Spring SAVY 2018, Day 5- Unpacking Adaptation (3rd/4th)
What a great Saturday we had! After a few warm-up games and a quick breeze through Aristotle’s Poetics, we turned our focus to new directions.
Together we read Hiawyn Oram’s The Giant Surprise: A Narnia Story, a short work inspired by the world invented by C.S. Lewis. Though the story has no direct link to the narrative of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it did further contextualize the world we are adapting and imagining. There was much to gather from! Together we created a dozen collaborative images based on this text, further expanding our collective notions of the world and the jumping-off points that we would share with designers were we to create our own staging.
But the highlight of the day, I know, was our visitation from members of the cast of Studio Tenn’s recent production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. You met with five professional actors, all of whom had stories to tell and wonders to share. You asked them about their experiences playing Lucy, Peter, and Mr. Beaver – among other characters – and they told you stories about snakes named Howard and what it meant to become a centaur. Together we watched a brief behind-the-scenes video from the production, and I’m sure you wondered as I did at the sights of glistening snow and fantastic beasts.
And then… we played. Together with the actors (and Miss Ellie!) you became the animals of Narnia. I lead you in a physical exploration of the space, as you adapted your bodies to include snouts and hooves. You improvised together, foraging for food and protecting one another from prey. Together you found a community and a family.
My favorite part of the day, however, was the conversation we had following our movement exploration. You made such unexpected discoveries: about the importance of teamwork, about caring for the environment, about the unique passage of time. I know that once you had left for the day each of the professional actors remarked to me that they were impressed with your work. Well done!
I cannot believe that we only have one session remaining. We’ll read a bit more of the novel that started it all, and then we’ll prepare for our open house. I think that your families will be very impressed with the sheer amount of content that you have generated – and I believe you’ll be surprised as well. Thank you for this adventure, my friends. I’ll see you soon!
Best,
David