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!

The blessing and curse...

from Marcel
... in what I do and how I do it... is that I've never followed convention. I have never looked at it as good or bad... but merely as how I do it.

Weather it is in the writing or directing... the piece created is what I would pay to see onstage. Sure, I steal from a lot of sources. I would be a delusional idiot if I thought that everything that I do hasn't been done before. (Afterall, there are only 36 plots and subsets thereof that really exist in the entire world.) It's the spin now that makes it original. My peers may take umbrage to what I do and how it's done. But that's them and I'm me. I can only stay true to me... warts and all.

I value opinion... in as much as it is that. Though I have found that opinion in my field is almost always dictated by "conventional wisdom"... that only became convention from whence it was once radical and dared the same-old to be otherwise. This, I have found especially so with those who have known me (and my work) for a while. I love being challenged... though sometimes their regard (or disregard) of my work can be suspect. There are times I have to wonder about the motivations behind their opinions. I am never arrogant enough to think that an opinion given is totally moot.

Yet, there is a part of me that almost wants to disregard opinions given by peers who are practitioners in this craft. That in form, content or execution... the journey crafted took them to an unexpected country... and they rail simply because it's not what they would have done... or where they would have gone. But they did not create the path or the destination... we did. No, I'm not Neil Simon or Shakespeare... nor do I pretend to be. The paths and destinations they created are theirs... this is ours... and I'm quite happy of that being so.

OK... the rewrites work.

from Marcel
I was pleased with the results. A flow has been re-established in the play. Cutting, rearranging and just plain rewriting the last 7 pages makes it a better show. Now that fucking playwright can just stay out of our way and allow us to breathe some life into this piece of shit that he hacked. From this point on... he is to be interned in the gulag while the real work goes on.

Rehearsals went well too. It was the first run off book and the troops handled it well despite the frigid temperatures in the rehearsal space. We really need to get another heater in there. Yeah, it was a little bumpy... but first runs are supposed to be. Bear in mind that we are also not working with a stage manager or even someone on book. This cheap ass, commie operation won't even spring for the basics. But we forged ahead undaunted by the limitations.

S even tried doing it with certain costume elements... as flimsy as they were. Got to hand it to that girl... she goes for the gusto. At one point... we had to insist she put some clothes back on as the little that she wore was shimmying with her shivers. H, too was throwing some new readings and nuances into the creative pool we were swimming in. Thus giving his character a bit more of a "journey" in the play. There are still miles to go before we sleep... but these travel companions are adventurous and that makes for a delightful ride.

My main computer is hiccuping at the moment... so accompanying pictures will have to wait.

Cheers!

Throw that bloody idiot hack out!

... from Marcel

A re-write now? Yes. It's only the first week of rehearsal... and the last seven pages needs one. It's klunky. I'm not proud... I'll admit that.

It took S & H romping on stage Wednesday night for it to be clear to me just how klunky. It wants to flow but there are barby hurdles in the way. I suspected it when I read it. But I wanted to see it up and moving to determine exactly how to proceed with it. Some of it will be compressed. Some rearranged . Some (probably 2 whole pages) just goes out the bloody window.

This is one of the reasons I never fall in love with my own work in development. You just have to be that way (brutal) when you decide to wear the different hats of playwright and director. And as a playwright let me tell you... if you are in a production and if anyone (especially the director) spurts the (pretentious) line about "... being true to the playwright" or "being true to the intent of the playwright"... know that the person is full of shit and know that you are in one boring ass production.

It's the work... the piece... the play that is paramount here. It HAS to come alive on stage and connect. Fuck the (so called) playwright's intention! That's only a big wanker guessing game... a lame excuse to show off in the area of Drama Lit, etc. Besides, any "intent" should already be in the structure of the play itself... it doesn't exist beyond what is on the page. Be true to the play! If the piece is any good it will stand up on it's own... jump off the page and (hopefully in rehearsal and production) explode on stage.

OK... enough. I promised my stellar cast re-writes before the next rehearsal (on Monday)... so, a hacking I will go. Then we can finally throw that bloody idiot hack out!

BTW... if you haven't been here lately or this is your first time... click the archives or the labels to catch up... espcially on the Skypecast of the rehearsal.

Rehearsals begin today!

from Marcel...

It's finally here... the next leg to this journey. At 6 PM the actors will gather. The propane heater will be fired up and the piece will begin to be fleshed out.

The Schedule
The difference this time (from a normal show) is that I've elected to base rewrites on the actors input... for this week only. Besides, we only have a 3 week rehearsal period. That will be followed by a couple of previews for a small invited audience on the 26th and 27th. This will give the piece time to adjust and smooth out any rough spots before premiering at Rogue 2007.

On Working Fast
I like working fast even with a brand new piece. It provides the actors with enough time to become confident with what they are doing yet leaves enough room for spontaneous combustion in performance on stage. Being well rehearsed does not mean having the life of the piece being beaten out of the performers.

On Following This Journey
Also, from this point on, posts over here will not be as sparse as they have been. Expect a new post at least every other day. Yes, it will feature warts and all.

Cheers!

new video

The second in the series of Page to Stage. I recut it to a PG-13 version. Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment below. Rinning Time:5:08

If you missed the first video... it can be found HERE!

TALE END - Page To Stage 2
Uploaded by dathang

CREDITS:

"Caravan" performed by Bunny Brannigan
"Borrowed" movie clips from Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz"
Thanks to all who each gave at least 5 minutes of their time to make this video possible.

MORE COMING IN THE NEW YEAR!

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.

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.