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My Theatre professor gave the class a challenge of reading every single play performed in class, suggested for monologues, or produced on campus that year. The final list has 129 plays, many from playwrights I've never heard of until that class. One of my discovered favorites is Steven Dietz. Is anyone familiar with his work? Information on him has been hard to track down. His plays always have a very powerful theatrical atmosphere to them, almost like a type of magical realism. Besides that, the plays I've read never lose energy and often have memorable images and moments. I highly recommend "Lonely Planet" and "More Fun Than Bowling".
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Jun 9, 2010 04:15
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Buggerlugs posted:On a non-musical note (see what I did there?), does anyone know of a decent play (full length) that would accomodate a mostly (as in only one guy) female cast, and isn't called Steel Magnolias? El Tortuga posted:What's the director scene in this thread like? I'm in my sixth and (finally) last year of school, with a focus in directing, and I'm planning on getting out there to start my own theatre company soon. I have a few connections in Austin so it may prove kinda easy. Next fall or spring I'm hoping to round up other like minded people on my small campus and be artistic director of a new works festival. Probably a 1 hour 10min play fest most likely. I'm going to try to lasso some music composition majors into collaborating on some 10 min musicals for the fest as well. I hope to fail or succeed spectacularly. Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Jun 18, 2010 |
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Jun 18, 2010 05:47
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Wolfgang Pauli posted:Just out of curiosity, how long did your one acts last? We just did ours last semester and the scheduling was all over the place. We ended up doing three nights of all nine directors, it ran three to three and a half hours with one intermission. I lost my Theatre virginity with my one act. As such it was sloppy, over in a flash, but felt really drat good. However, I don't know where the script is anymore and I don't care much to unearth it. It's too weird to live, but what a glorious moment it had in the limelight.
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Jun 20, 2010 02:39
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Anybody know some good 10 min plays? I'm going to organize a 10 min fest at my college next semester (hopefully).
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Aug 1, 2010 05:45
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Would anyone point me in the direction of some interesting graduate programs for playwriting and direction? I still have 3 years left of my undergraduate English and Theatre major, but I'm looking ahead for a graduate program after that. The only ones I know of right now are Iowa Writers' Workshop and Yale School of Drama, both of which are badass for their own reasons. It would be foolish to stop the search there, especially since they both seem very hard to get into (what up, Yale?), so I'm interested in any type of graduate program for Theatre.
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Aug 19, 2010 22:29
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Right now I'm producing and directing a very, very short script I wrote about soldiers at war. It's set in a WW2 style war, but isn't restricted to a precise or specific historical period. This is also a collaboration with a music composition major, who is providing incidental music. How can I provide zero-budget effects like gunshots and explosions? What might be the best way to pantomime or represent rifles without actual rifle props? The music will provide the explosions. We'll be using a bass drum and giving it some powerful slams. I'm wary of using a snare drum for gunshots, because it simply doesn't sound close enough to a gunshot. Anybody have ideas or is there anyone who has dealt with a problem like this?
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Nov 3, 2010 19:55
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El Tortuga posted:On the issue of the guns, it really all depends on the style of the play. If what you're going for is a very realistic style of storytelling, and everything is supposed to be as real as possible. Then you'll want guns that look as realistic as possible. Technically this is supposed to be the music composer's final project for his Music Comp 1 class. I'm freelancing this project because there weren't enough modern dance collaborators to go around for all the composers. Thus, I have some restrictions. I think we will probably be required to utilize sounds by the instruments as much as possible. We have Trumpet for the droning of planes and perhaps the whistling of a dropping bomb, violin, viola and cello for shrieking strings during the bombing, and whatever percussion we can carry across campus to the dance building. That's the sound palette we can use.
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Nov 4, 2010 03:27
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talk.)
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beer_attack posted:I'm thinking about doing another production soon. I've received permission from "Jason" the author of the graphic novel "Why are you doing this?" to turn it into a stage production. One thing I'm going to try and do differently is have sponsors so that I can dedicate more time to the play and less time at work.
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Nov 8, 2010 23:37
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Just had the preview of my Music-Theatre scene today. It went off excellently, but I've been asked to make room so that there can be music during nearly all of the 5 min scene. This isn't quite so easy to do under dialog. I'm thinking of converting the majority of the lines to silent movements and semi-symbolic gestures. A mute Greek theatre if you will. Erm, maybe not that, but a mix of Greek, Modern Dance, and Pantomime. Anybody have any suggestions of how to convert lines to action and movements a la dance? Anybody know any authors to read who have done something like this very well? The only one I know of is The Hour.
