Open Dream Ensemble

Residency Assesment Report

2012-01-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

This post is from Open Dream Ensemble's General Manager, Rebecca Nussbaum.

It’s January in North Carolina so rather than snow, we are getting grey, drippy days. These are good days for thinking and reflecting as Open Dream Ensemble gears up for an eighth season. And, as if on cue this drippy day, the final report on our residency work arrived!

One new element to Season Seven was having an outside evaluator assess our residency work. Why? Because we wanted to better understand what happens over the course of a residency and some of the whys and hows of it. In order to improve, it becomes, at some point, necessary to see what is happening through neutral eyes trained to look at and understand the goings-on.

Open Dream Ensemble Residencies include integration that connects to the essential standards in science and the performing arts. Activities are created that incorporate arts and science concepts. Each day of the residency the Open Dream artists (teamed in pairs of two, mixed by gender and primary art form where possible) go into classrooms and work with elementary students on understanding science through active arts participation.

We undertook an evaluation that would look at three prongs of the residency. The first was looking at student learning and perceived knowledge as well as their attitudes about science and theater arts. The second was looking at classroom teacher reaction to the residency work. The third, was trying to understand the impact of working in a residency situation on the artist of Open Dream Ensemble.

Having a better understanding of all these elements allows for improved residency work on all three fronts. I m learning a great deal from the report and appreciate having more information as plans for teaching artist training and residency structure are considered for the upcoming season.

Included below are the preface and Executive Summary from the report. I do want to thank Debbie Randolph for her great, through, thoughtful and thought-provoking work on this assessment! I will be spending many of my quite January hours in reflection on how to improve the important work Open Dream Ensemble does in the schools of North Carolina.

PREFACE
This evaluation of the Open Dream Ensemble is an important contribution to our understanding of the roles of the arts in learning content in other disciplines. There are simply too few studies of arts integration efforts for us to know what works best and how. This evaluation shows the success of the program in achieving its goals for student learning and in having positive effects on both the artists and the teachers. It also does so for an art form that has not had systemic study as a form of arts integration. The fact that an ensemble art form generated these effects is a testimony to the promise of this approach to arts integration. It is also notable that Open Dream Ensemble built an evaluation into its efforts. Open Dream now knows more about its work but as importantly Open Dream Ensemble also has something to say more broadly because it sought a rigorous evaluation. Open Dream Ensemble has proven itself and challenges other arts integration efforts to do likewise. This challenge needs to be met. We can thank the UNC School for the Arts and the Open Dream Ensemble for issuing it.

George W. Noblit. Joseph R. Neikirk Distinguished Professor of Sociology of Education, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Students: To reach students through the arts and enliven science learning. MET IN ALL SCHOOLS
Artists: To help professional artists build skills as teaching artists and impart an enthusiasm for the arts and learning on the schools where they work. MET IN ALL SCHOOLS
Teachers: To help teachers recognize that there are ways to integrate the arts into curriculum in order to make learning deeper and more active. MET IN MOST SCHOOLS

Students
1200 Students served by residencies
+35 Average point increase in 3rd grade science vocab quiz mean score
77% Teachers who agreed that students increased their interest in science because of the residency

Artists
Working across art forms increased knowledge, confidence and risk taking
Demanding pace, intellectual rigor prepared artists for careers
Collaboration provided opportunities to negotiate relationships

Teachers
92% Teachers who agreed the residencies were successful
Teachers learned strategies for integrating the arts and science
81% Teachers who plan to extend ideas generated through residencies into the classroom

Endless Possibilities

2011-11-23T08:56:00.004-05:00

This post from the wonderful William vonReichbauer. William is pictured here during our reading of Big Shoes -- a new original show Open Dream Ensemble will present next season.

Season seven of the Open Dream Ensemble came to a close on Friday with an energetic and emotional performance of "Peril on the Red Planet" at Clemmons Middle School. Not only was Friday's performance the final performance of season seven, but as this is the last season that ODE is presenting this show, it was likely the final performance of "Peril."

This season has been an intense whirlwind of rehearsing, filming, performing, and teaching. It is hard to believe that three and a half months have passed by so quickly and that we managed to pack in so much. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this amazing cast and to bring live theater and arts based education to so many students across the state. I was continuously inspired by my fellow cast members who never ceased to amaze me with the dedication and creativity they brought to their work both in the classroom and on the stage.

Just as Diana, Tristan, Demeter, and Dr. Ember begin the next chapter of their lives on a now-habitable Mars, so do we, the cast, begin the next chapters of our lives. Some of us will no doubt work with one another again and a few of us will probably return for another season with the Open Dream Ensemble, but many of us will go our separate ways and pursue our own goals and dreams. "Peril on the Red Planet" ends with Tristan's line, "Now the future holds endless possibilities." Let's hope so.

The Adventure Continues

2011-11-21T15:16:00.002-05:00

This post is from Martian Cop, Adrian Knowels. A graduate of UNCSA School of Drama, Adrian is slated for a move to the chilly North which we hope will give him lots of warmth, roles, and wonder. Thanks, Adrian, for your work with Open Dream this season and keep in touch!

Well Open Dream has come to a close. Two days ago, we rocked our final show, loaded the set back into storage, and had a sweet lunch party provided for us by the Kenan Institute. Gosh, now what? I have quite a bit of money saved up (thanks to our hefty paychecks) which I'll live on for a month or two when I move to Chicago in January. Then it's life, I guess. I'll probably have to get a job in a restaurant or working as an usher in a theatre. Man, I'd love to continue working as an actor, but survival comes first. I truly loved Open Dream because I got work in the field I studied. I got to live as a professional actor. I'm still a professional actor, albeit an unemployed one. But that's ok. I'm going home for the holidays to spend time with family before I make the biggest move of my life. I've never lived in a city before. I've never even visited Chicago. But WOOO-HOO!! Time to grow up and figure out what this whole adult thing is all about. Thank you Open Dream for the being the springboard to my career! Stay strong.

Occupy Open Dream

2011-11-21T14:03:00.001-05:00

This post from Andrew Jernigan was written before the Open Dream season ended. Andrew is now back enjoying Thanksgiving with his family in Texas. Thanks for being a part of our Open Dream family these past months -- and be sure to come back and visit!

At our last residency at STARS, I was profoundly moved when a student began to break down because our last day had come to end (we shall call him James). Actually, many students cry and need hugs when we leave, and I find myself in this limbo combination of flattery and uncomfortability, so I squeeze out before it becomes a popular movement. Occupy Open Dream... However, this one particular student was not outwardly seeking condolences from anybody.
James had a big role in our informance, shooting lava out of a volcano erected from a red fabric material, and he took stage direction like a champion. I hadn't necessarily thought he wanted to be a performer because he chose to be around the "too cool for school" boys that messed around during class. But something inside him changed when we finished singing the goodbye song one last time. He simply lowered his head into his hands and left me to wonder how the last two weeks had affected him.
The Open Dream Ensemble provides many children with the first theatrical experience of their lives. In fact, some of our students continued to call the play a "movie". Like many of them, I too grew up watching mainly television and film, but there was always something untouchable - or unattainable - about movies. And children, with their mind blowing imaginations, need to be able to explore their own stories because their creativity will change our culture's future. Fortunately, theater is an attainable facet for harboring an explosion of imagination combined with high levels of focus. Peter Brook, a renowned theater and film director, writes in his book, The Empty Space:

I can take an empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.

Respectively, prior to entering the classrooms, we insist that the teachers have all the chairs and desks pushed to the walls so that there is an empty space in the middle of the room. Thus, a bare stage has been created where the teacher artists and students can tangibly create performances inhibited only by vast imagination. Finally there is a controlled environment in which the students can play and learn simultaneously. Many children separate the two into opposing categories; play is for fun, learning is boring. When the Open Dream enters the room, there is chance for both at the same time.
Students who write off their education because it lacks entertainment are not likely to develop critical thinking skills necessary for our present school system. I believe James fell into a circle of friends who were victims of that scenario, but maybe he was cognizant of the consequences. Within the two weeks of our residency, he pulled a 180 and excelled at something he could finally throw himself into - learning on his feet. Why should he sit down and learn about weathering and erosion when he can jump up and down and mirror the effects of these occurrences? Now the knowledge is not a fleeting thought passing through his brain, but is actually rooted in his body and memory. Now there is an excitement for education and a desire to learn more. Now there is a chance for growth.
The Open Dream Ensemble provides a gift for students who struggle with motivation. By playing silly games and staging simple skits, we activate their curiosity. Learning is best accomplished when it is sought, and we present a service that students yearn for; even as we say goodbye.

My Love Story

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

This post is from Open Dream's talented intern, Dian Permana. Dian is currently a graduate student in UNCSA's Performing Arts Management program.

I can probably say I fell in love at the first sight when I saw last year’s production of Peril on the Red Planet at UNCSA. I right away felt that this was where I wanted to be and I was a little bit disappointed to find out that the organization only recruits alumni of the school. That’s why I was so excited when I was finally able to meet and talk with the amazing General Manager of the Open Dream Ensemble, Rebecca Nussbaum, and was finally able to have the internship this summer and continue the work this semester.

The longer I work, the deeper I am in love with the organization. Alas, it almost comes to an end. But I will forever treasure the valuable experience and knowledge I have received in these five months. I will never forget how I learned so much more about science within these five months than what I have learned during my entire school time; how much fun I had working with the directors and other professionals during the production despite the cramped rehearsal month (until I had the songs from web series stuck in my head for months); how students always turned around when Diana said, “Behind that door is Zartok 3” (just like I did when I watched it for the first time) and how their eyes always light up when the Teaching Artists entered their classroom; how I get connected to people and places I might never otherwise do; how the super talented and lovely cast members have been like my older siblings, and how I am always impressed with Rebecca's outstanding knowledge and skills from arts integration to fixing costumes and baking super yummy pineapple vegan cupcakes, as well as her smart solution to every problem.

Open Dream Ensemble, you always make my day! Thank you, it is such an honor to have this privilege. I will always cherish these moments you were taking me to “go somewhere extraordinary”!

A New World

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

This post by the lovely Danielle Rennalls was written on November 16. The Open Dream season is now complete and Danielle is on her path to more fun and more work. We wish her the best!

It's a rainy night here in Camp Lejeune, off of the North Carolina coast. We are in the last leg of touring "Peril..." in Eastern North Carolina, having performed in Clarkton and, previously, Southern Pines, NC. I can't help but marvel at the various ecosystems all contained in this seemingly small state; each place has it own energy and pulse, the townspeople friendlier and more helpful than the last. This is my final blog post for the season... Four months flew by mindblowingly fast. I will miss this group of people and all they have taught me through Open Dream Ensemble. I'm grateful to them for allowing me to glean insight into the "business" at large and what it's really like to be a "working artist." I've found joy in speaking or sharing ideas in an open, non-judgmental forum whether it was through Teaching Artist training or formulating lesson plans. Diana shall always be apart of my "toolbox," she's truly reminded me what it was like to be 13 again (give or take a few murderous terraforming machines ;) ). She reinforced the notion that it does take a critical thinking, perseverance, and sacrifice to make dreams come true and I can only cross my fingers in the hopes that I'll have the opportunity to portray someone like her again. She's allowed me to step in myself as an actress after two years of being a director. All in all, I can honestly state this experience has changed me for the better and opened up a whole new world geared towards positive change within our school systems, utilizing a groups multiple intelligences, and, at Open Dreams very core, the importance of teamwork. A very special thank you to the Kenan Institute, Rebecca Nussbaum, and the good folks of NoRules Theater Company for giving me the gift of being apart of this ensemble. Until next year!

Going Somewhere Extraordinary

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

This post from the sick Haydee -- we are hoping you feel better soon!!!

Staying healthy on the road isn't easy. Being around hundreds of children during the change of seasons on a fast food diet makes a perfect storm of illness. Julianne and I lay here in our hotel room which acts more like an infirmary with a myriad of tissue boxes, medicine bottles and immunity boosters, strewn about like a drugstore hurricane. She coughs I sneeze in time like an orchestrated duet, we have to laugh. At least we are sick together. There is nothing worse than living with a sick person when healthy or being sick around a healthy person for that matter.
The O.D.E. Season is wrapping up and I feel satisfied. We have definitely accomplished a mission. We set out on an incredible adventure and along the way met so many great people and made friends. Thank You to all the schools, teachers and students who welcomed us. Thank You to my fellow troupe mates for being so talented on stage and in the classroom. Thank You to Rebecca and The Open Dream Ensemble for letting us go "somewhere extraordinary "!

The photo is of Professor Poople from The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

Full Throttle

2011-11-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

This post is from our heavy-metal man, William vonReichbauer!

Our performance piece, "Peril on the Red Planet," explores some pretty heavy issues, including personal sacrifice, loss, perseverance in the face of adversity and even death (though not directly) and includes lots of loud, often scary sounds and sound effects as well as intense combat sequences. If we are performing for very young children, i.e. kindergarten and first grade, we typically tone certain elements of the show down so as not to frighten the audience. We also usually do a small "show and tell" before the show to introduce some of the louder and scarier sounds. Many of us take turns playing some of the musical instruments used in the show. We also wheel out the large gathering drum and let the kids have a go at banging on it for a little while. Occasionally, I will play a few of the more frightening sound effects for the children while one of my fellow cast members explains to them that the homicidal robot in the show, Zartok 3, is actually not real but is merely a set of sounds on my laptop. (The first time we did this little demo, though, we had three kids wailing in abject terror within two seconds of me hitting the play button. Oops.)

This afternoon, however, we gave our second performance of the season for a group of middle school students. Interestingly, "Peril on the Red Planet" was originally conceived for a middle school audience. It probably goes without saying that middle schoolers are very different from Elementary students: middle school students think they've seen it all, they're beginning to get a little cynical and a little jaded, and they're starting to think that they're too cool for school. This, of course, provides a wonderful opportunity for us to really open up the throttle and see what this show can do.

Today brought us to the Clarkton School of Discovery in eastern North Carolina's sandhills region. We performed on a beautiful stage with a nice set of stage lights (it's always a treat to perform under something other than gymnasium fluorescents) in the school's media center. As soon as we walked on stage in our shiny silver jackets, we could hear derisive chuckles rippling through the audience. Game on. From the show's opening heavy metal guitar riff to the wicked staff fight between Diana and Demeter to the epic final battle with Zartok 3, the whole show was as intense and as ferocious as we have ever performed it. Every catcall or inappropriate laugh from the audience pushed us to raise the intensity of the show even further. Ultimately, we received a great response from the audience who could scarcely contain a thunderous round of applause at the end of the show.

More Believable

2011-11-17T14:18:00.006-05:00

This post is from our "Diana", Danielle Rennalls. Danielle is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama with an emphasis on directing.

Our second residency brought more confidence in my abilities as a teaching artist. It's probably been around Day 3 of the 1st week of Wendell's residency before it occurred to me that the classroom space (i.e. maintaining order, keeping students engaged, holding myself accountable for how well they understood/processed the material) wasn't all that different from directing a play in the theater. Like actors, if you gave the student(s) a role, a purpose and/or reason, the activities/task at hand instantly blossomed. I observed this happen time and time again with each grade level- most often with students considered behaviorally or mentally challenged. In fact, during the same residency at Wendell, we learned our 4th grade block would have 4 or 5 behaviorally challenged and 2 developmentally challenged children, whom all learned separately from most of the students. Yet it became apparent during the movement improvisations exploring landforms (and later types of fossilization) these "challenged" were always "in the moment," and hungry for guidance on how to make it more believable.

