Actress Kirsten D'Aurelio's blog researching MENORCA... Day 7
"Devoted the last day in Euskadi (Basqueland) to visiting Ollie´s birthplace: Donostia (also called San Sebastian, in Spanish.) I was eager to see what kinds of formative sights/sounds/flavors might have shaped Ollie as a child. 2 buses got us from Bilbao to Donostia´s Boulevard near the old town, which is chock full of pintxos bars, gelaterias, and bakeries. After a quick breakfast, we strolled along the 2-mile shoreline of the Playa Concha, which has beautiful views of the surrounding hills and the Atlantic Ocean. Less beautiful though is the dingy promenade and the surrounding buildings. A bit like Coney Island--faded glory. For some reason that even the tourist office couldn´t explain to us, there were polizia everywhere, some doing random vehicle checks, and we also encountered some pretty unfriendly merchants in the shops. Are they sick of all the tourists (who apparently comprise 50% of the population at any given time), perhaps? We tried to shake it off by wading into the ocean, but the hypodermic that washed ashore didn´t help matters. What to do? Something that is not deductible on my performing artist tax return: a visit to the fancy beachside spa. 4 pools, 2 saunas, and a relaxation room later, we felt ready to return to the town. I sought out the famous "pastel vasco" (Basque cake), which has been around for centuries. It was oddly-shaped, sort of like a pot pie, but tasted delicious. The ikkariña (Basque flag) was displayed everywhere. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to stop by Bar Herria, a haunt for Basque nationalists, where apparently there are photos displayed of some of the more violent members of the movement, who are currently serving prison terms.
Did a mad dash back to Bilbao to catch our flight only to find it delayed due to the rain in Spain. So all in all, not the best day of the trip. But still some highlights, like the picturesque views of the hills and valleys and the whitewashed, red-roofed Basque houses I could see out the bus window between Donostia and Bilbao. Also a great ariel view of the Pyrenees on the flight to Barcelona tonight (where I am writing this blog entry.) By the end of the day, we will have followed Ollie´s trail on 5 buses, 2 taxis, and a plane---whew!
And what of Ollie today? I came away from Donostia wtih the thought that due to the massive tourism industry in her hometown, Ollie was exposed to lots of people from different places, speaking different languages, different cultural values, etc. San Sebastian today has 180,000 people, so Ollie didn´t grow up in a tiny Basque village like the one we visited last night. She had a big view of the world right from the start, and though she would have had plenty of company as an "euskal herria" (speaker of Euskera), she was living in a place where other cultural identities were alive and well. Was that environment enough to cement her Basque identity, or did it leave a window open for questioning who she was? At 8 years old, she would move to an even bigger place--Barcelona--with her family, so that´s where I´m headed now to see where she finished growing up. Tomorrow: Barcelona!"
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Bones, Basques and Barcelona: Day 6
Day 6 of actress Kirsten D'Aurelio's trip to Spain to prepare for her role as Ollie in MENORCA...
"Took some time away from show research to visit Bilbao´s pride and joy: the Guggenheim. Fantastic. Shimmering. Sculpture within sculpture. For a Chicagoan, seeing designs by Gehry, Kapoor and Calatrava is a very familiar experience, so that makes Bilbao truly feel like a sister city. I love it here.
But in the evening it was back to the show. We were treated to 4 hours of incredible hospitality from our new Basque friends, Itsaso and Egoitz. (These are older Basque names that are being revived by the parents of the post-Franco generation. Itsaso means "sea.") They picked us up at the hotel and we took a scenic drive out to their farm in Laudio, about 30 minutes outside Bilbao. Their traditional etxea (house) has been in the family for 150 years, and its name and family crest are prominently displayed over the door, just as Ollie describes in the script. We met an aunt, grandmother (88 años)and Dad. Beside the house is a vegetable garden, and lots of roosters. Down a short path, the family´s vineyard appears---4 hectares worth. We got a tour of the winery, and Itsaso and her dad explained the process with the vats and showed us the labeling and corking machines.
