I do this in a notebook, but I think I'm going to go 21st Century this time 'round. I am the just- christened co-director of my school's 2012-13 play. Already chose the play: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, one of those enclosed space, the killer's gotta be here on the premises, whodunnits. British mystery, dark tone. I did it once before, but on a very low budget: $0.00. My organizational device here will be to put my favorite ideas in bold, which may change as I know myself too well. I occasionally get tired of things I get obsessed with for a short time...
I am excited, because most of the times I was in charge of the play, we were completely old school: no lights, no audio, no mikes, for some shows we performed in a flat room made for dances, no stage! We used bedsheets from the dorm for curtains, and the biggest complaint was the acoustics. We had NO budget. Everybody got their own costumes, we did catch-as-catch can with the sets, everything home-made, plus I was the only adult, so I had to do everything. BUT, everybody was excited about it...it was like a regular Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movie--Kids, let's put on a show!!! C'mon Ms. Harte,gee, you'll help us, right?
So, now we have audio, sound, mikes, curtains, and I've now been involved in enough shows organized by others that I can cherry-pick ideas, that I think I will make me much more efficient than in the past. Also I have a working knowledge of garage band--possibly a source for sound effects, music, even original music if possible. And I have an amazing art teacher to help with sets!!
Some decisions we have to make: which will be more interesting here since I can include sound bites, music, pictures, video, etc...so cool. Keep in mind, this page is for brainstorming: brainstorming is all about vomiting out crazy unfiltered ideas then taming them, eliminating the truly, stupendously gratuitous, grandiosely stupid ones. Later.
Music: my baby--
--of course, my first instinct is to use Agata Kristi somewhere, maybe as bumper music, at least, instrumental? Or at least for inspiration, the James Bondish, driving stuff like on Mahn Kaif, weird stuff on the 2nd Front album--(2nd song-Гномы-каннибалы?) End of play, "Post Scriptum."
--Original Music? Will I have time to write it or can I recruit someone (in or out of school)? hmmm.. very exciting thought, actually. And what about anyone at school with the time or talent to play it? This is a very tempting idea, but is it overreaching? "A man's hand should exceed his grasp, else what is heaven for?"
--In the back of my mind is also those Twin Peaks/Blue Velvet soundtracks, with whatshisname, the Italian guy, Angelo Badalamenti, (cheated, looked it up), with that sort of minimalistic, kitschy-cool, pseudo jazz be-bop, with snapping fingers over descending stand-up bass...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKBRyNNW3u0&feature=related
that would work well in some scenes. Here's another--Warning..don't watch the video, esp if you are prone to epilepsy--just listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUcuccdGmeg
Also Hans Zimmer?
--Character signature music:
- Mollie (wife/b&b owner): Prettay music. Rolling Stones "Lady Jane"
- Giles(husband/b&b owner)--what if one of the red herrings is that Giles has a secret gay life? All in the subtext, of course, nothing overt. And turns out to be not true: he's just artistic. Hmm. Lou Reed: "Look Out for Charlie's Girl": Maybe his costume should be a sort of cool rock'n'roll style-50's-- James Dean or something--"Charlie's Girl" doesn't really work.
- Christopher Wren--definitely a glam rock theme, Bowie, T-Rex: "Suffragette City"? Or "Keep your 'lectric eye on me?" as a redd herring...
- Mrs. Boyle--"Ride of the Valkaries"--something Wagnerian, as O.W. would have put it--also she had to be the prototype for the deaf lady on Fawlty Towers, not to mention being borrowed from Lady Bracknell. Oh, and I so hope it would work out to play "Happiness is a Warm Gun" when she dies--kha-kha-kha.
- Maj. Metcalf--first thing that comes to mind is 1)the opening horns on the Beatles' "All you Need Is Love" .2) " Corporal Clegg" from Pink Floyd?Something military--3)Graham Nash's "Military Madness"? "cept he's a pretty nice character--I'm pretty sure Fawlty Towers based their Major on him, but a tad more on the senile side. Neil Young's "Broken Arrow" with the snares.Think maybe I'll use my old favorite for the Major: Argent's "Hold Your Head Up"--the drums have a military cadence, I think. "White Rabbit" intro works too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L6qjwbklAQ
Also here's a video of how to play the main riff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN2HmvHQNOc&feature=related
I don't think he plays the chorus part right. To my ear it sounds like it just takes the open-D shape up to the 5th fret, then down to the 4th with a pinkie pull-off.
- Ms. Casewell: Michael Jackson"Billy Jean"? That's totally random subconscious, gotta honor it. amywinehouse...costume
- Mr. Paravicini: ?????? "The Lunatic is in my head..." AK "шпала"
- Det. Sgt. Trotter: Mozart's Fantasy in Dm? Dick Dale.
- Intermission: The Beatle's "Blue Jay Way". Magical Mystery Tour, Queen "All Dead"News of the World
List of dark song material: pure mainline stream of subconsciousness: AK, The Gun Club, Beethoven, some Mozart, Russian Classical: Mussorgsky (Bald Mt, etc), Korsakov, Prokofiev,Rockmaninoff, Pink Floyd, I Am the Walrus, Happiness is A Warm Gun, (esp the intro and bridge guitar)"I need a fix cos I'm going down...", White Rabbit, Spirit:" It's Nature's Way", that weird backward song on ELO with the electric chair cover, Inda-gadda-da-vida, Town Without A Pity, Perry Mason Theme song, Joy Division, esp. "She's Lost Control", Bauhaus,esp "Party of the 2nd Part " or "Exquisite Corpse", Twilight Zone (Theme Song and the "bullet hits the bone" song by Golden Earring--"Radar Love", P.I.L., Hans Zimmer, Morrissey, Pixies, "Wave of Mutilation", "I Bleed", "Monkey's Gone To Heaven", Angelo Bad., John Coltrane, Stone Roses, Intro to "Begging You" or "Break into Heaven" , "Made of Stone", "Something Burning" intro , "Good Times", Blue Turk, Alfred Hitchcock Theme Song, Secret Agent Man, Peter Gunn Theme, Surf music ala Dick Dale, Doris Day--"Once I Had A Secret Love" for ironic contrast,"Blue Velvet": Bobby Darin, Saccharine Trust-"Human Certainty", Fugazi: "Facet Squared", "Sympathy for the Devil",
This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1vjTJTRn48 ,"The Ace of Spades", T-Rex "Change" need weird piano music--must find---
Queen "All Dead",Cure Disintegration "Lullaby" or "Homesick", The Cure 17 Seconds' "At Night" Pornography "One Hundred Years"
I've been going systematically through all the intros of songs on my AK albums and I cannot believe how much of it is perfect for this play--little snippets of instrumentals--so much I cannot choose--arrrgggggh!
Music Needs: Scene 1
--Preshow music? "Steady As She Goes" by the Raconteurs, like this idea, plus I might be able to teach someone how to play it, but singing it?
--Intro, (anything, but needs to set tone)--segue into 3 blind mice or whatever the murder music will be
--Mollie Music
--Giles Music X
--music over the radio description of man in dark coat, light scarf, hat--Bowie "Fashion?"
--Chris Wren MusicX
--Intermission music, from random walk music! ELO's "Last Train To London" , Disco, cellos, moody strings, sirens! Beatles "Blue Jay Way",Queen "All Dead" Add Adam's "Animea?(sp?) weird carny music : 1 minute.
I could use "Explosions " for filler somewhere--not like anyone's heard it. I still sorta like it which I guess means something.
Pink Floyd "Is There Anybody Out There?" would also make good moody, random filler music.
During the Murders: Agata Kristi "CHbl" --the kha kha kha's plus 3BM
Set Design:
I like the idea of a kitschy, over the top, "themed" Bed and Breakfast. Set design will ultimately dictate decade, music, everything.
Ideas we've tossed around
--Queen's Jubilee obsessedX
--Alice in WonderlandX
--ComicCon? (Nooooooo, but I know someone who would love...)X
--70's Glam/RockX
--Madmen 60's styleX
--Pop Star obsessed; Beiber, Taylor Swift, One Direction, etcX
--Brady Bunch/Partridge FamilyXX
--one particular pop star? Liberace, Barbra Striesand, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn (Monroe or Manson), Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Milli Vanilli, Michael Jackson, Bowie, Beatles, Menudo, Justin Timberlake, Metallica, Blondie, Woodstock era people, Skrillex, Funk, (mine the Tina Turner movie for 70's design),Stevie Nicks, Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Nirvana, Punk (emphasis on Madness if we keep it Brit), Amy Winehouse MadonnaX
-- a particular country/city as theme? Swiss Alps, Rhodesia, Tahiti? New Zealand?Paris? Jamaica? Texas? (it's its own country).X
--Lord of the Rings theme? with Nassssty hobbbittssses.X
--Harlem: The Cotton ClubX
--BR likes My Little Pony: BronieXXX
I like Cruella de Ville inspired.
Set will be black, grey and white, with characters wearing signature colors that "pop"
Here's one interpretation of set: (yawn) But it's an idea for how to do the various entrances. For some reason the center french door reminds me of that Saki short story, "The Open Window":
Cast: SG, LS-BS??
Costumes:
One production's costume choices: Not terribly imaginative? But EZ
http://www.alleytheatre.org/Alley/Agatha_Christie's_The_Mousetrap_Photos_of_the_Play_EN.asp?SnID=2021085195
My vintage costume idea page:
http://one1more2time3.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/50sfashion-photogr-1.jpg
Script Adherence:(particularly concerning what decade to set this in?)
Accents: Brit or not? My first instinct is to try Brit, depending on set.Done. Brit. Good job cast!!
Spring vs. Fall?: More energy, interest in fall, esp seniors. Feb 8
_______________________________________________________________
Official (but subject to change) Music and Sound Plot:
-
Ditching all the character music, I think--distracting. Red parts will probably be cut. Finally getting this intro timing sorted, I think.!
- The Cure: Pornography "One Hundred Years"
- Mozart's Fantasy #3 in Dm (approx 5 min.- whole sing) B.S. can play! May add more --another 10 minutes of music? May replace with Beethoven's "Pathetique"
- Pink Floyd The Wall, "Is There Anybody Out There?'
- "Steady As She Goes" the Raconteurs, BB Soldier
- Flip House Lights for final seating , House lights remain off, stage lights up, but slowly dim as "Howl" plays .Curtain still closed: by end of "Howl"("вой") lights should be in total blackout. The "Howl "music introduces the offstage murder, though.
Act I, Scene:
- p.1, 1st Cue: Three Blind Mice--melody only on tinny piano (my victorian or Harpsichord mode on east Lounge piano?)
- Curtain opens, stage still in blackout.
- 3B.M.=whistled shrilly
- A woman screams (Maddie)
- 6 voices heard off stage, in this order, reacting to the scream:
-Joong
-Brandon
-Thomas
-Mario
-Julia
- One long Police whistle, followed by several others.
- British siren
Lights up. Mollie enters SR.
- (p.1-2) Voice -On-Radio, in segments, of BBC radio newscast.
Molliemusic ,entrance cue. Rolling Stones(Aftermath) "Lady Jane" : opening instrumental only--as if on the radio--she switches it off before dialogue with Giles - Mollie switches on radio, more BBC,
music cue after, "and a soft felt hat"--
- p.2 Giles entrance: door slam
- p.4 Voice on Radio again
- p. 4--Doorbell cue for Christopher Wren:
- p,5-6 CW: Instead, while Giles examines Chris's suitcase:
Cue Alice Cooper, "Killer" -instrumental intro only. Skip crowd noises in first five seconds? - p.7 No Doorbell? I think keep it (3 impatient rings) but she still comes in by herself: Mrs. Boyle followed by wind and snow sound effects --enter Mrs. Boyle,
- p.8 Major Metcalf's entrance-- No doorbell.
p.10 when Boyle goes to her room-cue--"Perhaps you will take me to my room, Mrs. Ralston?" or FFF again.- p.10 doorbell after "It's a pleasure I'll have to forgo, I'm afraid."
- p.11 Miss Casewell entrance--no music--put maybe some sound effect on "eat each other,eh?"
- p.12 "told you--sex maniac" opening strings=??
- p.12, as Chris Wren sneaks around AK Opium "Black Moon" opening instrumental starting at the whistling sound
- p.13 11 secs of time killing music as Giles reads the newspaper , H. Mancini: "Session at Pete's Pad".
- p.13 : Two doorbells "They've All arrived" and " probably the Culver St murderer.."--
p.14 cue" probably the Culver St murderer.."--Paravicini's entrance: AK Decadence #6 "Shpala"(шпала) opening piano --too long? 1st Bars
- End
repeat "шпала" through entire instrumental part.at curtain.Replace with Talking Heads "Psycho Killer"
Act I, Scene ii
- p.16-- "No I don't suppose you will?"brief Pink Floyd lunatic laugh. ( from "Brain Damage" DSOM
- p.17-""To France? No. Italy? No."Ms. Casewell turns on and up the radio: "Dragons": Caravan Palace start at 12 secs-- 16? secs before the louder part that comes in at 28 secs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAlRwhkjToU needs a full minute of music of various loudness
- p.18-19- phone ring
- p.22 s
ound effect:dropped poker-metal clang - p.23 wind and door slam sound effect, Trotter's first entrance
- p. 25 Garage Bandish suspense sound effect?
- p.26 : 3 Blind Mice piano?
- p.30 "3 Blind Mice" on piano
- p.31 piano music: ???
2nd part of "Exquisite Corpse"? Bauhaus orCure "Homesick" piano instrumental,"The Final Sound" from 17 Secondsor piano from Doors"People Are Strange" 1: 30-44 sec Another possibility "Oscillating Wildly" from the Smiths' Louder Than Bombs - p.31--immediately following piano/ Door shutting sound effect.
- p 32: Sound effect GB sound like a horn blast?
- p.33: 1)Door shut noise? 2)Boyle turns on radio--to Dick Dale "Pipeline" or "
4) Door creak sound effect
5) "Three Blind Mice" is whistled (do on Audacity Mic)
Thru first set of laughs "Kha-kha-kha"
Hand appears- Lights Go Out
7)"Here, What are you doing?Why did you turn out the light? "( betw' laughs)
8)"CHbl" continues thru 2nd and 3rd set of laughs-cut abruptly at 20 secs).
9)After 3rd laugh, strangle sound ,scuffle and body falling
10) Mollie puts on light- "Says, "Why is it all dark? Switches off radio- cut--"CHbl"
- p.33:End. Fade to black.Sound of Mrs. Boyle's body falling. Cue: "Happiness is a Warm Gun" .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsDFxmbjZ7I
Curtain, Blackout, then Houselights for Intermission
Intermission Music:
- ELO's "Last Train To London" , Disco, cellos, moody strings, sirens!
- Beatles "Blue Jay Way",Magical Mystery Tour
- Queen ,"All Dead",News of the World
- Adam's 1 minute Carny song--Animea or something like that
- Curtain Music: дорога паука (Chudesa 2) 2:04-2:30ish the whistling parts, or
Curtain Music: огоньки (Chudesa 11) first 26 seconds with or without howl? Use these elsewhere if possible?- p. 36: "with one finger--so."3BMice single piano notes?? Use??
- p.38:
"shuts with a creak"--door creak - p.39: "go into the dining room please?"...они летят (Chudesa 13) first 11 seconds
- p.43: The second: "Don't you?" And while Christopher peeks in вервoльф (Chudesa 10) first 12 seconds
- p.44-45:
"I hated it" to "Perhaps everyone's a stranger"--The Doors, "People Are Strange"--opening piano--first 17 secs (Through the whole scene low, faded in and out?) We'll try it. - p. 47: "Then what's this?" Suspense sound effect
- p. 49: "I'll try and find him"--needs time killing music--Metcalf entry--"White Rabbit", first 19 secs or more if need more time?
- p.51: "One of you's a killer!"..sound effect or music...needs something approx 10-12 secs long. серота.
- p. 55: "to do." Notices hair twirling--revelation music?
Pink Floyd DSOM "Brain Damage" first 20 secs, with a fade-in and out. - p. 61: "count twenty and begin to play": "3 Blind Mice" piano
Curtain Songs:
The Clash: "Somebody Got Murdered" Santanista!
"Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" Santanista!
Bauhaus: "The Sanity Assassin" from Burning From the Inside
"Post Scriptum", AK's 2nd Front
-
Last page rewrite for lame ending/gifts:
- Giles hands her an ornate package sitting on the refectory table)
Mollie: Oh, they're lovely, although you know I don't like sweets..very indulgent, I must say. Thank you, sweetheart.
Mollie:( hands Giles a mysterious looking box)
I found these in London as well. In a special shop..
Giles: (opens the box and colors, visibly reacting to it's contents which the audience will not see) Mollie, this changes everything...(The box is glowing with a weird light. When he opens it it lights up both of their faces in an eerie way...) Curtain.
Notes for Brandon: Reveal Scene with Sara:
How to get Sara trapped, like a mouse, in this scene: Where on our set can she be trapped? Sofa? Behind the door? Both? First one, then the other? Get Brandon's Tae Kwon Do knowledge to work...
First, we see him set up the room, to "Set Traps". He moves the coffee table across the front of the SR side of the sofa so she will have trouble getting around it. Shuts off the light. Hides around the corner then calls her.
Ok. gets her into the room. Traps her temporarily against the door wall. She tries to feel for the door knob to escape that way, but he slams it shut. The "I've got exactly what I wanted" line should sound sexual, in a way, like a double entendre... which it is--he's taking great pleasure in the idea of putting her lights out. Hates her. He gestures to her to move in a way that gets her trapped behind the door for a short bit. However, Sara/Mollie is in full denial mode. She doesn't want to admit the situation she is in to herself, so she merely says, rather unconvincingly, "So you know who the murderer is?" So she is still malleable.
She moves towards the sofa at "I don't know what you mean". He follows and positions himself in front of her so she cannot leave the sofa. TKD!!! His back is to the audience but back appears tense, and we can now see the revolver in his waistband...he pulls it out and threatens her with his back to the audience, says the rest of his lines. After he has her attention with the gun, he starts pacing behind the sofa, waving the gun recklessly. After he confesses who he really is, Casewell enters and talks him down.
So, we accomplished the classic pattern! Everyone is on their A game, as Rose would say--some a little too much--we've gone from flat to overacting slightly, but that's better than flat--
The classic pattern means
- Two nights before we had the best rehearsal ever--very few dropped lines, rapid fire pacing--finished in One hour and 30 minutes! No sound, though
- Bad (sorta)Dress Rehearsal: one night before-- play in full, including all sound--I was extremely happy with the sound--perfectly timed. The mikes though, sounded very metallic--perhaps need to be lowered. Only one song is a little off, a little too upbeat in a tense moment, but I was thinking it signaled a goofy Chris Wren entrance--still, not terrible. We had the good-luck fail---Brandon dropped almost a whole page of the murder info scene. Better at dress than show night!!
