indelible life

National Theatre Conservatory first year students are subject to physical rigor and long days as burgeoning members of the Denver Center Theater Company. The day begins before 9am as the students stumble in, slightly groggy due to the previous evening’s late night rehearsal. They drag aluminum chairs away from the wall and plop their weary bodies in them, most of them thankful that it isn’t their turn to present today. At this point in their training their days consist largely of physical exploration - through unarmed stage combat, Skinner Releasing, dance class, and low flying trapeze.

The room is an old one. Scuffed wooden floors are all that still remain from the bowling alley that the building once housed There is a wall of full length mirrors and a ballet bar - covered by a canvas curtain and random props and set pieces - a free standing door, a mismatched kitchen set, a wooden cube marking the spot for a bedside table. The harsh fluorescents leave a lot to the imagination - but this isn’t performance. It’s just stage combat class working on a scene from Sam Shepard’s True West. The parts have been cast non traditionally - two black women playing the roles of two white men. Geoff Kent, fight director for the Denver Center and highly sought after instructor teaches the students the art of the strangle.

There is an all too brief 5 minutes to grab a quick drink, use the bathroom and then head over to Hip Hop class. When the students emerge from the conservatory each one will be facile many different dance forms, ballet, period, and yes, hip hop. The instructor is Lawrence Curry who has been dancing all over the world and teaching at the NTC for many years. This is the class that the students get their first real taste of “no pain, no gain.” Extreme stretching is the polar opposite from what they learn from their daily movement instructor who preaches a more fluid and relaxed state of being. With all the pops, locks, and 6 steps that the students will be learning from Lawrence, developing and conditioning those muscles is imperative. Much of each class is devoted to working flexibility.

Lunch rolls around as does a much needed break from the physical morning. Students wander into the conference room and pull out the food they grabbed on their way out the door this morning. Despite the longing to head outside for some fresh air and break from the conservatory walls, all remain in the conference room. Spring in Denver brings snow all to often, and today is no exception. The hour comes and goes and with a few longing glances, they head out to Movement Rehearsal.

Every year the first year class is assigned a poet. The class of ‘10 was assigned Beckett. Taking the imagery and rhythms from the wordsmith, they are to create movement pieces under the guidance of Head of Movement, Bob Davidson. Many of the pieces involve low flying trapeze as well as Skinner Releasing - two distinguishing facets of the NTC. Hands and fingers are calloused beyond recognition, arms and legs are deeply bruised, and muscles ache in places the students never new existed. The process of creation is largely trial and error as the students can see the imagery they want to create, but are not far enough along in their training to actually realize it. Bob sits in on every rehearsal to help with modifying hangs and to ensure the safety of each piece.

Afternoon rehearsal, from 1-5 ends and the students file out to prepare for their evening responsibilities - ushering and Front of House duties for the shows currently running at the Denver Center. Most barely have time for a few bites of a sandwich before it’s all smiles for the patrons and company members across the streets. Their night will end after the shows are over, and then it’s back into rehearsal for whatever project or scenes are currently being worked on. Most are lucky if their head finds a pillow by midnight.

These are the future storytellers of America, giving their lives and every ounce of energy they can muster to ensuring a rich culture for all of us.