Then the fiesta! We drank the lovely wine, of course---a white variety called txakoli--and Egoiz cooked for us. Our meal: deep-fried pig´s blood cubes (very good if you follow Itsaso´s advice and don´t think about it too hard), tortilla espanola (Spanish omelette), fresh (from their garden) green peppers with coarse salt, bread, and some chocolate candies we had brought as a gift from Gernika. Delicious! Served informally on napkins with toothpicks for utensils. The weather was perfect,and we were joined by 3 more friends as well. So the 7 of us had a lively conversation about gender roles in Basque life, politics, Basque culture, music. Some struggling to understand each other at times, but Itsaso´s great English saved the day (and her Spanish-English dictionary, which enabled us to look up harder words like¨"wild boar", "partridge", "woodcock", "criminal", and "stubborn".)So grateful to Itsaso for all her translating. 4 hours must have been exhausting, though we all tried to help by being enormously expressive and pulling on the little Spanish and cognates my husband and I knew.
Some ideas: there is displeasure that, especially by Spaniards in the south, the Basque country is perceived as a dangerous place, since in reality there is so little crime and the terrorism has been so infrequent and small-scale (esp. compared to 9/11, as one person pointed out.) It´s true--we´ve felt perfectly safe here even at midnight on the Gran Via, and there are no partitions between driver and passenger in the cabs as there are in Chicago and NY and other US cities. There´s a feeling that politicians use the terrorists as a dodge for talking about real problems, such as drunk driving and domestic violence. Sound familiar?
What about a separate Basque nation, we asked? Not much interest in our group. They feel solid in their identities as Basques (their primary identities) and feel very content with their lives. Securing a nation isn´t a priority for them, and they consider themselves apolitical (like Ollie.)
Speaking Euskera outside of Basqueland? This would provoke curiosity, they said, but not necessarily disdain.
Female power? Lots of spontaneous discussion about this. Women rule the home and family in Basque culture. But they cannot inherit the legacy homes, and they aren´t always paid equally in the workplace or represented in political bodies. Despite this, Basque women are considered to be very independent, especially compared to other Spanish women as a whole. They have jobs, own property, delay motherhood. We were told repeatedly that Basque women have this very strong, indepdendent character, and that their men aren´t threatened by that, including the possibility that a woman would earn more money. This is a lot for me to think about as I consider Ollie´s relationships to the men in the play.
All of these serious themes were interspersed with guitar playing and loud singing (including La Bamba and "Don´t Worry, Be Happy.") As if all of this weren´t enough, Itsaso very graciously agreed to read Euskera words and even an entire English monologue from the script into my digital tape recorder, so I have fantastic source material now to design my dialect for Ollie.
One final treat on the way home: a stop at a scenic overlook for a fabulous view of Bilbao at night. Reminded me of Mulholland Drive in L.A. What an incredible, authentic experience! I feel so fortunate.
Tommorow: to Ollie´s birthplace!"
"Took some time away from show research to visit Bilbao´s pride and joy: the Guggenheim. Fantastic. Shimmering. Sculpture within sculpture. For a Chicagoan, seeing designs by Gehry, Kapoor and Calatrava is a very familiar experience, so that makes Bilbao truly feel like a sister city. I love it here.
But in the evening it was back to the show. We were treated to 4 hours of incredible hospitality from our new Basque friends, Itsaso and Egoitz. (These are older Basque names that are being revived by the parents of the post-Franco generation. Itsaso means "sea.") They picked us up at the hotel and we took a scenic drive out to their farm in Laudio, about 30 minutes outside Bilbao. Their traditional etxea (house) has been in the family for 150 years, and its name and family crest are prominently displayed over the door, just as Ollie describes in the script. We met an aunt, grandmother (88 años)and Dad. Beside the house is a vegetable garden, and lots of roosters. Down a short path, the family´s vineyard appears---4 hectares worth. We got a tour of the winery, and Itsaso and her dad explained the process with the vats and showed us the labeling and corking machines.
