After 27 hours, the 24-Hour Theatre project is over. It was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed working with a great group of creators and I saw three incredible pieces of theatre produced. Here are some of my reflections from the project.
Genres
I originally ruled out historical as a potential genre thinking it too unwieldy to work with in a 24-Hour time frame. Then my group drew historical for our genre. Well, when you're on the spot you look at things differently. It didn't matter if historical was unwieldy, my group was going to do it anyway. No one in my group was a history expert, but that didn't matter. We structured our play so we could fit the genre without having to be experts. Our solution was to use an historical event as the background to our piece. It still required a fair amount of research, but it was less likely that we were going to get called out for anachronisms or factual errors. There are probably other solutions, but necessity really is the mother of invention.
Games
I brought games to play when people needed a break. They never left my bag. My group never got so frustrated with each other that we needed time apart, thought we got that anyway as tasks pulled us in separate directions. When we did need a break from working the play we did not want games. We wanted to rest, lie down, eat. There is no time for casual game playing in a 24-Hour theatre project. Leave that for the after party.
Revisions
Revisions are necessary. You can't hope to get a great script written in 24 hours. It's not going to happen. It is even less likely to happen in twelve. It is definitely not going to happen in three. I don't know the process the other groups went through, but we were revising our script until hour 21. At that point we declared we could afford no more changes (though we still had a few minor changes as we finished memorizing). For that reason we were the last group (I believe) to be off-script. However, I think it was worth it. The changes we were making at the very end were vital to making our end product better.
When I do this again I will definitely be encouraging my group to keep editing, refining, adding, and cutting until the last minute. It might make the memorization more stressful, but it will be worth it. Ending the writing process too soon could possibly be the worst mistake a group could make
Sleep
Sleep was definitely worth it. Everyone slept, some more than others. I managed to be sleeping alone in the dressing room while other members of the project slept in the lobby or on the landing. It was like I had my own little suite. How did I get so lucky? Most of the cast and crew actually went home to sleep. Some of them went home and didn't sleep much. I am ambivalent about staying in the theatre to sleep. I didn't sleep well because it was an unfamiliar environment. Also, there wasn't a large social aspect. When people stopped working for the night they generally didn't want to stay and socialize. They wanted to sleep. So, the major benefit of staying in the theatre is less-travel time. But sleeping better at home might be worth the travel time.
I told the theatre owner that next year I'll spend the week leading up to the project sleeping in the theatre to help acclimatize myself. He laughed.
Improvements
If I did the project again would I do it differently? Yes! But not completely. I am incredibly pleased with how my group worked, solved problems, created sets. I would work with all of them again in a heartbeat and hope that they can say the same about me. What would I do differently? I can't really verbalize it well but I know there is always room for improvement.
Beyond improvement for how I personally approached the project, I also have ideas about how to do variations on the show. One of my last minute dreams was to include surprise celebrity guests, but I'm not sure NPH, Bill Murray, or Nathan Fillion will be available. I have other ideas too and you better believe I'll be sharing them with the organizers. What are they? Well, that would be giving you spoilers, but they are some wonderful ideas. Okay, you talked me into sharing one idea. A theatre experience much like Survivor were you start off with a group who has to collaboratively create and perform a show. Then after the show you have to vote a person out of the group and do it again with one less person in the group. Not really feasible for amateurs, but if you could find the people who had the time and venue that could be a lot of fun.
Finally, thank you to everyone who participated in the project, came to see the show, or has followed this blog. I don't know when I'll blog next here. There might be some random posts in the interval before the next 24-hour theatre project. If not, I hope you're reading this again next year. Until then, ciao!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
What I Would Like to See
Here it is! My last post before the 24-Hour Theatre Project begins. My apologies in advance, but since the project starts in about 10 hours (as of this writing) I am not going to edit this post as thoroughly as I have tried to do in the past. I am definitely excited. How can I tell? I've been having dreams about it. Crazy dreams! Three nights running worth of dreams. That is big excitement for me.
However, this post isn't going to be about the 24-Hour Theatre project. It is going to be about original theatre experiences. It is going to be a brief summation of some things that I would like to see in community theatre. Now, as I write this I am going to encourage you to go see original productions. I don't mean to imply that reproductions of famous works aren't worth your time. Most of the shows I've participated in aren't original and I've loved them. The audience is usually entertained as well.
Still, there is something special about creating, especially when you are collaborating. With original experiences you have the chance to be the first person to see a show. You might be among a small handful that will ever see that show. That makes it special (assuming it's worth seeing). So, let me tell you about a few ideas I would love to see locally.
Writing Contest--In high school I entered a writing contest in the drama category. I got honorable mention for a play I wrote up in a few minutes. It involved two boys trying to use creative wording to excuse their cheating. Cooperative learning experience. In the end the principal gives them detention, but tells them to consider it something else. I can't remember what I called it anymore. I don't have the script. Not important. I do remember watching them do readings of the winners play. One involved helicopters and the Vietnam war. They played Simon and Garfunkel. It stuck with me.
I would love to see a local writing contest like that, but not for high school students. For everyone! Who knows what creative talent is hiding out there just waiting for their opportunity to shine? Sure, the ambitious will go out and make their opportunities. Sometimes, we need to help others to shine. To remind them of their potential. So, a writing contest geared for adults in the Magic Valley.
Radio Drama--This wouldn't necessarily be an original work, but I think it would be an interesting change of pace from many of the shows we see. The audience enters the theatre, they are given their program. They get their concessions. They find their seats. The cast comes out and are introduced, then they are hidden behind a screen on stage. The lights go out and then the performers begin to act out a radio style drama, focusing on the sound quality, not the visual quality. I already have a show in mind for this.
What I especially love about this is that it would give a sound technician a chance to really thrive as they helped create the appropriate atmosphere for the show.
Theatre Olympics--Theatre olympics exist somewhere, but I don't know what they entail. I also know high school students regularly participate in drama competitions. I don't know what those entail either. What I am picturing is a competition with several events. Some events require teams, some require that you enter solo.
Possible events would be: Monologues (comedic, dramatic, cold-reading), Improv (Sketch, gimmick, long-form), Costume Design, Set Design, Team Short pieces.
Preliminary events would be held like auditions to help narrow the field down to a few people that would then compete in front of an audience. I don't know if listening to monologues would be too boring for a paying audience, but it would be a fun experiment.
Choose Your Own Adventure Play--Just like the old books, the audience gets to help decide the fate of the play. At key points during the action the players will freeze on stage while a question along the lines of "What Happens Next?" is given to the audience. They then use electronic devices to key in their answer and it appears on the projector so everyone can see the results. The players than act out the next part according to the players choice.
I did a version of this with a 3-minute improvisation game. It usually got crazy and utter ridiculous. It's hard to tell a good story when the audience is given the chance to vote on random suggestions. They tend to pick the thing that will be most embarrassing for the actors. For that reason I would not suggest doing this as improvisation. This should be a fully scripted show, with the alternate scenes scripted out and rehearsed rigorously.
Even that could quickly grow out of hand. It's a numbers game. One choice point with three selections makes for three different (though possibly similar) scenes to be rehearsed. If you add another choice point with three selections later you could have a possibility of nine different endings! And that's if you stick with two choice points. Every choice point you add makes an exponential increase in the number of scenes the players have to memorize.
For that reason, I imagine that you would have only two choice points. The first choice point would come before the intermission and be a major part of the rising action. This choice point would only have two options. A character does either 'A' or 'B'. That gives the cast and crew ten minutes to prepare themselves for the details of the scene that has been selected. Another choice point would be right at the climax. This is where the audience is allowed to select the ending, even if it doesn't turn out the way they had hoped. Make this another 'A' or 'B' choice point and you will probably have four endings that differ slightly. It might even be feasible to add a 'C' choice at this point and allow six different endings without overtaxing the actors.
In the end, it is going to take the right group of actors to pull this off because of the work involved. A lot of fun for the audience, but a lot of work for the actors. This might serve better as a long-running show that gives the audience multiple chances to come see it and get different experiences. Of course, long-running shows are more effective if you have actors who can commit to long-shows. That doesn't happen often in community theatre so this idea might not be right for the Magic Valley.
What theatre experiences would you like to see?
However, this post isn't going to be about the 24-Hour Theatre project. It is going to be about original theatre experiences. It is going to be a brief summation of some things that I would like to see in community theatre. Now, as I write this I am going to encourage you to go see original productions. I don't mean to imply that reproductions of famous works aren't worth your time. Most of the shows I've participated in aren't original and I've loved them. The audience is usually entertained as well.
Still, there is something special about creating, especially when you are collaborating. With original experiences you have the chance to be the first person to see a show. You might be among a small handful that will ever see that show. That makes it special (assuming it's worth seeing). So, let me tell you about a few ideas I would love to see locally.
Writing Contest--In high school I entered a writing contest in the drama category. I got honorable mention for a play I wrote up in a few minutes. It involved two boys trying to use creative wording to excuse their cheating. Cooperative learning experience. In the end the principal gives them detention, but tells them to consider it something else. I can't remember what I called it anymore. I don't have the script. Not important. I do remember watching them do readings of the winners play. One involved helicopters and the Vietnam war. They played Simon and Garfunkel. It stuck with me.
I would love to see a local writing contest like that, but not for high school students. For everyone! Who knows what creative talent is hiding out there just waiting for their opportunity to shine? Sure, the ambitious will go out and make their opportunities. Sometimes, we need to help others to shine. To remind them of their potential. So, a writing contest geared for adults in the Magic Valley.
Radio Drama--This wouldn't necessarily be an original work, but I think it would be an interesting change of pace from many of the shows we see. The audience enters the theatre, they are given their program. They get their concessions. They find their seats. The cast comes out and are introduced, then they are hidden behind a screen on stage. The lights go out and then the performers begin to act out a radio style drama, focusing on the sound quality, not the visual quality. I already have a show in mind for this.
What I especially love about this is that it would give a sound technician a chance to really thrive as they helped create the appropriate atmosphere for the show.
Theatre Olympics--Theatre olympics exist somewhere, but I don't know what they entail. I also know high school students regularly participate in drama competitions. I don't know what those entail either. What I am picturing is a competition with several events. Some events require teams, some require that you enter solo.
Possible events would be: Monologues (comedic, dramatic, cold-reading), Improv (Sketch, gimmick, long-form), Costume Design, Set Design, Team Short pieces.
Preliminary events would be held like auditions to help narrow the field down to a few people that would then compete in front of an audience. I don't know if listening to monologues would be too boring for a paying audience, but it would be a fun experiment.
Choose Your Own Adventure Play--Just like the old books, the audience gets to help decide the fate of the play. At key points during the action the players will freeze on stage while a question along the lines of "What Happens Next?" is given to the audience. They then use electronic devices to key in their answer and it appears on the projector so everyone can see the results. The players than act out the next part according to the players choice.
