Week Nine–the Final Act… for now…

Finally solved the photo posting problems – why did no one ever tell me about Windows Live Writer?

Tuesday, Nov. 16 - up for a final breakfast and bill settlement at El Tejado, goodbyes and hugs from the staff who ask when we're coming back, then off to Es Artes to check on any final supplies to take along, and on to the theatre to pack up and load the set into the truck (now cleared of all traces of its former occupants) and all the props, costumes and luggage into the bus with us - Tatiana, Tito, Raquel, Zoila, Mario and four of the boys, all the Stratford volunteers and Karen and Brian, the documentary film crew who have just joined us to record the San Salvador odyssey.

Loading goes well under Koky's direction and we are actually on schedule to leave.  The road trip is enlivened by several rounds of cookies and buns from Pan Lillian, and Hector and Carlos (two of the students) dancing in the aisle.   We arrive at the National Theatre in central San Salvador in good time and begin to unload through the very small stage door which opens directly onto a busy sidewalk lined with street vendors and non-stop foot traffic.  Then we get our first look at this lovely old-world operatic jewel box built by the coffee barons of the mid-1800s, and are duly impressed, particularly against the contrast of what the city around it has become. 

This is one of the sore points for proud Salvadoreans like Tatiana, who tells us that in the forties and fifties, San Salvador was rightly known as the Jewel of Central America, with open parks and promenades and beautiful Euro-colonial inspired architecture, but since the increased American presence in the sixties and seventies and the civil war in the eighties and nineties, the destruction and degradation of the city has become endemic and dis-heartening. 

Everywhere you look, lining both sides of nearly every downtown street, there are warrens of ramshackle corrugated metal and plastic booths that serve mostly as vendors stalls (but in some places also as shelters), and a constant barrage of sound (some recorded and amplified, but most live) as everyone advertises their wares and prices - the most common shout -"un'dollar un'dollar un'dollar"- wheelbarrows, wagons and bicycle carts full of fruit and vegetables, mats and tables full of plastic shoes, cheap clothes, toys, housewares, designer knock-offs, pirated CDs and DVDs, anything and everything - which, we are repeatedly warned, are havens for pick-pockets and muggers, who prey on tourists and residents alike. 

Every building, whether public or private, is fenced and ringed with spirals of razor wire at roof or first floor level, and every store, bank, church or business of any size has a prominently armed security guard.  This, of course, has the effect of  making any visitor extremely edgy and disconcerted, wondering about the necessity for all this and where the threat is expected from, while the residents have become discouraged, angry, apologetic, or desensitized and oblivious.

Inside the theatre, however, we are welcomed into 'our' world by Julio, a friend of Tatiana's and the resident technical director with a thirty-some year connection to the building, and given the grand tour of all the beautiful foyers, seating and meeting areas and small cabaret-style theatre spaces on various levels, as well as the four floors of dressing rooms and prep rooms on either side of the stage, all the various halls and stairways connecting them, and the understage which has tunnels leading out under the street and a water reservoir which apparently improves acoustics (shades of Phantom of the Opera!).  The audience arrangement is surprisingly small and intimate-feeling, with seating for about 150 or so on the orchestra level, ringed by three horse-shoes of balconies made up of eighteen or more 'boxes' of four seats each, each with its own door and curtain, in the style of classic European opera houses, complete with a "Presidential" box in the centre of the second level, and a separate entrance for the 'commoners', originally admitted only to the third level. 

		National Theatre VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

After our introduction to the facilities, plans are made for set-up of the show tomorrow, and we head off to our various 'homes' to settle in - most of the Es Artes staff have homes or family connections in San Salvador and have made arrangements to board all the students who will be arriving Thursday; the Canadians have all been found rooms at the lovely little hotel Las Amapolas (the poppy), where John and I stayed for our first fabric-shopping trip back in September.

At the hotel, we receive another warm welcome from the staff, who are friends of Koky's as well as Tatiana's and the project, and we also get a house call from a doctor who examines several of us for some troublesome insect bites and abrasions we have accumulated over the last few weeks, and prescribes a short course of antibiotics and ointment to fight infection and speed healing (covered by our CUSO-VSO in-country insurance).  Then we clean up and head out to a wonderful bohemian restaurant called La Ventana, also known as Tito's bar as it features some of his artwork along with that of many local artists.

Wednesday - up and off to the theatre to begin work at 8 am.  Zoila, Raquel and I unpack the costumes and sort them for repairs, laundry and pressing and the various dressing rooms and quick-change stations are assigned.  Eric, Tito, Mario, Lisa and the boys re-assemble the set pieces and hang the organza drops under the supervision of the resident staff, while Jeremy and Tim work out the sound and lighting logistics with  the resident technicians and a completely different set of equipment.  All this with Koky and another young local translator, and Tatiana, as usual, being pulled (both physically and mentally) in twelve different directions at once.  Meanwhile, Melissa prepares for Antoni's arrival in the afternoon and shepherds the documentary team who are recording the process and interviewing the participants throughout the day.

(Thanks again, by the way, to Brian for the loan of the light in our makeshift wardrobe maintenance corner.)  Despite the surface grandeur, the practicalities of old theatres in general (and most structures of any kind in El Salvador) are: little or no workspace-specific light, few electrical outlets, about half the available toilets out of commission, and the laundry facilities, by hand only - the usual arrangement of one-shallow-and-one-deep tiled cement cisterns with awkward and undependable drainage.  Zoila opts to wash all the camisoles, petticoats and blouses in batches one of our large plastic wardrobe boxes, and dry them in the upper courtyard, and with Raquel pressing and me patching some rips, by the end of the day everything is looking better than ever.
Antoni arrives to view the final touches being made to the set and the ongoing set and focus of the lights and is suitably impressed, so we all head out to a terrific seafood spot for dinner to update him on the project so far.

