new video

The second in the series of Page to Stage. I recut it to a PG-13 version. Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment below. Rinning Time:5:08

If you missed the first video... it can be found HERE!

TALE END - Page To Stage 2
Uploaded by dathang

CREDITS:

"Caravan" performed by Bunny Brannigan
"Borrowed" movie clips from Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz"
Thanks to all who each gave at least 5 minutes of their time to make this video possible.

MORE COMING IN THE NEW YEAR!

Have a really good and safe season!

We'll be back next week with more updates and videos!

Cheers!

My friends refuse to believe...

from Marcel:

... that I have written the play I have.

"What? No, warm fuzzy? No gotcha gulp in the throat?"
"Nope."
"There is no fucking way... even your most cynical stuff has that 'sniff... that's so beautiful' moment in it!"
"Not in this one, dude. I wrote this one from the head and the groin... left the heart out of it."
"You're shitting us! And you like this show?"
"Have you known me to write anything that I myself would not pay good money to see?"
"OK, this we gotta see!! (pause) Hey, if there IS a heart-warming moment... can we get our money back?"

So, that is now the standard reaction when my friends talk to me about the upcoming show. Many of them I have worked with on previous shows... so they know my work... and how I work.

This is why working with folk that I have never worked before is yet another refreshing change with this one. Not that I hate working with the folk I have worked with before... but it sort of fits with the change inherent with this show. Plus, they come in without any pre-conceived notions... that keeps me on my toes.

Let Me Introduce Myself...

from Ms. Snow:

I am playing Ms. White.

I had the opportunity to see the beginnings of this piece when Marcel first started writing it, and if I had known it was going to turn into this... I might have ran away screaming! :-) No... not really, but I never saw it going where it went. M, you are a genius!

This show is really different from the other plays I have worked on because it requires me to not act. Now, I know what you are thinking... isn't doing a play basically acting? Yes and no. In order to be believable on stage I have to be 100% committed to the thoughts I (as the character) am protraying. This is a lot of fun, but it is also very scary! :-) I'll get into that more at a later time...

I am very excited about working with Marcel and Hunter on this project. Hunter and I have performed in some other shows pervious to this one and I am excited to go through the process with him again. Marcel, this is the first time I am working with him as a director and it's awesome! He is all about the process right now, finding objectives, not motivation... forward motion and playing the truth. He asks questions and it makes me think and find the deeper levels to Ms. White. It's a lot of fun!

Last night we had our final read through before we start memorizing and rehearsing seriously. Hunter threw some interesting readings my way and Marcel would give me a different thought to read with in certain areas... I almost feel for the audience, they are in for one hell of a ride!

I'll see you all very soon!

Ms. White

It's been a while and I owe a video...

... but things have been pretty hectic lately. No matter, things are going well.

ON REWRITES
I haven't quite decided if I want to impose on the rewrites or allow them to develop over the rehearsal process. I am inclined at the moment to go with the latter method... using the first week of rehearsals with the actors to contribute to the piece.

ON KEEPING FESTIVAL DEADLINES
We have deadlines to send in promo material for the Rogue PR needs so I've been working on graphic work. The fruits of my labor are below.

A TITLE
I think I may have finally come up with a title to the show. Up till this point it has just been referred to as "Ms. White" or "Ms. White Snows Em". I wasn't in love with that but a couple of days ago I came up with "TALE END". I'm going to bounce it off the cast tonight. I sort of like the ambiguous feel of that.





So, what do you think? If you saw that poster would you go to that show? (GO A HEAD... STEAL IT FOR YOUR OWN BLOG OR SITE! Hint: Click on it... then right click ans "save as")

the first cold read...

... took place this evening with the 2 actors who will be creating these parts for the first time on stage. Even though the first draft was completed on Friday I did some tinkering and clean-up on the script today before putting it in the hands of the actors.

We met at about 6:30 PM. Got comfortable and popped a bottle of wine to celebrate both the en of the write and the beginning of this next stage of the process. Until this point I was the only person to have read a completed script. A cold read would provide me the opportunity to hear it and determine if:
1. It flows.
2. The story was strong and stage worthy.
3. If I had the right actors to ride this piece with.

Check on all counts. It was quite fun to watch and hear the actors maneuver through several sharp transitions written in the script. And they seemed surprised and delighted to see where it went.

Both of them have been invited to contribute to this blog as the process continues and it will be interesting to read their perceptions and impressions.

We'll be meeting again on Friday.

Cheers!
Marcel

It's done... finally!

Hit "play" on the video before you read this. Yes, I'm being silly... but I'm entitled!



It has been a long hard climb back onto the playwriting horse. Something that I would have been able to crank out in 2 weeks has taken a month and a half. There was a serious and nasty hump lasting over 3 weeks that had me so stymied that I could not write more than 3 lines without agonizing for at least 4 hours. The reasons for this painful crawl are many... but now it is done... at least a first working draft.

Now through a process of rewrites and workshopping with actors the rest of the form can be chipped away to further define it's shape. Is it a great play? I don't know... great plays are not written... they are rewritten. Is it a good play? All I can say at the moment is that ... what is can become a better play.

I wanted to post finishing as my count today... which is why it is so late. It counts as play number 52 in my catalog. It counts because I slogged through even after the countless times I threw up my hands in exasperation and considered throwing the towel in. I count it because so many of you had to bear through my "insane time". Thank You. I count it because it now ceases to be an unfinished project. I count it because I can now finally move on.

Cheers!
marcel

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