DOES SOMEBODY START TO CREATE A NEW WORK?

UNDERSTANDING THE MATERIAL OF &- THE PIECE.

FOR NARCISSUS WAS THE MOTIF THAT WILL COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN.

I'LL PLAY IT FOR YOU AGAIN.

THE HIS IS CALLED THE LISTEN CLOSELY MOTIF.

♪♪ ♪ LISTEN CLOSELY TT OUR TALE OF LOVE ♪ ♪ LISTEN CLOSELY LISTEN CLOSELY ♪ >> EACH ROMAN PANTOMIME IS STYLE OF A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE THAT HAD ONE DANCER THAT WOULD DANCE AND NOT SPEAK.

THEY WOULD LITERALLY PANTOMIME THE ENTIRE STORY WHILE A CHORUS OF PEOPLE SUNG THE STORY BEHIND THEM.

♪♪ >> PANTOMIME WAS IN THE IMPERIAL ROMAN PERIOD WAS THE MOST POPULAR DRAMATIC THEATRICAL ART1 FORM THAT WAS PRESENTED IN ROME.

AND ALL AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN.

♪♪ >> ALSO, IT BECAME THE PRRSENTATION, PARTICULARLY OF MYTHS IN A FORMAT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE TRANSMITTED TO LARGE ONE GOAL II JUST TO TELL THE STORY.

THAT'S THE BASIC IDEA HEEE.

AND SO WE'VEEGOO THE TOOLS TO DD THAT.

STORY AND WE'VE ALSO GOT THE NG PERFORMER WHO IS GIVING US THE EMOTIONAL CORE OF THE CHARACTER, HE'S GIVING US THE DRAMATIC ARC.

WHAT WE'RE LEFT WITH AT THE END OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS A NARRATIVE THAT IS SIMPLE, THAT IS UNIVERSAL, ALWAYS TIMELY.

AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME AWAY FEELING LIKE MAYBE THEY ALREADY ALWAYS KNEW THE STORY OF NARCISSUS BECAUSE THE CLARITY OF THE STORY TELLING HERE WILL BRING THE MYTHOLOGY 2,000 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE.

♪♪ ANCIENT ROMAN PANTOMIME DOES SHARE A LOT WITH OTHER ANCIENT -pFORMS OF DRAMA THAT -- PARTICULARLY TRAGEDY, ANCIENT ROMAN PANTOMIME WAS A PRIMARILY A TRAGIC FORM.

BEING SORT OF LIKE, CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I THINK A LOT OO THE SCRIPTS HAVV NOT SURVIVED.

PEOPLE WOULDN'T RETAII THEM.& IT HAS NO ARTISTIC MERIT IN ANN THEY WERE WRITTEN TO TELLTHE STORY OF A DANCE.

THHY WERE A SCRIPT FOR A DANCE.

THEY'RE NOT A PIEEE OF LITERARY ART THAT YOU WOULD SIT BY YOUR FIREPLACE AND READ.

THEY'RE MEENT TO BE SEEN AND PERFORMED.

THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAVED AND RE-CREATEDD THEY'RE MEANT TO BE DONE.

♪♪ >> BECAUSE THE SCRIPTS AND SCORES DO NOT EXIST, THE GOAL OF PANTOMIME ITSELF HAS BEEN A LARGE IMPETUS IN OUR OWN HISTORY OF WESTERN CULTURE IN THE GREAT FATHERS OF OPERA WHEN THEY WERE DEVELOPING OPERA.

THEY WERE DEVELOPING WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS ANCIENT ROMAN PANTOMIME.

II OUR VERSION OF IT, WE DECIDED THAT OUR GOAL WAS TO RE-CREATE 1 THE EFFECTS OF THE FORM.

WE WANTED TO BRING THISSFORM BACK TO LIFE BASED ON WHAT WE UNDERSTAND FROM WHAT ANCIENT 31 ROMANS SAY ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SEEING THIS FORM.1 AND SEE IF WE CAN RE-CCEATE THAT IN THE MODERN WORLD.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 73 C1 ♪♪ ♪77 ♪77 -pp7♪ >> CAN YOU NOT BE HAPPY WITH THE PRESENT?

>> TTEN IT'S ETTLED.

♪♪ ♪♪& ♪7BEAUTIFUL ♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL 7 ♪♪ ♪ WHO IS THIS BOY YOU BRING TO ME ♪ ♪7MY SON ♪ ♪ LISTEN CLOSELY LISTEN CLOSELY ♪ ♪ THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME, & ♪ THAT IS WH HILST WOULD I HAVE ♪ ♪ ♪♪DO NOT MEAN DIRECTED AT YOU- ♪♪ ♪ IT WILL BE AS YOU SAY ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL ♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL ♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL ♪ ♪ ♪& ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪77 ♪ HE'LL NEVER LET GO ♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ YOU HAVE KILLEE HIM ♪ ♪ YOU HAVE KILLED YOUR SON ♪ ♪ >> I THINK THE VALUE OF A MASK IS THAT ITTPOINTS OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

ALREADY.