Travel, tissues and thanks

2011-11-17T13:00:00.001-05:00

This post from the kleenex-toting Julianne Harper!

We are now approaching the end of Open Dream's season seven, and what a season it has been! We have traveled all over the state of North Carolina and through that journey have met so many amazing people. All of the schools we have performed at have taken such good care of us, offering us lunch or any accommodation that would make our day easier. At our Wendell residency we felt like royalty. Every day each department at the school provided us with lunch, some even homemade! One teacher hand crafted a beautiful cake with a very detailed Peril on the Red Planet theme. Our stay at STARS was wonderful as well. Each of our classes gave us a send off with special "thank you" cards all signed with messages from the children.
As rewarding as this work can be, it is still a very tough job. I can't remember that last time I wasn't surrounded by a pile of kleenex tissues, illness always being a close companion throughout the season. It is easy to get worn down, but when we encounter such support and appreciation from the schools we are working with, it makes the sneezing- sniffling- coughing- aching- stuffy head- fever-not being able to rest go away.

Reflection of the Season as Open Dream Enters Our Final Week of Season 7

2011-11-17T06:06:00.002-05:00

This post is from musician and green robot, Guy Kelpin. This photo is from early in the rehearsal process. Thanks, Guy, for a great season!

Looking back, my experience with the Open Dream Ensemble has reinforced my original philosophy as an artist. I have a strong belief in making art accessible to the public and that teaching should be an “all-inclusive” experience. Multiple disciplines of art and science have already overlapped in my career, and I have always been an “opportunistic hunter” when it comes to jobs in the arts. So, the Open Dream Ensemble seemed to fit right into my line of work!

As a Teaching Artist, I was given all the necessary information for our residencies. During the training, it seemed a bit of a mystery, but having experienced it firsthand, now I understand the concepts of arts integration. The sheer massive amount of curriculum was a little overwhelming; it’s a lot to expect of us to tackle the entire K-5 material. But we managed! Admittedly, actually being a Teaching Artist is still a bit of a mystery to me. Fundamentally, I am a fairly traditional, straightforward “sit-and-get” type learner, so when I was asked to lead in a more “interpretive” and “expressive” manner of classroom learning, I needed to step outside of what comes naturally to me. That said, I think I understand the ideas of arts-integrated teaching, and I’ve begun to implement these ideas into my teaching. I hope to continue developing this approach in my career, though I know it often seems foreign and somewhat artificial for me.

There are many things I enjoyed along the journey of this season. It seems like years ago now, but the rehearsal process offered very few dull moments! Our time was well spent, balancing hard work and fun times. The cast built a camaraderie that lasted through the season. The web series was the surprise wild card for me. I didn’t expect to enjoy the process or the product so much. The cast put a lot of hard work into it, so waiting for the final cuts seemed to drag on forever, but now that it’s being released, the anticipation was worth the wait. And, to be truthful, I liked the opportunity to be supported monetarily for the use of my skills as an artist. Paying jobs are scarce for actors and musicians, and it’s nice that we can be rewarded for our talents, time, and willingness to teach. So, I believe the Open Dream Ensemble is ideally a “win-win situation” for both the community and the cast of artists.

Of course, there were a few challenges for me along the way. As a functioning freelance musician, it’s very difficult to drop everything local for weeks at a time, while remaining loyal to my current clients. So, I've had to be as dilligent as possible, keeping my priorities straight. Also, the task of attempting to transform myself into an “actor” has stretched me as a performer. I’m constantly reminded of my poor memorization skills and awkwardness on stage!

I will always remember the camaraderie amongst the cast. Honestly, I was somewhat apprehensive about being surrounded by a crowd of “creative people” for four months; artists are notoriously difficult! (And I'm notoriously reclusive.) But I can’t say how much I’ve enjoyed being with this bunch of artists. This year’s ensemble has a generosity, cooperative spirit, and genuine concern for each other’s well-being rare in such a group. Certainly, we had some great times on stage, in the classroom, in rehearsal, and “on the road.” Thanks guys!

Goodbye to STARS

2011-11-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

This post is from the mighty Marissa. She provided this photo of a card from her class at STARS!

There's a goodbye song we sing with the students at the end of the class each day. This last residency, it was really the end of our time with them. It took a lot of self control to keep the tears back when I sang the last line of the song... "Now, it's time to say goodbye, and we'll see each other again". The sweat and exhaustion of learning how to teach and manage elementary school classes was worth every ounce of effort. The payoff was the adoration of all these fresh, young, wild and beautiful rascals... From the times they made me want to tear my hair out to the moments they had me rolling on the floor with laughter and moved by their individuality and wide open dreams. I have to give a shout-out to my rock star teaching partner, Andrew a.k.a Ace. You are a force of nature, and I'm glad we got to stick this one out together. We did it!!!!!

Now we're all in the home stretch with the teaching behind us and a few performances of Peril on the Red Planet to go. It's racing by, and I'm glad we all get to play some more- doing what we're trained to do. It's hard to believe we'll be leaving each other in less than a week. I'm so proud of every one of us. We're a stellar team.

What is the Open Dream Ensemble?

2011-11-16T07:58:00.004-05:00

This post is from Guy Kelpin, a first-year Open Dreamer, trombonist and composer. Indeed, Guy is a graduate of UNCSA Schools of Music AND Filmmaking. Guy is pictured here dancing in the intro of our web series, The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

Having noticed a change in my regularly scheduled programming, I've been asked by many of my colleagues and acquaintances, "What have you been up to this
fall, Guy?" To which I reply, "I've been a cast member with the Open Dream Ensemble." I've been quite pleasantly surprised by how few times I've actually needed to offer much of an explanation. Many of my friends and fellow musicians seem to be quite familiar with the program, or at least have some preconceived notion of what we do. Many of the people I come in contact with are members of the UNCSA community, and some of them even know former ODE cast members. So, it has been exciting to be part of something that is so well recognized and respected by our local artists and arts-supporters.

Of course, I've also gotten the response of, "Open What Enwhomble? What's that?" (Wow, it's hard not to start singing the web series theme song!) I start to explain, "We are a group of multi-disciplinary UNCSA graduates who tour the state, putting on performances and working with elementary students to integrate the science curriculum through the arts. (*Gasp for breath*) It's been busy, but It's a lot of fun, and it seems to be a really effective way to impact the education system." Overwhelmingly, the response is always, "Wow. That sounds like an awesome idea. I'll bet there are some characters in that cast!" Then, I admit, "Yes, but fortunately, most of our drama stays on the stage." That statement couldn't be more true. Though we do have our moments, all things considered, this cast impresses me with its ability to not only cooperate, but thrive as a group. I feel honored to be included.

Then, I get asked, "Does the ensemble have a road crew?"

..."Yes, there are nine of us."

Video Blog

2011-11-15T13:41:00.002-05:00

Check out this video blog from Haydee Thompson!

Things to Treasure

2011-11-14T07:57:00.003-05:00

This post is from the amazing Ulung! Through out these 15-weeks of the Open Dream Season, Ulung has made countless contributions in his stage, screen and classroom work. He is pictured here during the web series shoot (in the triangle shirt).

When extraordinary things happen (even the bad ones), I believe in one thing: it can be a good story to tell.

We are at a hotel in Maggie Valley when I write this blogpost. We just got back from dining at Legends Sports Grill, next to the hotel. Well, I've never been to this area before and I'm always excited to see new place. Considering I'm far from home, it doubled the excitement. I enjoyed every place we traveled to. When this is over, I will miss the most frequent view on the road. It's not the green scenery that I'm talking about. It's the "Ryder" sign at the back of the Ryder van which is always be in front of the passenger van / "Happy Van" (with a smiley picture on the door) :) Ehmm… Back to the dinner at Legends Sports… When we were about to leave from the restaurant, Dian had a request for a group picture, she said that this would be her last time with us. Yes, the session will be over soon. Three months period is quite some time. I still remember working with my teaching partner, Julianne, who really knows how I forget things. I really "go somewhere extraordinary" by teaching science in elementary school. I never forget when I learned to pronounce "Don't hurt the rocks!" (hopefully I'm doing it better now). I enjoyed the break time when we did fun stuff like random recording session, photo session, jam session, Catan session, etc. I feel like, I know these guys more and more each day. Everybody is unique and I'm gonna miss it. Last but not least, I just watched the 2nd episode of the web series and I remembered how terrible I was in acting back when we were still in the first weeks of training (at the basement of the Steven's Center). Now I'm more comfortable doing it, because everyone in Open Dream Ensemble are so encouraging and helpful. I'm so glad that I'm part of it.
These three months will be a good story of my life.

Ulung

The Kinder in Kindergarten

2011-11-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

This post is from the thought-filled William vonReichbauer. William is pictured here in his role as a teaching artist with Open Dream.

We are in our second week of our third and final two-week residency of the 2011 season at Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School in Vass, NC. For the first time this season, my teaching artist partners, Danielle and Adrian, and I have been working with a class of Kindergarteners. A what a fun time it has been!

Kindergarten was developed in the early 19th Century (the term, meaning "children's garden," was coined in 1840) by Friedrich Fröbel for his educational institution for young children he founded in Bad Blankenburg in present-day Germany. Much like the Open Dream Ensemble, Fröbel recognized the importance of play in children's learning. The first kindergarten included singing, dancing, gardening, and self-directed play.

While we haven't been doing anything in the way of gardening, we have certainly had our fair share of playing, singing, and dancing. And we've been learning a lot in the process. Over the past week and a half we have covered comparing relative positions of various objects, exploring different ways that objects and organisms move, and comparing characteristics of living and nonliving things. The arts have really proven to be an excellent vehicle for teaching these topics.

In Repose

2011-11-10T09:43:00.001-05:00

This post is from a relaxed Adrian Knowels. As you will read, Adrian has been enjoying the work and the down-time of Open Dream. He's the tall on in the lavender shirt pictured here working with students.

Sitting in a hotel, being serenaded by Andrew Jerningan. Could life get any better? Well, of course, but alas, I don't have Joanna Newsom's phone number, so I'll settle for listening to a guy and his guitar. But it's been a lot of fun. Rooming with a fellow actor, the creativity sparks on a regular basis. Personally, I'm content with flipping through channels hours on end when I'm staying in a hotel, but luckily I've got a roomie that won't let me settle for that junk. Being on the road, you get to know your fellow Open Dreamers better through sheer boredom, because when the boredom hits, the crazy ideas start. Necessity is the mother of invention. So we've taken some ridiculous band photos, discovered a new board game, and whiled away the hours with (mostly) inane conversation. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else. The challenges of being a teaching artist are great but the rewards are far greater. It's all about those awesome kids, and whatever we find to do in the in-between times, well, doesn't really matter.

Final Friday at Wendell

2011-11-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

This post from the effervescent Andrew Jernigan was written as the cast concluded their residency at Wendell Elementary. Andrew is pictured here instructing a fourth-grade class at Wendell.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

We just wrapped up our two week residency at Wendell Elementary and pulled off a lot of spectacular informances (informative/informal performances). I think I can speak for the entire ensemble when I say this exceptional school had a lot of gifted and hardworking students. After rotating around the classes to see the various dances, plays, and songs the students created to recap what they had learned, I am inspired to push on to STARS and see what we can extract from the next school's future performing artists. But right now, it's time for some rest and relaxation over the weekend.
The fact that the school really centered it's interests into the arts was apparent through the children. The kids continued to point out on the walls which mounted paintings and drawings were their own. They really showed a pride in their work, and had an urgent desire to be a part of the work we were creating. Now, every school has creative and extroverted students, but not all can cultivate an environment that urges focus. Classes at Wendell had what's called a "mudroom", which is a buffer zone between classrooms used for art supplies, storage, and the children's belongings. So while the other classroom isn't necessarily visible, it is certainly audible. Needless to say, this can be distracting, especially when Mr. Adrian is next door doing his Dr. Boogie routine, accompanied by Mr. William's funk guitar riff and Mr. Ulung's bongo drumming, while we are discussing why a seed needs water to sprout. What would you rather be a part of? However, the level of concentration was impressive. I think the teacher's must have been quick to regulate wandering attention and nip it in the bud.
All of the teachers at Wendell Elementary were extremely supportive of the Open Dream mission. They participated in the circle discussions as often as possible, when we split into groups they helped guide the students if there weren't enough teacher artists, even the bold and daring joined the dance parties, and none could resist the joy of singing. Oh, and our entire ensemble was fed everyday, different home cooked meals... This was a fabulous school. We are truly gracious.
So, I leave Wendell Elementary feeling positive about the experience as a whole. Thanks to all the teachers, good luck to all the students, and now it's time for a well deserved nap!!!! Zzzzzz....

45-minutes of fun!

2011-11-07T20:07:00.003-05:00

This post is from lovely Julianne Harper. Julianne is best known to our audiences as the tap-dancing Abeona and is pictured here leading a class in Wendell, NC.

We are now starting our last week of residencies for the season in Vass, NC at STARS. Mr. Ulung and I are working with first grade this time around, which has been an absolute pleasure! We love to sing about plants, dance like our favorite animals, and practice being "professional" performers as well as audience members. Our biggest challenge is trying to fit all of our fun into just forty-five minutes!
As this is our third residency together, Mr. Ulung and I have definitely found our groove as teaching partners. In past seasons I have taught with actors and other dancers, but this is my first time being paired with a musician. Mr. Ulung plays basically any instrument imaginable, so our classrooms have been filled with the beautiful sounds of the flute, saxophone, guitar, recorder, drums, and even the harmonica! Every lesson we teach is able to go so much further because of this wonderful music. The pairing of dance and music has proven to be such an effective combination to reach our learning goals. And I have to say, all of our STARS students are excellent little dancers and musicians!

Artist + Teaching + (…) = Teaching Artist

2011-10-26T19:37:00.002-04:00

This post is from Ulung Tanoto. It's always fun to see which instruments Ulung brings into a classroom - guitar, drums, flute, saxophone, harmonica, and instruments from his native Indonesia have made appearances thus far -- and we still have a dozen days of residency work to go!

We are actors, musicians and dancers. And we are also teachers. Is that what makes us teaching artists? It's not that simple. After our first residency at Shuford Elementary, our manager, Rebecca Nussbaum brought us a piece of paper that, I have to admit, shocked me a little. That paper (contains information) about levels of art integration - how deep does art integration can reach the effectiveness of learning. (A lot of questions appeared in my mind. Have I done everything right? It seemed so difficult to achieve the top level of art integration in just 2 weeks of residency. Will the kids ever get it? I knew that (the point of showing us that paper) is to encourage us to be a better teaching artist team. And that's, to me, is the key that define teaching artist. Teaching artist has to know the art of teaching and keep exploring the way of art integration. I believe that we are a good teaching artist team because we have strong art background (and we are always challenged to always explore our artistry???). And, I feel more and more confident doing what I do as days gone by, thinking that I'm not pursuing an immediate result. (Instead, we are) planting seeds of creative learning to these young minds in a fun way.

