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In this space we're going to feature interviews, photos, sounds, and even video from backstage at various STOMP performances. You'll meet the men and women behind the scenes, from the creators to the lighting designers to the guys who lock up at night. This time we caught up with Luke and Steve, the creators of STOMP, to ask a few questions about what goes on on the other side of the stage.
Photos: STOMP in Mexico
How would you describe a STOMP performance?
I would say that it is a piece of music theatre, created by musicians: it's fast moving, very physical and full of energy, but it is performed with humour and with an eye to the dynamics of music and theatre. I would hope that the audience is beguiled into enjoying 90 minutes of pure percussion, by the light and shade of a show that contrasts humour with muscle and sweat and that combines the raucous with the delicate. What would an audition for a prospective STOMP member be like?
In auditions for STOMP, we really try to create the atmosphere of a workshop: we want people to relax and enjoy the work (we don't ask the auditionees to perform any pre-rehearsed material): since it's highly unlikely that the performers will have done anything remotely like STOMP before, we concentrate on workshopping a couple of pieces from the show (usually Brooms and Hands and Feet). This also has the effect of allowing us to see everyone in a learning situation, whereby they hopefully relax and just be themselves. We very quickly see which of the auditionees is comfortable pushing a broom around the stage and which performers have the capacity to be both extroverts and team players.
Generally, STOMP auditions are held about once a year. Currently, there are no auditions planned in the immediate future. If you are interested in auditioning for STOMP, please send your picture and resume along with a letter of interest to our casting directors. Vince Liebhart Casting
What expertise do STOMP members bring to the stage? STOMP is only the sum of its parts: we look for each performer to bring something unique to the show, whether it's percussive skills, movement skills, good comic timing or just plain old charisma. Obviously everyone has to drum: whether they have to learn drumming skills in rehearsal or whether they are already working musicians. Ultimately, though, each performer has to be prepared to bring out some aspect of his/her personality to create a character that lives and breathes in the Stomp world, where rhythm is the only language.
How much time is involved in learning and rehearsing a new routine? How long is a piece of string? I feel that we never finish working on a routine: we are constantly refining them, subtly altering them. Some pieces have come together very quickly, in a matter of hours, once the basic concept is there. Others feel as though they have taken years to develop! We allow 6 weeks for the basic rehearsal of the show, and some of the complex routines actually take longer to perfect (which can only really happen through performance); some routines, however, take just an afternoon to learn!
How much improvisation is involved? Only a little musical improvisation is involved: though performers have a great deal of lee way as far as their character is concerned, and as far as presentation is concerned, the actual rhythms of the pieces are pretty much set, especially in routines like Bins and Poles, which could be quite dangerous without strict patterns and choreography. There are lots of moments in the show where we ask the performers to create something unique to themselves, as in their Hands and Feet solos, or their Bins solos; if these moments don't feel fresh or improvisatory, then we go back to the drawing board...
Which segment is most difficult? The most difficult pieces are definitely those that combine movement, percussion and a kind of campanology all at once (particularly in the poles routine). It's a little like asking someone to beat a drum, dance and participate in bell ringing all at the same time...
Does audience response differ from region to region, country to country? The great thing for us is that theatre and rhythm is common to all cultures: since we don't use words and we don't use melody, we are avoiding the elements which divide us. Even within a single society, rhythm is common to all musical forms, but lyrics and melody really become a matter of taste. So I think the show is a great leveller: we have very mixed audiences, in terms of age, race and social background. We only really notice a great difference if an audience is not a mix of all kinds of people. The interaction between characters is also at a very basic level: there's a kind of one upmanship between them which also seems to be universally appreciated! Beyond that, obviously, some audiences are slower than others to relax and enjoy themselves... an English audience definitely takes longer than an Irish one to enjoy itself! American audiences have been great from coast to coast!!
What is a STOMP tour schedule like? Gruelling! The show is really tough, physically, and requires the performers to be fit and alert; a mistake can result in injury. For this reason, in order to be able to perform 8 shows a week, whether on tour or in New York, we use 3 to 4 extra "swing" performers who each know at least 2 parts so that no-one has to push themselves too hard. This year we are performing in 60 cities in a six month period!
Name the weirdest object STOMP uses to create percussion? Personally, I think paint scrapers are about as weird as one can get, but I'm sure that's a subjective response, and I'm sure we'll come up with something weirder next week.... |
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