Here are the meeting notes, you will be happy to see that they are relatively short and sweet.
During this meeting we went through the script to pick parts that were fantastic and parts that might need to be changed.
-some folks had questions about the use of Lillian in the opening with Marion: questions of this is really Marion's job and if she really has it "under control" - no decision was made to change
-topic of the student having too many lines in the beginning was brought up. the concern was that he would be detected. Suggestions were made to take the student out until he gets to Hand scan. just so he isn’t revealed by or going after her right away. No decision was made, but Anne suggested this could be discovered during rehearsal this finding of normal...either take him down or have her improvise it up (with other people in the audience)
-Questions were brought up about the faculty member's “who cares”- this is a reference by writers to people (artists/practitioners with studios in the building) having to always respond in a certain way to people interested in touring the building....of having to play to the “purpose” of the building when there is no purpose in general. If the lines need to be overt and direct....directors can fudge that up.
-directors can play with when Marion introduces Ford (so that audience knows who these men are)....so the conversation makes sense
-how to position Marion w/in the historical scene? Maybe we blur the line of actor of Ford and character of Ford?
-cite the poem in the program notes (adapted from the text) -Julie
-Student should say the name of the show “Kenilworth Unlocked” instead of Kenilworth tour. p.16
-after ring tone incident - will the student say something like “I’ll sell you your notes?”
-what ring tone do we want to use? something that is revealing and surprising about the character
-directors- mention was made to the line "for a reason" (I can't remember the page....it's when Marion can't cross the line)....if you need/see fit to add some “for a reason” lines earlier - to do so.
-Sara will send the documents she used to write the descending scene in the elevator to Julie for the program notes.
-Program Notes on the Blog about the Tour. -cite these there. Tour blog being the program notes. This is something that Ryan and Julie will need to get going on composing.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Notes from 3.6.09
Here is a recap of items discussed, ideas brought forward, decisions made, and tasks at hand:
Transition out of Chaos and down to the basement and then out of the basement:
Thoughts from Sara: wants to use sanctions and the eyewash lab.
-double doors to get audience out?
-think of something when the elevator is coming to get people to take them down
-what to do with that down time
What can we do to underscore the meaning of the moment when there is chaos:
-will there be someone on the elevator with a gunshot wound?
-will we split people up half go down the stairs or half in the elevator. Sound
uses with this?
-cautions: if we split up, how will we keep the through line of the student. Will
he assign power to someone in the second group?
-vignettes on the way down?
What is happening during this passage from Happy Days to Basement Story:
-security and control isn’t all bad, now we want it, or are we calling it out?
-Will the student comment on “where is authority when you need it?”
-Mood shift is happening.....it’s going to a place that the play hasn’t gone before
thematically and structurally
-Mood of the vignettes might be different now then when we saw them before.
-Is there a way that we can parallel the journey downstairs and the story in the
basement. Yes!
The fantastical "descent" in the elevator/stairs by the student live in elevator and
taped audio playing in the stairwell on the way down - audience is lead by old
woman using no words.
-our discussion:
Is there an existing piece of art that the student can speak or say or go off on in
the elevator. Orpheus descending - or even intercuting of other descending pieces.
As classical text is interwoven, small bits of text from the story will also go in,
and be repeated, so when it is introduced in the basement, audiences will have
prior context from when they heard it in the elevator/stairwell.
Themes brought out: Freedom, rebirth.
How do the two groups see the student differently or the same now?
Will the happy days characters be going downstairs?
Question: We’re transforming the student, we should also figure out how we want the
audience to transform and what we want them to do. Do they become a part of the
play?
Recap:
The student starts as doubting, into it but rude, then buys in during happy, takes
on the responsibility, and then merges with the fantasy.
Marion starts out in control, sustains it, can’t sustain it, breaks down,
how do we see her now? She comes down the other stairwell, maybe she comes through
the story and released by the shackles? Do we need to see her again? Yes.
Questions for the writers about the script so far: Magdeline references the boat, as
is now seems confusing. Sara doesn't mind if the script changes to meet the needs
of directing
Ending:
-anything is possible in this space
-Image: someone moving big pieces in and out of the loading dock. Maybe the
audience sees them while Marion preps for another show. Re-visitation theme.
is key
-maybe a guitar playing happening at the top of the stairs and then they disappear.
-Is she drenched? She has been put out? Baptism? Has she gotten a new pet in a pet
carrier.
-How does Marion leave the story? Ascention of Marion in the elevator or in the
stairs with dog carrier in hand. Barking sounds from the cage.
-as the ascent ends, Marion leaves from the lobby where a group of guitar students
play, the student knows them and begins to chat. Audience is given the opportunity
now to exercise their decision making skills, will they leave right away? How long
will it take them to leave?
-do the audience members have id’s that they will have to give it back?
-Is Marion going to have a specific reason to leave?
Blog:
-doing a blog or something that interacts with the audience before the show?
building a mystery?
Poem talk:
-ideas about this from anne: After work- used to layer william and father together
before/during the names.
Production support: nothing.
Ryan: will look into Maier audio recordings of him in interviews and see if there
are transcriptions available.
People expressed a need for a Production list. Where, who, and when this will post
is unknown.
Transition out of Chaos and down to the basement and then out of the basement:
Thoughts from Sara: wants to use sanctions and the eyewash lab.
-double doors to get audience out?
-think of something when the elevator is coming to get people to take them down
-what to do with that down time
What can we do to underscore the meaning of the moment when there is chaos:
-will there be someone on the elevator with a gunshot wound?