Actor's Tools have Many Uses

2011-10-26T19:21:00.004-04:00

This post comes from the wonderful, luau-dancing Andrew Jernigan. Andrew is pictured here leading a class in residency work.

After graduating from the Drama Department of UNCSA in 2010, I was well equipped with what the faculty described as a "toolbelt" of techniques to help further my craft in the performance arts. These included methods for enhancing clarity of voice, engagement of body, and active use of the imagination. When combined, the stage can be filled with stimulating story-telling. Of course, no one mentioned that these tools were applicable to teaching elementary students.
When dealing with the short attention span of students aging anywhere between seven and twelve years old, one must be quick on there feet to maintain the interest of the unforgiving geniuses. I try to maintain succinct and articulate speech because a mumbling voice is the first to lose the confidence of listeners. This goes both ways however, as I constantly encourage the children to use their "actor voices" during discussions in the circle, reading aloud the vocabulary words, and while narrating and performing in skits. Whether using a clear voice or not, circle discussions are most often the moments during a class that invite fidgetiness. To regain the focus of the class, I jump up and try to enliven the lesson by using my body as an interactive example. Whether I morph into a Volcano, an organism in a specific ecosystem, or even a jackhammer, suddenly the children remember why learning can be a fun part of there daily routine... Even if it does mean making a clown of myself. However, both the voice and body exercises are useless if there is no imagination backing them up, which is what brings me to the most important tool of a teacher artist. All of us constantly throw ourselves into imaginary circumstances when teaching, knowing that children's imaginations work exponentially faster than our own. So, as long as we create a fully visceral beach in the classroom when learning about sand, there shouldn't be a problem with wandering interests. And if all goes well, the reward will probably be an awesome dance party at a Hawaiian luau... Aloha!

Season Update and Stay Tuned!

2011-10-19T21:13:00.003-04:00

This post is from the lovely Danielle Rennalls, a recent graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama. She is pictured here, battling Demeter, in the role of Diana.

We began on August 8th, dividing our 9 am to 5 pm workday between the two projects: "Peril..." and the beloved "Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble" web series.

In between the table work, music rehearsals, and fight choreography tutorials (3 years of combat training at UNCSA and I'm STILL getting the hang of it (0: ), we devoted any spare time to transition rehearsals and introductory teaching artistry training.

If this sounds like a lot, it was!

And yet, having recently graduated with a degree in Directing, I couldn't have been happier diving in to it all: To get the opportunity to finally get up from behind the table, to leave my analytical brain behind and to just, as Caroline Kava would say, "do the doing!" I must say it provided a renewed sense of confidence in my craft as well as in my ability to work hard in a group setting. Before the month of August came to an end, Open Dream Ensemble had pieced together two very different, very lively pieces.

After wrapping filming for the web series our attentions turned to teacher artistry. And trust me, they call it artistry for a reason. Our group learned about multiple intelligences, stages of child development by grade level, and classroom etiquette prior to any lesson planning. Along with the "mini" T.A. sessions during August rehearsals, these concepts helped form a solid foundation for new cast members like myself.

While I initially harbored some anxiety I soon learned (with reassurance/encouragement from my cast mates and Rebecca) that this, like every other craft, would take practice and it was okay if I didn't get something perfect the very first time my teaching artist partner and I taught a class. There would always be room for growth. Our 1st residency of the season took place in Conover, NC at Shuford Elementary. William and I constantly worked toward finding what kept our students engaged and what didn't, tossing out activities or tweaking them. One major challenge I faced, and still face, was relaying the science content in a manner that meets essential standards while simultaneously engaging with the students on a fun, creative level. We were lucky to observe some of the other teaching artist groups in action, using any helpful tidbits or ideas they'd have to match creativity and educational standards. By the end of Week 2, not only did we gain another member to our teaching artist team (Mr. Adrian aka Dr. Boogie), we managed to budget activity time more efficiently within the classroom without sacrificing content or fun.

We've spent the last two weeks touring "Peril" at schools around NC and VA, working on Kindergarten and Grade One lesson plans, and presented a staged reading of Michaela Morton's "Big Shoes."

These days we're in our second residency at Wendell Creative Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School in Wendell, NC. Stay tuned!

Learning, Laughing, and Living!

2011-10-14T09:16:00.003-04:00

This post comes from Marissa Byers, an amazing clarinetist and fire dancer (yes, really!) Marissa is a high school graduate of UNCSA School of Music and first-year Open Dreamer.

The Open Dream Ensemble is one of the most significant reasons I'm glad to have moved from Manhattan back to my home town... The ever lovely, classy and bohemian, arts and history packed town of Winston Salem, NC. It's thrilling to witness the world class standard of excellence that resides right here in Camel City. The Open Dream Ensemblers rep-re-sent. What a driving, rocking, energetic and crazy fun cast of characters! Haydee, Julianne, Danielle, Ace, Adrien, Guy, William, and Ulung... It is safe to say that we have reached sibling status by now.

The first month of this season was incredibly demanding for all of us. I mean wow. Wow. Between learning and memorizing lines, music, choreography and stage direction for the show AND the six episode web series, and diving into education training- to learn classroom management, state standards, daily lesson planning to devise theater, music, and dance activities as our means to teach students about science ... Not to mention learning elementary school science(which is not that elementary), THEN teaching it as we embarked on our first residency AND performing our show Peril on the Red Planet(we are also the load in and load out crew)... I'm stunned that I still remember my own name.

Can I just mention now- after my rant- that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT?! Everyone in this group works hard and is phenomenal at what they do. We're all divas and we know it, but the generosity, humor, and sportsmanship of this ensemble is astounding. To the gorgeous brain mama of it all, Rebecca Nussbaum, hats off to you ;)

A lot of learning going around

2011-10-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

This post is from the green guard robot, Guy Kelpin. A multi-talented fellow, Guy is a graduate of UNCSA School of Music in trombone performance and School of Filmmaking in film composition.

The first two months of the Open Dream Ensemble season have been a whirlwind! My brain kind of hurts a little. The amount of information we've covered in such a short time astonishes me, and it impresses me to realize that we mounted two productions while simultaneously tackling the elementary school curriculum. It seems each day brings a new revelation to me as both an artist and as a teacher. I feel like I'm just trying to keep up with all the activity, and I hope to be contributing as much as I can. I have to admit it's been pretty overwhelming! Luckily for me, I had already been pretty familiar with the curriculum material; however, the concepts of being a teaching-artist presented the highest learning curve for me. I have a relatively introverted personality, so perhaps my biggest learning experiences have been my own self-discovery. Let's hope my own new understandings will help have a positive impact on our students. Certainly, there is a lot of learning going on around here lately!

US vs Indonesian Education

2011-10-08T11:40:00.005-04:00

This post is from the multi-talented Ulung Tanoto. Ulung hails from Indonesia and came to UNCSA to study film composition, graduating last year form the School of Filmmaking. Here he is teaching a fourth grade class in Conover.

It looks so fun! That was the first thing that came up to my mind when I was asked about my impression about elementary school in United States (US). Is it true? Well, what do you think? Colorful interior, fancy playground, indoor gym, fun library are things you commonly find in every elementary school in US, right? I am honestly jealous with the kids here for having schools that are very facilitating because I didn't grow up experiencing that. Being a very-developed country, it is not surprising that even in a remote areas, every school must meet a certain standard. Let's take a look at the curriculum. I have a feeling that it is less depth than my elementary experience. I could be wrong, but only couple of multiple choice questions after two weeks of training, come on?! That's too easy! I remember did hundreds of questions in a daily basis when I was in elementary school. However, from my point of view, in US curriculum, the understanding of the concept is more emphasized and creativity is triggered rather than giving too much extra. I actually like that. Again, I could be wrong, but that is my honest opinion.

One thing that is really interesting is the existence of A+ schools in US, which is very brilliant. I have never heard of it before I had this "teaching artist training" with Open Dream Ensemble. The way it uses multi-intelligence approach through arts-integrated curriculum can be more effective than the traditional-verbal training, in my opinion, of course if it's implemented correctly. Did I mention OPEN DREAM ENSEMBLE? I really respect how this group has a noble commitment to bring a high standard arts-integrated teaching through their teaching artist residencies program. I am glad to be part of it. Plus, I get to visit schools in US and take the positive values from their education system. I'll talk more about how I feel being a teaching artist in my next blog. To be continue…

How Do You Know If They Get IT???

2011-09-29T18:23:00.003-04:00

This post comes from the delightful Julianne Harper. A third-year member of Open Dream Ensemble and UNCSA School of Dance graduate, Julianne has stepped into a leadership role this season as Co-Tour Manager. The many facets of her work for Open Dream are all greatly appreciated - as is her tap dancing robot!

HELLOOOO THERE! As you might know, Open Dream works with many students at various schools across North Carolina. We focus on teaching second through fifth grade science curriculum( as Haydee has mentioned). In many cases the students have yet to start their study on such topics, so we are the introduction. With this comes great responsibility and challenge on our end -- to make sure we get things started right!

Since Open Dream focuses on teaching science through the arts, the kids get to learn about ecosystems through raps, dances, and skits they develop themselves to showcase their understanding of the material. Just having a creative outlet to explore such concepts like ecosystems is new to the children, so that paired with the new science information can present a big question…"How do you know they get it?" Throughout the controlled chaos that ensues on these explorations, I find myself often wondering if they have grasped the curriculum, if I have done my job as a teacher. Of course they are having fun and when they present their work it is filled with inventive creativity, but the question still remains. So at the end of each class, each exploration, comes review time. "What can you tell me about ecosystems?" As almost every hand raises, the classroom is flooded with information the students have learned about ecosystems, or whatever the topic is for that day. And it's not just memorized information, it is discoveries that the kids have made that has ultimately led them to a true understanding of the material…SUCCESS!

Busy Times

2011-09-26T21:02:00.005-04:00

This post is from one of the Open Dream newbies - Adrian Knowles. A recent graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama, Adrian is an actor and all-around nice fellow! (Despite what his character in our upcoming web series might have you believing).

Has time flown by that quickly? It's already late in September and it feels like yesterday that us Open Dreamers were meeting and greeting around a table in the basement of a local theater. 9-5 workdays, just like a real job! And believe me, what a real job it is. I graduated from UNCSA in May and I like telling myself I nailed my first professional audition, but I didn't know what I was in for. Rehearsing for a show that includes singing and playing music, both of which have been a struggle for me since I was a kid, has been an eye opening experience. But the beautiful thing is, all of us have been asked to step outside our comfort zone. The 4 musicians in the cast are being called on to act and the actors are being asked to play instruments. The support we receive from our fellow cast members has been essential to keeping positive in times of stress. But there's more! We're TEACHING. We just finished our first 2 week teaching gig on the 23rd. It was a little daunting, but we were well prepared thanks to a week long training session. The kids made the experience well worth it. I'm excited to see what we get into next.

Dirty Dishes and the Science Curriculum

2011-09-26T20:55:00.005-04:00

This post is from the talented Haydee Thompson. When not studying science or doing dishes, Haydee is an actress with the Open Dream Ensemble. We are fortunate to have her as a member for the fifth year. This season she also takes up the post of Residency Manager.

So our first residency has ended and I am enjoying my first real weekend at home catching up on laundry and many other household chores.
We spent the last two weeks at Shuford Elementary in Conover NC. This year we are teaching the new science curriculum that will be in effect next school year.
Everyday, four different grades and four different science subjects, amounting to close to 40 separate lesson plans. PHEW! The troupe and I have a joke that if its not in the curriculum we just don't know. We had the pleasure of teaching everything from as far out as the universe to tiny seeds, and that was just the third grade. Add the water-cycle,
life-cycle, ecosystems, genetics, volcanoes, fossils, (the list does go on and on), and I find myself actually relearning a thing or two! The challenges were creating fun and effective experiential activities for each days focus. The reward was certainly the enthusiasm of the kids and the obvious learning and understanding that was apparent. It takes a lot of work to have fun, and although the dirty dishes in my sink might not think so, all this hard work is well worth it.

Season Seven

2011-09-26T16:46:00.003-04:00

Amazing and true - Open Dream Ensemble is now in our seventh season of bringing original musical theater productions and in-school residencies to students across North Carolina and beyond!

We started season seven on August 8 with four weeks of rehearsal and shooting for our new season of our web series The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble. We then moved to a quick week of teaching artist training and pushed into a two-week residency at Shuford Elementary School in Conover, NC. Phew! Today is a well-earned day off then onto three weeks of performances before we begin another two-week residency.

Our blog is becoming active again. We'll be posting entries from our nine talented cast members in the coming months -- so stay tuned!

Script Competition Winner

2011-04-13T15:45:00.003-04:00

When Open Dream Ensemble announced a script competition last summer, we did not know what to anticipate.

To our delight, we had a number of quality submissions and one that really stood out as a potential production for Open Dream Ensemble.

Through the next months we got to know Gordy Burton Brown, the Triplets Ish, Emily, Robber, Cobbler and a host of characters in addition to Venn diagrams, mapping, travel up Mount Blackmore, and how important it is to have shoes that you fit! We also got to know Michaela Morton, a young playwright with big ideas, a huge imagination and an enormous smile.

Michaela, a graduate of the UNCSA High School Drama program, had her initial visit from Gordy in the Dallas Airport, where in her own words, “I took out my laptop and started writing. The first sentence was 'In Gordy's world, everything was just Gordy's size.' The idea was a kid whose whole life fit him to a T, but all he could see was his brother's world, which was bigger than his.” Her idea grew into the play Big Shoes or, in full, Big Shoes: The Abbreviated but None-the-less Epic Tale of a Journey of the Soles of Gordy Brown

The next step for Gordy is a reading from the UNCSA high school drama students under the leadership of Kelly Maxner, former co-Artistic Director of Open Dream Ensemble. From there we’ll see if Gordy develops legs, but as for now, we are just happy to have him coming off the page and into a studio!

Congratulations to Michaela for her winning submission!

Little Miracles of the Season

2010-12-20T16:10:00.003-05:00

At the conclusion of every season the dust settles, the energy shifts, and some quite moments of reflection are built into hectic schedules.

This Open Dream Ensemble season had some amazing occurrences, or little miracles. Hopefully these small events will lead to larger happenings as we build in seasons to come, but for now I am happy to ruminate and share some of the wonder.

When we began toying with the idea of a web series the logistics and realities of it were matters to be discovered. In the past year there was a lot of discovery, planning, feedback, writing, directing, cinematography, and ideas from a number of talented individuals. The wonder team of Brian Sutow, Joshua Morgan and Drew Wobler lead the way in helping Open Dream create the first web series for youth. And WOW, what a great web series The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble has turned out to be -- with nearly 6000 views to date!

Peril on the Red Planet returned to the stage for 50 performances and amazed nearly 13,000 youth in NC, VA, and CA. There were a few additions to the performance this season including an eco-rap by Jon, a tap-dancing robot by Julianne and a fight scene choreographed by Bryn. Of Bryn, a marine viewing the performance stated, “She’s fierce!” Nod. Yah.