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Nov 18, 2010 20:37
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When you rewrite such a large project, do you edit every line, or do you start from scratch? Once when I wrote a lovely one act I decided that if I would ever revisit it in the future, I would start completely over with the same ideas and characters. However, maybe that's throwing too much of it out.
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Nov 23, 2010 18:27
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beer_attack posted:One of my pals who's working on his phd in theatre at the University of Kansas asked me if I wanted to be in True West with him and do a tour with the act. Small sets travel well, so I think this could totally work. Probably at coffee houses or bars. I'd come see it. Golden Bee posted:I can send you a copy if you want. Cool. Let me know when you've got the draft you want to send. PM me or something. I'll probably put something up for ya'll sometime soonish.
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Nov 28, 2010 06:58
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Good One Acts: Eric Bogosian: Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Pounding Nails in the Floor with my Forehead. (Both of these are technically One Man shows of pure monologues.) Christopher Durang: 'dentity Crisis, The Actor's Nightmare, Beth Henley: Am I Blue? David Ives: The Other Woman, All In the Timing (Collection) Maurice Maeterlinck: The Blind (very old, very strange, very awesome) Steve Martin: WASP Terence McNally: Bad Habits Joe Orton: Funeral Games Clifford Odets: Waiting for Lefty (really political)
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Nov 29, 2010 22:30
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The Pillowman posted:Anybody worked with "My First Time" before? You have to approach that character like he is: A real person. Don't think about "How can I make this monologue be a certain way?". Think about : "How can I bring out the truth of this monologue?" Now, maybe that's going create a sarcastic minister. But really, does that sound right to you? Unless the playwright has chosen to give you clues that this character must be played in a specific way, you should let it be true to itself. If this character hates gay and pre-marital sex, so be it. Let him have his speech. Let him be true to himself. If that offends people, that's okay. In fact, challenging audiences is one of Theatre's many important facets.
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Dec 14, 2010 01:28
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Success! I'm back from that 5min Music and Theatre collaboration. It went over very well and turned out great. I don't know what else to say other than that. Now I need some other project to fill the void.
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Dec 16, 2010 04:35
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Does anyone use Playwriting software? Any recommendations? I ask this because the two leading programs I know about, Final Draft and Celtx, are not very good for separate reasons. Celtx's format for plays is some bastardization of a Shakespearian format, and is simply not good at all. Final Draft 8 has many excellent formats to use. The problem is it starts to get crippling typing lag after about 10 pages. The program can't keep up with even my slowest typing speed. Seeing as professional programs are expensive, I wanted to hear direct testimonials from writers before I buy.
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Dec 20, 2010 21:39
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Is anyone here experienced with producing Fringe Festival Shows? I'm applying to the Minneapolis 2011 Fringe Fest lottery. The thing is, I'm also applying for Fee Deferment. This requires that I give a fairly accurate forecast of what I expect to spend and earn with this show. There are even specific categories to fill out and total up, as you can see on the 2nd page of this PDF. I've never been the producer or had anything to do with the financials of professional theatre, even a fringe show like this. Essentially, aside from throwing out a random lump sum like "maybe $2000?" I have no clue at all. I'll be writing the show, so no royalties. Minimal scenery, but costume design might be more intricate than usual. We're probably going to try to market and publicize like crazy too. Anybody with prior experience in Fringe Fest shows have pointers and ballpark estimates for what I should be budgeting for?
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Dec 30, 2010 02:24
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Wolfgang Pauli posted:You're going to need an expectation of labor and material costs. The TD is the person who will look at a set design, plan out the set units from that design, and then analyze material costs and build times. The Costume Designer will handle the same kind of build schedule for your costuming. It's a great place to try out new work and get your feet wet. I'm only a college student at the moment. I know very little of the technical side of things (haven't taken those classes yet). I'm also working completely from the ground up. I thought a Fringe is a good place to learn by doing. My idea is to write the script and then apply for a slot. If I do get it, I then have about 3 months to see if I can get a full crew together. If I can't, I can be refunded for space fees. Here's the issue: The fee deferral is due on the day of the lottery deadline. I don't want to drum up a full crew and then have to disband if our lot isn't drawn. But, I do want to get that fee deferred if I can. So, I should ask for a technical director to consult me on this project. I think asking some of my profs would also be a good idea. I suppose a better question for everyone would have been: I'm creating a 1 hour play from scratch. No existing script, no existing company, no existing resources. What are the very first things I should be doing to start out?