-will we split people up half go down the stairs or half in the elevator. Sound
uses with this?
-cautions: if we split up, how will we keep the through line of the student. Will
he assign power to someone in the second group?
-vignettes on the way down?
What is happening during this passage from Happy Days to Basement Story:
-security and control isn’t all bad, now we want it, or are we calling it out?
-Will the student comment on “where is authority when you need it?”
-Mood shift is happening.....it’s going to a place that the play hasn’t gone before
thematically and structurally
-Mood of the vignettes might be different now then when we saw them before.
-Is there a way that we can parallel the journey downstairs and the story in the
basement. Yes!
The fantastical "descent" in the elevator/stairs by the student live in elevator and
taped audio playing in the stairwell on the way down - audience is lead by old
woman using no words.
-our discussion:
Is there an existing piece of art that the student can speak or say or go off on in
the elevator. Orpheus descending - or even intercuting of other descending pieces.
As classical text is interwoven, small bits of text from the story will also go in,
and be repeated, so when it is introduced in the basement, audiences will have
prior context from when they heard it in the elevator/stairwell.
Themes brought out: Freedom, rebirth.
How do the two groups see the student differently or the same now?
Will the happy days characters be going downstairs?
Question: We’re transforming the student, we should also figure out how we want the
audience to transform and what we want them to do. Do they become a part of the
play?
Recap:
The student starts as doubting, into it but rude, then buys in during happy, takes
on the responsibility, and then merges with the fantasy.
Marion starts out in control, sustains it, can’t sustain it, breaks down,
how do we see her now? She comes down the other stairwell, maybe she comes through
the story and released by the shackles? Do we need to see her again? Yes.
Questions for the writers about the script so far: Magdeline references the boat, as
is now seems confusing. Sara doesn't mind if the script changes to meet the needs
of directing
Ending:
-anything is possible in this space
-Image: someone moving big pieces in and out of the loading dock. Maybe the
audience sees them while Marion preps for another show. Re-visitation theme.
is key
-maybe a guitar playing happening at the top of the stairs and then they disappear.
-Is she drenched? She has been put out? Baptism? Has she gotten a new pet in a pet
carrier.
-How does Marion leave the story? Ascention of Marion in the elevator or in the
stairs with dog carrier in hand. Barking sounds from the cage.
-as the ascent ends, Marion leaves from the lobby where a group of guitar students
play, the student knows them and begins to chat. Audience is given the opportunity
now to exercise their decision making skills, will they leave right away? How long
will it take them to leave?
-do the audience members have id’s that they will have to give it back?
-Is Marion going to have a specific reason to leave?
Blog:
-doing a blog or something that interacts with the audience before the show?
building a mystery?
Poem talk:
-ideas about this from anne: After work- used to layer william and father together
before/during the names.
Production support: nothing.
Ryan: will look into Maier audio recordings of him in interviews and see if there
are transcriptions available.
People expressed a need for a Production list. Where, who, and when this will post
is unknown.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
And the Winner is...
Kenilworth Unlocked
we gotta go to press tomorrow a.m. to get it in the calendar of events!
Thanks all for chiming in...
Thanks to Ashley for looking out for the PR component!
we gotta go to press tomorrow a.m. to get it in the calendar of events!
Thanks all for chiming in...
Thanks to Ashley for looking out for the PR component!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Names through Happy Days section
Hey all -
here are my notes from today's meeting.
1. Ashley: redo the "obnoxious ringtone" scene. We need to student to be softer, a little bit embarrassed perhaps, then forgets it's rude (carried away), then apologetic again.
2. Sara: pull out a section of Skin of Our Teeth for "rehearsal" module/scene. The student should have an interesting reaction to it - revealing his passion for theatre, perhaps this play in particular. This can help us connect to him more.
3. Ryan: collect bullet point facts about Mayors Bading and Meier for Marion to ad-lib in those scenes.
4. Sara: gather some ad-lib-able voice/sound actor exercises for a warm-up/rehearsal module as a point of departure.
5. Anne: redo the Happy Days segment to make the tension more defined between the merging/mixing of the worlds, particularly the entrance of Meier and the role of the radiocaster.
6. Sara: work on the end of the HD scene - the collapse of Marion needs to be more defined, and the student might offer to help her - help her, then when she can't cross a certain barrier (her control issue), he asks if he can help her by continuing the tour - she passes the mantle to him rather than him taking it so abruptly.
7. SAra: also work on defining a few images/moments on the way to the basement, look over the basement scene and the ending to project any ideas you might have for next week.
8. Julie: create bullet point factoids for Marion for throughout the play, but mainly for the lobby scene.
9. Julie: pull out a poem or two about labor that might get used during the "assembly line movement" section.
10. Ryan: create a list of names of those who died in WWII for the directors to use.
11. EVERYONE: send their changes to Sara (script-keeper) so she can integrate them. We can list Marion's historical factoids, security questions, WWII names as appendices and just put a place holder for them in the script itself.
other free-floating conceptual ideas:
a. trying to clarify when the two worlds meet/overlap etc.
b. trying to keep the sense of mystery to what happens behind closed doors in KSE.
c. trying to keep the tension between security/control and creativity.
d. link labor of factory to the new labor of the building? creation?
e. play magic tricks on people. Make the building feel alive, mysterious.
thanks everyone!
until next week...
here are my notes from today's meeting.
1. Ashley: redo the "obnoxious ringtone" scene. We need to student to be softer, a little bit embarrassed perhaps, then forgets it's rude (carried away), then apologetic again.
2. Sara: pull out a section of Skin of Our Teeth for "rehearsal" module/scene. The student should have an interesting reaction to it - revealing his passion for theatre, perhaps this play in particular. This can help us connect to him more.
3. Ryan: collect bullet point facts about Mayors Bading and Meier for Marion to ad-lib in those scenes.
4. Sara: gather some ad-lib-able voice/sound actor exercises for a warm-up/rehearsal module as a point of departure.
5. Anne: redo the Happy Days segment to make the tension more defined between the merging/mixing of the worlds, particularly the entrance of Meier and the role of the radiocaster.
6. Sara: work on the end of the HD scene - the collapse of Marion needs to be more defined, and the student might offer to help her - help her, then when she can't cross a certain barrier (her control issue), he asks if he can help her by continuing the tour - she passes the mantle to him rather than him taking it so abruptly.
7. SAra: also work on defining a few images/moments on the way to the basement, look over the basement scene and the ending to project any ideas you might have for next week.
8. Julie: create bullet point factoids for Marion for throughout the play, but mainly for the lobby scene.
9. Julie: pull out a poem or two about labor that might get used during the "assembly line movement" section.
10. Ryan: create a list of names of those who died in WWII for the directors to use.
11. EVERYONE: send their changes to Sara (script-keeper) so she can integrate them. We can list Marion's historical factoids, security questions, WWII names as appendices and just put a place holder for them in the script itself.
other free-floating conceptual ideas:
a. trying to clarify when the two worlds meet/overlap etc.
b. trying to keep the sense of mystery to what happens behind closed doors in KSE.
c. trying to keep the tension between security/control and creativity.
d. link labor of factory to the new labor of the building? creation?
e. play magic tricks on people. Make the building feel alive, mysterious.
thanks everyone!
until next week...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
new script
i got a new version of the script up until the William/Mother scene. it has an enhanced beginning, elevator vinettes, ashley's Ford/Bading scene, and the movement piece. whew. so, i will email it to those who i have their email addresses but for directors, if you want it please email me at semosey@uwm.edu and i will reply with the attachment. also, i have a list of security questions that i will bring on friday. thank you all for all the great ideas and as always i am totally open to suggestions.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Notes from 2.20 meeting
Here are some items that we talked about and their corresponding decisions and/or tangents that would effect the script and direction of the project:
1) We talked a lot about the importance of having a concept and then using that concept to go back to (a beacon if you will....and I will...bad joke) when making decisions in the direction of the piece. The following are ideas, words about how people saw this script and where it should go.
-structure,creativity,security
-we have to pick between history and storytelling and we have to narrow down which one and when at different points in the script
-poking fun of history. Are we using history as backdrop to tell our story?
-confusion: we’re setting it up under the guise as a historical tour, so when does it start to begin to come alive? and how does Marion react to that? This could be a directors choice
-not pure history, satire history? fun history? and then it becomes something else....and the tension between the security and the creativity parallels this.
-What is Marion’s reaction to the William/mother/dad scene when she can’t control the “history” or her tour.
-movement between the Ford and memory scene. -Ashley is writing this.
-what is the level of surprise for Marion when these uncontrollable things happen and how much of this is fake surprise and how much is serious.
-Is the concept about more the difference btwn-real and not real vs. control and not control? There is a fine distinction, some of it is manifestation of real stories but starts to turn into something else.
-Has Marion done this before? Is this the tour day that went wrong?
-themes: ridiculousness of the building, no practicing, no art on the walls, locks, security codes. To Marion: this is what it’s supposed to be. it’s shocking and unacceptable.
-What happens to Marion in her transformation? The question becomes...How does this piece end? When and how does the student begin to lead and what will aid in a believable, sympathetic jump when he is kind of a jerk.
-If we’re having Marion be the rules and the regulations, then is the student representing the creativity and the altered perception of history? How can we use these and what stage images do we use to convey this
-is the student a modern kid of UWM?
-If there is this competition between Marion and Student, who wins? Is it important to keep it ambiguous or do we need a clearly defined ideology.
-What are we asking the audience to do with the surrealness of the scenes (with happy days and the fire). We agree that the “climax” of the play is in this scene.
We then began our conversation of step by step writing/directing decisions from when Marion and the tour gets into the elevator:
-idea was brought up for vignettes on different floors. The ideas is that they would on their travels go to the wrong floor...and there would be a vignette and then it would go away and they would continue on their travels. Perhaps this is a place for images/themes/ideas to come through that do not in the script, or perhaps this is a place to insert something that will reappear later in the play (woman with shawl, radical news paper people)....Ideas: picture boxes of the woman in the shawl on the floor? Are they just images? Once we spell out the movement for the last scene, we can plug this into these vignettes. Research side note on sound for machinery: Millfire...Loren Watson - steel mill noise? What then happens with Marion in relationship to these vignettes? If we do this how do we use them and how "involved" do they need to be tech/movement/speech?, people in lab coats?
