When no one is there to witness how it feels inside (2022)

Social Practice Artist Residency (Keene) curated by Craig Stockwell, Keene, NH
Devised and performed by: Grey Leinau as Margot, Vivian Leinau as Arietti, Len Weldon as Emitt, Valerie Piedmont as Minerva, Craig Stockwell as Walter, and Roz Crews as Emily

When I was invited to be the inaugural artist in residence for the new SPAR(K) residency in Keene, I wanted to use the month to delve into two areas of interest: generational trauma and improvised/devised theater.

Upon landing in the town, I walked downtown everyday, and I started with a blank structure: to create a reenactment in less than 30 days, to reenact something that had rarely happened in my own life: a very positive dinner, and to learn about what matters to the people of Keene that I encountered. I set a date for the performance, and we located a venue: Craig, the curator’s, house.

In the first week, I interviewed 18 people about their “accomplishments,” confirming that they could be BIG or teeny tiny, something that was important to other people or just to themselves. I made drawings of each conversation, and I only cried once.

Each drawing became a prompt. Five people (mainly untrained in acting) and myself agreed to perform in the unscored work, and over the next two weeks, we had about 14 hours of rehearsals and four performances. At the first rehearsal, everyone chose an accomplishment from the interviews that they wanted to use to devise a character.

From there, each person chose a story for themselves, determined a personality for their character, and we wrote rules of engagement for the 1 hour piece. We learned about improv together, and we believed that we could have a conversation over dinner where no one would undermine or belittle another person, we would be genuinely proud and excited for each other.

The days came and went, and we performed the piece four times for live audiences of 15 people per night inside a home. The audience lined up at the front door, and at 6pm, the youngest member of our cast would open the door and let people in like they were guests at the party.

The piece ended when my character, Emily, invited everyone into the sunroom for dessert. At which point, the group served apple crisp made by the lovely Sarah Mustin, we broke character, and we enjoyed a Q&A with the audience about the process of making the piece.

Best review so far:

Dear Roz

Thank you Roz and Craig Stockwell for bringing you and your artistry to Keene. Congrats to your wonderful cast for such a heart warming and thought provoking experience. It was a time of coming together when things are so divisive and broken in our world. I kept wondering if I had to 'brace' myself for something darker to emerge, but it didn't. You mended our hearts and fed our souls with sincere and engaged conversations validating each other's accomplishments, and accepting each other's validations. Was it more than a performance? I think so. It felt more healing than a performance. Perhaps an interactive or living meditation. Something to aspire to.

Have fun with your next two dinners and discussion!

Best

Vicky

WKBK Sound Off with Chris Coates radio interview, hour 2

Nova Arts, Artist Talk @ 7:00PM on Thursday October 6, 2022 (in person and streaming online)

Keene Sentinel article, “Keene arts organization launching residency program”