TALE END - the marketing of a new play. Pt. 2

Mind you, even though the intent was to Create excitement (or at least intrigue) with the creation of a brand new play there was really no "diabolical" plan on how this would be accomplished. So, everything was just one step beyond the "willy nilly" stage. What would be the "hook"... apart from the fact that it was a new play? It was 4 months from "premiering" at Rogue 2007... and a completed play didn't even exist yet.

Epiphany: You can't sell a product that doesn't exist!

Then... BOOM... one morning (after a 4 week drag) there was a sudden burst of creative energy in play writing. Within 7 days the play (at least the first draft) was completed. I can only guess that my creative doodling with the video helped unblock me.

*The success of our "art" has always been dependent on "buzz".

So, now I had a product. (Yeah, chide me for calling it that... but ultimately, if you are selling tickets to a show... you have a product.) Now the promotional thrust began to take shape. 2 words came into play AWARENESS & INTRIGUE.

LET US START WITH AWARENESS

The show had been cast by this point (3 months and counting) and workshop readings were underway. I had asked the cast to post about their experience as the process of creation was taking place... warts and all! (The workshop and rehearsal process turned out to be a "love fest" but that's beside the point... if things got challenging and ugly they had the freedom to blog about it.) Though it did take a while... the cast did finally warm up to the idea.

Blogging
Theatre J'Nerique has had a website since the late 90's. It was pretty much a "static" site that operated as an electronic billbord of sorts. Since we hadn't produced for a while all the "news" there was at least 3 years old.

Adding a blog to it (which is really easy to do) made the site a lot more interactive and immediate. The fact that readers can comment also gave the potential audience member a direct buy-in into the show. * The idea is that if you follow something long enough... you'll want to catch the "final product."

(* All "art" is the skillful craft of manipulating thought and emotion.)

Poster
A poster had already been created for the show. (2 and a half months before.) Instead of limiting it to just a "hard" print form... a digital form was also created and placed on our blog. Readers were actively encouraged to "steal it" for their own blogs or sites.

MySpacing
I had my own MySpace account that I never paid much attention to. I didn't much care for their blog format (Blogger and Wordpress seemed more accessible and immediate) and it always seemed like more of a "dating network for a 13 year old mentality". On the plus side... everyone and his uncle has one and it seemed a great way to send out bulletins to a "captive audience"... if for nothing else maybe a way to get more readers hooked on to the blog at the company site.

The "target audience :

a. the usual suspects (local theatre nerds)
"Friending" target A:
Start with your friends in theatre... then move to "harvest" their friends. (Chances are they are into theatre themselves.)

b. a brand new audience.
"Friending" target B:
Hit "locals" (within a 50 mile radius) who are involved in other disciplines of the arts - poets, musicians, etc. (You'll be amazed how many of those in the other disciplines have never been to theatre... this gives them the perfect reason to check it out.)

Then, just about anyone (within a 50 mile radius) that would respond to your request to "add" them. The rationale was that if only 20 percent of your "friends" took notice of you... that's 20 percent more than you had before.

"Other" Sources:
Apart from MySpace bulletins... articles and notices were also posted in local "citizen journalism" e-zines and email forums from time to time informing of something "interesting" was occurring at our site. (BTW... owning our own domain provided a central and easy to remember location for people to check in to see what was happening at their own convenience.)

Video:
During the workshop period it was also decided that another VIDEO should be produced and posted. This brought even more immediacy to the awareness that "something exciting" was brewing and in the works.

AWARENESS COMPLETE
Two months before mounting the show our site was averaging 200-300 hits a day. Now it was time to move into the area of creating "intrigue".

Read about that in the final Part 3.

TALE END - the marketing of a new play.

(or... How we got over ourselves, experimented in web marketing and sold out 3 out of 5 performances at Rogue 2007)
by Marcel Nunis
(independent playwright/director/producer)

As a creator of new works it used to frustrate me to no end that theatre companies would not even look at a new piece unless it had already been produced. So, in the 1990's I formed my own production company. Well, that solved that problem... sort of.

Over the years as an independent producer I learned that one has to wear hat upon hat in order to be effective in the real world of the arts. I, at first reluctantly had to learn skills that (shudder) was not part of my craft. (Come on... just let me write... that's all I wanna do!) In time, I got over it and embraced those other skills (graphic & web design, etc) as part and parcel of my chosen gig.

FAST FORWARD... ... to the Fall of 2006. I was writing my first new play in 5 years. I had come head on up against a creative wall in the writing. While waiting for that engine to be jump started again, I decided to begin marketing of the not yet completed new work. (This is a trick that I have used for years. It's called "PUT YOUR BIG FOOT IN YOUR BIG MOUTH SO YOU HAVE TO DELIVER THE GOODS!") Works like a charm everytime... at least where completing the piece is concerned.

sidebar: I had read somewhere that playwrights are notorious for doing this. British playwright Alan Ackbourn would actually book a London theater for a run just to force himself to write the damn play.

OPEN MOUTH... INSERT FOOT I had already begun blogging about my frustrations on my personal blog... this post is an example. I decided that (to really motivate myself with the possibility of grand humiliation) I would go full bore and blog about it on the theatre company site. I had recently redesigned the company site (adding this blog to it) and figured that at least our stalwart supporters would find reading about the "process" mildy interesting.

I had also recently acquired some great video editing software (don't ask how) and decided to teach myself this new skill. So, with a borrowed DV camera I produced THIS VIDEO and uploaded it to Daily Motion and YouTube. I also embeded the video there. All this cost me was the investment of time (2 days.) Surely this would create tons of interest in this brand new (and not yet completed) project.

::crickets chirping::

OK... we hadn't produced a show in a while (3 years to be exact)... so, a total of 7 regular readers to our site saw the video in the first week... and a couple of curious YouTubers. It was time for a strategy.
STRATEGY (creating a promotional thrust)

I decided that I didn't just want to hook in the usual suspects (theatre nerds) but also perhaps bring in a BRAND NEW audience to my (yet completed show) that was slated to be mounted at the 2007 Rogue Festival in March. (If you are shooting for grand humiliation... go big, I say.) So, I devised a promotion strategy.

sidebar: In so doing I was reminded of this... "Every discipline of the arts is a medium of communication." for more on this go here.

Anyway, this is what I came up with: Create excitement (or at least intrigue) with the creation of a brand new play!! (Note: The exclamation points... this generally means "create excitement"... at least I was excited by this. BTW... if you are not excited about your own "product"... don't expect anyone else to be.)

How Would I Accomplish This? The Internet. (Afterall, not everyone is surfing for porn... ) This "new media" has hardly been tapped by the arts community (at least effectly)... if nothing else this would be a worthy (and affordable) experiment.

TOOLS I WOULD USE...

BLOGGING: From the standpoint of a potential audience the interactive nature of blogging provides a personal "buy in" to a project. (Come on... how many of us buy those "special edition" DVD's just to watch those "making of" mini features before actually watching the main feature?) So, in effect I was using this tool to give readers a "making of" as it was happening and creating a personal "insiders scoop" to the show.

MYSPACE: Everyone has one these days and it's a great way to "harvest" potential audience through "friending" and to send out bulletins to broadcast what is happening.

VIDEOS: With the rise of YouTube the potential grows to create "promotional videos" the way the "big guys" do. Everyone loves visuals... especially if they move.

LOCAL E-ZINES: In Fresno (where we are located) there is a great "citizen journalism" site (that is now owned by the local paper) called FresnoFamous.com where anyone can post articles or blog.

EMAIL DIGEST OR NEWS LETTERS: Again in Fresno (where we still are located) one exist called Mindhub.org that many in the "creative class" subscribe to. (Talk about a potential audience!)

I was still creatively blocked where the actual writing of the play was concerned... so why not exercise my creativity elsewhere? (Really, I didn't even have a title for the play yet.) The choice was between dawdling and picking my nose or perhaps jump start (and perhaps get unblocked) by exercising those muscles in another area of communication.

Find out in Part 2 how I used these tools. (coming soon!)

Updates & Labels

UPDATE: 1/16/07
RIDE THIS BEAST WITH US!
You can follow the evolution of our latest show TALE END from page to stage. Just click the Tale End label and through blog posts and the occasional video you'll get an insider's view of what happens. Think of it as a "Making Of" as it's happening.

Just follow the Labels below to where you want to go!

Done for now?

from Marcel

"I'm trying to wrap my mind around the fact that a Marcel play had sold out houses." (from a friend who has been in my other shows on closing night.)

It's true. For many years my shows had never done that. This year it did. Yes, the marketing was quite aggressive... and it's arguably my best work to date... at least according to friends who know a bigger body of my work... others are still unsure just what to make of it.

"You have returned!" (from another friend and fellow playwright on closing night.)

I was happy to return with this one. And to journey back with the fellow adventurers I was blessed with on this show. It was a challenging piece to write... and I suspect the same could be said from the point of view of the audience. It's a piece that we can all be proud of though.

Yeah, there were hiccups during the run... but we overcame them and ploughed through. In the end... the thing of bueaty that was within grasp was embraced.

"It's really tight-writing wise... and your performers are stellar. I especially enjoyed the Pinter touches in it." (from a fellow playwright who was also featuring original work in the festival.)

I admit that it is great receiving genuine strokes from peers. Ultimately though... it's the audience that matters. We created and mounted a show that we would have paid good money to see... and evidently most of the audience that came to the shows liked it as well. This was a good run at the Rogue. We rest now... but it's far from done. There are a few more tweaks before it travels.

For those of you who have rode the mounting of this beast with us... Thank You. We'll let you know when there is more ahead.

(pics by Brad Polzin)

TALE END Reviews - thus far

Welcome again to Da'Rogue...

For those who don't remember..I rarely get to see much of any one show..so rather than my own comments I post those I hear from arriving and/or departing attendee's..

So..here we go!

Standing in line, waiting to get in.."So I hear she might..","..does she REALLY get..", and "..have you seen .." I guess their is some serious buzz going on abouth THAT!

Walking back towards Rogue Central, after seeing the show.."WOW, really cool concept, really nice idea for a 'behind the scenes' perspective", and "..did not expect that..it was well done.." and last but not least "..he did it..".

So..my random, not completely accurate, somewhat impartial opinion pole is that "Tale End" gets at least a B+. Now if they can just get some help from the American Rifle Association with their props..
Goon-In-Back | 03.04.07 - 12:14 pm
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"Tale End" is one amazing piece of theater - the script is excellent and the cast just plain stellar. I have probably never seen two actors crowd an almost bare stage like these two. All the twists worked, the play metaphors worked, and the characters worked. And it was brilliant how convincingly the two principals nuanced their characters' statures. They sure kept me on the edge of my chair! Bravo, bravo, bravo. This is a must see.
David Engle | 03.04.07 - 1:56 am
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Tale end was indeed amazing, but a bit confusing, as well. It is quite enjoyable watching 2 such accomplished actors dominate the stage (both of which I have previously admired in their GCP roles), but the quickening pacing of the script near the end made it difficult to glean the truth of the situation - just wish it was easier to figure out the payoff. Otherwise, beautifully acted performance.
james 1019 | 03.04.07 - 9:21 pm
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Tale End (Dianna's South)

On March 5th, 2007 cdfierro says:

"Tale End" the first play in five years for Marcel Nunis. If you can call a show that was much anticipated a sleeper then this is a sleeper, only because Rogue is usually thought of as good laughs, music, one [wo]man shows, and dance, but this is a devilishly good dramatic two person play. A postmodern fairytale within a play set in a world of make believe. Where each character plays two or three parts of the archetypal characters of the theatrical/fairytale world. From the hero to the villain, to the damsel in distress, to the devious seductress, to the never seen, but often talked about evil stepmother. This two person play was flawlessly acted. Renee Newlove & Greg Taber deserve heaps of accolades.

