come let it enter you

I just found out that tonight's band is called "The Broad Strokers"

Play #7 is just as, um, shocking as I was told.

Sun-drenched raspberries fresh from David Mills garden and melt-in-your-mouth cookies  from John Bradshaw are being savored on the tongues of a hungry, lusty crew.

Kegs are being brought in for the afterparty.

A wave of eros and chaos has entered the theater like a sirocco.

This is happening:

I think it's safe to say we're not in Sheboygan, Wisconsin anymore.

You really should be here tonight at 8:00 or 10:30 and let the energy fill you up with a great a WHOOSH !(how's that for a little onomatopoeia?)

 

a cold beer on a hot day

I talked earlier about the things that fuel 14/48 but forgot to mention the beer because I don't drink it.  It must be mentioned.  The tapping of the keg is an important part of the tradition.  I asked steering committee member Peter Dylan O'Connor to explain it much better than I could.

because, beer

getting off high atop a ladder (and a couch)

Dear Diary,

I just finished lunch and I'm back here in the coolness of the theater.  With the taste of vegan salad with peanut sauce still in my mouth, I sit here marveling at the sensual experience of this theatre experience.  I can hear the box office crew chatting and busily preparing for the show that is going to be starting in less than four hours.  The band is sounding so phenomenal, they are distracting me.  So much talent!

The sounds of hammers pounding, drills drilling and saws buzzing are adding their own texture to the music.   Maggie Lee, one of our sound directors...

(More distraction:  Get Off by Prince is up in the house as I type this..."23 positions in a one night stand..."  squirrel!)

...where was I?  Oh yes.  Maggie asks me to stand in a particular spot on the stage so she could adjust the lights.  While I was standing there, I asked the guy drilling what he was doing.

"Making a couch," he replied nonchalantly.  

"Like you do," I said, remembering the portal of shower-curtain like glittery awesomeness that I mentioned earlier.  Turns out his name is Banton and he's no virgin.  He's been banging away on the design team for quite some time.

While I was chatting with him, Maggie was atop a high ladder, helping me find my light.  I think that's what everyone at 14/48 does best:  Help each other find their light.  It's fucking beautiful.

From the land of 1000 crushes and deflowering,

Kymber

PS, If you're stalking me and peeping into my diary, you should totally come to the shows tonight at 8:00 or 10:30.  You will be altered in the most wonderful way.

devil. details. underwear.

Talking with Virgin Design Team member Doug Willott about costumes, details, and underwear.

from the danger zone

A little behind the scenes in the danger zone of the shop.  People are always trying to keep me away from power tools (for good reason).  Fortunately, there are people who know how to use them because they make cool things like TELEPHONE BOOTHS IN ONE DAY and magical balloon-laden glitter portals like this one featured in John Farrage's play Kings last night:

Photo by Joe Iano Photography

I am DYING to see what they come up with tonight!  Come out to the show at 8:00 or 10:30, get your Pride on and see what these fabulous artists have been creating for you in a handful of hours on a hot, sticky Saturday in Seattle.

A side note:  While I'm typing this in the dark, cool theater, the band is sounding amazing singing something that sounds like Latin.  I think I might have heard the word "gonorrhea". 

Three Characters In Search of an Author

This is Ian Bell's second night working on play by Dave Clapper, which will once again go into slot #3: My Cat from Hell. A band member stop by just as we're talking about trading blow jobs for a tech element of the play. Go figure. Ian hums a showbiz closing riff that he wants to close the show and is met with a blank stare. I'm confident the band will figure it out, even without the exchange of sexual favors.

This play is so meta. The actors are playing actors who are playing other characters and writing/improvising a script as Ian and the cast work through Dave's script trying to figure out when they are actors and when they are characters and now I'm confused. The characters start trashing the playwright and consider rebellion.  Its Three Characters in Search of an Author, with references to Night 1 plays and past 14/48 masterpiece Once Upon a Time in a Litterbox.

It's a wild, creative room and everyone is throwing out ideas and interpretations. Oh my god, there is a pink furry monstrosity in the corner and I think this is the cat costume that the designers were talking about this morning. Holy hell. This. is. good.

Hanging out with Goddesses

The costumer is visiting the rehearsal for Play #1 The Ceremony by Kate Jaeger so the room is full of partly naked ladies. Linda Clemon-Karp tells Jillian Vashro, "Oh, I would totally fall in love with you in that." They talk about bras, digress to some girl talk about breastfeeding and bra size, and eventually decide that they characters will be dressed up, but wearing tennis shoes, to be removed in preparation of a ritual. I haven't heard a word of the play yet, but I'm already getting a sense of what may be coming: sisters, a hike, and a Goddess.

