When students assembled in September to begin production on the Department of Theatre and Dance's "Birdbath," they knew their work would be memorable.
The project, which cultivated the skills and talents of over a dozen student artists, is a multimedia presentation of Leonard Melfi's one-act romance, "Birdbath." Stretching the script's 30-minute length into a one-hour hybrid of drama, poetry, dance, singing and video projection, "Birdbath" demonstrates the result of a good collaboration.
Jamie Elvey, a sophomore theater major and performer in "Birdbath," said the style of production is like nothing else she's worked on before.
"Most theater is geared toward the end product," Elvey said. "This has always been about the process."
A celebration of that process will culminate when they depart to France later this week. Their local efforts will be showcased before an international audience of fellow students and educators. Collectively, they will represent UB and the American contingent at the 12th Rencontres Internationales du Theatre in Besancon, France, an international student theater festival.
Director Maria S. Horne, an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, created the project to explore the process of exploratory and experimental theater. Horne is also the founder of the International Artistic and Cultural Exchange Program, one of the sponsors of the festival. In her director's note in the playbill, she stated the concepts behind the art: "Mere repetition of long-established formulas stagnate the dynamic creation process. Even though there is immense value in theatre as entertainment, experimental theatre provides a research laboratory for new 'ways' to be born."
In other words, Horne has adapted Melfi's simple one-act, two-person romantic play into a conceptual work of performance art. At her assistance is what Horne refers to as the Collective Research Team - the students. As a whole, they are involved in performing, designing, crafting and advising the play's production.
"It's been an amazing experience," said Jane Bacon, a junior musical theater major involved in the "Birdbath." "Some people don't get this all their lives."
Attending the festival is IACE founder and director Horne and students majoring in either theater, dance and/or musical theater: Bacon, Elvey, Thomas DeTrinis, Matthew Erickson, James Hergenroder, Cate Lynch, Heather Murphy, Lindsay Rogan, Dena Roncone, Kevin Smith and Chelsea Warren.
The students that signed up last fall to travel to France knew that the department would not completely cover their expenses. To raise funds, they have held bake sales and theme parties. They also plan on creating Department of Theatre and Dance T-shirts, which they hope that the University Bookstore will carry.
While at the festival, the Collective Research Team will perform for students from Algeria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and Venezuela. In addition, they will share living quarters with an international delegate, courtesy of the Universite de Franche-Comte.
In preparation for their departure this Saturday, the students will present preview performances of "Birdbath" at the CFA Black Box Theatre on March 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and will benefit the 12-student delegation.
