BEACH! This is a challenging job, but who can complain when you're floating around in that sweet salty water? It was a great bonus to end a day taking pictures in the sunset and walking on the pier.
Did anyone mention we also had 2 birthdays on this trip? Peter and James both turned another year older! We celebrated by taking them to dinner on Thursday night. You guys should have seen how huge the portions were at this Italian restaurant! Most of us had to share :)
It's been nice to have a couple days off after all that excitement. I spent them doing random errands, getting a much needed massage, and stocking up on yarn so I can start knitting some scarves for my family back in NY! Tomorrow we get back on the road. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Until then...keep dreaming!
Dia D.

White Oak Elementary 2

This post is from second-year Open Dream Ensemble member and dancer, Kjerstin Lysne. In addition to her work with Open Dream, Kjerstin has busied herself with the lead role of a series pilot. Just back from a week at White Oak Elementary School, Kjerstin is having a quite weekend and wrote the following reflection.

What a week! A very busy, challenging week, but I can't imagine a better place in which we could have spent it. We just returned from a residency in Cape Carteret, where we were put up on Emerald Isle, almost directly on the beach. So when we weren't performing, teaching, or planning, I was soaking up the sun, swimming in the ocean, walking on the beach.
Other highlights of the week: Peter's birthday, James' birthday (happy birthday once again, boys!), and yesterday, our last day at White Oak Elementary School, which has served as reminder of the positive impact we are having on the young lives with whom we come into contact. If ever I doubt this again, I can just look at the seashells and the bag full of thank you notes and pictures given me by Mrs. Benson's 3rd grade class to remind myself again. Thank you to all the students and teachers of WOES for making this past week so wonderful!