Director Debra Pralle is ready to get blocking and they rearrange the space. She's excited to be in a larger room today. She maps the space and shows her actors their initial blocking on a white board, football play style. The actors leap right into action and keep going when lighting designer Maggie Lee stops by. They are already putting down their scripts here and there.

They stop to talk about what is the exact way to bow and talk to a Goddess of Destruction. Are we headed for an apocalypse?

at the intersection of altruism and misanthropy

These are the guys that are feeding us.  Just before dinner last night, they were utterly exhausted and still rallying to bring food.  This crew is hungry and more food was needed so plans were made to rush out and get more.  They made sure there were plenty of vegetables, tofu for the vegans and a bit of comfort food for everyone.  It was hot and the ice kept miraculously appearing in the bowl and the coolers.

They were back at it this morning in full force with a huge spread of breakfast goodness.

There is a deep level of generosity of spirit here with a  wee sprinkling of misanthropic neurosis.  It's pure perfection and the outcome takes the awesomeness factor up to 11.

(Also, there's Mackelmore and the Black Keys to keep them company while they toil on our behalf)

What I'm noticing here at 14/48 is that the entire experience is fueled with altruism.  Well, that and Ezelle's fried chicken.

a little sticky the morning after

Dear Diary,

I woke up disheveled and a little sore and sticky this morning.  I feel more vulnerable and somehow more grown up all at the same time.

I'm not a virgin anymore.  None of us are.  We're all a little disheveled and wearing little, secrets smiles. 

It's Pride weekend and the vibe of many of the plays last night had that resonance.  There was a feeling of not holding back and of letting things out of the closet.  I will write a bit more about that later but for now,  I will just say that today started with Joe Zavadil offering me Monkey Bread. 

When he asked me what I thought about it this wonder of sticky sweetness, I could only blush a little and mumble, "It's like an orgasm in my mouth."

And so begins day two.  The Devil is in the details.

With a sigh of delight and anticipation,

Kymber

it's a little like sex

Dear Diary,

It's only three hours to show time.  Tech is still happening.  Kitchen crew is exhausted after serving us all day.  Costumes are on.  Lights are coming up and going down.  The band, formed just last night, is making music and adding all kinds of chromatic splendor to the pieces.

I was talking to Stan Lippman, a crew member who recently moved up to Seattle from Tuscon.  He said he's enjoying all watching how it all comes together and I concur.  He was asking how I know what to say on the blog and when to stop.  I told him I have been trying to tell people what happens and what they might not otherwise know.  As for when to stop, it's a little like sex, I guess.  I stop when I feel finished then I rest a bit and come back for more (I didn't say that Stan.  I hope he isn't reading my diary.)

I asked some of the design team about their experiences.  The virgins like Roy Stanton mentioned being very grateful for the experts like Michael Mowery.  There is a stunning amount of work in this process.  Things are being built in these handful of hours, costumes are pulled together and props gathered.  I have been keeping myself from peeking in on the shop because I want to be surprised tonight.

I want you people reading my diary to be surprised a bit too but before I skedaddle off to dinner, I'll tell you that I am currently watching a fish and a bear onstage.  I also noticed that one of the actors shaved his beard for his play.

Sometimes it's more fun when it's shaved.

TTFN,

Kymber

A Love Story?

Earlier this morning, I told Play #2 Director Agastya Kohli that I can't hear the title of this play without thinking of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He agreed that it's got that vibe. He told me that Brandon Jepson's play would also touch on the DOMA issue that's been in the news this week. Um, ok?

As he and his cast are putting the play through a quick analysis right now, he's talking about childhood and holding onto the past while society moves forward and now I'm getting the connection. The cast asks intelligent actor-y questions. "We'll let you build that backstory for yourself in the next 20 minutes...GO!"

As their read-through begins, I'm getting a lot of quick shifting of scenes, with each of the actors playing multiple characters. It's kind of silly and kind of dark and I don't know what is going on, but I'm charmed. Can not wait to see this one tonight.

lurking in play # 4

Dear Diary,

I was given permission to lurk.  I didn't want to creep out my new crush too much so I wandered away from the band and over to the rehearsal room for play #4, written by Jennifer Jasper and featuring Rob MacGregor, David Nail, Caitlin Francis and Hannah Schnabel and directed by Julia Griffin.

I hear something about "breastfeeding on the left tittie".   (The blocking is hilarious on this!)

I also just heard the director say, "You know, she could probably eat your soul in a minute."


