8Squared: A Night of New Writing

This week brought to life a project I have been working on since I started at Central. 8Squared.

In our very first week the Creative Producers course was introduced to a student lead project called New Writers' Night. This was an evening performance over a run of two nights that featured new short works from the writing students on the MA/MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media. The pieces were restricted to eight minutes each and the entire production was student produced. I was immediately drawn to the project as I have long been a supporter of new works for the stage and headed up a New Play Festival at my previous place of employment.

My first involvement came with the New Writers' Night that was presented in October. As it was right at the beginning of my first term at school, I didn't have a whole lot to do with the planning process. But I helped with auditions and ran sound for the performances. My classmate, Trish, also got involved as Stage Manager. After the October performances, we began to collaborate intensely with the two second year writers who took on the organization of the October performances. Over the past few months we formed a dedicated and organized producing team consisting of the two writers, Dale and Natalia and Trish and me, all of whom were involved in the October performances and we brought on board a writer from the first year writers' class, Sophie. Together the five of us overhauled New Writers' Night, establishing a mission statement, organizational procedures and documentation to communicate our purposes to those who submitted to become involved in the performances. We established a network of script evaluators and liaised with faculty at Central to solicited formal support for the event from the school. We completely re-branded, including the new name 8Squared, which refers to the eight scripts we present at performance nights and the eight minutes of time allotted to said scripts.

In December, writers submitted their work and with the input from the evaluators we selected eight for presentation in a rehearsed reading format. The eight scripts were workshopped and rehearsed and finally presented to the public this past week. The attendance was good and I believe the writers learned much from seeing their work in action, which is the ultimate goal for these presentations. It is after all, about the new work and the writers' education and experience. 

The team and I now need to review the strengths and weaknesses of this round and start preparing for the 8Squared event that will take place in the spring. We have gained support from the school and are looking forward to the advantages of faculty involvement. Much to do and exciting new ways to grow.

That's the big news for this past week. More reports coming soon. In the meantime, check your local theatres and see if they support new writing and then go see some!

Take care!

-m

Venice

It's been a busy week but I need to fill you in on Venice!
Last weekend my friend Soha and I traveled for a weekend get-away to Venice, Italy. We wanted to experience Carnevale di Venezia which is a festival that happens every year since 1162 and spans about three weeks every winter leading up to the beginning of Lent. It is a bit like Mardi Gras in New Orleans in that celebrations and events take over the whole city and people take to the streets in special attire. A large portion of people were at least wearing masks and many wore costumes, some very elaborate. Multiple masquerade balls were thrown nightly. Some were special invite only but others could be accessed with the purchase of a ticket. Tickets ranged from 50euros to 1000euros for these parties.

Venice is known for its streets made of water. Indeed, we did not see a single car when we were in the center of town. The streets are narrow and made for pedestrians. One must take a boat to get around if one is not walking. Bikes are not very popular either. Walkways shrink in width often and at nearly every turn there is a bridge to cross a canal and there are steps required to cross the bridges. I saw a few parents with strollers and it looked to be a mission to wheel them around.

We of course took a gondola ride. The gondola is a very tranquil way to travel but if you are in a rush, motorized taxi boats are available. Venice is very much a tourist town. Restaurant and shop owners encourage you to come in but that is part of the fun of travel. We were able to enjoy an authentic Venetian meal at a local restaurant recommended by our hotel. And no, it wasn't pasta, it was sea bass. Venice is in the middle of the water after all. It was delizioso!

One thing we saw a lot of in the shops was Murano glass. Venetian glass has been famous for centuries and Murano glass is by far the most popular. Murano is an island easily accessible from the heart of Venice where this glass is crafted. Products of Murano glass come in all shapes and sizes from dainty glass beads to glorious chandeliers. The most popular design pattern is Murrine which is a multi-colored speckled pattern that comes from layering different colors of molten glass on top of each other to make canes which are then cut in a cross section to form disks that look almost like candy. These are then heated and molded into dishes, bowels, pendants and a variety of other crafts.