Early one morning as the cast was on its way to a performance, one of our large vehicles backed into another of our large vehicles. Vehicle one kept driving, not realizing what had happened while the cast in vehicle two sat shocked in the parking lot. Thankfully, no injuries. Especially wonderful as the door Julianne was stilling next to was well dented in.

After FOUR seasons of performing every show, never having a sick day, and learning roles to cover for other cast members, Haydee succumbed to laryngitis and was out for a week of performances. The cast came through with Brandon learning the role of the pink robot, Tangent, overnight and Sonny switching from guard robot to “Deiter” in order to cover Demeter’s role and lines.

After a show in the mountains the stage steps collapsed under the cast during load-out. Sonny was well bruised and Jon injured in his Achilles. Coping well with a limping, gimpy Apollo, the cast quickly learned how to cover the transitions Jon was responsible for – and the audiences were none the wiser for it!

In the middle of the illnesses and injuries, we got word that our dual-citizen cast member was wanted by Homeland Security for paperwork gone wrong. A number of people, some across the ocean, quickly pulled together, figured out how to fix the problem, and thus we were able to keep IanBrian in the cast! Phew!

Our very own Brando showed he has a great sense of timing when he was able to rush to the Charlotte airport in time for our California flight – leaving Winston 20-minutes after the other cars but arriving at the same time! And that flight, by the by, was nearly empty so the Open Dreamers were able to enjoy a little quite sleep in route.

Meanwhile, the intrepid team of William and Steve DROVE the set from NC to CA. ROAD TRIP in a big big way. Safe throughout, no mishaps.

For years Peter has been talking about THE CHAIR. He had never touched or sat in THE CHAIR but carried pictures of it in his phone and spoke of it with a touching tenderness. The first night Open Dream was in Pasadena, he saw THE CHAIR, an Eames Molded Plywood Lounger from afar – through a window of a closed furniture store. During the course of the week, he returned to THE CHAIR and even had the opportunity to relax into its comfy contours. How happy he looks in the photo!

At a performance for the gifted students of Diamond Elementary in Santa Ana, the children chastised Diana for considering giving up and not taking responsibility. I stood in awe as the children in near unison started chanting, “Never give up!” and shaking their fingers at Diana until she made the right decision. Following the performance the Principal informed us that the school motto is, “Never give up.” It turns out that these bright and alert children were largely from families where the parents do not even have an elementary level education. Gumption.

This was the first season Open Dream had the opportunity to carry out a two-week residency. This was made memorable by the limitless hospitality of Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts, (thanks!!!) and this was also the first time we created a quantitative assessment of a residency. The results: a 78% gain in test scores for the students Open Dream worked with in grades 4 and 5.

Perhaps the most amazing event occurred during a residency when a third-grader, known to her entire school as a “self-mute” verbally replied to the Open Dream Teaching Artists Haydee, Sonny and Ian. Needless to say, this astonished everyone and, we hope, has helped her move into a different realm of communication.

I continue to be awed and inspired by the work Open Dream Ensemble does. Short seasons have large impacts and the UNCSA-trained cast bring their best selves forward to put on show after show, smile through take after take, and instruct lesson after lesson. The dedication, professionalism, and grace of this season’s cast will remain a hope and beacon for seasons to come. Thank you Brandon, Bryn, Haydee, Ian, Jon, Julianne, Peter and Sonny. I am so grateful for the little miracles you pulled off over the 15-weeks you were the Open Dream Ensemble.

This post is written by Open Dream Ensemble General Manager, Rebecca Nussbaum.

Bryn’s Blogging It Up

2010-11-30T21:10:00.003-05:00

This post comes from the witty Bryn Harris. Having completed the Open Dream season, Bryn is now in the process of setting up her life in Washington, DC.

I will remember
One Take Thompson
“Don’t forget your British Accent”
Josh’s step ball-change
The colorful silk fabrics that look like “Dragons”
All the Children’s faces and hilarious questions
Mr. Frank Casstevens
JPL
Rebecca’s blue hat
Marina Del Ray
The beautiful Pacific Ocean immediately followed by hell in an airport.
Ago/Ame
Abeona’s Beat Battle
The Kung Fu Challenge
Peter’s Sense of Humor, no I mean his $2000 bottle of wine ☺
Ian’s BOOMBA
Brandon banging on that effing BOOM DRUM
“Shep”, “No Ship”, “At’s wooh ah sed Shep”, “No SHhhhhhiiiiiihhhhhPP!!”
Alliteration
Bob the Robot
Haydee’s Demeter (it’s all about the hair)
“Get on my banana boat”
Mr. S
Many more unmentionables…
Helping Stevie Nix with her wings before the greatest show on earth
“We’re Fashionistas baby, we just off the bloody jet from London.”

It was definitely harder than I thought to…

A. Awake before daylight
B. Believe a word that came out of Peter’s mouth
C. Create engaging and multi-intelligence exercises
D. Describe how amazing JPL was
E. Eat before I fell asleep for the night by 4:00pm
F. Fight with a staircase running through half the stage
G. Grow deeper rather than expand on choices
H. Hold onto the integrity of the show with screaming kids
I. Inform kids how to create their own informances
J. Jam all the curriculum points into the residencies
K. Keep the show fresh every performance
L. Love little kids after they cough in your mouth
M. Make Breakfast before leaving for work
N. Not cuss or say anything vulgar in front of kids
O. Organize everyone to want to eat at the same restaurant
P. Put on wet clothes the second day
Q. Quarterstaff fight with bending and broken fake bamboo stix
R. Repeat the performance three times in a row
S. Shut the Van door after Peter ran it over with the Ryder truck
T. Tell the difference between little boys and girls in 3rd grade
U. Undo actions after they are taken
V. Visualize happiness sitting in LAX for 4 hours
W. Wave the fabric without kids grabbing hold of the end
X. Xerox the ODE logo on colored paper
Y. Yell over that loud Boom Drum
Z. Zip up Abeona’s unitard

I continue to believe in the arts having verifiable evidence in teaching people how to learn faster and deeper. This experience has confirmed for me how arts can not only be integrated into the curriculum despite the budget, but can in fact help deepen the learning of other fields such as science and math. I look forward to continue my study and appreciate the verifiable data we got from the Benton Heights residency.
I’m moving to D.C. because Josh and Brian talked it up so much and because I met Jon Odom, my soul mate.
As a performer I went into the work with absolute commitment and love for the project, I came out of it only slightly tainted, so that’s a good thing. I don’t know if I would want to perform children’s theater for the rest of my life, but there is something very simple and truthful about the work that makes it easy to go out there everyday and perform. I am really proud of us as a cast because we never once let the commitment drop, even if the show was a little off, we were in the world. There were no pranks or inside jokes that were meant only for us. We really performed every time for the kids and that is why they got so much out of it.
I really enjoyed the story that we were presenting. It focused on lessons in science, merging with art, which is a small important bridge in the world today, and anytime stories are able to encompass both I want to see and be a part of them. The dialogues these performances created with students from all fields of interest can be so valuable for their education, and the statistics helped get us that much closer to proving that the arts can be used for more than entertainment. Working with visual arts, music, dance, drama, and a great variety of materials and manipulatives helped make abstract ideas more easily understandable.
The best part of this whole experience was the kids. The residencies were where I learned the most and was challenged the most everyday. These specific age groups, 2-5th graders were remarkable in how fast they learned and their complete willingness to jump into new and engaging ways of learning. The teachers seemed to really find value in the work and our work sparked them to try new plans in their classroom. The kids as an audience were amazing because they were absolutely honest. If they didn’t like you they expressed it, and I learned so much about my craft as an actor because I was literally able to guide how the ship moved forward.

CALIFORNIA!!!!!

2010-11-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

Early Sunday morning Open Dream Ensemble made our way to the Charlotte airport and boarded a plane to Los Angeles. From those first hours on the west coast to six performances into this week, we have been having a wonderful time!

So far we have enjoyed an amazing tour of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a standing-room only performance in their venue, and five in-school performances in Tarzana, LA, and Santa Ana. Amazing audiences and schools -- we thank all of them for their interest and hospitality. And extend a hearty thanks to all the wonderful people at JPL who took time from their busy schedules to give us a mighty tour!

Benton Heights week 1 and 2

2010-11-04T12:07:00.002-04:00

This post come from the helpful and multi-capable Sonny Enseln. A first-year Open Dream member, Sonny comes to our group with loads of orchestral and chamber music experience.

Sonny is pictured here working in a Benton Heights classroom. Photo is by Drew Davis, UNCSA dance grad turned photographer.

Week number one of our longest residency this season is now over, and it's been quite an experience. Four classes a day, the first "informances" that we've had to work on this season, two performances of the show, and the great hospitality of Mr. Casstevens. The kids have been wonderful, and the teachers very supportive, it's nice to see that the adults are willing to dive in and be active with the students. We've been covering a lot of material and discovering how different classes have different fortes to try to build off of. The informances on Friday were a huge example of that, and it's great to see that much creativity coming to the stage.

I am actually late with this entry, so we actually have a substantial chunk of week two under are belts, and it continues to surge forward. Monday we met our new thrid grade classes and continued on with fourth and fifth, Tuesday we did workshops for teachers and then charged back to Winston-Salem to fulfill our civic duty (hope you all got out and voted as well) then had dinner with the Casstevens family (thank you so much for the great food and friendship), then back in the fray of teaching AND our first performance in over a week on Wednesday. Boy howdy, doesn't time fly when you're busy?

Upcoming California Performance

2010-11-03T14:27:00.002-04:00

Open Dream will be having its first California performance this Monday. The details are below - hope to see some of our CA friends there!

Open Dream Ensemble performs Peril on the Red Planet

Monday, November 8, 2010
4:00 p.m.
Free admission

von Kármán Auditorium

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, California 91109-8099

RSVP to lyndal@kenanarts.org by Friday, November 5.

Open Dream Ensemble is a professional outreach program of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is comprised of professional artists who trained in dance, drama, and music at UNCSA. Peril on the Red Planet, an original play written by UNCSA Alumna Mollye Maxner with Shona Simpson, is set in the future and tells the story of 13-year-old Diana as she works to end famine on Mars. For more information about the production and to read about the 2010 cast members, visit www.opendreamensemble.com.

The Imagine Mars Project, which is sponsored by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, named Open Dream Ensemble as one of its four principal partners in 2009. Their support and collaboration helped make it possible to present Peril on the Red Planet. We hope you can join us!

Fun Times at Benton Heights

2010-11-01T16:33:00.002-04:00

This post is from the lovely dancing robot-lady, Julianne Harper.

So...we just finished up our wonderful first week at Benton Heights Elementary! Ian & I are working with Ms. Norman's fourth grade class, Ms. Lewis' fifth grade class, Ms. Foster's fourth grade class, and I worked with Peter and Brandon in Ms. Hoover's third grade class. I want to take a moment to give all of our students a HUGE round of applause! (clap,clap,clap,clap,clap,CLAP:0)
The week was so much fun because of our students; they are all so creative, well mannered, bright, and enthusiastic. Not only did they already have a fairly comprehensive grasp on the curriculum we were covering, but every second of class time was filled with creative investigation. As as result, so many discoveries were made as well as deeper understandings of subjects that the students were not as familiar with. And bottom line...we had a lot of FUN!
Our third grade classes were able to share with each other what they had been working on during the week. We all gathered into the school's auditorium, and the kids were able to see what performing on a real stage is like. Ms. Hoover's class presented commercials that they had made up from scratch to sell soil, and let me tell you-I was ready to buy some soil!
I look forward to this week continuing with our fourth and fifth grade classes because they will have a chance to perform for each other just like the third grade. I can't wait to see what surprises each class has in store!

Benton Heights Residency Week 2!!

2010-10-31T21:57:00.003-04:00

This post comes from Dr. Disrupto, aka Peter Shanahan. Peter is a third-year Open Dreamer and has performed various roles -- including a rapping sewage worker , tweedle-dee, Octave Chanute, Guard Robot and "Dad!" This season he has also taken on the role of our Residency Manager and Co-Tour Manager.

We've had a great first week at Benton Heights Elementary in Monroe, North Carolina; and we're ready for more! The cast returned to Benton Heights this evening and we're ready for another week. Benton Heights is an amazing school for many reasons. The arts are a core part of the school and all signs suggest they are headed in the right direction! The kids' demeanor really reflect the fact that they have plenty of creative outlets. The school offers a full spread of arts classes in drama, music, dance, and visual arts. There is a wonderful spirit of kindness and respect that seems to stem from their exposure to creativity and care. Bravo to the whole faculty at Benton Heights, an A+ school in every way!

It's also great to have the chance to really get to know the kids over a two-week residency. We're able to cover so many curriculum objectives in great detail, and it's clear the kids are really having fun and remembering what they are learning at the same time. Thanks to the amazing students and faculty at Benton Heights!

The Storyteller

2010-10-28T08:36:00.003-04:00

This post comes from the lovely Ian Antal. Ian is a first-year Open Dreamer whose positive attitude and comical aptitude are appreciated by all in his work on stage and in the classroom. This photo is Ian as Isaac Newton in our original web series, The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

Lately, I have been strongly reconnecting with the concept of the storyteller. The storyteller's responsibility in society. Why humans across civilizations and throughout history experience the natural urge to share stories, and how that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. We view our own lives as stories. And history is little more than a story itself, and is not always quite as accurate as fiction can be. The more I think about my profession as one of telling stories, the more humbled and excited I feel about the future. Theatre is a kind of church, just like the Bible can be seen as a string of stories. A strong play can be equally as rousing and redeeming as a poignant sermon, and they often communicate very similar messages with the same tools. It just strikes me as such a privilege toad be able to consider myself a professional storyteller. Working with the children has brought me back to basic lessons in storytelling. In telling a story, the audience is the ultimate partner in the space and the connection to that partner should never be lost. Children will not do you the disfavor of feigning interest. Their intuition constantly keeps me alert and on my toes.

This first week at Benton Heights Elementary has proved to be a rather smooth adventure so far. There is an intriguing vibe in the school's atmosphere. As I understand it, Benton Heights Elementary has been very active in integrating the arts in their curriculum for quite some time now, and I really like to think that it shows. Every class has displayed a strong understanding of respect for their peers and the greater school community. In terms of ensemble dynamics, every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade class we are working with has a very strong and supportive collaborative energy. For the most part, there seems to be an intuitive respect amongst the students for each other's right to live and learn.

Over lunch today, eating amongst the children, Julianne pointed out the naturally low level of noise in the filled cafeteria and the discipline among the student body. Yet none of the teachers we have encountered here have come across as iron-fisted disciplinarians. We discussed whether the successful arts integration at this particular elementary could be directly correlating with the general stability of the learning environment. I just haven't perceived any need or urge in the students to really act out, possibly because the arts are serving the children as an effective release. Whatever it is, it seems to have rendered the students of this elementary school particularly receptive, curious, and positive.