I did a version of this with a 3-minute improvisation game. It usually got crazy and utter ridiculous. It's hard to tell a good story when the audience is given the chance to vote on random suggestions. They tend to pick the thing that will be most embarrassing for the actors. For that reason I would not suggest doing this as improvisation. This should be a fully scripted show, with the alternate scenes scripted out and rehearsed rigorously.
Even that could quickly grow out of hand. It's a numbers game. One choice point with three selections makes for three different (though possibly similar) scenes to be rehearsed. If you add another choice point with three selections later you could have a possibility of nine different endings! And that's if you stick with two choice points. Every choice point you add makes an exponential increase in the number of scenes the players have to memorize.
For that reason, I imagine that you would have only two choice points. The first choice point would come before the intermission and be a major part of the rising action. This choice point would only have two options. A character does either 'A' or 'B'. That gives the cast and crew ten minutes to prepare themselves for the details of the scene that has been selected. Another choice point would be right at the climax. This is where the audience is allowed to select the ending, even if it doesn't turn out the way they had hoped. Make this another 'A' or 'B' choice point and you will probably have four endings that differ slightly. It might even be feasible to add a 'C' choice at this point and allow six different endings without overtaxing the actors.
In the end, it is going to take the right group of actors to pull this off because of the work involved. A lot of fun for the audience, but a lot of work for the actors. This might serve better as a long-running show that gives the audience multiple chances to come see it and get different experiences. Of course, long-running shows are more effective if you have actors who can commit to long-shows. That doesn't happen often in community theatre so this idea might not be right for the Magic Valley.
What theatre experiences would you like to see?
Saturday, September 10, 2016
What To Bring?
Preparing for 24-Hour Theatre requires an important decision. Will I leave the theater once I arrive? The question is not "Will I sleep?" Sleep is never the question. Sleep is the answer. I can't do 24-hours awake anymore, I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm not old, but I am old enough. I definitely can't perform after being awake for over 24-Hours. I will be sleeping, but will I leave the theater to do it?
Here's my problem with leaving the theater: Armageddon. Okay, not really. I don't expect Armageddon, the end of the world, to occur. However, there is a line from Armageddon, the 1998 disaster film, that I think is relevant: "Once they get off the rig, they scatter."
Once a group leaves the theater anything can happen. Not only are you spending time sleeping, you're spending time traveling back and forth. Then, at the theater, you're spending time waiting because there's no guarantee that everyone will arrive on time. Missed alarm clocks, traffic, who knows. Intentions mean little in the face of the real world.
For that reason, let's assume I'm not leaving the theater until the project is over. That's not a guarantee. Still, for this mental exercise it is a good place to start. So, given that, what should I bring?
Pajamas.
Pillow.
Blanket.
Pillow Bed. (Made for my children, but they make hard floors more comfortable.)
Change of clothes.
Basic toiletries.
Food, snacks.
Money. (There are some nice eateries by the theater.)
Cell phone charger.
Those are the items I'll need just for personal comfort. Now the items for the project.
My writing notebook. (I keep a black Cambridge notebook for most of my writing projects. I also have a general one for writing exercises and general brainstorming. It will be perfect for this project.)
My idea book.
Writing prompts.
Pens, multiple.
Improv comedy game list.
Actor blacks.
Make-up kit.
Black shoes.
Those are the items that I consider necessities. A big part of me doesn't want to add more than those. I used to pride myself on my ability to travel lightly. Still, I'd rather have everything I need and want even if it means I'm not traveling light. As such, the following group of want requires a little more explanation.
My mandolin--Even if it doesn't get played, musical instruments make great props. I have other instruments available to me, but this is the one I'm most comfortable taking around.
My rabbit puppet--I got this after Spamalot. It's the exact same version I used in the show. I don't expect to be a puppeteer during the project, but then again...
A game--I love playing games. I will be with a group of people. Why not bring a game? In fact, it's the perfect way to break tension and relax as the project gets stressful. The real question is which game?
Costume pieces--I have a few pieces that I've used for Halloween costumes. I can always run home and get them. Having them on hand would save me the trip.
Food to Share--What better way then to bond with my group then over some fresh made cookies, brownies, bread, etc. We are going to be starting right around dinner time.
Hmmm...now that I sit down and think about it I can't think of much else that I want to bring. I've probably forgotten something. I'll remember after I've already left home. So, what have I forgotten? What would you bring with you to this type of project?
Here's my problem with leaving the theater: Armageddon. Okay, not really. I don't expect Armageddon, the end of the world, to occur. However, there is a line from Armageddon, the 1998 disaster film, that I think is relevant: "Once they get off the rig, they scatter."
Once a group leaves the theater anything can happen. Not only are you spending time sleeping, you're spending time traveling back and forth. Then, at the theater, you're spending time waiting because there's no guarantee that everyone will arrive on time. Missed alarm clocks, traffic, who knows. Intentions mean little in the face of the real world.
For that reason, let's assume I'm not leaving the theater until the project is over. That's not a guarantee. Still, for this mental exercise it is a good place to start. So, given that, what should I bring?
Pajamas.
Pillow.
Blanket.
Pillow Bed. (Made for my children, but they make hard floors more comfortable.)
Change of clothes.
Basic toiletries.
Food, snacks.
Money. (There are some nice eateries by the theater.)
Cell phone charger.
Those are the items I'll need just for personal comfort. Now the items for the project.
My writing notebook. (I keep a black Cambridge notebook for most of my writing projects. I also have a general one for writing exercises and general brainstorming. It will be perfect for this project.)
My idea book.
Writing prompts.
Pens, multiple.
Improv comedy game list.
Actor blacks.
Make-up kit.
Black shoes.
Those are the items that I consider necessities. A big part of me doesn't want to add more than those. I used to pride myself on my ability to travel lightly. Still, I'd rather have everything I need and want even if it means I'm not traveling light. As such, the following group of want requires a little more explanation.
My mandolin--Even if it doesn't get played, musical instruments make great props. I have other instruments available to me, but this is the one I'm most comfortable taking around.
My rabbit puppet--I got this after Spamalot. It's the exact same version I used in the show. I don't expect to be a puppeteer during the project, but then again...
A game--I love playing games. I will be with a group of people. Why not bring a game? In fact, it's the perfect way to break tension and relax as the project gets stressful. The real question is which game?
Costume pieces--I have a few pieces that I've used for Halloween costumes. I can always run home and get them. Having them on hand would save me the trip.
Food to Share--What better way then to bond with my group then over some fresh made cookies, brownies, bread, etc. We are going to be starting right around dinner time.
Hmmm...now that I sit down and think about it I can't think of much else that I want to bring. I've probably forgotten something. I'll remember after I've already left home. So, what have I forgotten? What would you bring with you to this type of project?
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Personal Preparation
It is time to talk about my personal preparation for the 24-Hour Theatre Project. First, I have been listening to the Rocky Theme obsessively. I've been running down streets while my children bicycle next to me, skipping rope, punching rib-eyes hung from my ceiling, and waving my arms around in victory every chance get.
Okay, I haven't done any of that. I have talked about skipping rope a lot, but that is the extent of it. That is a shame! Why haven't I listened to the Rocky Theme. I'm going to do that. Do you mind? Thanks, just a sec.
And done! Aah, the magic of the internet. You should take a minute to listen to it too. The blog will be here when you get back. I promise, you won't regret it.
Done? Great! Let's get back to me.
You may not know, but I am a playwright. As an aside, if you are interested in why it is spelled that way (I wondered) you can check out this article. Fascinating. Anyway, I am a playwright. Of course, I am not a successful playwright. I'm not a published or produced playwright. However, I have crafted a full-length play, half a musical (minus lyrics), uncountable short pieces (two have been performed by me, one received honorable mention in a high school contest), and have two other plays in progress. I think that qualifies as a playwright.
I will let you know as soon as I add the words successful, published, or produced to that title.
Anyway, I was reading an article about becoming a better playwright. Among it's suggestions was to read a lot of plays. Fortunately, this is something that I do anyway. However, I have not read many one-act plays. I haven't seen any one-act plays that I can remember. In fact, I am completely unfamiliar with the pacing.
Shortly after receiving the invitation to the project I was at Deseret Industries looking for a baseball glove for myself and my son. Different story, I won't go into the details. Suffice it to say that I spent $5 on baseball gloves and it was money well spent. While there I found something I wasn't trying to find.
I immediately thought, "I should read that." So, I did. I read a play or two a day over the last few weeks. I reviewed it on Goodreads. It was a short review. Basically, some plays were great, others not so much. I think my major complaint would be that most of the plays were older (the book was compiled in 1958) and while each had a unique style there was a generational tone that seemed to run through them all. It was a different world and not a time period I feel comfortable writing about (yet). Still, the biographies for the authors had this little gem about Arthur Miller: "He is married to Marilyn Monroe and at present lives in Roxbury, Connecticut." Old books are moments frozen in time.
After, I wanted to read more current one-act plays. I found a collection of short-plays from the 1980's at the local library. While grabbing that book I pulled some nearby items off the shelves. I love the library! Here is my current reading list:
Fortunately, plays are quick to read as I only have ten more days to prepare. Unfortunately, I've gotten bogged down in the Dedication of Peter Pan. And yes, it is Peter Pan the stage production not the novel. I won't finish all of them before Friday, but I'll do my best. The one's that I don't finish before next Friday I'll ready later because I want to read them anyway.
Any plays you think I should read? Reading suggestions are always my favorite!
Okay, I haven't done any of that. I have talked about skipping rope a lot, but that is the extent of it. That is a shame! Why haven't I listened to the Rocky Theme. I'm going to do that. Do you mind? Thanks, just a sec.
And done! Aah, the magic of the internet. You should take a minute to listen to it too. The blog will be here when you get back. I promise, you won't regret it.
Done? Great! Let's get back to me.
You may not know, but I am a playwright. As an aside, if you are interested in why it is spelled that way (I wondered) you can check out this article. Fascinating. Anyway, I am a playwright. Of course, I am not a successful playwright. I'm not a published or produced playwright. However, I have crafted a full-length play, half a musical (minus lyrics), uncountable short pieces (two have been performed by me, one received honorable mention in a high school contest), and have two other plays in progress. I think that qualifies as a playwright.
I will let you know as soon as I add the words successful, published, or produced to that title.
Anyway, I was reading an article about becoming a better playwright. Among it's suggestions was to read a lot of plays. Fortunately, this is something that I do anyway. However, I have not read many one-act plays. I haven't seen any one-act plays that I can remember. In fact, I am completely unfamiliar with the pacing.
Shortly after receiving the invitation to the project I was at Deseret Industries looking for a baseball glove for myself and my son. Different story, I won't go into the details. Suffice it to say that I spent $5 on baseball gloves and it was money well spent. While there I found something I wasn't trying to find.