Then the fiesta! We drank the lovely wine, of course---a white variety called txakoli--and Egoiz cooked for us. Our meal: deep-fried pig´s blood cubes (very good if you follow Itsaso´s advice and don´t think about it too hard), tortilla espanola (Spanish omelette), fresh (from their garden) green peppers with coarse salt, bread, and some chocolate candies we had brought as a gift from Gernika. Delicious! Served informally on napkins with toothpicks for utensils. The weather was perfect,and we were joined by 3 more friends as well. So the 7 of us had a lively conversation about gender roles in Basque life, politics, Basque culture, music. Some struggling to understand each other at times, but Itsaso´s great English saved the day (and her Spanish-English dictionary, which enabled us to look up harder words like¨"wild boar", "partridge", "woodcock", "criminal", and "stubborn".)So grateful to Itsaso for all her translating. 4 hours must have been exhausting, though we all tried to help by being enormously expressive and pulling on the little Spanish and cognates my husband and I knew.
Some ideas: there is displeasure that, especially by Spaniards in the south, the Basque country is perceived as a dangerous place, since in reality there is so little crime and the terrorism has been so infrequent and small-scale (esp. compared to 9/11, as one person pointed out.) It´s true--we´ve felt perfectly safe here even at midnight on the Gran Via, and there are no partitions between driver and passenger in the cabs as there are in Chicago and NY and other US cities. There´s a feeling that politicians use the terrorists as a dodge for talking about real problems, such as drunk driving and domestic violence. Sound familiar?
What about a separate Basque nation, we asked? Not much interest in our group. They feel solid in their identities as Basques (their primary identities) and feel very content with their lives. Securing a nation isn´t a priority for them, and they consider themselves apolitical (like Ollie.)
Speaking Euskera outside of Basqueland? This would provoke curiosity, they said, but not necessarily disdain.
Female power? Lots of spontaneous discussion about this. Women rule the home and family in Basque culture. But they cannot inherit the legacy homes, and they aren´t always paid equally in the workplace or represented in political bodies. Despite this, Basque women are considered to be very independent, especially compared to other Spanish women as a whole. They have jobs, own property, delay motherhood. We were told repeatedly that Basque women have this very strong, indepdendent character, and that their men aren´t threatened by that, including the possibility that a woman would earn more money. This is a lot for me to think about as I consider Ollie´s relationships to the men in the play.
All of these serious themes were interspersed with guitar playing and loud singing (including La Bamba and "Don´t Worry, Be Happy.") As if all of this weren´t enough, Itsaso very graciously agreed to read Euskera words and even an entire English monologue from the script into my digital tape recorder, so I have fantastic source material now to design my dialect for Ollie.
One final treat on the way home: a stop at a scenic overlook for a fabulous view of Bilbao at night. Reminded me of Mulholland Drive in L.A. What an incredible, authentic experience! I feel so fortunate.
Tommorow: to Ollie´s birthplace!"
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Bones, Basques & Barcelona: Day 5
Actress Kirsten D'Aurelio's MENORCA blog from Spain continues...
"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the northern coast, according to Ollie (in a shared line with George), and sure enough I am seeing overcast skies and lush terrain. Once again, I'm in chocolate heaven with what is basically hot drinking chocolate, almost a pudding. Fantastic. This country really knows how to do chocolate! Still trying to get my ear around the Euskera. I can´t quite detect a rhythmic or melodic pattern yet, so it sounds like a rapid jumble of consonants at the moment.
