From the technical side

Joe Doran, our fantastically talented lighting designer and production manager, was asked to teach a couple of workshops in Astana during our time there. Here are his thoughts.

     It was one of those times when i thought to myself "I bit off more than I can chew!" While in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, John Pendleton, our fantastic company manager, suggested that it might be a great addition to our trip if I could hold a workshop on lighting design with some of the technicians there. I do this on a regular basis for Roundabout Theatre Company in the United States, so it seemed like a great idea to me, and it would be the first time that DMUSA had included workshops on the design and technical side of the productions! When the US Embassy staff came back to me and said they had arranged 2 workshops at the National University of Arts I was a bit nervous, mainly because my workshop style is very conversational, and I don't speak any Russian. I wasn't sure what to expect or how to re-imagine my class as a lecture rather than a conversation, but I thought to myself, "It's a day off for me and I would love to share what I do with these students who don't have as much opportunity to do what I do!"

After a quick stop at the Pyramid Theatre, aka the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, to begin set-up for the performance the next day, John and I were off to the University of Arts to work with the students. We arrived at the Humanities Building (an incredible, improbably-shaped building coined "The Dog Bowl"), and were met by a group of about 12 students, which then increased to around 25 students of various disciplines, ready to hear my workshop. The group turned out to be primarily musicians, singers, and actors, but also included couple of strictly technical students.

The "Dog Bowl"!

As I started my normal workshop, via my amazing translator, Aliya Pistayeva, I realized right away that my normal method of leading the workshop was going to be very difficult to pull off as I tend to ask a lot of questions and need the students' feedback to continue. Due to the translation process my timing was not right and I needed shift gears and lead it more as a lecture, which I find much less engaging. 

Because of this, at the end of the session I was worried that I hadn't fully connected with my audience. However, as I prepared to take a break between classes I was approached by a wonderfully excited bunch of students who asked if i would come to see their small drama performance space in the 6th floor of the building. On arriving, I was surprised to find that they had all of 3 lights in the room: 2 professional lights and 1 very crafty homemade unit, and they were curious about how I thought they could best utilize what little they had.

We discussed many different possibilities and then headed to a computer room where I introduced them to a few websites where they could purchase new equipment to make the space better. It was very satisfying! 

After the break, I continued on to my 2nd lecture on theatre management for another group of about 30 students, which I felt went about the same as the first. At the end of the day, I still wasn't convinced that the lectures were successful. However, later that evening I had a chance to speak with the director of the school at a cocktail reception with the US Ambassador to Kazakhstan we were invited to at the embassy. He was so appreciative and seemed really interested in taking my advice further and thinking more about the technical elements at the facility! I was even more reassured when one of the students, a young man named Murat, met me in the booth during the intermission of performance the next day. At the end of the show, he was so enthralled with the production and seeing all the elements that I had spoken about in practical use that I gave him some color filters to use at the school. He was so excited and thought it was a magical evening. He seemed so inspired and was determined to bring Kazakh dance to America with all the lights and spectacle. Speaking to him really made my day! I was so happy to feel like I had been able to connect with my students and share my knowledge and expertise with a new audience. It was truly a rewarding experience.