I immediately thought, "I should read that." So, I did. I read a play or two a day over the last few weeks. I reviewed it on Goodreads. It was a short review. Basically, some plays were great, others not so much. I think my major complaint would be that most of the plays were older (the book was compiled in 1958) and while each had a unique style there was a generational tone that seemed to run through them all. It was a different world and not a time period I feel comfortable writing about (yet). Still, the biographies for the authors had this little gem about Arthur Miller: "He is married to Marilyn Monroe and at present lives in Roxbury, Connecticut." Old books are moments frozen in time.
After, I wanted to read more current one-act plays. I found a collection of short-plays from the 1980's at the local library. While grabbing that book I pulled some nearby items off the shelves. I love the library! Here is my current reading list:
Fortunately, plays are quick to read as I only have ten more days to prepare. Unfortunately, I've gotten bogged down in the Dedication of Peter Pan. And yes, it is Peter Pan the stage production not the novel. I won't finish all of them before Friday, but I'll do my best. The one's that I don't finish before next Friday I'll ready later because I want to read them anyway.
Any plays you think I should read? Reading suggestions are always my favorite!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Audience
That's right. This is a post about the audience. Why? Because it's about time that audiences learned a few things. Some audience members already know. If that's you skip this post or consider it a refresher course.
Theatre thrives on the audience. It's the lifeblood of a performance. Honestly, without an audience it is just another rehearsal. And while rehearsals can be a blast (with the right people) performers need people to perform for. So, here is the first point: Yes, you need to come see this show! Is the audience big enough? Absolutely not. How do I know? If the show isn't sold out then there aren't enough people in the audience. That's from me as a performer. I'm not making money off of ticket sales. I have no financial stake in filling seats. I want seats filled because having an audience is important, and every single person in the audience matters!
Of course, size doesn't really matter; quality does. Insert your own jokes here. I have performed for audiences of varying sizes. The smallest, to my memory, was an audience of six. That's right. Six. I am sure I have friends who have performed for fewer. I have also performed in theatres filled to capacity (200+). I'll tell you, those weren't always the best audiences. Some of the smallest audience were so much better than their larger counterparts. However, as a general rule I will take a large audience over a small one any day. The odds of having a quality audience increase. I'll get to that in a moment. So...
What Makes a Good Audience?
Responsiveness. That's it. For me, that's pretty much the end all be all. There are other important factors, but it's the most vital parts of being a good audience. Be responsive to what is happening on stage. When I did improv comedy we would spend the first five minutes of every show teaching the audience how to be responsive. We warmed them up. That's how important is. We spent the first 5% of the show prepping the audience to make them more responsive. It helped that it was fun for everyone. Warming up the audience involved having them practice giving suggestions when we asked for them, encouraging them to be louder, to shout out without raising the hand, and then to be quiet again when something was happening on stage. The last part is important because you can be too responsive. We would get the audience excited by playing games. Sometimes the audience would become a barnyard orchestra. Or jungle. Or other animal ecosystem. Other times we would turn the audience into an auditory rainstorm. Occasionally, we would make them ride an invisible roller coaster. Our favorite conclusion to the warm-up was a countdown (or sometimes a count up) where we would ask the audience to make their applause louder and louder as we moved from 10 (meh) to 1 (on your feet, hands in the air, deafening screams of appreciation).
Why is responsiveness important? Performers are like vampires. We feed on the energy of the audience and use it to improve our performances. Being on stage for two hours is just exhausting. It takes a lot of energy. You can tell when a person is feeling tired. We all recognize the symptoms. It is the same in theatre. Generally you can tell when the actors don't have any energy and it's often not a single actor but the entire cast. The performance suffers. However, when the audience is generating energy the performers can feed off of that and keep the show high energy. Without it the entire process becomes a chore. Sure, the actors can create their own energy (the best actors keep their energy high regardless of the audience), but it makes things more difficult. And actors recognize it. We know when our energy is down. We know when we need to raise the energy. Having a good audience helps. Good audiences lead to better performances.
One of the problems in scripted theatre is the audience rarely has a chance to be instructed on expectations for their behavior. I'm talking about more than etiquette, though I'll brush on etiquette in a moment. How do you teach an audience to respond appropriately at a scripted event? First, do what you can. Second, hope the audiences does the rest.
We can help the audience be more responsive by how we stage productions. That's probably a college level course right there, and no , I'm not qualified to teach it. Let me give you one example: giving the audience permission to laugh. Many shows, even non-comedies, have comedic moments in them. This helps to break tension and give the audience a diverse emotional experience. It's difficult to maintain the same emotional level for long periods of time. People get exhausted. If you want your drama to be more dramatic add some comedy. Well-timed comedy breaks the audience's tension, gives them some relief, and then allows them to return to the serious mood and sustain it longer. However, this only works if your audience is willing to laugh. If the tone is so serious that they don't dare laugh, even at an obvious joke, then your production will soon start to drag. To avoid this it's nice to have a comedic moment before the audience gets stuck in a serious mind frame. Not so soon that they think they're in a comedy (unless they are), but early. First scene. If it's played appropriately the audience knows they are supposed to laugh. When they have this permission every other emotion comes easier. The audience will be more responsive, the production will improve.
One of the things that gets talked about backstage is key members in the audience. There are a few known audience members who laugh easily and loudly. They help encourage the audience to respond as well. Being one of these people, if the audience needs it, is highly appreciated. They lift the actors spirits and give them something to look forward to when they are on stage. That's why a bigger audience can be better. Increased odds of having this person in the group. The downside though is group think. An audience members wants to laugh, but they don't because no one else is laughing? Why is no one else in the audience laughing? They don't want to be the first. They're not laughing, because no one else is laughing. Vicious cycle.
What if comedy is inappropriate to the show entirely? How does the audience become responsive then? That's a harder question and I don't have a great answer. Part of it will be body language. The actors can see you (mostly) and we do know when you are engaged. We see more than you think. Other times, appropriate vocal cues help us know you are involved. For example, in one of my favorite moments I was being escorted off stage by two other characters (both who will be in the 24-Hour Theatre project!). I don't know exactly how we goofed, but as we rounded the corner instead of walking back and off-stage I walked face first into the proscenium. Hard. Then I was dragged the rest of the way off-stage. When I got off-stage I started laughing (as quietly as possible). I found it hilarious and while a bit dazed, I was unharmed. The great thing was, the audience response told us that they had seen it. They oohed in a "that had to hurt" fashion. That involvement made it great! I was excited to get back on stage. It wasn't an intended comedic moment, and the audience responded appropriately. Thrills!
Either way. Find a way to let the actors know you're involved. Let them know you're invested. This is part two. The audience doing the rest. Things that will help you: know what you're getting into before you go see the show. I've done a couple of shows (and seen a couple of shows) that were emotional kicks to the teeth. If you don't know what to expect it's going to be hard to stay engaged. Do your research, if you're going to see a comedy be prepared to laugh. If you're going to a thriller be prepared to be scared, surprised, shocked, tricked, etc. If you're going to a tragedy be prepared to cry. Know that you're going to be hit in the feels and be ready for it. The more you know about the production, the more valuable you are as an audience member. Do your research. That doesn't mean you have to read the show and know all the plot twists. Please don't. But know what to expect content wise. Ask around, someone will be able to help you.
Finally, don't engage inappropriately. In most scripted shows audience participation is not necessary. Yelling comments at the stage, making your own jokes in response to our jokes, and making noises to attract attention to yourself and away from the stage are inappropriate. They don't make you friends of the audience or the performers. Theatre has etiquette and if you can't maintain that etiquette maybe it's not your venue.
So, share this post. Share the 24-Hour Theatre Event (and other local theatre happenings). Come fill the Orpheum Theatre. You don't get an opportunity for these kind of locally grown theatre events very often. Who knows? You might see the beginning of the next Pulitzer Prize winning drama. There's a chance you will see a beautifully crafted piece of theatre that will never be performed again. But we need an audience to make it magical. Be in that audience. Thank you!
Here's a link to some Broadway Theatre Etiquette. Yes, I think it applies to local community theatre as well. http://www.nytix.com/Links/Broadway/Articles/etiquette.html
Theatre thrives on the audience. It's the lifeblood of a performance. Honestly, without an audience it is just another rehearsal. And while rehearsals can be a blast (with the right people) performers need people to perform for. So, here is the first point: Yes, you need to come see this show! Is the audience big enough? Absolutely not. How do I know? If the show isn't sold out then there aren't enough people in the audience. That's from me as a performer. I'm not making money off of ticket sales. I have no financial stake in filling seats. I want seats filled because having an audience is important, and every single person in the audience matters!
Of course, size doesn't really matter; quality does. Insert your own jokes here. I have performed for audiences of varying sizes. The smallest, to my memory, was an audience of six. That's right. Six. I am sure I have friends who have performed for fewer. I have also performed in theatres filled to capacity (200+). I'll tell you, those weren't always the best audiences. Some of the smallest audience were so much better than their larger counterparts. However, as a general rule I will take a large audience over a small one any day. The odds of having a quality audience increase. I'll get to that in a moment. So...
What Makes a Good Audience?
Responsiveness. That's it. For me, that's pretty much the end all be all. There are other important factors, but it's the most vital parts of being a good audience. Be responsive to what is happening on stage. When I did improv comedy we would spend the first five minutes of every show teaching the audience how to be responsive. We warmed them up. That's how important is. We spent the first 5% of the show prepping the audience to make them more responsive. It helped that it was fun for everyone. Warming up the audience involved having them practice giving suggestions when we asked for them, encouraging them to be louder, to shout out without raising the hand, and then to be quiet again when something was happening on stage. The last part is important because you can be too responsive. We would get the audience excited by playing games. Sometimes the audience would become a barnyard orchestra. Or jungle. Or other animal ecosystem. Other times we would turn the audience into an auditory rainstorm. Occasionally, we would make them ride an invisible roller coaster. Our favorite conclusion to the warm-up was a countdown (or sometimes a count up) where we would ask the audience to make their applause louder and louder as we moved from 10 (meh) to 1 (on your feet, hands in the air, deafening screams of appreciation).
Why is responsiveness important? Performers are like vampires. We feed on the energy of the audience and use it to improve our performances. Being on stage for two hours is just exhausting. It takes a lot of energy. You can tell when a person is feeling tired. We all recognize the symptoms. It is the same in theatre. Generally you can tell when the actors don't have any energy and it's often not a single actor but the entire cast. The performance suffers. However, when the audience is generating energy the performers can feed off of that and keep the show high energy. Without it the entire process becomes a chore. Sure, the actors can create their own energy (the best actors keep their energy high regardless of the audience), but it makes things more difficult. And actors recognize it. We know when our energy is down. We know when we need to raise the energy. Having a good audience helps. Good audiences lead to better performances.
One of the problems in scripted theatre is the audience rarely has a chance to be instructed on expectations for their behavior. I'm talking about more than etiquette, though I'll brush on etiquette in a moment. How do you teach an audience to respond appropriately at a scripted event? First, do what you can. Second, hope the audiences does the rest.
We can help the audience be more responsive by how we stage productions. That's probably a college level course right there, and no , I'm not qualified to teach it. Let me give you one example: giving the audience permission to laugh. Many shows, even non-comedies, have comedic moments in them. This helps to break tension and give the audience a diverse emotional experience. It's difficult to maintain the same emotional level for long periods of time. People get exhausted. If you want your drama to be more dramatic add some comedy. Well-timed comedy breaks the audience's tension, gives them some relief, and then allows them to return to the serious mood and sustain it longer. However, this only works if your audience is willing to laugh. If the tone is so serious that they don't dare laugh, even at an obvious joke, then your production will soon start to drag. To avoid this it's nice to have a comedic moment before the audience gets stuck in a serious mind frame. Not so soon that they think they're in a comedy (unless they are), but early. First scene. If it's played appropriately the audience knows they are supposed to laugh. When they have this permission every other emotion comes easier. The audience will be more responsive, the production will improve.
One of the things that gets talked about backstage is key members in the audience. There are a few known audience members who laugh easily and loudly. They help encourage the audience to respond as well. Being one of these people, if the audience needs it, is highly appreciated. They lift the actors spirits and give them something to look forward to when they are on stage. That's why a bigger audience can be better. Increased odds of having this person in the group. The downside though is group think. An audience members wants to laugh, but they don't because no one else is laughing? Why is no one else in the audience laughing? They don't want to be the first. They're not laughing, because no one else is laughing. Vicious cycle.
What if comedy is inappropriate to the show entirely? How does the audience become responsive then? That's a harder question and I don't have a great answer. Part of it will be body language. The actors can see you (mostly) and we do know when you are engaged. We see more than you think. Other times, appropriate vocal cues help us know you are involved. For example, in one of my favorite moments I was being escorted off stage by two other characters (both who will be in the 24-Hour Theatre project!). I don't know exactly how we goofed, but as we rounded the corner instead of walking back and off-stage I walked face first into the proscenium. Hard. Then I was dragged the rest of the way off-stage. When I got off-stage I started laughing (as quietly as possible). I found it hilarious and while a bit dazed, I was unharmed. The great thing was, the audience response told us that they had seen it. They oohed in a "that had to hurt" fashion. That involvement made it great! I was excited to get back on stage. It wasn't an intended comedic moment, and the audience responded appropriately. Thrills!
Either way. Find a way to let the actors know you're involved. Let them know you're invested. This is part two. The audience doing the rest. Things that will help you: know what you're getting into before you go see the show. I've done a couple of shows (and seen a couple of shows) that were emotional kicks to the teeth. If you don't know what to expect it's going to be hard to stay engaged. Do your research, if you're going to see a comedy be prepared to laugh. If you're going to a thriller be prepared to be scared, surprised, shocked, tricked, etc. If you're going to a tragedy be prepared to cry. Know that you're going to be hit in the feels and be ready for it. The more you know about the production, the more valuable you are as an audience member. Do your research. That doesn't mean you have to read the show and know all the plot twists. Please don't. But know what to expect content wise. Ask around, someone will be able to help you.
Finally, don't engage inappropriately. In most scripted shows audience participation is not necessary. Yelling comments at the stage, making your own jokes in response to our jokes, and making noises to attract attention to yourself and away from the stage are inappropriate. They don't make you friends of the audience or the performers. Theatre has etiquette and if you can't maintain that etiquette maybe it's not your venue.
So, share this post. Share the 24-Hour Theatre Event (and other local theatre happenings). Come fill the Orpheum Theatre. You don't get an opportunity for these kind of locally grown theatre events very often. Who knows? You might see the beginning of the next Pulitzer Prize winning drama. There's a chance you will see a beautifully crafted piece of theatre that will never be performed again. But we need an audience to make it magical. Be in that audience. Thank you!
Here's a link to some Broadway Theatre Etiquette. Yes, I think it applies to local community theatre as well. http://www.nytix.com/Links/Broadway/Articles/etiquette.html
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Props, Part 2
The last post was about props and how they should be used. I approached it in a general sense. No specifics. This makes sense given it's difficult to be detailed without knowing which prop I will be using (and it's not solely my decision). So, which prop will I be using? I can make an educated guess, because Magic Valley Rep is a young theatre group. I've been involved in a few of their shows over the past year. This allowed me to see many of the props they have on hand.
Of course, that is working from a major assumption: the organizers are going to use props that they already have. It makes financial sense. Props cost money, therefore, if you're using existing props you aren't spending money. Also, you're adding value to the props you have already purchased. Their repeated use makes the money spent on them justifiable.
However, props are not always expensive. There are many things that can be purchased cheaply and still make wonderful props. Three new props could cost less than $10, the price of a single balcony seat for most shows at the Orpheum. Sell an extra seat and you've paid for your props. Also, if you have storage room getting new props increases your production values. You never know what props you'll need in the future. So, with the endless possibility of new props it is unlikely to guess the props that will be used in the project. Dangit.
What to do?
Well, satisfy myself with guessing the types of props that will be used. While there is not a definitive list of prop "types" (or maybe there is, I don't know), I decided to organize props by categories based on stores you might go to or departments in a supermarket. What follows does not follow that analogy at all, but I liked the idea so I put it in anyway.
Weapons
Guns, knives, swords, and a variety of objects that you might find in a game of Clue. This category includes all objects intended to hurt or kill a person or animal. My mind just flashed on a cannon which is an object designed to kill many people at the same time. I think in most cases a cannon would be considered more of a set piece than a prop, but it could definitely be a prop. That would be pretty awesome. I know a guy who has a cannon. Maybe he would let us borrow it...
A weapon is quite versatile. Weapons can lead to dramatic fights where no one dies. Or everyone dies. Either way, fights are exciting. Weapons help heroes overcoming villains and weapons allow villains to murder victims. A weapon might be an insight into the past: a relic hung on a wall and taken down for dusting but otherwise unused. Weapons can be used for attack or defense.
This is the trick: When a weapon is brought into a play the audience wonders, "Will anyone die?" Given the darker nature of humanity there is often a desire that someone will die. The audience will be disappointed if no one dies. The weapons theatrical treatment needs to be carefully handled. If someone dies, when do they die? At the very beginning or at the climax? What about in the last seconds of the production? If someone is going to die, why are they going to die? Have you convinced the audience that it makes sense? Correction, they why should probably come first. Finally, if you're not going to kill anyone can you justify it to the audience. If you cannot explain the weapons lack of use (or misuse) the audience will be unsatisfied.
Still, even with these concerns I think a weapon is a highly likely prop.
Jewelry
Whether given as a gift, the object of a heist, or the focus of a character's ego, jewelry makes a wonderful prop to drive a story. Is there a downside? Yes, size. Jewelry is often tiny and difficult to see from a distance. A beautiful ring practically disappears on stage. In fact, in many cases it is the idea of the jewelry that is more important than the jewelry itself. That alone makes it a wonderful prop.
Sports Equipment
Soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, football, rugby, tennis, bowling, etc. (I apologize if I missed your favorite sport). It's a little odd how different sports can quickly set different tones. For example, in "Dial M for Murder" a character is a tennis player. It wouldn't have worked as well if he had been a basketball player or a football player. I know, it's stereotypical, but I still believe it. With our preconceived notions about sports and their athletes, sports equipment can shape the direction of a show and audience expectations.
Also, some of it can be used as a weapon too. Just ask this guy:
Food
Okay, if I'm completely serious this one should be last. They are not going to use food as a prop. However, I've seen food used as a prop too many times to not include it on my list. Personal favorites are the candy bars used in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and the cucumber sandwiches used in "The Importance of Being Earnest." I was directly involved in the latter as we discussed whether real sandwiches should be used; food and drinks are generally mimed on stage for good reason. After it was agreed they needed to be used it was a wonderful period of experimentation with how many sandwiches, how small they needed to be, could we make them palatable to the actor, and could the actor finish them in the allotted time without choking.
As a quick edit, I'm adding into the food category all the kitchen wares & housewares associated with food, cooking, and cleaning up after.
Electronics
Including phones, CD players, boomboxes (channel your inner Lloyd Dobler), radios, walkie talkies, turn tables. The list goes on and on. They make for a more modern play depending on the specific electronic device, and are easily obtained. That makes for great props.
And turn tables makes me think of...
Musical Instruments
I'm not going to make a list here, but musical instruments are such great props. Even better if you have an actor who can play it. I don't play well, but I still have taken my Mandolin on stage for wonderful effect. Holmes has his Violin. Sir Robin has his Piano. The cast of Company has the plethora of instruments. And of course, the best instrument prop ever: the blue french horn.
Hats
Probably more appropriate in costumes, I put hats by themselves because hats can be the essence of a character. Sometimes a good hat is all you need to make a character come to life. This is part of the reason we describe our different roles in daily life as the hats we wear.
Animals
I can't leave this blog post without mentioning animals. No, I don't mean real animals (though I have seen those on stage). I mean rubber chickens, animal puppets, birds in cages. Dead parrots. People and animals are so connected that having them on stage immediately makes people feel more honest. They have a cat? Of course they have a cat. Why wouldn't they have a pet?
And I think I will stop there. There are lots of other possibilities. It would be a Herculean effort to list all the possibilities. However, I'm fairly confident about the prop falling into one of the aforementioned categories. What do you think?
Of course, that is working from a major assumption: the organizers are going to use props that they already have. It makes financial sense. Props cost money, therefore, if you're using existing props you aren't spending money. Also, you're adding value to the props you have already purchased. Their repeated use makes the money spent on them justifiable.
However, props are not always expensive. There are many things that can be purchased cheaply and still make wonderful props. Three new props could cost less than $10, the price of a single balcony seat for most shows at the Orpheum. Sell an extra seat and you've paid for your props. Also, if you have storage room getting new props increases your production values. You never know what props you'll need in the future. So, with the endless possibility of new props it is unlikely to guess the props that will be used in the project. Dangit.
What to do?
Well, satisfy myself with guessing the types of props that will be used. While there is not a definitive list of prop "types" (or maybe there is, I don't know), I decided to organize props by categories based on stores you might go to or departments in a supermarket. What follows does not follow that analogy at all, but I liked the idea so I put it in anyway.
Weapons
Guns, knives, swords, and a variety of objects that you might find in a game of Clue. This category includes all objects intended to hurt or kill a person or animal. My mind just flashed on a cannon which is an object designed to kill many people at the same time. I think in most cases a cannon would be considered more of a set piece than a prop, but it could definitely be a prop. That would be pretty awesome. I know a guy who has a cannon. Maybe he would let us borrow it...