The jinx worked! Performance night went pretty darn well--best we'd had, actually. Very few lost lines, actors were improvising blocking and movements, helping each other with dropped lines--never had a high school cast do that so well--almost makes me sad it's over except I'm so damned tired. Brandon was much improved from our work--but I wish we could have had the proper equipment to cast the ominous shadow during the last scene--we just couldn't work it out.
The music turned out great, even had particular positive comments about it! One person told me it was perfect, so suited to the play--well much of it was named for the writer--I do wish I had thrown in a few extra songs as I didn't anticipate the audience being so difficult to get seated--but Adam did a great job improvising. We had made a last minute change in a instrumental filler clip that neither of us was fully satisfied with in tone, and the replacement wasn't totally smooth, but it worked ok. One regret was the seating problem meant we didn't have the original music right before the curtain, and my small speech got in the way as well, because I wanted that song to set the mood, and instead we had to add a filler. Oh, well, the best laid plans.
Overall, I was extremely pleased, although we may have lost the first half of the video. I trade that for a good, solid performance--one show only! Lots of people didn't get the very end with the lighted box...hey, I'm happy to leave it a mystery. It was still better than the cheesy original, I think. Parts of that play, however, are quite slow and repetitive. Made for different times, a different audience, more verbal. If the kids hadn't memorized the lines, I would have ideally cut out a lot more of the talky bits. But, at that point it would have thrown the actors off, make them lose their places.
It was, after all, a high school play.
Can't believe Rose and I pulled it off. All you have to do is walk towards your fate.......
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2013: New Official Drama Teacher Here: Reporting for Duty!!
2013-14 Play Season ideas:
- The Importance of Being Earnest (+music)
- Added bonus--I have copies to spare!
- Step 1: Reduce the play, cut some of the windy inside jokes, perhaps
- Casting: Think I have the girls...Jack and Algernon????
- Costumes: A bitch.
- Modernize? Would it still work w/o a Victorian setting? Butlers, etc? Hipster
- Steal the opening from the movie ---Algy climbing in the window to evade his debtors
- Music: Put the grand piano onstage as part of the set? Use it in opening, and in the same ways they did in the movie, plus
- Just a random thought that might not work, but might, since this is over-the-top farce: The method Moulin Rouge uses to segue between dialogue and songs---Musical Earnest??
- Two musical pieces for tone: (two no brainers!!) Oasis' "The Importance of Being Idle" and the Smiths' "Oscillate Wildely" (
and maybe "Cemetery Gates" as well?? - How about an original song about "Bunburying"? Sung by the curmudgeony butler, Lane? Or the girls both separately sing songs about the name they love? (I'm thinking of changing it to Severus---for Snape in Harry Potter--??? Too weird? No, HP is very hipster)
- Yeah, there's my new Russian Hipster /Stliyagi influence to consider as well---different meaning to hipster, granted, 'cos it's the 50's, but the musical point-of -view, the way music, choreography blend with story in a new way is definitely something to keep in mind. That movie is so crazy good--beats the New Gatsby all to hell for a party I really want to go to.
A thought to play with--hipster Earnest---does it still work? Could all the Victorian conventions translate? Hipsters are the new aesthetes, the new bohemians, the new idle rich...what about the name and girl trick? Conventions of Engagement--Lady Bracknell's hold over the whole thing...possibly? If Jack and Algy are holding out for an Idle life through inheritance????? Definitely worth thinking about. The country/city divide? Brooklyn and the Catskills (one kid can be Jewish hip...) The Overly Romantic Cecily can be a Steampunk Chick, former lover of Twilight, but now too sophisticated for her former infatuation with ...(Taylor something? Lautner). No, being more discerning, she would go more for Robert Pattinson (with a Harry Potter cross-reference ). Ok, giving up the steampunk in favor of a gamer girl who likes role playing games--Like World of Warcraft? Is there a better one for a girl?
I was sorta flummoxed on how to work Ms. Prism into the plot, until I realized that we could make Cecily hopeless in a school environment, therefore, she is being "homeschooled" like a proper spoiled lazy hipster brat. Miss Prism will be her live-in tutor, nanny so Jack can go off without guilt.
So, Jack and Algy--his name will probably changed to something more hip, like Milo--are two recent Liberal Arts, late twenty somethings, Ivy League college grads, living off inheritances and family wealth while living the idle hipster life in Brooklyn and Montauk (Long Island, the country...) They both are amateur musicians--guitar? The fake names(Oscar???for Irony?) are to fool the girls, hide debts they've run up at various hip places, and to avoid Algy's Aunt Edie,(named after Edie Sedgewick) a Manhattan socialite of exquisite taste and wealth trying to stay young and up-to-date, who constantly asks Algy to DJ for her frequent parties for rich, bored friends. Because Algy has impeccable taste, and she's the one who feeds him.
Been working on ideas for the set with a little help from my friends.....
Montauk.
So the interior set would be beachy--Kennedy compound casual--but hip. Or maybe like it was designed by Wes Anderson --boy scout ish.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6rXnUcR7VBB6t8lGIRVmkuFVK8QG1S-RsECI32Psvilrc7ss1
Brooklyn:
I was sorta flummoxed on how to work Ms. Prism into the plot, until I realized that we could make Cecily hopeless in a school environment, therefore, she is being "homeschooled" like a proper spoiled lazy hipster brat. Miss Prism will be her live-in tutor, nanny so Jack can go off without guilt.
So, Jack and Algy--his name will probably changed to something more hip, like Milo--are two recent Liberal Arts, late twenty somethings, Ivy League college grads, living off inheritances and family wealth while living the idle hipster life in Brooklyn and Montauk (Long Island, the country...) They both are amateur musicians--guitar? The fake names(Oscar???for Irony?) are to fool the girls, hide debts they've run up at various hip places, and to avoid Algy's Aunt Edie,(named after Edie Sedgewick) a Manhattan socialite of exquisite taste and wealth trying to stay young and up-to-date, who constantly asks Algy to DJ for her frequent parties for rich, bored friends. Because Algy has impeccable taste, and she's the one who feeds him.
Been working on ideas for the set with a little help from my friends.....
So the interior set would be beachy--Kennedy compound casual--but hip. Or maybe like it was designed by Wes Anderson --boy scout ish.
One Set of Moonrise Kingdom: Note Vinyl Storage!
I like the hipster angles on this set:
My Rough sketchy-sketch of the Backdrop for the Brooklyn Apt:
Angles probably a little too tight in sketch..
The thing on the far right, hard to see, is a small walled in courtyard(the yellow is the far wall) with apt buildings in the distance--a table, chairs, bench, and fixed gear bike leaning against the wall. An electric wire across the back to repeat some angles.
Full Backdrop, Act I top, Acts II &III bottom:
Gotta think about set changes for the Montauk set. Probably can keep
the big colored panels, add a flat over the courtyard to change it to a
porch and beach garden..lighthouse in the distance?
Close-up SL Backdrop?
Oh, I scored on figuring out a set problem possibly this week: I ideally wanted a two layered set, with a higher platform for the apartment, and steps down, to simulate brownstone steps to a courtyard. Thought I'd just have to build a plywood platform that would be difficult to store, or else fake the layers with this more surreal-Picassoesque flat thing above. But then , I discovered in the storage area behind the chapel some break-downable risers with their own portable steps! I have permission to use them (probably choir and band stuff--hope they will make a flat raised area as well as just a tier?)
Costume Thoughts:
I'm seeing Maddie as Cecily the steampunk chick: she has to have some sort of vivid fantasy life. Maybe I'll just make her a gamer chick. But, what game? Pick Joseph's brain...
Ok, even Mario says Steampunk is too much...more to the sloppy hipster, then...maybe with a steampunk belt? More colors, more thriftstore, more scarves, more classic, more untasteful mixtures---This website:
I, of course, especially like the punkier guy "costumes" here ---the half North-
East prep Punk guys with the black hair, ray bans, stripes-peacoats punk shirts etc. This guy:
I used to have pants that color!/\
Or This guy: Lose the union jack scarf, tho. Overkill.
This:
These guys are a little more into labels than us real punks were...however...my characters are posers, anyway. A parody.
I like how it feels kinda casual rich. I dunno the ties, bow ties, although Joseph over the past year has asked me to buy him both, and I have, at the thrift store. Joe has the super ironic take on the 3 lone wolves t-shirt--his is of 3 spaceships(actually, It's "Portal" turrets /defense towers that shoot emotionally when excited or something, like wolves howling at the moon or something--it's some dumb gamer joke I don't totally get, but sorta. Don't wanna waste my brain energy--just take his word.
The girls? on FY tumbler? meh. Some pretty good--like shorts/skirts and Frye boots--keep looking for better than this. Channel Zooey Deschanel. Maddie will be happy she won't have to look like a lesbian this time, although she totally screwed that up on the AC performance: I was so pissed at her although I never said so--Before she came onstage she rolled up her skirt 3-4 inches, wore black nylons and heels instead of the clunky boots that were part of her costume. Totally destroyed the vibe her character was supposed to create. Well, hope she got the attention she wanted. Got it out of her system.
Basic girls' outfits: Looks like my dotter's:
It's been suggested (by someone else) that Adam play the Lady Bracknell part in drag???????????????
********************** музыка***********************
Preshow and ACT I
- Morphine: "Early To Bed" or "Call Back"
- Killing Joke "Eighties"
- Smith's: Oscillate Wildly
- T Rex: "20th Century Boy"
- Opening scene at curtain: Oasis' "Importance of Being Idle"-- ideally, live with Adam and Meier: both already working on it. Meier's working the lead, doesn't quite have the rhythm down, but he just heard the song for the first time yesterday. He's a quick study. I want Adam to sing, but I don't know if he can get those Noel high notes : I'm guessing he has a kinda deep voice--but maybe he can do falsetto..he likes all that weird 70's rock like Hocus Pocus that practically yodels? I haven't asked him this. Yet. Good video, too:
Adam's agreed to sing..!
- Somewhere in Act I: T-Rex "20th Century Boy"
- The Dandy Warhols: "Bohemian Like You"
- Last night I rewrote the first three pages, and could suddenly see the musical heartbeat in this--during the cigarette case scene--Jack doing a cheesy, or at least open hearted love song on acoustic--I have the perfect hipster song for that: Big Star's "I'm in Love With a Girl" ("finest one in the world") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIfPIwWn-vg even the falsetto is spot on!
- Interrupted after 8? bars? and counterpointed with a cynical song by Milo (Algy) which I'm having trouble deciding what song to choose. Top contenders are "Steady As She Goes" :Raconteurs (but again! I used it in the last play, but the lyrics are good for this theme) I'm leaning more towards Cake's: "Short Shirt, Long Jacket" because it is more predatory on relationship choices--fun,fun! Also a bit upbeat. I could almost see this scene turning into a mini dance-a-thon, neighborhood girls in short shirts and long jackets randomly pouring into the apartment, dancing to the music, smoozing up to Milo and Jack,giving the impression this happens often and spontaneously, disappearing before Aunt Edie arrives...it bumps up their playboy cred the play is based on.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BN_5-zhQ6M
- Milo doesn't actually have to play the song--a danceable level of groove may be a bit much to expect from our small group. But , I'm considering that a running pattern in the play is that Milo and Jack tend to talk to each other in song lyrics--just pull out the old I-pod and click! (Apt is Apple TV, Bose speakers wired--like my house?) Instant Dance party! Why not? I talk in music to some of my more esteemed friends...this might be the egress that keeps the Musical from being stale and fakey. (??? Think about it???)
- Franz Ferdinand's "Shopping For Blood" while Jack explains his connections to Cecily-adopted family?
- the Jam's "Shopping"!!! for where Aunt Edie rejects Jack as he explains his family history!!!!!!
one of my ridiculous connections came to me this morning--but I love this song, it has a New York history, plus an international flavor that is "hip", has the upbeat vibe I want for this play--and vaguely works for the moment Gwen and Jack must part: Gogol Bordello's "My Campanjera" perhaps with a medley of GB's "Wonderlust King" immediately following--part or whole would depend on time we need--it is the scene change part of the play
Campanjera:
Wonderlust King:
Both fit the crazy vibe I want this play to have. Don't want too much drony Sonic Youth , Pixies droopiness.
- Act II when Algy first meets Cecily:Pixies" "Subbacultcha"
But I think I like the version better when Black Francis's the one who sings: " She was looking like an Erotic Vulture"
- Sonic Youth's "Kool Thing" Between Act I and II? Or My Friend Goo? What about P.I.L.'s "This is Not a Love Song?"
ACT II
Another great video!! But where? Also betw' Act II and III? Or maybe I and II for set change, plus others? There will be a lot of time to kill to change the set to "country".
- Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs"
- I think I might be able to tolerate Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster,Stronger"
- decided I like better Daft Punk: "Around the World"--like the muffled intro, then clear repeat---we need some stuff to be modern, I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjR4_CbPpQ
Here's a youtube tutorial on how to play it on piano--tempted to do it myself, but probably more sensible to find a student:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4djGCByV-9s
Random musical Thoughts: Lou Reed +VU, Nico, Leonard Cohen, Buck Owen (Mark's favorite ironical band?), Dylan, Dandy Warhols, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Of Montreal,Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Radiohead(Kid A), Grizzly Bear, The Strokes, Portishead, Bright Eyes, LCD Soundsystem, Wilco, Daft Punk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjR4_CbPpQ , Guided By Voices, Cat Power, Animal Collective....more.. after I do more research...
I like Muse : "Supermassive Black Hole". No particular place for it. End?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBb-J0hcBQA Definitely use. !!! The lyrics are PERFETTO for this play..........
Also, maybe an oldie: New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" Hipster's love Joy Division, so this is one degree removed, plus it's 1986!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uEBuqkkQRk
How 'bout a brand new electronified Pet Shop Boy's I just got outta Rolling Stone: "Love is a Bourgeois Construct"--for the name more than anything. The words are good for my theme, if a bit Brit. Not so hip on the music. Meh.
Been listening to some of the above. Here's my problem--I'm not going to pick music, even if it's classic hipster, if I don't like it---hard enough to listen to music I like night after night during heavy rehearsal time.. So far I am not very keen on the very souless/electronic Daft Punk and LCD--maybe very small clips for bumper, but I think I can do better. I like better Radiohead, Dandy Warhols, Yeah, Yeahs, a few Arcade Fires will work I think, from Suburbs. Wilco I think doesn't have the right sound for this play--too noodly. Keep looking.
Also, I still would like some original music, as much as possible!!
Oh, baby. I like this one. I had decided I liked Portishead, but the mood isn't quite right for the play---more the gloomy, dreamy sorta hip,but an interesting mix. 60's girls' blues/jazz singing, sometimes over orchestrated strings, punctuated by very effective fuzzy guitars and electronic pops, it's a cool sound, but not quite right:---then I heard this fancy, crazy thing: Portishead and Moloko : "Fun for Me"--it's gotta go somewhere!! That's today's assessment, anyway-- I keep changing my mind about this one, somedays it makes me want to dance, other times I think I am sick of it and it is bland. Time will tell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EmSK-tloIw
Lingo:
Since I'm writing this time: From a webpage---some of this is too dumb: 4 & 5 I might use.
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Added bonus: nothing in it that's really school offensive.....maybe this year's drama shirts???? Hope they don't try to sue us...
Jun 4:Wrote 5.5 pages today! Worked through most of the tricky Act I plot points--now just need to decide if the hipsters really would contemplate marriage--that's what stopped me. I think I have to, to bring out the undercurrent of cynicism and selfish oblivion at the heart of this story.
Jun 5: Up to page 10 (almost done with Act I,and it's half the length of the original)--decided to half-ass the wedding plans, Gwen hot for it, Oscar/Jack slightly trapped but willing to be in the trap. Shortened all these scenes quite a bit. Basic plot and character development only. I modernized the lost baby problem by having him abandoned in a shopping cart at a mall (need a NY mall name (Roosevelt Fields? It's old, in Garden City--would have to not be in the city, obviously). I figured that sounded bad, like maybe he could be a homeless person's baby, or something that would seem disagreeable to the Aunt.
Jun 10: Done with the first Two, complicated Acts. (!!) Hope they're not too long, or too hard to follow. Waiting on feedback from Act I. The 3rd act that resolves everything, should be much shorter and easier. I put music throughout--hope it works...
Jun 13: Act III: Done! Anyway, the skeleton is there, now I just have to play around with it, decide what I like, what I don't...music, etc.
One debate in my head.: Once I got to Act III I decided a character note for the somewhat blander Jack is that he's the one who swallowed a dictionary--insists on Cecily having a big vocab too--hopefully a subtle thing, but it made me go back and plug in some 25 cent words in the earlier acts...not sure I'm really feeling this. I know the cast will complain--memorizing big words!
2nd debate: I went with OSCAR as the Bunbury name, , kinda cutesy tho, but I bet the pop world will like that--meh. When I was looking through my brainstorming ideas, tho, I had forgotten my original idea that SEVERUS would be the Bunbury name--damn I like that Idea, but maybe it's too unrealistic...think, think, think...have to remember that ultimately this is a school play (perhaps layered with some o my own hidden messages)...... changing it totally screws up my aesthetically pleasing ending.
The music is open to all sorts of changes, but I wouldn't feel horrible if I went with what I have. Some of the songs I don't particularly like myself.. the Neutral Milk Hotel??? But it fits with what's happening in context. Crap, now I'm getting worried that I won't be able to have access to all the music I've chosen.
I'm starting to get worried about having access to all this music I chose--one of my sources is being blocked on our school network---think,think,think. Date for the play's performance has been set for Dec. 6, which is a Friday, I believe. We may add a second performance.
Yesterday I went through the first two acts and made some small changes intended to emphasize the cynicism and decadent roots that I see in the original play. However, I'm feeling like a real cheater, stealing from the Original Oscar--my next play will be so much more original. This is not totally my voice, for sure. But, I think it will make a successful play for school.
I'm realizing my LRC script will be so different---maybe won't seem like it came from the same hand. Like Importance vs." Reading Gaol". That one will be more the real me. (That's not necessarily a good thing.) I mean, come on, I practically did this one in my sleep. Maybe it seems it?
Problems, problems, problems...ad infinitum. Venue problems, which also means rehearsal and tech problems. Which leads to set moving problems. PA problems, mic problems. Too many ideas to sort out: Palladium? On campus outside or the West Lounge? That's what band/choir's gonna do. Treasure Island Yacht Club? Wellington School? Gulfport Casino? Katherine Hickman? The Beach Theater? I like that last idea a lot, just because it is not being used, is fairly close by, and we could probably store stuff there and maybe practice without tearing the set down every time. But what's the sound like there? Movie sound sucks, frankly, the ones I've seen, but would our PA help or is the room too big? Is there even any electric turned on there, and who owns the son-of-a- bitch? Wellington also has sound, tech issues.
