The text is German so I don’t follow the words but knowledge of the context and the agitated body language gets the intent across. For the next 15 minutes, they transform the public square into a performance through a combination of reading and movements that weave in and out through the 20-odd crowd. The performance at Tummelplatz had emerged from the Insta account Catcalls of Graz.Īt about 5 p.m., a little semi-circle forms around the six actors distributed on two pedestals. The concept very quickly made its way to cities across the western world. She would photograph these chalk writings on the pavement and post them on Instagram. In 2018, Sophie Sandberg of New York started writing on the sidewalk the catcalls hollered out in the city. It is the venue for a street performance, Catcalls of Graz. With a promise to complete the stories and reconvene over Zoom, we parted ways.Ī head-dunkable bowl of soup at Herr Karl.īolstered by soup and pumpkin seed cake with cream cheese frosting, I move on to Tummelplatz, one of the main squares of Graz. And at the end of the workshop, a shape for their stories emerged and the first scenes were written down. I questioned their plots and they generously elaborated. I assigned exercises and they kindly obliged.
![new word of the day new word of the day](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/13/e7/3813e7cd29b8a2e0b4638d65dc9dcc6e.png)
Over the next four hours, I prattled on about character and plot and structure. They had brought clippings that ranged from stories with a personal connect to environmental issues to one that emerged from a catalogue of ports! Two writers from Ukraine had brought news stories from back home. They had all been asked to bring some news item that they would like to bring to stage. Ten participants had registered to attend. It was the first downcast morning since I came to Graz, but grey clouds did not have the power to be my killjoys. So there I was, making my way to the main theatre where one of the rooms had been designated for my workshop. Since their theme for the festival this year was ‘Realities’, I had recommended a workshop on writing non-fiction for the stage.
![new word of the day new word of the day](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/cac16deb-d7f7-4d70-9b2e-920fd91f0c6f.jpg)
![new word of the day new word of the day](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D8ino1xeST0/maxresdefault.jpg)
When Schauspielhaus Graz had emailed me to invite me to their theatre festival, I had volunteered a writing workshop and, over a few more emails, we had planned a structure.