ELEMENTS OF PLACE

The action unfolds in the open spaces…no matter how wide or narrow….a character's next step in the journey is discovered in the possibility and opportunity of the open space.

  1. PHYSICAL
    1. Organic properties of place & 5 senses' experience of them; Nature
    2. Architecture – created by humans & 5 senses' experience of them; Things
  2. SYMBOL/TEXT (semantic meaning; content to communicate to viewer)
    1. Images on headstones
      Pictures on signs
      Epitaphs
      Language on signs
      Labels
  3. PEOPLE (residents at rest "RR"…seeking 25 for the production)
    1. Facts of RR lives
    2. Lore/tall tales of RR lives
    3. Workers, sextons, gardeners, florists, undertakers, Pete's kids/wife
    4. How people today use the cemetery
      1. Visitors without ancestors at rest
      2. Visitors who are descendants of residents at rest
  4. GLENWOOD LOCATION as CHARACTER
    1. Facts – events, happenings, changes, disasters about the physical place
    2. Lore – stories of things that have happened there, regarding people
    3. History of "cemetery" as a concept in America
  5. COMMUNITY/CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EXTENSIONS – OTHER THREADS
    1. As we talk about the project, people talk about their relationships, experiences and prejudices about "cemetery"
    2. evolves into person discussing his ancestry and how his family came here
    3. evolves into the person discussion who he is today in relation to his ancestors
    4. person may discuss relationship-alignment to Flint or Genesee County.
    5. "It was tough" "we were tough" "survive" "forward" "boomerang" frequently heard

 

Finding the Story in the Place

Generated for The Glenwood Cemetery Site-Specific Theatre Project

USEFUL ELEMENTS:

Elements of Design
Shape, line, color, texture

Dynamics of Time
Tempo, repetition, duration, kinesthetic response

Dynamics of Space
Shape, travel pattern, spatial relationship, architecture, gesture; positive/negative space

Eye focus/gaze
High, low; near, moderate far; internal, beyond/infinite

Cast of Characters

Slideshow: