Recently, Kristen Kosmas’ This From Cloudland finished its run at the Harper Joy Theatre.  The performance, titled a ‘text-for-performance’ by Kosmas, wove a series of narratives together that were not connected in any way except thematically.  According to Kristen Kosmas, this text began as a lengthy poem that never was published as such.  Despite it being a performance, the poetic genes that this piece possesses are evident in the words: poetic imagery, sudden line breaks, and the dramatic pulling of focus away from the main event all are prevalent in Cloudland.

Continuing to look at the performance of this piece also confirms its poetic birth.  Kosmas, hearing the five voices she had at her disposal, consistently uses choral moments to her advantage.  The stresses that the five voices bring to some text also draws focus to the lines said by a single voice.  Narration also acts in an uncommon way in Cloudland, especially when used by the character speaking.  Many lines are punctuated with “he said” or “she said,” allowing for character and actor to stand side-by-side in the role.

An intriguing element of this production is its interdisciplinary production staff.  Michelle Acuff, professor in the Art Department, designed the set for Cloudland, drawing scenic decisions from her self-prescribed therapy after a brain injury.  In the talkback on the first night of Cloudland, Acuff mentioned how the conflicting lines in the wooden structures worked as blocks as she healed.  She wanted to reteach herself to see the world in her certain way, so she worked with blocks.  Acuff also drew inspiration from Kristen’s text itself.  The beginning of the show features an image of lightning impressed on the skin.  Acuff took the tree-shaped image into account, adding a literal tree to the scenic design, suspending it from the ceiling.

Cloudland was characterized by this interdisciplinary partnership alongside the poetic birth.  Instead of literal transformations from the text to the stage, artists involved in the making of this piece allowed a more figurative sculpting of the show to occur, matching somewhat the way the text functions.  This production of a text about love’s intricacies allowed for the process to become just as complex as the text itself.