| Questions for...Colleen Lucey, Intern for the Theatre of Sound in Moscow
 Colleen Lucey, a member of the class of 2006, interned this past spring at Alexander Bakshi's Theatre of Sound in Moscow. A Russian major from Houston, Texas, Lucey collaborated on a new theatre piece with Bakshi and Barnard theatre professor Amy Trompetter. She was supported by an alumna funded internship.
What exactly is a theatre of sound? How do their productions differ from more traditional theatre?
In Alexander Bakshi's theatre, sound replaces words; musical content and action synthesize to create an entire stage picture. The theatre of sound is similar to ballet or opera, where music creates a language on stage. Their productions differ, however, from more traditional theatre because the music seeks to convey thoughts and emotions beyond the scope of the dramatic text.
You've said, "Mr. Bakshi is the pioneer of a new form of musical experience." Can you describe this new kind of musical experience?
The listener plays an active role in Bakshi's pieces. The musical experience incorporates a wide array of theatrical genres -- dance, traditional music, puppet theatre, film -- and builds on these to establish a new aesthetic.
How did you get involved in the Theatre of Sound in Moscow?
I worked with Mr. Bakshi when he visited Barnard in the fall to collaborate on The Queen of Spades with professor Amy Trompetter.
As a collaborator, what did you do?
I translated for Professor Trompetter and Mr. Bakshi and helped develop a libretto, or storyboard for The Queen of Spades . We sat in Bakshi's living room which doubles as a composing room and dining area. We worked and we ate. We talked and we joked. It was an old world manner of living and a perfect example of the hospitality Russians are famous for. We all became friends, perhaps life-long friends.
Can you describe the piece you worked on?
In Pushkin's The Queen of Spades , the main character, Hermann, attempts to extract a secret, winning combination of cards from a miserly, old countess. The story relates well to the out-of-control consumerism and rampant materialism in both America and Russia today.
Do you think theatre is different in Russia than it is in the United States?
Russians look to the theatre as a form of expression and vehicle for social change. Because theatre tickets are moderately priced, the medium is accessible to nearly all people, and so it reaches a wider audience.
What made your internship a great experience?
It combined my two main areas of study: puppet theatre and Russian. The internship also placed me in contact with other directors, designers, and musicians in Russia with whom I can work with in the future.
What are your plans for the future?
This fall I'll work as a teaching assistant for the Barnard Theatre Department, and I plan on enrolling in the Petersburg Academy of the Arts in the spring.
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