Palladium has no tech problems--they would let us use theirs, plus one of their tech guys to help ours---the Palladium problems are set problems, practice problems (they do it, but charge by the hour) plus who knows if they have dates we can use--it's a busy place. I'm waiting to hear back from my connection. TI may also have similar issues.
Azalea Rec has a mini auditorium I checked out, extremely small, no sound, not even wired. It would only work for practice, and is still $110 per hour. Half of Pal's fee for rehearsal, but they are booked every night in the evening with dance classes Zumba.
Boss is checking out the possibility of us using the SPC Music Center. Don't know much about it, but it's gotta be better than the Chapel, and Close By!!
Ooooooo....http://www.spcollege.edu/pages/dynamic.aspx?id=3807
Aug 19, 2013: More talent than I know what to do with. Znaio, ne ploxa.
Idea for an original song? Since I may actually have two girl singers? A song that vacillates between some sort of obsession the two girls have for the name Oscar, and some sort of silly girl-fight lyrics where they insult each other right before the boys come in and get caught....
Aug 31: Started tryouts this week: Too bad SG is not interested this sem...(
So far thinking:
Sept 16:----Cast Made. Some tears, plus, I lost my lead actor/guitarist, due to conflicts with rehearsal in his band. It's okay; this year I have depth. Esp in males. First read-through was one of the best I've ever had...I'm even wondering if I made it TOO short. It reads really fast. Dialogue only ran 45 minutes. Adding music will add maybe another 20-30?
Kids are excited, which makes me happy they like the writing, and the music, so far!--funny that romantic bonding is ALREADY happening....kids. It also amuses me that they think the dialogue is a little racy--much of it, interestingly, what came most directly from the original. They are ALL creeped by the cousin incest thing--even though I twice-removed it, unlike the original.
Oh, yes: the venue is chosen. Pasadena Garden Club--close by, and will allow us rehearsal time, storage.. an extremely small stage (16.5 ft!!),however, is a real downside, and we have to bring our sound equipment. However, I really like the two sets of portable steps we can move around to make the feel different: Brooklyn brownstone stoop, then beach boardwalk steps. And we can put flats off the stage to give the illusion of more space, I think.
Already purchased/downloaded all the non-original music--still need to cut them, choose clips, etc., wherever we are not doing live/original. May also have to rent sound equipment. I loved the idea of the Palladium, or SPC music, but hear they don't have much more of a stage, really. Will still investigate for Sem II shows.
Sept . 18---Lost my Chasuble. Jinxed day I think, on several levels. All's well that ends well? I like the Idea of Jing--funny voice, funny laugh--would definitely get laughs. In my mind's eye he's the better choice if he could pull it off.....get the line's memorized. He definitely has the ego of an actor.
October 14:
On my end, the recorded music is all ready to go--spent Sunday cutting clips in Garageband--putting it in the correct order in I-tunes...Not sure I have anyone to run the computer for it, though. I added in The Cure "Love-Cats" at one kid's request, and I think I'm going to drop or replace the "Dead Souls" Joy Division clip--it just doesn't sound the way I thought it would in that scene. The great thing is I learned to sample my own music library! It's actually really easy. I cannot do fancier things like drop out vocal or instrumental tracks...don't know if that is even possible.
I prefer to have Adam back to run the music, if he's willing, or even better, Yef. But my live music still has not jelled. At least now I have a better idea of what I want--1) a cheesy love song--have some chords, no words? 2) A "love"song with the name Cecily in it --like Neutral Milk Hotel's" Naomi"--totally undone--got nothing. 3) The Girl Fight Song--partly done? We have some chords, and two verses of lyrics.
I decided to just keep the Cake song for the dance section..unless a miracle happens...kids seem to like it.
I have one good guitarist, semi-reliable even though he's in class, one so-so guitarist who has trouble staying focused. Adam?? Big question-mark. He's already starting his senior year mid-life crisis, I think. Two good girl singers, two good guy singers (actually more if I can get some of the Asians organized to sing) A decent drummer, and permission to use a snare from band. It would be nice to have a few more eccentric percussion instruments...maybe a job for Joe R...(not my son). !! For the stoop girls. I have a tambourine at home..
Nov 7:
All the crap is hitting now. Missing our rehearsal space. Too many useless people in my class, not knowing how to help. They are basically good kids, but all high-strung and rowdy--at one point I had 26 in my small room, which is too much! I've been trying to get them to make Punk-like posters, but they don't quite get the style. So I made one, and I recruited Adam to make one, just to give them the idea--he gets it!
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He made one with 3 girls from clothing ads, but he cut out headlines and put it over their eyes, punk style. I suggested he put the little "40 % Off" across their chests…then he added some random weird headlines. He also made another about Miley Cyrus symbolically killing herself or something. Also he found an obit of Lou Reed, which we put on Bright yellow construction paper, and the words "Femme Fatale" for graphics. We plan to make it a little shrine. I randomly put three post-its with the words "Take One" on it. A little random Alice in Wonderland nonsense. Of course, Joe R "took one" and messed up the glue…..this is the sort of thing making me nuts with this class.
Mine was a made up band flier---I just wrote the first words that popped into my head ---"The Lip Sags". Not quite sure what I mean by that…just subconscious, but I suppose it sounds randomly punk and existential. I cut out a cartoon from the Comix pages, cut it with scissors to look like big biting open jaws..chasing the Band name using individually cut out random letters from the paper. Then I xeroxed the whole thing, like the old days, to make it black and white--the added heavier black lines, cartoon dots, and Andy Warholish blocks of colors---I made a couple of different version. If only I were Three People--I'd get this play in shape faster!!! xa.
Lost my good, but unreliable, guitarist. Drugs before performing, heh. Not funny, really
OH YES---WE GOT A TIME EXTENSION!! Yes…. THe New date is set for Feb 7 at 7:
Still at the Pasadena Garden Club.
So now I really have to concentrate on unsnarling the Act III blocking. We haven't worked on that scene much other than running the lines a few times. Mercifully, it is pretty short. Also, we need to get the music tighter, with better segues.
I haven't used this page much since we got started, but I think I will try to brainstorm some blocking here--seems to sometimes help. We only have a 15 foot platform, two sets of stairs, and the floor surrounding the platform--no spotlights, etc. to use. Challenge.
ACT III:
Jan 25: I hate life. I just looked back over all this work I did, for nought. And probably no one will ever know it. Maybe I can save it for next year, but it won't take very long for this all to be dated. And I'll probably be too sick of it to try it again next year. I'll need something new to get excited about if I'm going to generate enough energy in myself to make it even a little good.
Dick just told me something that is depressing me even more. He went to a play at Berkeley Prep, and he said their theater was so amazing. Their tech is so good, they made it RAIN onstage, for like 10 minutes, he said. They. Made It. Effing Rain. Real water.
I have had serious thoughts, though of trying to sell this thing. Not that I think it's so great, (and I can do better: this is knock-off drivel) but some of the crap I see that is being bought and sold---especially things that are packaged for High School Theater... This was written for it, so I'm assuming there's nothing offensive. It's the sort of thing they may like because it's contemporary, etc…probably have to do away with all the copy-right infringement music, etc. Better I like the idea of hitting up local theater companies--they all claim to want to promote local artists. But now I'd have to go to all the trouble of getting a copy-right, blah,blah. Anyway, I can see them liking the idea. My trouble is, do I like it enough…am I proud of it? I feel like I need a real critical person's opinion…the only people who know it are the kids…they have no idea. No one else has really read it. I could give it to Leo or somebody..feel like I would be taking up precious time. I just don't want 10 years to go by and me saying, what the hell was I thinking with this? Somehow I think it would be easier to pedal than say, a novel, or short stories. In addendum, I'm getting some pretty decent feedback about my writing on GR…heavy hitters, too!! That makes me feel good.
However, as I was saying, I hate life. and how much I waste of it considering nonsense.
Feb 3: Shit keeps flying at me: now our Family Day performance is also canceled in favor of professional dancers. Onward to our show in May--Saturday Night Live style!!! Fun and simple. Really, my favorite thing--Bass-o-matic!! Except…I have secret plans to make my group get it together on a tight- timed, Stevie Wonder piece--"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing". We'll see what everyone is made of. Requires: a pianist--I have 3 not counting myself. multi percussion weirdness. Harmonies. A weird comic intro with fake foreign language skills. Someone crowing or some other silly noise. Good girl voices blending with a little room for showing off. Hope they like it;))))
Actually, I worked most of it out on the piano, and I could actually sit two of them there--one doing bass, the other chord/melody….hmmm.
I can't wait to spring it on 'em. Hope I don't get fired from this job((( But, none of the problems have been my fault. Does that matter in this cold, cold, world??
So, I was worried about Andrew learning the music without music sheets, but I sat down with him at the piano today to show him all the various parts of "Don't You Worry", and he picked it up really quick, even without the music. I showed him the karaoke to practice to, and I think he'll have it in no time!! he's got it at least as good as me, and he's a practicer, so I am feeling really solid--that piano is the linchpin to the whole piece working. Big relief--the girls will be great with the singing, and the percussion parts will zizz along, since Andrew has a surprisingly great sense of rhythm!! (Thank you, LJC and the 3 Blind Ones...) I realized it when he picked up my home-made dried bean can and played the shit out of it!!! This song has to be the center of the whole show, super high energy---I don't want anyone walking out thinking they just watched a deadly dull, typical High School talent showcase. The comedies will help, too.
They are sick of it--may drop...
So, besides this I've got:
--Luke doing punk Husker Du
--Adam and Nima doing some weird 3 prong medley Nima dreamed up,--of 1) The Who's "My Generation", 2)something dark that Adam is picking--(I heard Ozzy or Zeppelin, with a lean towards LZ cos Adam sez he can't reach Ozzy's highs) and 3) the Beatles' "Twist and Shout"--Joe on bongos?? Real drums??
--Old SNL comedy Skits--Bass-o-matic, Cow-Bell, maybe Fr. Guido . Whose on first? A bank skit I bet no one will remember from the classic days. Night at the Roxbury skit.
--Denise Osceola on guitar--I'm picturing something grungy
--Some commercial parodies
--Jay doing "Spooky"
--Alex and Kollyne are gonna sing some beautiful song they love; Hannah and Dani too.
---Foley's creative writing skits.
--Owen and his beautiful Martin doing something Chinese--I hope he learns the whole thing! Now he says he wants to do piano--something he made up? whoo-boy--don't know what to make of this no follow through dude--but, what have I got to lose? Let'm rock...;0
--We need a magic act.......and, a master of ceremonies-----ahh. Myles.
Feeling a little better about drama now. Yup.
Except---dunno-- why I'm sad---Adam and Yef should be playing this, too. Время--Time. As a concept. Sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aonMGOIp6Lk
Apr 18: Nope. Not. Feeling Good.
April 23: so much Sound and Vision. And Waste. The Others--they suck.
Foley's group dropped out.
May 12: It actually went ok. Especially the heavy metal.))))))))))))))))))))))))))
- /\/\/\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\/\//\/\/\//\//\//\/ little Busby Berkeley-like choreography, haha.
- Between Acts II and III: The Smiths' "Oscillate Wildly" --a little drama queen moodier for when the girls are mad, sorta:
Here's a youtube tutorial on how to play it on piano--tempted to do it myself, but probably more sensible to find a student:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4djGCByV-9s
Random musical Thoughts: Lou Reed +VU, Nico, Leonard Cohen, Buck Owen (Mark's favorite ironical band?), Dylan, Dandy Warhols, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Of Montreal,Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Radiohead(Kid A), Grizzly Bear, The Strokes, Portishead, Bright Eyes, LCD Soundsystem, Wilco, Daft Punk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjR4_CbPpQ , Guided By Voices, Cat Power, Animal Collective....more.. after I do more research...
I like Muse : "Supermassive Black Hole". No particular place for it. End?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBb-J0hcBQA Definitely use. !!! The lyrics are PERFETTO for this play..........
Also, maybe an oldie: New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" Hipster's love Joy Division, so this is one degree removed, plus it's 1986!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uEBuqkkQRk
How 'bout a brand new electronified Pet Shop Boy's I just got outta Rolling Stone: "Love is a Bourgeois Construct"--for the name more than anything. The words are good for my theme, if a bit Brit. Not so hip on the music. Meh.
Been listening to some of the above. Here's my problem--I'm not going to pick music, even if it's classic hipster, if I don't like it---hard enough to listen to music I like night after night during heavy rehearsal time.. So far I am not very keen on the very souless/electronic Daft Punk and LCD--maybe very small clips for bumper, but I think I can do better. I like better Radiohead, Dandy Warhols, Yeah, Yeahs, a few Arcade Fires will work I think, from Suburbs. Wilco I think doesn't have the right sound for this play--too noodly. Keep looking.
Also, I still would like some original music, as much as possible!!
Oh, baby. I like this one. I had decided I liked Portishead, but the mood isn't quite right for the play---more the gloomy, dreamy sorta hip,but an interesting mix. 60's girls' blues/jazz singing, sometimes over orchestrated strings, punctuated by very effective fuzzy guitars and electronic pops, it's a cool sound, but not quite right:---then I heard this fancy, crazy thing: Portishead and Moloko : "Fun for Me"--it's gotta go somewhere!! That's today's assessment, anyway-- I keep changing my mind about this one, somedays it makes me want to dance, other times I think I am sick of it and it is bland. Time will tell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EmSK-tloIw
Lingo:
Since I'm writing this time: From a webpage---some of this is too dumb: 4 & 5 I might use.
- Remember to use perhaps the most important hipster line: "I liked them before they were cool." Another good line given the recent spate of disasters is to say something like: "I donated to Haiti... before the disaster."
- Namedrop often. Talk about all the obscure bands you like that nobody you know has heard of. When your friends talk about a band you're unfamiliar with, just say you've heard of them but not actually heard them. Look them up the next time you have a chance to. It'll give you more cred.
- Insult a lot of bands. If you love everything you'll seem like a fanatic. Make sure to give off a vibe that you're too cool and elite for a lot of bands.
- If you would like to seem more educated and elite there is the key phrase " I liked their first EP, but pretty much after that I never got into them."
- Use made-up words as often as possible. Or use real words that no one really knows the meaning of unless they look them up (eg. pulchritudinous, cordiform, and petrichor).
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Added bonus: nothing in it that's really school offensive.....maybe this year's drama shirts???? Hope they don't try to sue us...
Jun 4:Wrote 5.5 pages today! Worked through most of the tricky Act I plot points--now just need to decide if the hipsters really would contemplate marriage--that's what stopped me. I think I have to, to bring out the undercurrent of cynicism and selfish oblivion at the heart of this story.
Jun 5: Up to page 10 (almost done with Act I,and it's half the length of the original)--decided to half-ass the wedding plans, Gwen hot for it, Oscar/Jack slightly trapped but willing to be in the trap. Shortened all these scenes quite a bit. Basic plot and character development only. I modernized the lost baby problem by having him abandoned in a shopping cart at a mall (need a NY mall name (Roosevelt Fields? It's old, in Garden City--would have to not be in the city, obviously). I figured that sounded bad, like maybe he could be a homeless person's baby, or something that would seem disagreeable to the Aunt.
Jun 10: Done with the first Two, complicated Acts. (!!) Hope they're not too long, or too hard to follow. Waiting on feedback from Act I. The 3rd act that resolves everything, should be much shorter and easier. I put music throughout--hope it works...
Jun 13: Act III: Done! Anyway, the skeleton is there, now I just have to play around with it, decide what I like, what I don't...music, etc.
One debate in my head.: Once I got to Act III I decided a character note for the somewhat blander Jack is that he's the one who swallowed a dictionary--insists on Cecily having a big vocab too--hopefully a subtle thing, but it made me go back and plug in some 25 cent words in the earlier acts...not sure I'm really feeling this. I know the cast will complain--memorizing big words!
2nd debate: I went with OSCAR as the Bunbury name, , kinda cutesy tho, but I bet the pop world will like that--meh. When I was looking through my brainstorming ideas, tho, I had forgotten my original idea that SEVERUS would be the Bunbury name--damn I like that Idea, but maybe it's too unrealistic...think, think, think...have to remember that ultimately this is a school play (perhaps layered with some o my own hidden messages)...... changing it totally screws up my aesthetically pleasing ending.
The music is open to all sorts of changes, but I wouldn't feel horrible if I went with what I have. Some of the songs I don't particularly like myself.. the Neutral Milk Hotel??? But it fits with what's happening in context. Crap, now I'm getting worried that I won't be able to have access to all the music I've chosen.
I'm starting to get worried about having access to all this music I chose--one of my sources is being blocked on our school network---think,think,think. Date for the play's performance has been set for Dec. 6, which is a Friday, I believe. We may add a second performance.
Yesterday I went through the first two acts and made some small changes intended to emphasize the cynicism and decadent roots that I see in the original play. However, I'm feeling like a real cheater, stealing from the Original Oscar--my next play will be so much more original. This is not totally my voice, for sure. But, I think it will make a successful play for school.
I'm realizing my LRC script will be so different---maybe won't seem like it came from the same hand. Like Importance vs." Reading Gaol". That one will be more the real me. (That's not necessarily a good thing.) I mean, come on, I practically did this one in my sleep. Maybe it seems it?
Problems, problems, problems...ad infinitum. Venue problems, which also means rehearsal and tech problems. Which leads to set moving problems. PA problems, mic problems. Too many ideas to sort out: Palladium? On campus outside or the West Lounge? That's what band/choir's gonna do. Treasure Island Yacht Club? Wellington School? Gulfport Casino? Katherine Hickman? The Beach Theater? I like that last idea a lot, just because it is not being used, is fairly close by, and we could probably store stuff there and maybe practice without tearing the set down every time. But what's the sound like there? Movie sound sucks, frankly, the ones I've seen, but would our PA help or is the room too big? Is there even any electric turned on there, and who owns the son-of-a- bitch? Wellington also has sound, tech issues.
Palladium has no tech problems--they would let us use theirs, plus one of their tech guys to help ours---the Palladium problems are set problems, practice problems (they do it, but charge by the hour) plus who knows if they have dates we can use--it's a busy place. I'm waiting to hear back from my connection. TI may also have similar issues.
Azalea Rec has a mini auditorium I checked out, extremely small, no sound, not even wired. It would only work for practice, and is still $110 per hour. Half of Pal's fee for rehearsal, but they are booked every night in the evening with dance classes Zumba.
Boss is checking out the possibility of us using the SPC Music Center. Don't know much about it, but it's gotta be better than the Chapel, and Close By!!
Ooooooo....http://www.spcollege.edu/pages/dynamic.aspx?id=3807
Aug 19, 2013: More talent than I know what to do with. Znaio, ne ploxa.