Thursday - only Jeremy and Tim are required to continue work on sound and lights in the morning, so Koky arranges for our driver to accompany Kris, Eric, Jenn, Lisa and me (on foot) to tour the nearby Cathedral where Archbishop Romero in interred (stunning bronze tomb) and the National Palace, a former presidential residence and seat of government, now a museum commemorating the colonial history of El Salvador.  Everywhere we go we meet people who, while they acknowledge the atrocities and miseries of the war and the chaos of the current city, still take pride in the beauty and richness of the country, and hope that foreigners will see and feel the warmth and heart of the people, and appreciate it as well.

		National Palace, San Salvador VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

In the afternoon, amid continuing issues with lights and cue setting, the cast arrives to do a quick blocking run-through on the stage and prepare for the evening performance.  Jenn is nursing a cold and returns to the hotel; the rest of us follow soon after to change for the evening and return to help  stuff programs with the notices of changes to the cast and crew that have occurred since they were printed, and act as extra ushers for all the invited guests (sponsors and prominent members of the arts community, as well as the Canadian ambassador) on the second level.

The play begins with the usual opening night delays waiting for all the dignitaries to take their seats, but goes off without a hitch to another warm reception and great buzz from the audience.   The performances are powerful and assured and it all looks wonderful.  The audience appreciation continues as the cast joins the reception in the upper lobby, but the glow of their triumph is mixed with sadness at our parting.

The gathering afterwards is fraught with emotions from all sides as Tatiana calls us all together to give everyone the chance to express our thoughts and feelings about the connections we have made and how much we have learned from, appreciated and supported each other throughout the whole experience, and some of the kids, in particular, are quite overcome about our having to go home. But the show is now well and truly launched and slated for three more performances this week, a return engagement for a week in December and a move to another more accessible theatre in the new year.  And our work, for now, is done, so we need to wrap up and move on.

Friday - an early morning meeting for all the Stratford crew with Tatiana and Antoni to discuss the successes and challenges of the project and table suggestions for building on and improving the process for the future productions that are in the planning stages, the next one being Lope de Vega's Fuente Ovejuna slated for  February/March.

Then we head off with Koky for  a couple of days of R&R at a small beach hotel (run by friends of his, who give us a deal) on the ocean about an hour west of the city, where we are introduced to the powder-soft black sand and thundering  Pacific surf of El Salvador's coastline - hammocks under a huge palm-thatched roof, gentle breezes, surfers, ever-cruising tiny hermit crabs, great food and drink, and the mesmerizing waves.

		Olas Permanentes (Permanent Waves) VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Sunday - at ten am our driver arrives to pack us and all our luggage off to the airport an hour or so away, and take Koky and Lisa back to Suchitoto.  About halfway there we come to a roadblock caused by construction of a new bridge and the detour (along a dirt road through a small village where little boys clamber up and hang on to the side of the van for a joy ride as we pass by, and then down the bank to find a shallow crossing point through the river itself) gives us yet another story to take home. 

We make it to the airport with lots of time to spare and once we have confirmed that Eric, who has a stand-by ticket, does indeed have a seat on the plane, we say our final goodbyes to Koky, check in and head to our gate, musing on hot showers, our own beds, reunions with friends and family and return to our former routines, all the while hoping to be able to come back in the future and stay connected to our new extended 'family' and this extraordinary place.

Week Eight continued... and a bit more

Thursday, Nov. 11 - Zoila and I work through the half-dozen notes from the dress rehearsal and, after lunch, I head over to the theatre to see how they are getting on. Eric, Lisa, Jeremy, Mark, Tito and Mario, with support from Arlene and Jenn and several students, have completely transformed the stage!

All the black curtains are hung - the too-short legs (side curtains) have been extended and are now perfect; the borders fill in the bare frame of the proscenium; the black traveller (back curtain) hides the gold brocade and completes the 'box' that houses the beautiful set pieces - five tall metal doorframes with ironwork 'balconies' and louvered wooden doors. (The traveller was a foot too short as well and there was no time to alter it, but more fabric was safety-pinned to the back of the hem to bring it to the floor, and the illusion is complete.) The ghostly silvery-blue organza drops have been hung to break up the black, and the whole effect is eerie distressed Spanish Central American Gothic, which is perfect for the show.

I'm reminded of Geoffrey Rush's line from the movie, "Shakespeare in Love", when he says that producing a play is always chaos, but it always turns out alright on the day - "Nobody knows [how it happens] ... it's a mystery!"

The miracle continues through the afternoon rehearsal, as light and sound levels and cues are set for the first time, competing with the daylight streaming in from the upper windows, which haven't been blocked off yet, and the very vocal birds, as well as the drum-like stage that magnifies the sound of footsteps and the echoing quality of the nearly empty hall.
Several hairpieces for the leads, along with women to dress them, arrive mid-way through the afternoon. Fatima, our new abuela loca (crazy grandmother), who is supposed to have a long grey or white braid, appears at one point looking like Malibu Rapunzel in an improbably full, curly, long, ash-blonde synthetic wig, which will have to be dealt with later.

