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Stephanie Skura's Two Huts
Stephanie Skura's Two Huts
Debra Wanner,Tom Cayler, Todd Jefferson
Moore.
Thursday-Sunday, March 15, 16, 17, 18, 8pm
Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, 2/3/4/5/A/C/G/D/M/N/R/B/Q trains
& the LIRR
$20/15 members/students/seniors
www.roulette.org / 917.267.0368
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| Stephanie
Skura's "Two Huts." |
PHILIP SANDSTROM: So why Roulette for your new work “Two Huts”
and how did you and Jim Staley (Producer at Roulette), who’s
more known as a music producer, connect on this project?
STEPHANIE SKURA: He’s always been interested in dance, he’s
been around in the dance world since the ‘80’s watching
dance. This being Roulette’s opening season at it’s new
space in Brooklyn, Jim, who is familiar with my work, invited me to
do something on his first season because he’d like to make the
space more of an interdisciplinary space. They’ve always been
about music innovation, and now they want to add more dance and performance
art too.
PS: Did you have a commitment from Roulette in terms of creating
a new work?
SS: He (Staley) has partially commissioned this new work, and I am
very grateful for the opportunity to return to New York with a new
work. I have been working quietly and innovatively since I left New
York (approximately15 years ago), I’ve been working in poetry,
theater, setting work on other (dance & theater) companies. I’ve
been working in Italy, New Zealand, and around the world but I haven’t
done any major work here (New York).
PS; What have you been up to in terms of how do you work now? What
are your tools?
SS: I’ve been incorporating a really radical approach to language
in combination with movement and theater. I was an associate director
of a theater company, and became immersed in the world of theater.
I have an intimacy now with theater and poetry like I have with dance
which I now incorporate into my work.
PS: How does this affect this current work?
SS: With dance I’ve never done the traditional thing, I always
had a free-associative approach to the creative process to the movement
itself and the structure. Now I’m doing that also with language
and theater. I think it has led to work that is very unique.
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| Stephanie
Skura's "Two Huts." |
PS: Where did this piece begin?
SS: I did the first version of this piece at a college in central
Pennsyvannia (Juniata College). I worked on it first as a duet for
myself and a professional actress and then I did it on students and
expanded the cast. And that is the piece that I have now developed
and honed on professionals (dancers & actors).
PS: You’re working with some familiar performers from the old
days, how did that happen?
SS: I’m working with Debra Wanner, who is a founding member
of my original company (in the ‘80’s). We had a very collaborative
process as to how we made movement. I am also reuniting with Tom Cayler
who I haven’t worked with for 27 years. He’s an actor
who was in a number of pieces that you lit (in the 80’s). He’s
an old colleague and theater partner of Todd Jefferson Moore, a Seattle
actor; Tom recommended him for this work before we knew that Tom would
be in the piece too.
PS: How did it come together with Tom and Debra in New York and you
and Todd in Seattle?
SS: Debra came out to Seattle to work with me for two weeks and we
set a lot of the material. I was to work with Todd too but I had a
hard time finding another man; I wanted to work with performers who
are in our age group. Since Tom and Todd have a long work relationship
I decided to try to draft Tom. He agreed. We formed a tight rehearsal
schedule working with all four of us everyday for two and one-half
weeks.
PS: It sounds like a great reunion.
SS: Yes, a reunion of me and Debra and Tom, and of Tom and Todd. We’re
all contemporaries and we’re all still dancing like crazy.
PS: What’s the importance of actors in this work.
SS: I needed seasoned actors, actors who can move and dance with language
and words. They needed to be very comfortable with their voices because
this (piece utilizes) is very radical language. It’s very imagistic
and poetic and free-associative. I think it’s very accessible
if people let go and just ride with it.
PS: Have you experienced anything different working with dancers
and actors?
SS: Working with actors is much different than working with dancers.
PS: I would guess that actors ask more question like “what’s
my motivation.”
SS: Yeah, they want psychological motivation for everything. They
have different needs to feel comfortable. Dancers want to know how
do I get from here to there without looking awkward, it may have nothing
to do with what their doing it’s just a way for them to feel
graceful.
PS: You’ve been making dances and movement based piece for
over 30 years, so your very familiar with dancers; what’s been
your preparation for this new dancer/actor combination work?
SS: In addition to working within the Seattle theater community, I’ve
been working with this professional theater company as a core guest
artist in their theater program at Juniata College. Immediately following
this show I’m going there for a month to teach, so I understand
where actors are coming from and what their train is, what their familiar
with and what sort of support they might need.
PS: It will be great to see you in New York once again.
SS: I tour half the year nationally and internationally but nothing
in New York so this will be a big homecoming for me.
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