We had a lengthy discussion on the transformation of the student because we're more solid on the fact that he needs to be either sympathetic in dialogue, needs to know something Marion doesn't, or something needs to happen for the audience to buy into him and follow him: how does this happen, maybe he is learning as she is falling off the wagon. "How does this manifest itself in a Playable moment?"(Anne)
What action would the student take that would change him - to realize that Marion is breaking down. How do we soften him?
options discussed: move the cellphone earlier, he can know someone in the cast? character? What could redeem him? - the disturbing part of his conversation is that he is disregarding what happened in the reading of the names. What act of justice needs to happen? Does the student have a special talent - he has to make himself vulnerable - instrument, sing, you would see him in a different light. Maybe he knows someone in the happy days cast?
Discussion was made on the move between the faculty member and the Ford/Bading scene: Right now there is a conversation/argument/discussion that Bading and Ford are having, it is loud and this is what initially shifts audience focus.
-Leading up to the bading ford scene there may be the possibility of people having to wait on the 5th floor elevators for other groups to arrive: What do we do in this time before the others arrive?
-then the Ford tour....audience movement piece of factory work (they will be lead with the passing of a piece of machinery hand to hand as they walk around the hallway to the William/mother scene - concept is that they become the mechanization through experience - the machine tool/piece will then change to a handing out out of pink slips (Research: historically accurate pink slips?)Is Ford doing this? Does he begin our scene with a tour and then fire us at the end?
-how do transition to William after the "firing" ends?
-Childhood sounds: Running, water, bubbles of bubbles, maybe these can transform to dish soap bubbles easily?
-folks expressed the want to put in the movement a sense or honor the the difficulty of the work that they are doing at that time in the factories (munitions).
-Ideas were put forth that mom/dad need to be seen together in order to define them as a couple before William starts in.
-how does William enter? slow? loud or soft? How do we capitalize on the anticipation in his parents of his homecoming? -this may be a directors decision
Name scene/commissioning scene talk:
-William trailing off...is where it ended now. These are men in his neighborhood, or We’re in the atrium by the tile and door/balcony. Having other actors hand out something - blue stars and gold stars...symbolizing death of all the soldiers.
-how then do we introduce the student in a more sensitive light when he has such a biting transition?
-as these names are being read, what role do we want the audience to play? zig - zag? do we let them purge of this because it's such an intense scene or do we wait until the happy days?
-images people brought up -domino.
-We have to respect or use this emotion wisely.
-Birthday candle, birth and loss? blue and gold star?
Research ideas:
-What did people who “had dignity” when they didn’t have a job at this time - during the depression or around that time. How can we symbolize the looking for work? Will work for food signs, advertise themselves
-what if we had the father fired and when we see him again, he is in disarray, maybe a link to current economic times (small part of the father's imagery embodies our current economy)
-WUWM featured experiences of people surviving the depression, is there a possibility in getting those transcriptions and have an actor read parts of them?
-Julie has a book of factory poetry that can be put into the scenes as filler or layering if need be.
-Wildspace did a piece on "work" using interviews. Could we use some of these?
Thanks for making it through the post...it was a long one. If you noticed I missed something or you would like to add, please comment.
1) We talked a lot about the importance of having a concept and then using that concept to go back to (a beacon if you will....and I will...bad joke) when making decisions in the direction of the piece. The following are ideas, words about how people saw this script and where it should go.
-structure,creativity,security
-we have to pick between history and storytelling and we have to narrow down which one and when at different points in the script
-poking fun of history. Are we using history as backdrop to tell our story?
-confusion: we’re setting it up under the guise as a historical tour, so when does it start to begin to come alive? and how does Marion react to that? This could be a directors choice
-not pure history, satire history? fun history? and then it becomes something else....and the tension between the security and the creativity parallels this.
-What is Marion’s reaction to the William/mother/dad scene when she can’t control the “history” or her tour.
-movement between the Ford and memory scene. -Ashley is writing this.
-what is the level of surprise for Marion when these uncontrollable things happen and how much of this is fake surprise and how much is serious.
-Is the concept about more the difference btwn-real and not real vs. control and not control? There is a fine distinction, some of it is manifestation of real stories but starts to turn into something else.
-Has Marion done this before? Is this the tour day that went wrong?
-themes: ridiculousness of the building, no practicing, no art on the walls, locks, security codes. To Marion: this is what it’s supposed to be. it’s shocking and unacceptable.
-What happens to Marion in her transformation? The question becomes...How does this piece end? When and how does the student begin to lead and what will aid in a believable, sympathetic jump when he is kind of a jerk.
-If we’re having Marion be the rules and the regulations, then is the student representing the creativity and the altered perception of history? How can we use these and what stage images do we use to convey this
-is the student a modern kid of UWM?
-If there is this competition between Marion and Student, who wins? Is it important to keep it ambiguous or do we need a clearly defined ideology.
-What are we asking the audience to do with the surrealness of the scenes (with happy days and the fire). We agree that the “climax” of the play is in this scene.
We then began our conversation of step by step writing/directing decisions from when Marion and the tour gets into the elevator:
-idea was brought up for vignettes on different floors. The ideas is that they would on their travels go to the wrong floor...and there would be a vignette and then it would go away and they would continue on their travels. Perhaps this is a place for images/themes/ideas to come through that do not in the script, or perhaps this is a place to insert something that will reappear later in the play (woman with shawl, radical news paper people)....Ideas: picture boxes of the woman in the shawl on the floor? Are they just images? Once we spell out the movement for the last scene, we can plug this into these vignettes. Research side note on sound for machinery: Millfire...Loren Watson - steel mill noise? What then happens with Marion in relationship to these vignettes? If we do this how do we use them and how "involved" do they need to be tech/movement/speech?, people in lab coats?
We had a lengthy discussion on the transformation of the student because we're more solid on the fact that he needs to be either sympathetic in dialogue, needs to know something Marion doesn't, or something needs to happen for the audience to buy into him and follow him: how does this happen, maybe he is learning as she is falling off the wagon. "How does this manifest itself in a Playable moment?"(Anne)
What action would the student take that would change him - to realize that Marion is breaking down. How do we soften him?
options discussed: move the cellphone earlier, he can know someone in the cast? character? What could redeem him? - the disturbing part of his conversation is that he is disregarding what happened in the reading of the names. What act of justice needs to happen? Does the student have a special talent - he has to make himself vulnerable - instrument, sing, you would see him in a different light. Maybe he knows someone in the happy days cast?
Discussion was made on the move between the faculty member and the Ford/Bading scene: Right now there is a conversation/argument/discussion that Bading and Ford are having, it is loud and this is what initially shifts audience focus.
-Leading up to the bading ford scene there may be the possibility of people having to wait on the 5th floor elevators for other groups to arrive: What do we do in this time before the others arrive?
-then the Ford tour....audience movement piece of factory work (they will be lead with the passing of a piece of machinery hand to hand as they walk around the hallway to the William/mother scene - concept is that they become the mechanization through experience - the machine tool/piece will then change to a handing out out of pink slips (Research: historically accurate pink slips?)Is Ford doing this? Does he begin our scene with a tour and then fire us at the end?
-how do transition to William after the "firing" ends?
-Childhood sounds: Running, water, bubbles of bubbles, maybe these can transform to dish soap bubbles easily?
-folks expressed the want to put in the movement a sense or honor the the difficulty of the work that they are doing at that time in the factories (munitions).
-Ideas were put forth that mom/dad need to be seen together in order to define them as a couple before William starts in.
-how does William enter? slow? loud or soft? How do we capitalize on the anticipation in his parents of his homecoming? -this may be a directors decision
Name scene/commissioning scene talk:
-William trailing off...is where it ended now. These are men in his neighborhood, or We’re in the atrium by the tile and door/balcony. Having other actors hand out something - blue stars and gold stars...symbolizing death of all the soldiers.
-how then do we introduce the student in a more sensitive light when he has such a biting transition?
-as these names are being read, what role do we want the audience to play? zig - zag? do we let them purge of this because it's such an intense scene or do we wait until the happy days?
-images people brought up -domino.
-We have to respect or use this emotion wisely.
-Birthday candle, birth and loss? blue and gold star?
Research ideas:
-What did people who “had dignity” when they didn’t have a job at this time - during the depression or around that time. How can we symbolize the looking for work? Will work for food signs, advertise themselves
-what if we had the father fired and when we see him again, he is in disarray, maybe a link to current economic times (small part of the father's imagery embodies our current economy)
-WUWM featured experiences of people surviving the depression, is there a possibility in getting those transcriptions and have an actor read parts of them?
-Julie has a book of factory poetry that can be put into the scenes as filler or layering if need be.
-Wildspace did a piece on "work" using interviews. Could we use some of these?
Thanks for making it through the post...it was a long one. If you noticed I missed something or you would like to add, please comment.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
calendar
Here are the writing/collaboration (aka devising) meetings we have left with suggestions for content:
Friday 1-3 Feb 20th (elevator through Mom/Dad/William)
Friday 1-3 Feb 27th (Mom/Dad/William through Happy Days)
Friday 1-3 March 6th (Happy Days through Basement)
Friday 1-3 March 13th (the whole)
spring break
rehearsals start
We'll likely be shaping some of the later stuff as we talk about earlier scenes as well...but it helps to at least know we have a time set aside to address it specifically! This is a suggestion - let me know if you have other ideas.
A
Friday 1-3 Feb 20th (elevator through Mom/Dad/William)
Friday 1-3 Feb 27th (Mom/Dad/William through Happy Days)
Friday 1-3 March 6th (Happy Days through Basement)
Friday 1-3 March 13th (the whole)
spring break
rehearsals start
We'll likely be shaping some of the later stuff as we talk about earlier scenes as well...but it helps to at least know we have a time set aside to address it specifically! This is a suggestion - let me know if you have other ideas.
A
opening scene
I am putting together a list of security questions. Some straight, some off the wall. Also, I am going to see what I can come up with as far as Marions entrance. Any extra ideas for her quirks?
Monday, February 16, 2009
MKE Historical Society Trip
In an effort to help make my research more integrated with the writing of this play, please post the themes/ideas/periods of time/inventions/business...(you get the point) that would be most beneficial to the enhancement of the script below.
Currently I have information on health in the early 19c. and I'm looking into testimonials from factory life. I also am looking into why the Ford plant closed and for what reason. If anyone knows the name of the plant that would be fantastic (was it just "Milwaukee Ford Motor Company")
Things are really changing fast on the script and I want to be able to get data that is applicable to the character in the context of the scene. The idea is that I will get the ideas before I make a trip to the MKE County Historical Society this Wednesday at 9:30. I invite anyone specifically the writers to accompany me. I can drive will leave from my house in Riverwest. Let me know so we can arrange.