It is a big privilege to be invited by such an institution to shake things up a bit. Just today, while Julianne and I were facilitating group work in our first 4th grade class of the day, their teacher approached us and pointed out how wonderful it was to see a number of the particularly shy students in the class taking charge on their own accord during various activities. As I observe the class dynamics and receive helpful feedback from the faculty, I am becoming more and more convinced that the energy the arts sweep into the space can be highly conducive to deep learning for the children. If nothing else, this energy offers a contrast to the routine inherent in a school schedule, while still engaging the kids with curriculum-based learning on several different levels.

Breaking News

2010-10-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

This post is from the fantastic Haydee Thompson. This is Haydee's fourth season with Open Dream Ensemble and she has played many roles for us including an abolitionist, a pirate, a mother, a mad hatter, a space-aged whiz kid, Katherine Wright (sister of the Wright brothers) a robot, and a human-variant of the goddess Demeter. She is pictured here taking a well-deserved break.

Unbelievable! Friday morning Julianne and I lead the drive to Stokes County in the Ryder truck. It was, of course, still dark as we were winding up the country hill when a giant fire ball shot across the sky! Julianne exclaimed something to the effect of, "HUNGRY HIPPO'S, LOOK AT THAT!!!!" It was HUGE and bright with all the colors of fire. "Is that a meteorite?", I said as it gently glided behind the tree line. I immediately grabbed my phone and found the number for local channel 12, WXII. They should know about this, it looked very close and we wondered where it might have hit. Unfortunately, after 20 rings, no one answered and I hung up. I then tried to find the number for FOX 8 morning news, after all, they interviewed ODE last month and Cindy Farmer should want to hear about this! Sadly, I couldn't find their number on their website anywhere so again No Luck! Oh well, I suppose I'll never know where that space rock landed. Nor will I ever know how to report breaking news.

The Show must go On…and On, and On

2010-10-14T21:58:00.003-04:00

This post is from sunshine Jon Odom. Jon is a first year Open Dreamer with great humor and talent.

This past week seemed as though the ensemble had been cursed, we started the week off with a bang, literally, a minor car door accident. The early morning calls and school germs began to take a hold on all of us, we have been passing around a wonderful fall bug, which has now made its way through each one of us, one by one, week by week, since the first week we started Residencies. So what once was Bryn’s, now is Haydee’s, who is the lucky contender for this week’s man vs. flu. Although she made it through our Saluda Elementary School performance on Monday she soon lost her voice and was bed stricken for the week’s performances, and the Residency at Pinnacle/Nancy Reynolds Elementary. That same morning, I lost the use of my ankle after a small load out accident , and limped not only through the production, but also through the curriculum as we worked with the wonderful, and mobile, children at Pinnacle/Nancy Reynolds. So with one and half men down we went through our week, each cast member putting forth even more effort into making the week successful. Whether it was Brandon and Sonny going on as an understudy, for roles they never actually studied under, or Juilanne and Peter taking on extra classes, or Ian , who’s week was full of international stress, strapping even more onto his back as he loaded the set in and out, while I sat anxiously watching with my ankle elevated above my heart, trying to at least keep people laughing at the disaster that was this week. In spite of it all the show’s were received with much praise and appreciation, the cast truly made the best out of a seemingly dismal situation. Although, I must say it is very hard to be dismal around the wonderful and imaginative energy of children, who continue to educate me, making me a student of their imaginations. I am continually humbled by their willingness to believe and eagerness to learn, which offers so much to me, not only as an artist but as a human. My favorite “children say the darndest things” moment of the week came from Miss Bryn and I’s fifth grade class residency, they were given an assignment to draw a picture of the villainous Zartox 3, write down their favorite part of the show, and one character they would play in the production. We went around the room and each child shared their pictures, which were so inventive, and their favorites part of the show. After we finished and the class ended a tiny sandy blonde haired boy, came up to me and tugged on my sleeve, I looked down, and he pointed to his picture which read, “ I would be the black protestor, ‘cause he can sing and dance good”, and then he bashfully ran off, I limped out of the classroom smiling at the irony and beauty of his picture.

After the weeks long and wonderful week of laughter and adversity, came a well earned restful weekend, followed by a quick return to the tour on Monday. We traveled down to Cherokee, North Carolina, and stopped in Asheville on the way for some shopping, sushi and sight seeing,….hey alliteration, how you doing? It was an absolutely stunning scenic route with all the fall colors of the south vibrantly painting the steep drive through the mountains. Our stay in Cherokee was just as soothing and picturesque as the journey. For a couple of us it was the first time we had been on a Native American Reservation. Although, we soon found out the Reservation is actually not a Reservation, but a Sovereign Nation, since the land had been purchased by the Cherokee Nation from the government. The school was a work of art in itself, not only being one of the greenest school’s in the nation, with solar lighting cylinders lining the ceilings throughout the campus, and the architecture represents not only a cultural and tribal influence, but also compliments the gorgeous landscape that is kept in pristine condition. It was a truly an inspiring trip and a perfect finale to last weeks Peril in North Carolina, yet another reminder that adversity really is the true test of strength, and ultimately true beauty. In the theater, as in life, things are bound to go wrong, but broken ankle or runny nose… On, On, On with the show.

“Ses-Ame and Carry-Away Mixed Vegetables with Angel Hair”: A Recipe for Teaching Artistry

2010-10-13T06:53:00.003-04:00

This post comes from our very own Iron Chef, Bryn Harris. A director, actress and fight choreographer, Bryn has filled the shoes of Diana in our production of Peril on the Red Planet.

Even if you think you don’t care for tiny human Brussels sprouts, give them a try in this recipe for Teaching Artistry. The flavors of nutty artists yelling “I say Ago, You Ses Ame” and anise-like carry away seeds of curriculum are a wonderful accent to these tiny bite sized humans.

1 tablespoon “Ses Ame” seeds (Classroom Management)
2 teaspoons carry away seeds (Fun Activities and Theater Games)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (School Appropriate Curriculum)
6 scallions, chopped (Colorful Vocabulary Words: Post on the Wall)
3 cups Brussels sprout halves (Classroom full of excited children)
½ cup chicken broth (Various sized pieces of Orange cloth)
2 cups snow peas, trimmed (Handheld Instruments)
½ teaspoons ground black pepper (Verbal Discipline for out of line Sprouts)
½ teaspoon low-sodium seasoning (Airborne, Zycam, Hand sanitizer: after contact)
1 package Angel Hair Pasta (Supportive, Specific Reflections and Review)

Make sure you have a clean clear kitchen to prep your lesson otherwise the sprouts could become bruised or lost. Combine the “Ses Ame” seeds and “Carry-Away” seeds in a large open nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast the seeds with “Circle Etiquette” by stirring at various tempos. Some like to stir to musical terms such as Andante (walking), Presto (fast), and Largo (long and slow). Use “Uh Oh” to shake the pan up and make sure all the little seeds are toasting on both sides evenly. Stir for 2 minutes, or until the seeds start to ZIP ZAP ZOP out of the pan with glee. Remove to a seated circular bowl.
Heat the appropriate EVOO in the same skillet over medium-high heat by introducing the essential questions of the lesson. Add the scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute (this smell will stay in the room after you leave). Add the Brussels sprouts own flavorful opinions and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Separate into groups. Note: Some sprouts will cook right away while others will need more attention. Keep rotating the sprouts over the center of the heat. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sprouts are just tender.
Add the snow peas and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the seeds, pepper, and herb seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.

Makes 4 Servings:
Serve on a bed of carefully swirled angel hair pasta with a garnish of applause. Top it off with a little Magic Sword and you have a complex and flavorful scaffolding of multi-intelligences.

NUTRITION (THIS WEEK) AT A GLANCE
Per Serving:
610 calories (3 classes a day at this weeks residency),
25 g fat (4:45 a.m. call time),
4 g saturated fat (“Wohh, was that an Earthquake or did Peter just hit the passenger van door with the Ryder truck?”),
21 g protein (still dark, cold, heavy load in at new gym),
76 g carbohydrate (Run Peril to 400 Brussels sprouts at 8:30 a.m.),
4 1/2g dietary fiber (Load out; “Oh My Gosh the stairs just collapsed underneath Jon and Sonny and Jon might have broken his ankle),
5 mg cholesterol (Teach with disabled Jon 5th, 2nd, 3rd grades),
250 mg sodium (Take Jon to Prime Care, “You’ve bruised your Achilles tendon, wow your very lucky”).

SIDE EFFECTS
Haydee gets sick, loses her voice, out for the rest of the week. Between Sonny, Brandon, and Ian, Haydee is covered. Jon can’t walk and might have to do the show in a chair, everyone picks up transitions, which are longer with no waving flagger therefore less interesting, so we up the anti on comedy technique and truthful talking and listening, and we make it through to double show day on Friday.
Now we are home free; Jon’s Achilles is feeling better, One Take sounds like Kathleen Turner, but at least there is sound coming out of her mouth. No residencies next week and we get to go through Asheville. So the only worry now is that Julianne and I have been calling Demeter ‘him’ because Sonny took over for Haydee, and now that she’s back we may slip and call her ‘him’. Ahhhh days off, I think I’m in a Food Coma!

The Show Goes On

2010-10-12T14:45:00.003-04:00

Audiences last week had a special treat -- the opportunity to see some real professionals keeping the show going!

In every season there are unexpected issues that come up. This season has been no exception. Last week we had a stair collapse when moving out of a space that resulted in Jon getting a leg injury that left him limping and Sonny nursing two sore and bruised legs. This was followed by Haydee getting a nasty case of laryngitis.

The result of these surprises was the cast springing into action -- learning new parts overnight and staging prior to show times in order to make sure the show went on!

(The image is of the cast moving the set out of a performance space.)

The Power of Belief

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

This post comes from the kind and generous-spirited Ian Antal. A recent graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama, this is Ian's first season with Open Dream Ensemble. He is pictured here as Isaac Newton in The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Take a second, really think about what you might want as a skill that sets you apart from the rest of society. A certain quality of supernatural strength. Flight? Invisibility? The ability to morph into various shapes and images? Maybe you saw a power that really spoke to you in a comic book or a cartoon as a child, or something in the Harry Potter series. After thinking long enough about it and settling for a specific imaginary power, that choice reflects something special in the chooser.

Earlier this year, I finally settled on wishing I had the ability to transform into a loony-tunes-style cartoon character at will, bringing with me all the nonsensical laws of a world where logic does not rule the universe; where two plus two do not necessarily equal 4, and in fact really shouldn’t! A world where pianos and heavy-duty safes sporadically fall from the sky without causing permanent harm and damage upon landing on their victim. A world where time can be distorted and rules of nature uprooted.

In a way, I think the unconscious desire for this power during my childhood led me to the magic of the stage. Performers hold the power to create and alter life in any space they deem suitable for their work. Over the years I studied this craft with steadily increasing commitment and soon enough, I got so caught up in the technique and study of it that I ran the risk of forgetting the origin of my passion and the sense of play that initially drove me towards it.

Performing for and working with the children at various venues and schools has served as a fantastic wake-up call for my childhood connection to my profession. More specifically, the children’s ability to believe strongly in any given circumstances―whether they take place on Mars, at the center of the earth, or in a tree house―is absolutely awe-inspiring. In every venue we have performed at this season, I have observed a natural willingness from the children to be swept away by the story. And they will certainly let you know when they are not feeling quite swept away. One could not wish for more honest yet forgiving audiences.

In a conversation I had recently with Robert Beseda, the Assistant Dean of the UNCSA School of the Drama, about the beauty and ease surrounding the children’s sense of belief, he told me a wonderful story about a young boy at a performance of Peter Pan he had attended. When Peter Pan first flew into the scene, thanks to the skilled use of the theater’s fly system, the young boy sitting in front of Robert leapt and stood on his seat, grasped his head with his hands, and let out a jubilant “WwwooOOoooww!” I wouldn’t say that I have altogether lost that sense of play and drop-of-the-hat belief that this child was exemplifying so ecstatically, but I certainly remember it being MUCH more accessible to me as a child. So when did I start allowing doubt and skepticism to cloud my imagination?

During the training at UNCSA I became acquainted with a very useful tool for giving your imagination a good stretch: the red nose. The comedy associated with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton reflects the world of the red nose very well. The nose brings with it child-like openness, playful positivity, and pure innocence. When wielded appropriately, the red nose holds an immense power to captivate audiences. More often than not, a simple shift of the clown’s eyes will tell all that needs to be told. Most importantly, the nose is fueled by imagination and belief. Thus, just like in the movie “The Mask,” starring Jim Carrey, ANYTHING becomes possible in the world of the nose. The only boundaries are set by the limits of your imagination. Suddenly the rules of time and space needn’t apply, and we can waltz with Mr. Keaton and Mr. Chaplin, picnic with Roger Rabbit, glide the skies with Peter Pan, you name it!

The chance to put the nose to work in classrooms of 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders was IR-RE-SISTIBLE! What other way to learn more about the clown within me could possibly match the splendor of working with the world’s finest imaginarians?! The joy and commitment the children expressed while interacting with the clown―be it while tossing an invisible ball of various sizes and weights back and forth or by reacting to the imaginary smells a tissue-paper-flower might have―revitalized my visceral childhood connection to acting in the matter of a few heartbeats. Over the course of these first residencies, the class clown routines have been refined and developed further, to the point where the class is improvising together for 30 minutes with various games using no more than 5 words―andante, presto, largo, piano, and forte (grunts, squeals, and whistles not included). The nose gives everyone the chance to go somewhere extraordinary with the sheer power of belief. Julianne (my teaching artist partner) and I discovered that the clown effectively warms up the children’s bodies and imaginations, as well as their focus and attention to detail, rendering them that much more receptive to the science curriculum we cover.

When I see the children’s eyes SO engaged in the game of learning, I think back to my 3^rd grade homeroom teacher, who thought it wise to pull my head back one day and caution me very directly with the words “don’t be funny” in reference to my efforts as the class clown. Without Mrs. Geary’s advice, I may never have developed into the professional class clown I am today, and it may have taken me much longer to rediscover the play behind belief that the children demonstrate so naturally. I cannot thank the universe enough for bestowing me with this precious learning opportunity. I feel my artistry and my soul expanding consistently throughout the process of touring and teaching. It is exhausting and invigorating all at once. It is such a gift to experience something I already know I will treasure for a very long time to come….and it ain’t over yet!

Ian as Isaac

2010-10-05T21:10:00.003-04:00

For some reason, technology sometimes does not respond to my requests. I could not post a picture of Ian in the prior post, so here it is in this post...

facets

2010-10-05T20:06:00.003-04:00

This post is from Julianne Harper - a lovely woman and fabulous tap dancer. She was in the cast for our first season and returns in our sixth season. We are glad to have her back!
(Shown here in rehearsal for her role as Abeona in Peril on the Red Planet)

Open Dream has just completed our week long residency with Mineral Springs Elementary. I am so fortunate to have Ian Antal as my teaching partner, and boy do we have fun! I am constantly amazed with the imagination all of my students have, and the fourth and fifth graders this week were no exception.
When making our lesson plans, Ian and I tend to cover the curriculum by using activities that offer the students lots of time to find their creative voice. This often means guiding them to think outside of the norm-"How would you act out or dance a mineral's color?" At first there are a few confused faces in the crowd, but in no time the students attack the assignment with such an amazing amount of imaginative thinking. The results are incredibly different interpretations that allow the students to show a little of themselves-the artist and performer that is uniquely them! We have loved getting to know these sides of our students, and I know that they had fun showing us! Thanks so much Mineral Springs, you guys were awesome!