But the actresses are coming into their own, and begin to truly use the stage, and the stagehands and dressers see what happens when they miss cues. Cleaning away all the detritus of the set-up continues non-stop, and soon it's time to head home to get dressed up for the opening events - all the anthems and speeches and official presentations that have been arranged to placate the demands of the owner of the theatre in return for its use. (Very long story - not getting into it here.)

Lisa and I arrive back at the theatre to find that the speeches are in progress, but the actresses are getting dressed before the dressers have arrived and no one has done anything to tame the Rapunzel wig, apart from pinning it back even higher and bigger, so we try to wrestle it into some braids (flashback to ill-fated attempts to re-style doll hair...). We rejoin the invited preview audience to see a wonderful slideshow of the whole building process at both Es Artes and Escuela Taller that Koky put together from all our various photos, and hear that the official presentations will be made at a later date, as The Man Himself decided not to attend after all(!). So, all the welcoming completed, with a couple of very loud clicks the house lights go out, the music comes up and the play begins.

And it's truly magic. It's a small audience, but they are completely rivetted on the performance - no coughs, no fidgets, people leaning forward, absorbed in every moment of the play. And the performances have ramped up a few notches from the afternoon's rehearsal - all the actresses are in top form, including the new abuela, who is excellent in the role. The soundscape is wonderful, the birds are silent (although one appears briefly during the dinner scene, courtesy of one of the stagehands, who planted it in a prop), the bats are absent, the lighting cues work, the quick-change in Act II is accomplished with only a minor glitch in a complete blackout for the first time, the finale is breath-taking, the applause heart-felt and resounding - and we have a show!

Afterwards, all the cast and crew, along with the Es Artes staff and volunteers, are invited to a reception with drinks and nibbles at Los Alamendros, and from there most of the Stratford group head with Koky, who has arranged to keep the kitchen open late, to El Gringo's other place, the bar El Necio, for more drinks and a very late dinner - a wonderful evening all around, especially when Tatiana announces that there is no need for another rehearsal tomorrow afternoon, before the 'real' opening in the evening, so we can all sleep in and deal with any further notes at a more leisurely pace!

The only sour note comes on the walk home when we have to scatter quickly to avoid being hit by a drunk driver going at top speed down the otherwise empty street. Koky recognizes him as a local trouble-maker with a history of DUIs, and reports him to the police, whose station is on our way, and we all get home without futher incident - he takes such good care of us! It's only on the last leg of the walk that I realize that this was Remembrance Day back in Canada, and how completely out-of-touch with the rest of the world, and how utterly absorbed in this one we have all become.

Friday - a lie-in and a late breakfast, then over to Es Artes to clean and re-organize the wardrobe workspace until mid- afternoon; over to the theatre to check that everything is ready for the evening (it is), and do the last few tweaks. The students are scrubbing walls and chairs, and mopping and sweeping floors, and everything is shining! We (the volunteers) are now redundant, so we head off to dinner and to change for the Grand Opening.

The theatre is nearly full and once again the audience is incredibly attentive. The performances are even more passionate and nuanced than the day before, and the curtain call, which includes all the backstage crew and the Es Artes staff, and a bouquet of flowers for Tatiana, is a roaring celebration! Afterwards, on the sidewalk outside the theatre, many of the audience members stay to buttonhole both the Canadians and the Es Artes staff to discuss the production and say how much they enjoyed it and how impressed they were, and when the actress playing Bernarda appears to join her husband and son, she is met with a spontaneous round of applause and congratulations.

Afterwards, the entire company and their guests head over to Villa Balanza, where they are hosting the opening night party, and proceed to dance the night away. (Check with Mark Smith for incriminating photos and video footage...) All the Salvadorans seem to be incredible dancers, and the kids, in particular, have 'got it goin' on!' - everyone is encouraged to join in and strut their stuff, to huge cheers and much laughter.

Saturday - the theatre is cleared of all props and costumes and the set pieces moved off-stage in preparation for another theatre company who are arriving for an afternoon rehearsal and an evening performance of Los Tres Cochinitos y el Fero Lobo (The Three Little Pigs and the Wild Wolf), again at the behest of the theatre owner, who celebrates his birthday every year with a free public performance of this type for the children of the community, complete with a huge birthday cake - his 'largesse'.

For the rest of us it is a full day off to finally pursue other interests and see more of what the area has to offer - several go down to the lake for zip-lining and boat tours to the bird island, while four of us hire a driver to take us for some tourist exploration and retail therapy in the towns of Ilobasco, known for its ceramics and crafts, and San Sebastian, famous for its weavers and textiles, some of which were commissioned for the play. Later, we all meet to compare notes and share stories of our adventures at Lupita's in the square, where there is a music festival going on, and still later, to our favourite pizza place, Xela's (pronounced Chela's), for a more intimate musical performance with one of the visiting groups in the incredible courtyard, which extends down several terraces on one of the steep hills that the town it built on.

Tatiana tells us that the students have all gone home for the day as many of them have important duties as part of their families' livelihood, and the time they have had to commit to this is causing a good deal of stress to the family units. She also tells us of one young boy whom she found crying last night at the party, from a combination of exhaustion, homesickness and disappointment that the girl he asked didn't want to dance with him... all the dramas of life. All the girls from out of town who stay over in Suchi for events like this, and will be going to San Salvador, are chaperoned and looked after by Zoila in her home, while all the boys are supervised by Mario at Es Artes.

