I cannot remember a time of feeling this blissfully exhausted. The past six weeks of intensive work on BACCHIC, both on Block Island and Brooklyn, have been some of the happiest times of my life.
While reflecting on aspects of the project that went well, I keep returning to the idea of dissatisfaction. We made a lot of different things on the island that did not make it to Brooklyn. These studies did not have a place in the conversation that we were trying to mediate. Some due to their lack of merit, and others, from our lack of virtuosity or ownership in performing them. We would spend hours on a moment trying to make it work, to then throw it away. (These ideas were affectionately reassigned to a fictitious future residency: “Zimbabwe 2016.”)
In the spirit of dissatisfaction, the things that are most exciting to me is what we have left to do. The people in this ensemble are driven. We want to be challenged and work hard. It is my hope that BACCHIC continues to be developed into a fuller piece. There is much more to be added, cut, and deepened. Right now the piece lives on a sliding stylistic scale. There are moments of Farce, Melodrama, Modern Dance, Butoh, Kalaripayyatu, Naturalism, and Absurdism. It is my hope that we can add to that list to create a more comprehensive experience of theatrical lillypadding. Even more importantly, we must delve more deeply into those styles, genres, and forms in order to do them justice.
Finally, I would love to add a more even experience to the play. My experiences with alcohol have all been different and right now the more positive ones are not represented in BACCHIC. Imagine a play that gives you a sip of wine with a friend in Italy, the rush of a nightclub, or an old whiskey shared with your grandfather. These are huge parts of what BACCHIC wants to be, and it can get there.
We have about a million ideas on what could come next. Some plans are already in action, and some are dreams. I can say that we have at least one big announcement coming to you in the next week...on our new website!
As always, thank you all for being involved in this journey. Stick around.
Jonathan Taylor Artistic Director
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