The Open Dream Ensemble’s Adventures in SCIENCE!!!

2010-09-30T08:04:00.000-04:00

This post is from the perpetually sunny and wonderfully enthusiastic Brandon Harris. This is Brandon's first year as a member of Open Dream Ensemble.

We’re currently in the middle of our second residency at Mineral Springs Elementary School, and I can’t tell you what a blast it is! Honestly, for myself, it is a little surreal. I mean, for the past 18 years of my life I have spent every September beginning a new school year as a student. And now, my first September OUT of school and I winded up... back in school!

And I couldn’t be happier. This week we of the Open Dream Ensemble are splitting our time between performing Peril on the Red Planet for local elementary schools in the morning, and heading to Mineral Springs in the afternoon to teach. As far as teaching goes, we’re currently “rocking” our 4th graders with a lesson about rocks and minerals, and “covering some ground” the 5th graders with an interactive lesson on landforms. I’m teaching alongside “Mr. Peter,” who is a wonderful teaching artist with lots of experience and a truly giving spirit. He definitely helped me get my sea legs under me during our first week long residency at Summit School last week. Combine that with spending my evenings watching Bill Nye the Science Guy, and I really feel that I’m coming into my own as a teaching artist. Today was my first day running a class solo, and I don’t think it could have gone better! :-) Tomorrow I’m bringing in drum sticks and fabric so that my 5th graders can lay down a beat while exploring the actions of tectonic plates. GO SCIENCE!!

As for Peril on the Red Planet, this particular morning we performed at Walkertown Elementary. We had to get to the school extra early, (6:45 am) to load in the set before the school busses got there carrying their precious cargo. We artists often tend to be a nocturnal bunch, so getting up at 5:30 in the morning to be ready for a 6:15 call time is quite a change of lifestyle to say the least. Especially after just graduating from a school where rehearsals regularly went until 11pm. (And sometimes 1am for side projects!)

We’re definitely a sight to see in those early mornings: a band of groggy headed artists wearing brightly colored shirts, loading into a van with a smiley face on each side (the smiley van!) in the pre-sunrise dimness, coffee in hand, eagerly awaiting the caffeine to hit our blood streams and sincerely hoping it doesn’t rain. Another day on the job.

It’s not always easy. It’s not always fun. And taking on a class full of kids can definitely be intimidating. But when you see the children’s excited faces during the show, when you feel their engagement and enthusiasm for learning growing throughout the week, and when you receive a hand written note from the “problem child” that says,

“Mr. Brandon
you ar a good teacher
Pleas come back next year”

You know it’s all worth it.

-Mr. Brandon"

I attached the mentioned note. I think it might be cool to post it on the blog. [notice the coffee stain from aforementioned coffee :-P ]

Summit School and beyond

2010-09-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

This post is from third-year cast member, Peter Shanahan. He is pictured here as the maniacal Dr. Disrupto in our web series, The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

This week we are working at the Summit School in a five-day teaching residency. is turning out to be a real blast. The kids are very eager to learn and we've discovered just how energetic and creative they are! My teaching partner, Brandon Harris, is one of the Open Dream Ensemble's newest cast members and I can't tell you how much I enjoy watching him work with the kids. He is excellent and always seems capable of having more energy than 15 kids combined! Yesterday we played "air guitar" with our Fifth grade class singing a hard-rock tune with the words of "When I Wake Up in Pangea..." Brandon created the tune and was just as capable of getting the kids to learn about and imagine what Pangea was like as he was in exciting them and making them laugh! I'm lucky to be working with such a great actor and teacher.

I'm looking forward to next week's residency at Mineral Springs Elementary and shows throughout the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, but first we have a show coming up on the UNCSA campus at 2:00 PM on Saturday and we'll be filming the show in the afternoon.

I'm very proud to be working with such an excellent group of cast members and teaching artists! And if you haven't already, please check out our webseries: The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble!

Tomorrow - FREE performance!!!!!

2010-09-24T05:54:00.003-04:00

This post is from the wonderful Sonny Enslen. Pictured here on the right as the "Quarkster" in Open Dream's web series.

Well here we are… a public performance in Raleigh, five school performances, and one week of residencies into the season. After rehearsing, filming, traveling, and all that general mayhem, it is now the time that we get really busy. All matters and the short amount of time considered, things are going quite smoothly.

This week has flown by, but not without first doing another public performance, this time in Winston-Salem. I haven’t performed on the UNCSA campus in 13 years, and here I return with a children’s show. When I finished school here I never imagined that something like this would happen, and it’s very heartening to see the school reaching out to the community at large. For a romping good sci-fi kind of time, come to the show Peril on the Red Planet on 25 September, 2:00pm, at Performance Place on the UNCSA campus.

Flitting across stage,
Fighting for the survival
Of the red planet

Rock - ing

2010-09-20T20:30:00.004-04:00

This post is from the lovely and talented Haydee Thompson -- who plays Professor Poople in our new web-series, The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble.

So far this has been a whirlwind of a season. The winds really picked up last week as we performed our very first public school performance at Mineral Springs Elementary. I think there were near 400 bright faces there, cheering us along through every scene. I very much look forward to going back to Mineral Springs next week for a 5 day integrated residency.

Speaking of residencies, this year we have been nose down in science books trying to bone up on Birds, Landforms, rocks and minerals, and life cycles. The fun part is creating energizing physical activities that utilize our strengths as artists and personalities.

Everything was going quite well for me until the idea of a "rock dance" came up. In other words, using dance to define the properties of rocks. "Soooooo, you want them to dance like a rock?!", I said. I just couldn't wrap my head around it, I mean how would a rock dance? So then I decided to ask myself the same question but with a different inflection. "How WOULD a rock dance?" I mean, it's not very often we see it happen but rocks are always moving. In one single second there are a thousand/s rocks moving somewhere on earth, right? OPEN THE FLOOD GATES, By George I think she's got it! Rocks Dance!
They crack, they roll and tumble, they erode, melt, spew, rocks can even climb. Truth is, rocks move in endless numbers of ways. Get ready 4th Grade, Its called the "Rock Dance" and its coming to your school. Thank You, I'll be here all week.

ODE on the Road

2010-09-14T14:08:00.003-04:00

We've been so busy this past month! We've managed to put up a show, film a web series, and complete teaching artist training.

Tomorrow is the start of the touring season for Open Dream. The cast will perform throughout NC and in the Pasadena area of California. We will also be carrying out a number of arts-integrated residencies. You'll be hearing directly from our great cast on how their season is going starting later this week.

For now, take a look at the first episode of our web series and visit our facebook page!

One week down

2010-08-09T11:32:00.005-04:00

We are now in our second week of rehearsals and things are great!

We have a wonderful cast that has done some good work discovering and building characters as well as a great team of directors and designers who are coming up with terrific and exciting visuals.

We have a few dates open for booking -- if interested, you can find the Open Dream contact information at our website.

Keep Dreaming!

New Beginning

2010-08-04T11:32:00.005-04:00

Season Six is underway! We have a wonderful, funny, creative and talented cast this season (three returning members, five new) as well as two directors (formerly cast members), a music director (also a former cast member) and an assistant director (former intern) hard at work putting up one show and preparing Open Dream for the world of the web series.

Rehearsal time is busy and challenging to everyone, but also a lot of fun. Here are some photos of everyone already hard at work on day one.

Amazing Adventures

2010-07-12T15:10:00.002-04:00

20 days until we begin season six.

In the past five seasons, we've produced five brand-new original works. And, the original work for the this season is a seven episode web-series based on Isaac Newton and his Three Laws of Motion.

Our first four seasons included mounting and remounting of The Amazing Adventure of Anna Marie. This sweet story by Mollye and Kelly Maxner tells the tale of a girl who has to overcome her fear of being wrong in order to discover the power of asking questions.

In this clip from our second season, Anna Marie is trying to find a way over the wall to continue on her journey to visit the Dragon that is holding the key to the locked door of dreams. She is getting help from a pair of dancing crickets and her pal, Scout.

Open Dream has been an amazing and wonderful adventure so far! I am certain this season will continue our journey into the surprising and marvelous. 20 days - the countdown continues!!!

shoes

2010-07-07T11:03:00.002-04:00

July is here and most of the eastern US is gripped in a stifling heatwave.

I've been spending some time in the Open Dream storage unit (not air conditioned) searching for shoes. I've found foot ware from many past seasons but not the mens shoes from last years production of Peril on the Red Planet. Alas!

I shrug it off with the prospect of finding the buried shoe-treasure at a later time and thinking that, perhaps, I am better off not unearthing 100-degree shoes that were worn for 40 sweaty performances until the weather cools....

Script Competition

2010-06-24T15:45:00.004-04:00

Over the past five seasons Open Dream Ensemble has produced five original shows. We believe that original shows best allow students to experience live musical theater - no preconceived notions on what will happen, no expectations of characters, songs, or special effects, AND the benefit of allowing our writer, director, and designers to really be CREATIVE and use their IMAGINATIONS in bringing the production to life.

Our next original show will be written by .... actually, we don't know. We are holding a competition, open to all UNCSA alumnus, for the next show to be produced in the summer of 2011.

Dream Team

2010-06-21T20:19:00.003-04:00

As the season begins in August and continues through December, the cast will make their contributions to this blog in the form of posts, photos, and video. We have a wonderful group of talented people taking up the call to be Open Dreamers this season.

Returning members include Haydee Thompson (actress), Peter Shanahan (musician), and Julianne Harper (dancer). New members are Ian Antal (actor), Sanford Enseln (musician), Brandon Harris (actor), Bryn Harris (actress / fight choreographer), and Jon Odom (actor).

We are looking forward to starting rehearsals six weeks from now with our co-directors (and former cast members) Brian Sutow and Joshua Morgan. James Stewart will return for the first week to coach the music and instruct the cast on the use of the sound equipment.

We are gearing up for rehearsal and looking forward to seeing this new Dream Team take on the challenges and joys of work with Open Dream Ensemble.

Open Dream takes on the Laws of Motion

2010-06-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

1. An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in uniform motion tends to stay in uniform motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

2. The change in velocity (acceleration) with which an object moves is directly proportional to the magnitude of force applied to the object and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.

3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Fifth grade science. Remember?

Isaac Newton was an amazing thinker. Not only did he create calculus, discover properties of light and optics, run the British mint, and prove the laws of motion, he was largely responsible for ushering in the era of scientific method and proof.

What would our world be without him? Likely, very different.

What does this have to do with Open Dream Ensemble? Well, Isaac Newton and his Laws of Motion are the basis of our upcoming webseries. In a seven-episode series, Open Dream Ensemble will examine the Laws of Motion in the only way we know how -- through dance, drama, and music... and time travel -- of course.

More to come in later posts....

Open Dream on Facebook

2010-06-16T15:46:00.002-04:00

Open Dream Ensemble now has a facebook page! Visit and become a fan.

Thanks!

Planning

2010-06-14T15:57:00.003-04:00

June is a month of planning for Open Dream Ensemble.

We are planning the season, planning the rehearsal process, planning the changes to the set and costumes, planning an original web-series for youth, and planning slight changes to our website as well as launching a facebook page.

The planning period is both fun and crucial. Preparing for the expected allows us to move forward with confidence to the next step. Creating. Next month will begin the creation process for the set, costumes, final drafts of scripts, draft of the season schedule, an updated website and facebook page.

August brings the many elements together through the remounting of Peril on the Red Planet and filming the web-series (more about that in the next post).

For now, all things are in processes, planning, and flux.

Email is UP

2010-05-04T20:57:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that my email is back up. Thanks for your patience and the phone calls!!!!

My Email is DOWN

2010-04-23T16:30:00.002-04:00

I take a deep breath and sigh. My opendreamensemble.com email has been down since Tuesday. Frankly, having no work email is a tiny bit liberating -- it opens up time to work on other aspects of the project that have been pushed aside. But, mostly it is frustrating. The worst part of the situation is that people who are emailing are not getting bounce-back messages. So my apologies to anyone who might be awaiting a response from me. I am not ignoring you. In this situation, I am simply ignorant. Call. Please.

I hope everything will be straightened out by Monday.

As John Tudor put it, “Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology”

My much awaited (at least in my Mind) Open Dream Blog Post

2010-03-12T08:22:00.001-05:00

This post is from Brian Sutow -- Open Dream Ensemble cast member 2009 and co-director 2010. Brian is currently starring in the No Rules Theatre production of Some Girl(s) in Washington DC. Read a review here.

Just this afternoon I had the honor of sending out my very first email to this year's "Open Dream Ensemble." Joshua and I were both blown away by the talent that came out to audition for the group this year, and we feel strongly that we have assembled an amazing team. I am thrilled at the idea of being back in Winston-Salem in August (I miss Winston, it had become a true home to me). I also can't wait to take last season's very successful Peril on the Red Planet and kick it up to the next level! The word, "kick" seems to come up a lot when Joshua and I talk about how we want our shows to be received - I wonder what that is about? A secret desire to be a Rockette? I'll have to ask my shrink.
In any event, we're gearing up to try to make this the best Open Dream season yet. I really believe that with this troupe of talented people, we'll be able to achieve amazing things!

To Be A Martian

2010-03-08T15:31:00.002-05:00

Last season we were lucky enough to have a film team from the JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) in California come out and tape Peril on the Red Planet. As part of this taping, the folks at JPL and Imagine Mars have put together this "Opening Dreams" segment.

Enjoy!

Marching Onward

2010-03-05T16:07:00.002-05:00

March is upon us and just as spring bounds around the corner with greater outward activity, so too goes life for the Open Dream Ensemble.

Last month we held auditions.

This month we selected a cast.

Next come the rewrites in script and music to make the show better fit the impressive talents of our incoming cast... once the script is revised, comes the reworking of the costumes and set.

And, we are preparing for our first season of creating a web series.... more on this in later posts....

In the midst of this creative work, the logistics of the upcoming season remain in the background. Contracts, budgets, timelines, mailings, bookings, trainings, etc. are all being discussed, considered, adjusted and improved.

The work continues apace - but just as the robins foretell the activity of the summer, the creative team's return to work foretells high hopes for Open Dream Ensemble, Season Six!

Consistency

2010-02-08T19:47:00.003-05:00

This season Open Dream Ensemble will have an almost entirely new cast. Luckily, with the changes comes great consistency. Ren LaDassor will be returning to create and tweak costumes and Travis McHale will be returning to create and tweak the set.

The challenges remain the same:
Create costumes and set elements that look great, are durable, and cant be set up, torn down and taken care of solely by the cast (we have no crew). Happily, I know Ren and Travis are up to the challenge and look forward to their creative ideas!

Return Booking

2010-02-04T20:49:00.003-05:00

This post is from the intrepid Joshua Morgan who agreed to return to work with Open Dream Ensemble for Season Six. We are happy to have him and Brian Sutow on board as directors this coming season!