WHICH IS THAT WE'RE ALL WEARING MASKS.

SO IT'S SYMBOLIC OF THAT REALITY.

AND ITS PLACE IN THEATER IS JUUT THAT.

THERE'S SOMMTHING ABOUT BEIIG ABLE TO STTRE AT A CHARACTER THAT THE MASK HELPS THE AUDIENCE, I THINK, STARE..3 C1 AND IT ALLOWS -- IT BREAKS DOWN SORT OF SOCIAL BARRIERS TO LLOKING.

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE WEARING A MASK THEN I CAN STARE RIGHT AT YOU AND NOT FEEL LIKE I'M INVADING YOUR PERSONAL SPACE.

AAD SS THERE'S SOMETHING -- I KNOW WHEN A PERFORMER PUTS THEMSELVES OUT THERE THEY ARE YEAH.

EXACTLY.

>> THE MASK IS ADOPTED IN ORDER TO PROBABLY TWW REASONS.

TO CONVEY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.

ONE.

THE SAME WAY IT MIGHT BE USED BY DIFFERENT ACTORS IN THE GREEK pO THE MASK CAN ALLOW FOR THE PRESENTATION OF A NEW CHARACTER IN THAT SENSE.

♪♪ >> I THINK THE MASK ADDS A IT DISTINGUISHES THE CHARACTERS PERSONA.

♪♪ >> IF YOU'RE IN AN AUDIENCE WITH 30,000 PEOPLE YOU WON'T BE ABBE TO SEE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE SSPHYSICAL & GESTURES.. >> THIS IME AROUND WE'RE LUCKY TO BE WORKING WITH GENE STEVENSON WHOSE EXPERIENCE ALLOWS UU TO REALLY MEEGE A LANGUAGE AND ALPHABET OF GESTURE WITH A NARRATIVE WE'RE HAVING SOMEONE ON STAGE.

>> I'M USING MM EXPERIINCE IN GESTUREAL LANGUAGE.

BECAUSE OF HIS UNIVERSALITY WE CAN CONNECT IT TO A STORY IN SUCH A WAY THE AUDIENCE COMES AWAY WITH THE EMOTIONAL CORE OF WHAT'S GOING ON RATHER THAN JUST SEEING WESTERN MUSIC AND EASTERN DANCE MERGED TOGETHER.

♪♪ IN REHEARSAL IT WAS AASTOP AND GO PROCESS OO HERE IS A DANCE MOVEMENT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN, 31 LET'S INVESTIGATE THAT, EXPLORE IT AND THEN I SAW MY ROLE AS COMING IN AND ATTACHING TO THE STORY AND SHAPING IT AND MAKING SUUE THAT THAT PART OF THE NARRATIVE DRRVES HROUGH.

♪♪ IT HASSLIKE, A STATELINESS IT ♪ OR I CAN GO -- 3 C1 ♪♪ IT'S THE TAG AT THE END THAT THINK STRIKES ME ROUGHLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND I THINK THIS IS WHHT THE AUDIENCE WILL TAKE AWAY WITH THEM WHEN THEY HEAR THIS WORK.

♪♪ >> I WONDDR IF WE CAN DOUBLE THE WORK.

pHAT WAY.LY LED IT TO VARY IT &- >> THERE'S A GREAT MOMENT IN NARCISSUS' ARIA WHERE HE SAYS HE'S HEARING MUSIC HE'S NEVER HEARD BEFORE.

THE CHORUS SAYS LISTTN CLOSELY SO THAT YOU DO NOT DISTORT WHAT YOU ARE HEARING INTO SOMETHING THAT IT IS NOT.

BECAUSE WHENNYOU DO THAT WHEE YOU DISTORT LOVE THAA LEADS UP & TO THE DESTRUCTION THAT MANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN NARCISSUS FACE.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -p♪ ♪♪ 733C1 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪&- ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> ANOTHHR PART OF THIS PROJECT THAT AS VERY INTERESTING IS THE FACT THAT IT WAS ASSEMBLED IN DIFFERENT PIECES.

FOR EXAMPLL, THE CHOORS FFOM THE OPERA, WE WERE REHEARSING HERE.

I THINK THEY WERE GIVING THE MUSIC 48 HOURS BEFORE THEY REHEARSED.

