So much happening! For the last two days, we have been getting up at 4:30am and taking photos in and around Mar Yen Shoo's old home, shop and garden. Photos below will give you an idea of the work we have been doing. I have mixed feelings - I'm disappointed that I missed out on meeting Willie Junior (Yen Shoo). He died the same year I started gardening, 2007. This point is not lost on me - the idea that gardening and cooking in regional and remote areas is in my blood and DNA. This play is a rediscovery of my roots and also, maybe, my future. The two videos below (sorry if the quality's not great - it's done on my phone) are a glimpse into the footage we are collecting. The old shop and the living quarters where Yen Shoo lived until he died in 2007.
I'm very pleased to have had the help of local historians Helen and Bruce Collins, who generously shared their time and energy with us while we were in Winton. Thanks very much, Helen and Bruce.
The following images will give you some idea of the work we have been doing and the type of shots we're collecting. These will be used in projections and to give an authentic feel to the actual production. They are all taken in and around the old garden and shop, as well as the house. They were taken before dawn and in the first light of the morning.
Above: The stars, through the awning roof at the shop.
Shooting through the gate into the interior of the shop.
(Above) Shari holding a light while Russell captures the back of the building on a long exposure.
(Above) The front of the house, which was never lived in...
(Above) The house, built in 1960, that Yen Shoo planned to live in with his wife. It never happened because of the fear of communism.
(Above) Grave site, Winton cemetery.
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And now for something completely different...
The Crack Up Sister doing it solo: and even more impressive for that! We were fortunate to be in town for the show on Thursday.
Biggest Ever Crack Up panties.
Great show, and only twenty bucks.
See you next time for another update.
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