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Dec 30, 2010 08:36
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FleshColoredBeard posted:So I'm taking a workshop for actors and though I am trying to take it seriously as the other students, I can only see some sort amusement when it comes to the whole "creative" process. The whole point of the dichotomy was to let us find what works best for ourselves. Some people need to go deep into method acting but bring away amazing performances. Some people just practice their lines and actions and do just as well. Some people fall in the middle. Scoffing at actors' creative process doesn't hold water once you realize that developing a character can be a varied process. Are you an actor who works well with an approach that doesn't require detail or method work? To you this may all seem silly, and rightfully so, but it may work for others. Then again, finding a style that works naturally for the actor should be the main goal of an intro level or workshop acting class. Higher level or specialty acting classes is where more specialized methods should be taught.
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Jan 27, 2011 02:29
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ToxicSlurpee posted:Could somebody do me a favor and recommend a monologue for an audition? I'm not certain about this one, as I've done nothing but musicals. Down the Road by Lee Blessing has several serial killer monologues. Eric Bogosian is usually dark. His piece "Molecules" from one of his One Man shows, either "Pounding nails in the floor with my forehead" or "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll," is more gross than dark, but still dark. Christopher Durang always does Black Comedy. Try "Man" from Laughing Wild. More angry at the world than evil though. David Harrower's Blackbird is about a pedophile. Actually not that dark in an "evil" sense, but you might find something there. LeRoi Jones' Dutchman has a monologue about how all we really need to do is kill somebody instead of letting out our aggression in art. The character is a 70's black man, so that might not work if you're not black. Neil LaBute's "bash: the latter day plays" is all monologues. In one a young Mormon recounts his murder of a gay man. In another a Mormon father talks about secretly smothering his baby child when he thought he had lost his job and home. Byron Lavery's Frozen is about a serial killer, but also has perspectives from the victim's family too. David Mamet. Glengarry Glen Ross and Sexual Perversity in Chicago have some male monologues where the male speakers justify a perverse worldview. Those might be a stretch though. They're not really evil. William Mastrosimone's Extremities has a rapist break into the home of 3 women. He does one monologue gloating about how he's going to rape them all. Probably more there too. Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman has twisted poo poo the whole way through. Goldmine, but may be a little overdone at this point, especially for "dark" auditions. Charles Mee's Bobrauschenbergamerica has a Mass Murderer Monologue from "Bob The Pizza Boy". He killed his family in a fit of rage, and tries logic to the audience why he should be forgiven. Sam Shepard is often dark. Buried Child and The Curse of the Starving Class have men who are in complete despair about inheriting the failure of their fathers and America. Surreal too. Michael Weller's Moonchildren has the Landlord of the characters' apartment burst in to tell them a twisted dream about ruling a village of African natives and impregnating the females with semen filled leaves.
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Feb 2, 2011 09:28
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They happen to be one of the characteristics of Theatre that is distinctly unique to it. I mean, no other medium does monologues with so much variety and so well. As a playwright, I wouldn't see them disappear quite yet. But, some of you are vindicated in your hate. There are those who write monologues for all the wrong purposes in Theatre. Those monologues suck.
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Feb 2, 2011 18:33
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It's your typical "take your family to a dinner theater on Christmas" type of show. Wholesome and funny, but not particularly hard hitting about anything. It's very well written as a genre blend of farce and sketch comedy. I remember it being pretty hilarious when I was taken to see it at a dinner theater as a teen. However, it's not much more than entertainment as I recall.
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Feb 10, 2011 05:00
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Currently in the Green Room in a show that has the entire 200 person audience on stage with us. We envisioned that they'd be moving around in the space in reaction to our own movements, but instead they're firmly planted upon every piece of scenery and platform we have. Giving them a light press in the direction we want them moves them for a moment, but they alway move back to the area of least resistance. I'm just an ensemble member, but even then this is one of the most wonderfully challenging and terrifying moments of theatre I've ever had. Any suggestions on how to audience herd without the spoken word? I have no lines.
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Feb 12, 2011 03:33
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You mean lighting? There's nothing I can do as an actor to change the lighting. I do know that we use lighting changes to direct attention to certain areas, but no place remains light or dark for more than a scene. What I did find effective was directly engaging with the person you need to move. One person simply would not move out of a crucial spot all show when people tried to wave their arms or nudge the person. When someone went up to her and took her hand she moved easily. She probably never knew she needed to clear out.