Aaaaaaaaand we're back! You never know what's going to pop up as an actor, writer, director, etc. but our careers are usually relatively random. For example, Brian (the other ODE Season Six director) and I run a theatre company (No Rules Theatre Company) in Washington, DC and Winston-Salem, NC and have built a 3 year plan for ourselves knowing full well that things will come up monthly, weekly and even daily that can change the course of everything. Last year when we auditioned for the Open Dream Ensemble, it was relatively spur of the moment as we (graduating Drama class of '09) all had plans of moving to NY or LA to be the next Shia LaBeouf (we trade AB workouts). However, we were then handed this pretty fantastic, difficult, life changing opportunity that we realized was exactly what we wanted to do. We rehearsed and toured both of last years shows for 6 months and left ODE expecting to be back for occasional visits. We knew we wanted to keep up some sort of relationship with Kenan and ODE but had no idea we'd be back in the saddle 8 months later, remounting Peril on the Red Planet. Having toured with the show for such a long time, we have so much more insight than we started that project and are excited to see what we can bring to this already successful show a second time. Winston-Salem is a special town with a strong undercurrent of artistic passion and I'm so looking forward to being able to develop the theatre company and play with "Open Dream" for a second season!

Cast Call

2010-02-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

One of the joys of every Open Dream Ensemble season is discovering our new cast. For Season Six, we are looking for a mix of people with complementary skills, abilities, and interests. Everyone will need to be a graduate of UNCSA by June 2010 and be top-notch artists of professional standing.

Check out the Open Dream Ensemble site for more information about our company and a complete job announcement.

Here are the basics:
Plans for the season include remounting Peril on the Red Planet by Mollye Maxner, Shona Simpson, and James Stewart, teaching artist training, performances and school residencies. We are in the initial stages of planning an original web series of youth. Joshua Morgan and Brian Sutow will direct this season.

Email Rebecca Nussbaum, General Manager, to arrange an audition time. Be sure to include your major at UNCSA and year of graduation. Rebecca@opendreamensemble.com

All applications must be received by: Monday, February 15, 2010
Audition Date and Location: Sunday, February 21, 2010 in Winston-Salem, NC, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Off-Season

2010-01-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

I’ve often had people ask me what I do during Open Dream Ensemble’s off-season….

The simple answer – I plan. As much as possible all of the details for the next season are thought through and nailed down. This ranges from scheduling, to funding, to shows, set, costumes, residencies, and well beyond. While the off-season is less full of last minute issues and emergencies, there remains plenty to do!

What’s being planned? …. lots of great things including some more ground breaking work – but I can say no more as all is top-secret for the time being!

Meanwhile, look soon for a post regarding our auditions that are coming up next month.

And, Happy New Year!

Rebecca Nussbaum
General Manager, Open Dream Ensemble

Dreams

2009-12-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

This concludes Open Dream Ensemble posts for 2009. Look for the next post in the second week of January 2010.

Thanks to all of our well-wishers and fellow dreamers for a wonderful year!

'Tis the night before Christmas so I now take time to share some images from Peril on the Red Planet (where, no doubt, Christmas will someday be celebrated). I wish everyone a holiday season full of wonder and sweet dreams!

Rebecca Nussbaum

Joshua Keeps Moving!

2009-12-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is the eight and final installment on what the cast is up to post-Open Dream Ensemble Season Five. This post is from the always-in-motion Joshua Morgan.

I will be moving right to Washington, DC and then heading back to NY/LA for the rest of December. Come January 1st, Brian and I will be running No Rules Theatre Company full time. Our first show, Some Girl(s), opens March 4 at H Street Playhouse. As artists, it's literally month to month, sometimes day to day, in terms of our next job, so there's no real reason to go in to great detail about what we'll be doing for the next twelve months... but, if you are interested:

www.NoRulesTheatre.org

spaceonryderfarm.blogspot.com

joshuamorgan25.wordpress.com

Dia's Staying Warm

2009-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the seventh installment of next steps for the Open Dream Ensemble cast. This post comes from dancer Dia Dearstyne -- now residing in tropical Miami, FL!

What am I doing next? Well....I will be moving to Miami, FL to see what kind of trouble I can get myself into! I'll be moving in with my little brother who is in his last year of college for drama at the New World School of the Arts. And I will be helping one of my good friends and former UNCSA classmates, Ivonne Batanero, start to build up the Contemporary Dance community in Miami. I don't know how long I'll be there. Or what happens after that. But I promise you this, I will be dancing my heart out while I do it!

What's Next for James

2009-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the sixth in the series of posts outlining what the Open Dream Ensemble cast is up to now that the season is complete. This posting is from multi-talented musician James Stewart.

James Stewart will continue his work as Music Minister at Bethany Baptist Church and as a local educator. He also is involved in several creative projects, composing music for new works of musical theater. Soon James' life will change as he is applying to begin work on his Doctorate in composition.

Next Steps for Rose

2009-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the fifth installment of what the Open Dream Ensemble cast is now up to at the completion of the season. This comes from the ever active Rose Shields.

As the 5th season of Open Dream Ensemble closes, I have packed up most of my things in preparation to move back to Atlanta, GA. I will be auditioning for XCEL Talent Agency in Atlanta this coming weekend, so life will not slow down for me over the holidays. Once January rolls in for 2010, I will start substitute teaching again in Gwinnett County during my daytime and will be working with choreographers at Dance 101 in Atlanta in my evenings. I am looking forward to working with Charles Carr, Micheal McDonough, T. Lang, and other newer choreographers in the Atlanta area to continue the artistic explosion that has been taking place there in the last 5 years. I shall also begin to line up more dance auditions for cruise lines and dance companies for the winter and spring seasons in hopes to do some touring abroad. Wish me luck! I had a wonderful time working with everyone in ODE. It always an exciting adventure that teaches me something new every day. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it for 3 seasons and perhaps there will be more in the future!

Brian's Next Moves

2009-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the fourth installment of the Open Dream Ensemble cast's next plans. This comes to us from actor Brian Sutow.

I will be moving to Washington, DC where I will be working as Co-Artistic Director of No Rules Theatre Company (along with longtime pal and collaborator Joshua Morgan). In March I will be featured in our first production, "Some Girl(s)" by Neil LaBute at the H Street Playhouse. Additionally, we are laying down the ground work to bring our productions from Washington, DC down to Winston Salem's brand new Hanes Theatre - so you may not have seen the last of us yet, Winston-Salem. In my free time, I have continued to write additional episodes of the web series, Assembly Required, which will hopefully go into production at the beginning of 2010. Additionally, Joshua and I are creating two original pieces for the 2010 Capitol Fringe Festival - a live stage show of Assembly Required, and the original musical, "Duets," and are working on spec scripts for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. On top of all of that, I am searching for a day job that pays the bills. Oh, the life of an artist.

Kjerstin Makes Plans

2009-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the third installment from the Open Dream cast about what they are up to now that Open Dream has completed season five. This comes from the lovely Kjerstin Lysne.

Just a few short weeks after wrapping up Open Dream Ensemble's 2009 season, I will be relocating to the Washington, DC area where I will be working with choreographer Kelly Mayfield in her freshly forming company, Contradiction Dance. In addition to working with Kelly, I want to continue to create and perform my own work. My first venture (hopefully) being for the Capital Fringe Festival this summer. And in addition to this, I will be working towards my certification to teach yoga.

What's Next for Lauren

2009-12-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is the second installment of post-season plans from the cast of Open Dream Ensemble. This comes from recent DC resident, Lauren Culpepper.

Once Open Dream closes Joshua, Brian and I are moving to Washington. DC!! We have lived together in Winston-Salem these last 6 months and will also be living together in DC! We got an apartment right in the heart of the city. You walk out the door and 2 blocks down the road is the Capitol! At the end of December, I start rehearsals for Orestes: A Tragic Romp at the Folger Theatre. It will open in February and we will also have a run in April at Two River Theatre in New Jersey. After that I'll be in A New Jerusalem at Theater J in DC that will rehearse and run May - July. I am very excited to start this new chapter in a totally new city with my best friends, but I will truly miss these wonderful last six months with Open Dream and the cast.

Peter Post-Open Dream

2009-12-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

This first installment from the cast on what their plans are post-season comes from Winston-Salem-based flutist, Peter Shanahan.

Now that the Open Dream season is coming to a close, it is time to look forward to new projects and having time to develop and follow through with older ones. Since I'm staying in Winston-Salem and don't have any moves in the near future, going to rent a moving van and hauling boxes around is NOT, thank goodness, part of the plan. First of all, I really need to get my website (petershanahan.com) up and running. The web designer has almost completed the work, and I hope to have it ready by the end of January.

I have some concerts with the Winston-Salem Symphony and the Western Piedmont Symphony coming up, and I may actually have the chance to go back to the Southwest Florida Symphony for some concerts during the springtime. I'll be gearing up for another Open Dream Ensemble audition at some point too.

I teach about 12 flute students, and I'm looking forward to having more time to devote to them. I also volunteer to coach a flute choir for amateur flutists, and perform with Flutes on Fourth-- a semi-professional flute ensemble.

Also, I need to spend some quality time in my practice studio, working my flute "chops" to get them better than ever. While I always sound like a professional musician during the Open Dream season, my skills are really honed in by hours of practice for me to take on the most challenging pieces of the flute repertoire. I'd like to play a recital in early March.

Goodbye and good luck to all Open Dreamers, audiences, teachers, and students!

Peter Shanahan

Post

2009-12-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

The Open Dream Ensemble active season has ended. But the work continues.

Plans and timelines are being made to launch season 6. Set and costume repairs are being considered. Auditions are being planned. Budgets are being outlined.

And while work goes on in the office of Open Dream, life and work continues for the cast of Open Dream.

These next days will bring updates from each of the cast members. A glance into their current projects and plans, ideas and desires. And as their lives and successes unfold in the future, we hope to bring you word of that as well.

Season Finale

2009-12-11T19:39:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I met with the Open Dream Ensemble cast one last time as we loaded the set and costumes into the storage space. Open Dream Season Five is officially complete.

The conclusion of a season always causes me to pause and reflect -- and this has been a wonderful season in many ways. Foremost, the cast. This group of nine artists has shown tremendous dedication to bringing top-quality arts productions and residencies to youth throughout the southeast. Their professionalism and ability to go out day after day and make the same shows fresh and insightful is inspiring. Their dedication to the students in the classrooms where they have worked is wonderful. Without a doubt, these artists have left in their wake thousands of young people who are seeing the arts as enriching, rewarding, exciting, and accessible thanks to their interactions with the cast.
Thank you James, Rose, Peter, Kjerstin, Brian, Lauren, Joshua, Dia, and Haydee!

The writers and directors this season were terrific to work with and brought two new shows to life. From the first flight at Kitty Hawk to life on Mars – this has been a season that has covered some serious ground. Thank you Mollye, Shona, Brian, Isaac, Matt, James and Joshua!

The set and costume designers both came through with great products that fit our broad needs and narrow specifications. I cannot thank Ren and Travis enough for creating a great look for Open Dream Ensemble 2009!

Thanks always to the great women of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. Without their tireless support and assistance, Open Dream would simply cease to be. Margaret, Lynda, Suzanna, and Amanda – you have my unending appreciation.

Thanks also to UNCSA and the countless there people who have helped us this season and in season’s past.

Thanks to the panelists, the bookers, the venues, the arts councils, the granting organizations, the host schools, and the great students and teachers who have helped make this a positive and memorable season!

And, of course, thanks to the incomparable Steve D!

Art at its’ core is a communal effort and Open Dream Ensemble is fortunate to have such a robust community.

My gratitude to all named and unnamed -
Rebecca Nussbaum
General Manager

2009-12-08T20:37:00.001-05:00

Reflections on the Season's End

2009-12-08T19:40:00.000-05:00

This post is from the lovely Kjerstin Lysne. Kjerstin is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Dance and has been a member of Open Dream Ensemble for two seasons. It has been wonderful watching her develop as an artist and teacher through these two seasons.

Here I am again, at the end of another season with Open Dream- my second, and my final, season. I’m not going to miss those 5:00 am calls, and the long hours of driving, but I will definitely miss the steady paycheck…as well as my fellow cast members, from whom I have learned so much, and with whom I have had a blast working , playing, and getting to know over the past 5 months. I thank you for all the memories- they will be treasured. And thank you Open Dream- I have also learned many lessons through rehearsing, performing, and teaching with you over the past two seasons. You have challenged me, stretched me, and brought out so much in me that I never imagined existed. Your impact on me has been just as strong as that which we dare to hope to have on the kids we perform for and teach. My dreams have been opened and I now set out to accomplish them…

Rose's Final Post of Season Five

2009-12-08T09:08:00.004-05:00

This post is from UNCSA School of Dance alumna Rose Shields. Rose is a third-year member of Open Dream Ensemble and most recognizable to audiences as the character of Abeona in Peril on the Red Planet.

Open Dream is almost done and my has it flown by! We just wrapped up the last 2 shows of "Peril on the Red Planet" for a great audience at Chestnut Grove Middle School. Will I miss the robot? Perhaps... but definitely not the air tight body suit. I think these last 2 shows of "Peril" were our best out of the whole touring season. Nothing beats the energy of a closing show. What I will miss most about ODE though is everyone in our cast, my second hilariously dysfunctional (but much loved) family. We survived all of the long travels minus a few bumps and bruises along the way (usually from loading/unloading the incredibly large set), and completed each residency with style. Thank you Rebecca for all of the hoops you jump through to make the season happen! One week of

Dream Machines and then on to new adventures!

On Location!

2009-12-07T14:25:00.002-05:00

This post is from the currently-in-route-to-the-Outer-Banks Peter Shanahan. Peter is a UNCSA graduate from the School of the Music and a second-year member of the Open Dream Ensemble.

On Tuesday morning, the Open Dream Ensemble will perform Dream Machines at First Flight Elementary School right next to Kill Devil Hill in Kitty Hawk, N.C. The elementary school is only a few hundred yards from where Wilbur and Orville Wright managed to create and fly the world's first heavier-than-air flying machine! Since our play tells their story, and the story of those closest to them, I feel an amazing honor to perform the show right next to the spot where all of this history happened.

Just over a year ago, Open Dream performed another play at First Flight Middle School. The beginnings of Dream Machines were just coming about, but our cast knew that the show would be about the Wright brothers. Even back then, I had a secret desire to see the new show performed "on location!"

Now, after dozens of shows and six months of rehearsal and performing, that secret desire is is no longer secret. It will be among the most satisfying experiences of my artistic life!

Kitty Hawk, N.C. -- Here we come!

Final Week

2009-12-06T20:27:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow Open Dream Ensemble begins the final week of performances for this season. This week includes two performances in Stokes County followed by five performances in Dare County.

By the end of this week, Open Dream will have performed over 60 times and spent 24 days in elementary school residencies across the state as teaching artists. Add to this over 7000 miles traveled, rehearsal time, teaching artist training, archive filming and being featured on the NASA/JPL series Martians, and it has been a wonderful and busy season.

Ah, but not to get ahead of myself -- there are many miles left before the conclusion.... and more will be reported here in the coming weeks!