This play is a postmodern fairytale with a not so fairytale ending. It is as good as Rogue gets.

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Nothing short of phenomenal!

On March 5th, 2007 Jessi says:

Nothing short of phenomenal! Tale End is an ambitious and well-executed play that is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen at Rogue - definitely a must-see! This fast-paced drama is brilliantly written, with every word there for a reason as the gripping story developed. The two performers brought their characters to life with powerful emotion and variability. I was completely floored after I saw this; I actually had to just stand and let everything seep in for a few moments and then gradually let myself re-acclimate before going to the next show on my list. Note that there has been a performance added (not listed in the Rogue map) on Saturday, March 10 at 4pm at Dianna’s South.

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I was very pleased with Marcel Nunis's A Tale End, a dark reworking of the story of "Snow White." Renée Newlove and Greg Taber do a terrific job in their roles as a modern-day Snow White and the Hunter, and the play develops its characters very well--especially considering given the short period during which this complex tale unfolds. There are plenty of twists to the plot, which covers violence and murder, family secrets, sexuality, the tawdry lives of casino magnates, and Target store surveillance cameras. You'll want to pay close attention, as the story becomes intriguing and maze-like as it nears its close.

My complaints are few and minor: Newlove spends perhaps more time than is absolutely necessary in her underwear (although she wears lingerie very well), and I found myself wondering why Taber isn't made to strip down to his choneys? (What's good for the goose....) And the promo materials for the play push the will-she-or-won't-she-get-naked schtick a little too far, in my opinion. After all, the play is good enough to stand on the merits of its clever writing, its strong sense of character, and its deft handling of narrative. But hey, if a little titilation will bring the audiences in, the so be it. It's a tribute to Nunis and his actors that A Tale End actually needs little in the way of sensational hooks to make experiencing the play very worthwhile.
CaptWhiffle | Homepage | 03.07.07 - 6:49 pm

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Mintzworks said...

When you've watched enough theatre performances, you can tell when the cast is having an off night. It was tonight.

Here's the American Idol review:

Randy says: "Yo Dog, wha's happ'nen' dog? You know, you did your thing, dog. It was a little pitchy in places, but you did your thing, man."

Paula says: "Oh, gosh. I mean, gosh. Greg and Renee are so beautiful on stage. I just sorta wish, you know, that I could see Renee more. She needs to open up more to the audience...I felt bad for the people on the outside seats who saw her back much of the time. A beautiful back, tho..."

Simon says (c'mon, do the accent in your head): "Well, for me, to be honest, I could see where the playwrite was going with this, but it might have been better read than performed. Some of the dialogue, exposition and references got bogged down and were tough to perform, no matter how good the actors were."

Ryan Seacrest then jokes "Okay, let me get this straight. Renee's character is supposed to be what? 22 or 23? She looks 26. Greg's character is supposed to be near 40? He looks 28. And he's s'posed to have a bald spot? Um, no."

Randy: "Man, dog, I was thinkin' that, dog, but my problem was I sat in the back row and couldn't hear Greg half the time, or else he was shoutin', dog. It was rough, dog..."

Paula: "I think Greg should have been in his underwear. No, kidding. No, serious."

Simon: "Paula, I agree with you on one thing...because I didn't understand the whole 'does she get naked' marketing thing. It took away from a great story idea and one of the most solid plays from Marcel I'd seen. I know you have to get arse's into seats, but, and I'm not being rude, but it took away from things."

Paula: "I just think if she has to act in her nightgown, Greg has to strip at gunpoint to his chonies."

Simon: "Paula, you're drunk."

And she, of course, is.

March 8, 2007 12:13 AM

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Barry said...

Rather than try to summarize the plot of Tale End, because getting there is far more than half the fun, I’ll just offer a few comments of the short, choppy variety.

Tale End is intriguing, funny, well-staged and well-performed, sexy, mysterious, dense and smart. At times you’ll be scratching your head a bit wondering what the hell’s going on, and enjoying that sensation of head-scratching along that way. And really, what’s better than a little head scratching? Numerous and unexpected plot twists and a clever concept. And it’s selling out, so line up on time.

Barry Smith

March 8, 2007 10:29 AM

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Walrus Gumbo said...

Whoa! This play does leave my head reeling or maybe it's just Renee's tempting vixen persona! (Whew! The lady is HOT!!!) Anyway, a very intriguing and ambitious work with enough twists and turns to keep you smirking. I relished how the manipulation volleyed back and forth. It really does make you enjoy it for all the wrong reasons! Sexy and devilishly fun! Highly recommended!

March 8, 2007 1:56 PM

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theatre275238 said...

I'm sorry but this was the most dissappointing piece of theatre I've maybe ever seen. The script is atrocious. Someone had the idea lets write a play where none of the action happens on stage. That's always exciting. Then lets throw in plot twist after plot twist, although since there is no actual action on stage they are just expositonal twists. Then lets not worry about the fact that no one cares about these characters. When one "plot twist" doesn't work let's try 18 more. And if that's not exciting, lets put a gun on stage. We will make many promises we never fullfill. We'll advertise a suspensefull porno and put on a talky piece of expositon. We'll have that gun which, as a theatrical devise can be a very powerfull threat or promise and we will wave it around and point it so many times without it ever really mattering that people no longer care about that either.

Seriously, this is a group of people who should have known better than putting this on stage. They have talent and some knowledge and acted as though they through this together a week before hand in someone's basement. Yes the theatre has rules, and yes, rules are meant to be broken, but know what the rules are first and then why you are breaking them.

Not only was this show not worth my seven dollars. It wasn't worth my hour I spent in the room.

March 8, 2007 2:46 PM

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ROGUE REVIEW: Tale End

Marcel Nunis' "Tale End" is one of the big hits of this year's Rogue Festival. Performances are selling out, and another show has been added to the schedule Saturday. Word-of-mouth is a strange and wondrous beast; I've heard many more people talk about going to "Tale End" because it's hard to get into than because it's a good piece of theater.

But commerce and art have always been linked, and kudos to Nunis for being so adept at getting bodies into the seats.

Which leaves us with "Tale End" the play, which is not the same as "Tale End" the phenomenon. There's no question this is a high-octane production with a couple of highly charged performances from its hard-working actors, Renee Newlove and Greg Taber. With a frenzied series of plot twists and enough emotional jacknifes to give whiplash to a soap opera, this cheeky and fast-moving one-act production leaves the audience breathless.

However -- and this is a pretty big however -- this loose take-off on "Snow White" promises more than it can deliver. It's a few dwarves short of a septet.

Nunis does manage to twist the fairy tale in amusing ways. Miss White is a conniving, shallow, entitled teen under the keen and watchful eye of her vengeful stepmother. On this night she's opted to go shopping after-hours at the local Target store. The "hunter" from the original tale has become the chief of security at the "Kingdom," which instead of a land far away is a rundown Las Vegas casino. He's there to protect her. Or is he? Headstrong and strong-spirited, the two characters square off in a constantly shifting battle of wills. iPods, cell phones, handguns, sex talk and hard-R language are prominently featured.

I must admit to being very much a non-Snow White expert, so I may have missed some of the script's clever fairy-tale allusions. But I couldn't escape the feeling that while Nunis was very good at twisting this tale, he didn't know when to stop. He couldn't stop twisting. Instead of gradually weaning the audience onto the joke, or even providing an "aha" moment when things start to fall into this place, the plot keeps tying up even tighter. Perhaps it's because the link to the original fairy tale is more tenuous than it first seems. Is this a riff on Snow White, or is it a present-day back-and-forth between a prissy teen and a security guard? If it's the former, it needs a stronger and more significant connection to the source material. If it's the latter, then, the fairy-tale stuff should go out the window completely.

Both actors get a workout, and I had mixed feelings about them as the play rolled on. Newlove has a natural intensity on stage, and her confidence and poise is striking. But when it comes to emotional transitions, she needs much firmer and more astute direction. Taber is strong and charismatic, but, again, his character veers wildly, and while he can certainly handle the script's rollercoaster moves, it starts looking like a lot of effort.

Don't get me wrong: In some ways, "Tale End" is a natural crowd-pleaser and very slick. But if this cast plans to go on the road to other fringe festivals, as Newlove announced from the stage afterward, it's not going to be able to rest on its comfortable cushion of Fresno goodwill. It will have to win over audiences not just with its premise but with its execution. This "Tale" has promise, but I hope this isn't the end result.

Posted by
Donald Munro
05:14 PM

Tale End continues!

from marcel
I thought I'd take the opportunity to write a post.

First off the bat... if you are in the big NO... Tale End plays tonight at 10 PM. If you are in line you may be randomly picked to go in FREE!

Thoughts have been floating of late. Some concerning the Rogue some concerning the show but mostly those concerning how this year has (as I predicted) to be one of letting go.

In one weekend I let go of this festival as well as my play. Yes I am still a promotion demon for both but I have released both of them from my steely grip to where they should be... to the public and to my cast. A sense of melancholy hovered this morning as I thought about this. Not because I yearn for them back but the process will be missed. Now to set out to find some new trouble to engage in.

I have received interesting reactions to the show. Friends who have known me for more than a 5 year span accept it as a natural progression of my own evolution. Friends who have known me for less than 5 years are having reservations about its style and content. They seem to have expected something broader with a touch more razzmatazz. Probably because they are comparing it with some of my earlier works that have encompassed that quality and feel my work should continue in that vein. So, they have walked in with an expectation that has been projected onto the show that does not payoff and have left a little disappointed. People who don't know my work from Adam have come out raving about the show.

I have never been one to stick to a genre or style simply because I get bored when there is no challenge. What is next? Who knows. For now I'm happy with what is. Doesn't mean I'm not going to tweak it but all the choices subtle or garish in the show at the moment are justified and full.

My impressions...

... of the first weekend? Hmmm... this is gonna be an interesting one to write. Do I write this as an ex-producer of the Rogue... as a current independent producer & performer... or just an audience member? Decisions, decisions....

It's probably going to be all over the place... so, bear with me on this one.

First... the picture to your right is the actual line waiting for a 4 PM performance on a Sunday! I heard the line for our opening performance was triple that and chairs were added and that over 30 people had to be turned away. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that.

Opening night was fraught with technical glitches... but the cast pulled through. The Sunday show was good. Audience members walked away walked away with what we wanted them to walk away with. You can read some of the responses HERE.

I have decided that the show that I'm actually performing in, Suicide Lounge, is going to do me in. Each of us average 3 drinks a piece during a 45 minute set... for me it is scotch rocks! But we do have fun... and I think the audience does too. It's sick and wrong with some great songs but they love it.

