First Week

This first week of rehearsals was absolutely amazing. We've accomplished so much, I feel like we've been rehearsing for weeks. It's magic, there's no other other word for it. Completely magical. This group of people came together with no qualms, no arrogance, no competition, and, by working together, is producing a beautiful piece of theatre. I've been in plays where people are in them just to add another show to their resumes, to see their names on a program and flyer, to belittle others because they could attain a part where they get more stage time, etc. With this group of people I don't see any of that happening, and I would like to thank every one of my fellow actors for giving it their all since day one. We truly are an ensemble cast; we're helping the "cause:" to do "something wonderful," and we are! I can't wait till we've memorized our lines, it's just going to get better. There's no way but up from here!!!

On Our Feet

Tonight we got up and started staging the show. Relationships are starting to appear, intent is coming through, and the language is melodic.

As a character on stage witnessing the scenes unfold I didn't know what to do at first, but felt comfortable and encouraged to play. Having the freedom, I started allowing my character to flow and natural reactions poured out of me. It was amazing!

This group, ensemble is the better word, has been working so well together... I can't wait to get the scripts out of our hands and see the real playing begin!

Thank you!

Alais

This Flattering Glass...

Yesterday we had our second rehearsal and I'm completely blown away by my fellow actors. It is strange to me how we all came into the rehearsal room, and we all were ready and willing to experiment, to venture out of our comfort space, to try different ways of discovery, etc. I've never experienced anything like it! I can't wait to see what kind of monster we're going to create...

TFG Day 2

It's hard to believe that last night was only our second rehearsal. Everyone is doing such a great job that it feels like we've been together for weeks. In my opinion, we could stage what we've got now and give any other company a serious run for their money.

I'm enjoying watching the process as AD. I've participated in Greg's warm ups and character work, but it's interesting to sit on the sidelines as an observer. Everyone is involved and doing as much as they can, both physically and emotionally. After the warm up, we read Act II and I heard some of the best reading ever. Hal, Jag, and Renee were so centered and brought a lot to the table. RJ is a powerful actor; I can't wait to see where he takes Henry; Melissa is starting to shape Isabel and she and Renee have already begun to establish the relationship between their characters. Julia is phenomenal! Rene and Jessica were both 100% there the entire time, even though his character gets killed in the first act and Jessica's scene in Act II has no lines. Ron is overcoming his hesitation with the language beautifully. I can't wait to see Dave on his feet and being Bushy to life. Stephen and Arthur are also bringing a lot to their characters. Last, but not least, Matt is a PRO! I'm so impressed by his preparation and dedication. We are lucky to have him. The speed-read between him and Greg was too funny!

So, there's nowhere to go but up.

lis

This Flattering Glass: Day 1

What an amazing beginning we have made. I cannot thank the cast enough: Renee, Hal, Dave, Jessica, Arthur, Matt, RJ, Julia, Melissa, Dave, Ron, Jag, Rene...you all dove in with both feet and more! If we opened tomorrow I would be proud of this show.

I look forward to where you take me. And thank you, Lisa, for keeping me on task.

etonne-moi
g

The Tao of B.I.T.S. (Butts In The Seats)

(reprinted from JungleWebs.net)


ARTS MARKETING of THEATRE
(or... the Internet - it's not just for porn anymore)
by Marcel Nunis (Theatre J'Nerique)

As a playwright, director and producer in the theatre I was plagued for years with these nightmare questions:

• How do I push the show without "selling out"?
• Will I compromise my "art" by marketing my show aggressively?
• How do I compete with big media for an audience on a budget?
  

Let us first admit to our own sins. Yes, there does exist a snotty "holier than thou" attitude in the world of the arts. We roll our eyes over a marketing budget and campaigns. We protest with excuses like... "That's going to cost too much!" or "This show is brilliant enough to sell itself!" Then we capitulate "within reason" insisting on "traditional arts marketing" (posters, flyers and press releases) and exercise care not to "go overboard and compromise our art" through "aggressive and crass" commercialization. Our show opens and performances are barely selling a third of the house with audience members made up mostly of family, friends and "supporters". Our show eventually closes and we are relieved that it broke even.

In the meantime, someone else's show opens. We hear the first weekend is bringing in "sold out" crowds. We turn up the second weekend to "support our comrades" only to be met with lines wrapped around the block. In fact, we are one of 30 people turned away at that performance. We envy their success (never admitting it outwardly) and inevitably discuss (gossip) in hushed tones about the "pedestrian quality" of THAT show while drowning our sorrows at the local bar without having even seen it yet.

