University of South Florida

School of Theatre & Dance

College of the Arts

Ravens

TheatreUSF presents Ravens, the 2014 British International Theatre production.

Ravens

Presented by the BRIT Program
Spring 2014

Directed by Helen Tennison
Playwright: Kate Kerrow
Sound Design and Composition: Matt Eaton
Video and Projection Design: Eva Auster

A young black woman in a sequin black flapper dress and matching feather headpiece glances downward, hand on her hip, right foot turned outward. Right next to her is a small wooden vanity, a small chair sits off to the side and a staircase is off to her left. The background/sky above her is dotted with photos of the past: flapper girls, vintage advertisements, jewelry. To her far right stands a young girl in pajamas, she looks forlorn and holds a glowing amber candle.
Two women are in conversation, one looking to the audience n=and speaking, the other standing beside her to her left, intently listening and glancing down. They’re standing on a staircase/balcony of sorts, and harsh yellow lighting is cast upon them both.
This is a closeup of a young woman staring into a compact mirror, her hand in a motion to fix her lipstick with her middle finger, her thumb pressed under her chin as to hold it up. Lighting is cast on her from above.
Two young women (one black, one white) lay together embraced on a couch, the latter laying on the first’s chest, looking off to the side and smiling. The first holding a gin flask, looking up and off in the distance. They both seem to be reminiscing a moment.
A young woman sitting in a chair looks tensely at a shadow screen, behind it are the silhouettes of a young woman in a dress, a finger to her lip in a hushing motion. The person she is hushing sits and looks up at her, their hair is held back in a ponytail. Colorful screens are projected beside them.
Four young women (one black, 3 white) are huddled near each other. The first woman is in a green vintage dress, crouched next to the 3 other women, who are dressed in all black dresses. They all look up worriedly, a projected raven silhouette on a screen behind them.
Two young women (one white, one black) are in conversation, the young white woman holds a cigarette, sitting atop a wooden dresser. She's covered by a fur coat and wears a silky and shiny golden dress. The young black woman also holds a cigarette, sitting in a wooden chair. Her legs are crossed as she looks up at the woman sitting atop the dresser, and she wears a white silky and shiny dress/robe.
Four young women (1 black, 1 Hispanic, and three white) smile and cheer around one woman, adorning her with flower bouquets, the central woman wrapped in a white cloth as she holds a pair of sunglasses and a red leash.
A young Hispanic woman stands centrally in a white wedding dress and holds a bouquet of flowers, looking apprehensive and worried, tears in her eyes. Five other women stand around her, adjusting either themselves or her.
A young black woman in a vintage dress looks out of breath, her hands on her hips a screen projected with field crops and grasses stands behind her.
A ventriloquist sits atop a stool, in a blue cuffed and collared polka dot dress. Her puppet dummy sits on her knee, the puppet wears a gold shiny dress, a similarly colored suitcase sits beside her foot.
A young white woman is cast in deep yellow lighting, wearing an all-black vintage dress. She looks deep in thought and holds a long barrel rifle.
A young white woman in a shiny deep green and black tassel dress dons a black pixie cut stands in front of a brightly lit screen with a large raven projected onto it.
A young black woman sings, eyes closed as she hums a note. She’s dressed in a black and white tuxedo and holds an olden microphone.

Performance Dates & Times:
Feb. 20-22 and Feb. 26-March 1 at 8 p.m.
Feb. 23 and March 2 at 3 p.m

Venue:
TAR 120, inside the Theatre Centre, USF Tampa Campus

Director: Helen Tennison
Writer: Kate Kerrow

An original play exploring the lives of three courageous women across history against the backdrop of an ever-changing America. This piece will incorporate movement and video projection in the storytelling. Story created by the company of student actors with Helen Tennison and Kate Kerrow. Written by Kate Kerrow; directed by Helen Tennison, director of last year’s Titus Andronicus.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR

When I was approached with the initial brief for Ravens I was hugely excited for three reasons. The first reason was that I was absolutely delighted to be able to work with all the students and faculty at USF again. The second reason was the opportunity to make a piece about women’s experience. The theatrical cannon offers greater visibility and diversity in its portrayal of the male meaning that there is a wealth of unexplored female experience just waiting to be staged.

Finally, the devising process is inspiring, deeply creative, and particularly empowering for young actors. You begin with no script and the piece emerges gradually through the collaborative work of all involved--anything could happen! All of the themes explored and characters created came from the ideas of the group as a whole and all the choreography and scenes that you see in Ravens are based on improvisations created with the actors over the last six weeks. During these improvisations we found a collective interest in the symbolic nature of the bird. We loved that birds captured the essence of freedom, yet we wanted to challenge the traditional image of women as fragile, beautiful birds - just as the characters in our stories challenge or are challenged by the traditional gender identities assigned to them. We chose to call the show Ravens because in Native American lore, the Raven symbolizes transgression, transformation and empowerment.

Supported by the British International Theatre Endowment.

CAST LIST

The narrative occurs in three interwoven eras: 1858, 1926 and 2014.

1858 THE SCHAFER HOME, A SMALL FAMILY FARM JUST OUTSIDE KNOXVILLE, EAST TENNESSEE.

1926

The action takes place in and around the Clam House, an underground cabaret club in Harlem which allowed inter-racial mixing and was the hub of the lesbian and gay network.

2014 THE HERNANDEZ FAMILY HOME IN TAMPA

TheatreUSF British International Theatre Program

When the artistic directors, Hinks and Elaine Shimberg, Lisel and John Gale and Denis Calandra first discussed the idea of the British International Theatre Program (BRIT), little did they anticipate the success it would turn out to be. With the financial assistance of Hinks and Elaine Shimberg, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Dan Doyle and the State of Florida Matching Grant Program, the BRIT Program has now become an established annual event.

For years the British International Theatre Program has sought out professional directors and choreographers, leading actors in theatre, television and film, voice and speech experts and top rate designers. These artists have brought their knowledge and experience in British classical theatre and contemporary cutting edge theatre to the students at USF. We are privileged to have our students partake of this classical and contemporary training, and we are eager to work with our British cousins on the continuing development of this marvelous tradition. We will be forever thankful and grateful to the founders and their vision for our USF School of Theatre & Dance.