WHICH WAS VERY INTERESTINGG THEN WE HAD THE OTHER PORTION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WHOLE PROJECT WHICH WAS TAKING PLACE IN NEW YORK CITY.

SO WHHT WE DID IS ASSEMBLINN ALL TOGETHER HERE IN PRETTY UCH TWW DAYS.

♪♪ ♪ BEAUUIFUL ♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL ♪ I THINK THAT THE PROFESSIONALISM OF EVERYONE ASSVERY SUPERB TO MAKINGGTHE PRODUCTION COME TOGETHER.

>> IT PRESENTS A TREMENDOUU CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, CHORUS, MUSICIAN, YOU'VE GOT THE DANCER WHAT WE DISCOVERED EARLY IN THE SPACE IS THAT THE DANNER IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE ELEMENT.

>> WE HHVE TO SHOOT IT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE WE COULDN'T REALLY FIT EVERYONE IN THE STAGE.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE, SO WEE AD TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA OF SSOOTING DIAGONALLY PRETTY MUCH.

YOU CAN SEE THE CHORUS ON ONE SIDE.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE PANTOMIME WILL BE IN THE ENTER YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE FROM ONE ANGLE YOU COULD SEE THEECHORUS AND FROM THE OOHER AAGLE YOU COULD SEE THE MMSICIANS AND HAVE NARCISSUS IN FOCUS, IN FRAME FOR THE ENTIRE TIME BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY MOVES INVOLVEE IN IT.

♪♪73 C1 >> TELEVISION ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF SCALE THAT IN THE STADIUM PANNOMIME WOULL THEE'RE AAAZIIGLY BEAUTIFUL & ARTISTS.

WE HAVE TWO RESIDEET ARTISTS AND THEY EALLYYHAVE BROUGHT GREAT DETAIL TO THIS PIECE.

>> WE'RE EXPLORING DIFFERENT WAYS TTAT THE CHORUS CAN ENGAGE WITH THE SINGULAR DANCEE.

THERE ARE MOMMNTS WHERE THE CHORUS PPAYS A SINGULAR CHARACTER AGAINST THE ANCIENT -- PANTOMIME ARTIST.

ANN THERE ARE OTHER MOMENTS WHERE THERE IS A DUET BETWEEN SINGERS AND THE PANTOMIME ARTIITT TRYING TO DO IT IN AS MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AS POSSIBLE TO TRY TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF WHAT THIS FORM IS ABLE TO EMOTE.& ♪♪ >> WE'RE TOLD THAT SONGS WERE POPULAR, THAT PEOPLE WENT ROUNN WHISTLING THE TUNE.

IFFYOU MAKE THAT -- THE AND I THINK IN THE UNITED STATES pYPIIALLY WE HAVE A VERY INVERSE RELATIONSHIP ABOUT HOW WE SEE OPERA.

THE U.S.

HAS TYPICALLY, I THINK RESPONDED TO OPERA THAT IT ISS I THINK THATTS WHAT PANTOMIME WAS DOING IN MANYYWAYS.

♪♪ >> WHEN YOU SIT ATTA PIANO AND YOU'RE BY YOURSELF WRITING, IT'S NOT FINISHED BEING WRITTEE UNTIL YOU PUT IT -- BRING IT TO LIFE AND PUT IT IN FRONT OF A SSNGEE'S VOICE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND SO WHAT WE ARE ESSENTIALLY DOING IS WE'RE COMPOSING NOW, WE'RE COMPOSING THROUGH UNTIL THE TAPING OF THE PIECE..3 C1 BECAUSE IT'S NOT FINISHED YET.

-pAND THAT'S KIND OO EXCITING.

I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE SCARY.

IT'S ONE OF JOYS OF WORKING ON A NEW WORK.

& >> EVERYONE THINKS THEY KNOW WHAT NARCISSUS IS BECAUSE WE USE THE WORDD UNFORTUNATTLY UNFLATTERING WAYSS BUT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ CAN IT BE THIS IS WHAT BEAUTIFUL MEANS ♪ ♪ UNTIL THIS HOUU BEAUTY WAS JUST A WORD ♪ ♪ I NEVER KNEW ITS POWER ♪ ♪ BEAUTY IS NOT INNTHE BEING ♪ ♪♪ ♪ IS THIS A FANTASY I NEVER & KNEW ♪ ♪ CAN IT E ♪ ♪7IT CANNOT ♪ ♪ NO IT ANNOT ♪ ♪ CAN IT BE ♪ NO NOT NO NOT NO ♪ ♪♪&- ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪77 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ YOU HAVE KILLED HIM ♪ ♪ YOU HAVE KILLED YOUR SON ♪ ♪♪