• "Did you see their poster? She was almost naked in it!"
  
• "Those people in line are not a REAL theatre audience... they don't even have a subscriber base like we do."
  
• "We don't need a hit... we are artists!"
  
• "Can you believe they used the Internet to market their show... with promotional videos??"

The discussion eventually descends into moaning about "the death of theatre" and how the mediums of film, TV and videos are destroying the communal shared experience of "live" performance.

Let us take a few steps back, shall we? Perhaps we need to be reminded of several important factors concerning the craft we are engaged in. This cuts across the board... weather we practice theatre as a hobby, amature, professional, or student. These factors concern ANY level of theatre including, academic, community, dinner, repertory, fringe, independent, profit or non-profit. In fact, many of these factors also apply to almost any discipline in the arts.

FACTOR 1- Every discipline of the arts is a medium of communication.
Through our various mediums we utilize creativity to communicate... stories, ideas, issues, etc. Our mediums are dependent on an audience to communicate these ideas to. Without an audience... our "art" does not exist. Just because we have rehearsed our show for 4 to 6 weeks does not mean anybody is going to turn up to experience it unless they are aware that it is happening. This is where the next level of "communication" comes into play through effective marketing and creating a buzz.

FACTOR 2 - The success of our "art" has always been dependent on "buzz".
It can be argued that "showbiz" as we know it today was invented by The Bard and his peers over 400 years ago. I'm even willing to bet that in the earliest recorded history of western theatre, buzz was a major factor in getting the word out for a show.

DIOMEDES: We really have to check out that new play at the Theatre of Dionysis!
KADMOS: What's it about?
DIOMEDES: A guy who kills his father and marries his mother. Totally scandalous!
KADMOS: Yeah, everyone at the market is talking about it! That wacky Sophocles... what will he think of next?!

I will argue that until 40 to 50 years ago, practitioners in the arts were always on the cutting edge of marketing. Until the early 60's many of the "hit" songs on radio were showtunes from Broadway shows (which in turn helped sell those shows at the theater box-office).

Then a malaise set in and there seemed to be a collective rise in the "victim" attitude all around. It is true that the popularity of film and TV diminished the box-office returns of "live" theatre. Plus, trends and tastes in music were changing, showtunes began to lose it's popular voice and it became expensive to advertise in the new media.

So, do we roll over and play dead or do we pick ourselves up and exercise creativity developing new methods with a brand new affordable medium (hint: the Internet) that puts everyone on a level playing field?

FACTOR 3 - All "art" is the skillful craft of manipulating thought and emotion.
A playwright does it through the structure of plot and design of language. The director does it by conceptualizing an emphasis that . The actor does it through the physical control of his or her instrument. Designers (set, lighting and sound) do it through the cunning arrangement in their areas of stagecraft.

Let's face it... there is a lot of creativity and innovation involved in creating our "product". Shouldn't the same energy and emphasis be given to selling it?

FACTOR 4 - At least 95 percent of those "great plays" we learn about in theatre history made money!
Sure, there were some that were "closet masterpieces, flops or were "just ahead of their time" but most of them were successes at the box-office. (Some of those "ahead of their time" flops came back to do boffo box-office.)

Even "great works" have to be effectively marketed to create a buzz to get B.I.T.S. Then, the strength of the show (product) further amps up the buzz to create more "sold out" shows. Really folks, "Death Of A Salesman" (a serious non-musical drama) that "American theatre classic" did good box-office.

Perhaps all of us in the theatre (and in the arts in general) need to rethink how we market our craft. I truly believe that a new day is emerging. The novelty of movies, TV and videos have plateaued. Audiences are ready to get out again and partake in "live" performance once more. Theatre can become a vital (and profitable) medium again. It really does not matter the style of theatre you engage in... it can all be vital once more.

We just have to put aside our stuffy attitudes and fears and strike out to once more become innovators. Not just within our craft (and the products we create) but also in marketing them. Perhaps if we are willing to learn once more we can take note of the techniques utilized by our brethren in rock and roll, film, etc and pounce on the new affordable media like the Internet which is capable of reaching out to a new audience.

The choice is to rise from the embers or to diminish into the ash of irrelevancy.

click here for more on Web Arts Marketing.

2 playwrights chatting

reposted from my personal blog... marcel

Last night, after catching up with a friend on her return from New Zealand I ran into fellow playwright, Ross Howard who fielded 2 shows at the recent Rogue Festival. This one & this one... both excellent plays in my book ( I saw them both in my quest to seek out original works during the festival). I was actually on my way home but just couldn't pass up the opportunity to commiserate with someone who I think is a bright emerging talent in this waning field.