One of the actresses joins us to report that she had been recognized and stopped in the street several times by people who had seen the play and were very complimentary, and that there is a definite buzz on as people plan to attend the other performances on Sunday and Monday. Several hardy-partiers continue on to the neighbourhood disco to finish the night, and plans are made for a group photo at the theatre tomorrow morning before Mark and Arlene head back to Canada.

photo courtesy of Mark Smith via Tim Hanson

Sunday - back to the theatre to check on the reset for the two performances at 11:00 and 3:00 - everything seems well in hand, although there is a great deal more cleaning to be done, as the lobby looks like the aftermath of a frat party with the remains of cake ground into the floor. But the students set to with a will to help the two regular cleaners, as Tito and a couple of the boys cover the upper windows to block out the sunlight, and there is only a fifteen minute delay to the start.

We hear that The Man Himself has finally deigned to attend, and Koky, who steps in as House Manager when the actual House manager and three of the ushers are no-shows with no notice, takes charge of seating and attending to him with 'all due deference' - Koky is a born diplomat and facilitator, consciencious above and beyond the call and a godsend to this group and this project. There is another large and attentive audience, and they seem to be much more responsive to the ironies and lighter moments of the play, which brings a different energy to the performance. The Man remains for the entire show and appears to enjoy it.

The second show has an even larger audience, and Evelyn reports that several people have come back (and paid) for a second time! Lisa and I indulge in a bit more retail therapy about town and settle at Los Alamendros to wait for the meeting at the theatre at five to sort out the logistics of the strike after the Monday performances and the move to San Salvador on Tuesday. About quarter to five we hear that the meeting is postponed to six and moved to Los Alamendros; by quarter to six, plans have changed again as the cast and crew have been invited to yet another reception at the mayor's son's house down by the lake, and Tito proceeds to shuttle us there in several groups. (Kris travelling in the back of the truck is marked by cries of "la mannequin!" as we pass by.) We leave messages for Jeremy, Eric and Jenn, but wires get crossed and they are missed in the shuttle process, so we arrange to re-group for a late dinner later on back at Los Alamendros, and the meeting is postponed till the morning.

Monday, Nov. 15 - another two shows to finish the run in Suchitoto. All the staff and students from Escuela Taller attend the first one, and seem very pleased and proud of the results of their work. Tim takes some photos of the entire group with the cast and crew and all of us, at the end of the performance.

The second show has a much smaller but still very appreciative audience and the striking of the show is accomplished with speed and efficiency. The logistics of the move have all been sorted out, and we have decided to spend our last two days in El Salvador, after the gala on Thursday, at the beach, courtesy of Koky (who knows a guy... and arranges a place for us all to stay Friday and Saturday till we have to head to the airport on Sunday).

For dinner we head back to the Villa Balanza rooms that have hosted all the barbeques for a final evening of pupusas and beer, then home to pack for the morning. One of the many topics of conversation revolves around the various flavours of pupusa, as there are both savory and sweet fillings, and the tortillas can be made from either corn or rice flour. Kris comments that the closest Canadian equivalent to the sweet ones is known as a 'beaver tail', and describes it for Evelyn. This leads to a digression about what a beaver is, which in turn, has Evelyn asking, with some concern, if the animal is dead before we fry its tail. We hasten to assure her that the pastry does not involve the actual animal, but is only named that because it looks like a beaver's tail. After this confusion is cleared up amid much laughter on both sides, Evelyn mentions that the word pupusa has another, ruder connotation and we all howl again as we tell her that so does beaver - yet another cross-cultural exchange.

Our itinerary for our final week is:

Tuesday - pack everything, drive to San Salvador and load into the National Theatre before 3 pm, then settle in the hotel. As the hotel and theatre are some distance apart, we have the services of a driver who will ferry us back and forth, but we need to travel in groups for greater efficiency and security.

Wednesday - set up and co-ordination with the theatre staff.

Thursday - all the actors and students arrive, have an afternoon rehearsal and the evening Gala opening. (There are three more evening performances - Friday , Saturday, Sunday - then they are hoping to be able to store the show there for its second engagement in December.)

Friday - post-mortem wrap-up and next-stage planning discussions with Es Artes and Antoni Cimolino, who will be attending the Gala. Then the Stratford crew head to the ocean with Koky for some sand and surf.

Sunday - back to Stratford for everyone but Lisa, who has another two weeks to work with the students on their other projects and, hopefully, connect with the women's co-operative and the dyers for some further cultural and skill sharing.

That's it for now as we load the trucks... later from the big city!

Week Seven ... and a half...

Sorry for the delay in posting this one - we've been a bit busy here...

begun Thursday, Nov. 4

Monday - Zoila begins the alterations from the Sunday fittings, while the ladies continue completing the house-dresses, and I cut and prep three of the last four blouses. Eric is still down for the count, which is worrying, but Jenn seems to have him in hand. Work on the set continues at Escuela. Kris is feeling the frustrations we have all experienced when expectations and pressure to perform/produce (our own and others) meet the realities of resource management here - the tickets have not yet been printed, and her house management team of students is variable at best.