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Feb 12, 2011 05:24
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Here are some random ones that don't use many male actors. They also have some darker material than usual. Ask me if you need a rundown on specific ones. Three Tall Women - Edward Albee - 3 female (edit: 1 nonspeaking male role) Blackbird - David Harrower - 1 male, 1 female Frozen - Bryony Lavery - 1 male, 2 female The Woods - David Mamet - 1 male, 1 female Oleanna - David Mamet - 1 male, 1 female The Woolgatherer - William Mastrosimone - 1 male, 1 female Extremities - William Mastrosimone - 1 male, 3 female Seascapes with Sharks and Dancer - Don Nigro - 1 male, 1 female Dead Man's Cell Phone - Sarah Ruhl - 2 male, 4 female Fool for Love - Sam Shepard - 2 male (1 very minor), 1 female Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Feb 14, 2011 |
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Feb 13, 2011 23:33
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Golden Bee posted:Would you really run Three Tall Women (which has a male part I'm pretty sure) in a high school? Hey, if kids these days have the balls to do some dark plays, let them try. Then again, I do realize some of my suggestions are pretty intense for Senior High.
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Feb 14, 2011 06:25
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UnL337 posted:I've been luckily given the opportunity to direct a show at the end of the year, but have hit a few snags. For one, I don't have very many male actors. The only two male actors we have had this year are myself and another, and we're both this year's directors. Not only that, but it is a high school, and as such whatever play I choose has to be approved by the principal. Everything I've wanted so far has been rejected (although, to be fair, I don't know what I expected from The Pillowman). They'll allow a small bit of profanity, and some violence and sexual content is okay, it's just that everything that I've found that I've liked has been a bit over-the-top. That being said, I'm trying to find a play that is one or two acts, will require minimal or no cutting, and will be emotionally devastating (whatever I end up choosing, I want people to walk out of the theatre just feeling like they went through an emotional storm). If I have to find a few male actors, I can do it, I'm just saying that there is a huge shortage. Does anyone know of any shows that I might be able to direct? http://www.stageplays.com/index.php/browse/categories/all_female Also, guys:  I'm trying to trick him into reading lots of plays.Edit: More female dominated plays. Independence by Lee Blessing Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing Ludow Fair by Lanford Wilson Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley Talking With by Jane Martin Agnes of God by John Pielmeier On the Verge by Eric Overmeyer 'night,mother by Marsh Norman Ladyhouse Blues by Kevin O'Morrison My Sister In This House by Wendy Kesselman Collected Stories by Donald Marguiles Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 17:04 on Feb 15, 2011 |
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Feb 14, 2011 23:21
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I've got exactly one month to write a 45-60 min show for a fringe fest and get a company together to begin rehearsing. Meanwhile I have 3 weeks to prepare a small writing portfolio that will be submitted a few days prior to an interview for a summer playwriting program. Maybe I'm hosed in the head, but times like these are when I feel the most alive.
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Feb 16, 2011 08:26
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Folks, is there any reason for someone who only occasionally acts and has yet to be in a musical to continue voice lessons? I've found myself less and less dedicated to my (free) lessons after I discontinued college choir. I got a callback to a musical once, but otherwise I don't usually act in even regular plays and sing even less. I am a screamer in a punk band and could use the vocal exercise. However, I feel like I'm not taking these lessons seriously enough and am wasting both my and the instructor's time. Should I buck the gently caress up because it's always good to be a proficient singer in Theatre, or does it not matter that much for a playwright/director?
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Feb 18, 2011 00:31
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rantmo posted:There's very little musical theatre at the Chicago storefront level, when I was a kid, I did a lot of musicals and had a great technique and skill level. My first show after over a decade of nothing was a musical. I have subsequently lost so much technique, it's truly depressing. I wish desperately that I could afford voice lessons again. The loss of technique has effected my speaking voice; I don't support from the diaphram because I can't seem to get that technique back. Even without that, it's a skill I've had atrophy and I hate that. If you're getting free lessons, for gods' sake take advantage of it. Even if you don't do musicals, what's the harm in keeping that skill? I guess it comes down to how much value I can get out of these lessons as a director, since I doubt that I will be doing any musicals or choirs in the next two years. Are vocal lessons good for learning to direct musicals?
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Feb 18, 2011 00:49
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New post for new issue: I need to snare a producer/director for a Fringe Festival slot I won. Though I am perfectly capable of assuming these duties myself, I am a semi-finalist for a summer playwriting program that falls directly on the necessary rehearsal times. I will be notified sometime in April about acceptance or rejection from the summer program. The deadline to get my Fringe deposit refunded is early March. So, I need to get a company together lickedy split or pull out of the Fringe. I wouldn't be heatbroken to quit the Fringe, especially if I get the summer program. However, it would be lovely to quit the Fringe for no reason and would be equally lovely to lose my deposit if I can't get anyone reliable. Aside from networking at my college and hometown (currently ongoing), how might I make some connections with directors and producers, and fast?
