The set for "As the Rhythm Changes" featuring our instrument "nations."

As I mentioned last Monday, I spent the week in rehearsals for “As the Rhythm Changes” – a workshop performance created by Mankwe Ndosi. This weekend, we presented three performances.

Each show started with Mankwe talking about the genesis of the project. The roots of the show began in discussions about sustainability and involved Mankwe conducting 20 interviews to talk to people about how we come to change our routines. How do we make changes when they’re voluntary and when they’re thrust upon us? What happens when we struggle? And how can we as communities examine our routines and our efforts to change them?

With each show, we invited more audience involvement; all of us believing that art should be something in which the artists and the witnesses participate together.

…

The "ski-ra," two instruments from Crutchland and a rain stick.

After her introduction, Mankwe called us to the stage one by one and each of us spent a brief time in improvisation with her and the audience. After each of our duets, we created group pieces incorporating motifs from the three pieces we chose not to develop for this debut. On Friday and Saturday, Mankwe selected the groups; on Sunday, we volunteered.

(Note: We realized shortly into our week of rehearsals that the material Mankwe created was extremely rich and dense, so we spent our time developing one of her stories – Soil, Root, Devotion, Seed.)

Interspersed and accompanying the songs were parts we played on instruments invented and constructed by Douglas R. Eiwart and improvised dances stemming from seed movements Mankwe created with the help of cast member Kenna Sarge and others.

We organized our set into five instrument nations (photo above shows 3 of the 5) allowing us to move from individual spaces to come together in communities to create pieces.

My nation of dream chimes

…

Because such a large part of each show was improvised, it felt like I was in three shows this weekend. Friday night’s performance was energetic and quick-paced as we claimed the space and revealed Mankwe’s “seeds” to our audience for the first time. Saturday night was more open and reflective with longer pieces and stories, including a sing-along with audience. Sunday, we dubbed family day and included more guest appearances (thanks to those who danced and sang!) and high spirits for wrapping up our successful first “run.”

…

As the Rythm Changes Cast: Kenna Sarge, Sarah M. Greer, Aimee K. Bryant, Libby Turner-Opanga and creator Mankwe Ndosi

All in all, I was thrilled to work on such interesting material with such fabulous collaborators, including Aimee K. Bryant, Kenna Sarge, Libby Turner-Opanga. The collaboration seemed effortless; we all just “clicked.” As Aimee stated, there were no diva moments — everyone just jumped in with both feet and enjoyed the ideas, skills and talent each of us had to offer.

Mankwe wants to further develop the concept which hopefully means more changes to come.