Saturday night we went to an opera. We saw a sight-specific production of La Traviata. It was performed in a palace and broken into three acts. Each act was performed in a different room in the palace and at each intermission the audience was escorted to the new room and given champagne along the way. My kinda show!

Sunday involved more sight-seeing. We took a motor boat ride around Venice and visited the Doge's Palace. The Doge of Venice is kind of like the Mayor of Venice. He is the chief government official of the city and the Doge's Palace is the seat of government. But this isn't just your average city hall. Venice has a rich history of being a major player in the leadership of Italy and Europe. Historically, the Doge has been a very powerful position. The Palace is a reflection of the wealth and influence of Venice. It is an architectural wonder and the most opulent "city hall" I have ever seen.

If you ever get the chance to go to Venice, go! It is a magical city worth seeing. And if you only have the English language in your catalogue of communication, no worries, every merchant, waiter and desk clerk seemed to have a fine grasp of English. With so many tourists, I imagine it is a necessity.

Coming up this week we open one of my projects, 8Squared: A Night of New Writing. If you are in London, come on down to Central Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evening and see what our emerging playwrights have been cooking. It's free!

In the meantime, enjoy a play, film or television show set in Venice. There are hundreds to choose from. Everything from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice to a season five episode of Dr. Who called "Vampires of Venice"!

Take care!
-m

One very well accessorized costume.

Ready for the masquerade ball.

Coffee break at a cafe. It ain't Starbucks!

The "streets" of Venice.

Didn't pack your mask? You can get one just outside St. Mark's Basilica.

In the courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

With no buses or trains, public transport is offered by boat. The cube with the yellow stripes is a "bus" stop.

The view from our hotel window on a foggy Sunday morning.

Murano glass in the Murrine pattern.

Coming Soon!

Hello dear readers! I must beg for your patience. It is very late on Sunday evening/Monday morning and I just got home from a weekend trip. I have much to report and photos to post but I am afraid I can not jump into the story at this moment. I have my placement tomorrow morning and must get to bed. However, I will write a "special feature" entry in the next few days and tell you all about my adventure! Stay tuned!

Take care!
-m

Nurturing New Writing

New stuff. There is always a thrill to experiencing something for the first time. New food, new clothes, new city, new people. And for me, new works for the theatre. I have long been an advocate for new plays and musicals. I've done a bit of writing myself. I've spent time in play publishing and been a part of various new works and new play festivals, even running one for a spell. Here in London, I have found two wonderful opportunities to support the development of new works for the stage.

The first week of first term we were introduced to a student led project at Central called New Writers' Night. This immediately got my attention and I signed up to help however I could. My relationship with this event has grown into a fully committed producing position. We have a team of five, two producers from the producing course, and three writers from the writing course on board as creative directors. The five of us are working to take this project to the next level. We have re-branded the night and have called it 8Squared. We will present 8 new 8 minute short plays to the public and invited industry in February. Auditions for actors to read the new scripts were this past week and the box office opens tomorrow, Monday. We are off and rolling! 

My placement (or internship, as some would call it) at Mercury Musical Developments began this past week. MMD works closely with writers and composers creating new musicals for the stage. As part of their team, I will help to produce a showcase of new musical offerings to industry professionals at the BEAM event in March. These new works were scouted from all over the UK and are at various stages in their development. Nothing like this has ever been organized in London before and I am incredibly excited to be involved. What if we discover the next Rodgers and Hammerstein or Stephen Sondheim?!

Tomorrow I head into MMD for planning meetings and Tuesday evening we have a table read for 8Squared. I am absolutely surrounded by new writing, and I love it! Being a part of a work that is in progress is such a privilege. Even if the play or musical doesn't go on to be the next big hit, while there, I will watch history in the making and theatre craft engaged at the embryonic stage. It's not a practice too many people are able to witness. I am a lucky lady.