Idea for an original song? Since I may actually have two girl singers? A song that vacillates between some sort of obsession the two girls have for the name Oscar, and some sort of silly girl-fight lyrics where they insult each other right before the boys come in and get caught....
Aug 31: Started tryouts this week: Too bad SG is not interested this sem...(
So far thinking:
- Milo
=1/2 of eeeaaaaee--had the best tryout, really seems to get where I'm coming from more than the others--did a great cold reading. I really wasn't expecting that. Myles, instead - Jack
--double cast Julia's friend and FB Cpt. Later:SJ! - Cecily--Mr. Ma's fave.
- Gwen---most difficult part? Thought I had a no brainer. Not the best fit, but CT, SG double-cast.
- Aunt Edie--new girl Alyx--did a great Will Hunting
- Chasuble-
-SJ, funny vibe, hard worker and serious? JF instead perhaps double cast w/ latecomer: TS - Ms Prism--H. Montana--maybe dbl cast if someone else tries out
- Lane--MC Hammer
or Nicotine,double-cast with the Mohawk - Severus--
Gold Mhawk: AM
Sept 16:----Cast Made. Some tears, plus, I lost my lead actor/guitarist, due to conflicts with rehearsal in his band. It's okay; this year I have depth. Esp in males. First read-through was one of the best I've ever had...I'm even wondering if I made it TOO short. It reads really fast. Dialogue only ran 45 minutes. Adding music will add maybe another 20-30?
Kids are excited, which makes me happy they like the writing, and the music, so far!--funny that romantic bonding is ALREADY happening....kids. It also amuses me that they think the dialogue is a little racy--much of it, interestingly, what came most directly from the original. They are ALL creeped by the cousin incest thing--even though I twice-removed it, unlike the original.
Oh, yes: the venue is chosen. Pasadena Garden Club--close by, and will allow us rehearsal time, storage.. an extremely small stage (16.5 ft!!),however, is a real downside, and we have to bring our sound equipment. However, I really like the two sets of portable steps we can move around to make the feel different: Brooklyn brownstone stoop, then beach boardwalk steps. And we can put flats off the stage to give the illusion of more space, I think.
Already purchased/downloaded all the non-original music--still need to cut them, choose clips, etc., wherever we are not doing live/original. May also have to rent sound equipment. I loved the idea of the Palladium, or SPC music, but hear they don't have much more of a stage, really. Will still investigate for Sem II shows.
Sept . 18---Lost my Chasuble. Jinxed day I think, on several levels. All's well that ends well? I like the Idea of Jing--funny voice, funny laugh--would definitely get laughs. In my mind's eye he's the better choice if he could pull it off.....get the line's memorized. He definitely has the ego of an actor.
October 14:
On my end, the recorded music is all ready to go--spent Sunday cutting clips in Garageband--putting it in the correct order in I-tunes...Not sure I have anyone to run the computer for it, though. I added in The Cure "Love-Cats" at one kid's request, and I think I'm going to drop or replace the "Dead Souls" Joy Division clip--it just doesn't sound the way I thought it would in that scene. The great thing is I learned to sample my own music library! It's actually really easy. I cannot do fancier things like drop out vocal or instrumental tracks...don't know if that is even possible.
I prefer to have Adam back to run the music, if he's willing, or even better, Yef. But my live music still has not jelled. At least now I have a better idea of what I want--1) a cheesy love song--have some chords, no words? 2) A "love"song with the name Cecily in it --like Neutral Milk Hotel's" Naomi"--totally undone--got nothing. 3) The Girl Fight Song--partly done? We have some chords, and two verses of lyrics.
I decided to just keep the Cake song for the dance section..unless a miracle happens...kids seem to like it.
I have one good guitarist, semi-reliable even though he's in class, one so-so guitarist who has trouble staying focused. Adam?? Big question-mark. He's already starting his senior year mid-life crisis, I think. Two good girl singers, two good guy singers (actually more if I can get some of the Asians organized to sing) A decent drummer, and permission to use a snare from band. It would be nice to have a few more eccentric percussion instruments...maybe a job for Joe R...(not my son). !! For the stoop girls. I have a tambourine at home..
Nov 7:
All the crap is hitting now. Missing our rehearsal space. Too many useless people in my class, not knowing how to help. They are basically good kids, but all high-strung and rowdy--at one point I had 26 in my small room, which is too much! I've been trying to get them to make Punk-like posters, but they don't quite get the style. So I made one, and I recruited Adam to make one, just to give them the idea--he gets it!
.
He made one with 3 girls from clothing ads, but he cut out headlines and put it over their eyes, punk style. I suggested he put the little "40 % Off" across their chests…then he added some random weird headlines. He also made another about Miley Cyrus symbolically killing herself or something. Also he found an obit of Lou Reed, which we put on Bright yellow construction paper, and the words "Femme Fatale" for graphics. We plan to make it a little shrine. I randomly put three post-its with the words "Take One" on it. A little random Alice in Wonderland nonsense. Of course, Joe R "took one" and messed up the glue…..this is the sort of thing making me nuts with this class.
Mine was a made up band flier---I just wrote the first words that popped into my head ---"The Lip Sags". Not quite sure what I mean by that…just subconscious, but I suppose it sounds randomly punk and existential. I cut out a cartoon from the Comix pages, cut it with scissors to look like big biting open jaws..chasing the Band name using individually cut out random letters from the paper. Then I xeroxed the whole thing, like the old days, to make it black and white--the added heavier black lines, cartoon dots, and Andy Warholish blocks of colors---I made a couple of different version. If only I were Three People--I'd get this play in shape faster!!! xa.
Lost my good, but unreliable, guitarist. Drugs before performing, heh. Not funny, really
OH YES---WE GOT A TIME EXTENSION!! Yes…. THe New date is set for Feb 7 at 7:
Still at the Pasadena Garden Club.
So now I really have to concentrate on unsnarling the Act III blocking. We haven't worked on that scene much other than running the lines a few times. Mercifully, it is pretty short. Also, we need to get the music tighter, with better segues.
I haven't used this page much since we got started, but I think I will try to brainstorm some blocking here--seems to sometimes help. We only have a 15 foot platform, two sets of stairs, and the floor surrounding the platform--no spotlights, etc. to use. Challenge.
ACT III:
- At the beginning of Act III, the girls are supposed to be inside, looking out the window at the boys, who are outside arguing and fighting over a basket of muffins. With our set-up, it may be hard to simulate "Inside"--unless we hang a random curtain?? maybe off a flat? How can we do that? Or maybe one of those beaded curtain things--bamboo? Beachy? How could I physically accomplish this, since the flats are probably just going to lay against the back wall, and there is no stage curtain? This needs to be on the SR platform, I think. stick a short rod on one flat, attached to the wood frame? Or, maybe on one of those hinged plant hangers?? Think, think, think….
- The boys should be on the floor, over by the "outside flat" which is our old fold- out, hinged flat that is a stone wall--we have to fix the holes in it and cover it with a few signs---Ads or graffiti for the Brooklyn set, a "Beach Access" sign for the Montauk set. Maybe throw some vines over it for Montauk, too.
- The boys then cross the whole stage, singing "Cos if it's not love then it's the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, the bomb ..that will bring us together."
- The girls cross angrily and with their noses in the air to stage left--turn their backs to the boys. Boys follow, trying to catch their eyes, charm them. Girls cross back to Stage Right. Boys follow---Milo sings "Cecily", hopefully?
- one more cross to stage left--girls turn and confront them. Girls together, boys opposite. Lines in unison. End in double hugs after the conversation. Girls run to boys, on the line "To Oscar!"
- Enter Edie from stairs, with suspense note.
- Couples move apart from hugs but hold hands. Gwen defiant. Boys and Cecily move downstage, like watching a tennis match: Edie and Gwen upstage, opposite--yelling across the others.
- On line, "And Milo! What exactly are you doing here?" Gwen moves to Jack downstage, Milo moves to upstage, dragging Cecily by the hand--she is somewhat reluctant, and tries to hang back. Eventually she crosses to Edie with a big over-bearing and bubbly smile, tries to shake Edie's hand, who takes it limply, without a smile returned--she looks faintly disgusted, as if resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her skirt.
- Jack interrupts, moving upstage, on the line "Cecily is my responsibility…" and moves between Edie an Milo. Milo and Cecily move downstage, Cecily only temporarily, until Edie calls her back. "Come here, Cecily!" At this point, Cecily and Edie are upstage in front of everyone
- Jack steps between them, on "Cecily, how old are you, she pushes Jack down stage on "Well, actually, Edie.." he pushes his way back upstage.
- Chasuble enters from stairs--after his lines crosses to stage leaves opposite, comes back with Prism. Only Aunt Edie upstage--stage right. Rest are far back, watching curiously. Jack furthest left
- Prism freezes, tries to run off, but Jack stops her, spins her back around, an pushes her back to Edie, rather sternly. Then goes back downstage to watch the confrontation. Edie moves towards Prism
- Jack moves upstage towards Ms P on the line, "You shouldn't be ashamed! " Gives her a huge overly aggressive bear-hug which she fights off at first, but then gives him a small hug back when she realizes he is--then points at Edie, who is USR by herself. After her last line she moves downstage.
- On the line "I'll take it!" Jack grabs Gwen , brings her upstage---Milo follows, and moves between them, Cecily moves upstage. Hugs all around, then tattoo reveals. Boys react.
Things are going swell, if I don't lose anyone in the next month.
JAN 20: /\ How ironic. Just lost my lead hipster boy. The play will most likely be cancelled, as I don't have a replacement, and he had mega-mega lines. Would have been in two weeks. Too bad, as I had more kids ready to act than I've ever had, although one lead girl was very shaky. Her I had a replacement for. Tech and venue, however, were still pretty much in the nightmare stage.
JAN 20: /\ How ironic. Just lost my lead hipster boy. The play will most likely be cancelled, as I don't have a replacement, and he had mega-mega lines. Would have been in two weeks. Too bad, as I had more kids ready to act than I've ever had, although one lead girl was very shaky. Her I had a replacement for. Tech and venue, however, were still pretty much in the nightmare stage.
Dick just told me something that is depressing me even more. He went to a play at Berkeley Prep, and he said their theater was so amazing. Their tech is so good, they made it RAIN onstage, for like 10 minutes, he said. They. Made It. Effing Rain. Real water.
I have had serious thoughts, though of trying to sell this thing. Not that I think it's so great, (and I can do better: this is knock-off drivel) but some of the crap I see that is being bought and sold---especially things that are packaged for High School Theater... This was written for it, so I'm assuming there's nothing offensive. It's the sort of thing they may like because it's contemporary, etc…probably have to do away with all the copy-right infringement music, etc. Better I like the idea of hitting up local theater companies--they all claim to want to promote local artists. But now I'd have to go to all the trouble of getting a copy-right, blah,blah. Anyway, I can see them liking the idea. My trouble is, do I like it enough…am I proud of it? I feel like I need a real critical person's opinion…the only people who know it are the kids…they have no idea. No one else has really read it. I could give it to Leo or somebody..feel like I would be taking up precious time. I just don't want 10 years to go by and me saying, what the hell was I thinking with this? Somehow I think it would be easier to pedal than say, a novel, or short stories. In addendum, I'm getting some pretty decent feedback about my writing on GR…heavy hitters, too!! That makes me feel good.
However, as I was saying, I hate life. and how much I waste of it considering nonsense.
Feb 3: Shit keeps flying at me: now our Family Day performance is also canceled in favor of professional dancers. Onward to our show in May--Saturday Night Live style!!! Fun and simple. Really, my favorite thing--Bass-o-matic!! Except…I have secret plans to make my group get it together on a tight- timed, Stevie Wonder piece--"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing". We'll see what everyone is made of. Requires: a pianist--I have 3 not counting myself. multi percussion weirdness. Harmonies. A weird comic intro with fake foreign language skills. Someone crowing or some other silly noise. Good girl voices blending with a little room for showing off. Hope they like it;))))
Actually, I worked most of it out on the piano, and I could actually sit two of them there--one doing bass, the other chord/melody….hmmm.
I can't wait to spring it on 'em. Hope I don't get fired from this job((( But, none of the problems have been my fault. Does that matter in this cold, cold, world??
So, I was worried about Andrew learning the music without music sheets, but I sat down with him at the piano today to show him all the various parts of "Don't You Worry", and he picked it up really quick, even without the music. I showed him the karaoke to practice to, and I think he'll have it in no time!! he's got it at least as good as me, and he's a practicer, so I am feeling really solid--that piano is the linchpin to the whole piece working. Big relief--the girls will be great with the singing, and the percussion parts will zizz along, since Andrew has a surprisingly great sense of rhythm!! (Thank you, LJC and the 3 Blind Ones...) I realized it when he picked up my home-made dried bean can and played the shit out of it!!! This song has to be the center of the whole show, super high energy---I don't want anyone walking out thinking they just watched a deadly dull, typical High School talent showcase. The comedies will help, too.
They are sick of it--may drop...
So, besides this I've got:
--Luke doing punk Husker Du
--Adam and Nima doing some weird 3 prong medley Nima dreamed up,--of 1) The Who's "My Generation", 2)something dark that Adam is picking--(I heard Ozzy or Zeppelin, with a lean towards LZ cos Adam sez he can't reach Ozzy's highs) and 3) the Beatles' "Twist and Shout"--Joe on bongos?? Real drums??
--Old SNL comedy Skits--Bass-o-matic, Cow-Bell, maybe Fr. Guido . Whose on first? A bank skit I bet no one will remember from the classic days. Night at the Roxbury skit.
--Denise Osceola on guitar--I'm picturing something grungy
--Some commercial parodies
--Jay doing "Spooky"
--Alex and Kollyne are gonna sing some beautiful song they love; Hannah and Dani too.
---Foley's creative writing skits.
--Owen and his beautiful Martin doing something Chinese--I hope he learns the whole thing! Now he says he wants to do piano--something he made up? whoo-boy--don't know what to make of this no follow through dude--but, what have I got to lose? Let'm rock...;0
--We need a magic act.......and, a master of ceremonies-----ahh. Myles.
Feeling a little better about drama now. Yup.
Except---dunno-- why I'm sad---Adam and Yef should be playing this, too. Время--Time. As a concept. Sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aonMGOIp6Lk
Apr 18: Nope. Not. Feeling Good.
April 23: so much Sound and Vision. And Waste. The Others--they suck.
Foley's group dropped out.
May 12: It actually went ok. Especially the heavy metal.))))))))))))))))))))))))))
+++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Semester II
- Some Shakespeare play (+ music)
- MacBeth
- Twelfth Night
- Othello (Stan notes extant!!!!)
- Taming of the Shrew
- Excerpts from Across the Universe--The Beatles thing.
- Amadeus!!!
- Polaroid Stories by Naomi Iizuka--PCCA-Gibbs did it this year, so wouldn't want to do it soon--Junkie kids living under a bridge, adapted from several greek myths
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July 30, 2014:
I've pretty much decided, for next year
- Not going to repeat Hipster Earnest, unless kids change my mind due to excessive enthusiasm (won't happen;)
- Will try Taming of the Shrew, unless I get massive resistance. I don't think I will, as I had a core group who liked 10 Things I Hate About You. I avoided a modern rewrite all summer, and now maybe I'm glad--thinking of doing it Baz Luhrman style--that is, keep the language, update the costumes/sets only. It may resolve some of the ill fit for modern times--the arranged marriages, etc. It's a pretty easy play to follow, after all, for Shakespeare, and not as wordy as some. The long speeches are mostly Petrucchio's and mostly funny. The original is sexual, too. Probably lose the Christopher Sly intro, and cut down some of the opening speeches of Lucentio and Tranio going to Padua--show it instead...
August 22: Ok--you win--gonna rewrite the Shrew--crap. But it's not gonna be 10 Things..
I'm so stuck on this---can't write. I started the opening scene, and decided WHERE it should start--no Christopher Sly , just another character to gum up the works more actors to recruit, lines to memorize and forget. So I'm starting with Lucentio going off to college with his buddy who can't afford to go yet--who's the intellectual. Gets distracted by Bianca, learns about Big Bad Daddy who sets the curfew.
Stuck. Partially from apathy, even though I love this play
So, To jog myself into caring, I think I need to start with music. I need bad girl theme music, mean girl themes, big bad daddy stuff, drunk crazy guy music for Petruccio. I hate the idea of Americanizing the names, but I might have to.
The Music I keep gravitating towards is the old punk band The Cramps: would love to use "Like A Bad Girl Should" but it just has too many sexual innuendos for school--love the line "Love the groovy way you spit" maybe I work it in as a line in the play!! I may, though instead use "All Women Are Bad"--either as intro or final/curtain music...I think that's the ticket.(!!) Ok, maybe I'm getting a little excited.
Google search suggests
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts : "Bad Reputation" (!!good thought!!) It might been in the movie? Also Avril Lavigne did a version that might appeal to the youngsters more. She also has a songs "UnWanted" that has the right lyrics. At least she has a good voice, but I'm not a fan. and"Complicated"?
Salt 'n' Pepa: "None of Your Business" (Maybe just a clip...some bad ideas, here)
Amy Winehouse: Which song? not "Rehab" but maybe "You Know That I'm No Good" (only the first verse, and maybe for Petruccio's character??? eh....
Donna Summers :"Bad Girls"?
Rihanna has a song about "Good Girls Gone Bad"
MIA has a better one : "Bad Girls" with a little middle eastern flavor??
Pink "So What"--the lyrics are better, but, Cheeerist..autotune??
Avril Lavigne: "UnWanted" --not too bad.
Jesse McCartney "Daddy's Little Girl" The lyrics are right. Not my fave, but it's rock-ish.
"Just Like You" by 3 Days Grace---about overbearing parents--but might be a little too angry???
"Daughters" by John Mayer---meh....
Beach Boys "I'm Bugged At My Old Man" just the beginning?? Kinda funny weird.
What About "Father Figure" by George Michael?? xaxaxa...
Kid Cudi: "Young Lady" !!! hmm. lyrics?? this one will have to be a clip.
Skrillex: "Father Said" for filler.
The Misfits: "Father"--more my style--but.
Bad Boy songs should be easier--there's the Cops theme song "Bad Boys" for one. For comic intro for Petruccio and co? Haha! By Inner Circle!
There's the Beatles' "Bad Boy"
Alice Cooper "No More Mr. Nice Guy" for Pet turning Kat "good"
Well, I'm going to have to rely on myself, because the internet, as usual, sucks.
Think, think, think.
Ok---thinking of stealing back my idea of either Pixies'"Subbaculture" or T.Rex "20th Century Boy " (from last year's aborted play) for Petrucchio's theme music----hum. I think "20th Century Boy" will do for that.