Currently I have information on health in the early 19c. and I'm looking into testimonials from factory life. I also am looking into why the Ford plant closed and for what reason. If anyone knows the name of the plant that would be fantastic (was it just "Milwaukee Ford Motor Company")
Things are really changing fast on the script and I want to be able to get data that is applicable to the character in the context of the scene. The idea is that I will get the ideas before I make a trip to the MKE County Historical Society this Wednesday at 9:30. I invite anyone specifically the writers to accompany me. I can drive will leave from my house in Riverwest. Let me know so we can arrange.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
NOTES From Friday's meeting
Hey all - here's what I can remember about what we said on Friday.
1) first point of engagement is title/posters. Perhaps embed a "code" on the posters and/or ticket that people "need" to bring with them?
2) second point of contact is the security guard. Writers will work on making a list of "invasive" questions - from strange to comic that either the guard or a planted guard can ask those who enter.
3) third point of contact is the house management. There were ideas about them not using words to take payment, but using only signs (like the building itself). Perhaps fingerprinting people?
4) Idea that Marion enters from the bike path area, bringing bags with her and goes to the bathroom to put on the vestiges of her power.
5) Next playable moment might be Marion talking with the audience. Various ideas here as she adlibs the history and in general tries to keep tight order. Enter from elevator? holding court by the elevators? Student uses hand-dryer while she's trying to speak?
We had a really fascinating (to me at least...) discussion of the progression of Marion's character. We talked about how she begins trying to control the audience and the historical tale. Then eventually, in the Happy Days section, she realizes she can't do this anymore and she must make a choice. We outlined several options here.
1) she chooses history and melts into the building somehow, becoming a ghost of sorts.
2) she finds it very difficult to choose...and decides too late to embrace creativity (encouraged by the faculty member), but can't make it downstairs with the rest of the group. She finally makes it into the final scene. We talked about using the pull chord/divider things here to symbolize her inability to cross the line of control/history into creativity.
let me know if I didn't quite get all the options there - it was a rich discussion, with you all making great points about complexity of character for Marian.
1) first point of engagement is title/posters. Perhaps embed a "code" on the posters and/or ticket that people "need" to bring with them?
2) second point of contact is the security guard. Writers will work on making a list of "invasive" questions - from strange to comic that either the guard or a planted guard can ask those who enter.
3) third point of contact is the house management. There were ideas about them not using words to take payment, but using only signs (like the building itself). Perhaps fingerprinting people?
4) Idea that Marion enters from the bike path area, bringing bags with her and goes to the bathroom to put on the vestiges of her power.
5) Next playable moment might be Marion talking with the audience. Various ideas here as she adlibs the history and in general tries to keep tight order. Enter from elevator? holding court by the elevators? Student uses hand-dryer while she's trying to speak?
We had a really fascinating (to me at least...) discussion of the progression of Marion's character. We talked about how she begins trying to control the audience and the historical tale. Then eventually, in the Happy Days section, she realizes she can't do this anymore and she must make a choice. We outlined several options here.
1) she chooses history and melts into the building somehow, becoming a ghost of sorts.
2) she finds it very difficult to choose...and decides too late to embrace creativity (encouraged by the faculty member), but can't make it downstairs with the rest of the group. She finally makes it into the final scene. We talked about using the pull chord/divider things here to symbolize her inability to cross the line of control/history into creativity.
let me know if I didn't quite get all the options there - it was a rich discussion, with you all making great points about complexity of character for Marian.
TITLE?
Marian Edsel's Magical Mystery Tour? Or something slightly more theatrical?
Marian Edsel's Hysterical Historical Tour?
Having Marian go bonkers over Henry Ford makes sense since her last name is Edsel...and we have lots of info about Edsel Ford.
Marian Edsel's Hysterical Historical Tour?
Having Marian go bonkers over Henry Ford makes sense since her last name is Edsel...and we have lots of info about Edsel Ford.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thoughts on Meeting with Rob Danielson
I met with Rob Danielson (a man of many histories, one of them a UWM Professor). Rob primarily worked in the Film department with a keen interest in sound work. I met him to pick his brain on the topic of Kenilworth, sound, history....etc. Out of that conversation came some really interesting ideas for use of sound both recorded and live. I really like the ideas we've been having about recorded sound and using them to evoke an interest/emotion/imagination in the experiencer (audience).
There are several evocative concepts that came out of our meeting here are two:
1)I forget the word, but apparently there is a "stamp" (this is the best way that I can describe this word..maybe thumbprint) that each space has in regards to sound. Recording artists have the ability to figure out different places "stamp" and then replicate it outside of that space to give the illusion that you are in that same soundscape. Follow me? If you don't don't worry. I am still confused about it a bit, and in fact, it may be wrong. So, if anyone has commentary or understands this concept better, please intervene. So...if any space has the ability to be "stamped"....it almost seems like the work we're working with this "stamp" but using movement and text to infuse the "stamp" or bring it to life. I emailed Rob to find out what that term is and if I have the concept right.
Maybe this can be a good title?
2)Rob talked a lot about the kinds of effects of sounds that were happening in the building having real consequences on the body. The constant sound of bending metal, grinding, shaving, hammering, sawing. He mentioned a book written by someone in the modern auto industry having some really powerful testaments to life and work in a factory. Food for thought.
Sidenote:
If more information is needed research wise I have looked into and checked out a book on early 20c. Milwaukee Health (stuff)...things relating to the ever riveting "milk sanitation" and the "garbage issues". Don't laugh, they're quite fascinating! I'll speak for myself.
I have also found a pic. of Mayor Maier...and know where to find images of this kind for future reference.
