Caitlin, Robert and I spent much of our time in Ashland jamming on The Convergence(TM) (TheaterMark). I can’t tell what this will become, but I have a strong suspicion that I’m going to continue working with those two for a long time.

Some thoughts that came up:

1) We want to have an invite-only group to start and make the actual “convergence”, open to anyone, a free workshop at the end. So we know what we’re working with before we offer it out to everybody.

2) Caitlin is opposed to going too strongly in the direction of postmodern dance (which she described as someone sitting in a chair, clapping 3 times, and walking off stage) Piqued though my curiosity is, I don’t think that’s the immediate direction we’ll be pursuing.

3) Caitlin will bring in some dancers, Rob and I will bring in some actors.

4) Robert and I are going to drive from LA to Indy after 1/24, to begin this work.

5) Whenever it is that we do get a chance to put it all together, we’re going to take it (and by “it” I mean “our fantastic collaborative masterwork” and drive it to Chicago for display.) Which means that I am interested in going after THE PERSIANS or ANTIGONE.

6) Using Caitlin’s photography skills as part of this – camera creating images? Maybe because she doesn’t want to speak her use of the camera is a form of speech?

7) I want to have a chorus focus, because I always do, but I also want to be open to whatever they bring in – which will inform the work. So we may be looking at 2 sessions, one exploratory and one more targeted, or just (ideally) a longer period of time.

8) Planning is on hold until Robert and I learn more about our own lives after 1/24 – some gigs in the works which could change dates.

9) Caitlin has visual artist friends (and possibly also musicians) in Indy who can contribute.

10) We want to draw on everyone’s strengths as a group, as performers of all stripes, which I think means we EACH need to teach workshops and each have agency as co-creators of the piece. Yet I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I really want to work on the chorus, and I want to be a guide for our process, especially nearer to the end.

10.5) So to clarify: starting with all of us teaching, everyone with agency to combine and create, but I do want the eventual focus to be choral. If I’m going to be involved, that’s what I’m most interested in pursuing.

10.75) Caitlin thinks the choral stuff is very similar to stuff she’s done in her own dance classes and she’s down.

11) We want to be open to what we discover. Anything. Which means, despite Dara’s strong preferences for 10-10.75, Dara is STILL open to something new and different. We have to go in like that.

12) A small(er) group may be good – I am so used to working with 6-8 – but we may actually want only 4-5, to start. Seeing the precision of the Graham company brought that home. If we had 4-5 who would be there all the time, that’s one thing – if we drift, perhaps more.

13) Seeing the Graham company made me understand the chorus in one person.

14) We want to keep Converging yearly. Around different texts or themes.

15) Would a more equitable way to run this be that we each get to focus on something in our Convergence – we each create a piece from it? So it’s less about me directing and more about all of us working together? Or are Robert & Caitlin cool with me bringing more focus to this and making it a convergence ON the chorus? Or am I cool enough to let that go and be open?

15.5) I hope I am.

15.75) And yet I do want to be able to show off a chorus piece in Chicago.

15.8) Doubtless all this is possible convergently somehow.

16) I guess I should ask them what they think.