A weapon is quite versatile. Weapons can lead to dramatic fights where no one dies. Or everyone dies. Either way, fights are exciting. Weapons help heroes overcoming villains and weapons allow villains to murder victims. A weapon might be an insight into the past: a relic hung on a wall and taken down for dusting but otherwise unused. Weapons can be used for attack or defense.
This is the trick: When a weapon is brought into a play the audience wonders, "Will anyone die?" Given the darker nature of humanity there is often a desire that someone will die. The audience will be disappointed if no one dies. The weapons theatrical treatment needs to be carefully handled. If someone dies, when do they die? At the very beginning or at the climax? What about in the last seconds of the production? If someone is going to die, why are they going to die? Have you convinced the audience that it makes sense? Correction, they why should probably come first. Finally, if you're not going to kill anyone can you justify it to the audience. If you cannot explain the weapons lack of use (or misuse) the audience will be unsatisfied.
Still, even with these concerns I think a weapon is a highly likely prop.
Jewelry
Whether given as a gift, the object of a heist, or the focus of a character's ego, jewelry makes a wonderful prop to drive a story. Is there a downside? Yes, size. Jewelry is often tiny and difficult to see from a distance. A beautiful ring practically disappears on stage. In fact, in many cases it is the idea of the jewelry that is more important than the jewelry itself. That alone makes it a wonderful prop.
Sports Equipment
Soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, football, rugby, tennis, bowling, etc. (I apologize if I missed your favorite sport). It's a little odd how different sports can quickly set different tones. For example, in "Dial M for Murder" a character is a tennis player. It wouldn't have worked as well if he had been a basketball player or a football player. I know, it's stereotypical, but I still believe it. With our preconceived notions about sports and their athletes, sports equipment can shape the direction of a show and audience expectations.
Also, some of it can be used as a weapon too. Just ask this guy:
Food
Okay, if I'm completely serious this one should be last. They are not going to use food as a prop. However, I've seen food used as a prop too many times to not include it on my list. Personal favorites are the candy bars used in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and the cucumber sandwiches used in "The Importance of Being Earnest." I was directly involved in the latter as we discussed whether real sandwiches should be used; food and drinks are generally mimed on stage for good reason. After it was agreed they needed to be used it was a wonderful period of experimentation with how many sandwiches, how small they needed to be, could we make them palatable to the actor, and could the actor finish them in the allotted time without choking.
As a quick edit, I'm adding into the food category all the kitchen wares & housewares associated with food, cooking, and cleaning up after.
Electronics
Including phones, CD players, boomboxes (channel your inner Lloyd Dobler), radios, walkie talkies, turn tables. The list goes on and on. They make for a more modern play depending on the specific electronic device, and are easily obtained. That makes for great props.
And turn tables makes me think of...
Musical Instruments
I'm not going to make a list here, but musical instruments are such great props. Even better if you have an actor who can play it. I don't play well, but I still have taken my Mandolin on stage for wonderful effect. Holmes has his Violin. Sir Robin has his Piano. The cast of Company has the plethora of instruments. And of course, the best instrument prop ever: the blue french horn.
Hats
Probably more appropriate in costumes, I put hats by themselves because hats can be the essence of a character. Sometimes a good hat is all you need to make a character come to life. This is part of the reason we describe our different roles in daily life as the hats we wear.
Animals
I can't leave this blog post without mentioning animals. No, I don't mean real animals (though I have seen those on stage). I mean rubber chickens, animal puppets, birds in cages. Dead parrots. People and animals are so connected that having them on stage immediately makes people feel more honest. They have a cat? Of course they have a cat. Why wouldn't they have a pet?
And I think I will stop there. There are lots of other possibilities. It would be a Herculean effort to list all the possibilities. However, I'm fairly confident about the prop falling into one of the aforementioned categories. What do you think?
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Props
I've covered teams, genres, and Shakespeare lines. I guess it's time to cover props.
Props are not necessary to theatre. In fact, if a prop is unavailable it can often be mimed that suffices. There are a number of familiar actions that serve well as representations as physical objects because they are so readily recognized. In fact, some plays have been written with the intent of miming the props (or using people as props) to great effect. Still, seeing an object in a person's hand can add dramatic value to a show. Props can also be good fun.
For example, my first year of high school I was in "Crazy For You". One scene takes place in a bar; someone had procured a pair of beer mugs that were colored to appear half-full of beer. One day, outside of rehearsal, a few friends and I were hanging out in the theatre waiting for classes to begin. As we joked around I grabbed the beer mug and mimed throwing beer into one of the girl's face (my theatre teachers never taught me to not touch other people's props. Don't touch other people's props). To my great horror I heard liquid as it sloshed in the glass I was propelling forward. Too late to halt the motion I could only watch as I threw water on my friend during middle of the school day. The moment scared me quite a bit as was evident from my dropped jaw and bugged eyes.
She, on the other hand, was laughing uproariously at the look on my face. The mugs were novelty glasses with a layer of water trapped between the inside and the outside of the mug. I hadn't realized this; when I picked up the mug I had not expected to hear liquid sloshing. This amused my for days and days and days. See props can be fun!
So how are we going to use props in the 24-hour theatre project? This is going to take some explaining. Set the way back machine to 2004 (or thereabouts). In college I gave up stage theater for improvisation. Okay, I was too afraid to audition for staged theatre despite being told multiple times that they always needed more men. I was foolish and regret it a little. Fortunately, I found an improv group willing to train me. I don't regret a moment of my time learning improv. A lot of who I am today is because of the years spent with that group. Anyway, the improv troupe had two suitcases filled with "props". The props were an assortment of wigs, hats, and clothes that could be used as costume pieces. There were also random objects that could be used in a variety of ways. And we did! The brilliant thing about these props was that they could be used on a blank stage to establish character or situation quickly. They were unnecessary, but they added depth to the performance.
To reminisce a little I asked the old group what some of their favorite props were. Included in that list were: a lampshade, a squeegee, a baby doll (that was used as a prosthetic leg), and some feather boas. Feather boas are fabulous, every improv group should have a couple on hand, just in case. People from outside that improv group also mentioned a chicken (I'm assuming rubber) and a fully-dressed blow-up doll. I wanted to reiterate how much fun those props can be, but the possibility of double entendre is too strong to risk it.
Besides our everyday props, my improv group would occasionally play a game called "Props", made popular by 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'. You can see clips from their games below:
On a brief side note, you'll notice jokes or their variations repeated in that clip. Honestly, it's one of the best tricks to improv. You have a few solid go-to jokes that you can use in a lot of situations. You don't use them every performance, but they are there when you need them. Plus, they're subtle enough that unless someone watch the shows in rapid succession the audience won't notice.
"Props" is a fun game because it requires you to use your imagination to see what a prop could be, not what it is. This is especially important in 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' because it appears many of their props are custom made and aren't recognizable everyday objects. When my group played Props we took donations from the audience, often weird items we would throw out to the players to use. I remember a chimney broom and a road cone among props that we used in this fashion. I don't know where they got the props, I don't want to know, I just wanted to make jokes with them. Because (say it with me) PROPS ARE FUN!
Of course, those experiences are almost pointless because props in scripted theatre are rarely for making jokes or finding novel ways to use them. They are for helping us create an experience, and they are generally used in familiar ways. This helps the audience connect with the setting or characters quickly. Still, there are things that we can learn from improv about using props in shows. For example, some props will produce the same impression in most people when they see them. This props is a ________ and it should be used like this _________. Fill in the blank and 95% of people will agree with you. It's accurate, it's predictable, it's comforting. It's great to use a prop in this fashion because it satisfies the audience. However, it is better when you use the prop in an unexpected fashion, but you still satisfy the audience.
How do you do it? A year ago I was teaching improv to kids. They were doing a word association game and shouting connections to peanut butter on their turn. They came up with an impressive list, but one item on the list stood out to me. So, when I did it with the second group I used peanut butter again in the hopes that I could illustrate a point. The second group came up with a wonderful list including Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter sandwiches, Peanut Butter toast, Peanut Butter cookies, and other things I have probably forgotten. They did not, however, get the item that stood out to me from the first group. It wasn't an obvious association and had been missed. So, I explained the concept of unexpected things that satisfy expectations. Then I told them the item they hadn't thought of: Celery. You could see the realization in their faces. Of course, Celery! It's not the first thing people expect when you talk about peanut butter, but it is a great association that makes sense to people. Super satisfactory. Probably more so for being unexpected.
We get the same experience in good books and movies. An ending pleases us when we should have seen it coming, it makes sense, all the connections are their, but we didn't see it. It's unexpected and meets expectations. So, I think a goal in the planning phase of our one-act plays is to see what ways we can use the prop in an unexpected fashion. What twist can we give it that will surprise and delight the audience while still staying true to their expectations? That will be a fun challenge.
Next post will be what types of props we will be given! Look forward to it. Please!
Props are not necessary to theatre. In fact, if a prop is unavailable it can often be mimed that suffices. There are a number of familiar actions that serve well as representations as physical objects because they are so readily recognized. In fact, some plays have been written with the intent of miming the props (or using people as props) to great effect. Still, seeing an object in a person's hand can add dramatic value to a show. Props can also be good fun.
For example, my first year of high school I was in "Crazy For You". One scene takes place in a bar; someone had procured a pair of beer mugs that were colored to appear half-full of beer. One day, outside of rehearsal, a few friends and I were hanging out in the theatre waiting for classes to begin. As we joked around I grabbed the beer mug and mimed throwing beer into one of the girl's face (my theatre teachers never taught me to not touch other people's props. Don't touch other people's props). To my great horror I heard liquid as it sloshed in the glass I was propelling forward. Too late to halt the motion I could only watch as I threw water on my friend during middle of the school day. The moment scared me quite a bit as was evident from my dropped jaw and bugged eyes.
She, on the other hand, was laughing uproariously at the look on my face. The mugs were novelty glasses with a layer of water trapped between the inside and the outside of the mug. I hadn't realized this; when I picked up the mug I had not expected to hear liquid sloshing. This amused my for days and days and days. See props can be fun!
So how are we going to use props in the 24-hour theatre project? This is going to take some explaining. Set the way back machine to 2004 (or thereabouts). In college I gave up stage theater for improvisation. Okay, I was too afraid to audition for staged theatre despite being told multiple times that they always needed more men. I was foolish and regret it a little. Fortunately, I found an improv group willing to train me. I don't regret a moment of my time learning improv. A lot of who I am today is because of the years spent with that group. Anyway, the improv troupe had two suitcases filled with "props". The props were an assortment of wigs, hats, and clothes that could be used as costume pieces. There were also random objects that could be used in a variety of ways. And we did! The brilliant thing about these props was that they could be used on a blank stage to establish character or situation quickly. They were unnecessary, but they added depth to the performance.