Tuesday - La Dia de los Muertos - first complete day off (enforced, as this is a very important national holiday) - morning by the pool, massage therapy from Arlene, nap most of the afternoon, catch up on e-mails, Harlequin for dinner and early to bed - my personal spa vacation! Kris and Jeremy, Mark and Arlene and others head to the cemetery with some of the Es Artes kids who came up with the idea of doing some fund-raising for the project by offering their services (and paint) to paint the tombs, which is one of the many traditions associated with Day of the Dead festivities and observances in El Salvador.






photos courtesy of Jeremy Bernard



Wednesday/Thursday - scrambling to finish everything for Sunday, last blouse finally cut out, other six proceeding in various stages of assembly. Zoila overdyes one of the trims for the Bernarda dress, and continues with the alterations. Gloria, ever keen and enthusiastic, takes care of pressing, basting, basic seams and hems (all the while keeping up a machine-gun volley of gossip and commentary - she is definitely the fastest talker I have ever encountered in any language, and leaves her fellow Salvadorans, who are no slouches themselves, in the dust!) Morena has taken on the extensive handwork of the Bernarda dress as her "baby". Amalia is mastering all the frills and ruffles and finishings of the blouses. I bounce from piece to piece, trying to keep one step ahead of them prepping for el proximo paso (the next step) on each garment, and re-vamp one of the skirts which had to be modified to suit a different bodytype from its original design.

At the Thursday morning production meeting, a few forgotten items emerge to add to the list - multiple and multi-coloured hair ribbons for the servants to be made from their skirt fabrics and a colourful flowered panuelo for one of the daughters (mentioned in the script, but no fabric was ever purchased for it, and it slipped between the cracks of prop and costume). Kris and Arlene offer to scout the local shops for fabric, but as I pass the rack of donated costumes I spot a flowered dress which can be cut up (with Tatiana's approval) for the required piece. Jenn and Jane obligingly take on attaching the elastic laces to the boot-top spats. Arlene cuts up the hair ties.

continued Sunday, Nov. 7

Friday - it's all about the poop! - not only does the theatre have to be continually cleared of the leavings of it's resident bats, but we were informed that the truck that has been arranged for transporting the set units from Escuela to the theatre last carried cows, so that will have to be cleaned before it is used as well! (As this isn't normally a consideration that comes up in production meetings in Canada, it provided some levity all around the table, as we were reminded of the very different realities, norms and expectations we are working with here.)

Still a great deal to do to transform the stage from its current state (painting the floor and masking the gold brocade curtain that forms the current backdrop; also legs and borders to mask the wings which are completely open to view beyond the rudimentary proscenium). Plans are made to organize the Es Artes students for painting and the Escuela students for moving, installing and assembling the set pieces. Jeremy and Eric make plans for hanging the lights and upgrading the electrical system to at least grounded (!) (A great deal more can be said about this, but I have neither the time nor the expertise to go into it here - buy them a beer later for the full story...) Eric has made a full recovery from both his digestive issues, thanks to the wonderful staff at the clinic here, and his burn, thanks to some magical purple ointment with amazing healing properties.

Kris informs us of the schedule for the media day next Tuesday, which will cut into all of our tight work schedules, but is most important to put a face on the project for the press and ScotiaBank, which is a major sponsor. Mark has ordered Es Artes logo t-shirts for all the Canadian volunteers, which have now arrived, and we will all be wearing them for the photo ops at the town hall with the mayor, and at Escuela Taller with the students, showing off their work.

Lisa Hughes, Stratford's costume breakdown and fabric painting specialist arrives to warm welcomes and is immediately thrown into the mix - seconded to sets to help with the painting of all the furniture pieces. As there are several conventions in town and the usual hotels are booked, she is given a room in the hotel on the square, which currently looks directly out on the ferris wheel from the carnival which is still in town. She takes this with good humour as she knows how busy everyone is and that she will be moved as soon as possible. As the whole scheduled CUSO-VSO volunteer team is now here, Es Artes hosts the requisite 'in-country training' session, which, in our case, is a presentation of the history, goals and challenges of the Es Artes project and how it relates to all its partners, the community of Suchitoto and El Salvador as a whole. As this is combined with a very pleasant and much-needed social evening and dinner at Los Alamendros, it proves very enlightening and enjoyable.

Saturday - last big push for the costumes trying to get everything there for first technical rehearsal (and final fittings, since we haven't had access to the San Salvador cast since last week). Zoila sends her son home to bring her own sewing machine in to do all the buttonholes, since the one supposedly brought in for that purpose does not work. Final trims and fastenings always take three times as long as planned, even under the best conditions, but valiant efforts are made and the ladies get the bulk of it done before they have to leave at four. I have to concede defeat (or at least a postponement) on the final blouse, which is for one of the minor characters, in favour of completing all of the lead costumes - the major factor in the delay is that it is a different colour from the rest of the pieces we are currently working on, and we can't afford the time delay that changing thread and dedicating one machine to that piece alone would cause when we need all available resources and machines to finish the other pieces - so be it. I take the last of the buttons and snaps back to my room to finish with late night TV.

continued Wednesday, Nov. 10

Sunday - the change from daylight savings catches us unawares, as there is no change here (this close to the equator, days and nights are equal all year long), however, all our (the volunteers') electronic clocks on cell phones and computers, being on Canadian time settings, switch over automatically. My watch battery died a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't been able to replace it yet, so I've been using my cell phone and taking into account the two hour time difference. This morning I thought I was actually going to make it in early to work, only to find that I was fifteen minutes late, and needed desayuno (breakfast) to go.

