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| Vol. 17, No. 7 | Oct. 16, 1997 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 7 | Oct. 16, 1997 |
Time goes by, a cock crows and suddenly it's Tuesday morning, and the day's rituals begin. Delivery men appear, neighbors, hoping not to be seen, edge out to retrieve the newspaper; children and husbands are sent off to school and jobs, while an energetic policeman directs traffic. The working day gets under way.
Tuesday, a choreography of everyday life, is the creation of Jewel Walker, theatre. In 1973, he, in conjunction with students at Carnegie Mellon University, originated the play, which all ages can enjoy. It was not "written" in the usual sense since not a word is spoken. The entire performance is in mime, accompanied by a soundtrack. The play had an off-Broadway run in 1979 and was featured at the International Theatre Festival in Toyuama, Japan.
The rotating cast of four men and three women is drawn from 35 graduate students taking part in the University's Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).
Attending a dress rehearsal is a lively affair. The background is four doors continually opening and shutting, adding to the rhythm of the action. Actors appear as different characters, creating a series of vignettes-an old man and his memories, the wino who temporarily forsakes his bottle for the Salvation Army band, the two-timing Lothario policeman and his lady friends.
The action is continuous from a children's hopscotch game to a crowded noisy, party where the neighbor calls the cops.
During the rehearsal, Walker's is the only voice heard as he calls suggestions to the students, who rely completely on facial expressions and body language to convey their characters. This audience is made up of other students, who take notes and offer suggestions to the actors after the performance ends.
The students say they have benefited greatly from participating. "You learn timing is essential. If you are too late or too soon you distract from others, or no one notices what you are trying to convey," one said. Another commented that movements and gestures had to be very specific to convey meaning.
Tuesday was created for "the fun and enjoyment of people in parks in Pittsburgh," Walker said. Now, 20 years later, it is delighting audiences in Delaware, both on campus and off as part of the PTTP outreach program.
This summer, in a program for teachers sponsored by the Delaware Institute for Arts in Education, Walker presented a two-part participatory workshop. He used Tuesday for the second session as a vehicle for expression through movement and mime.
This fall, Tuesday, which was performed during Newark Community Day, the Hot Air Balloon and Family Fair and for the Academy of Lifelong Learning, has been scheduled for nine schools throughout the state, including Newark High School, Shue-Medill Middle School and the Sterck School.
Walker is known as a highly respected master teacher of acting and stage movement. He has performed extensively as a mime and trained with Etienne Decroux, who also trained Marcel Marceau.
-Sue Swyers Moncure
Photo by Steven H. Silberg