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Feb 18, 2011 00:54
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OSheaman posted:Best I can offer is once I got really high before seeing The Woman in Black, which was great because I got scared at all the "BOO!" moments without really noticing how poo poo awful the plot was. I also feel like Theatre is more "sacred" so people would be far more angry at you for being high at a performance.
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Mar 11, 2011 07:03
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I never say it out loud, because I reason that those who believe it will then use their confirmation bias to blame any sort of weird poo poo on The Curse and then blame The Curse on me. Also, I don't want people's minds stuck on The Curse and not on the show. However, I once told some of my fellow cast members after a strike that I had been going to a private place in the theater and yelling "Macbeth!" at least once every single day during rehearsals and the run. It blew their loving minds that I had done so much to attract The Curse and nothing happened. The kicker? I never did go off by myself to yell Macbeth. It's all in their minds now.  ...Come to think of it, I probably did nothing to help dispel the superstition because of my antics. But, it was all for my own amusement anyways, so whatever.
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Mar 23, 2011 21:21
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Question for Playwrights adapting other author's works for the stage: What's the process of negotiating the rights for using the original story as basis? I'm adapting some short stories by Raymond Carver and I'm completely unfamiliar with who to talk to and what the process might be to put these performances up legally. I'd like to do a collection of short play performances of material adapted from Carver, and I'd also like to gain some legitimacy by doing the proper legal work.
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Apr 19, 2011 05:13
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Edit: Decision has been made, so the post is no longer relevant. New content: Is anyone here participating or has participated in the Minnesota Fringe Festival? I'm the playwright for at least one and maybe two shows this year. I'm also producing one of them. Any tips about the Fringe that isn't usually easy to figure out on your own? Any marketing tricks? Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 03:58 on May 30, 2011 |
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May 30, 2011 00:15
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Geekboy posted:Next year we're going to do a whole season of public domain or locally written material so that we can bring down ticket prices for a year. With no royalties and an amazing amount of great stuff out there we can do (Shakespeare obviously, but also things like Edgar Allen Poe and any other writers from the 19th century and back) but we can hopefully get people to show up by offering them something for next to nothing. Don't take my word for it though. I can send a short play I adapted from the Norwegian comic book artist Jason and three short plays based off of short stories by Raymond Carver. I know those aren't in the public domain, but it will give you a gauge about how I do adaptions and if you like them or not. I happen to like them very much.
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Jun 2, 2011 05:34
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Theatre technicians, I've got a question for you: Has anyone encountered video cuing software or hardware? Something to handle the same volume of cues that a lightboard usually does, but with avi files. Here's what we need it for: We have about 60 30 second clips tied to 60 sections throughout our play. We want the clips to play and loop during each section, and then transition to the next clip seamlessly. The video clips are based off of the text, so we need to control the clips directly with a Go button. We also want to output to some old TVs (80's and 90's) we have as scenery. I'm sure that complicates things as well. Anyway, I've heard that churches have these types of programs to cue between many different video clips and sing along videos they have for their music worship services. I'm having trouble nailing down a specific company or program for our own needs. Anybody have any ideas or leads?
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Jun 19, 2011 01:32
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If anybody here is from Minneapolis or are going to be seeing the Minnesota Fringe, you should hit my show up. The promotional postcard is right here:
Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Jul 26, 2011 |
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Jul 26, 2011 05:59
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Golden Bee posted:Get a degree in something career-worthy, act for fun. There's no shame in storefronting, and maybe you won't meet your perfect, 'everything clicks' instructor until later on in your career. It's be a wild process. We had a preview just last night that went over very well. We've got 9 days left of rehearsals and then it's show time. I think we're going to have what it takes to rise above the ocean of shows that the Fringe offers.
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Jul 26, 2011 19:45
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Welp, my Fringe show's reviews are split between 5 stars and 0 stars. Avant garde theatre will polarize the hell out of people, and I don't necessarily blame them. It's a hard show. But hey, if anyone's in Minneapolis between now and August 14th, you should give us a try. I don't care if you end up hating it, but I think the show really does succeed in what it set out to do. My friend almost cried during it, but my sister almost fell asleep. Forget Forgive fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Aug 5, 2011 |
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Aug 5, 2011 20:00
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 10:56 |
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Random question: Does anybody know any good plays or one acts that deal with space travel, the Moon, or other stellar themes? Emphasis on the Moon desired.
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Aug 18, 2011 20:51
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