Anything in this colour is an update or change
MY NAME IS OLEMAUN POKIAK
M. 1 – 4 (Snowdrift 1) When your part enters, take you time and “melt” into
your snowdrift position
M. 5 – 6 (Snowdrift 2) When your part enters, take your time and melt into your
second position
M. 7 – 9 (Snowdrift 3) When your part enters, melt into your third position.
You will hold this position under the pause in m. 9
M. 10 – 15 Unwinding
the snowdrift to come back to standing tall (when your part enters) Take 4 full
beats to achieve this.
M. 16 – 22 Starting
on the downbeat of 16: Sway gently right to left, three beats going to the
right, two to the left. Gaze should be up and out, slight smile
(“I’m so at peace in this beautiful place where I live.”) On beat 5 of m. 21,
come to stillness.
M 23 – 42 (first time) Hold hands. Move into a
¾ semi-circle (igloo/tent) over the course of these measures –
step-together every two bars (each step on the downbeat). Right foot, together.
Left foot, together. 10 steps in total.
Last step is in bar 38
M 39 – People on the ends turn to face the center
M 45 – 58 – Sway SLOWLY right to left (two
bars in each direction) Come to stillness on the downbeat of 59
M 59 – 62 –
Stillness. Release hands on the downbeat of 62.
M 63 – 67 (first time) Tiny steps backwards on every beat (People on the end,
peel back a little bit to open the circle wider) *People in the back, do these steps on the spot.
M 63 – 67 (second time – immediately after the first
time) Tiny steps on the spot
on every beat
M 68 – 70
– Tiny steps forward on every beat. Last step on the downbeat of 71.
M. 73 – 76 (first
time) When you sing, turn to
face the audience and break the circle. (You should move in a cascade) Remain standing upright
M 23 – 42 (second time) Hold hands with whoever is closest (with at least one
person). Drift back to a scattered formation near the center of the stage, same step pattern as before (10 steps total) It’s very important that this happens more
towards the front/center of the stage so there is room to move backwards later
M 73 – 76 (second time) 1st –
stillness (still holding hands)
2nd
– Look & lean to the right, small step with right foot – hold this position
through the fermata (still holding hands)
M. 77 – 78
– Slowly drift back to a regular standing position, slowly release hands as you
go (head comes forward over the last two beats)
M. 79 – 87
– Stillness
M 88 –
Right shoulder back & down
M 89 –
Left shoulder back & down (*5 beats)
M 90 –
Step back with right foot
M 91 –
Step back with left foot (past right foot)
M 92 –
Step right foot to meet left foot
Make sure to drift to the U right
on M 93
M 93 – 94
– Drift slowly to a standard spread out U formation. Spread all the way to the
edges of the stage.
M 95 – End
– Standing still in the U formation.
SNOWFORMS (anything in this colour is an update or change)
0” – 20” – Standing in the U formation.
20” – 50” – Move to scattered formation. **Alto 2s should be closer to the back than
the Alto 1s**
55” – 1’55” –
Starting on the Soprano entry, pivot to
face 45˚ toward the downstage right corner. Arms come up very slowly (as though
the balloons are slowly filling with air). Slowly drift backward towards an
upstage left clump (A2s in the back of the clump, then A1s, then S2s, then S1s
in the front). Maintain a low center of gravity, feet should glide along the
floor, and arms should be engaged (imagine there are balloons under your arms)
On Mauyuk –
People in the front row, do a bit of a lean forward, everyone else clump in
behind them (85% - 90% clumped)
2’05 – 3’00” – Each
section splits off from the big clump to form smaller clumps. Soprano 1s end up
downstage right. Soprano 2s end up upstage right (slightly toward the center).
Alto 1s downstage left (slightly toward the center). Alto 2s upstage left. You should be still by the time the Sopranos
do their descending Qanit line.
Text : “Father, Father, please Father…. Pleeeeease
can I go to school this year?” His answer had not changed. On the first
“Father” – move to two diagonal lines on either side of the stage, in a V
shape. Sopranos stage right, Altos stage left.
3’00” – 3’35” – Remain in
the V position throughout. Dialogue back and forth.
Text: “That is what the outsiders will do to you
at the school.” Pivot into two
straight lines across the back of the stage.
3’35” – 4’40” – Remain in
two straight lines.
4’40” – 4’50” – Altos
take a large step forward and cross in front while Sopranos cross behind.
Create two diagonal lines (mirror image of
3’00” – 3’35”, Sopranos stage left, Altos stage right)
5’05” – 5’15” – Move to
your position on stage. Create a channel
that runs from upstage left to downstage right, with Altos on the upstage side
and Sopranos on the downstage side.
Right foot forward in a lunge, with left hand reaching back. Left hand is
facing toward your left thigh. Altos need to be very snuggled together in order
to fit.
5’15” – 5’45” – Move your
body into position and hold.
5’50” – 6’00” –
Transition back to standing up straight.
6’00” – 6’15” (first
time) –Hold hands. Create a ¾
semi-circle (similar to the igloo in MNIOP,
but with Altos on stage right and Sopranos on stage left)
6’00” – 6’15” (second
time) – You will be in the semi-circle
6’25” – End – Drop hands. Drift to the very edges of
the stage (ideally in place by 6’40”)
TRANSITION
-
Altos drone a low D until “My mother was silent”.
-
Text cue : It is not too late to change your mind
Olemaun.” Altos refresh the low D. Sopranos tumble the chords from top to bottom
(if your note is on a line, sing the D-based chord; if your note is in a space,
sing the E-based chord) Finish at “…chance to say goodbye” and then sign the
chord and hold until,“A priest approached and they walked away with him.”
