crossings......moves

It's Tuesday and in four days we will be performing our work! It's pretty remarkable that we have been able to get this far! There's a lot going on in the background and I hope the performers are starting to get the bigger picture of our plan. Yesterday, Thomas and Imanuel (our stage manager) hauled a trailer full of furniture (couch, chairs, table, cupboards, hanging lamp etc. Of course it rained a bit and things got a little wet even though they were covered in plastic because after our evening rehearsal everything had to be hauled back to the pottery house for storage. I miss sleeping there but there's no wifi and I need that now for communicating with the performers and preparing our progrem, doing my blog, etc. So I scramble a bit this morning to move to a different hotel where I will stay for the next 5 nights. Speaking of rain, there have been big storms going through, dumping in Berlin and occasionally here. Yesterday there were also six new Stolpersteine laid i...

Our Poster, more or less The Stork's nest at the old pottery house The country side around Schwedt

Workshop June 17

We have been hard at work these last 6 days. We started out with a workshop on June 17 from 3 - 6 pm. We had 20+ people (I forgot to count) mostly from other towns. Some were Ukrainian refugees, a man from Zimbabwe, a girl from the Balkans, etc. We tried a number of different activities, first outside and then later in the studio at the Musik und Kunstschule where Thomas works. The pictures will tell you more. First I have to figure out how to add a video! On Sunday Elizabeth and I went back to Berlin to take a break. Last break until after our opening on July 1st. I returned to Schwedt on Tuesday. A long ride since the trains here have been stopped off and on for repair work. The little two car shuttle from Angermunde came in but then closed it's doors and everyone was told to leave. With info from Thomas, (thank goodness for cell phones) I got a bus to Schwedt thinking I could stay at our usual hotel but no rooms anywhere in town!!! After waiting an hour or so to connect with Tho...

The Chairs at Park Hotel, Elizabeth and I waiting for Thomas at the Brau Haus.

Scenes from Schwedt. Sunset after the rain and kayaks on the canal.

After sleeping 11 hours, today seems a little more normal. Re-writing the "script" for the performances. Good rehearsal with Elizabeth and then with Anna and Inya. Rain during the night so hopefully there will be green grass that has been cut before we go out to dance in it!!! Tomorrow we have our first workshop! Pictures are coming...

Have arrived in Berlin, taken one or two naps, and now am preparing to travel to Schwedt in the morning. Elizabeth and I had a chance to try out some choreography this evening and I am hoping to meet with the women who are in Francesca Patrones dance class at the Kunstshule (Art school) tomorrow. This evening has been spent trying to master the interface between my PC computer and my iPhone. Very frustrating! If you know any tricks, let me know. I have a 33 second video clip that I'd like to upload so that we can share it on the crossings...moves instagram page! Ah technology!!!

Packing everything I think I will need for 5 weeks in Germany has been interesting. What do I bring? Books: too heavy. Clothes: just enough that I won't have to do laundry every week. Props for out performances: rope, fabric, paper cut for folding. Notebook: everything I've written about the project for the last year. Tech stuff: 2 external hard drives, camera and sd cards, external camera for zooms? and don't forget the chargers and adapters! What would I pack if this were a permanent move? If I were in a hurry, if I had to flee from war? If I thought my house was going to be destroyed? Old photographs? My Charlie Chaplin puppet from Prague? My corn maiden would be easy to carry... For this trip I am taking some embroidery floss and aida cloth to start a new cross-stich project. It will give me something to keep my hands busy. Leaving the house in two hours so, aufviedersehn for now.