Curtain Call

2009-12-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

This is the final post from the wonderful James Stewart. James graduated with a Masters in Music Composition degree from the UNCSA School of Music and is finishing up his third season with Open Dream Ensemble.

Well, this season is coming to a close. This has been my third season on
the cast of the Open Dream Ensemble. After four original scores, five new
shows, a dozen residences, and somewhere around 200 performances, these
will be my last few days with the ensemble. It has been an amazing and
rewarding experience. I have enjoyed the challenge, the performing, the
writing, the students, and (believe it or not) the driving from one place
to another. But, there is one thing that I will miss most of all, and
that will be the cast. I appreciate every member of this ensemble, their
gifts, their personalities, their humor, their enthusiasm, and their
friendship. I would like to take this last blog post as a chance to thank
the cast, the management, and the producers of the Open Dream Ensemble for
the opportunity to be a part of something so unique and so important.
Thank you Peter for always being willing to hop into the van with me to
help load and un-load.
Thank you Brian for the talks on the long rides in the van.
Thanks Lauren, for introducing me to Radio-Lab (I canâ€™t stop listening
to it!).
Thanks Joshua for making me laugh especially when I didnâ€™t feel like
laughing.
Thanks Rose for faithfully assembling the glider over and over and over
again.
Thank you Kjerstin for always helping me set-up the percussion for Dream
Machines.
Thanks Dia for your constant optimism and smile.
Thank you Haydee for stepping in as you did, and for your listening ear.
Thank you Rebecca, for postponing a show so that I could go be with my
family in a time of need.
And thank you, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts for making all of
this possible.

Brian's Final Post (for us)

2009-12-03T19:18:00.005-05:00

This is the final post of the season from Brian Sutow. Brian is a UNCSA School of Drama graduate and soon-to-be-resident of Washington, DC. He is pictured above holding the "Flying Research." -- Truly, he does look better without the mustache.

I can't believe the season is coming to an end. When starting the season in July, it seemed like six months of acting work was an eternity, and I would never have to worry about finding a job or auditioning again! Well, while I am unfortunately going to have to go on the prowl for a job (in my new home of Washington, DC - Yes!) this season has been everything I had hoped it would be and more. I will particularly miss getting to work with this wonderful ensemble of people every day. Being on the road together can be tricky - potentially horrific - and this group of people has stayed fun, friendly and enjoyable the entire time. Fortunately, I think the friendships will last well beyond this six month season. Already we have found ourselves working together (or planning to) outside of Open Dream. Joshua and I brought Kjerstin up to DC to dance in our Halloween show, we have brought James on to help compose and arrange for our original musical that we're bringing to the Capitol Fringe Festival, and we're looking forward to using Peter in an episode of our webseries - and that's just what we've planned so far! But most of all, I will miss working with and performing for the kids. I've enjoyed my time with them so much that I've already applied for children's theatre jobs up in DC. So who knows... perhaps my journey with children's theatre is just getting started.

Rain Out

2009-12-02T16:27:00.003-05:00

The rain in Winston-Salem this fall has been prolific. So much rain that Peter caught a fish "this BIG" just by standing outside....

But seriously, Open Dream Ensemble did, for the first time, have to adjust our schedule to fit in the rain. We had planned to perform outside this afternoon as part of our residency at Triad Academy but have moved the performance to Friday in hopes that we will have clearer skies.

Hopefully the rain will dissipate sometime tonight. Our schedule includes outdoor performances tomorrow and Friday. Fingers crossed for blue skies!

Welcome Back

2009-11-30T16:34:00.003-05:00

This week Lauren Culpepper returns to Open Dream Ensemble after a month recuperating from hip surgery. Tomorrow she will resume the role of Katharine Wright at a performance in Charlotte. Lauren, a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama, let's us know how she feels....

I am happily back with Open Dream for the final two weeks! I couldn't be more excited. This past month recovering from my hip surgery has been a rough one, but I feel ready to return as Katherine Wright in Dream Machines tomorrow. I must admit I'm a little nervous since I haven't had a chance to do the show in a month, so I'm going over lines and blocking tonight just in case. I really look forward to seeing the rest of the cast tomorrow and couldn't be more excited and grateful to be able to return and close the season with everyone. As for my post surgery recovery...things seem to be going just as planned. I can do pretty much everything except run and kick, etc. which is why Haydee is going to step in for the last two shows of Peril this week. I wish I could do it physically, but I'm also glad to have the chance to hang out with her and the rest of the team.

Glad to have you back, Lauren!

Dia / Diana

2009-11-24T08:58:00.002-05:00

This post is from dear Dia Dearstyne. Dia is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Dance and a first-year member of Open Dream Ensemble.

Wooooops!
I was so excited for the weekend I forgot to write my blog! Sorry to all you avid readers, didn't mean to keep you hanging :)

Well, since I wrote last much has happened. I have been taking over the role of Diana in our show "Peril On the Red Planet" for the past month since Lauren had hip surgery. It's been such a treat! From hot pink leggings, to pig tails, adventuring with my BFF Abeona to defeating Zartok 3...I will miss it! But Lauren comes back after Thanksgiving and I'm so very happy to have my friend and roommie back!

I can't believe it's all almost coming to an end. Six months go by very fast when you're working as hard and as often as we do in ODE. I actually feel like I'm finally getting into a routine, where I have a good idea of how things are going to go from day to day, and I'm comfortable with my roles as a coworker and cast mate. Just in time for the contract to be over! But I guess that's how it goes. I'll be sure to enjoy every last performance, road trip, load in and out, and fit of giggles with my ODE family in these last weeks!

Staying Fresh

2009-11-19T20:07:00.003-05:00

This post is from the insightful Brian Sutow. Brian is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama. He is pictured on the left as a Martian Cop in Peril on the Red Planet.

We are getting pretty close to the end of this wonderful season of the Open Dream Ensemble. It has been a fascinating, thought-provoking and inspiring journey so far, and I'm sure there are still a few more wonderful memories on the way before we finish. One thing that has been really interesting me lately has been how the shows have continued to grow since we started performing them. This is the longest run of a show I have ever performed. I was very concerned that doing the same shows for months on end might lead to them growing stale, or ideas growing tired. Fortunately, that has not been the case at all! Recently the shows have picked up new energy and steam, and some of the performances we have delivered this week have been the funniest, clearest and richest shows to date. It's nice to know that all of these months later there are new things to be mined, specified and deepened in our performances - and that we are keeping the show fresh and finding them (while of course upholding the integrity of the shows, and the directors' vision). Of course, what really keeps us inspired are the fantastic audiences we have been having. Their fresh eyes watching the show help to keep it fresh for us! Now I'd be curious to have an experience like Topol has had with "Fiddler on the Roof." What would it be like to play a role for years? Decades? I can only imagine the richness, insight and heart that experience could give to a performer.

BLOG: 11/16/09 From Haydee

2009-11-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

This is our first post from the wonderful Haydee Thompson! Haydee is a drama graduate of UNCSA and has returned to Open Dream Ensemble as a third-year cast member.

Hello Dreamer Followers,
This is my first blog ever! This morning I woke up at 4am, pet my cat Lily, got out of bed, put on the kettle, got dressed, made tea (and a bagel), checked the e-mail, and packed my bag.
Bag Items:
script
water
thermos of tea
lunch
make-up
voice
pillow
Rose picked me up 50 minutes later to make our 5:00am call, meeting in the back parking lot of UNCSA (Egypt). We made it just in time. I hopped in the Ryder Van with James. On the drive we talked about a kid's birthday party he went to this weekend, with a petting zoo and it sounded like James had a great time! It is still dark an hour later when the road begins to wind up these great hills and there is a sign to Turn onto the Great Blue Ridge Parkway, what a treat. The Sunrise was a deep red and quite spectacular. There is nothing
like seeing morning break and I think how lucky I am to see it. I have seen some amazing sunrises, light and landscapes this month on the road with Open Dream.
Other great things I've seen this month:
smiling faces
teamwork
humor
strength
compassion
fortitude
friendship

41.5/25

2009-11-14T19:38:00.003-05:00

This post is from Peter Shanahan -- seen celebrating in the photo above. Peter, a graduate of the UNCSA School of Music, is a second-year Open Dream Ensemble member. As you will read in the post, his sense of humor comes in handy when stuck on the road...

Open Dream has landed back on Winston-Salem's terra firma. While our most recent trip didn't include any actual flying, I'm sure all of us wished that we could pull back on the steering wheel, taking off into the clouds to avoid the 25 hours of driving we just completed.

The story goes like this:

Wednesday, November 11
9:00 AM Cast meets in Winston-Salem, NC and departs for Hundington, TN
10:15 Cast stops at Starbucks in Hickory, NC for much needed coffee and potty-break.
11:30 Detour due to a rockslide begins. Total closure of a major interstate highway.
2:30-3:00 PM Lunch break at Wendy's!!!
3:30 Pass through Knoxville, TN
6:00 (Approximate) Pass through Nashville, TN!
7:30 (Approximate) Begin traffic jam caused by terrible accident. Moved fewer than a mile in three hours.
8:15 Practical Jokes begin. Peter starts. Joshua ends.
8:45 Peter gets over the water w/lemon thrown at him and laughs about it.
9:30 (Local Time) Finally get to an exit and take a detour!!!
11:00 (Approximate) Arrive at motel in Hundington.

Thursday, November 12
6:45 AM Cast departs motel and soon arrives at the Dixie Carter Center!
7:00 Load in and set-up with lots of stage crew help. Thank you Dixie Carter Center!
9:00 Peril on the Red Planet showtime!
11:00 Peril on the Red Planet showtime!
2:30 PM EST Depart Hundington, TN with a full stomach!
2:40 Pick up my pillow left at motel.
Fast Forward......
8:45 Dinner break at...you guessed it: Wendy's!!! Yay!
8:50 James is accused of credit card fraud by the Hess/Wilco station manager.
8:55 James is found innocent by said manager. Whew!

Friday, November 13
1:31 AM Arrival of remaining pieces of cast at UNCSA campus in Winston-Salem, NC!

By my quick calculations, done while driving at 1:00 AM on Friday, that makes 41.5 Hours from start to finish, with 25 spent on the road!
41.5/25, a rock slide, a horrible accident, two shows on Mars, two Wendy's meals, and a trip ending on Friday the 13th.

What a trip! Yes, I'm convinced of it: we all wanted to have flying vans.

Role Call

2009-11-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

Through the years, Open Dream Ensemble has been fortunate to have a number of talented UNCSA-trained artists as part of the team. Recent reflection has indicated there have been well over 40 people who have used their skills as cast members, writers / directors, composers, set designers, costume designers, lighting designers, interns and so much more. Our honor roll includes:
Kashanna Brown, Megan Cook, Matt Cowart, Lauren Culpepper, Dia Dearstyne, John Dillon, Tim Eulich, Molly Feingold, Amber Ferenz, Jonathan Gordon, Cara Hagan, Laura Hall, Juliane Harper, Jessica Hightower, Isaac Klein, Olivia Kohrman, Ren LaDassor, Chad Lynch, Kjerstin Lysne, Kelly Maxner, Mollye Maxner, Step Maus, Travis McHale, Heidi McIver, Joshua Morgan, Keith Nelson, Rebecca Nussbaum, Jennifer O'Kelly, Patrick Osteen, Cora Philips, Justin Poindexter, Harry Poster, Peter Shanahan, Karim Sekou, Mathew Smart, James Stewart, Brian Sutow, Kate Sutton-Johnson, Haydee Thompson, Colin Tribby, and Ryan White.

Thanks to everyone for their work through the years!

And, if I've somehow overlooked your name and it should be on this list, please let me know!

Four Shows in Two Days and a LONG Drive Tomorrow

2009-11-10T20:26:00.004-05:00

Open Dream Ensemble performed Peril on the Red Planet twice yesterday at Southeastern Middle School in beautiful Stokes County. These were some of the first performances with Dia as Diana and they went well! To my knowledge there were only two moments that were a little less than smooth -- one of them when the bamboo staff of Demeter's robot (played by the lovely Kjerstin Lysne) cracked and the other when Dia had a slight slip in memory and got even more power from earth. Good going to all the cast for making the needed changes with two roles switching performers!

Today the cast had the opportunity to perform Dream Machines in at Kimmel Farm and Mineral Springs Elementary Schools in Winston-Salem through a grant from The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and funding from the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools. Dream Machines is staying tight and Haydee in her seventh performance as Katharine Wright is playing the part with great familiarity and ease.

Tomorrow puts Open Dream on the road. The cast heads east to Hundington, Tennessee for two performances of Peril at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center there on Thursday.

Safe travels!

Welcome Back!

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Now in her second week of working with us, it is past time to welcome actress Haydee Thompson back to Open Dream Ensemble. Haydee was a cast member in seasons 3 and 4 and has returned this season to replace Lauren Culpepper as Katharine Wright in Dream Machines as well as taking on the role of Demeter, and others, in Peril on the Red Planet.

Haydee is a wonderful actress and person. We are extremely fortunate that she was willing to step in on short notice and, literally, a few hours of rehearsal. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Busy Week

2009-11-04T16:17:00.004-05:00

Open Dream Ensemble is currently in the middle of a week of performances, residencies, rehearsals and one meeting.

In the performances category, we just completed three performances of Dream Machines in Ashe County, NC elementary schools. Isaac Klein, co-writer and co-director of the show, was able to attend one of the performances yesterday and give notes to the amazing cast. On Friday, we will perform Peril on the Red Planet at the Montessori School of Winston-Salem.

In the residencies category, we are in residence at The Montessori School of Winston-Salem this week on Monday and Friday. We are enjoying a wonderful group of students and teachers at that school!

In the rehearsals category - we had one rehearsal on Monday afternoon for Peril (working on replacing Lauren with Dia in the role of Diana and on replacing Dia with Haydee in the role of Demeter) and will have another tomorrow morning -- this time, we hope, with a healthy Joshua.

Meeting - the cast and I will be meeting tomorrow afternoon to converse about Open Dream in general, the season in specific, and look into the possible future. We'll also be starting to plan our upcoming residency at the Triad Academy.

So, all in all, a busy week!

Ready Rosie

2009-11-01T14:44:00.004-05:00

This post is from the ever-ready Rose. Rose, a graduate of the UNCSA School of Dance, is a third-year member of Open Dream Ensemble and great at being cheerful at 5:00 a.m.!

We had our first day at the Montessori School of Winston-Salem (Oct. 27) and the pace at that school is very different from that of regular public schools. It's interesting to come into a class that has a mixed age group. The 4th, 5th, and 6th graders being combined into one class makes it seem more like one big family. Also, we performed Dream Machines in literally a hallway at that school, and it never ceases to amaze me how our group accommodates so easily and quickly to make the show work in any size of space (as long as we have doorways wide enough for our work bench to fit through).

Now that I've had a chance to rest up over the weekend I can say I'm ready for those 5:00 in the morning call times. I'm seriously learning how to become a better morning person. It's really tough! I don't know how public school teachers do this 5 days a week for 9 months of the year!

Hippy's Update

2009-10-29T19:35:00.003-04:00

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 ....

2009-10-25T13:31:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-23T19:27:00.002-04:00

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."