To reminisce a little I asked the old group what some of their favorite props were. Included in that list were: a lampshade, a squeegee, a baby doll (that was used as a prosthetic leg), and some feather boas. Feather boas are fabulous, every improv group should have a couple on hand, just in case. People from outside that improv group also mentioned a chicken (I'm assuming rubber) and a fully-dressed blow-up doll. I wanted to reiterate how much fun those props can be, but the possibility of double entendre is too strong to risk it.
Besides our everyday props, my improv group would occasionally play a game called "Props", made popular by 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'. You can see clips from their games below:
On a brief side note, you'll notice jokes or their variations repeated in that clip. Honestly, it's one of the best tricks to improv. You have a few solid go-to jokes that you can use in a lot of situations. You don't use them every performance, but they are there when you need them. Plus, they're subtle enough that unless someone watch the shows in rapid succession the audience won't notice.
"Props" is a fun game because it requires you to use your imagination to see what a prop could be, not what it is. This is especially important in 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' because it appears many of their props are custom made and aren't recognizable everyday objects. When my group played Props we took donations from the audience, often weird items we would throw out to the players to use. I remember a chimney broom and a road cone among props that we used in this fashion. I don't know where they got the props, I don't want to know, I just wanted to make jokes with them. Because (say it with me) PROPS ARE FUN!
Of course, those experiences are almost pointless because props in scripted theatre are rarely for making jokes or finding novel ways to use them. They are for helping us create an experience, and they are generally used in familiar ways. This helps the audience connect with the setting or characters quickly. Still, there are things that we can learn from improv about using props in shows. For example, some props will produce the same impression in most people when they see them. This props is a ________ and it should be used like this _________. Fill in the blank and 95% of people will agree with you. It's accurate, it's predictable, it's comforting. It's great to use a prop in this fashion because it satisfies the audience. However, it is better when you use the prop in an unexpected fashion, but you still satisfy the audience.
How do you do it? A year ago I was teaching improv to kids. They were doing a word association game and shouting connections to peanut butter on their turn. They came up with an impressive list, but one item on the list stood out to me. So, when I did it with the second group I used peanut butter again in the hopes that I could illustrate a point. The second group came up with a wonderful list including Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter sandwiches, Peanut Butter toast, Peanut Butter cookies, and other things I have probably forgotten. They did not, however, get the item that stood out to me from the first group. It wasn't an obvious association and had been missed. So, I explained the concept of unexpected things that satisfy expectations. Then I told them the item they hadn't thought of: Celery. You could see the realization in their faces. Of course, Celery! It's not the first thing people expect when you talk about peanut butter, but it is a great association that makes sense to people. Super satisfactory. Probably more so for being unexpected.
We get the same experience in good books and movies. An ending pleases us when we should have seen it coming, it makes sense, all the connections are their, but we didn't see it. It's unexpected and meets expectations. So, I think a goal in the planning phase of our one-act plays is to see what ways we can use the prop in an unexpected fashion. What twist can we give it that will surprise and delight the audience while still staying true to their expectations? That will be a fun challenge.
Next post will be what types of props we will be given! Look forward to it. Please!
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
An Aside
I need to express a concern. It's not a real concern. It's a small concern. Okay, it's not a concern at all. It's mostly an excuse for me to tell a small story. A way to expand the blog for another post. I know I don't have enough posts to last the 3 1/2 weeks until the project starts. I've counted. So a small filler post is what you get.
One of my favorite past times is games. Among games, I particularly enjoy tabletop role-playing. This involves gathering together with friends, creating fictional characters, and then using those characters to tell a story. Numbers are generally used to represent the character's strengths, weaknesses, and talents. Dice are generally used to reflect the randomness of life or, more accurately, the opportunity for failure. Dungeons and Dragons is the most familiar version of this type of gaming but there are others; my friends and I prefer self-created versions known as home-brewed.
Generally, one of the players is in charge of creating the story. They are called the "Game Master" (GM) or other variations of ____ master. The GM presents the player with options, narrates the setting, describes the outcome of character choices, and controls the opponents.
The group I am in tries to take turns in the role as GM. However, my friend Kevin (name changed) is incredibly skilled at it. His stories are delightful and his ability to adapt to unexpected choices from the players only enhances the experience of playing games with him. He is good at determining short-term consequences, and then merging those into unexpected long term consequences. He sees the entire picture. I enjoy talking to him about story because he seems to have an intuitive understanding of what makes a good interactive story. He should be writing Choose Your Own Adventure books. Instead he became a doctor. Go figure.
Kevin's ability as a storyteller becomes problematic for him when he is a player instead of the GM. Several times when I have been the GM I have presented the characters with a scenario for them to resolve and Kevin's brain goes to work. He imagines all the potential solutions to the problem and comes up with some clever ways of resolving the situation. He also considers possible outcomes. He especially considers (though I know he tries not to) what he would do if he was the GM. Then he has an epiphany about what I am going to do and says it out loud to the other players. And he's completely wrong. But, in this way, he has unintentionally given me better ideas than I previously had. Worse, the ideas he had supplied generally made life more difficult for the players. It generally causes all of the players a lot of grief (thought I still try and keep the game fun)
Sometimes you can see it on Kevin's face. He knows he said too much and instantly regrets it. He should have kept his mouth shut.
I'm having that same feeling as I write this blog. I am fairly sure that some of the 24-Hour theatre project organizers are reading the blog. I might be giving them ideas. Bad ideas. Things that I don't want them to do. Shakespeare lines I don't want them to use. Genres that I would rather not try and work under. It gives me a little, "Oh dear" feeling.
But...this isn't really a concern. The organizers are not going to give the cast grief just to give us grief. If they do get any ideas from this blog I am sure it will only be for the benefit of the performance. Still, I can't help but wonder "Should I keep my mouth shut?"
One of my favorite past times is games. Among games, I particularly enjoy tabletop role-playing. This involves gathering together with friends, creating fictional characters, and then using those characters to tell a story. Numbers are generally used to represent the character's strengths, weaknesses, and talents. Dice are generally used to reflect the randomness of life or, more accurately, the opportunity for failure. Dungeons and Dragons is the most familiar version of this type of gaming but there are others; my friends and I prefer self-created versions known as home-brewed.
Generally, one of the players is in charge of creating the story. They are called the "Game Master" (GM) or other variations of ____ master. The GM presents the player with options, narrates the setting, describes the outcome of character choices, and controls the opponents.
The group I am in tries to take turns in the role as GM. However, my friend Kevin (name changed) is incredibly skilled at it. His stories are delightful and his ability to adapt to unexpected choices from the players only enhances the experience of playing games with him. He is good at determining short-term consequences, and then merging those into unexpected long term consequences. He sees the entire picture. I enjoy talking to him about story because he seems to have an intuitive understanding of what makes a good interactive story. He should be writing Choose Your Own Adventure books. Instead he became a doctor. Go figure.
Kevin's ability as a storyteller becomes problematic for him when he is a player instead of the GM. Several times when I have been the GM I have presented the characters with a scenario for them to resolve and Kevin's brain goes to work. He imagines all the potential solutions to the problem and comes up with some clever ways of resolving the situation. He also considers possible outcomes. He especially considers (though I know he tries not to) what he would do if he was the GM. Then he has an epiphany about what I am going to do and says it out loud to the other players. And he's completely wrong. But, in this way, he has unintentionally given me better ideas than I previously had. Worse, the ideas he had supplied generally made life more difficult for the players. It generally causes all of the players a lot of grief (thought I still try and keep the game fun)
Sometimes you can see it on Kevin's face. He knows he said too much and instantly regrets it. He should have kept his mouth shut.
I'm having that same feeling as I write this blog. I am fairly sure that some of the 24-Hour theatre project organizers are reading the blog. I might be giving them ideas. Bad ideas. Things that I don't want them to do. Shakespeare lines I don't want them to use. Genres that I would rather not try and work under. It gives me a little, "Oh dear" feeling.
But...this isn't really a concern. The organizers are not going to give the cast grief just to give us grief. If they do get any ideas from this blog I am sure it will only be for the benefit of the performance. Still, I can't help but wonder "Should I keep my mouth shut?"
Sunday, August 21, 2016
The Bard Says...
Through the course of his career in both play and poetry Shakespeare wrote 884,647 words and 118,406 lines.. This according to the Folger Shakespeare Library citing Spevack's concordances. You can tell I'm stepping things up on this blog now. Citations and everything.Trying to decide which 3 of those lines are going to be used in the 24-Hour Theatre project is an impossible task. I'm not even going to undertake it.
But I can guess what type of lines will be used. In my opinion, the lines need to be recognizable to the average person, but don't draw attention to themselves. They should be classic lines, but not overly used. This rules out such lines as "To be or not to be", "What light through yonder window breaks", and "Kenneth Branagh who?". And yes, I stole that joke from Black Adder for those of you who are familiar with Rowan Atkinson's history spanning British sitcom.
Lines more likely to be used are "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow" or "Oh what a tangled web we weave". They are still familiar and easily written into a narrative without drawing attention. The line is there, but you're not going to pull people out of the story when it is said. I have one other such line, but I'm not going to share it. I actually think this line is going to be used (based on what I know about the organizers). So why not share it? You know that disappointed feeling you get when you're trying to surprise someone and they guess the surprise? I don't want that to happen. Suffice it to say it's from one of the histories. One of the Henry's.
Here's what I actually want to talk about: How much attention do you give the Shakespeare line? Do you title your one-act play with the line and make it an integral part of the piece? Does it become the theme that the entire story builds around? Or is it better to just slip it in during a place it flows and then move on without paying any attention to it? As I consider possible ways to use a given line in a play I feel a little like a Chopped contestant. They have four ingredients that they have to use in their dishes somehow. Then they judges tell them, "I wish you could have made the licorice nibs more of the star of the dish instead of barely throwing them in there." But the rules never said contestants had to make all the ingredients stand out and be noticed. They just said they had to use them.
Is that what's going to happen to my group? We'll follow the rules, use the line, but it will be so sly that the organizers will accuse us of not using the line as well as we could have? Probably not. They're not that type. But they might be secretly disappointed. I hate disappointing people.
My inclination is to not draw attention to the line. Let the play speak for itself and let the Shakespeare blend in. That brings up another point. Can we modify the line slightly to help it blend into our play? Questions to be considered. Answers not available yet.
As a final part of this blog post, I asked my Facebook friends for their favorite Shakespeare lines. I don't believe most of them will be used, but they're too good not to be shared. If you want to add some please do so in the comments!
-This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
-Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
-You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.
-Do it, England.
-No.(Okay, this one will probably end up in all three plays)
-Frailty, thy name is 'woman.
-Oh that I were a man I would eat his heart in the marketplace.
-Get thee to a nunnery.
-A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse.
-There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
-If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
-Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more.
Men were deceivers ever,
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny.
Sing no more ditties, sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so
Since summer first was leafy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey, nonny, nonny.
-Out damned spot! Out I say!
