Geva Cohort – “Informed Consent” Part II – First Rehearsal

(Informed Consent, directed by Sean Daniels, runs from March 18 to April 13)

It isn’t often that you have the chance (or the desire, frankly) to read the script of a play before seeing it performed.  And it’s rarer to be able to watch the process of creating a play from scratch.  That’s what Geva’s Cohort Club is about – providing the prospect to a fortunate few of being flies on the wall, to understand the creative process, and to communicate the experience to their ‘communities.’ And if we motivate two friends to see the show, and they motivate two friends, and so on, and so on…

One of the things I’ve learned so far is that the script is just the starting point.  Since Geva’s shows don’t usually travel in from somewhere else (as RBTL’s do), the cast and crew are creating something fresh, which is a responsibility as well as an opportunity. In the case of Informed Consent, which will have its world premiere here in Rochester, the script is still open for rewrite.  The playwright, Deborah Zoe Laufer, is at the table with the cast and director, helping to interpret her intention, and also listening to the cast as they put their stamp on her lines, and adapting the dialog to their questions and needs.  

As I learned in the kickoff ‘meet and greet,’ the play has been workshopped 8 times around the world, so it’s already had the benefit of being read, responded to, and reworked.  And after it closes here, it will go to Cleveland.  I haven’t even seen the play performed yet, but I’m already excited about its potential, not just locally, but, perhaps, in a larger theater somewhere downstate? 

The charming Ms. Laufer explained that the play is based on an actual story involving genetic testing of an Indian tribe, and that, to give a “personal way in for the main character” she has created a story for her that involves early onset Alzheimer’s.  The sense of a person’s ‘story’ is so central to this production that, as we went around the room introducing ourselves, Sean Daniels, the director, asked us to tell a little bit about ourselves, and our heritage.  It wasn’t a surprise that most in the room shared (sometimes humorous) stories of ancestors, close or distant, who had emigrated from Europe or the Slavic countries.  It was interesting, then, when one of the actresses, who actually has a Native American heritage, shared her horrified reaction to these stories, which all implied colonialism of her ancestors’ land.  I can’t help but think that her perspective and participation in this premiere will make the play even stronger than it already is.

Sean also explained that for Informed Consent, Geva has formed relationships with several local interest groups: the Alzheimer’s Association, The Friends of Ganondagan, and the University of Rochester, which is teaching the script as part of their medical ethics courses!  This is definitely a play that will have universal appeal, as it asks “what it means to be alive today,” and how we manage and react to rapid changes in technology.  It’s so great that Geva has reached out to the community to participate in the dialogue that this show will generate.

Unfortunately, I could only stay for a read-through of the first several pages, as the actors and director explored different ‘voices’ for the introduction to the play’s stories.  But even so, I just know that this group of talented people is going to produce an incredibly thrilling and compelling production that people will be talking about.

(Other cohorts are just as excited as I am by Informed Consent. To read more from their perspective, visit the Geva Journal:  http://gevajournal.wordpress.com/  )