Congrats!

     Congratulations to everyone who participated in Wiley and the Hairy Man! Both performances went wonderfully, and everybody who watched had many good things to say.
     Thank you to the whole cast, for laboring over this play all year and bringing it to life.
     Thank you to Linda, for working so hard on costumes, set, and many other things.
     Thank you to Meredith and Michael, for spending so much time making this show amazing and giving all of us kids this incredible opportunity.

     The best of luck to everyone in their future endeavours!

First Performance

Today is the first performance of Wiley and the Hairy Man! The final rehearsal went amazingly, and now the HAT Co kids are ready to jump into action.

The best of luck to everyone!

Drawings Depicting the Louisiana Swamps

A Tale of Arcadie

This is an excerpt from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 'A Tale of Arcadie', in which he describes the swamp.

 

This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,

Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,

Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,

Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.

Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean

Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.

How to Walk in a Swamp

     If you're going to walk in a swamp, it's important to know how to, otherwise you'll end up tangled in plants and sinking in mud!
     Be aware that even though it may be shallow, you're just as likely to drown in a swamp than any other body of water. The mud underneath is very soft, and you could sink many feet under if you're not careful. In addition, bogs can hide very deep water underneath a layer of peat. Using a long stick is a good way to see how deep the water if, but bear in mind that you're much heavier than the stick.
     Know what animals lurk around the swamp. Some areas are too dangerous to travel in, alligators and crocodiles being among the many reasons why. Be careful of snakes swimming through swamps, sometimes in large numbers. Swamps also attract insects, so be sure to wear some sort of repellent, and have a head net to keep them out. It's also wise to tie the bottom of you pant legs shut, so leeches don't climb into you clothes.
     It's preferable to walk barefoot in a swamp, but only if you're familiar with the depth, plants, and animal life. Be warned that when barefoot it's easier to twist or sprain an ankle or break a toe, and you have to beware of any roots, reeds, or litter that you could step on or trip over.
     If you don't know the swamp, find a guide to come with you so you don't get lost. Even if you do know the area, it's always good to have a companion, so that way if anything goes wrong you aren't without a way to contact help.
     Walking in a swamp is a lot about the technique you use. You should take you second step before the first one is complete, almost like you're gliding. If you walk like you're on land, you'll take a step, wait until your foot finds a firm bottom, take another step, wait for a firm bottom, and try to take a third step only to find that your foot has gotten sucked into the mud because you put too much weight on it. Eventually you'll be able to get your foot out, but walking in such a manner is exhausting.
     Find and make a mental note of the natural landmarks around you. If you're making a two way trip, you can take the routes you know to be safer and avoid the tricky ones.
     At one point or another you will find yourself sinking in mud, quicksand or mire. Do not struggle, flail around or panic. Do not try to lift one foot out, as this will put all your weight onto the other foot and made you sink faster. What you need to do is drop to your hands and knees, or even lie down, and act as if you're floating on whatever you're sinking into. Use snake like movements to float your way out of the dangerous area.
     When you're out of the swamp, check throughly for leeches or any other hitchhikers that can carry diseases.

     One thing that jumped out at me when writing this article is how much the swamp effects how these people dress. Maybe we should consider incorporating the bare feet, head nets, and other things into Wiley.

"Louisiana Story" Documentary (1948)

This documentary provides some great original source material about life in the bayou of Lousiana. Helen van Dongen, the film's associate producer and editor for the project, is a pioneer among women filmmakers. 

More photos of Creole people:

Ring Shout Dance

RUN MARY RUN by RASHIDA BUMBRAY AND DANCE DIASPORA COLLECTIVE Whitney Museum, May 13, 2012 from Rashida Bumbray on Vimeo.

Alllliiiiiiggaaaaaatttooooor!

Wait until you see HAT Co's version of this bayou beast. Thank you Ms. Linda for the inspiring print!

Dances for Wiley

Michael Walsh is working with the some of the dancers tonight. Their artistic challenges are to create:

1.   A dance that is culturally relevant to (and/or influenced by) the social community we have chosen for Wiley -- Southern Louisiana/Bayou/French Creole/Melting pot community. Bamboula and Ring Shout examples:

2.   Movement that is more abstract in nature, that works (in some ways) against the lyrical style of the song "Safe and Sound"

3.   Movement that supports and reflects the action of the scene and the relationship between Wiley and Mammy (the "Snoooogooooblooowww" scene, right after he returns from the swamp and she says she has to teach him more conjures now that he's seen the Hairyman once.)

Beasts of the Southern Wild

     Beasts of the Southern Wild is a movie following the life of a little girl called Hushpuppy who lives in The Bathtub, a community in Louisiana that's on the wrong side of the levy. Her mother's gone, and her struggling father isn't afraid to dole out the tough love. This film is in many ways similar to Wiley and the Hairy Man. Hushpuppy has the same childish, independent spirit as Wiley, and when she's on a mission, she does it with the same determination.
     One thing that I really loved about this movie is how it featured the culture of the people in that particular part of Louisiana. They celebrate everything-births and deaths, creation and destruction. When talking about the town on the other side of the levy, Hushpuppy remarks that 'they only have holidays once a year.' Even if something terrible happens to the little town, they celebrate what they have. They have a strict rule: no crying. Tears won't change anything.
     While I was watching Beasts of the Southern Wild, I noticed that their clothes weren't anything special, and they were often very dirty. The girls didn't do anything fancy with their hair, and didn't wear any makeup. These people aren't afraid to get dirt on their clothes, being a part of the nature around them is part of their way of life. Hushpuppy goes out into the wilderness near her home wearing nothing but a t-shirt and underwear, but that's all she needs. There is a freedom about it because no one is watching her except maybe her Dad or any animals nearby. I think it would be wonderful to live in a culture where keeping up appearances didn't matter so much.
     In the beginning of the movie, Hushpuppy's teacher shows her a tattoo of prehistoric beasts that used to live in The Bathtub. After that, whenever something bad happens that makes her scared, she thinks of the beasts. When her father collapses because he's sick, she imagines the ice caps melting and the beasts coming out from inside of them as a way of explaining things that her six year old mind can't understand. That made me think: what if Wiley's way of understanding his father dying was the Hairy Man?