We boarded a bus for Gernika (Guernica in Spanish) today, the symbolic center of Basqueland, and saw 3 important sites that certainly would be a part of Ollie`s heritage. First, the Peace Museum, a theme museum which documents the horrific 1937 bombing by the Nazis and Italians that razed this peaceful Basque village. Visitors are asked to contemplate concepts and tools for conflict resolution, and there are profiles of the world's peacemakers, who get so little coverage compared to the warmakers. My favorite quote: "violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" (Isaac Asimov). See this inspiring place at www.museodelapaz.org
Next stop: the Assembly House and the Tree of Gernika. Since the Middle Ages, the 7 Basque territories have each sent representatives here to uphold the ancient fueros (laws), many of which were quite progressive for their time and would have directly conflicted with the US Patriot Act. The oak tree is a universal symbol of unity for the Basque people and there is controversy over how it survived the 1937 bombing. But survive it did--very much like the Basques themselves.
So, all this evidence of Basques as a collaborative, peaceable people is a contradiction with the modern image of the violent terrorist Basque nationalist. No wonder Ollie has trouble sorting this out for herself.
Finally, the Basque Cultural museum, where we learned about Basque history, geography, language, sports, legends, Proverbs, and my favorite part: music. Videos of traditional dances were accompanied by flute and drum songs, so I heard the sound that according to the script should begin and end the play. I learned that Ravel was Basque, and now "Bolero" makes so much cultural sense to me (dominant flute and drum.)
Ended our Guernica visit with another pintxos crawl, featuring slightly different(more Basque?) cuisine. OMG--I think I ate octopus. Or squid. Or anemone. All 3 are popular. I chewed through a little suction cup thingy......but mild tasting. These pubs and stores all play American pop music, so we're eating these exotic things but hearing Beach Boys and Whitney Houston. Back to Bilbao on a very efficient bus, and then we fell asleep watching a televised pelota match. Tomorrow: our dinner with the Basques!"
"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the northern coast, according to Ollie (in a shared line with George), and sure enough I am seeing overcast skies and lush terrain. Once again, I'm in chocolate heaven with what is basically hot drinking chocolate, almost a pudding. Fantastic. This country really knows how to do chocolate! Still trying to get my ear around the Euskera. I can´t quite detect a rhythmic or melodic pattern yet, so it sounds like a rapid jumble of consonants at the moment.
We boarded a bus for Gernika (Guernica in Spanish) today, the symbolic center of Basqueland, and saw 3 important sites that certainly would be a part of Ollie`s heritage. First, the Peace Museum, a theme museum which documents the horrific 1937 bombing by the Nazis and Italians that razed this peaceful Basque village. Visitors are asked to contemplate concepts and tools for conflict resolution, and there are profiles of the world's peacemakers, who get so little coverage compared to the warmakers. My favorite quote: "violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" (Isaac Asimov). See this inspiring place at www.museodelapaz.org
Next stop: the Assembly House and the Tree of Gernika. Since the Middle Ages, the 7 Basque territories have each sent representatives here to uphold the ancient fueros (laws), many of which were quite progressive for their time and would have directly conflicted with the US Patriot Act. The oak tree is a universal symbol of unity for the Basque people and there is controversy over how it survived the 1937 bombing. But survive it did--very much like the Basques themselves.
So, all this evidence of Basques as a collaborative, peaceable people is a contradiction with the modern image of the violent terrorist Basque nationalist. No wonder Ollie has trouble sorting this out for herself.
Finally, the Basque Cultural museum, where we learned about Basque history, geography, language, sports, legends, Proverbs, and my favorite part: music. Videos of traditional dances were accompanied by flute and drum songs, so I heard the sound that according to the script should begin and end the play. I learned that Ravel was Basque, and now "Bolero" makes so much cultural sense to me (dominant flute and drum.)
Ended our Guernica visit with another pintxos crawl, featuring slightly different(more Basque?) cuisine. OMG--I think I ate octopus. Or squid. Or anemone. All 3 are popular. I chewed through a little suction cup thingy......but mild tasting. These pubs and stores all play American pop music, so we're eating these exotic things but hearing Beach Boys and Whitney Houston. Back to Bilbao on a very efficient bus, and then we fell asleep watching a televised pelota match. Tomorrow: our dinner with the Basques!"