-I am Sir Oracle, I when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!
Bonus points if you can name what play the line came from without looking it up. More bonus points if you can name the character who said it. If this was a quiz, I'd be failing it.
But I can guess what type of lines will be used. In my opinion, the lines need to be recognizable to the average person, but don't draw attention to themselves. They should be classic lines, but not overly used. This rules out such lines as "To be or not to be", "What light through yonder window breaks", and "Kenneth Branagh who?". And yes, I stole that joke from Black Adder for those of you who are familiar with Rowan Atkinson's history spanning British sitcom.
Lines more likely to be used are "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow" or "Oh what a tangled web we weave". They are still familiar and easily written into a narrative without drawing attention. The line is there, but you're not going to pull people out of the story when it is said. I have one other such line, but I'm not going to share it. I actually think this line is going to be used (based on what I know about the organizers). So why not share it? You know that disappointed feeling you get when you're trying to surprise someone and they guess the surprise? I don't want that to happen. Suffice it to say it's from one of the histories. One of the Henry's.
Here's what I actually want to talk about: How much attention do you give the Shakespeare line? Do you title your one-act play with the line and make it an integral part of the piece? Does it become the theme that the entire story builds around? Or is it better to just slip it in during a place it flows and then move on without paying any attention to it? As I consider possible ways to use a given line in a play I feel a little like a Chopped contestant. They have four ingredients that they have to use in their dishes somehow. Then they judges tell them, "I wish you could have made the licorice nibs more of the star of the dish instead of barely throwing them in there." But the rules never said contestants had to make all the ingredients stand out and be noticed. They just said they had to use them.
Is that what's going to happen to my group? We'll follow the rules, use the line, but it will be so sly that the organizers will accuse us of not using the line as well as we could have? Probably not. They're not that type. But they might be secretly disappointed. I hate disappointing people.
My inclination is to not draw attention to the line. Let the play speak for itself and let the Shakespeare blend in. That brings up another point. Can we modify the line slightly to help it blend into our play? Questions to be considered. Answers not available yet.
As a final part of this blog post, I asked my Facebook friends for their favorite Shakespeare lines. I don't believe most of them will be used, but they're too good not to be shared. If you want to add some please do so in the comments!
-This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
-Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
-You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.
-Do it, England.
-No.(Okay, this one will probably end up in all three plays)
-Frailty, thy name is 'woman.
-Oh that I were a man I would eat his heart in the marketplace.
-Get thee to a nunnery.
-A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse.
-There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
-If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
-Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more.
Men were deceivers ever,
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny.
Sing no more ditties, sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so
Since summer first was leafy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey, nonny, nonny.
-Out damned spot! Out I say!
-I am Sir Oracle, I when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!
Bonus points if you can name what play the line came from without looking it up. More bonus points if you can name the character who said it. If this was a quiz, I'd be failing it.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Genres
The invitation includes a list of requirements for each one-act play. The first requirement is theatrical genre. Each team will be given a theatrical genre. They might all receive the same genre, but the wording implies (to me) that each team will get a separate genre. Three teams = three genres. So which genres are most likely? I can think of a few genres off the top of my head, but I was curious what my theatre minded friends would come up with. Here's the list from a Facebook post:
Musical Theater, Comedy, Tragedy, Theater of the Absurd, Theater of Cruelty, Shakespeare, Farce, Tragicomedy, Melodrama, Mummers, Historical, Restorative, and Satirical. Wikipedia provides this list: Comedy, Tragedy, Historical, Musical Theatre, Theater of Cruelty, Theater of the Absurd. Comedy is further broken down into Farce, Satirical, & Restoration Comedy. I would add the genres of dinner theatre, mysteries, thrillers, and any combination of the above (e.g.--comedy thriller).
That's an extensive list, but it should be straightforward to pare it down to a more manageable and more likely lists of genres for the project.
Shakespeare gets eliminated first; another part of the project is to incorporate a Shakespeare line into the play (that will be the next blog post so be thinking). Also, asking a group to come up with a cohesive iambic pentameter script in just 24 hours is a bit extreme. Even if they could write it that quickly, getting them to memorize it would be more difficult. There is more to Shakespeare than iambic pentameter; it doesn't change anything. Shakespeare will not be one of the genres. Besides, Shakespeare is more of a style than a genre. Within his writing he had other genres often broken down into comedy, tragedy, history, and romance.
Next to cross off are absurdist theater, theater of cruelty, and mummers. I don't mean to be rude, egotistical, or to underestimate my collaborators but I think the entire trio would be eliminated because they are less familiar theatre formats. If you don't know what it is in the first place, how are you supposed to create it? Also, would the audience be interested in seeing any of those genres if they were not expecting to see them? No. Also, as a form mummers is probably too limited for this project.
After those are gone I am ruling out historical. Historical plays require research to gain intimate knowledge on the subject. Twenty-four hours is not enough time to do that well.
Dinner theatre gets eliminated because the venue isn't right for dinner theatre.
Musical theatre should probably be ruled out, but I wouldn't put it past the organizers to sneak it in. Many of the cast members are accomplished musical theatre performers and could probably pull this off is necessary.
I would eliminate farce, satire, restorative comedy, and any other sub-genre of comedy. Comedy as an over-arching genre stays. This would give a group a chance to be humorous, but give them a lot of leeway for how they could be humorous. Demanding a farce (or other sub-genre) is too limiting, especially for a first project. I also know that the organizers are big fans of comedy, have participated in improv comedy, and that the cast are quite the crew of irreverent jokers. It would be a crime not to have comedy as a genre.
If comedy is staying, then so is tragedy. Tragedy is a good foil to comedy. It will give the audience variety.
That means one more genre left for the last team. Our options are thriller/mystery (yeah, I'm lumping them together), melodrama, or tragicomedy. And romance. Let's not forget Shakespeare's romantic genre. Personally, I would enjoy writing a thriller, but I am not sure the organizers will. Creating a good mystery with clues, misdirects, twists, scares, etc. is demanding. It would be an amazing challenge. It won't happen in this project.
I can't find a reason to eliminate melodrama, tragicomedy, or romance. So, to do well I should study the essential elements of comedy, tragedy, melodrama, and romance. I had considered writing a little about each of the genres here, but this blog post is already a little long. Maybe that will be my next post.
What do you think? Is there a genre I missed? Which genres would you like to see in the upcoming project? Would you rather 3 different genres or all groups to perform in the same genre? Respond in the comments!
Musical Theater, Comedy, Tragedy, Theater of the Absurd, Theater of Cruelty, Shakespeare, Farce, Tragicomedy, Melodrama, Mummers, Historical, Restorative, and Satirical. Wikipedia provides this list: Comedy, Tragedy, Historical, Musical Theatre, Theater of Cruelty, Theater of the Absurd. Comedy is further broken down into Farce, Satirical, & Restoration Comedy. I would add the genres of dinner theatre, mysteries, thrillers, and any combination of the above (e.g.--comedy thriller).
That's an extensive list, but it should be straightforward to pare it down to a more manageable and more likely lists of genres for the project.
Shakespeare gets eliminated first; another part of the project is to incorporate a Shakespeare line into the play (that will be the next blog post so be thinking). Also, asking a group to come up with a cohesive iambic pentameter script in just 24 hours is a bit extreme. Even if they could write it that quickly, getting them to memorize it would be more difficult. There is more to Shakespeare than iambic pentameter; it doesn't change anything. Shakespeare will not be one of the genres. Besides, Shakespeare is more of a style than a genre. Within his writing he had other genres often broken down into comedy, tragedy, history, and romance.
Next to cross off are absurdist theater, theater of cruelty, and mummers. I don't mean to be rude, egotistical, or to underestimate my collaborators but I think the entire trio would be eliminated because they are less familiar theatre formats. If you don't know what it is in the first place, how are you supposed to create it? Also, would the audience be interested in seeing any of those genres if they were not expecting to see them? No. Also, as a form mummers is probably too limited for this project.
After those are gone I am ruling out historical. Historical plays require research to gain intimate knowledge on the subject. Twenty-four hours is not enough time to do that well.
Dinner theatre gets eliminated because the venue isn't right for dinner theatre.
Musical theatre should probably be ruled out, but I wouldn't put it past the organizers to sneak it in. Many of the cast members are accomplished musical theatre performers and could probably pull this off is necessary.
I would eliminate farce, satire, restorative comedy, and any other sub-genre of comedy. Comedy as an over-arching genre stays. This would give a group a chance to be humorous, but give them a lot of leeway for how they could be humorous. Demanding a farce (or other sub-genre) is too limiting, especially for a first project. I also know that the organizers are big fans of comedy, have participated in improv comedy, and that the cast are quite the crew of irreverent jokers. It would be a crime not to have comedy as a genre.
If comedy is staying, then so is tragedy. Tragedy is a good foil to comedy. It will give the audience variety.
That means one more genre left for the last team. Our options are thriller/mystery (yeah, I'm lumping them together), melodrama, or tragicomedy. And romance. Let's not forget Shakespeare's romantic genre. Personally, I would enjoy writing a thriller, but I am not sure the organizers will. Creating a good mystery with clues, misdirects, twists, scares, etc. is demanding. It would be an amazing challenge. It won't happen in this project.
I can't find a reason to eliminate melodrama, tragicomedy, or romance. So, to do well I should study the essential elements of comedy, tragedy, melodrama, and romance. I had considered writing a little about each of the genres here, but this blog post is already a little long. Maybe that will be my next post.
What do you think? Is there a genre I missed? Which genres would you like to see in the upcoming project? Would you rather 3 different genres or all groups to perform in the same genre? Respond in the comments!
Monday, August 15, 2016
Teams
My first curiosity about this project was the other participants. Who were the 14 people I would work with? Unfortunately, the same person who invited me to the project had sealed lips. Of course, not everyone's lips were as sealed and at Fantasticks rehearsals on Wednesday night I got a few tidbits about who was joining the group from some people who had also been invited. Still, I had to wait a few more days to find out the rest of the cast:
Meghan, Aaron, Amelia, Shelby, Julie, Aiden, Rebecca, Michael, Dale, Laura, True, Jennifer, Brendan, Justin and Mike.
To save space, time, and add a little bit of privacy I am only using first names. However, you can find full details about the project and the cast here!
Of the 14 other people in the project I have worked with 12 of them; I have not had a chance to work with Shelby or Aiden. Among those I know there is not a single person I wouldn't want on my team. As a group they are incredibly talented, creative, and dedicated. I could think of more adjectives to describe the cast, but suffice it to say I am well pleased and excited to work with all of them. Which is good because they are all my teammates. It took me a couple of days to recognize that fact.
For some reason my initial impression was that this was a competition even though, to my knowledge, the word competition has not appeared in any official project communications. I was picturing three teams trying to outdo each other as they created their one-act plays. But I am slowly realizing that this is not a competition. The other teams will be collaborators, not competitors. If a team does horribly the entire show suffers as a result. All three teams need to succeed if the show is to be a success. We are one team creating three parts of a whole show, not three teams working against each other to create three shows.
