Biblical Adventures
So far I have not written much about this next theatre opportunity, but now I am very excited and so it is time to share.
A German director has come to Malta and is putting on a series of plays about the stories of the Old Testament. There will be approximately one every month, starting with the creation story, then Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc. The format consists of something like a Greek-chorus of the whole cast with some actors stepping out of the chorus to perform individual scenes. Rehearsals started last week and it has been so much fun! At first we were mostly doing fun games and exercises that really just felt like children’s games, but are meant to help us “let loose” and learn to control our bodies and voices, while at the same time serving as an ice-breaker for the cast to get comfortable with each other.
It is a very demanding schedule, with rehearsals every day. Once again, I have to admire the dedication of Maltese actors, who work a full-time job and then still find the energy to spend their evenings and weekends rehearsing. The cast is all Maltese except for the German director, the Catalan choreographer and me. A bit of an international taste!
I was very flattered a couple of days ago when the director asked me and a few others to stay a bit later… I was to play one of the character parts! Currently we are working through the scene where Abraham is about to sacrifice his soon Isaac. This is something I have studied in detail in religion class, and it is one of the most challenging stories to understand in the Bible. So here I am, trying to get the body and facial expressions right: just how do you react when you realise that your father is about to kill you?
The icing on the cake came yesterday. The director took pictures of some of the cast members, and will be using our faces for the publicity. Starting tomorrow, an ad will appear daily in the Times of Malta, which is one of Malta’s leading English-language newspapers. The ad consists of the picture of an actor or actress, with a biblical name written across the top such as Adam, Eve, Moses, etc. Along the bottom it reads “The Whole Story. Starting April 2007.” This is what one could call teasers, since it is meant to provoke curiosity without yet telling what it is all about.
I have to admit, when I saw the proof with my picture yesterday, I was over the moon. I have never appeared in the newspaper before, and so it is just thrilling!! Unfortunately, I do not think that the ads can be seen in the online version, but I will try to get it scanned. And my Maltese readers who regularly read the Times will soon see the ads, so tell me what you think!
More details forthcoming, but save the date: April 13 and 15 in Malta, and April 14 in Gozo!
