Category: performances

Report: 8/16/08

Posted on by Dale

First work session. In attendance: Dale, Marc, Galen, Jeff B., Greg, Dan, Kevin. (Jeff A. and Matthew were both working.)

Dale taped up a sheet and drew a floorplan of the Greenville St Park performance area. The raised brick platform is about 40 feet across and basically 9 feet deep. There are stairs SL, and an L-shaped ramp SR. In front of the platform is a 4-foot wide swatch with shrubberies, and then a 5-foot-wide sidewalk.

There is a large green space (with drains C, L, & R), followed by a second and third tier of green.

We discussed our options with the space. The City has already said that we cannot build steps to bridge the sidewalk to the platform over the shrubbery (although we’re not sure they understood we meant a temporary structure). We’re probably going to perform mostly in the lower green space, three-quarter thrust.

We discussed our personnel. We still need a few good men. Dale will submit a PR release for the paper which invites interested men to join us.

We began to read through the play. We read through Act I and most of Act II. Galen and Kevin had to leave for prior commitments, and we began to summarize some parts and read others.

We decided that we would play with the script for at least another week before making final casting decisions.

We broke for lunch, and then afterwards we got on our feet and played with some staging ideas. We’re leaning heavily towards staffs as weapons/set pieces.

As an opening, Marc suggested a dumbshow/tableau: two figures (Cor. and Auf.) below, with a frieze of warriors behind them. That developed into drummed accompaniment, with Cor. & Auf. battling in stylized slow motion, while behind them the warriors strike poses with shouts. Finally, the godlike warriors break into the clumsy, malleable mob of scene 1 and sweep down the ramp to begin the play. An idea to play with, score, and choreograph.

We ran through I.1, up through Cor.’s entrance and commented on the dynamics. The whole play is a game of political strategy, and only Cor. is too “pure” to play it. Everyone else is, as Marc put it, constantly getting ready for the next battle.

Other ideas that floated about: the missing father, every character telling the truth, the homoerotic undertones.

Next session is Wednesday, Aug. 20, 7:00, Newnan School of Dance. We’re going to look at I.2 and IV.6, plus whatever else pops up. We’ll still be playing with the text, still holding off on casting decisions.

The nitty-gritty

Posted on by Dale

So now it’s down to the nitty-gritty.

Questions to be answered, with some thoughts on answering them. Discuss.

Performances

  • When shall we do this? I’m thinking the last two Saturdays in October, the 18th and 25th. How about Sundays as well?
  • Where shall we do this? The new city park is actually not a bad performance space. Marc and I tested out the acoustics back in May, and while the last audience row cannot hear because of traffic noise, the rest of the seating is good. I am emailing Cleatus Phillips to see if we can get the space. What time of day should we do it? I don’t know that the park has lights for evening performances.
  • I offered our services to NCTC for a benefit performance or two, but their October is full. Should we offer a November performance for them?

Rehearsals

  • When do we rehearse? This is the sticky question, isn’t it? I am going to propose a 2-hour rehearsal on Wednesday nights, and a 4-hour rehearsal on Saturdays, maybe 10-2 with a working lunch break in there. Given that we’re trying to use John Russell Brown’s “Free Shakespeare” concept and not over-work the play, this might be the ideal amount of time. Other ideas?
  • Where do we rehearse? My back yard is always available. How about the Newnan School of Dance? Wesley Woods has actually offered us a space.
  • I hope everyone is planning on this being a collaborative piece. I am not intending to “direct” this. Why should I, when we have so many incredible talents working on it?

Casting

  • It has not escaped my notice that no one has claimed the three of the four biggie roles. Be giving some thought to this.
  • Should we have auditions? I’m thinking we may not need them. So far, our company consists of
    • Dale
    • Marc
    • Jeff
    • Kevin
    • People who have said yes: Craig Humphrey, Matthew Bailey, Greg Lee (although that was last spring)
    • People who have said they’re interested: Jobie Johnson, Jeff Allen, John Caldwell
    • People I’ve contacted who haven’t said no: Dave Dorrell, Dan Coleman
    • Others: two young actors from NCTC that Jeff said would be good who are too young to be in Odd Couple and who want to do something this fall
    • Anyone else?

Costuming

  • We’ve already talked about this: olive drab cargo pants, black and/or gray t-shirts, work/combat boots. Accessorize for individuation.

Set

  • Keep it simple: some trestles, a couple of big pieces of plywood, maybe some big-ass pieces of fabric to wave around.

Combat

  • We need swords, and a fight trainer.

Getting started

  • We need to get everyone who’s interested together and swear an oath to accomplish this, plus hammer out some details. We need to do this fairly soon, because we will run out of time if we don’t.

Did I leave anything out?