The Story: Yves Simard on I On The Sky

(photo credit: Robert Etcheverry)

Me and I on the sky
...a parkbench in New York City begins a journey
by Yves Simard (Scriptwriter and director)

As a performer, I’ve spent a significant part of my professional life on tour. I had the chance of meeting many interesting individuals. I also had the opportunity of witnessing people living their own lives in their own unique way. In fact, one such experience provided me with the basis for the I on the sky project.  The whole idea for the show popped into my mind as I was between performances in New York City.  When you are on tour and not performing, you often have free time you may not know what to do with. In this instance, I decided to go out for a walk in Central Park. I walked for a while taking in the sun and seeing the many individuals going about their daily lives. I decided to sit down on a bench and look up at the beautiful blue sky.  As I saw the people walking by, I suddenly realized that I didn’t know any one and that in fact, I was something like a temporary immigrant in the USA. Which got me thinking about people you come across in the streets. 

In fact, you don’t know most of the people that pass you by. You have no idea where they come from, where they’re going or even why. I was sitting on a park bench, the weather was beautiful, the sky was blue… and I was homesick. That is what I was feeling at that moment. 

She was lost in the park, looking for people to come into contact with.

And that was the basic idea for I on the sky. The park bench… a setting for encounters with people you don’t know. The only thing these people had in common was the sky over their heads. I had a sense there was a show somewhere in my mind, but work would be needed to develop it. The more I looked at people walking by, the more I asked myself who are these people. The idea stuck with me for some time, but I had no idea where it would lead me. 

I had my finger on the beginning of some project. I began by drawing pictures, ideas for movements and events that could happen in the park. Over time a few story ideas began to develop. What I knew from the outset was that I did not want to use words in the production. I felt that against the blue sky, the imagery and movements would be able to convey any feeling. An immigrant woman appeared, soon to become the central character of the play. She was lost in the park, looking for people to come into contact with. Many characters popped in and out for no clear reason. Then all of a sudden, I had the image of the woman sitting in the park remembering her former life, the disasters she had experienced, her expectations for a new life and all the angst and hope of moving to a foreign land. 

The backdrop of the sky was always a significant part of my project and I felt I needed to explore where it would lead me. As we always do at DynamO Théâtre, I suggested to the other directors of the company a rough idea for a piece on an immigrant woman. The only setting would be a park bench and a screen to project feelings and experiences on. Through the various exploration sessions with a group of physical performers and image consultants, various characters came into focus and I slowly developed a storyline.

I had had experiences with this type of challenge, but doing so without using any words whatsoever would be quite a challenge.

The challenge for a physical and acrobatic theatre production is to tell a story without using words. I had had experiences with this type of challenge, but doing so without using any words whatsoever would be quite a challenge. Issues associated with immigrants coming to a foreign land and trying to find a place for themselves and their family was the central issue. As I explored the various scenes, I began to realize how coming to a foreign country is very similar to moving into a new neighborhood or entering a new school. The whole idea is to build relationships and develop a sense of belonging. The imagery on the screen behind the bench would provide broad information on what people who have to leave their homeland went through. With that in mind, I wondered if I could have young audiences empathize with the foreign woman. But of course, that idea had to be tested on various school groups. The surprise was that it worked pretty easily. The test audiences were getting the gist of the show and only a few adjustments were needed.

As I develop my ideas in a French-speaking environment, I developed the project from my own perspective. But another question quickly emerged. Would an idea like this one appeal to audiences in other locales? Would issues be similar?  I know, we are all the same basically. We have similar fears and concerns on our minds. Some events bring some issues to the forefront. Physical gestures often (but not always) have the same meaning from one language to another, but I needed to make sure I wasn’t stepping into something I had not foreseen.  Audiences usually have the same understanding of a scene, although depending on one’s background, some issues may be more important in some cities. So depending on the age, cultural background, knowledge and awareness of others, reactions do vary, but the general idea of finding a home for oneself remains and works with audiences.

So the I in I on the sky can be just about anyone.

I On The Sky runs from October 9-21
Young People's Theatre
165 Front St. E. 
416-862-2222
http://www.youngpeoplestheatre.ca