Ross is English and came to this country to pursue an MFA in playwriting. Curious... considering that he hails from the land of the Bard.

I cannot really explain what fun and how much of a luxury this was for me. It is rare in these parts to come upon a fellow comrade in the trenches to share ideas with... especially one who is open to sharing without the (natural) paranoia of their ideas being stolen. (This is a malady that often plagues many in our craft... lol.)

We chatted about all sorts of things. A light dissection of each other's shows (he had also come to see mine and I his)... working techniques (discovering to our delight that our process is similar)... discussions of playwrights works we (both) admired... our mentors (and we share a couple) ...and future plans and projects we are considering. It was also a joy to be able to chat with someone who shares a common "blue collar" attitude to the work.

We both agreed that theatre is first and foremost a "gig"... and some of it transcends to evolve into art... that the over analysis emphasized in academia has taken the gig out of it which in turn perpetuates the perception that it is inaccessible to regular folk. (Then, they wonder why they can't get an audience.) Instead of mutual support and encouragement... too often in this world of theatre (sadly, more true than not) folks get caught up in a competitive back-stabbing, holier-than-thou snob attitude that really does no one any good and only contributes to the further erosion of the craft... simply because they buy into the idea that everything they create is art.

It was so refreshing (and encouraging) to be able to converse with someone in a "common language". The language of the theatre is common enough among practitioners of the craft but there does exist various "dialects" within this small (and ever shrinking) world. Chatting with actors about a show is quite different than speaking with designers, etc. To be able to converse with a fellow playwright for me presented the unique opportunity to speak in "short-cuts" brought about by a common understanding through the labor of our work that does not require explanation... like two carpenters discussing the best techniques for dovetails without explaining what a dovetail is.

We even half jokingly chatted about spearheading an "indie garage theatre" movement... not unlike the indie garage band or indie film movements that have done so much to refresh those forms over the recent years. Perhaps that is what is needed... to bring a sense of rock n roll back to theatre. Strip away the "jizz" and and allow the works to really sing through performance without the distractions of unnecessary "production value".

I stayed out longer than I thought I would last night... but returned home happy, rejuvenated and much encouraged by the conversations that transpired between Ross and I. It was nice... akin to running into a fellow countryman from the same village in a foreign land.

Halfway Point

Well, we've done two shows and have two to go. I have to say this has been the most fun I've had onstage ever. Our cast has become so tight over the last couple of weeks it feels like we've been working together for months getting this thing ready, rather than six hours.

Last night was spot on. We had a couple of snafus backstage (the overflowing men's toilet - no turds tho!) and one of our actors got locked in the women's room five minutes before curtain. It was hysterical. No one panicked, though and our brave actor was rescued and the show went on.

The air conditioning in the venue wasn't working well last night and that helped feed the claustrophobic atmosphere of Parkview. We all found our characters and Tom was able to blend in seamlessly with us and do fantastic work. The thing I love about this show is the total freedom we have; we can enter anytime we want, move around or not, interact with the other actors and even the audience, which makes each performance different.

I can't wait for Thursday and Friday, but I'll be sad when it's done, which is rare for me. A couple of weeks off then into rehearsals for TFG. That will be my first experience as an A.D. and I am looking forward to seeing what the group brings.

vive le conneries!
lisa

Viva le Bullshit!!!

Yay! Tonight we open this monster, and I feel blessed to be a part of it.
To everyone who has given their time and dedication to this project: I thank you, for giving me confidence again, for teaching me things just by being yourselves and for the infectious joy that happens every time we've gotten together and played.

Our rehearsal process has been amazing. I personally can't stand it when I'm not given room to explore because how do you now what feels right until you've tried it? In the midst of our searching and exploring, I was constantly surprised by what would pop up, seemingly out of nowhere. And to finally allow myself to feel something I knew was patiently waiting to come out, in such a safe environment, was a joy, not just for the character, but for me as a person who is still experiencing life on the outside of the theatre walls.
That brings me to another wonderful point: the safety. It is rare to work with a group of actors where you truly feel safe to become vulnerable. Many times at rehearsal I feel like I'm constantly auditioning, proving why I'm there in the first place. Competitive and inhibiting. But I felt as though I trust every other soul in the room, a respect for each others' talents and humanity.

It's going to be hard to let go of this one. A part of me wishes we could still meet as a group, to work and learn. The most important thing it has been is fun. It's been fun! I was starting to forget that it could be.

So yeah ... break a leg tonight, everyone!!! Much love...
Viva le Bullshit!
*end scene*