Someone suggested Sonic Youth's "Little Trouble Girl" which is a great idea. Maybe "My Friend Goo", too. I also think I might like Yello's "How-How" for the P-K meeting scene--maybe make the whole thing more or less wordless with music--hmm. Think, think. Added "Low-rider" to the garbage truck scene. Yes, I have a garbage truck scene. Repo man, anyone?? I don't know if I have any present AFA boys bad-ass enough to carry off the character I've made/ stolen from Shakespeare...
4 Acts done--the end to go, which is the hardest part--all depend on how dysfunctional I want the family, or how desperate the dad is, or how farcical to make the story. I'm willing to go pretty far with that. Maybe Daddy desperation is one key to the storyline??
Sept 9: Aha! I think I have the ending!! Gnarls Barkley gave me the answer--maybe we're crazy--
Sept 16: Finished. Whew. It's okay, I think--very short-12 pages?
Jan 12: The impromptu, (but extremely well-received !) talent show ended up interfering with my play, and, many want a second show in the spring. Since once again I'm having trouble fielding the right guys for leads (again), and the band teacher is planning a musical, I think I'll just go with the talent show. Now I have two play adaptations I've written that have never been performed!!
Feb 9: I'm getting one of my creative brainstorms, now that I'm off the hook with school for a few months. It would involve mostly outside people, but I'd have to get a big commitment from my friend Mary recently freed from her production company job.. I'd then redo the IBI script to do more original music, etc.
March 25: When we come back from Spring Break we will have the Talent Show #2. Much less going on this time--I had 16 acts in the fall, and beautiful weather. All I have to count on, since Alex won't play, Owen's expelled, Alyx in a prom funk, Coco will still be in China..etc. :
The Girl's cup song
Denise
Hugo playing Sax
Daniel Florez? (No show for practice)
Dancing Alex Gray
Nynn? Maroon 5 "Sunday Morning'
Angela Lo Russo doing Xtine Aguilera
Poetry Girls
Jack Wang?
Very slim.
April 8: Talent Show on, for next week-will miss the full moon this time..(
April 9: Agggh. Denise picked this song,"You Don't Know How Much I Love You": Gary Moore (of Skid Row, Thin Lizzy fame--freakin' killer guitar player of the Irish variety--dead.) by way of Amy Winehouse, who later sang it. It looked deceptively simple at first, so I said--sure, I'll play while you sing. Cm-Gm, no big deal. We tried to do it together and it sounded pretty good (it's a super slow song), but then we got to this Em (chart from an online source) and my ear says, that's not even close to being right--I'm hearing descending to F#m maybe to Fm back to Gm: this just sounds ugly.
And then we noticed (I noticed) the key change--fuck. Denise said--maybe we should just get Hugo to do a sax solo for this part--excellent idea, Denise. I told her I would work on it.
So after Guitar club at home I go digging deeper on the internet and find a really well done video (they should all be set up like this) and start writing down the chords--there are !19!! different chords in this song--mf.sob!! I'm not counting the repeaters. 8 are chords I have never seen or played before. I surrender. There's no way I'm going to learn this by next week. First song in a long time that I've found that I cannot play. Actually, we can salvage it if we let Hugo fill the key change section with sax, because that's where 5 of the 8 crazy chords are.
I played the first section fairly easily by substituting Fm# aug for Fm#, which is on the way to the next Fm chord and only gets played for a second anyway--I can barely notice the difference. Also I can only play 3 strings to be able to do the A#aug and Aaug quickly enough, but that works too. I can't stretch 5 frets in that formation anyway. Sounds terrible. Maybe I can find a different fingering that works. Now I just need Hugo to do some magic improv like only he can.
April 12: Getting the Gary Moore first two sections, even the original A#aug and Aaug. Now I'm even working on those 5 killer chords, but I still think I don't want to do them in the show--Hugo'd be better.
April 19: The Talent Show went fine. Denise bit the bullet, and did Amy Winehouse /Gary Moore--we fine tuned it by eliminating the key change altogether and let Hugo solo over my repeat of the verse chords on guitar. It was the best piece of the show, and Denise won. Glad I pushed her to do it, and she was ecstatic--not just by the win, but because she knew she nailed it. Wish Hugo could find a little of that.
May 4: Watched two performances of the Band folks' musical, "Into the Woods". I had offered to help but was rejected, not surprising. It's not my kind of thing anyway. Cute, a little boring, dry recorded music, stiff, spotty acting, one great lead with an amazing voice.
Afterwards, one of the leads came to ask me if I would do a play next year. He wanted a musical. Rough. So I gotta start thinking about it , alone again, unless we get a really cool replacement for the band director. Crazy thought?
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May 7: suggested for next year--Harvey. !! Interesting? Small cast?
May 22: Ordered a copy of Harvey, to see if it will go. Might be interesting updated? 12-13 in cast, bigger than I thought. Wonder if some can play two parts?
June 21: Finished Harvey a few days back--It's a little old-fashioned, but I think it holds up enough to be due for an update. We'll see what kind of interest we get at school--wonder what the new band teacher will be like--hoping for less Mr T., more Joe T.
July 8: Okay, my walk today gave me some ideas. The obvious way to update Harvey is by music. This actually may be the play that would work with character theme music. Here's some Ideas I had while listening to good old semi-faithful VK..... also , what about writing some garage band junk? Should discuss with Luke.
Overall opening/ Harvey Character music: Tipsy's " Bunny Kicks" it's newish but retro--goofy, fun, and a little eccentric. It's kinda hard for me to find happy music I like sometimes. Plus, both the title and band name!!!
For Wilson (or maybe Dr. Sanderson?) --Franz Ferdinand "Womanizer"
Generic bumper music? Roysopp's "Easy/ Blue on Blue"--- just because I like it and it can fit anywhere.
Lighthearted Songs about being crazy: (esp. Act I ii?)
"They're Coming To Take Me Away"
"Countin' Flowers On The Wall"
Nirvana- "Marigold"--that's a total abstraction, but has the feel? Luke may be with me...has a weird optimism.
Oh, of course--Конечноююю!!!
Ian Dury and the Blockheads--"Reasons To Be Cheerful--Pt. 3"
Bex contribution!!: "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire--remix"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMOtiFR5n5Y
October 16: So, during the homecoming game three or four kids came up to me asking about doing a play: three or four who hadn't mentioned it before, not my usual gang. Maybe I should get started--have a meeting. Tuesday? Tuesday. Also, Rob had the amazing idea, echoing one I'd fleetingly thought of recently, but his argument was STRONG--to do the GONG SHOW for the next talent show. I am all for that, bad and good acts mixed together!! Two prizes for worst, two for best. Done. Get someone to play the Unknown Comic, and someone to do Gene-Gene The Dancing Machine. We're half finished.
Found a "gong"--really just a huge pot from the mess hall. Some kids came to drama club and floated the idea of doing The Corpse Bride, which means I'd have to write it. Psssh. I'm not doing that yet unless I get some firm commitment, plus I don't feel this one as strong as the other two I wrote. Found online sheet music, though:
http://pianino.weebly.com/corpse-bride.html
Nov 10: Not enough commitment for a play this year--onto the Gong Show. Found a real, Asian style gong in the band room. Bhhhhashhhhhnnnnnnn........................
Nov 17: The Boss today asked me to put on a real show for Sem II, something besides the Gong. I'm thinking existential. I looked into Pirandello 6 Characters Looking For an Author, thinking it only has 6 characters, but no, more like 13+. So, maybe we can tweak Waiting For Godot. I always sorta wanted to do it, and maybe with Luke, Simon, and David K. at the core? It's one play that doesn't care what gender or ethnicity you are. Rereading it.
--Now someone wants Pygmalion/MFL..
Dec 3: Forgive me in heaven, GBS--I'm gonna chop up your play. I can't manage 3 hrs with this bunch. What the hell are we gonna do for the background music? Live piano? Who do I get for that? The readymade Asians.
Dec 7: Ok, the kids are sticking with this Idee-yar so far--that is, Pygmalion/MFL. I think it's the challenges of accents plus the girls wanting to do the music. It's one of the few acceptable modern princess stories, because it's based on girl intelligence, not looks. It has fun characters who fight a lot. Might not be too bad to do-a bit of fun...
I need to start thinking about sets. I have some fake chandeliers leftover from the Cinderella play to use. That's all we need for the ballroom. The outdoor scenes can all be done in front of the curtain w/o set dressing. It's Higgins' study that should take up the most time/energy/ thought. I could go with the plain boring, wood bookshelves, ladders, Victorian overkill, but I noticed some of the scenes in the movie was borrowing what would have been extremely modern, bohemian, art nouveau/Frank Lloyd Wright/ William Morris style---that's way more interesting, I think.
Pictures?? Here:
A whole page of William Morris Fabric:
William Morris prints
Frank Lloyd Wright:
url
December 27: For preparation Thursday I went through all of Pygmalion, skimming mostly, just to mark out what parts to repeat in the story. Made me realize the meat of the story is Act II--you can basically skip everything else and narrate the rest if necessary--if I get no others to play in it than the four I already auditioned. My big problem is no 'Enry... I mean, Luke knows I want him to play it, but he's "This year's model" of rebellious senior (so of course my fave). He claims he just doesn't like the play's premise (not sure he really knows it) and keeps pushing for things like Hitchcock's 39 Steps--he's not a fan of musicals, which I can relate to with most musicals.
See, the thing is, Luke claims he wants to go to a performing arts college. He's from a theatrical family, and has an eye for the good, old classic movies. He plays guitar and sings, neither particularly great, but with feeling, and he has time to improve. He skulks around my old stomping grounds in downtown St. Pete, doing graffiti and whatnot. He was one of my promising ones in my Drama class two years ago, and we've been pretty close ever since. I keep telling him playing Higgins would be a good resume builder for what he wants. I think I can talk him into it, in the end. Maybe I'll bargain, to do something else he likes later. I also tried to sell him earlier on something existential, like Godot, but I think he's still too young to understand the depth in it.
Also, one of my Russian friends sent me this old clip, in English, of some funny little British piece--called "Dinner for One". It's extremely do-able, one set, two actors: and old demented lady having a dinner for her imaginary international friends , and her servant who is indulging her fantasy by doing the voices of all the guests. The joke is she keeps toasting all the guests, and the servant gets increasingly drunk--it's basically ripe for all sorts of physical comedy on the part of the servant. Chaplin or Buster Keaton would have been great in it. Maybe Luke would like it?
Anyway, back to planning: MFL's a given, Luke's reluctance be damned--I have too many other people willing to put in the time for it. Even adults willing to sing backstage for lip sincers onstage. The lead girl already knows all the solo songs--sang them for me a cappella for a tryout--missed a few notes, but with music she'll be perfect. She'll carry the whole show, and the only question is how much more of the show can we do beyond Act II (Pygmalion has V). the question is will it be merely a good show with D, or a great show with a fully invested Henry Higgins to play off of???? Come on, Luke, don't make me hex you..which might involve taking everyone to the Tampa Theatre's happily timed showing of the musical in January. If anything can cast a spell it's the very atmospheric Tampa Theatre.
Act I can be totally skipped--Act II can end with "The Rain in Spain" seguing into "I Could Have Danced All Night". Act III I would like to do if I can transfer KT's interest from the lead to HH's wonderful mother--a real sarcastic spitfire. It also includes the scene of Eliza's practice with The Eynsford -Hills, and Freddy's subsequent crush on Eliza--setting up the conflict between he and HH which finally goes for nought. Then the Ball scene, which could be done quickly with big fanfare and little payoff. Otherwise it will have to be narrated. It has the most people in it. Act IV must be done with the fight that occurs between HH and Eliza and her running off to his mother's--which resolves in Act V and with Doolittle reappearing to "get married in the morning". Then this is where Pygmalion diverges from MFL: the musical at this point goes into Freddy meeting Eliza and singing "The Street Where You Live". It's implied she and Higgins remain colleagues and friends on a more equal level. There is a wiff of regret from Pygmalion/Henry when he sings "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face". Which is not really the same as love--and not sure we need to use that song. I'm not keen on it, although to me it would make a more fitting ending the GBS's story than Freddy's song.
The musical ends with Freddy, I think, to keep it on a more romantic, upbeat, traditional happy ending--but this story in all it's versions never totally convinces you Eliza loves Freddy --in the way she should-- in a fairy tale.
Jan 13: First rehearsal/read-through this Sunday..
Jan 21: Read-through went pretty well, although I had to do Luke's part (Luke's in BTW, and supposedly will help with sets too??) It was a long weekend for MLK, so frankly I was surprised I had any come.. this Sunday we are going to the fab Tampa Theatre cos by coincidence the movie is showing there! Fates, you like me this month?
Jan 24: Tampa Theatre showing went well! 5 kids came, one out for work, another sick. I got lots of good ideas for where to cut, what to stage, the set, the songs, the ending..
Jan 27: (моя сестра) Her birthday--This Sunday we will read ACT I iv and v--the scene with Doolittle and Henry.
Jan 30: Watched an old British version of Pygmalion starring Leslie Howard--Ashley from Gone With The Wind. It was good--won an Academy award back when that meant something. More ideas.
Jan 31: Luke was the only one who came to practice today, so we worked on reading through his two biggest scenes--he read well. I told him my idea about Higgin's having a stutter--tendency to word-trip. I thought that would make Luke less nervous about his own, and it lends motivation to Higgin's obsession with articulation. He just goes too fast sometimes. As usual, everybody's wanting to throw their two cents into the casting --I'd only be willing to change if both parties are happy with that. It's early.
Feb 23: Practices have been pretty well attended, and we even got some music started during the last two. I taught Nynn an easy version of "The Rain in Spain" on guitar, and we even worked quite a bit on the timing with the singing--by the end we weren't bad. I think Dani wants to sing with canned music, but that's not happening. Her voice is perfect for the song, but she occasionally had a hard time hitting the right note, or starting in the wrong place. She'll have it with some practice--we also figured out the spoken parts also had to be timed perfectly--Luke was in a bad mood, but eventually he came around. We worked on blocking some, too, but it was pretty weak--will have to give some signature quirks out for stagev business--maybe some props--particularly Col Pickering who just tends to sit. He needs a pipe, paper, and tea or something.
I'm starting to think more about the set--definitely need a desk and chairs. I found some great free turn of the century posters online from the NY Public Library--dunno if it would be possible to blow them up, or possibly have someone copy them. The ones I like most are ECHO, MARS, one that asks, "Is Polite Society Really Polite?" that seems perfect for HH. Anyway, the link for NYPL poster archive is here:
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/turn-of-the-century-posters?format=html&id=turn-of-the-century-posters&per_page=250&page=9#/?tab=navigation&scroll=24
April 5: Just got offered help with the artsy stuff from a former theater student--much welcomed! I feel a little burned out on ideas for this play. Practice turnout has been low, Considering Luke's blackbox idea for simplicity.
April 9: This is great! I just got a random jolt from the upper gods to keep me in the arts game--a random post of my usual silly optimistic variety netted me not one but 3! adult set designer helpers, past students with quirky artistic bents. So needful am I at this moment-feels godsent. And then In my sleep-deprived state, I see this random red/white calico couch on the back of a truck and sleepily think--for some odd reason--"Sherlock." Then I wake up--"Sherlock! Eureka, that's it! Cool Inspiration for the set: Sherlock's rather comfortable, quasi-old lady goth flat at 221B Baker Street--the BBC show with that weird graphic black and white wall paper, saggng leather, the Skull Painting, the controlled piles of paper chaos--that's my set! Yay!!--I texted AG right away, and she got it too, and told me about her two recruits-- The gods, smiling, on you know who..
April 11: Not now. Trouble.
April 20: Cancelled last week, per headmaster, after an insane rush and push. Due to a medical emergency, plus excessive stress. Difficult to get these kids thinking clearly about what is needed and what is realistic. I am relieved and disappointed. It is impossible to start such a big project so late.
May 4: Well, maybe you gotta hit bottom to start up fresh. I got an e-mail from a student who was involved in the play this year, but only showed up for two-three practices, because --like most of them, he had problems getting to practice. He wants to start a Thespian Society at school, and is already thinking about next year. Me too, although with trepidation, for me. I already stated my provisos and quid pro quos. I must have adult collaboration, and student involvement in more than just showing up for an hour of rehearsal: set designers, art, music. Time. Planning well in advance. This would be facilitated by actually being told a play should be organized in a timely fashion. I told the kid all this, if things are going to work.
I passed on this e-mail to the boss, hoping it would help him see what is wanted and what is needed. What is frustrating for me is, I could, in the abstract, do most of this all by myself, if I had no other job taking up my time. If I only had to do one of these: I could paint the sets single-handedly, probably better than the present art dept.(not the old one, though)). I could do the music myself, if I had time. Acting, blocking, sure, if the actors show up, and even better if the sets are done. But I cannot. Do it. Alone. All of it. And I won't. We need some reality--how's that coming from me, of all people?!
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Onto a new year, new deal, whilst recycling the old:
May 5: Here's some weirdness. I had a conversation with my boss, where he said to ignore the e-mail said student sent about Thespian society, etc. Said, once again, this is a student who is a big idea man, and let him do the work if he wants. Good to know. This conversation also told me the following. I have a Drama class next year. There are 25 (oh god) signed up. Later? Maybe not 25. That my troubled child is likely not one of the 20+ (phew!) Classes should be in the chapel (Sidenote: which the headmaster implied will soon be demolished?) That possibly ALL my classes are in the chapel? I said, ESOL? He kinda looked strange, then said--well depends how many ESOLs you'll have next year. (What?) So now I'm wondering what is happening next year. So, I guess one thing I really need to do is start organizing a play for next year.
SHERLOCK HOLMES:
I'll probably use the Thespian Society info as a blueprint for making crews for the show--different titles to hand out and divide responsibility...
I think this one might really go.
May 12: Ideas for Sherlock songs:
(BTW--had a great meeting with band--he's definitely my kind, I think! I think we will work well together, and I'm psyched about life again!!) It will be nice to have a partner who gets the idea...)
The Specials: "Ghost Town"
Misfits: "Die, Die My Darling" or "London Dungeon?"
Radiohead: "Creep", "Karma Police", "Spooks"? "How To Disappear Completely"
David Bowie: "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)"
Killing Joke: "Eighties" (Why? Dunno--like the energy)
Tangerine Dream: "Love on a Real Train" (Instrumental filler for time passing)
Leonard Cohen: "Everybody Knows" Intro or intermission
Franz Ferdinand: (recycled!): "Shopping For Blood"--isn't it nice that music has the quality of being abstract enough that it works on several levels and in multiple places??
Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand"--Sorry Renata...
Tipsy "Bunny Kick"--random filler
Royksopp: "Remind Me"--just seems like it might fit somewhere?? Scene change?
The Kinks: Something? "Village Green" or "Victoria"? Maybe Victoria--more fun...
The Clash: "London Calling"
The Who: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
* "New Vaudeville Band: Winchester Cathedral"--good instrumental with muted horns!
Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street
The Kinks : "Waterloo Sunset"
Bex gave me some ideas too: Blur, her fave Oddfellows Casino "The Day The Devil Slipped Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PL-X7qsK4
and a guy named Nick Drake--mostly guitar.
This rap stuff: Dizzee Rascal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPpxxrl0xhM
Random inspirations:
The jokes about the deerstalker hat. The modern graffix: headlines, screens moving in and out, like on an apple laptop, phone apps, computer noises, texts onscreen (how to do that?), skyping/ text noises ...beep beep beep beep
Piccadilly Circus backdrop? with the bright lights, big city?
Newspaper headlines stapled all over the chapel walls (busy work for the drama outliers...)
Front door saying 221B Baker Street....
That weird beehive looking, twirly building in London? The Gherkin, is it?
The Ferris Wheel --The London Eye< is it called?
The Cheese grater Skyscraper? The Shard? The Electric Razor?
Do we do the running joke about Watson and Holmes being lovers? (If very subtle?)
A portrait with a spray-painted line over the eyes, the (ancient) Chinese number character?
----"I'd be lost without my blogger."
How to do the electronic messaging, to simulate how they do it on-screen?
May 19: I was listening to moy droog BG today, and he was doing a whole show about London (#145) that gave me some great ideas for songs for the Sherlock play--he even mentioned Sherlock in his podcast! I added them to my list: Clash "London Calling" Early Who--"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", The Stranglers "Golden Brown", The New Vaudeville Band!! He had some obscure song of theirs, but I recognized the sound from an old song from my childhood that's perfect, even partly instrumental for filler? "Winchester Cathedral". A boady oh doh, a boady oh doh...The Kinks "Afternoon Tea" and XTC "Towers of London".
Here's most of the lyrics for "Towers of London", which I think will work with my idea of making drawings of the London Skyscrapers to hang on the walls of the chapel for atmosphere:
Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell
Pavements of gold leading to the underground
Grenadier Guardsmen walking pretty ladies around
Fog is the sweat of the never never navvies who pound, pound, pound, pound, pound
Spikes in the rails to their very own heaven
Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell
Merchants from Stepney walking pretty ladies by
Rain is the tears of the never never navvies who cry
For the bridge that doesn't go
In the direction of Dublin
This album suggested by Leo is full of great ambient stuff: Arabian Horse--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvBiXxGYUc
I also asked Adam if he would be interested in doing some original stuff. That's what I'd really like.
Definitely Intermission: Public Service Announcement--"London Can Take It" !!!!!!!!!!!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu4Rr07bgVQ
July 18: Considering this for one of the bad guy scenes. Flying Lizards covering theBeatles' "Money".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-P2qL3qkzk
I need to add this in: Jeff Beck's "A Day in The Life". I think I can get somebody to do a live pit band version--the guitar is not terribly hard, but a little complicated with the various parts. I found some specific sheet music/tabs for the Beck version. I want it as a instrumental for curtain calls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhHNzNO17UM
also considering a song I heard on БГ: Tori Amos'--didn't catch the name, but I think it's probably "Welcome to England" based on the lyric I remember.
A student suggested a great song "Blood" by My Chemical Romance.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKyM50G5e4
By the way, Adam did make some impromptu music for me. I just happened to catch him feeling creative on a day with nothing to do, and he knocked off a few guitar instrumentals with a spooky feel, plus made up a chord pattern and sang! For the drunken street person Irish ballad--works fine! I only have it on a FB link for now, so I have to figure out to make it into a more usable form.
London Graffiti.....check.
October 10:
Set out the Cast/Job Titles list today. Somber reaction so far, although I thought I had my usual last minute solution to a potential conflict:
I had two great kids to play Sherlock, each bringing something different to the part. Bad problem, huh? Well, potential hurt feelings. So I made one of the kids, the more responsible one, a student director and made him Watson. I hope he is happy with this, and I hope it also puts some pressure on the other to stay focused. I've really delegated out more assignments this year than I ever have, and everything feels much more organized already. I have a lot of willing workers, it seems!
5th period seemed to get reinvigorated by the announcements, and there was very little grousing. George seemed mildly unhappy about Watson, but I told him I liked his crazy James Mason for Larrabee more--fit the character more. Hope he's ok with that.
I am cautiously excited about all this!!
Oct 21--almost finished rewriting Act I. This time i had the kids do it with me in class. Working pretty good, because this way I get feedback from kids who'll play the parts, and what feels natural to them
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Can't believe this happened again. The Chapel's going down for real. They cut down trees, took out the seats. There's a demolition fence around it. I have the worst luck of any drama teacher I know. Instead, another piecemeal skit show. Okay.
April 3: Last week's variety show turned out like 5 times better than I expected--everyone put in high quality energy --top game all around considering how sad all are practices were. Amazing what an enthusiast audience will do to an actor's performance and confidence! The band was great, the magic and skits funny--even Vanessa's last minute bottle gag was hilarious and well timed--you would have sworn we had worked on the timing for weeks. PAPP was a hit! I loved every minute. Even the mock trial seemed tense rather than slow...
Um, new performance venue scheduled to open 2018-19 school year.......!!
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May 21: Next year's show: 2017-18 school year.
Limitations: No lights, no indoor stage, no sets. Can have: Sound, music, dancing.
Therefore: an outdoor musical based on my fave "Taming of the Shrew" (probably not called that).
It has never been a very successful musical, historically (Kiss Me Kate is based on Shrew, but one of those where the characters are producing the play and plot mirrors it). I am thinking of salvaging one song from KMK that has some possible resonance: "Too Darned Hot". I like a Django Reinhardt like Gypsy Jazz version I heard. I want a more modern take, but not quite 10 Things I Hate About You. I want the feel to be more ethnic, for lack of a better word, ala West Side Story with Latino and Hip-hop sounds and dances. I'm looking at the Glee mash-up of "Off With Your Heads"/Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I want two of the dances to be reminiscent of the French Apache Dances: Dance fights with a romantic? edge--can't exactly be erotic at school....
I'm thinking of very little dialogue, letting the story be told basically in 5 songs via dance and lyrics, focusing on the beginning of the story, and letting the story sort of hang, Especially the 2nd sister's romance--asking the audience, do you think this relationship will work out? There may be, therefore, a narrator, who punctuates the dances with a few sentences to set the stage.
Jun 21: Lucky score--when I went to Sam Ash this past weekend I found out they have these Glee songbooks, by season, and I found the one with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Off With Your Head"/"Thriller mash-up: Saves me time, thought i'd have to work that all out myself! Now I can just give Shang the book to work out the bassline--hope he can do that...I might have to change the key of what I've already made in GB?
GB change (to Dm Key, I think?) easily done.--July. Now that I'll have my big room back I won't have another layer of problems about where to work. The dance stuff, though, we'll have to find a space outside or in the gym.
The Glee book has a few other good songs too, like the Zombies.. "She's Not There."
Sept 7( my oldest's birthday). My drama kids are really super good this year--very enthusiastic, smart, hard working. Half of them even loovvve Shakespeare, and understand it! Our play may not be brilliant, due to inexperience, but it will happen! I got a little bit of everything, singers dancers, actors. My weak spot is a crazy male lead. I think we're gonna pull it off, even without a venue. Just gotta get the base for the music....."Too Darned Hot" is awful hard to do live. Oct 10: I can't play it on guitar--it just doesn't sound right. I must be missing something.
Dec 9: About to be time to get this thing organized--the writing, the music. I've been trying to get my lower end drama kids (the athletes taking drama not out of love, but for an "easy" grade) to get on board with making some electronic music--since we're updating the setting to modern high school. I think I need to get a list of back up ideas--I already told them inspiration should be that early hip-hop thing "Apache" and "Jump Around" sorta stuff--high energy with a fighting edge?
Feb 9: So everyone has their job assignments, and I only have a handful of slackers in both classes--so good! The guys who I prodded into acting actually seem to be owning the idea--Tai keeps asking--should I sing the duet in a high octave or low? Good question! Let's try both and see what works! So I have one purchased Karaoke song ("Lovefool") for our Scene VI duet battle, because I realized doing it on guitar with backup vocals and everything that makes the song great would be an overwhelming chore--and potential disaster--so the easy out. Karaoke.
The Response song:"This Is Not A Love Song", especially if we do it in the Nouvelle Vague style, will be quite easy--3 easy chords on guitar, and that's what the original has anyway. Some percussion-y stuff in the back that maybe we can do with some simple stuff I can borrow from band or home.
Since I have such responsible kids this year, I gave them the job of picking out their own music, so that makes my job easier--I've been able to delegate a lot more work to good kids this year, and I'm hoping that--since the core group is pretty young! ..that I'm going to have a good run with these guys for a few years. Another girl I put in charge of bumper music, entré and outré music for the beginning and end of the show. I feel strangely organized this year--hope it holds. Still no date, but should be coming soon.
Also had this crazy idea for a prom dress for the rebel character, made out of school girl parochial red plaid skirt--found a great one for $1.61! at the thrift store with extra material, and Mrs. P seems to understand my design idea, and thinks she can do it crazy as it sounds--plus the girl whose going to wear it loves the idea--thank god she's a bean pole. She's also going to make her daughter a dress.
Had to suck up and make one of the girls a male lead--because she's the third best singer and a great dancer (my choreographer, in fact). How about that depth, my "third best" singer!!!!! We'll hopefully disguise her with an outrageous Petruchio costume. Her acting is so-so unfortunately.
We have been working on the set design--very minimalistic set this due to the limits of space--everything has to be conveyed via the backdrop. It's a perspective drawing with a mid vanishing point that I found on -line and copied the basics, but I think we improved it by upping the mind-warp by putting in a checkerboard floor and making it disappear into the center. Also our colors are more trippy--the original was blah cartoon pale purple, green and peach--I think it was probably a computer generated drawing. I really like how its turning out, and proud of how the kids are cooperating to put it together, with minimal mess, in fact. (I suppose that has nothing to do with the fact that I threatened to ban them permanently from Drama if they got silly with paint. Nice that I have enough depth to get away with that.)
Oh, yeah, and the girls found this velvet corset belt that will be perfect to cinch in the waist of that red plaid prom dress--can't wait to see how that turns out. I made Lily sew up the arm hole of a dress she tried on and will probably wear as the wonky receptionist--she swears it was already ripped, (it probably was) but she was generous enough to fix it. It's a recycled costume from the Agatha Christie play--Mrs. Boyle's. She did a good job!
PLAY DATE!! April 19th.......................
set so far.. I added a few more details Friday where those black holes are.
May 1: Play is done, gone the sun....
Yeah, we actually made it through one--I made it super short and straight-forward, minimum dialogue, let music and dance numbers tell the story. the two throw-away scenes we added on when we couldn't decide how to end things ended up being the best part. I had a filler minor character who actually stole the show with his Souljah Boy, Cat-in-the-Hat Rap. That boy's a keeper--he knows how to work a stage! My girl as a boy lead worked out okay: the audience was cheering her on so she was kinda hamming it up. She was no Petrucchio, but it went way better than I'd hoped. Two of the B-ball players jumped into the final dance scene, which added to the fun! The singing was fantastic and got lots of respect.
Best of all, the kids went away thinking it was their play: I really laid back this year and let them come up with their own ideas, which they followed through on! They changed up all the music I had suggested, and that was a good move. This can only work with a really good group, but I hope I gave them some good memories of the ol' Academy. Seems like the biggest problems we had, we kept trouble-shooting and coming up with something better to fix it. Like when the big easel notebook thing kept blowing away in the wind during dress/tech rehearsal, we just took the notebook apart, stapled it to cardboard, and sent Katrina (who looks like someone out of Goonies) out Vannah White style, where she ran crazily around the whole stage with the signboard, and for some reason this was a big hit with the boarders. And best of all it was her idea to do it--and she's kinda contrary by nature--they were all just feeling it. Kids came up afterwards telling me they want to be in Drama next year!
It's kind of amazing that we wrote a play across two different class periods, had no venue or even practices together until this week--I dunno how we did it, but I was laying the constant, low-grade pressure on them to trouble shoot and communicate. It was a bit of a minor miracle, really.
when I think about it, it was a lot like those old, home-made plays I did in the early days at AFA with no lights, bedsheet curtains, completely DIY...just all soul. No budget. Something out of nothing, only there's a lot more talent for me to work with these days..And the kids were so proud of our DIY vibe! My kind of kids..no prima donna complaints.
Oh, and one more, very cute, very sweet detail. Dennis, my extraordinary sound master, asked if he could play a song over the PA--he had recorded Jack and Shang's band live from last year's talent show, and had saved it to play--he had been much taken with their band's sound, and even told them he could get them a gig! Unfortunately, none of the kids in the audience recognized it, but, after a few minutes listening, I did. What a cool thing for him to do.
I'm so happy--it's over!
May 16: So, watching the walls of this so-called arts building go up behind me--I realize that there are logistics/location issues. First, I'm looking for the walls that should enclose the theatre space--it shouldn't have windows, right? All enclosed? I've been thinking, this back wall--has no windows--that must be the footprint of the theatre. The other parts have doors, windows..can't be. But I look at it from the side, and it's ridiculously narrow, As bad as our old stage which had no height and no depth. No one ever asked my opinion about this. Even the drawing looks kind of shallow. They couldn't have been that shortsighted?---yes they could!. It looks more like one of those auditoriums built for high tech presentations--like Steve Jobs with a wireless mike, with a big screen projection of himself on the wall--fuck. Now, in some iterations of this building, there is a room marked "Theatre Classroom". Right? But the latest ad says: Multi-purpose, Arts, Music, Art Studio Space. No mention of drama. Is this just a case of poor writing, or should I be worried? On the other hand, anything will be an improvement from no space, or the old stable space. But will this really satisfy the future theatre kids we want to attract who can plainly see that other schools have a better facility? Well, we'll see.
Sept 14: This year's mess--
So, I had this great opportunity to have our play repeated at a venue downtown. Two problems--admin shot it down to do it there, and most of my kids from last year weren't able to schedule Drama in their class schedule. Some committed anyway, but not enough.
So I decided to stick to the Shakespeare theme the Arts festival required, and made plans to do it outside on campus--MacBeth! Which I've never done a full performance of, just those goofy 10 minute classroom things back when I taught seniors--we did weird things like Office Space MacBeth, Star Wars MacBeth and a Flower-Power Taming of the Shrew wedding scene musical number with "Let the Sunshine In/Aquarius" as the background music--loved that stuff.
Anyway, the Gilberts who are hosting the Shakespeare Arts Fest , came on campus to advise about venue and smooth-talk admin, which didn't work. They don't want us to have the stress of being involved--possibly next year. In the meantime, it almost feels like what I have left is being sabotaged by admin --6 kids have been removed from class--the majority made up of SSide kids, some with difficult reps. However, they seem into the idea of doing the Scottish play, so we'll see what plays out. I have some vague ideas for staging, inspired partly by a video of Theater Design I saw by accident on Netflix--a famous designer named Es Devlin. She does a lot of things with lighting, mirrors, gauze or scrim, and boxes. She did the staging and lights for some really cool music shows--Beyonce and Pet Shop Boys, plus some pretty interesting runway shows that featured a mirror that was placed in such an angle as to make it look like twins of the models were walking off into infinity. I'm trying to get the video through the school's Plex server so I can show it--have to bleep one swear at the 8:22 minute---
So, at least I have less pressure to deliver greatness this year. And maybe next year I'll have my singers back, with our new stage. We'll see--no counting chickens. This place @@...
Nov 27, 2018:
Ok, we'v got two ideas brewing for Macbeth-one serious, one silly.
The serious one will have a modern setting at a college, maybe involving a fraternity, to justify the hierarchy element. The idea is to do a bonfire or fire pit at the waterfront, with torches, etc., for atmosphere. This one would probably have to stick closer to the real Macbeth. My mean girls like this idea with them playing the witches.
However, the second idea is growing on me, even though it seemed totally dumb yesterday. But, I'm a goofball at heart--rather do a joke than anything...
Spongebob Macbeth: the Killings in Bikini Bottom.
I wrote the first scene with the kids before lunch today, something where the witches become sharks and plan to meet Plankton.
Yeah, so in this version Plankton takes Macbeth's part, the motive being not his desire to be king, but to get the Krabby Patty Recipe, with Karen's help. I just started writing and already got through to the first murder, and I can kind of picture the whole thing in my head now. Instead of blood on their hands Plankton and Karen will have crab claw mitts. Squidward gets accused of the murder (false squid-ink!, and runs off. Plankton offers to take over the Krusty Krab...maybe Spongebob should go after Squidward, while Plankton gets paranoid and kills Patrick/Banquo...(he can come back by regenerating one of his starfish arms?) The Flying Dutchman can be the ghost. SB as MacDuff with Squidward comes back to save the day, and the secret recipe...
The costumes might be a pain.. but the sets will be pretty easy!
I'm so stuck on this---can't write. I started the opening scene, and decided WHERE it should start--no Christopher Sly , just another character to gum up the works more actors to recruit, lines to memorize and forget. So I'm starting with Lucentio going off to college with his buddy who can't afford to go yet--who's the intellectual. Gets distracted by Bianca, learns about Big Bad Daddy who sets the curfew.
Stuck. Partially from apathy, even though I love this play
So, To jog myself into caring, I think I need to start with music. I need bad girl theme music, mean girl themes, big bad daddy stuff, drunk crazy guy music for Petruccio. I hate the idea of Americanizing the names, but I might have to.
The Music I keep gravitating towards is the old punk band The Cramps: would love to use "Like A Bad Girl Should" but it just has too many sexual innuendos for school--love the line "Love the groovy way you spit" maybe I work it in as a line in the play!! I may, though instead use "All Women Are Bad"--either as intro or final/curtain music...I think that's the ticket.(!!) Ok, maybe I'm getting a little excited.
Google search suggests
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts : "Bad Reputation" (!!good thought!!) It might been in the movie? Also Avril Lavigne did a version that might appeal to the youngsters more. She also has a songs "UnWanted" that has the right lyrics. At least she has a good voice, but I'm not a fan. and"Complicated"?
Salt 'n' Pepa: "None of Your Business" (Maybe just a clip...some bad ideas, here)
Amy Winehouse: Which song? not "Rehab" but maybe "You Know That I'm No Good" (only the first verse, and maybe for Petruccio's character??? eh....
Donna Summers :"Bad Girls"?
Rihanna has a song about "Good Girls Gone Bad"
MIA has a better one : "Bad Girls" with a little middle eastern flavor??
Pink "So What"--the lyrics are better, but, Cheeerist..autotune??
Avril Lavigne: "UnWanted" --not too bad.
Jesse McCartney "Daddy's Little Girl" The lyrics are right. Not my fave, but it's rock-ish.
"Just Like You" by 3 Days Grace---about overbearing parents--but might be a little too angry???
