In Line One, the actors speak only what they hear through the earpieces of their cellphones. Each show has a theme and an array of “outside voices” who are told to call in and respond thoughtfully to a question or prompt. Line One was developed in Seattle with Annex Theatre, and has also been performed at the Alley Cabaret in Iowa City, at the People's Improv Theatre in New York and by Waltzing Mechanics in Chicago (November -December 2014)
Line One in Performance (2004). This night’s theme is “Trial and Error.” This six-minute video shows how Pre-show music is created by actors responding to musicians calling in (using voice or instruments) from outside the theater. The first call is a 10 year old who was told to narrate his experience as he plays a video game at home. Then we follow Stephanie, who stays on the line with Mark as she is sent on a mission to the top of the Space Needle. At one point, she and her boyfriend (who surprised her with a ride back to the theater) are on the line together, and the conversation is recreated by two actors on stage.
Line One in Performance (2006) One of the goals of Line One was to expand the range of voices we hear on stage, even if they are outside voices “channeled” by the actors. For the “Welcome to my World” show, we heard from callers with mental and physical disabilities. In this four-minute clip, you’ll see Sam speaking the words of a quadriplegic man. The man was open, playful and seemed to enjoy having an audience. In the clip, he talks about the challenges of sex and dating when you can’t feel anything from the neck down.
Line One
Conceived and Directed by John Kaufmann
Stage and Call Management: Brynn Hambly
Design: Makaela Pollack
Featured Actors: Mark Boeker, Joseph Krebs, Desiree Prewitt, Stephanie Roberts, Roy Stanton, Jonah Von Spreecken, Cynthia Whalen, June Wang