TrulyGrace

More PT; First Training; Fish Fry and St. John's Passion of Christ at Heinz Hall;

THis week there was more physical therapy (two times per week), my first paid training meeting on Friday morning, and a fish fry with Debbie near her home (Michelle and Sean joined us), and a version of the St. John version of the Passion of CHrist at Heinz Hall.  The orchestra was joined by the Mendelssohn Choir (spotted Dave B!) and two upstage stagings.  The one on stage left stayed close to the text, the staging on the right showed various secular, daily scenes.  We stayed after for the Question and Answer with the conductor (Manfred Honeck), the director, and the lighting designer.  We walked toward the stage to sit with Stacy and Gail for the Q & A.

According to the director, the two stagings were not connected.  However, there was a dramatic moment in the score in which the right stage staging showed the woman of a couple carrying a large suitcase to leave.  The second major "scene" in the right staging was a sports bar, whilst the left-stage staging showed the questioning of Christ by Pilatus.  The third main scene in the right staging was a Starbucks coffee house, with the red holiday cups and individuals gathering around a computer notebook to gawk at the screen whilst the left-stage staging showed the execution of plainclothes singers/ protectors of Christ one by one, leaving only the Christ to be executed by the automatic weapon-toting executioners.

The dichotomy between the faith-immersed left side of the stage's staging and the right-stage staging of secular scenes drove home for me and for some at the post-production Q & A the removal of the sacred from secular life, thereby profaning it to a degree.

posted by Grace @ 3/05/2016 02:05:00 PM