[A/S] airstream theater project

[thsimple@xxxxxxx]

 Hey friends -

We wanted to let you know of a theater project that is happening up here in 
Seattle and King County this late summer and fall, and ask for some 
suggestions.

My husband and I co-founded a touring theater company in Seattle about 15 
years ago. We tour across the US, Canada and Australia. About 5 years ago, we 
bought a 62 Safari with the idea that it would be our touring office.
Well, Andrew got a bug in his ear to do a site-specific performance IN & 
AROUND the Safari, and proposed it to the local arts agencies. the upshot is - we 
will now be doing a series of 4 8-10 minute small plays in and around the 
'campsite', for groups of 8-10 (it really depends on how many people I can fit in 
the Safari at one time...), near the hitch, down by the lake, with the 
'ranger, and finally, all together at the campfire. then the audience wanders to a 
second campfire and hangs out, eats hot dogs, and spies on folks still going 
thru. (We just came up with an idea of the 'cousin crew' that leads the group 
from one station to another - complete with family reunion tee shirts...)
We have 7 communites just in our county who want us to bring this to them. 
Who knew?

my questions: 
1) Do you know of anyone else who has ever done something like this?
2) Our idea is to weave together actual events, stories or moments from folks 
camping escapades, the thru-line being , It's the Long Weekends that define 
family trips - either inadvertent adventures lighting the pilot, leveling the 
trailer, meeting the locals, falling of the rope swing into the fisherman, etc.

We wanted to ask the list if anyone would want to share short moments or 
clear-as-crystal stories that involve their families and camping - with or without 
the Airstream. Our initial idea is that for most of us, these memories and 
habits get started early, and a childhood camping trip often attains the status 
of mythology by the time we get our owns rigs... these would be helpful as 
springboards for us and the writers. 

It's been overwhelming the response from the communites we've talked to. And 
we have a lot of little repair work to do - One of the jobs we need to do is 
repair or restore the woodwork inside - it's been in Aridzona about 20 years... 
little dry. As I get to be the play IN the airstream, I am planning on either 
baking cookies, or frying spam (which was my mom's answer to breakfast - 
spam, eggs and Tang - I am sooooo a product of the space program....) I don't want 
my cupboards shedding on me.

I promise - we will send pix to the list of us in progress...
So - if you have an iconic moment, or familial myth to share, please send it 
to us. 

Also - we are not settled on a title - but our working title is simply The 
Airstream Project.   Does anyone have an opinion on Airstream's feelings about 
their name being used?
(Other titles could be Trailer Tales, Safari Weekend, Weekend Safari, LONG 
WEEKEND) Any other suggestions?

other ideas we are playing with - community actors being involved; a magnetic 
poetry 4x6 piece of shiny sheet metal, that we can take polaroids of during 
the evening, and then send back to each community -and giving an 8 year old (or 
the closest to that age) a camera to snap pics during their 'adventure'. We 
also plan on assigning relationships within each group - each to each other, or 
to us, the actors. And since none of the family has ever had a reunion 
before, it will be the first time any of them have met, anyway... (We are trying to 
hit many bases, and creat opportunities for folks to talk to each other...)

We'd be interested in hearing your stories - and production suggestions are 
also welcome. We'll keep you posted...

Llysa
62 safari
who will be towed by an 83 GMC named Velma


Llysa Holland
Co-Founder & Artistic Instigator
theater simple - Seattle USA

theatersimple.org