250626 - Rehearsals - Art War and Other Catastrophes (am) & Peter Baecker (pm)

Rehearsals, Phone Calls & Finding the Path

A morning with Art Wars and Other Catastrophes

I’d just emailed Ella Filar about photographing her show when she replied - within ten minutes - with a big yes. Before I’d even finished reading the email, my phone rang. She’d found my number on my website.

Ella, the writer and director of Art Wars and Other Catastrophes, invited me to a rehearsal the very next day at The Butterfly Club. Short notice, but the kind I love.

This shoot had a different feel to my usual fast-paced cabaret work. Full-length plays move slower, with more room to observe. The rehearsal was still in development; lines being run, props tested, transitions sorted. I love photographing this kind of raw, creative energy.

An afternoon with Peter

During a break, I found Peter Beacker alone onstage, writing under a single work light. I’d never seen someone use the stage that way outside of a performance, but it made perfect sense.

Peter said:

“Being on stage inspires me so much. The room is so full of all the energies from the performances that have been (and I also feel the ones that will be). Also, it focuses me on writing the show and takes many distractions away. And lastly, it gives me the opportunity to immediately test the words on stage and see if and how they work.”

That moment stuck with me - simple, honest, and grounded in process. The kind of quiet magic I hope this project keeps uncovering.

Reflection

• What worked: The spontaneity of Ella’s response led to a rich opportunity to capture early-stage rehearsal and reconnect with familiar faces.

  
  

• What didn’t: I hadn’t yet built strong rapport with the whole cast, which limited deeper documentation.

  
  

• What’s next: Bring a lookbook or flyer with me, of past work to help performers feel confident and informed about what I do from the outset, especially when dealing with larger groups.