As an audience member... the festival is going well. It really is. people are teeming and buzzing and walking (in a hurried pace) from venue to venue. This year... there is an extra spark of newness that is spreading like a virus... be it from Rogue regulars to the new Rogue audience members. Our numbers are up... but these are all concerns that I don't have to deal with this year.

You can read about this from them HERE, HERE & HERE. Oh, there is more... but I thought these would give you a taste. Plus a couple of local papers in town have gone out full bore with reviews on their blog.

Am I proud? Yes. Nuff said.

Once again... my blogging may be spotty... but I will try to get it all in.

I am blown away...

You know, there comes a time when you work so hard on something that you love it and you think it's the best thing in the whole wide world! And then you release it into the world and it dies instantly. "Tale End" did not die... in fact there was a continual buzz about the show as our audience member walked away from the theater completely befuddled. :-)

We did our jobs!

I am venue managing one of the other venues so I am usually there when I am not performing and people actually sought me out at the other venue to congratulate me on an amazing show. Friends were gushing about the show and about how I must feel being a part of something so wonderful! LOL!!! I am in shock.

I know the show is good, I know H totally rocks on stage and saves my butt all the time up there, but having never received a favorable review I was a little scared that I would pull the performance down. But with the support of the Rogue and H, M, and SM... my confidence was spot on and I feel that we took the audience (both shows, regardless of the technical difficulties) for the promised ride.

If you haven't seen it, please come see our show! I've been interviewed now by 3 different people about the show and I am still in shock!

Thank you!!! Thank you for coming to see the show and thank you for supporting us!!!!

Ciao!

So, how did it go?

We SOLD OUT our opening performance. (Chairs had to be added) There were technical glitches... but the stellar cast pulled it off in grand style.

We've got a show this afternoon at 4 PM.

Updates later.

Da Count - Rogues, one and all!

Posting this here as well.... because Theatre J'Nerique and all involved was really where it began. It begins today. Where over 6 years ago no-one wanted anything to do with us... it is now the biggest of it's kind on the West coast! Counts go all around for this one.

• To the small ragtag group of founders... you jumped into this insanity and showed this town the wonders of the possible. Yeah, I catch a lot of press and credit for it... but know that I never fail to mention YOU... because without YOUR dedication, love and efforts in those early days... it would have only remained an idea. This creation was ours... and will always remain that.
  
• To the waves of folk who joined after... you embraced and added to the idea. You have brought it further than anyone of us could have. It is you who will continue to nurture it and make it live. Some of you have come and gone but your efforts are still glowing bright.
• To our early nay sayers... you really provided us with the extra energy and inspiration not to prove you wrong... but to prove that life is about possibilities and realizations.
• To the city that is home to the Rogue... yes, you are still a little befuddled but you also have begun to celebrate us celebrating the multitude of talent that calls this place home. Cheers to that!
  
• To the performers and artists who have taken a chance... you are the reason the Rogue exists. Your talent moves and inspires. You make real the wonders of the possible.
• To the snobs who still want to have nothing to do with us... read the part about nay sayers.
  

I am posting early because I will be out and about at the big kick-off! Cheers & Rogue On!

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign.

EDIT: 3 PM
3 Articles in the paper today! HERE, HERE, & HERE! Plus they will be blogging their reviews of shows HERE. And they even posted a video HERE. And THE ROGUE REPORT is HERE!

With all this plus a TV station with a news story on last night's broadcast... ya think folks would actually know that this is happening.

Final Touch

There comes a time in every rehearsal process when you have to get in front of an audience... we are now at that point. There are things that an audience brings to the show as a whole and the actors feel each audience out and the show evolves.

We are so close to that blissful beauty we've been aiming for and the audience will be the icing on the cake. H and I have played so much that we've turned this beast into a belle and now it's time for the ball.

H, M, ST... Rogue on my friends, Rogue on!

Ciao! ;-)

enough already

thank you, m, for the opportunity, the support and the joy of working with you
thank you, SM, for pushing all the right buttons
thank you, S, for being such a delight to share the space with
now enough of this rehearsal crap...let's do this thing!!!!

One more rehearsal to go...

... then we unleash this beast to the unsuspecting paying public.

Meet more Rogue Buddies!

Barry hails from Aspen, CO and probably has one of the hottest shows on the Fringe circuit. We'll be picking his brain for our own touring plans.

So, go check out his show at the Rogue... along with ours!

Check out what he is doing HERE! And don't forget to show him the Fresno love as well!

Our fourth Rogue buddy are homeboys. I would say more... but I'll let the video do the talking.

For more on Suicide Lounge... click HERE!

Suicide Lounge
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Tech Rehearsals - check!

from Marcel
Tale End teched yesterday at Dianna's South between 3:30 and 4:30 PM. Considering we really only have about 7-8 cues in the show we decided to use up the full hour with a cue-to-cue. Also, it gave the cast an opportunity to feel out the stage which is a little bigger than what they have been used to.

Our crack SM can't make the first performance this Saturday so a friend who is kindly taking over tech duties was being taught the cues. It all went pretty smoothly. Tried to keep everything as light and as airy as possible.

Our performance schedule? Here it is...

$7

All shows performed at Dianna's South, 726 N. Fulton

Sat. March 3, 8:30 PM
Sun. March 4, 4:00 PM
Wed. March 7, 10:00 PM
Sat. March 10, 7:00 PM

Yeah, even after 50 odd shows a new show opening is still thrilling. My own personal (and somewhat private) delight is sitting in the audience and feeling out the energy around me. In the old days when nobody knew me from Adam it was easier to get an "objective feel" of how the show was actually doing. Now I almost have to sneak in at the last minute in the dark to do the same thing.