"Daughters" by John Mayer---meh....
Beach Boys "I'm Bugged At My Old Man" just the beginning?? Kinda funny weird.
What About "Father Figure" by George Michael?? xaxaxa...
Kid Cudi: "Young Lady" !!! hmm. lyrics?? this one will have to be a clip.
Skrillex: "Father Said" for filler.
The Misfits: "Father"--more my style--but.
Bad Boy songs should be easier--there's the Cops theme song "Bad Boys" for one. For comic intro for Petruccio and co? Haha! By Inner Circle!
There's the Beatles' "Bad Boy"
Alice Cooper "No More Mr. Nice Guy" for Pet turning Kat "good"
Well, I'm going to have to rely on myself, because the internet, as usual, sucks.
Think, think, think.
Ok---thinking of stealing back my idea of either Pixies'"Subbaculture" or T.Rex "20th Century Boy " (from last year's aborted play) for Petrucchio's theme music----hum. I think "20th Century Boy" will do for that.
Someone suggested Sonic Youth's "Little Trouble Girl" which is a great idea. Maybe "My Friend Goo", too. I also think I might like Yello's "How-How" for the P-K meeting scene--maybe make the whole thing more or less wordless with music--hmm. Think, think. Added "Low-rider" to the garbage truck scene. Yes, I have a garbage truck scene. Repo man, anyone?? I don't know if I have any present AFA boys bad-ass enough to carry off the character I've made/ stolen from Shakespeare...
4 Acts done--the end to go, which is the hardest part--all depend on how dysfunctional I want the family, or how desperate the dad is, or how farcical to make the story. I'm willing to go pretty far with that. Maybe Daddy desperation is one key to the storyline??
Sept 9: Aha! I think I have the ending!! Gnarls Barkley gave me the answer--maybe we're crazy--
Sept 16: Finished. Whew. It's okay, I think--very short-12 pages?
Jan 12: The impromptu, (but extremely well-received !) talent show ended up interfering with my play, and, many want a second show in the spring. Since once again I'm having trouble fielding the right guys for leads (again), and the band teacher is planning a musical, I think I'll just go with the talent show. Now I have two play adaptations I've written that have never been performed!!
Feb 9: I'm getting one of my creative brainstorms, now that I'm off the hook with school for a few months. It would involve mostly outside people, but I'd have to get a big commitment from my friend Mary recently freed from her production company job.. I'd then redo the IBI script to do more original music, etc.
March 25: When we come back from Spring Break we will have the Talent Show #2. Much less going on this time--I had 16 acts in the fall, and beautiful weather. All I have to count on, since Alex won't play, Owen's expelled, Alyx in a prom funk, Coco will still be in China..etc. :
The Girl's cup song
Denise
Hugo playing Sax
Daniel Florez? (No show for practice)
Dancing Alex Gray
Nynn? Maroon 5 "Sunday Morning'
Poetry Girls
Jack Wang?
Very slim.
April 8: Talent Show on, for next week-will miss the full moon this time..(
April 9: Agggh. Denise picked this song,"You Don't Know How Much I Love You": Gary Moore (of Skid Row, Thin Lizzy fame--freakin' killer guitar player of the Irish variety--dead.) by way of Amy Winehouse, who later sang it. It looked deceptively simple at first, so I said--sure, I'll play while you sing. Cm-Gm, no big deal. We tried to do it together and it sounded pretty good (it's a super slow song), but then we got to this Em (chart from an online source) and my ear says, that's not even close to being right--I'm hearing descending to F#m maybe to Fm back to Gm: this just sounds ugly.
And then we noticed (I noticed) the key change--fuck. Denise said--maybe we should just get Hugo to do a sax solo for this part--excellent idea, Denise. I told her I would work on it.
So after Guitar club at home I go digging deeper on the internet and find a really well done video (they should all be set up like this) and start writing down the chords--there are !19!! different chords in this song--mf.sob!! I'm not counting the repeaters. 8 are chords I have never seen or played before. I surrender. There's no way I'm going to learn this by next week. First song in a long time that I've found that I cannot play. Actually, we can salvage it if we let Hugo fill the key change section with sax, because that's where 5 of the 8 crazy chords are.
I played the first section fairly easily by substituting Fm# aug for Fm#, which is on the way to the next Fm chord and only gets played for a second anyway--I can barely notice the difference. Also I can only play 3 strings to be able to do the A#aug and Aaug quickly enough, but that works too. I can't stretch 5 frets in that formation anyway. Sounds terrible. Maybe I can find a different fingering that works. Now I just need Hugo to do some magic improv like only he can.
April 12: Getting the Gary Moore first two sections, even the original A#aug and Aaug. Now I'm even working on those 5 killer chords, but I still think I don't want to do them in the show--Hugo'd be better.
April 19: The Talent Show went fine. Denise bit the bullet, and did Amy Winehouse /Gary Moore--we fine tuned it by eliminating the key change altogether and let Hugo solo over my repeat of the verse chords on guitar. It was the best piece of the show, and Denise won. Glad I pushed her to do it, and she was ecstatic--not just by the win, but because she knew she nailed it. Wish Hugo could find a little of that.
May 4: Watched two performances of the Band folks' musical, "Into the Woods". I had offered to help but was rejected, not surprising. It's not my kind of thing anyway. Cute, a little boring, dry recorded music, stiff, spotty acting, one great lead with an amazing voice.
Afterwards, one of the leads came to ask me if I would do a play next year. He wanted a musical. Rough. So I gotta start thinking about it , alone again, unless we get a really cool replacement for the band director. Crazy thought?
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May 7: suggested for next year--Harvey. !! Interesting? Small cast?
May 22: Ordered a copy of Harvey, to see if it will go. Might be interesting updated? 12-13 in cast, bigger than I thought. Wonder if some can play two parts?
June 21: Finished Harvey a few days back--It's a little old-fashioned, but I think it holds up enough to be due for an update. We'll see what kind of interest we get at school--wonder what the new band teacher will be like--hoping for less Mr T., more Joe T.
July 8: Okay, my walk today gave me some ideas. The obvious way to update Harvey is by music. This actually may be the play that would work with character theme music. Here's some Ideas I had while listening to good old semi-faithful VK..... also , what about writing some garage band junk? Should discuss with Luke.
Overall opening/ Harvey Character music: Tipsy's " Bunny Kicks" it's newish but retro--goofy, fun, and a little eccentric. It's kinda hard for me to find happy music I like sometimes. Plus, both the title and band name!!!
For Wilson (or maybe Dr. Sanderson?) --Franz Ferdinand "Womanizer"
Generic bumper music? Roysopp's "Easy/ Blue on Blue"--- just because I like it and it can fit anywhere.
Lighthearted Songs about being crazy: (esp. Act I ii?)
"They're Coming To Take Me Away"
"Countin' Flowers On The Wall"
Nirvana- "Marigold"--that's a total abstraction, but has the feel? Luke may be with me...has a weird optimism.
Oh, of course--Конечноююю!!!
Ian Dury and the Blockheads--"Reasons To Be Cheerful--Pt. 3"
Bex contribution!!: "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire--remix"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMOtiFR5n5Y
October 16: So, during the homecoming game three or four kids came up to me asking about doing a play: three or four who hadn't mentioned it before, not my usual gang. Maybe I should get started--have a meeting. Tuesday? Tuesday. Also, Rob had the amazing idea, echoing one I'd fleetingly thought of recently, but his argument was STRONG--to do the GONG SHOW for the next talent show. I am all for that, bad and good acts mixed together!! Two prizes for worst, two for best. Done. Get someone to play the Unknown Comic, and someone to do Gene-Gene The Dancing Machine. We're half finished.
Found a "gong"--really just a huge pot from the mess hall. Some kids came to drama club and floated the idea of doing The Corpse Bride, which means I'd have to write it. Psssh. I'm not doing that yet unless I get some firm commitment, plus I don't feel this one as strong as the other two I wrote. Found online sheet music, though:
http://pianino.weebly.com/corpse-bride.html
Nov 10: Not enough commitment for a play this year--onto the Gong Show. Found a real, Asian style gong in the band room. Bhhhhashhhhhnnnnnnn........................
Nov 17: The Boss today asked me to put on a real show for Sem II, something besides the Gong. I'm thinking existential. I looked into Pirandello 6 Characters Looking For an Author, thinking it only has 6 characters, but no, more like 13+. So, maybe we can tweak Waiting For Godot. I always sorta wanted to do it, and maybe with Luke, Simon, and David K. at the core? It's one play that doesn't care what gender or ethnicity you are. Rereading it.
--Now someone wants Pygmalion/MFL..
Dec 3: Forgive me in heaven, GBS--I'm gonna chop up your play. I can't manage 3 hrs with this bunch. What the hell are we gonna do for the background music? Live piano? Who do I get for that? The readymade Asians.
Dec 7: Ok, the kids are sticking with this Idee-yar so far--that is, Pygmalion/MFL. I think it's the challenges of accents plus the girls wanting to do the music. It's one of the few acceptable modern princess stories, because it's based on girl intelligence, not looks. It has fun characters who fight a lot. Might not be too bad to do-a bit of fun...
I need to start thinking about sets. I have some fake chandeliers leftover from the Cinderella play to use. That's all we need for the ballroom. The outdoor scenes can all be done in front of the curtain w/o set dressing. It's Higgins' study that should take up the most time/energy/ thought. I could go with the plain boring, wood bookshelves, ladders, Victorian overkill, but I noticed some of the scenes in the movie was borrowing what would have been extremely modern, bohemian, art nouveau/Frank Lloyd Wright/ William Morris style---that's way more interesting, I think.
Pictures?? Here:
A whole page of William Morris Fabric:
William Morris prints
Frank Lloyd Wright:
url
I know it seems too modern, but it was period for Higgins who was rich and thought of himself as a modern man.....and our stage is low slung.
this one's 1895:
Some famous FLW Stained Glass: very mathematical and logical for HH:
A centerpiece of the stage that can change with the light?
December 27: For preparation Thursday I went through all of Pygmalion, skimming mostly, just to mark out what parts to repeat in the story. Made me realize the meat of the story is Act II--you can basically skip everything else and narrate the rest if necessary--if I get no others to play in it than the four I already auditioned. My big problem is no 'Enry... I mean, Luke knows I want him to play it, but he's "This year's model" of rebellious senior (so of course my fave). He claims he just doesn't like the play's premise (not sure he really knows it) and keeps pushing for things like Hitchcock's 39 Steps--he's not a fan of musicals, which I can relate to with most musicals.
See, the thing is, Luke claims he wants to go to a performing arts college. He's from a theatrical family, and has an eye for the good, old classic movies. He plays guitar and sings, neither particularly great, but with feeling, and he has time to improve. He skulks around my old stomping grounds in downtown St. Pete, doing graffiti and whatnot. He was one of my promising ones in my Drama class two years ago, and we've been pretty close ever since. I keep telling him playing Higgins would be a good resume builder for what he wants. I think I can talk him into it, in the end. Maybe I'll bargain, to do something else he likes later. I also tried to sell him earlier on something existential, like Godot, but I think he's still too young to understand the depth in it.
Also, one of my Russian friends sent me this old clip, in English, of some funny little British piece--called "Dinner for One". It's extremely do-able, one set, two actors: and old demented lady having a dinner for her imaginary international friends , and her servant who is indulging her fantasy by doing the voices of all the guests. The joke is she keeps toasting all the guests, and the servant gets increasingly drunk--it's basically ripe for all sorts of physical comedy on the part of the servant. Chaplin or Buster Keaton would have been great in it. Maybe Luke would like it?
Anyway, back to planning: MFL's a given, Luke's reluctance be damned--I have too many other people willing to put in the time for it. Even adults willing to sing backstage for lip sincers onstage. The lead girl already knows all the solo songs--sang them for me a cappella for a tryout--missed a few notes, but with music she'll be perfect. She'll carry the whole show, and the only question is how much more of the show can we do beyond Act II (Pygmalion has V). the question is will it be merely a good show with D, or a great show with a fully invested Henry Higgins to play off of???? Come on, Luke, don't make me hex you..which might involve taking everyone to the Tampa Theatre's happily timed showing of the musical in January. If anything can cast a spell it's the very atmospheric Tampa Theatre.
Act I can be totally skipped--Act II can end with "The Rain in Spain" seguing into "I Could Have Danced All Night". Act III I would like to do if I can transfer KT's interest from the lead to HH's wonderful mother--a real sarcastic spitfire. It also includes the scene of Eliza's practice with The Eynsford -Hills, and Freddy's subsequent crush on Eliza--setting up the conflict between he and HH which finally goes for nought. Then the Ball scene, which could be done quickly with big fanfare and little payoff. Otherwise it will have to be narrated. It has the most people in it. Act IV must be done with the fight that occurs between HH and Eliza and her running off to his mother's--which resolves in Act V and with Doolittle reappearing to "get married in the morning". Then this is where Pygmalion diverges from MFL: the musical at this point goes into Freddy meeting Eliza and singing "The Street Where You Live". It's implied she and Higgins remain colleagues and friends on a more equal level. There is a wiff of regret from Pygmalion/Henry when he sings "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face". Which is not really the same as love--and not sure we need to use that song. I'm not keen on it, although to me it would make a more fitting ending the GBS's story than Freddy's song.
The musical ends with Freddy, I think, to keep it on a more romantic, upbeat, traditional happy ending--but this story in all it's versions never totally convinces you Eliza loves Freddy --in the way she should-- in a fairy tale.
Jan 13: First rehearsal/read-through this Sunday..
Jan 21: Read-through went pretty well, although I had to do Luke's part (Luke's in BTW, and supposedly will help with sets too??) It was a long weekend for MLK, so frankly I was surprised I had any come.. this Sunday we are going to the fab Tampa Theatre cos by coincidence the movie is showing there! Fates, you like me this month?
Jan 24: Tampa Theatre showing went well! 5 kids came, one out for work, another sick. I got lots of good ideas for where to cut, what to stage, the set, the songs, the ending..
Jan 27: (моя сестра) Her birthday--This Sunday we will read ACT I iv and v--the scene with Doolittle and Henry.
Jan 30: Watched an old British version of Pygmalion starring Leslie Howard--Ashley from Gone With The Wind. It was good--won an Academy award back when that meant something. More ideas.
Jan 31: Luke was the only one who came to practice today, so we worked on reading through his two biggest scenes--he read well. I told him my idea about Higgin's having a stutter--tendency to word-trip. I thought that would make Luke less nervous about his own, and it lends motivation to Higgin's obsession with articulation. He just goes too fast sometimes. As usual, everybody's wanting to throw their two cents into the casting --I'd only be willing to change if both parties are happy with that. It's early.
Feb 23: Practices have been pretty well attended, and we even got some music started during the last two. I taught Nynn an easy version of "The Rain in Spain" on guitar, and we even worked quite a bit on the timing with the singing--by the end we weren't bad. I think Dani wants to sing with canned music, but that's not happening. Her voice is perfect for the song, but she occasionally had a hard time hitting the right note, or starting in the wrong place. She'll have it with some practice--we also figured out the spoken parts also had to be timed perfectly--Luke was in a bad mood, but eventually he came around. We worked on blocking some, too, but it was pretty weak--will have to give some signature quirks out for stagev business--maybe some props--particularly Col Pickering who just tends to sit. He needs a pipe, paper, and tea or something.
I'm starting to think more about the set--definitely need a desk and chairs. I found some great free turn of the century posters online from the NY Public Library--dunno if it would be possible to blow them up, or possibly have someone copy them. The ones I like most are ECHO, MARS, one that asks, "Is Polite Society Really Polite?" that seems perfect for HH. Anyway, the link for NYPL poster archive is here:
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/turn-of-the-century-posters?format=html&id=turn-of-the-century-posters&per_page=250&page=9#/?tab=navigation&scroll=24
April 5: Just got offered help with the artsy stuff from a former theater student--much welcomed! I feel a little burned out on ideas for this play. Practice turnout has been low, Considering Luke's blackbox idea for simplicity.
April 9: This is great! I just got a random jolt from the upper gods to keep me in the arts game--a random post of my usual silly optimistic variety netted me not one but 3! adult set designer helpers, past students with quirky artistic bents. So needful am I at this moment-feels godsent. And then In my sleep-deprived state, I see this random red/white calico couch on the back of a truck and sleepily think--for some odd reason--"Sherlock." Then I wake up--"Sherlock! Eureka, that's it! Cool Inspiration for the set: Sherlock's rather comfortable, quasi-old lady goth flat at 221B Baker Street--the BBC show with that weird graphic black and white wall paper, saggng leather, the Skull Painting, the controlled piles of paper chaos--that's my set! Yay!!--I texted AG right away, and she got it too, and told me about her two recruits-- The gods, smiling, on you know who..
April 11: Not now. Trouble.
April 20: Cancelled last week, per headmaster, after an insane rush and push. Due to a medical emergency, plus excessive stress. Difficult to get these kids thinking clearly about what is needed and what is realistic. I am relieved and disappointed. It is impossible to start such a big project so late.
May 4: Well, maybe you gotta hit bottom to start up fresh. I got an e-mail from a student who was involved in the play this year, but only showed up for two-three practices, because --like most of them, he had problems getting to practice. He wants to start a Thespian Society at school, and is already thinking about next year. Me too, although with trepidation, for me. I already stated my provisos and quid pro quos. I must have adult collaboration, and student involvement in more than just showing up for an hour of rehearsal: set designers, art, music. Time. Planning well in advance. This would be facilitated by actually being told a play should be organized in a timely fashion. I told the kid all this, if things are going to work.
I passed on this e-mail to the boss, hoping it would help him see what is wanted and what is needed. What is frustrating for me is, I could, in the abstract, do most of this all by myself, if I had no other job taking up my time. If I only had to do one of these: I could paint the sets single-handedly, probably better than the present art dept.(not the old one, though)). I could do the music myself, if I had time. Acting, blocking, sure, if the actors show up, and even better if the sets are done. But I cannot. Do it. Alone. All of it. And I won't. We need some reality--how's that coming from me, of all people?!
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Onto a new year, new deal, whilst recycling the old:
May 5: Here's some weirdness. I had a conversation with my boss, where he said to ignore the e-mail said student sent about Thespian society, etc. Said, once again, this is a student who is a big idea man, and let him do the work if he wants. Good to know. This conversation also told me the following. I have a Drama class next year. There are 25 (oh god) signed up. Later? Maybe not 25. That my troubled child is likely not one of the 20+ (phew!) Classes should be in the chapel (Sidenote: which the headmaster implied will soon be demolished?) That possibly ALL my classes are in the chapel? I said, ESOL? He kinda looked strange, then said--well depends how many ESOLs you'll have next year. (What?) So now I'm wondering what is happening next year. So, I guess one thing I really need to do is start organizing a play for next year.
