Director’s Note

STEPHANIEHAVEY.COM

WRITTEN BY Stephanie Havey

As One is a coming-of-age story told through a series of episodes about the life of the protagonist, Hannah.

This production will create a ‘memoryscape’ that Hannah walks through as she recalls her youth.

The concept of ‘memoryscape’ comes from the historian Toby Butler who creates ‘Living maps’ at historical sites where the audience can experience ‘the hidden history of a place by listening to the memories of inhabitants both historical and contemporary.’ Butler’s projects aim to ‘present memories coherently in a spatial context’ and to ‘provide a sense of change over time.’

In a similar way, our production will draw the viewer into Hannah’s past and her present intermingled through memories and reflections on her past.

Lucia Lucas, baritone, will play modern day Hannah as she looks back at significant memories and processes each memory on her road to self-discovery.

Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano, will portray Hannah’s inner voice who has guided her throughout her life, since she was a child.

The two Hannah’s will walk together through the memories – sometimes in harmony and sometimes at odds – to deliver Hannah to a place of reconciliation and inner peace.

Hannah’s memories are symbolized by light boxes – sometimes LED screen, sometimes projections on scrims, and sometimes paper lanterns that reveal a prop as a touchstone to a memory. As the memory is relived, the paper lantern flies away – as if Hannah is releasing that memory. This imagery is reminiscent of sky lantern ceremonies common to Asian and South American cultures that signify the releasing of one’s fears and desires into the sky. It is symbolic of cleansing, of new beginnings, and of illuminating the patch of enlightenment or knowledge.

Our team hopes that this production of As One may be engaging, encouraging, and healing.