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bones, Basques & Barcelona: Day 4
Actress Kirsten D'Aurelio's MENORCA blog continues... Basqueland
"Now that I´ve learned about Ollie`s work life, it´s time to learn about her personal background. So it´s off to her childhood home around the Pyrenees: Basque country. We bid farewell to Antoni, our Menorcan host in Ciutadella, and drove to see the only part of Mahon I´ll get to: the airport. While there, I stepped onto a scale in the Farmacia and was horrified to learn that I now weigh a 5-digit number: 65,700! Too many Trufo bars and ensaimadas! Luckily my husband calmed me down by converting that awful kilo number back to the 3-digit lbs I´m used to, and since I wasn´t in the "Obesidad" column on the slip, I thought it would be a really good idea to try a chocolate croissant. The best one of my life! Good thing there is so much walking involved in these cities, or I won´t fit into my costumes...
Arrival in Basqueland brought signage with Spanish and Euskera, and temperatures that are 10-15 degrees cooler than Menorca. We checked into a plush hotel that was once the headquarters of the Republican Basque government, and a favorite of Hemingway, Bacall, Ava Gardner, and many famous bullfighters. Probably says something about Spain´s current economy that we can afford this place, which costs less per night than a lesser quality room in downtown Evanston.
At night, we ventured out to the charming Casco Viejo (old town)and did the wonderful tradition of txikiteo (pub crawl) that features Rioja wines and a dazzling array of pintxos (tapas.) We got the hang of it quickly: step right up, order your beverage, and choose 4 or 5 pintxos. Stay about 15 minutes, remember how many pintxos you had so you can pay the bill (about 10 euros for bevs plus the tapas--couldn´t even get two glasses of wine for that in Chicago, let alone these gorgeous, delectable works of art with cod, pork, olives, quesos, mushrooms, and other unidentifiable things--we think we might have eaten some baby squid legs)and then you´re off to the next bar. The whole ritual is so enjoyable and efficient. Napkins are to be thrown on the floor in order to keep the bar clear for the next patron, since the turnover is so fast. We hit 4 bars in rapid succession, and in the last one, my friendly husband asked the woman next to us if she was Basque--and she said yes and excitedly began speaking to us in good English. She introduced us to her brother and mother (whose birthday they were celebrating) and took us to a 5th bar to sample a particular kind of wine that her family grows. By the end of the evening, we had an invitation to visit their vineyard and have dinner on Thursday at their traditional Basque home, which has a name, just as Ollie describes in our script. Jackpot! We are in for a very authentic experience. I am so excited and awed by the kindness of these strangers (to paraphrase Tennessee Williams) and our new friend told me that it´s important to her that we have a good time in Basque country because even in the south of Spain, Basqueland is considered by many to be filled with terrorists, and not a nice place to live. So she is deeply appreciative of our interest in Basque culture and, I think, our potential as ambassadors. I´m glad to oblige! Tomorrow: deeper into Basqueland."
"Now that I´ve learned about Ollie`s work life, it´s time to learn about her personal background. So it´s off to her childhood home around the Pyrenees: Basque country. We bid farewell to Antoni, our Menorcan host in Ciutadella, and drove to see the only part of Mahon I´ll get to: the airport. While there, I stepped onto a scale in the Farmacia and was horrified to learn that I now weigh a 5-digit number: 65,700! Too many Trufo bars and ensaimadas! Luckily my husband calmed me down by converting that awful kilo number back to the 3-digit lbs I´m used to, and since I wasn´t in the "Obesidad" column on the slip, I thought it would be a really good idea to try a chocolate croissant. The best one of my life! Good thing there is so much walking involved in these cities, or I won´t fit into my costumes...