During the transition
after Snowforms, hold in place in the big U
NOVIORI ANI
M 3 – 6 –
Sops step forward, Altos go behind, walk in single file lines past each other
to the opposite side of the stage. Look toward the center. VERY SLOW WALK
Arrive in places by the
end of Lisa’s text and look forward.
(“…My other braid fell to the floor to meet the first, and I joined the
others in their weeping.”)
M 7 – 12 – Two times through and
then break for text.
“There we stood, sobbing in the humiliation of our
discarded hair.” – drop heads
to look at the floor.
Break for text: “One of the nuns said something… I held my breath, scared
of what might come next.” On I held my
breath, heads up.
M. 13 – 39
– Stand and sing
Break for text: “I hated my new clothes… like a man shaving his whiskers.
The older girls laughed loudly”
I hated my new clothes: Move to 4 row formation, centered
Back row: Jess, Sara,
Talisa, Cat, Nikki, Leah P
Row 3: Tenille,
Makenzie, Sydney, Joanna, Robin, Jenny
Row 2: Brianna, Leah
B., Colleen, Paige, Hayley
Front row: Kallie,
Maria, Zoe, Shila, Carolyn
On the word “snatched”, reach out suddenly with right hand and then slowly bring
it back to your side.
“The older girls laughed loudly” is the cue to start singing and move (M 40)
M 40 – move
to V formation, angled toward the center. Tenille is the apex. In place by M
46. This position will be held until measure 68.
After “How was she to know that she was buying shaving
cream and not toothpaste.” & Chord, move to checkerboard formation (same 4 lines as before,
but very spread out side to side) Once in place, begin the sniffling
sounds. Fade out after “Sobs also
carried through the room.”
M. 70 – 86 – Hold in position
Break for text: “The smile shrank from my face…as my stockings began to
slide down my calves.”
“The smile shrank from my face” – Row 2 & 4 step forward into the gaps to make a two
row formation. Then move to the “desk” formation and hold for text.
M 90 – 95
Move to the cafeteria table formation (two sets of lines, facing each other –
Sops Stage Right, Altos Stage Left)
M 96 –On
the downbeat, quick snap to look at Sarain in the center. Inside rows, turn by
stepping back with the foot that is closest to the audience. Outside rows, step
forward with upstage foot. Hold the notes
in this measure until cued.
M. 97 – 98
– Hold in position
Text cue: “The Raven (swooped down…)” Turn to face forward, stay in rows.
M 99 – On
the downbeat, lean & tilt in toward Sarain – what’s Margaret going to do
now? (Sops with left foot, Altos with right foot) Hold the notes in this measure until cued.
M 100 – 101 –
Hold in position
Text cue: “The mush oozed…” Turn to face front, heads down (trying to hide from
trouble)
Text cue: “I knew I was in for trouble.” Heads come back up.
M 102 – 109 (first time) – Form a tight double U, hands up on the backs of the people
on either side. Step forward on each note to form a very
tight U around Sarain.
Break for text: “The nuns did their very best… keeping us
in their nests was a money making business.” Hold in place.
M 102 – 109 (second time) – Move to checkerboard formation – slightly excited
energy.
M. 110 – 115
– Hold in position
Text cue: “But the Raven had played a heartless trick on
me…” Stumble-walk back into a
large U.
M 116 – Hold
in position
Text cue: “The Raven cackled as I ran to my bed.” Hold in position
M 118 - Step & lean in toward the center on the
third beat (noviana) (Sydney to Kallie step with right foot, Colleen to Carolyn
step with left foot)
Text cue: “It was bad enough” - Return to standing
Text cue: “It wrapped a million fingers around me and would
not let go.”
M 120 – 125
– Lean in toward the center on the downbeat and then hold.
Text cue: “The next morning…” Return to standing
M. 120 – 125 (second time) – Sydney to Carolyn step forward and both halves turn and
cross to the other side of the stage, forming the U again. In place by the end
of text cue: “…a tear escaped my eye. It
fell from my chin onto the scalding iron vat.”
Text cue: “I had only to await my chance.” - Final
“Vi?”
WOMANLY
SONG OF GOD
M. 1
– 4 (vamp) Move into 4 pods (Sop 1 Downstage right,
Sop 2 Upstage right, Alto 1 Upstage left, Alto 2 Downstage left) Sing first measure 6 times, and then move on to measure 5
M 5 –
8 & M 9-11 (vamp) & M 12 – 17 – Stay in pods
Text
cue: “On Sunday, my last day in the laundry room…” –
Turn around and form a regular U facing upstage.
Text
cue: “The Raven (was about to find out what I was made of…)” – Slow turn (Sops over left shoulder, Altos over right shoulder)
M 18
– 50 – Hold in position
M 51
Move to 4 line formation in parts, loose lines
Front Row: Carolyn, Kallie, Zoe, Nikki,
Cat, Leah P
2nd Row: Shila, Maria, Sara,
Talisa, Jess
3rd Row: Brianna, Leah B,
Colleen, Joanna, Robin, Jenny
Back Row: Hayley, Paige, Sydney, Mackenzie,
Tenille
M.
51 – 96 – Hold in position
M 96
– Move to a U, very proud body language. Vamp for a very long time.
M 96
– End – Hold in position
NUKAPIANGUAQ
Pod 1 will only happen once before
Altos enter.
During the first page of music (page 4),
form the boat shape (See photo)
When Pod 3 enters (top of page 5) – Move to
a two-line formation Pod 3 – no repeat. Cut Pod 4
Silence after Christina cuts off at
the end of Pod 3. Start the Treble 1
solo section after text: “But my mother didn’t know me.”
Treble I Solo (page 8) – Move very slowly
to double U shape. Hold this shape until the end of the piece.