Final fittings of all the newly completed costumes go very well with relatively few tweaks needed. Pictures are taken for the show bible and to send to John - my camera batteries run out half way through the process, but Jeremy comes to the rescue and arranges to give me copies from his camera via my USB stick (love the technology!) The rehearsal proves very interesting (to say the least) as the actresses compete with the extremely vocal birds in the rafters who fly freely throughout the scenes (they were here first and no one seems concerned with evicting them at this point, although efforts are being made to install bat-repellers which have worked very well at Es Artes). The dollar-store garment bags we had Frank bring with him when he arrived will be used to protect the costumes from droppings when they remain on the racks overnight, but at the moment all the clothes are packed back in their plastic storage boxes to be trucked back to Es Artes after each rehearsal for notes and checking.

For anyone truly interested, click the link to see a whole slide show of the costumes - photos courtesy of both Jeremy and myself - sorry. no time for labels to tell you who is who...
https://cid-170d9a23524eae03.photos.live.com/browse.aspx/final%20fittings?wa=wsignin1.0&sa=461330404

At this point, the blog posting has been so delayed by the long days and late nights and the intermittent internet access, I may as well fill you in on the next three days and bring you up to the moment.

Monday, Nov. 8 - The ladies return to do the notes and work on the last blouse. Zoila and Lisa do some breakdown on the servant blouses and aprons to make them look a little more lived in. Before the ladies leave, I arrange to meet them next week to treat them to lunch and discuss future work and how they can stay involved with Es Artes.

Major problems have appeared with the lighting system on many fronts which Jeremy, Eric and Tito are working to solve, with some possible help arriving from Stratford on Wednesday.

Tickets have still not arrived, but Kris and Koky are working all the businesses in town putting up posters and encouraging orders. A suggestion (which we had joked about a week or so ago) was made by one of the local businessmen that the most effective form of local advertising is the loudspeaker truck that goes by regularly (whenever you have a meeting, in particular), promoting sales of everything from vegetables to salt to all-purpose medicinal cure-alls. Kris, Jeremy and Tatiana brainstorm a script and pick students to record the announcement to get it out as soon as possible.

I meet with Zoila and the two student dressers (one of whom is not available for all the performances, and the alternate is not there today) to explain their duties and responsibilities and have them dress Jane (who translates and stands in for one of the actresses so they can practise).

Eric falls down a ladder while rigging the lights and curtains, but escapes with only a minor scrape. The new black curtains turn out to be eighteen inches too short, so Elizabeth is called to add pieces to them.

Tuesday - Media Day - T-shirts on, we all scrub up and smile for the press - several major Salvadoran TV channels, national and local papers - at the press conference with ScotiaBank and the mayor, and back at Escuela with the welding, carpentry and sewing students. Then several of us attend a meeting with Tatiana and the ScotiaBank representatives to report on our experiences and opinions on how the project is working and the effect on the community (positive and optimistic, while recognizing the many challenges they face). A scene with two of the lead actresses is filmed at the theatre; the media and VIPs have lunch at the lake and everything goes off on time and without a hitch.

In the afternoon, Zoila and I put the finishing touches on the blouse and the last of the notes, and Zoila alters Es Artes shirts to serve as part of the uniform for the students who are working as ushers and attendants at the theatre. Official dress for the theatre is a problem for many of the students as they are from rural communities with very few resources and may own only one pair of shoes and no 'dress' clothing. Es Artes provides them with sweat pants and t-shirts to wear for their theatre classes where most of them go barefoot to save the wear on those shoes. Finding black pants and the money to buy them is a major challenge, so once again the call goes out to Stratford, and Melissa has promised to see what she can bring with her tomorrow.

Wednesday - two quite magical theatre events occur. First, Kris reports that yesterday one of the students who had not been chosen as one of her ushers, came to her with great determination to show her his clean hands and nails and tell her that he could get black pants and shoes, and please could he be a' facilitator', too? (Break your heart, or what?) On the other side of the coin, our on-again-off-again dresser has opted out, which is to be expected, as she has proved generally unreliable in all the dealings I've had with her.

Secondly, we are informed that after a heated discussion toward the end of last night's rehearsal, the young actress/dancer playing the grandmother has quit the show! When I ask who will now play the part, I'm told that one of the students playing the servants (Fatima Adriana, who is one of the students appearing in the Stratford/Suchitoto YouTube video) is quickly learning the part and almost fits the dress, so I head over to the theatre to see about the alterations, which turn out to be reasonably simple. Can you believe it? The understudy gets her big break as the diva burns her bridges! Classic!

The loudspeaker truck goes by with the Bernarda Alba advertisement and it sounds terrific!

A couple of very flattering photos from yesterday's staged scene (Bernarda and her eldest daughter) have made the front page of the national paper's Arts and Leisure section along with a promotional article, and everyone is very pleased and excited. The flyer handouts arrive and there are a few walk-in enquiries at the office.

In the midst of all this, Melissa Renaud, interim co-ordinator at the Stratford end (filling in for Robbin Cheesman, who is on maternity leave with her new daughter, Emily) and Tim Hansen, lighting and electrical wiz from Stratford, arrive bearing black pants for the ushers and (hopefully) suitable dimmers and connectors for the lighting board, along with their support to bolster the troops. Eric, Lisa and Arlene prepare the organza drops. Mark treats his and Frank's Escuela students to a tour of the theatre to see their set on stage, and a pizza lunch at Es Artes. And after lunch, I check on the rehearsal and try to catch up on this blog...

