Get Ready for Naked July 2011!

Plans for the Naked July 2011 festival are already underway, and details for one of the shows in this year’s program have recently been released. Performances by The Living Canvas cast members have been integral components of the Naked July festival for the past several years, and Pete Guither has announced that he will be bringing his unique artistic concept back to the National Pastime Theater again this summer. The title for this summer’s show is The Living Canvas: Rain, and as you might guess by the title, the element of water will be introduced on stage for the first time.

Auditions for this year’s show were held at the National Pastime Theater in Chicago on May 2-3, and similar auditions were held on the campus of Illinois State University on May 4. The audition process for The Living Canvas productions varies somewhat from more traditional theatrical auditions since the artistic leaders place a high value on assembling a cast of performers who are able to work in a collaborative and creative way with all of the other performers. Instead of scheduling solo auditions for each individual, the artistic team organizes prospective cast members into groups of three or four people who are then asked to audition as a team. Each performer is first asked to do a cold reading, and then they participate in a series of group activities that allow the artistic director, choreographer-director, and writer to assess the movement skills of each performer as well as the innovative ways in which he or she works with other performers.

Most important, however, is the ability of each cast member to collaborate in all phases of the final writing and choreography of the show. Since the artistic concept that defines The Living Canvas requires all of the performers to be completely nude during the entire show as they move through the colorful projected images, it is essential that all of the cast members are able to form a cohesive and supportive team. The notions of body acceptance and positive self-image are cornerstones of the Living Canvas artistic concept, and all performances are designed and staged to emphasize the beauty of the human form.

When the rehearsal process begins next weekend, the performers will start with an outline of the story that they will eventually convey to the audience, and they will be encouraged to add their own ideas and insights as the final story evolves. Gaby Labotka is the director and choreographer for this summer’s show, and she will encourage the cast members to work together to create the dance movements that will work most effectively with the music and the many visual images that will be used in the show. Likewise, writer Bill Daniel will continue to finalize the script as he works with the cast and listens to the suggestions that the cast members provide as they work to develop their own characters in the weeks ahead.

Watch for more details about The Living Canvas: Rain here and also on the National Pastime Theater web site. Tickets will go on sale soon, so be sure to mark your calendars and join us for Naked July 2011.