|
One Wood Productions presents THE SYRINGA TREE
A story of an abiding love between two families, one black, one white, and the two children that are born into their shared household in the early 1960's South Africa. Seen first through the eyes of a child, six-year-old Elizabeth tries to make sense of the chaos, magic and darkness of her experience. The story of these families' destinies spans four generations, from early apartheid to present-day free South Africa. Performed as originally conceived, all 24 characters are portrayed by one actress. Actors note:
It is a privilege to present The Syringa Tree. I love learning about other people and places through my acting. As an actor, I have always found fascinating the process of inhabiting a character. In this story, making a strong bond with the principal character Elizabeth has been especially revealing and satisfying. I hope this work gives the audience greater access to the important history of South Africa and the lessons that can be taken about the struggle for freedom through Elizabeth’s experience. Theater Review: The Syringa Tree, Lost Nation Theater
www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/theater-review-the-syringa-tree-lost-nation-theater/Content?oid=3683950 |
The Syringa Tree also tours to High Schools and College campuses all across the USA. OneWood Productions offers a complete Study Guide, as well as a variety of workshops and talk backs.
Student/Teacher testimonials:
"Courtney's physical approach to acting is both wonderful to watch and completely contagious. I loved to see how she engaged with my students: toggling between performance, discussion, and on-our-feet workshopping with professionalism and well-practiced ease. She gave my students new valuable perspectives on character work and story telling that I will be referencing for a long time to come. It's refreshing to see such talent, as Courtney possesses, married to such openness and generosity."
-Isaac Eddy, Johnson State College Theater Department
"My students responded to this excellent performance on two levels. They found the chaos and tensions caused by apartheid riveting, especially because those tensions were revealed on a personal level in the characters’ lives. But what I didn’t expect was their fascination with the acting techniques employed by the talented Courtney Wood. They talked for weeks about the strategies she employed to portray 24 different characters: changes in voice, posture, mannerisms. Before class I would catch them experimenting with imitating each other, and even me, using those techniques!"
-Sara Reed High School History Teacher at Lamoille Union High School in Vermont
"Courtney was wicked good! She played so many different characters, and she changed herself for each one of them. She used a new voice, stood up straighter or hunched over, and used her hands and arms in a different way. I didn’t know someone could do that! It makes me want to try to imitate my friends. I started watching them more closely to figure out what makes them the way they are."
-Aidan, High School student
"I really got a lot out of The Syringa Tree performance. The story described blacks and whites working in the same place, but they were on such different social levels! And there was such anxiety about having “papers,” which was permission for blacks to be in a certain place. It really brought home what apartheid must have been like to live with."
-Olivia, High School student
"I really liked the character Elizabeth. She was cute, and funny, and really hit the nail on the head a few times with her comments! But what was wild was that a grown-up woman played her so perfectly. It was fascinating to see an adult show that freedom that a kid has with her body – running around, arms wide open, jumping up and down."
-Emma, High School student
Student/Teacher testimonials:
"Courtney's physical approach to acting is both wonderful to watch and completely contagious. I loved to see how she engaged with my students: toggling between performance, discussion, and on-our-feet workshopping with professionalism and well-practiced ease. She gave my students new valuable perspectives on character work and story telling that I will be referencing for a long time to come. It's refreshing to see such talent, as Courtney possesses, married to such openness and generosity."
-Isaac Eddy, Johnson State College Theater Department
"My students responded to this excellent performance on two levels. They found the chaos and tensions caused by apartheid riveting, especially because those tensions were revealed on a personal level in the characters’ lives. But what I didn’t expect was their fascination with the acting techniques employed by the talented Courtney Wood. They talked for weeks about the strategies she employed to portray 24 different characters: changes in voice, posture, mannerisms. Before class I would catch them experimenting with imitating each other, and even me, using those techniques!"
-Sara Reed High School History Teacher at Lamoille Union High School in Vermont
"Courtney was wicked good! She played so many different characters, and she changed herself for each one of them. She used a new voice, stood up straighter or hunched over, and used her hands and arms in a different way. I didn’t know someone could do that! It makes me want to try to imitate my friends. I started watching them more closely to figure out what makes them the way they are."
-Aidan, High School student
"I really got a lot out of The Syringa Tree performance. The story described blacks and whites working in the same place, but they were on such different social levels! And there was such anxiety about having “papers,” which was permission for blacks to be in a certain place. It really brought home what apartheid must have been like to live with."
-Olivia, High School student
"I really liked the character Elizabeth. She was cute, and funny, and really hit the nail on the head a few times with her comments! But what was wild was that a grown-up woman played her so perfectly. It was fascinating to see an adult show that freedom that a kid has with her body – running around, arms wide open, jumping up and down."
-Emma, High School student
For information about bringing The Syringa Tree to your venue contact Courtney Wood at: [email protected]
