Rude Mechs' rehearsals. Photos by Zachary Meicher-Buzzi |
For the past week, we've been playing host to one of the
nation's leading devised theatre ensembles as part of the ongoing PlayMakers'
residency program supported by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
This is the first of two weeks the Rude Mechanicals, based in Austin, Texas,
are spending at PlayMakers to develop a new, environmental theatre piece
they're calling Now Now Oh Now.
Originally conceived in 2012, Now Now Oh Now
immerses participants in an interactive puzzle reflecting on the challenges of
navigating a world driven by competition, pleasure and random events. Inspired
by evolutionary biology, the Brontës and LARP, Now Now Oh Now embodies the Rude
Mechs' desire to create a tangible, social, active and personal experience for
the audience.
During their two weeks in residence, the Mechs will
work with PlayMakers production and administrative staff as well as a game designer
and ornithologist to further develop the show before touring it to locations
around the country.
Here are some more pictures of the Rude
Mechs' in rehearsals, enjoy!