It certainly will be interesting to see and feel what and how the audience responds to. But there are still miles to go before we sleep.

Cheers!

Theatre J'Nerique's first HNT!

Yes, it is a blatant and shameless way to sell our show... but... hey, why not? Tale End will premier at Rogue 2007! And it features the lovely Solitaire (pictured below). Make sure to come back next week for part 2 of this series (click for larger version)... and check out our sexy promotional video in the post below.

Happy HNT!

Rogue Buddy and our Promo Video!

The Rogue buddy we are featuring today is Mia Paschal. Beautiful and talented she is doing the Rogue for the very first time. She hails from San Francisco. So, CLICK HERE to find out what she is bringing to the Rogue and show her some Fresno love!

Just got done editing oue promo video for the Rogue. Check it out!

Talepromovideo
Uploaded by dathang

Ya know... I think we may have a show!

from Marcel
Tonight was the second of three pick-up rehearsals before the premier at Rogue 2007. There were 2 runs tonight... both went well. The second better than the first but both engaged the audience (me) and I am happy and proud of my cast and crew.

A friend who has followed the process right here from the eastern seaboard commented to me that "this show of yours seems like a big love fest. Surely things have not been as good as you guys are blogging about!" The answer simply is ... yes... better actually. I don't think any of us blogging about it have really managed to capture half the essence or the "feel" of this particular project... at least within the work setting. When we decided to record the process our mutual agreement was that it would be "warts and all". Really, we haven't whitewashed a darn thing. No "difficult episodes","external dramas" or "flare-ups of frustration". (My own sense of karma almost buys into the notion that this was the payoff for the challenging write.)

Perhaps it's because everyone involved agreed from the start that we would all bring to the project without imposing on it. Allowing for experimentation within the context of the play. Yet allowing for sometimes broad and bold choices to present the possibility of veering into unthought of territory. Then exploring those choices as an ensemble of co-creators without the fear of failing. Because we grew to understand that not to try was the real failure. Then weaving those choices (we decided to keep) into the tapestry of the fabric that is this play.

Tonight for instance... we were all still discovering and "playing" with more options and choices. This is as it should be. The beats and transitions are sharper and overall it really seems like a different show than that was played for the previews. A more pointed one that seems deeper with more silky layers added. There were subtleties and nuances that emerged tonight that I had not been witness to before. A simple turn of the head. A flash of engagement. A slight beat between lines driven or supported with sharp intent. Nothing wasted... nothing empty. All these little touches just brings it closer to a beauty that is within grasp.

If this keeps going I think the performances during the festival will be definitely worth catching. The audience will get it's moneys worth and more. Not so much for the piece (yeah, the play is good) but more for the stellar performance of the cast. It's a cast that still likes playing the play and the time we spend at rehearsals just zipps by like a roadrunner in heat.

It is a joy... and that is something that I rarely admit to... but it is. I couldn't ask for a better and more creatively rewarding work experience than this one. Bottom line... the people I work with make it so. Now to just keep the push constant and become even more relentless on the marketing so we can get decent houses for the Rogue.

Rogue Buddies and a stolen video!

Yes, we have promotional buddies for Rogue 2007! Couldn't be happier with the buddies we have. We will feature links to them right here on our site. We are such promo whores that we have more than one.

So today we are featuring THEATRE VENTOUX (click to see what they are doing in this year's Rogue.

Yes, we are late on our ongoing video series... but there will be a couple more up... as soon as I finish editing them. In the meantime... enjoy the official Rogue TV Spot below!

Roguefest07tv
Uploaded by dathang

Pick Ups

Tonight we are getting back together to run our fabulous piece. I am very excited as I have missed this show. Pick up rehearsals are always a little rocky and tonight will be without exception I am sure. But with rehearsals scheduled leading up to our opening at the Rogue, I am not worried.

M has been hard at work putting together the Rogue website and if you are browsing there, stop by our show Tale End and leave a comment, review, kudos, or get info about our show times and location. :-)

See ya tonight!

Ciao!

T-shirts...

... and posters as merch for the Rogue... what do you think?

Rogue 2007 Poster Banner!

Want one for your site or blog? CLICK HERE!

thank you and thank you and thank you...

the previews are done and i have had a few days to rest and consider this last little excursion into the Craft. all in all i am content, amazed and inspired. content with my own work, amazed at what can be done when people are grown-ups and professionals, and inspired by those i have been working with.

that said, some thank yous are in order.

m...thank you for envisioning such a wonderful story, for writing hunter, and for trusting me with birthing him. the simplicity, grace and elegance you bring to the process is a lesson for us all...and the beer ain't bad either! with only ten rehearsals under our belts, we are ready to perform. most shows are still fumbling their way through blocking. when i least expect it, a new teacher appears. thank you.

s...you have been a dream to work with. your energy, willingness to explore, openness to new ideas, and dedication to bettering yourself as an actor are refreshing to say the least. they are everything anyone could want in a scene partner. i was there at your beginning and i cannot wait to see what your future holds. thank you.

sms...if this is what you're like 15 years out of the biz, i can only imagine how you'll rock once you get your groove back... you are a consumate professional, and a hell of a good guy to kick it with to boot. thank you.

our preview audiences...the honesty and sincerity of your feedback has been invaluable. equally, if not more, invaluable, has been the opportunity to make and develop new relationships (as well as deepen some already established.) thank you.

finally...but by no means least...l and mgirl and jboy...you are the reason for anything i do that is worthwhile and beautiful...and no mere thank you can ever begin to encompass that.

soon...rogue...a muse of fire...this flattering glass....

and the future?

something wonderful...

etonne-moi
g

Plans are underway to tour...

from Marcel
... the show in the Summer of 2008. It's too late to apply for any of the fringe festivals this year. (We missed applications to the SF Fringe by about a week.) Still, a year and a half will give us time to fund raise for it. At the moment, Toronto and San Francisco are on the talking boards between the cast, crew and I.