A clip of a good part from Beasts of the Southern Wild:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqzWdcoq1Lc

Some photos of Louisiana Creole people from the time period 'Wiley and the Hairy Man' is set in. An interesting thing about the photos is that they're all of musicians.

Creole Slang

Here is a list of Creole slang words to possibly use in Wiley.

'Cooyon' (Foolish, silly)
'Craze-i or Craze-ah' or 'Toekey' (Crazy)
'I'll be a monkey's uncle!' (An exclamation to something you never thought would happen)
'So dirty they could stand up in the corner by themselves' (Used like: "His socks were so dirty they could stand up in the corner by themselves")

Another long list, including proper pronunciation: http://www.experienceneworleans.com/glossary.html

Hound Dogs and Swamps--Continued

Icile has been doing some research on Hound Dogs so that we can think about how we want to portray Wiley's closest furry, four legged friend.

The state dog of Louisana is the Catahoula Leopard Dog.

The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective and territorial. Loving with its family and all people it knows well but can be reserved with strangers This breed needs a dominant owner who shows strong leadership.

The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is believed to have originated from Nordic Wolfhound being introduced some three to five hundred years before the Spanish arrived, however, no one will really know for sure. The state of Louisiana is cited as the point of origin, particularly the area of Catahoula. In 1979, the breed was designated the state dog of Louisiana. The Catahoula was named after a Parish in northeastern Louisiana and after the mottled spots on its coat. At one time this breed was used to round up feral pigs and cattle—livestock that had escaped, and was living in woods and swamps. It involved team effort that is highly coordinated and organized, fast paced, dangerous and a marvel to watch. The ideal dog team usually numbers three, and they must work together. Otherwise, one pig can kill all three in a matter of minutes. Each dog has to be aware of what the pig and the other two dogs are doing and react accordingly. Hunters sometimes used the Catahoula to trail and tree raccoons, but this dominant breed is more at home acting the thug with obstinate boars. This dog is used particularly on the difficult task of driving and rounding hogs and unruly cattle.

The Redbone Coonhound is a breed of dog, which is widely used for hunting bear, raccoon, and cougar. Their agility allows them to be used for hunting from swamplands to mountains and some can be used as water dogs. The AKC standard says, "The Redbone mingles handsome looks and an even temperament with a confident air and fine hunting talents." [1] This breed has been registered with the UKC since 1904 and the AKC since 2009. This is the type of hound featured in the novel Where the Red Fern Grows.

Read more about Redbone Coohounds Here.

Lastly, here are some cool swamp photos that Icile found: 

 

Creole/Zydeco music

Creole music is a kind of music that originated in Louisiana and has a primarily folk sound to it.
Creole music, along with Cajun music, were later developed into Zydeco music or what is known as swamp pop. Cajun and Creole music had a large influence on later country music. The instruments often used were fiddle, according, steel guitars, and some form of percussion.

Here is an example of creole music on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kFo5aYJI2U

Here are some clips of zydeco music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xfOyt3VZv0

Candace has been researching dances from the deep south, particularly those from the Alabama/Mississippi Creole region. She found a fantastic -- and fascinating -- site (www. streetswing.com/histmain.com) that has a section dedicated to Dance History Archives. As a starting point, the two-step is the dance most often used with Zydeco music. But other related dances include the cake walk, ring shout, juba, bamboula, and chica. You can look these dances up on the site to find in-depth information about how the dances originated. Videos of these historic dances are not readily available, but here is a demonstration of the Pat 'n Juba.

Creole Folk Art Part Three: Baskets

Creole Folk Art Part Two: Clothes

Creole Folk Art Part One: Animals

The Dozens

     Here's a couple paragraphs about a game we could use in 'Wiley': (source, www.louisianafolklife.org)

     "The Dozens" are an elaborate insult contest. Rather than insulting an opponent directly, a contestant derides members of the opponent's family, usually his mother. The dozens has its origins in the slave trade of New Orleans where deformed slaves--generally slaves punished with dismemberment for disobedience--were grouped in lots of a "cheap dozen" for sale to slave owners. For an slave to be sold as part of the "dozens" was the lowest blow possible.
     In an effort to toughen their hearts against the continual verbal assault inflicted on them as part of the "dozens," they practiced insulting each other indirectly by attacking the most sacred "mother" of the other. The person who loses his "cool" and comes to blows loses the contest. The person who outwits and out-insults the other while keeping a "cool" head is the winner

      I think as far as the script goes, we haven't really established what Wiley thinks of his Pappy, and if we had him play the dozens in the beginning, we could find out. Wiley asks Mammy about the things the things everyone else says about Pappy (sleeps while the weeds grow higher then the cotton, etc.), and we could integrate those lines into a game of dozens that Wiley plays with a friend.
     If Wiley really loves his Pappy, then he could get upset little by little as his opponent says all the things that Wiley asks his Mammy about, and if his opponent says something about his Pappy not being able to stand up to the Hairy Man, he could explode and lose the game.

     Just an idea!