SHERLOCK HOLMES:
I'll probably use the Thespian Society info as a blueprint for making crews for the show--different titles to hand out and divide responsibility...
I think this one might really go.
May 12: Ideas for Sherlock songs:
(BTW--had a great meeting with band--he's definitely my kind, I think! I think we will work well together, and I'm psyched about life again!!) It will be nice to have a partner who gets the idea...)
The Specials: "Ghost Town"
Misfits: "Die, Die My Darling" or "London Dungeon?"
Radiohead: "Creep", "Karma Police", "Spooks"? "How To Disappear Completely"
David Bowie: "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)"
Killing Joke: "Eighties" (Why? Dunno--like the energy)
Tangerine Dream: "Love on a Real Train" (Instrumental filler for time passing)
Leonard Cohen: "Everybody Knows" Intro or intermission
Franz Ferdinand: (recycled!): "Shopping For Blood"--isn't it nice that music has the quality of being abstract enough that it works on several levels and in multiple places??
Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand"--Sorry Renata...
Tipsy "Bunny Kick"--random filler
Royksopp: "Remind Me"--just seems like it might fit somewhere?? Scene change?
The Kinks: Something? "Village Green" or "Victoria"? Maybe Victoria--more fun...
The Clash: "London Calling"
The Who: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
* "New Vaudeville Band: Winchester Cathedral"--good instrumental with muted horns!
Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street
The Kinks : "Waterloo Sunset"
Bex gave me some ideas too: Blur, her fave Oddfellows Casino "The Day The Devil Slipped Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PL-X7qsK4
and a guy named Nick Drake--mostly guitar.
This rap stuff: Dizzee Rascal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPpxxrl0xhM
Random inspirations:
The jokes about the deerstalker hat. The modern graffix: headlines, screens moving in and out, like on an apple laptop, phone apps, computer noises, texts onscreen (how to do that?), skyping/ text noises ...beep beep beep beep
Piccadilly Circus backdrop? with the bright lights, big city?
Newspaper headlines stapled all over the chapel walls (busy work for the drama outliers...)
Front door saying 221B Baker Street....
That weird beehive looking, twirly building in London? The Gherkin, is it?
The Ferris Wheel --The London Eye< is it called?
The Cheese grater Skyscraper? The Shard? The Electric Razor?
Do we do the running joke about Watson and Holmes being lovers? (If very subtle?)
A portrait with a spray-painted line over the eyes, the (ancient) Chinese number character?
----"I'd be lost without my blogger."
How to do the electronic messaging, to simulate how they do it on-screen?
- Use a flat screen TV or smart board on stage (or on a different wall?)
- preprogram text messages, sounds on a slide show?
- do it on the lights somehow? Dedicate 2-3 to messages?
- projector projecting on the wall? or curtain?
- a portrait with a spray-painted line over the eyes, the (ancient) Chinese number character
Should the costumes be like the old Sherlock, or the TV show?
Old Sherlock: Tweeds, deerstalker, raincoat New Sherlock: Stylish Dark wool greatcoat, scarf
Old Sherlock the musician-- plays violin New Sh: whatever instrument band is good at
Old Sh: smokes a pipe New Sh: vapes?Old Sherlock the musician-- plays violin New Sh: whatever instrument band is good at
May 19: I was listening to moy droog BG today, and he was doing a whole show about London (#145) that gave me some great ideas for songs for the Sherlock play--he even mentioned Sherlock in his podcast! I added them to my list: Clash "London Calling" Early Who--"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", The Stranglers "Golden Brown", The New Vaudeville Band!! He had some obscure song of theirs, but I recognized the sound from an old song from my childhood that's perfect, even partly instrumental for filler? "Winchester Cathedral". A boady oh doh, a boady oh doh...The Kinks "Afternoon Tea" and XTC "Towers of London".
Here's most of the lyrics for "Towers of London", which I think will work with my idea of making drawings of the London Skyscrapers to hang on the walls of the chapel for atmosphere:
Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell
Pavements of gold leading to the underground
Grenadier Guardsmen walking pretty ladies around
Fog is the sweat of the never never navvies who pound, pound, pound, pound, pound
Spikes in the rails to their very own heaven
Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell
Merchants from Stepney walking pretty ladies by
Rain is the tears of the never never navvies who cry
For the bridge that doesn't go
In the direction of Dublin
This album suggested by Leo is full of great ambient stuff: Arabian Horse--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvBiXxGYUc
I also asked Adam if he would be interested in doing some original stuff. That's what I'd really like.
Definitely Intermission: Public Service Announcement--"London Can Take It" !!!!!!!!!!!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu4Rr07bgVQ
July 18: Considering this for one of the bad guy scenes. Flying Lizards covering theBeatles' "Money".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-P2qL3qkzk
I need to add this in: Jeff Beck's "A Day in The Life". I think I can get somebody to do a live pit band version--the guitar is not terribly hard, but a little complicated with the various parts. I found some specific sheet music/tabs for the Beck version. I want it as a instrumental for curtain calls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhHNzNO17UM
also considering a song I heard on БГ: Tori Amos'--didn't catch the name, but I think it's probably "Welcome to England" based on the lyric I remember.
A student suggested a great song "Blood" by My Chemical Romance.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKyM50G5e4
By the way, Adam did make some impromptu music for me. I just happened to catch him feeling creative on a day with nothing to do, and he knocked off a few guitar instrumentals with a spooky feel, plus made up a chord pattern and sang! For the drunken street person Irish ballad--works fine! I only have it on a FB link for now, so I have to figure out to make it into a more usable form.
London Graffiti.....check.
October 10:
Set out the Cast/Job Titles list today. Somber reaction so far, although I thought I had my usual last minute solution to a potential conflict:
I had two great kids to play Sherlock, each bringing something different to the part. Bad problem, huh? Well, potential hurt feelings. So I made one of the kids, the more responsible one, a student director and made him Watson. I hope he is happy with this, and I hope it also puts some pressure on the other to stay focused. I've really delegated out more assignments this year than I ever have, and everything feels much more organized already. I have a lot of willing workers, it seems!
5th period seemed to get reinvigorated by the announcements, and there was very little grousing. George seemed mildly unhappy about Watson, but I told him I liked his crazy James Mason for Larrabee more--fit the character more. Hope he's ok with that.
I am cautiously excited about all this!!
Oct 21--almost finished rewriting Act I. This time i had the kids do it with me in class. Working pretty good, because this way I get feedback from kids who'll play the parts, and what feels natural to them
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Can't believe this happened again. The Chapel's going down for real. They cut down trees, took out the seats. There's a demolition fence around it. I have the worst luck of any drama teacher I know. Instead, another piecemeal skit show. Okay.
April 3: Last week's variety show turned out like 5 times better than I expected--everyone put in high quality energy --top game all around considering how sad all are practices were. Amazing what an enthusiast audience will do to an actor's performance and confidence! The band was great, the magic and skits funny--even Vanessa's last minute bottle gag was hilarious and well timed--you would have sworn we had worked on the timing for weeks. PAPP was a hit! I loved every minute. Even the mock trial seemed tense rather than slow...
Um, new performance venue scheduled to open 2018-19 school year.......!!
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May 21: Next year's show: 2017-18 school year.
Limitations: No lights, no indoor stage, no sets. Can have: Sound, music, dancing.
Therefore: an outdoor musical based on my fave "Taming of the Shrew" (probably not called that).
It has never been a very successful musical, historically (Kiss Me Kate is based on Shrew, but one of those where the characters are producing the play and plot mirrors it). I am thinking of salvaging one song from KMK that has some possible resonance: "Too Darned Hot". I like a Django Reinhardt like Gypsy Jazz version I heard. I want a more modern take, but not quite 10 Things I Hate About You. I want the feel to be more ethnic, for lack of a better word, ala West Side Story with Latino and Hip-hop sounds and dances. I'm looking at the Glee mash-up of "Off With Your Heads"/Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I want two of the dances to be reminiscent of the French Apache Dances: Dance fights with a romantic? edge--can't exactly be erotic at school....
I'm thinking of very little dialogue, letting the story be told basically in 5 songs via dance and lyrics, focusing on the beginning of the story, and letting the story sort of hang, Especially the 2nd sister's romance--asking the audience, do you think this relationship will work out? There may be, therefore, a narrator, who punctuates the dances with a few sentences to set the stage.
Jun 21: Lucky score--when I went to Sam Ash this past weekend I found out they have these Glee songbooks, by season, and I found the one with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Off With Your Head"/"Thriller mash-up: Saves me time, thought i'd have to work that all out myself! Now I can just give Shang the book to work out the bassline--hope he can do that...I might have to change the key of what I've already made in GB?
GB change (to Dm Key, I think?) easily done.--July. Now that I'll have my big room back I won't have another layer of problems about where to work. The dance stuff, though, we'll have to find a space outside or in the gym.
The Glee book has a few other good songs too, like the Zombies.. "She's Not There."
Sept 7( my oldest's birthday). My drama kids are really super good this year--very enthusiastic, smart, hard working. Half of them even loovvve Shakespeare, and understand it! Our play may not be brilliant, due to inexperience, but it will happen! I got a little bit of everything, singers dancers, actors. My weak spot is a crazy male lead. I think we're gonna pull it off, even without a venue. Just gotta get the base for the music....."Too Darned Hot" is awful hard to do live. Oct 10: I can't play it on guitar--it just doesn't sound right. I must be missing something.
Dec 9: About to be time to get this thing organized--the writing, the music. I've been trying to get my lower end drama kids (the athletes taking drama not out of love, but for an "easy" grade) to get on board with making some electronic music--since we're updating the setting to modern high school. I think I need to get a list of back up ideas--I already told them inspiration should be that early hip-hop thing "Apache" and "Jump Around" sorta stuff--high energy with a fighting edge?
Feb 9: So everyone has their job assignments, and I only have a handful of slackers in both classes--so good! The guys who I prodded into acting actually seem to be owning the idea--Tai keeps asking--should I sing the duet in a high octave or low? Good question! Let's try both and see what works! So I have one purchased Karaoke song ("Lovefool") for our Scene VI duet battle, because I realized doing it on guitar with backup vocals and everything that makes the song great would be an overwhelming chore--and potential disaster--so the easy out. Karaoke.
The Response song:"This Is Not A Love Song", especially if we do it in the Nouvelle Vague style, will be quite easy--3 easy chords on guitar, and that's what the original has anyway. Some percussion-y stuff in the back that maybe we can do with some simple stuff I can borrow from band or home.
Since I have such responsible kids this year, I gave them the job of picking out their own music, so that makes my job easier--I've been able to delegate a lot more work to good kids this year, and I'm hoping that--since the core group is pretty young! ..that I'm going to have a good run with these guys for a few years. Another girl I put in charge of bumper music, entré and outré music for the beginning and end of the show. I feel strangely organized this year--hope it holds. Still no date, but should be coming soon.
Also had this crazy idea for a prom dress for the rebel character, made out of school girl parochial red plaid skirt--found a great one for $1.61! at the thrift store with extra material, and Mrs. P seems to understand my design idea, and thinks she can do it crazy as it sounds--plus the girl whose going to wear it loves the idea--thank god she's a bean pole. She's also going to make her daughter a dress.
Had to suck up and make one of the girls a male lead--because she's the third best singer and a great dancer (my choreographer, in fact). How about that depth, my "third best" singer!!!!! We'll hopefully disguise her with an outrageous Petruchio costume. Her acting is so-so unfortunately.
We have been working on the set design--very minimalistic set this due to the limits of space--everything has to be conveyed via the backdrop. It's a perspective drawing with a mid vanishing point that I found on -line and copied the basics, but I think we improved it by upping the mind-warp by putting in a checkerboard floor and making it disappear into the center. Also our colors are more trippy--the original was blah cartoon pale purple, green and peach--I think it was probably a computer generated drawing. I really like how its turning out, and proud of how the kids are cooperating to put it together, with minimal mess, in fact. (I suppose that has nothing to do with the fact that I threatened to ban them permanently from Drama if they got silly with paint. Nice that I have enough depth to get away with that.)
Oh, yeah, and the girls found this velvet corset belt that will be perfect to cinch in the waist of that red plaid prom dress--can't wait to see how that turns out. I made Lily sew up the arm hole of a dress she tried on and will probably wear as the wonky receptionist--she swears it was already ripped, (it probably was) but she was generous enough to fix it. It's a recycled costume from the Agatha Christie play--Mrs. Boyle's. She did a good job!
PLAY DATE!! April 19th.......................
set so far.. I added a few more details Friday where those black holes are.
May 1: Play is done, gone the sun....
Yeah, we actually made it through one--I made it super short and straight-forward, minimum dialogue, let music and dance numbers tell the story. the two throw-away scenes we added on when we couldn't decide how to end things ended up being the best part. I had a filler minor character who actually stole the show with his Souljah Boy, Cat-in-the-Hat Rap. That boy's a keeper--he knows how to work a stage! My girl as a boy lead worked out okay: the audience was cheering her on so she was kinda hamming it up. She was no Petrucchio, but it went way better than I'd hoped. Two of the B-ball players jumped into the final dance scene, which added to the fun! The singing was fantastic and got lots of respect.
Best of all, the kids went away thinking it was their play: I really laid back this year and let them come up with their own ideas, which they followed through on! They changed up all the music I had suggested, and that was a good move. This can only work with a really good group, but I hope I gave them some good memories of the ol' Academy. Seems like the biggest problems we had, we kept trouble-shooting and coming up with something better to fix it. Like when the big easel notebook thing kept blowing away in the wind during dress/tech rehearsal, we just took the notebook apart, stapled it to cardboard, and sent Katrina (who looks like someone out of Goonies) out Vannah White style, where she ran crazily around the whole stage with the signboard, and for some reason this was a big hit with the boarders. And best of all it was her idea to do it--and she's kinda contrary by nature--they were all just feeling it. Kids came up afterwards telling me they want to be in Drama next year!
It's kind of amazing that we wrote a play across two different class periods, had no venue or even practices together until this week--I dunno how we did it, but I was laying the constant, low-grade pressure on them to trouble shoot and communicate. It was a bit of a minor miracle, really.
when I think about it, it was a lot like those old, home-made plays I did in the early days at AFA with no lights, bedsheet curtains, completely DIY...just all soul. No budget. Something out of nothing, only there's a lot more talent for me to work with these days..And the kids were so proud of our DIY vibe! My kind of kids..no prima donna complaints.
Oh, and one more, very cute, very sweet detail. Dennis, my extraordinary sound master, asked if he could play a song over the PA--he had recorded Jack and Shang's band live from last year's talent show, and had saved it to play--he had been much taken with their band's sound, and even told them he could get them a gig! Unfortunately, none of the kids in the audience recognized it, but, after a few minutes listening, I did. What a cool thing for him to do.
I'm so happy--it's over!
May 16: So, watching the walls of this so-called arts building go up behind me--I realize that there are logistics/location issues. First, I'm looking for the walls that should enclose the theatre space--it shouldn't have windows, right? All enclosed? I've been thinking, this back wall--has no windows--that must be the footprint of the theatre. The other parts have doors, windows..can't be. But I look at it from the side, and it's ridiculously narrow, As bad as our old stage which had no height and no depth. No one ever asked my opinion about this. Even the drawing looks kind of shallow. They couldn't have been that shortsighted?---yes they could!. It looks more like one of those auditoriums built for high tech presentations--like Steve Jobs with a wireless mike, with a big screen projection of himself on the wall--fuck. Now, in some iterations of this building, there is a room marked "Theatre Classroom". Right? But the latest ad says: Multi-purpose, Arts, Music, Art Studio Space. No mention of drama. Is this just a case of poor writing, or should I be worried? On the other hand, anything will be an improvement from no space, or the old stable space. But will this really satisfy the future theatre kids we want to attract who can plainly see that other schools have a better facility? Well, we'll see.
Sept 14: This year's mess--
So, I had this great opportunity to have our play repeated at a venue downtown. Two problems--admin shot it down to do it there, and most of my kids from last year weren't able to schedule Drama in their class schedule. Some committed anyway, but not enough.
So I decided to stick to the Shakespeare theme the Arts festival required, and made plans to do it outside on campus--MacBeth! Which I've never done a full performance of, just those goofy 10 minute classroom things back when I taught seniors--we did weird things like Office Space MacBeth, Star Wars MacBeth and a Flower-Power Taming of the Shrew wedding scene musical number with "Let the Sunshine In/Aquarius" as the background music--loved that stuff.
Anyway, the Gilberts who are hosting the Shakespeare Arts Fest , came on campus to advise about venue and smooth-talk admin, which didn't work. They don't want us to have the stress of being involved--possibly next year. In the meantime, it almost feels like what I have left is being sabotaged by admin --6 kids have been removed from class--the majority made up of SSide kids, some with difficult reps. However, they seem into the idea of doing the Scottish play, so we'll see what plays out. I have some vague ideas for staging, inspired partly by a video of Theater Design I saw by accident on Netflix--a famous designer named Es Devlin. She does a lot of things with lighting, mirrors, gauze or scrim, and boxes. She did the staging and lights for some really cool music shows--Beyonce and Pet Shop Boys, plus some pretty interesting runway shows that featured a mirror that was placed in such an angle as to make it look like twins of the models were walking off into infinity. I'm trying to get the video through the school's Plex server so I can show it--have to bleep one swear at the 8:22 minute---
So, at least I have less pressure to deliver greatness this year. And maybe next year I'll have my singers back, with our new stage. We'll see--no counting chickens. This place @@...
Nov 27, 2018:
Ok, we'v got two ideas brewing for Macbeth-one serious, one silly.
The serious one will have a modern setting at a college, maybe involving a fraternity, to justify the hierarchy element. The idea is to do a bonfire or fire pit at the waterfront, with torches, etc., for atmosphere. This one would probably have to stick closer to the real Macbeth. My mean girls like this idea with them playing the witches.
However, the second idea is growing on me, even though it seemed totally dumb yesterday. But, I'm a goofball at heart--rather do a joke than anything...
Spongebob Macbeth: the Killings in Bikini Bottom.
I wrote the first scene with the kids before lunch today, something where the witches become sharks and plan to meet Plankton.
Yeah, so in this version Plankton takes Macbeth's part, the motive being not his desire to be king, but to get the Krabby Patty Recipe, with Karen's help. I just started writing and already got through to the first murder, and I can kind of picture the whole thing in my head now. Instead of blood on their hands Plankton and Karen will have crab claw mitts. Squidward gets accused of the murder (false squid-ink!, and runs off. Plankton offers to take over the Krusty Krab...maybe Spongebob should go after Squidward, while Plankton gets paranoid and kills Patrick/Banquo...(he can come back by regenerating one of his starfish arms?) The Flying Dutchman can be the ghost. SB as MacDuff with Squidward comes back to save the day, and the secret recipe...
The costumes might be a pain.. but the sets will be pretty easy!
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