Today we sit down to talk to Mickey Lonsdale, one of the founding members of Aura CuriAtlas (with Co-Artistic Directors Dan Plehal and Joan Gavaler). He was crucial in the creation of the company’s first two shows, Dream Logic and A Life with No Limits.
Mickey talked to us about his life, his inspirations, and the specific challenges that come with physical theatre.
Norah: What was your inspiration in the creation of Dream Logic and A Life with No Limits?
Mickey: One of my inspirations for Dream Logic was the improvisations that we did. Simply getting together and creating something which led to so many of our pieces. The sense of curiosity also really drove Dream Logic. In A Life with No Limits we used Stephen Hawking, of course, for our inspiration.
Norah: What is it that you specifically enjoy about physical theatre? What are some challenges associated with it?
Mickey: I love the challenge of telling a story without words. How much of the story can I tell with my body? Also the variety of genres in physical theatre is incredible. The challenges that arise is trying to stay in shape and go farther in your skills. I always have to stay a "student" or things will plateau.
Norah: I also saw that you are helping with the summer training intensive in July. What are some specific challenges that come with teaching physical theatre?
Mickey: The only challenge I see in teaching physical theatre is that sometimes people are closed off to it. We live in a society that rarely focuses on communicating with our body, and we close off to other people in our everyday life. We are of the technology age, and most of us are never too far away from our current life blood (phones and tablets!). We just have to tell ourselves, time to explore something else, and dive fully into it.
Norah: Do you have a favorite moment working with Aura CuriAtlas?
Mickey: My favorite moments are when Joan, Dan, and I get together and work out something new. We have developed a short-hand and just play. It is also great to always be learning something new with them. It is very humbling how much our style affects audiences. How they change after they see us. I am so grateful and always am left with wanting to give more.
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