1 March 2014

Rigging with Caravanstage Co. in Jean Lafitte, New Orleans, LA


Rigging with The Caravan Stage Co. In Jean Lafitte, New Orleans, Louisiana USA

During summer 2013 I was thrilled to once more join the cast and crew of the caravan stage company on their latest production 'Hacked: Treasures of the Empire' I have worked with the caravan stage co. on and off since 2008 in a variety of roles from performer to aerial choreographer to lighting assistant and even cook! They are a fascinating organisation who have been touring contemporary theatre since 1970! The company, created by Paul Kirby and Adrianna Kelder started as a one wagon puppet show travelling on Vancouver Island in Canada it soon grew to become a 25 strong company of actors, musicians, artists and technicians touring in six large horse-drawn wagons each pulled by a team of matched bay Clydesdales.  Please take a moment to check out this wonderful film of the caravan stage's early years touring the Canada and North America by horse.  In this way the company traveled over 20,000 miles!! In 1993 a new dream was born and so began the life of the caravan stage tall ship theatre 'The Amara Zee' The Idea was that performances would be staged on the decks, masts and rigging of the vessel, the audience would watch the performances from the dock or riverbank. The productions would be completely self-contained on the ship. The mandate of the company was to bring original theatrical productions directly into the lives of people who seldom had the opportunity to experience the performing arts.

Last Summer 2013 I had the challenging role of show rigger. Having worked on the ship for many years I am well versed in the various ropes, pulleys and winch systems that make up the majority of the ships rigging, however though I have many years experience working with rigging in and around my primary trade as a circus artist I must admit that I was more than a little nervous when the full responsibility of the ship and show rigging was handed to me.  One of my many responsibilities in this role was to train several actors and singers to comfortably ascend to the upper platforms or trusses suspended from the masts of the ship. From these platforms or stages the artists would sing and deliver the text / content of the show. One of the artists I worked with had a terrible fear of heights, the first time he tried to climb up the ratlins he was shaking and perspiring with terror. To my surprise after several sessions one on one with him ascending together inch by inch and familiarising him with the technical aspects of safety equipment employed his confidence slowly grew. Eventually he was able to independently climb up to and perform relatively comfortably of the 15m platform. The experience of making the crew feel comfortable and 'in safe hands' with regards to the various flying systems and climbing exercises was truly invaluable to me boosting my personal confidence and also clarifying the extent of my practical and technical knowledge in the field of rigging and flying effects. Another memorable part of the production was our ship to shore zipline on which after much persuasion the captain / director Paul eventually allowed me to facilitate rides for the entire cast and crew. After all everybody wants a chance to fly :)

Thats all on caravan stage 2013 please do have a look at their website www.caravanstage.org  This year 2014 they will be touring the east coast of America and Canada with a further developed version of the 2013 production. I will also be joining the tour as an aerial performer, about which i am thrilled. But lastly here is a small selection of images from the production in Louisiana for your perusal :)

The Amara Zee, Jean Lafitte, Louisiana USA 2013
Caravan Stage Co. 2013
On the Job
Rigging Buddies

Rigging Tea Break

America Fuck Yeah!
Aerialists rehearse on the ship
The Last Supper

De-Rigging the Truss

No comments:

Post a Comment

BoomTown Games

BoomTown Games A bit about behind the scenes at the BoomTown Games! Welcome to a bit about behind the scenes at the BoomTown Game...