Designer Story of the Day

The designers just got back from their rounds of discussing requirements with directors. Today promises to be a more challenging day than yesterday.

Designer pow wow.
Photo: Agastya Kohli

One of the challenges of the day is a 12 feet diameter eyrie (that's a nest of a bird of prey as an eagle or a hawk) for Jonah Von Spreecken's play The Eyrie at the End of the Lane. There is talk of collecting as may bare sticks and twigs and assembling the nest, or using a large basket. Lots of brain storming going on.

The second challenge is the aforementioned tentacles from Maggie Lee's The Unknowable (henceforth nick named Maggie's monster play). Every time I've checked in with the designers, they seem to be talking about tentacles, and how they will appear from backstage to reach the actor on stage. There is so much tentacle talk, Teri says "Teri is tired of the tentacles".

Lighting challenge of the day is a TV that needs to sit on the edge of the stage, and have screen glow projected on the actor's face. David is thinking of running a cable under the platform and controlling it from the board.

In other par-for-the-course 1448 design discussion, we need a set of nun-chucks and some empty beer cans. The only outstanding question for now is "who's playing the armadillo?" Like I said, par for the course.

Saturday Night Breakdown - Playwrights, Breakdown and Show Order

Show #1
Kelleen Conway-Blanchard
1 Male 3 Females

Show #2
Wayne Rawley
2 Males 1 Female

Show #3
Matt Smith (not the improv guy - the Balagan Guy)
2 Females

Show #4
Jonah Von Spreecken
3 Males 2 Females

Show #5
Elizabeth Heffron
1 Male 3 Females

Show #6
Brandon J. Simmons (he had show #6 friday, too.  Hmmmmmmm.)
2 Male 1 Female

Show #7
Celene Ramadan (who is watching the 10:30pm show right now!  Ah, youth....)
3 Male 2 Females

Writers, feel free to get stuff off your chest while you go.  It helps.  Just ask Wayne Rawley!

Virgewatch: Third Runner Up

I enter the Bullit Cabaret, rehearsal space for veteran writer David Tucker's play "Third Runner Up", featuring an astonishing virge count; 4 out of 5! That's four virges ( one director and three actors) to one veteran.

Virge director Julie Beckman sits at a table with veteran bandleader Tim Moore talking about sound needs. The actors are busy. Alex Samuels, the only veteran, seems fairly calm. He walks around avoiding the camera. Virgin Clara Rodriguez oscillates between hydrating and pacing the south wall of the room running lines and occasionally thrusting an arm out, like someone cheering at a sports event might do. Virgins David Hogan, now 36 years old, and Ashley Bagwell, whose age I do not know but he's older than a kid, are embroiled in a creative discussion and seem not to notice me standing at three feet taking pictures. They do not seem afraid. Rather, they are exuding an aura of confident creativity. It is palpable. While I am in the room, the four actors converge suddenly to discuss a moment. Or something. I am clearly intruding, and opt to make a quiet exit. The virgins seem okay for now. Later, I will check their pants for the nervous shits.