It seems to me that within a certain framework a great deal of
improvisation should be possible. For instance, regarding the structure of
the sets, I think that all five RL stages need to be connected with some
common elements that bind them both thematically and literally (in a
virtual sense, of course). These elements I believe can be reduced to two
basic essentials, the SEA and SKY.
This would mean that, with the exception of the sea and sky, the sets could
be designed by the participants in each location. This, of course, would
reflect the local culture and artistic talents of each group and while
technically it is not improvisation, it is greater freedom.
Now, where I think the real improvisation can occur is in the nature of the
performance in each city (RL). To make Oudeis truly memorable and to get
more publicity I think each group should take the performance and make it
into a local event, an event welcoming Odysseus on his voyage to their
city. All types of artists could be invited to participate, musicians,
painters, dancers, etc. In effect, a mini-festival leading to the
performance in which local food and drink could be sold and which could
take place in and/or around the theatre. This would undoubtedly draw great
interest and greatly expand the audience in both the theatres and web.
Another major benefit to this approach would be that we could videotape the
events (including all of the artists and audiences) in each location and
turn it into a documentary on the performance of Oudeis that would clearly
show how this project connected the world. This would be inexpensive to
accomplish and would also open up another lucrative source of funding by
way of the various television networks from across the globe. Also, raw
video of these events could be transmitted over the web and to the other
RLs before and during the performance adding yet another enhancement. And,
one more thing, a documentary would certainly give Oudeis life after
performance.
Lee