Week Six

begun Thursday. Oct. 28

Monday - return to Escuela for the final week with the girls, to finish the last of the lead characters' skirts and camisoles and make a start on the five house-dresses. Zoila is with us again to begin one of the more complex dresses, and I pair her with Patricia (the quickest and most able student) in hopes that she will encourage her to attempt something more challenging, but the delicate fabric proves to be too much trouble (for Patricia), so she opts for altering some hems from the weekend fitting.

Abigail also seems to have abandoned the skirt she was working on, over issues of pressing with steam (?!) - apparently they are not allowed to put water in their irons (standard modern domestic steam irons) at the school, in the belief that this will cause them to break down faster, and Abigail will be responsible for their repair or replacement. This has been an ongoing discussion whose only resolution to date has involved me bringing the iron from Es Artes (a similar ordinary domestic iron) and having them use that one, when they need steam. Another odd thing (for me) is that whenever they finish pressing something, they turn the iron off and lay it on its side, rather than stand it on its end. I have figured out that this is likely a safety measure (again to prolong the life of the iron) to prevent it from falling over if the ironing board is joggled, and to make the students aware of when the iron is on and off - both good things - but, when Abi did the same thing with the Es Artes iron on Saturday, I jumped in to explain that this was neither advisable or necessary when there was water in the iron since a) the water would leak out in that position, and b) that particular model had an automatic shut off which made it perfectly safe to be left upright. Although she seemed to accept this explanation, I have a feeling that my reaction has offended her, as she has not returned to the skirt and none of the students are willing to tackle it, so it will go back to Es Artes to be finished by one of the ladies.

There seems to be a general flagging of interest as things are taking longer and longer to complete, and no one is eager to start anything new, so I am scrambling to find smaller "filler" projects to keep everyone going. To be fair, they have done an amazing amount of work on this project, and at a much higher level of quality than they are used to, so I think the time has come to leave on a high note and move on.

Returning to Es Artes with Tito to co-ordinate lunch and airport runs (Mark's wife, Arlene, and Eric's wife, Jenn, are arriving today), we are met with confused reports of weather problems somewhere and missed or cancelled flights which has both Mark and Eric scrambling to contact home to find out what is happening. It turns out that Arlene, who was on a stand-by ticket, was bumped from the flight (as were other stand-by passengers) in order to allow more fuel for the plane because it had to by-pass some hurricane action enroute. Jenn was on the flight, however, so Eric went off with the driver to meet her at the airport, while Mark worked out plans for Arlene to re-book for the next flight (not on stand-by) on Thursday. All very upsetting for all concerned, but thank goodness for Skype and e-mail providing rapid communication with multiple people and places to get to the bottom of the situation in short order, and thank goodness everyone is safe.

Back to Es Artes at the end of the day to see about Plan B - bringing the Casa de la Cultura ladies back on board in force for the rest of this week and next, and to see the results of the shopping trip - about 50% successful, entailing a second foray the next day. Prep for splitting focus with Zoila in charge of the ladies at Es Artes tomorrow, while I carry on at Escuela.

Tuesday - proves to be more frustrating than efficient with very little being accomplished in either camp - the ladies have questions I'm not there to answer, while the girls are working at half-speed. I re-group at lunch, and when pressed by Tatiana, who wants to know how many people I will need to finish, I tell her I have to finish at the school the next day in order to work with the ladies one-to-one, and I need a day to shift gears and get the last of the patterning done before I can take on anyone else. I also want to take leave of the girls with a bit of ceremony and small gifts, share some pictures and video clips from Stratford and other work I've done, and just have some fun with them to reward them for all their work. She agrees that this is the best course, and she and Evelyn make arrangements with the ladies for their availabilty (paid, this time). I ask Zoila if she knows of anyone in town who could rent or lend us a serger to finish the more delicate fabrics of the blouses and dresses, as the zigzag we've been using until now is too hard on them, and she suggests Elizabeth, who says yes, she has two; we can have one the next day!

Elizabeth is also approached, on behalf of Eric and Jeremy, to take on the set fabrics (legs, borders, masking and sheer panels) as a separate contract, which she immediately accepts with enthusiasm!

Back at the school, as the girls finish the last of the camisoles, I encourage them to try them on and have an impromptu fashion show for John (via pictures and e-mail), which they all enjoy. In the evening, I try with Evelyn to print copies of the pictures to give them to the girls the next day, but the printer is low on ink and there is no appropriate paper available in town. So, I head down to the square to my favourite tiendra (small general store) which has a great selection of sewing notions, and pick up some packages of needles and seam-rippers to give to the class, and wrap them in little strips of the fabrics from the skirts they made. Then I organize the picture show for the next day.

Cecy, Alejandra, Flor, Silvia, Stephany and Beatriz modeling the camisoles

Wednesday - I fill Koky in on the plan for the day and ask for his help with the slide-and-video show for the afternoon; make arrangements for an earlier pick-up in the afternoon to rejoin the ladies, and make sure they know what they're working on in the morning. At the school, as the girls carry on with their final projects, Koky and I talk to Abigail about the plan for the day, and I apologize to her about our set-to over the irons, which she graciously acknowledges. We then let the girls know that this is the last day, and the morning work goes quite well.

When we return after lunch, in the spirit of the day, Abi has the girls playing a game to test their knowledge of sewing terms, patterns and measurements (this was a lot more raucous and enjoyable than it sounds - the girls in turn taking steps forward or back across the room in a race as they answered correctly or incorrectly, with their teammates cheering them on). Then Abi makes a formal speech of thank you to me for working with them, and I thank them for all their work and tell them how proud they will all be (and should be) when they see it on the stage (Es Artes is arranging for them all to attend a free performance). We then add up the list of all the things they worked on in our five weeks together, and it comes to an astounding 143 different pieces, for which I congratulate them again! I tell them how costumes (and their work in making them) help the actors 'become' the characters they portray, and why I have pushed them to do their best work so they can take pride in it.

