After an entire weekend of sold out shows for their first show of the season, “Peter Pan,” Theatre NDSU continues to impress throughout their 2016 – 17 season with their next production, “The Goldilocks Zone.”
A performance devised by actors throughout the rehearsal process, “Goldilocks Zone” is sure to deliver a show unlike any other when it opens on Dec. 1. To celebrate the grand opening of this new work, Chelsea Pace, director of “The Goldilocks Zone,” was kind enough to answer some questions about this piece.
Abigail Gilbert: What is “The Goldilocks Zone” about?
Chelsea Pace: “The Goldilocks Zone” is a devised performance piece that takes us into a world of make believe to help us better understand what is actually happening to our planet. It’s a story told through the eyes of our imagined younger selves. We invite the audience to play along with us, but it’s not a show for children.
AG: What constitutes a “devised” piece?
CP: Devising is the process of making a piece of performance, but instead of a playwright coming up with the story, the whole cast creates it. It takes a little bit longer, but every member of the ensemble has had the chance to have a voice in the show.
AG: How do performers devise a show?
CP: There are a million ways to devise a piece of theatre, but for this ensemble, it was all about play. I helped them develop some skills for generating material. Then, I would prompt them to create something from a list of ingredients. Those little bits were then developed together into the show.
AG: What has surprised you most about this cast?
CP: Devising is hard work and their positivity and willingness to leap into the unknown has been such a tremendous, wonderful surprise. They are so generous with their time and ideas and this ensemble has worked so beautifully together. I couldn’t have asked for a more creative, amazing group of young artists.
AG: What themes should we expect to see opening night?
CP: We use imagination and simple playground games that tell a story about friendship, childhood and hopes for the future. There is a lot of talk about the planet and what we can do to make it a better place to live.
AG: Why is this show relevant?
CP: There is a lot of conversation about climate change, climate science, global warming, or my favorite, “global weirdness,” but the ideas about it have been politicized. We take a step back from all of that for an evening and look at the issue from the strange, beautiful, scary perspectives of how a child might see it.
“The Goldilocks Zone” will hit the Walsh Studio Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 – 3 and Dec. 7 – 10. All shows are free for NDSU students to attend with a valid ID. There are only 50 seats available per performance, so get your tickets early to guarantee a spot.