There are several evocative concepts that came out of our meeting here are two:
1)I forget the word, but apparently there is a "stamp" (this is the best way that I can describe this word..maybe thumbprint) that each space has in regards to sound. Recording artists have the ability to figure out different places "stamp" and then replicate it outside of that space to give the illusion that you are in that same soundscape. Follow me? If you don't don't worry. I am still confused about it a bit, and in fact, it may be wrong. So, if anyone has commentary or understands this concept better, please intervene. So...if any space has the ability to be "stamped"....it almost seems like the work we're working with this "stamp" but using movement and text to infuse the "stamp" or bring it to life. I emailed Rob to find out what that term is and if I have the concept right.
Maybe this can be a good title?
2)Rob talked a lot about the kinds of effects of sounds that were happening in the building having real consequences on the body. The constant sound of bending metal, grinding, shaving, hammering, sawing. He mentioned a book written by someone in the modern auto industry having some really powerful testaments to life and work in a factory. Food for thought.
Sidenote:
If more information is needed research wise I have looked into and checked out a book on early 20c. Milwaukee Health (stuff)...things relating to the ever riveting "milk sanitation" and the "garbage issues". Don't laugh, they're quite fascinating! I'll speak for myself.
I have also found a pic. of Mayor Maier...and know where to find images of this kind for future reference.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
transition: ford to munition factory
what if we end the ford scene by "touring the plant" but its just a walk down the hallway. maybe starting with the father working on an assembly line then talking about the transition to a munitions factory with mother and father interacting in an assembly movement based piece, then involving the audience to get us back to under the balcony. id be sure to write it so that the mother could get behind the window in time for william to start. thoughts?
i hate naming stuff but
past/forward is pretty good word play
i was thinkin along those lines too
maybe...
something with the word site? insite?
not just a play but a replay?
dunno.
hey yall are we meeting tomorrow? when next? im unclear.
i was thinkin along those lines too
maybe...
something with the word site? insite?
not just a play but a replay?
dunno.
hey yall are we meeting tomorrow? when next? im unclear.
Closer than you think!
Any ideas for a title?
Past/Forward
Kenilworth Ignited! (sorry, bad joke)
Access: A Kenilworth living history
Please improve upon and add to these!
Past/Forward
Kenilworth Ignited! (sorry, bad joke)
Access: A Kenilworth living history
Please improve upon and add to these!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
what if...
the old woman got on the elevator when everyone was first going up? then she could reappear in the hall, then in the final scene? just there but not sayin anything.
ashley is going to tackle the mayor-ford scene. I am going to work on a transition from that to william-mother. we talked at our meeting last night about it feeling to claustrophobic/not tour(y) enough if we just turn around and are at the next scene. thinkin about using the hallway or across the room.
also, working on the end but i need to know where marian is going to be. is she in the basement? it would work if she wasnt and just met everyone in the lobby and was oblivious. we could mirror the first scene. the idea of repitition again.
ashley is going to tackle the mayor-ford scene. I am going to work on a transition from that to william-mother. we talked at our meeting last night about it feeling to claustrophobic/not tour(y) enough if we just turn around and are at the next scene. thinkin about using the hallway or across the room.
also, working on the end but i need to know where marian is going to be. is she in the basement? it would work if she wasnt and just met everyone in the lobby and was oblivious. we could mirror the first scene. the idea of repitition again.
Post photos?
If you guys are down at the building...and want to show some possibilities, snap a photo and upload it here...
Let's think about how this blog might also be used in the long run to involve the audience? Let them in on the process (the sausage making?).
A
Let's think about how this blog might also be used in the long run to involve the audience? Let them in on the process (the sausage making?).
A
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Inspirations from M/T
Hey all,
here are some of what I thought were highlight ideas - lightbulb moments - from the last couple days of meeting with Gulgun.
1. In site specific work, we are redefining the relationship between audience and performance. How can we take advantage of this in a playful, intriguing way?
2. We can enchant the space with sound, image, movement. Realistic images are difficult in site specific work, because it competes with the environment.
3. The long hallway with doors that might have sounds behind them opens possibilities.
4. Dropping of things from the atrium space? (where William reads)
5. An image of an older woman appearing before the last scene?
6. A growing sense of competition between Marian and the story? She's trying to tame it - follow the rules, but it keeps fighting her until it erupts?
7. Use the window ledge in the long hallway on the way to the Ford scene?
8. Use tableaux vivantes in various alcoves?
9. Use projections? They might start as one thing, then when we return to the same spot later, it changes to something else?
10. Is the rehearsal really with live performers? Or recorded?
11. Can we perform in the stairwell on the way up to the lobby again?
12. Can we exist from that doorway in the basement?
13. Can we use the elevators as part of the experience? the cave?
14. Can the mother and father scene be movement based and define the feeling of working in a factory? And their relationship?
15. How can we stage the reading of names (commissioning scene) in a way the begins to build the menace of the use of that building...a war machine?
16. Can we drop something down the stairwell at the end? or use sound? Same thing that we dropped from William's spot?
17. Pole dance????? ha ha ha ha. (this was from today's group in case you weren't there...).
here are some of what I thought were highlight ideas - lightbulb moments - from the last couple days of meeting with Gulgun.
1. In site specific work, we are redefining the relationship between audience and performance. How can we take advantage of this in a playful, intriguing way?
2. We can enchant the space with sound, image, movement. Realistic images are difficult in site specific work, because it competes with the environment.