We then have the slide and video show (courtesy of Koky) in the school conference room, which everyone seems to enjoy (much laughter and cries of !chivo!), especially when they see that I have added the pictures from their fitting and fashion show to my collection. Then hugs and a group picture by the school mascot, I pass out my little gifts and we're done!

Back to check in with the ladies, who had a much better day with the help of the serger, and are glad to have my (relatively) undivided attention for the rest of the work.

The girls

The rubber tree at Escuela Taller - and that's not a dog house, it's for the generator

A poinsettia in its natural habitat (but wilting a bit in the heat), also at Escuela

continued Sunday, Oct. 31

Thursday - Kris has totally charmed everyone at Es Artes and become Tatiana's much-needed personal assistant on the publicity jaunt to San Salvador. (Kris, as many from Stratford will know, is strikingly tall, slim and beautiful, even by North American standards - here she is a goddess, causing jaw-dropping stares and silences wherever she goes, which she takes in stride with great patience and good humour. The kids, especially, overcome their shyness very quickly and bond with her. Four-year-old Fabrizio, the cleaner's son, is completely smitten and tries to steal kisses whenever her husband, Jeremy, is not around.)

Koky's translating skills are needed by Mark, Eric and Jeremy at Escuela, so after writing out a few more pertinent terms and phrases for me and getting us started in the morning, he heads off and leaves me to wing it en espanol with the ladies, which goes surprisingly well! I'm not up to normal conversations of any depth, but puedo hablar coser (I can talk sewing) and make myself understood, and I am even understanding most of the questions. Plus, I have Jane and Evelyn in the office if I need back-up clarification. The ladies are very pleased and positive and are enjoying the pieces we are working on - the muy complicado dresses and blouses of the lead characters - and the day goes very well.

At about 5:30 Evelyn asks me if I would like to go to the square for the Festival where the Es Artes kids will be performing (again no mention before this that any of this is happening), so I cut my planned work short and head down with her to meet everyone else at the usual watering hole, and watch 'our' kids present their history of El Salvador piece, as well as dozens of little dancers of all ages in very colourful traditional costumes, bouncing up and down more or less in time to their music, and vigorously flourishing their skirts. There is also a set of carnival rides and booths set up around the square, but at $1 per ride (which is rather exhorbitant, considering that the average daily wage here is $6 -10), there are not many takers yet.

We catch up with Eric, who has a very scarily impressive burn blister on the edge of the palm of his right hand from accidentally picking up a piece of just-welded steel while working at Escuela today - he is being very stoic and claims it's not as bad as it looks. And we are joined by Mark and Arlene, who is introduced and welcomed all around. This flight was apparently uneventful, but the trip to the airport for Mark had several delays and detours - however, he still managed to get there before she cleared customs, so all was well.

Friday - work continues, with the ladies efficiently completing the house-dresses that the Escuela girls began, ready for the fitting on Sunday when the rehearsal will be in Suchi at the theatre (a four-year agreement with the owner of the theatre is finally signed and access is granted). I am scrambling to get the last seven blouses ready, but eventually admit that it is impossible to cut and prep more than four over the next day (when I lose half of my sewers) and ask Tatiana for the next possible fitting date for the remaining three before the technical rehearsal next week - next Thursday in San Salvador - so be it. Raquel and Manuel (Es Artes students) who have been assigned the task of preparing the show 'bible' ( a record of all the actors' pertinent info, along with their costumes and changes), keep me company into the evening, collecting samples of all the fabrics to enter into the book.

Saturday - continue with Zoila and Gloria, labelling and prepping as much as possible for the fitting Sunday. Arlene pitches in bringing tea and threading drawstrings into petticoats: Kris helps sort and pack the wardrobe boxes for the move to the theatre. At six we all head out for yet another weekly barbeque courtesy of Eric and, this time, Jeremy - a much-needed reminder that there is life beyond work, and it will all get done eventually - it always does.

Sunday - continue on my own while Zoila supervises the move and unpacking at the theatre, where there is a full run-through on stage in the morning. At noon, I call Tito to say I won't be joining them for lunch, but if someone could bring me something after, I'd have everything ready for the fittings scheduled at one. Evelyn arrives with take-out from Villa Balanza (and the news that both Eric and Jeremy are ill! - but the rest of us are OK, so maybe it wasn't the food?) and we set off for the theatre, to find that they are running late and have not broken for lunch there yet - oh well, more time to prep... around two thirty, we finally begin the fittings, which go extremely well (despite the fact that over half the actresses have lost weight and their waistbands will now need to be altered) - everything looks very good, and Tatiana and all the actresses are very pleased and impressed - I am relieved, and things look much rosier.

When everything is packed up, Jane and I head over to Pascal's gallery to check out the new exhibit of local painting, and stop for a celebratory drink at the square before trying our luck at Harlequin for dinner, where we find the rest of the Stratford crew, minus Eric who is still under the weather. Great food and chat complete with Koky dropping by, and a gecko and several flowers dropping from the ceiling - never a dull moment. Finished the night with a lovely solitary float in the El Tejado pool under the stars (at 8:30), and another week is done.