Premiering at the Rogue would also provide more opportunity to tweak it even more. The dynamics of playing in a garage and a theater space can vary vastly... and that too has to be taken into account. Though I do prefer an intimate venue for this particular one. Logistically it is a pretty simple show to tour. 3 lighting and 4 sound cues. If need be... just the actours can go out on tour with it.

I am confident with the talent and demenor of the cast and crack crew to at least get the show notice at these proposed festivals. No rush now but the stages of planning has to begin.

Stand-by

The previews went so unbelievably well... I am completely over whelmed by the response. For those of you that took time out of your schedules to come see this, I am forever grateful! Thank you! For those that couldn't make it, do not let the Rogue pass you by...

H, M & ST... you guys have been such a great support I cannot begin to place words on how much I appreciate the support and the atmosphere you all have provided to allow me to explore and grow. You all helped me do what I am able to do on stage and there is nothing that can compare to the gifts you all have given me.

In this down time I am prepared to focus on the details. The precise emotions, motions and reactions that will tighten up this piece and help find the beauty it can truly become. I love this work and I love working on this piece! I love how it has challenged me and that is the standard that is now set for any role I go after from this point on. To be challenged as an actor and as a person and to be able to portray a character as a real life human being is the ultimate experience.

Thank you to all who have supported us along the way, and thank you to those who will come and support us at the Rogue!

Ciao!

Ms. Snow

Tale End Preview - Jan. 27, 2007

from Marcel
Not sure if we have pictures of this one... I don't recall taking any. Anyway, we've got that under our belt and it's done.

We had an appreciative audience on both nights. Their verbal response as well as what was not said was duly noted. (Sometimes silence says it all.) All in all, this provides us with information that will be useful in tweaking the piece. The bottom line is that they were all taken for a ride the last 2 nights... but we can always refine a better product.

Sure, there were flubs, etc. And yes. there is some tightening and tinkering to do before the Rogue in a month. The point is that the piece played (thank you S, H & ST) despite those flubs. And it played grandly at that! There was was never a point that the audience could be snapped out or zone out on the piece. That is a testament to the talent and focus of the actors and our crack one man crew. Great big, fat KUDOS on a job very well done.

Now the trick is to tweak. It will be important for all concerned to read the script almost daily. Not so much to refresh line memorization but just as a piece of reading matter. Often I have found that when you are in the picture... a step back out makes the bigger vista a lot crisper and clearer.

To those who graced us with your presence... Thank You. For those of you who missed it... eh!

No Blocking???

We don't need no stinkin' blocking!!!!!

In all of the shows I have worked on, the director has had a specific idea of where each character should be and when. Usually in the first week of rehearsal I was scribbling down { X US chair } or { DS X to US couch } in the margins of my script. After looking back at my old scripts there are a lot of scribbles and notes on blocking or character and it looks very jumbled and messy.

I look at my script for "Tale End" and all I see are my notes on the lines or character. There is no blocking, and I love it!

Night 2 of rehearsals commenced and all the work we did on night 1 was still there (THANK GOD I DIDN'T FORGET!!!) and the mood was set to move on. We plowed through the next 20 pages of dialogue and covered some major ground (and I mean MAJOR!). The nice thing about not being stuck to a specific path is that we could allow the words to prompt out movement. The hard thing is standing still and playing the tough choices.

This show has some very obvious character choices, and then there's the temptation to play the obvious because it feels safer. This is not a safe show and I am challenged to stand my ground and play the tough choices. I am looking forward to the challenge!

Thank you M for a wonderful script and for holding the whip and cracking it at me when I want to play it safe.

H: Thank you for working with me again! I continue to learn so much from you and I love seeing the work you are bringing to this role! This is an awesome show and you are perfectly cast!

Ms. Snow

My friends refuse to believe...

from Marcel:

... that I have written the play I have.

"What? No, warm fuzzy? No gotcha gulp in the throat?"
"Nope."
"There is no fucking way... even your most cynical stuff has that 'sniff... that's so beautiful' moment in it!"
"Not in this one, dude. I wrote this one from the head and the groin... left the heart out of it."
"You're shitting us! And you like this show?"
"Have you known me to write anything that I myself would not pay good money to see?"
"OK, this we gotta see!! (pause) Hey, if there IS a heart-warming moment... can we get our money back?"

So, that is now the standard reaction when my friends talk to me about the upcoming show. Many of them I have worked with on previous shows... so they know my work... and how I work.

This is why working with folk that I have never worked before is yet another refreshing change with this one. Not that I hate working with the folk I have worked with before... but it sort of fits with the change inherent with this show. Plus, they come in without any pre-conceived notions... that keeps me on my toes.

Let Me Introduce Myself...

from Ms. Snow:

I am playing Ms. White.

I had the opportunity to see the beginnings of this piece when Marcel first started writing it, and if I had known it was going to turn into this... I might have ran away screaming! :-) No... not really, but I never saw it going where it went. M, you are a genius!

This show is really different from the other plays I have worked on because it requires me to not act. Now, I know what you are thinking... isn't doing a play basically acting? Yes and no. In order to be believable on stage I have to be 100% committed to the thoughts I (as the character) am protraying. This is a lot of fun, but it is also very scary! :-) I'll get into that more at a later time...

I am very excited about working with Marcel and Hunter on this project. Hunter and I have performed in some other shows pervious to this one and I am excited to go through the process with him again. Marcel, this is the first time I am working with him as a director and it's awesome! He is all about the process right now, finding objectives, not motivation... forward motion and playing the truth. He asks questions and it makes me think and find the deeper levels to Ms. White. It's a lot of fun!