I don't know where this is going but it's kind of awesome.  (The audience might need a squeegee to wipe off the "ewww" after this but come on, that's why we like it, isn't it?)

Hearts and Flowers,

Kymberlee

PS, Somehow the bassoon is factoring into this play.  What?

dear diary, i have a crush on this guy...

the band revs up

Dear Diary,

I have a huge crush on this guy named Tim Moore and will do anything he tells me, including making my blog posts like diary entries.  ;-)

Tim is here helping out the band as they warm up and get going.  I'm seeing singers doing vocal warm ups and hearing tuning going on.  I hear C, D, G, E, C, D, G, E...while the strings play along.

The sheer variety of music they are preparing for us is just fantastic.  If you want to know WHAT they're playing, you'll have to come to the show tonight.  What?  I'm already letting you read my diary.  A girl needs to have a few secrets!

I will tell you this:  I overheard Erin Bryn Fetridge saying, "There will be a lot of strutting and hot, sexy numbers."

That's all for now.

(insert swirly autograph with a little heart at the end.)

twisted things

 The pulchritudinous Jim Jewell, shown here making French toast for the crew, had this to say about 14/48:

"We do more twisted things before 10:00 am than most people do in a lifetime."

As I type this, I am watching Julia Griffin, a Virgin director this weekend, pulling her cast out of the infamous Tom Selleck and Farah Fawcett cans.  I overheard her in the Green Room saying, "This script is so fucked up!  I love it."

Drinking in twisted, fucked up things done by immensely talented people is precisely why I'm here this weekend.

Join me tonight at 8:00 or 10:30.  You can get your tickets here:  give me twisted things!.

(You can also just show up and hope for the best.)

vlogtasticness

We know the theme, the beer is flowing and the Virgins are ready.  Here is a little peek:

The fabulous Rebecca M. Davis tells us about how she's "technically" a Virgin:

Our humble Mazen award winner, Roy Stanton, tells us about how he's feeling:

Never been to a show?  Come out and be a virgin audience member tomorrow and Saturday  8:00 and 10:30

that's the sound of my hymen breaking

I'm sitting here at the Erickson watching Shawn Belyea setting up the playground to make sure it's safe for the hard games to come. Right now, the virgins, or "fresh meat" are all being introduced and rushed along. Seeing all the faces peeking out to say hello and watching the beer get sloshed onto the stage is like seeing an enormous piñata of goodness spilling out and creating excitement.

As I sit here trying to listen and type, I feel a little nervous and vulnerable. I hope I'll do well and capture the moments well. I hope I won't be exhausted. I can only imagine how the virgin talent must feel right now! Creating 7 fully-staged plays in 24 hours is not an easy feat. I am stunned by what they create each time and you will be too when you come see these plays this weekend. 

In the spirit of risk-taking and collaboration, I asked some people to give me words to sprinkle into my blog posts this weekend. You'll see them in italics. If it's your word, feel free to leave a comment and say, "Hey!" (Thanks for playing with me.)

First quote of the night from the lovely Erin Bryn Fetridge: "You don't have to pay the higher price if you flash your boobs." (It is what you think.)

From Shawn: "I whacked my thing." (It's not what you think.)

From Tim Hyland: "Be courageous. Be honest."

 While they are talking about all the rules and tips for success, I'll write a little haiku for you:

virgins everywhere
the sound of cherries popping
go big or go home!

The dilemma of the writer:

Do I overwrite my stage directions to create the clearest picture, or underwrite them so the director and actors can make the piece their own with less suggestion?

Polishing my final draft right now. I can't wait to see the costumes.

Doug Willott- Writing play #1.

12:40 and I'm halfway done

This 14/48 festival is my second stint as a writer. I've been a bandmember countless times before (I think 8, which is often a countless number) I wasn't at the initial meeting tonight as I was conducting auditions for SMC. But I got a Bat Text from Andy Jensen with the theme and my assignment. Play #3. 4 men, no women. 'Heading Down South' The very first thought that leapt into my head made me laugh. 'Really?' I asked my brain. 'Really,' my brain replied. 'Don't be a pussy.'

So I'm writing, and not being a pussy.

See all of youse actors n directors n band members n designers n bloggers tomorrow.

XOX
ELB

Friday Night Show Photos

Click here for more photos from Friday night's show!

Play # 1: research mode

There's almost nothing I can tell you about this play that won't give the entire thing away.

But what I can tell you is that it's fairly research heavy. I've mostly been reading and watching stuff on YouTube so far. Still on page 1. I know where it's going...but...it's going to take me a while to get there.

We will get there. Doubtful that sleep will happen.

Coffee is pretty great right now.

Ok...back at it.

- Celene