Arrival in Basqueland brought signage with Spanish and Euskera, and temperatures that are 10-15 degrees cooler than Menorca. We checked into a plush hotel that was once the headquarters of the Republican Basque government, and a favorite of Hemingway, Bacall, Ava Gardner, and many famous bullfighters. Probably says something about Spain´s current economy that we can afford this place, which costs less per night than a lesser quality room in downtown Evanston.
At night, we ventured out to the charming Casco Viejo (old town)and did the wonderful tradition of txikiteo (pub crawl) that features Rioja wines and a dazzling array of pintxos (tapas.) We got the hang of it quickly: step right up, order your beverage, and choose 4 or 5 pintxos. Stay about 15 minutes, remember how many pintxos you had so you can pay the bill (about 10 euros for bevs plus the tapas--couldn´t even get two glasses of wine for that in Chicago, let alone these gorgeous, delectable works of art with cod, pork, olives, quesos, mushrooms, and other unidentifiable things--we think we might have eaten some baby squid legs)and then you´re off to the next bar. The whole ritual is so enjoyable and efficient. Napkins are to be thrown on the floor in order to keep the bar clear for the next patron, since the turnover is so fast. We hit 4 bars in rapid succession, and in the last one, my friendly husband asked the woman next to us if she was Basque--and she said yes and excitedly began speaking to us in good English. She introduced us to her brother and mother (whose birthday they were celebrating) and took us to a 5th bar to sample a particular kind of wine that her family grows. By the end of the evening, we had an invitation to visit their vineyard and have dinner on Thursday at their traditional Basque home, which has a name, just as Ollie describes in our script. Jackpot! We are in for a very authentic experience. I am so excited and awed by the kindness of these strangers (to paraphrase Tennessee Williams) and our new friend told me that it´s important to her that we have a good time in Basque country because even in the south of Spain, Basqueland is considered by many to be filled with terrorists, and not a nice place to live. So she is deeply appreciative of our interest in Basque culture and, I think, our potential as ambassadors. I´m glad to oblige! Tomorrow: deeper into Basqueland."
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Bones, Basques & Barcelona: Day 3
Actress Kirsten D'Aurelio continues her journey in Menorca researching her role for Menorca...
"This morning, our last full day in Menorca, we walked around the city centre. These narrow cobblestone streets are where the fiesta de Sant Joan took place 3 weeks ago, so it was great to take in this exact locale and picture the horses, revelers and bonfires which are part of the world of our play. At the shops, I was able to get some items that might make great props for the show (with our propmaster´s approval, of course.)
The 12th century cathedral (mostly Gothic) intrigued me, not only with its beauty and the organ recital we stumbled upon (Mozart on a 2,347 pipe organ is pretty magnificent!), but because, like Menorca itself, the cathedral has been looted and nearly destroyed many times, all the way up to the Spanish Civil War. So the decor is a hodgepodge of time periods and styles in the same way that Menorca contains such a diverse combo of elements from its history of domination and surrender to the Turks, the Moors, the Brits, the French. I see now that Menorca is the perfect backdrop for a play whose themes include misplaced cultural identity and boundaries.
In the afternoon we drove to the southern coast and the sparkling waters of Cala en Turqueta, a gorgeous cove beach that was about 40% topless (don´t ask--I´m not telling.) Also had a wonderful ensaimada from the oldest bakery on the island, and am continuing my love affair with the Trufo bar (the creamiest ice cream bar I´ve ever had---nuevo flavor "choc-orange"! For dinner, we opted for modern Menorcan cuisine, including more Menorcan gin and some tasty mozzarella and pinons (pine nuts.) Struck up a conversation with the table next to us, and voila! met my first Basque, a lovely 20 something French Basque woman who spoke excellent English and whose favorite shows are "Dexter" and "True Blood" (ah, the things we export!) She and her brother were taught some Euskera in school, but her mother doesn´t speak it, and her grandmother still feels the shame and secrecy brought on by the Franco regime´s cruel banning of the language. This attitude is depicted in one of Ollie´s monologues. I asked her if I look at all Basque, and to my delight she said, "Oh, definitely. Except for the nose--Basques have a hump on the nose, like a beak." This is not a feature I plan to acquire for the show, although that kind of thing won Nicole Kidman an Oscar....