Last night we had our final read through before we start memorizing and rehearsing seriously. Hunter threw some interesting readings my way and Marcel would give me a different thought to read with in certain areas... I almost feel for the audience, they are in for one hell of a ride!

I'll see you all very soon!

Ms. White

It's been a while and I owe a video...

... but things have been pretty hectic lately. No matter, things are going well.

ON REWRITES
I haven't quite decided if I want to impose on the rewrites or allow them to develop over the rehearsal process. I am inclined at the moment to go with the latter method... using the first week of rehearsals with the actors to contribute to the piece.

ON KEEPING FESTIVAL DEADLINES
We have deadlines to send in promo material for the Rogue PR needs so I've been working on graphic work. The fruits of my labor are below.

A TITLE
I think I may have finally come up with a title to the show. Up till this point it has just been referred to as "Ms. White" or "Ms. White Snows Em". I wasn't in love with that but a couple of days ago I came up with "TALE END". I'm going to bounce it off the cast tonight. I sort of like the ambiguous feel of that.





So, what do you think? If you saw that poster would you go to that show? (GO A HEAD... STEAL IT FOR YOUR OWN BLOG OR SITE! Hint: Click on it... then right click ans "save as")

the first cold read...

... took place this evening with the 2 actors who will be creating these parts for the first time on stage. Even though the first draft was completed on Friday I did some tinkering and clean-up on the script today before putting it in the hands of the actors.

We met at about 6:30 PM. Got comfortable and popped a bottle of wine to celebrate both the en of the write and the beginning of this next stage of the process. Until this point I was the only person to have read a completed script. A cold read would provide me the opportunity to hear it and determine if:
1. It flows.
2. The story was strong and stage worthy.
3. If I had the right actors to ride this piece with.

Check on all counts. It was quite fun to watch and hear the actors maneuver through several sharp transitions written in the script. And they seemed surprised and delighted to see where it went.

Both of them have been invited to contribute to this blog as the process continues and it will be interesting to read their perceptions and impressions.

We'll be meeting again on Friday.

Cheers!
Marcel

It's done... finally!

Hit "play" on the video before you read this. Yes, I'm being silly... but I'm entitled!



It has been a long hard climb back onto the playwriting horse. Something that I would have been able to crank out in 2 weeks has taken a month and a half. There was a serious and nasty hump lasting over 3 weeks that had me so stymied that I could not write more than 3 lines without agonizing for at least 4 hours. The reasons for this painful crawl are many... but now it is done... at least a first working draft.

Now through a process of rewrites and workshopping with actors the rest of the form can be chipped away to further define it's shape. Is it a great play? I don't know... great plays are not written... they are rewritten. Is it a good play? All I can say at the moment is that ... what is can become a better play.

I wanted to post finishing as my count today... which is why it is so late. It counts as play number 52 in my catalog. It counts because I slogged through even after the countless times I threw up my hands in exasperation and considered throwing the towel in. I count it because so many of you had to bear through my "insane time". Thank You. I count it because it now ceases to be an unfinished project. I count it because I can now finally move on.

Cheers!
marcel

To find out about DA COUNT... click on the flashing sign!

a little more to go... but it seems like forever

It's been a month and a half since I undertook this write. I was thinking I would crank out the first working draft in a couple of weeks... yet I'm still at it. I have imprisoned myself until I achieve my goal... that oh so elusive first draft.

Creating the video last week did provide me a little boost of confidence. At least it got my juices flowing again. No more videos though until this thing is completed.

In the article last week in Fresno Famous, I touched a bit on why I think this write has been so tough. All good reasons. Though by thinking about those reasons I stumbled upon another. I've been analyzing as I go along. I've never really done that before. In the 50 odd pieces that bear my name I just let it flow. There wasn't thought of technique. There wasn't analysis. There was just write. I was cranking them out too. (My personal record was 9 pieces in one year.)

So where did the analysis come from? One word: teaching. Until early this Summer, I was teaching theatre (including playwriting) ... and teaching it for the last 5 years. Coincidence? When one is teaching, analysis and technique is always present... simply because that's the thrust of the gig. It's in your thoughts when you greet the working day and doesn't leave until you put down the grading pen to fall asleep. So, perhaps it is true that one learns technique to forget it when one is doing it... but it is ever present when one is teaching it.

So, unless I can break from this cycle of thinking about technique and analysis while attempting to create this play... you may just be witnessing the slow disintegration of the playwright within me. Now back to the write.

cheers!
marcel

The First in a Series!

Here is the first video on the creation of this show. As the weeks roll by you'll be privy to all sorts of craziness that goes into this process. Feel free to leave a comment below if you so desire.

Whose Bright Idea Was That?
Uploaded by dathang

Oh, and I just put in an article over at Fresno Famous.

A New Era

Theatre J"Nerique will be developing and producing a brand new play for the 2007 Rogue Performance Festival! The working title for this project is "Ms. White Snows Em".

Stay tuned... you will able to follow the process right here on our brand spankin new blog as this project develops. Then you can see the results for yourself during the Festival that opens March 1st! Then you'll have bragging rights to say "I was there from Page to Stage!"

So, where is the project now? Good question. It's still in the "page" stage. We are only 10 pages away from a first draft. More to come on that in another post.

Come back and read blog posts, excerpts, and watch video as this whole project comes to life.

And the best part? It's interactive... sort of. You can leave comments and questions below and we may just answer them.

You may wonder where the heck we have been... but that is a post for another time.

Stay tuned... come back again soon... the entire site is being redesigned so there will be more to see the next time you visit.