With that in mind, I still wonder who I will be privileged to work with because we don't know the teams! We are going to be divided into three teams of five in the first moments of the project. This prevents working ahead of time. No cheating. It truly needs to be 24-hours from conception to performance. However, I can still guess at the teams and there is a clue. Organizers have admitted that Amelia, Aiden, and True (the youngest cast members) will be on separate teams.
I think there are two possibilites. First, Amelia, Aiden, and True will be team "captains" and select from the remaining 12 participants to complete their teams. I really hope that is not the case because I have anxiety about being the last one picked. It's like elementary school all over again, and junior high. And high school. (Please! No!)
However, I think the more likely scenario is that the organizers are looking over the cast and carefully selecting balanced teams. The organizers have worked with all 15 cast members, often in multiple shows. They are familiar with cast members strengths and weaknesses. This should allow them to make balanced teams able to create a good end product.
Based off of that idea, here is how I have balanced the teams based off of my knowledge of the cast and a lot of guess work. I divided the team into five groups of three: Amelia, Aiden, True (given); Meghan, Shelby, Julie; Laura, Jennifer, Rebecca; Brendan, Aaron, Justin; Michael, Mike, Dale. Why these groupings? Well, there's a little rhyme and reason but not much. First off, it puts women and men into different categories so that each team will have at least two women (with Amelia's team getting three). I know that men can play women, women can play men, and that some people think people's maleness/femaleness doesn't matter, but it still is nice to have gender variety in the group. The divisions within men and women were far more random, with me trying to pair up experience into groups, but ending up being my best guesses. For example, Michael & Mike are two of the oldest participants and I reasoned that they might be separated to give multiple groups the benefit of that experience. Am I suggesting that Dale is old? Absolutely not. I just needed to fill in the third member of that group.
Then what? Take one member from each group and you have a team. Unfortunately, mathematical theory results in 243 different ways to divide up those sets into three teams. So do I have any idea what the teams will be? Absolutely not. Have I thought about which team would be amazing to watch? Yes, I have. In fact, if I wanted to have one group of five that would give me the biggest bang for my buck I know who I would put on it. Am I going to tell you? No, I'm not.
However, I would like feedback from people reading the blog. If you know the players (or even if you don't) what teams would you like to see? How do you think they will be divided up? Answer in the comments!
Meghan, Aaron, Amelia, Shelby, Julie, Aiden, Rebecca, Michael, Dale, Laura, True, Jennifer, Brendan, Justin and Mike.
To save space, time, and add a little bit of privacy I am only using first names. However, you can find full details about the project and the cast here!
Of the 14 other people in the project I have worked with 12 of them; I have not had a chance to work with Shelby or Aiden. Among those I know there is not a single person I wouldn't want on my team. As a group they are incredibly talented, creative, and dedicated. I could think of more adjectives to describe the cast, but suffice it to say I am well pleased and excited to work with all of them. Which is good because they are all my teammates. It took me a couple of days to recognize that fact.
For some reason my initial impression was that this was a competition even though, to my knowledge, the word competition has not appeared in any official project communications. I was picturing three teams trying to outdo each other as they created their one-act plays. But I am slowly realizing that this is not a competition. The other teams will be collaborators, not competitors. If a team does horribly the entire show suffers as a result. All three teams need to succeed if the show is to be a success. We are one team creating three parts of a whole show, not three teams working against each other to create three shows.
With that in mind, I still wonder who I will be privileged to work with because we don't know the teams! We are going to be divided into three teams of five in the first moments of the project. This prevents working ahead of time. No cheating. It truly needs to be 24-hours from conception to performance. However, I can still guess at the teams and there is a clue. Organizers have admitted that Amelia, Aiden, and True (the youngest cast members) will be on separate teams.
I think there are two possibilites. First, Amelia, Aiden, and True will be team "captains" and select from the remaining 12 participants to complete their teams. I really hope that is not the case because I have anxiety about being the last one picked. It's like elementary school all over again, and junior high. And high school. (Please! No!)
However, I think the more likely scenario is that the organizers are looking over the cast and carefully selecting balanced teams. The organizers have worked with all 15 cast members, often in multiple shows. They are familiar with cast members strengths and weaknesses. This should allow them to make balanced teams able to create a good end product.
Based off of that idea, here is how I have balanced the teams based off of my knowledge of the cast and a lot of guess work. I divided the team into five groups of three: Amelia, Aiden, True (given); Meghan, Shelby, Julie; Laura, Jennifer, Rebecca; Brendan, Aaron, Justin; Michael, Mike, Dale. Why these groupings? Well, there's a little rhyme and reason but not much. First off, it puts women and men into different categories so that each team will have at least two women (with Amelia's team getting three). I know that men can play women, women can play men, and that some people think people's maleness/femaleness doesn't matter, but it still is nice to have gender variety in the group. The divisions within men and women were far more random, with me trying to pair up experience into groups, but ending up being my best guesses. For example, Michael & Mike are two of the oldest participants and I reasoned that they might be separated to give multiple groups the benefit of that experience. Am I suggesting that Dale is old? Absolutely not. I just needed to fill in the third member of that group.
Then what? Take one member from each group and you have a team. Unfortunately, mathematical theory results in 243 different ways to divide up those sets into three teams. So do I have any idea what the teams will be? Absolutely not. Have I thought about which team would be amazing to watch? Yes, I have. In fact, if I wanted to have one group of five that would give me the biggest bang for my buck I know who I would put on it. Am I going to tell you? No, I'm not.
However, I would like feedback from people reading the blog. If you know the players (or even if you don't) what teams would you like to see? How do you think they will be divided up? Answer in the comments!
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Invitation and Acceptance
On Monday the 8th I came home to this unexpected message on Facebook:
Magic Valley Repertory Theatre invites you to be a part of The 24-Hour Theatre Project!
At 6:30pm on Friday, September 16, 2016, 15 local performers will assemble at the Orpheum Theatre. We would like you to be one of them!
You are being invited because you meet two qualifications. First – you have auditioned for a Magic Valley Repertory Theatre production in the past. Second – based on that audition, we think this kind of challenge is something you’d love!
Between 6:30pm and 7:00pm that night our performers will be divided into 3 teams. Each team will be given a theatrical genre, a line from one of Shakespeare's plays and one prop.
Beginning at 7:00pm Friday night, each team will have 24 hours to create a one act play and be ready to perform it on stage at the Orpheum Theatre by the time the house opens at 7:00pm on Saturday night, September 17, 2016.
Each team must write and stage their play from scratch. These are the team requirements for each play:
1. Each team member must appear on stage as a character in the play.
2. The play must be between 25 and 45 minutes long.
3. The play must include the assigned line from the Shakespeare play.
4. The play must match the assigned genre.
5. The play must use the assigned prop.
Each team will rotate between 3 sections of the Orpheum Theatre building through the 24-hour period: Stage, Rehearsal Room and Prop basement. Each team will be given equal time in each location.
The Orpheum lobby will be a neutral location at all times. Each team must be ready to perform by 7pm September 17.
Teams will have access to any existing Magic Valley Repertory Theatre props, costumes and set pieces stored at the Orpheum Theatre.
Teams will have 2 - 1 hour opportunities to work with Orpheum Theatre sound, light and backstage techs beginning at 1pm on September 17.
Each performer must provide their own "stage blacks" - i.e. black pants, shirt, shoes, socks.
Do you accept this invitation? Please reply by Wednesday, August 10 at 5pm!
My first thought was "Yes!" My second thought was I need to get this approved with my wife. My third thought was "Absolutely yes!!" Fortunately she was in the room when I received the invitation so I read it to her verbatim and we had a brief discussion. And then I accepted it.
I must confess that I did think about getting my director's permission, since this event will be the weekend before Hell Week for the Fantasticks. However, it doesn't directly interfere with rehearsals and I put that nagging thought to the side. Besides, it's the same theatre company so they already knew about my other commitment.
So what are you going to see here? Well, they were right...this is the kind of challenge that I would love. I am already obsessing about it. And that's what you are going to see here. My thoughts as the project slowly approaches. I'm also going to invite my collaborators to put their thoughts on this blog. And I am even considering live blogging (if there's time) during the project itself.
So, here we go!
Magic Valley Repertory Theatre invites you to be a part of The 24-Hour Theatre Project!
At 6:30pm on Friday, September 16, 2016, 15 local performers will assemble at the Orpheum Theatre. We would like you to be one of them!
You are being invited because you meet two qualifications. First – you have auditioned for a Magic Valley Repertory Theatre production in the past. Second – based on that audition, we think this kind of challenge is something you’d love!
Between 6:30pm and 7:00pm that night our performers will be divided into 3 teams. Each team will be given a theatrical genre, a line from one of Shakespeare's plays and one prop.
Beginning at 7:00pm Friday night, each team will have 24 hours to create a one act play and be ready to perform it on stage at the Orpheum Theatre by the time the house opens at 7:00pm on Saturday night, September 17, 2016.
Each team must write and stage their play from scratch. These are the team requirements for each play:
1. Each team member must appear on stage as a character in the play.
2. The play must be between 25 and 45 minutes long.
3. The play must include the assigned line from the Shakespeare play.
4. The play must match the assigned genre.
5. The play must use the assigned prop.
Each team will rotate between 3 sections of the Orpheum Theatre building through the 24-hour period: Stage, Rehearsal Room and Prop basement. Each team will be given equal time in each location.
The Orpheum lobby will be a neutral location at all times. Each team must be ready to perform by 7pm September 17.
Teams will have access to any existing Magic Valley Repertory Theatre props, costumes and set pieces stored at the Orpheum Theatre.
Teams will have 2 - 1 hour opportunities to work with Orpheum Theatre sound, light and backstage techs beginning at 1pm on September 17.
Each performer must provide their own "stage blacks" - i.e. black pants, shirt, shoes, socks.
Do you accept this invitation? Please reply by Wednesday, August 10 at 5pm!
My first thought was "Yes!" My second thought was I need to get this approved with my wife. My third thought was "Absolutely yes!!" Fortunately she was in the room when I received the invitation so I read it to her verbatim and we had a brief discussion. And then I accepted it.
I must confess that I did think about getting my director's permission, since this event will be the weekend before Hell Week for the Fantasticks. However, it doesn't directly interfere with rehearsals and I put that nagging thought to the side. Besides, it's the same theatre company so they already knew about my other commitment.
So what are you going to see here? Well, they were right...this is the kind of challenge that I would love. I am already obsessing about it. And that's what you are going to see here. My thoughts as the project slowly approaches. I'm also going to invite my collaborators to put their thoughts on this blog. And I am even considering live blogging (if there's time) during the project itself.
So, here we go!
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