Only one disappointment as we leave Menorca: no sightings of the famed Menorcan horse which is so central to the culture and to our play. As one tourism brochure put it, this exquisite breed is "a means by which to understand our history, our present and future, which we share with a character who has the leading role: the horse." We made several attempts to schedule equestrian shows, peered eagerly into fields, even drove to a stable, but to no avail. So, I´ll have to rely on the many beautiful photographs I´m bringing back with me, and fill in the rest with my actor imagination in order to do Ollie´s Act 2 monologue justice. Tomorrow: on to Basqueland!"
"This morning, our last full day in Menorca, we walked around the city centre. These narrow cobblestone streets are where the fiesta de Sant Joan took place 3 weeks ago, so it was great to take in this exact locale and picture the horses, revelers and bonfires which are part of the world of our play. At the shops, I was able to get some items that might make great props for the show (with our propmaster´s approval, of course.)
The 12th century cathedral (mostly Gothic) intrigued me, not only with its beauty and the organ recital we stumbled upon (Mozart on a 2,347 pipe organ is pretty magnificent!), but because, like Menorca itself, the cathedral has been looted and nearly destroyed many times, all the way up to the Spanish Civil War. So the decor is a hodgepodge of time periods and styles in the same way that Menorca contains such a diverse combo of elements from its history of domination and surrender to the Turks, the Moors, the Brits, the French. I see now that Menorca is the perfect backdrop for a play whose themes include misplaced cultural identity and boundaries.
In the afternoon we drove to the southern coast and the sparkling waters of Cala en Turqueta, a gorgeous cove beach that was about 40% topless (don´t ask--I´m not telling.) Also had a wonderful ensaimada from the oldest bakery on the island, and am continuing my love affair with the Trufo bar (the creamiest ice cream bar I´ve ever had---nuevo flavor "choc-orange"! For dinner, we opted for modern Menorcan cuisine, including more Menorcan gin and some tasty mozzarella and pinons (pine nuts.) Struck up a conversation with the table next to us, and voila! met my first Basque, a lovely 20 something French Basque woman who spoke excellent English and whose favorite shows are "Dexter" and "True Blood" (ah, the things we export!) She and her brother were taught some Euskera in school, but her mother doesn´t speak it, and her grandmother still feels the shame and secrecy brought on by the Franco regime´s cruel banning of the language. This attitude is depicted in one of Ollie´s monologues. I asked her if I look at all Basque, and to my delight she said, "Oh, definitely. Except for the nose--Basques have a hump on the nose, like a beak." This is not a feature I plan to acquire for the show, although that kind of thing won Nicole Kidman an Oscar....
Only one disappointment as we leave Menorca: no sightings of the famed Menorcan horse which is so central to the culture and to our play. As one tourism brochure put it, this exquisite breed is "a means by which to understand our history, our present and future, which we share with a character who has the leading role: the horse." We made several attempts to schedule equestrian shows, peered eagerly into fields, even drove to a stable, but to no avail. So, I´ll have to rely on the many beautiful photographs I´m bringing back with me, and fill in the rest with my actor imagination in order to do Ollie´s Act 2 monologue justice. Tomorrow: on to Basqueland!"
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bones, Basques & Barcelona:Day 2
Written by actress Kirsten D'Aurelio currently traveling in Menorca...