3. The long hallway with doors that might have sounds behind them opens possibilities.
4. Dropping of things from the atrium space? (where William reads)
5. An image of an older woman appearing before the last scene?
6. A growing sense of competition between Marian and the story? She's trying to tame it - follow the rules, but it keeps fighting her until it erupts?
7. Use the window ledge in the long hallway on the way to the Ford scene?
8. Use tableaux vivantes in various alcoves?
9. Use projections? They might start as one thing, then when we return to the same spot later, it changes to something else?
10. Is the rehearsal really with live performers? Or recorded?
11. Can we perform in the stairwell on the way up to the lobby again?
12. Can we exist from that doorway in the basement?
13. Can we use the elevators as part of the experience? the cave?
14. Can the mother and father scene be movement based and define the feeling of working in a factory? And their relationship?
15. How can we stage the reading of names (commissioning scene) in a way the begins to build the menace of the use of that building...a war machine?
16. Can we drop something down the stairwell at the end? or use sound? Same thing that we dropped from William's spot?
17. Pole dance????? ha ha ha ha. (this was from today's group in case you weren't there...).
Monday, February 9, 2009
some more ideas
1.I have rewritten the William/Mother scene. I sent Anne and Ashley a copy and will send it all your way soon. Just waiting for and wanting some feedback. As I said today, the directors can choose how they want the father to appear or disappear. He has a longer continuing monologue to allow William time to get downstairs. He is now the one that explains more to the audience about the transition from building fords to building bombs.
2.We are trying to get more information about ford and bading so that we can add to that scene. I would like to make a few subtle tie ins/ underlying jokes about the auto industry today/ the idea that technology doesnt advance human nature. I think bading continually trying to interrupt ford would be good. Working on how to get there from the elevators.
3. before the rehearsal scene, after the phone interruptions, i worte in a shawled figure walking through the audience and into the rehearsal space. as a kind of slight yet still unsettling disruption. she has no lines.
4.in the rehearsal scene...can they want to buy an edsel? it might be a funny reference since it was supposed to be the experimental car of the future. they actually called the day it was released E-day. yikes. maybe too much though.
5. i will talk with ashley about the transition to the basement. there are black pull out dividing cables to section areas of the hallway off, we could use those to force people to go around/through them to get on the elevator. im not sure exactly how or where they are spaced though. it would add to the franticness of everything.
6. what if at the end of the folktale...when the cavern closes in on itself, the actor thats saying this line ends up in the elevator and the doors close. thenwe could do a transition back upstairs? just a thought.
lemme know your thoughts. thanks, sara
2.We are trying to get more information about ford and bading so that we can add to that scene. I would like to make a few subtle tie ins/ underlying jokes about the auto industry today/ the idea that technology doesnt advance human nature. I think bading continually trying to interrupt ford would be good. Working on how to get there from the elevators.
3. before the rehearsal scene, after the phone interruptions, i worte in a shawled figure walking through the audience and into the rehearsal space. as a kind of slight yet still unsettling disruption. she has no lines.
4.in the rehearsal scene...can they want to buy an edsel? it might be a funny reference since it was supposed to be the experimental car of the future. they actually called the day it was released E-day. yikes. maybe too much though.
5. i will talk with ashley about the transition to the basement. there are black pull out dividing cables to section areas of the hallway off, we could use those to force people to go around/through them to get on the elevator. im not sure exactly how or where they are spaced though. it would add to the franticness of everything.
6. what if at the end of the folktale...when the cavern closes in on itself, the actor thats saying this line ends up in the elevator and the doors close. thenwe could do a transition back upstairs? just a thought.
lemme know your thoughts. thanks, sara
Sunday, February 8, 2009
what im doing today
hey yall, i am going to try and rework the william/ mother scene and incorporate some transitions into the piece. the initial scene had william explain that the model t factory turned into a munitions plant. without that it is confusing why the father says he works there and then you see the mother working there. also, i am aiming to "dehokify" the inital greeting between the two. after meeting with ashley and julie- which i think is happening tomorrow after our meeting- we can write more transitional segments. i printed out the directors questions and will address them as i work. just wanted to keep in touch. see you tomorrow and thanks, s
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I love Dr. Anne's enthusiasm. Yeah!!!
mskatiesimon@yahoo.com
414-807-5993
Thurs. Feb. 5, 2009
Dear Dr. Basting:
I love it when I hear the enthusiasm with which you say, "Let's make this play rock."
I am soooooo missing being there in person. I'm trying to get home soon. Please remember everyone if you can to use the Bold on your writings. I've always been a little blind, (well, since age five and had scarlet fever), but I really did temporarily lose my sight while doing Katrina relief in Texas. It almost all came back........ but. Thanks guys.
Julie, thanks for the long, informative letter.
Ms. Katie Simon
414-807-5993
Thurs. Feb. 5, 2009
Dear Dr. Basting:
I love it when I hear the enthusiasm with which you say, "Let's make this play rock."
I am soooooo missing being there in person. I'm trying to get home soon. Please remember everyone if you can to use the Bold on your writings. I've always been a little blind, (well, since age five and had scarlet fever), but I really did temporarily lose my sight while doing Katrina relief in Texas. It almost all came back........ but. Thanks guys.
Julie, thanks for the long, informative letter.
Ms. Katie Simon
Ok - let's try talking about the PLAYFEST HERE!
D2L is just too hard...for whatever reasons...
so here it is.
ask questions.
discuss.
Let's make this play rock.
A
so here it is.
ask questions.
discuss.
Let's make this play rock.
A
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