Two Sides
Jill Bolte-Taylor, a thirty-seven year old brain scientist, suffered a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. In her extraordinary book My Stroke of Insight, she tells the journey of losing her logical, sequential left brain capabilities and living in the euphoria of her kinesthetic, intuitive right brain and her eight year-long struggle back to her whole mind. She talks about the “personalities” of each hemisphere of the brain and how impossible it is to function normally in a world without the interaction and communication that exists between the two. This book and her inspiring TED Talk was recommended to me after I had written the first draft of my play Corpus Callosum. Although I had done a lot of research on the different functions of the hemispheres to create my two opposite characters, it was the clearest first hand account of what it would be like to try and function in the world when only one side of your brain is working.
The title of the play comes from the corpus callosum, which is the small connective tissue between the hemispheres which provides communication between the two. In a radical surgery called a callosotomy, this tissue is severed to lessen the effects of severe epileptic seizures. This procedure leaves the two sides of the brain to function without the other, which at first glance seems to have normal abilities but when looked at closely, has major dysfunctions. With work, the brain, in it’s miraculous plasticity can learn how to compensate without the other but it has been discovered that it finds a way eventually to communicate with the other side, despite the severing of the corpus callosum, and take advantage once again of what the other has to offer.
This is the underlying metaphor of my new play Corpus Callosum. In it, twins, separated at the age of five, reunite. Their personalities each reflect the extreme aspects of the left and right brain hemisphere. Elbie, the left brain character, is a brain research scientist and professor – logical, analytical, organized and completely detached emotionally; and then there is Arbie, the right brain character, a multi-media artist and street performer – intuitive, creative, emotional and completely disorganized and dysfunctional in the real world. Their two worlds clash when they are brought together again in their late forties. The severing of their relationship at an early age has left them brilliant at what they do but totally dysfunctional in many social and personal aspects. Their inability to communicate with each other creates a conflict both humorous and heartbreaking. As the play progresses they struggle mightily to find a way to understand each other which eventually leads them to an understanding of their need for one another to be able to function in a balanced healthy way in the world.
What an honour for me (and the audience) to have two of Canada’s finest actresses play Elbie and Arbie. Rosemary Dunsmore (Elbie) and Janet-Laine Green (Arbie) were both in my mind when I wrote the first draft of this play. It was very helpful to hear their voices speak the words in my head as I wrote. Rosemary is an extraordinary actress, teacher, director who combines her intelligence and curiosity of all things into her art. Janet-Laine is a sensual and intuitive actress, teacher and director who is equally talented but comes to her art from a different place. I love watching the two of them bring these characters to life. They have been instrumental from their feedback in deepening their characters and developing the play.
This year, Motley Theatre will perform as the kick off evening for the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts for the fourth year in a row. Motley has presented over 80 playreadings to Uxbridge audiences in the last fifteen years. We have brought Canadian actors such as the incomparable Ken Welsh, legendary Gordon Pinsent, Hollywood star, Rachel McAdams and hundreds of other extraordary talents to the Legion and Music Hall. We have performed the Greek Comedies to original Canadian plays and all styles and playwrights in between.
Jill Bolte-Taylor, a thirty-seven year old brain scientist, suffered a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. In her extraordinary book My Stroke of Insight, she tells the journey of losing her logical, sequential left brain capabilities and living in the euphoria of her kinesthetic, intuitive right brain and her eight year-long struggle back to her whole mind. She talks about the “personalities” of each hemisphere of the brain and how impossible it is to function normally in a world without the interaction and communication that exists between the two. This book and her inspiring TED Talk was recommended to me after I had written the first draft of my play Corpus Callosum. Although I had done a lot of research on the different functions of the hemispheres to create my two opposite characters, it was the clearest first hand account of what it would be like to try and function in the world when only one side of your brain is working.
The title of the play comes from the corpus callosum, which is the small connective tissue between the hemispheres which provides communication between the two. In a radical surgery called a callosotomy, this tissue is severed to lessen the effects of severe epileptic seizures. This procedure leaves the two sides of the brain to function without the other, which at first glance seems to have normal abilities but when looked at closely, has major dysfunctions. With work, the brain, in it’s miraculous plasticity can learn how to compensate without the other but it has been discovered that it finds a way eventually to communicate with the other side, despite the severing of the corpus callosum, and take advantage once again of what the other has to offer.
This is the underlying metaphor of my new play Corpus Callosum. In it, twins, separated at the age of five, reunite. Their personalities each reflect the extreme aspects of the left and right brain hemisphere. Elbie, the left brain character, is a brain research scientist and professor – logical, analytical, organized and completely detached emotionally; and then there is Arbie, the right brain character, a multi-media artist and street performer – intuitive, creative, emotional and completely disorganized and dysfunctional in the real world. Their two worlds clash when they are brought together again in their late forties. The severing of their relationship at an early age has left them brilliant at what they do but totally dysfunctional in many social and personal aspects. Their inability to communicate with each other creates a conflict both humorous and heartbreaking. As the play progresses they struggle mightily to find a way to understand each other which eventually leads them to an understanding of their need for one another to be able to function in a balanced healthy way in the world.
What an honour for me (and the audience) to have two of Canada’s finest actresses play Elbie and Arbie. Rosemary Dunsmore (Elbie) and Janet-Laine Green (Arbie) were both in my mind when I wrote the first draft of this play. It was very helpful to hear their voices speak the words in my head as I wrote. Rosemary is an extraordinary actress, teacher, director who combines her intelligence and curiosity of all things into her art. Janet-Laine is a sensual and intuitive actress, teacher and director who is equally talented but comes to her art from a different place. I love watching the two of them bring these characters to life. They have been instrumental from their feedback in deepening their characters and developing the play.
This year, Motley Theatre will perform as the kick off evening for the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts for the fourth year in a row. Motley has presented over 80 playreadings to Uxbridge audiences in the last fifteen years. We have brought Canadian actors such as the incomparable Ken Welsh, legendary Gordon Pinsent, Hollywood star, Rachel McAdams and hundreds of other extraordary talents to the Legion and Music Hall. We have performed the Greek Comedies to original Canadian plays and all styles and playwrights in between.