I'll let you know how things go. In the meantime, check your local theatres and see what new works they might be presenting.

Take care!

-m

New Year, New Term

And we're back! The producers' course kicked into second term this past week. It was lovely to see every one again after a month off. We wasted no time jumping into the work. Two of our days brought us together with the other MA/MFA courses to guide us through the requirements and procedures for our research thesis. Course tutors and PhD candidates presented an assortment of research samples and methods. A great deal of our work on this group thesis project will take place during this term and the presentation of our results will take up the first week of third term. I did say group thesis, yes. It may seem a little odd but collaboration is a major part of working in the arts and entertainment industry so I understand why they ask us to work this way. We can choose our own group of students up to six and our own topic for research.

I have joined some classmates to explore questions about gender and character. We will look specifically at the character of Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories and compare television adaptations of the stories where Watson is maintained as a male character to productions where Watson's character has been changed to a female and how that effects the development and marketing of the work.

The world of Sherlock will be an education for me as I am aware of the stories but have never spent much time reading or viewing them. Field trips to the Sherlock Holmes museum will no doubt be on the agenda. As will, viewing parties to watch the various series that will feature in our research.

This topic will play nicely into our producing course as gender blind casting and the reworking of source materials continue to gain momentum in the industry. An obvious comparison is Shakespeare which is often cast with females playing male parts. In the six Shakespeare characters I played during my RSAMD course, only two were written as females. You can also find modern writers including a line or two in their text about the flexibility of gender in the case of certain characters. A smart move considering the available females actors most often outnumber the available male actors. With all this in mind, we aim to look at it from a producer's point of view and how it may effect the choices.

Tomorrow we dive head first into our placements (internships if you're American). I'm off to work with an organization that develops new musicals. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, it's cold outside, so it's the perfect time of year to go see some theatre. Check out what's on stage near you!

Take care!
-m

Shakespeare Sunday: The Sequel

After last week's The Winter's Tale I had another chance to take in more of the Bard's canon this weekend. And again featuring some of the finest actors the craft has to offer. Today, I feel like I won the lottery with the ticket I scored.

Late Saturday evening I stumbled across some information about a production of Richard II produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC's Richard II was produced in 2013 and played in Stratford-Upon-Avon and London. I had heard wonderful things about this production and even saw photos from the show on posters in the tube stations. What I didn't realize is the RSC was presenting an encore of this production over the holiday season here in London. And today, Sunday, was the final performance. What made this production of Richard II even more interesting was David Tennant was reprising his role as Richard II. After spending so much time with Dr. Who this past month, I really wanted to see Tennant play Richard. But the last show, surely a ticket would be difficult to obtain at such late notice. As expected, the listing on the RSC website said "sold out". However, there was a glimmer of hope when I read that a few seats were to be released for sale the morning of the show. Sure enough, in the morning, I was able to book a second row seat. Thrilled!

In London, the RSC presents at the Barbican Centre. This is an arts complex that includes a concert hall, cinema, library, exhibits and the theatre. The Barbican was opened in 1982 by The Queen and is Europe's largest multi-arts venue. It is a prime example of Brutalist architecture that was popular from the 50's to mid-70s.

At 2pm the matinee began and I was transported to medieval England where trouble stirred in the court of Richard II. Richard II was King of England from 1377 to 1399 when he was deposed and his cousin, Henry IV, took his crown. Shakespeare's accounting of the how and why this happened may not be historically accurate according to many scholars. Shakespeare is known to use a bit of creative license in his history plays. If you are looking for facts, try elsewhere but if you want an exciting story, Shakespeare has it covered!