"Today was the big day for archeological ruins, to immerse myself in the world of the play and in Ollie´s profession. First we saw a well-preserved naveta (collective burial tomb) and then a second site with the mysterious structures of taula and talayot, thought to be a religious structure and a watchtower, respectively. Then a short drive (everything is a short drive on an island that is only 40km wide) to the Ecomuseo de Cavalleria, on which the play is based. We met the founder, two senior assistants, and about a dozen students (mostly American and Canadian.) I got to hold lots of artifacts: a skull, bones, a handle of a pitcher, Roman glass shards,and small pieces of pottery. The students are working to do the detail work of excavating the vertebrae of what they believe to be the remains of a 3year old child. We had a fascinating interview with one of the archaeologists from the British Isles, who was so knowledgeable and gave me lots of insights about the mindset and lifestyle of an archaeologist. We learned how to identify a skeleton´s gender based on pelvic and cranial structures---fascinating! Due to the 37degree celsius heat and the World Cup match, there was no live excavation to observe today. But we were able to wander the dig site and see where the artifacts (often an entire basket a day)have been unearthed. Afterward, we drove up to the Cap de Cavalleria and the desolate area surrounding it and the lighthouse. Evening brought tapas and watching Spain win the World Cup! Lots of happy Spaniards, firecrackers, and cheers of ESPANA!!! Tomorrow:in search of the Menorcan horse."
"Today was the big day for archeological ruins, to immerse myself in the world of the play and in Ollie´s profession. First we saw a well-preserved naveta (collective burial tomb) and then a second site with the mysterious structures of taula and talayot, thought to be a religious structure and a watchtower, respectively. Then a short drive (everything is a short drive on an island that is only 40km wide) to the Ecomuseo de Cavalleria, on which the play is based. We met the founder, two senior assistants, and about a dozen students (mostly American and Canadian.) I got to hold lots of artifacts: a skull, bones, a handle of a pitcher, Roman glass shards,and small pieces of pottery. The students are working to do the detail work of excavating the vertebrae of what they believe to be the remains of a 3year old child. We had a fascinating interview with one of the archaeologists from the British Isles, who was so knowledgeable and gave me lots of insights about the mindset and lifestyle of an archaeologist. We learned how to identify a skeleton´s gender based on pelvic and cranial structures---fascinating! Due to the 37degree celsius heat and the World Cup match, there was no live excavation to observe today. But we were able to wander the dig site and see where the artifacts (often an entire basket a day)have been unearthed. Afterward, we drove up to the Cap de Cavalleria and the desolate area surrounding it and the lighthouse. Evening brought tapas and watching Spain win the World Cup! Lots of happy Spaniards, firecrackers, and cheers of ESPANA!!! Tomorrow:in search of the Menorcan horse."
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Kirsten's MENORCA blog.... writing from MENORCA!
Actress Kirsten D'Aurelio has just began an amazing adventure. In preparation for her role as Ollie in Robert Koon's MENORCA (beginning Sept 9) she has traveled to Spain. She will be sending us her journal and we will be posting them here. Here is Number 1. Enjoy!"Got to Menorca easily and safely.Last night went to a minor fiesta for St.Christopher in Es Mijorn Gran and met Lana, who is one of the people in charge of the Ecomuseum. We got to stroll the cobblestone streets covered in palm leaves, eat some traditional baked goods (including the popular ensaimada!) and got our first sampling of Menorca gin (excellent--sweet tasting)in Britain´s legacy to Menorca: pomade (gin and lemonade.) Been navigating the maddening streets of Ciutadella, with me driving a stick shift for the first time in 15 years! Lots of Catalan spoken here and even on the international flight, where safety instructions were given in English, Catalan and Castillian Spanish.
So I'm hot on the trail of Ollie´s many languages. To get along,though, been hauling out some of my French and even Italian sometimes to cover my lack ofCatalan, but of course the most successful interactions are happening in the universal language of pointing and pantomime...
Today we visit several archeological ruins. Tonight we find a bar to watch the World Cup with the very excited locals, who have even shortened their time at the archaeological dig today so they can watch the match. The adventure has begun!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
