Operation: Towson, the final days

During our last two days of rehearsal at Towson University, we were joined by Rebecca Eastman (Costume Designer), Iaeden Hovorka (Sound Designer) and Michael Vandercook (Creative Technical Consultant) to begin technical discussions.

Photo (l to r): David White, Rebecca Eastman, Iaeden Hovorka, Mike Vandercook and James Knight

After nearly a year of research and asking questions of the play on our own, these new voices gave clarity and
validation to many of our choices.



Photo: Asking questions of the script...







After we ran through the show, the team settled in for a production meeting. Ideas gelled and, as has happened so often during this process, the whole team arrived very much on the same page. Questions were answered before they were asked and a general air of excitement and anticipation filled the air as the ideas began to take form and the concept of Machine Gunner began to become a reality.

Photo: Production Meeting, May 27, 2009

After several hours, the team adjourned to take in a ball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers.




Photo (l to r): the creative team at Camden Yards



Baltimore won.

One more day was left for Operation: Towson

Next up: Operation: WordBRIDGE

The clock is ticking down.

Only 12 more shopping days before the Machine Gunner comes to town.

Now Loading...Machine Gunner Clip

James Knight (actor) and David White (director) from the Generous Company production of Yury Klavdiev's I AM THE MACHINE GUNNER discuss the work and discoveries that have been made during their year long research and rehearsal process.

Shots fired!

...with Rebecca Eastman's camera.

Another very productive day of rehearsal. Took some press photos after a couple of good runs. Feel like the piece is really building now.

photo above: Rebecca capturing an intense but nonexistent moment in the show

photo left: James and Dave with a fistfull of casings and a headfull of questions

photo right: the already famous nonexistent moment revealed.

What's the plural of epiphany?

in this photo (l to r): James Knight, Phillip Arnoult, Dave White, Jay Herzog

James here.

Gave a stumbling run thru of the show today for Phillip Arnoult (Director, CITD) and Jay Herzog (Chair, Towson University Department of Theatre Arts) that raised some good questions. Dave and I knew that we still had lots of work to do, and Phillip and Jay were an excellent set of eyes for us.

The piece has depth. It seems like we don't get past a day without an epiphany, and today was no different. Maybe that just comes from working on a piece that you have faith in, and with people that you really like.

yeah. loving what you do and loving who you do it with.

this is torture.


Out

Baltimore. Memorial Daze.

James here.

First week of rehearsal down. Working with Dave is nice because we speak the same language. Besides English, I mean. We went to school together and have been friends for about 7 years now. Sometimes having that kind of history with someone makes it easy to communicate in the rehearsal hall. Sometimes. Thankfully, this is one of those times.

So far, everyone involved in the project seems to be on the same page. Questions get answered, sometimes before they're even asked. Maybe because we've all been stewing with the text for a year now. Still lots of work to do, but so far, so good.

Had a good Memorial Day. Dave's friend Alexei Kolesnikov (a mathematician) came by and the 4 of us grilled outside in celebration. Somewhere between beer number 3 and second helpings of potato salad, we swapped stories about our grandfathers and their roles in WWII. Alexi (who hails from Novosibirsk, Siberia) was able to give a bit of the Russian perspective. It was a memorial day to remember.

Thanks to all who served in the past, and all serving now.


Out.

below:
a picture of the 2 1/2 foot long carp Alexei
brought over. Contrary to what I had heard before,
it was very good eating.

The Bay of Riga

The Bay of Riga, where the Landing at Moonzund occurred.

Moonzund Archipelago

Operations at Moonzund during WWII.

Machine Gun

This is one of many machine guns that was used by the U.S.S.R. in World War II. Nicknamed, "the record player" notice the flat, circular ammo clip that revolves when firing.

Machine Gunner History

May 2009: Rehearsals begin in Towson, Maryland for the June Workshop production.

April 2009: The Center for International Theatre Development, under Philip Arnoult, invited and provided funding for David White and James Knight to travel to Russia. White and Knight will join a larger CITD team, including Kate Moira Ryan and Noah Birksted-
Breen, to attend the Golden Mask drama festival and continue work and research on Machine Gunner.

In addition to visiting the Playwright and Director Center (the theatre where I Am the Machine Gunner premiered in 2007), Knight and White met with Yury Klavdiev and John Freedman in Moscow to discuss the upcoming production.



In this photo (l to r): John Freedman, Yury Klavdiev, James Knight and David White




January 2009: Rehearsal retreat at Towson University and at Generous Company in Baltimore.
Rebecca Eastman (costume designer) and Iaeden Hovorka (sound designer) join the team.

October 2008: White and Freedman meet at Towson University and finalize details on the working translation.

August 2008: Rehearsal retreat at Yale University and 78th Street Theatre Lab (NY).
Mike Vandercook (technical director) and P. J. Escobio (producer) join the team.
White and Freedman meet in Baltimore for initial talks on translation revisions.

In this photo: James Knight reading I Am the Machine Gunner, WordBRIDGE 2008.

June 2008: James Knight (actor) is featured in the first reading of John Freedman’s translation of I Am the Machine Gunner at WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory.

May 2008: David M. White (director) attends a production of Yury Klavdiev’s I Am the Machine Gunner at the Nova Drama festival in Bratislava, Slovakia with Philip Arnoult and the Center for International Theatre Development.







In this photo (l to r): Lydia Nagel, Yury Klavdiev, Rebecca Eastman, David White


White meets with Yury Klavdiev and commissions a translation of the script from Russian translator and theatre critic for the Moscow Times, John Freedman.