The production was nothing short of fantastic. The pace clipped along, the text was clear and the story easy to follow. All design elements were well executed and served the play and performers without distraction. The live music was a magical addition with trumpets announcing royal entrances and three female voices singing with a purity that was sunlight for the ears. And the company of actors, brilliant. The sense of ensemble was strong and all glided through their parts with clear understanding of their characters and comfort with the language. It was a special treat to see Julian Glover play John of Gaunt. Glover has had a long and distinguished career on both stage and screen and is regarded with much esteem in the world of theatre.

But what about Tennant Melanie?! Well, the rumors are all true. He was nothing short of extraordinary. Richard II is not really considered a good guy. Many of his actions are questionable if not deplorable. Tennant found a complex truth to Richard with multiple, well developed dimensions that honored his regality while still rendering him an utterly, tragically, flawed human being. My heart broke for Tennant's Richard and I was very sad to see him go. I wanted him to stay right there on that throne and rule happily ever after, even if he was a jerk sometimes. Alas, 'twas not to be. *sigh*

Seeing Richard II today was an absolute inspiration and will provide a nice wind in my sails to kick off the week. The winter break is over and it is back to class and classmates tomorrow morning at ye ole Central School. I adored every second of my holiday and feel very much refreshed. But, my excitement over my upcoming placements and projects spurs me on and I look forward to getting started.

I will keep you posted! In the meantime, check out some Shakespeare, either on stage or on your screen!
Take care!
-m

David Tennant in Richard II at the RSC

photo from http://www.theguardian.com

Live Theatre...sort of...

Technology. Without it you wouldn't be reading these words and I wouldn't be writing them. It's a wonder. And oh how technology has changed the possibilities of how storytelling at the theatre is delivered. When Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale was first performed on May 11, 1611 at the Globe playhouse, their lighting design was provided by the sun. Their amplification system was healthy vocal projection provided by the actors and the architecture of the building. I wonder what The Bard would think of how I experienced The Winter's Tale today.

Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench are currently starring in a production of The Winter's Tale here in London at the Garrick Theatre. Produced by the Branagh Theatre Company in this, their inaugural season, The Winter's Tale is a hot ticket this season. Today, I had the opportunity to see the show but, with a twist. I saw the show from a seat at the cinema about two blocks from my flat. No, it was not a film version. It was not a prerecorded version of the stage show. It was streamed live from the Garrick Theatre to the cinema where we experienced the show in real time with the patrons at the Garrick. To be fair, this isn't really a new concept. Sporting events have been broadcast live to sports bars around the world for decades. There was less beer, shouting at referees and no commercial breaks at The Winter's Tale today but, it is a similar idea.

So here is the brain teaser for pondering; did I see theatre today? I saw a live show, that was for some that were in the audience, no doubt, theatre but I was not in the same space, the same room as the actors, so what does that make it for me? Does the very definition of "theatre" require the individual audience member to be there in person? Many would say yes. Others would count my experience today as theatre.

This is a new frontier for the world of theatre. We may have to clarify definitions and maybe come up with some new vocabulary. Filming shows and then broadcasting them later or selling VHS copies or DVDs has been in practice for a while now. In recent years, downloading and streaming previously filmed performances is a service offered by Digital Theatre, iTunes, Netflix and other online resources. Viewing shows in those ways is watching an archive of a live performance and still gives the viewer the option to pause, rewind or come back to the very same document of a performance later.

The Winter's Tale was not an archive and we will not be able to experience it, like we experienced it today, ever again. If this performance was recorded for later viewing, it too will be an archive. But today we had to be there on time for curtain, we had a 20 minute intermission (or interval, if you're British) and the actors had a curtain call at the end. Funny fact; no one in the cinema applauded. This is not to say people didn't like it because people were gushing praise as they left the auditorium. So there is another curiosity. Do we only thank the actors for their live performance if they can hear our thanks? If a tree falls in the forest...

I think I shall have to find some of my theatre comrades and debate this subject further: what exactly is live theatre?

In the meantime, go see some! At a theatre or a cinema!
Take care!
-m