Tonight's introduction

Word is that the Steering Committee has something special planned for tonight's introductions. Be there at the 8pm to be the first to see!

Band update

The band has received all their requests from the directors and are plotting out intros, outros and what they need to learn/create. Currently on the list: Jane's Addiction, a little bit of Air Supply and a few 150s and 60s standards.

ducking out for a bit

...duty and the paycheck call, so I'm leaving Jess & Michelle to hold down the fort until tech.

Monster Mash

"Baby, you are not a monster any more...you are a woman."
"Just think: one day you are going to tear me from limb to limb....(sigh)...how nice"
(or words to that effect).

On the streets with "Instructions"

Mik and Lisa are walking through the streets around Theatre Off Jackson in one of 14/48's first field trips. They're trying to interview people as they go along.

First up:

Mik: Can I ask what you think about the phrase "patience is a virtue"?

Pedestrian: Patience isn't a virtue

Mik: Can you elaborate?

Pedestrian: I can't right now, its time for lunch.

And then:

[in a flower shop]

Lisa: [explains 14/48, Theatre Off Jackson]

Worker: Can you wait? I'm in the middle of making something.

Lisa: I can wait!

After waiting and checking how they're doing on their time ("7 minutes until we have to go back"), Lisa snags the flower shop worker briefly and Mik interviews a couple of women on the street who let her record them saying patience and a few other key phrases in other languages.

Off to Uwajimaya!

The Beautiful Part

Walking into the rehearsal for The Beautiful Part is a perfect window into the controled chaos of 14/48. While the writer discusses her play with the cast and they fire a few questions back at her, the director is standing right next to the group discussing staging with the designers...and everyone is at full voice, but no one seems to be bothered...until the band starts learning the theme song and that becomes one too many layers of chaos (which is simply resolved by closing the door from the lobby to backstage).
As I walk away I overhear:
"Three stages of women-Insane, Normal, or whatever, and Pulled-together." (which gets a gleeful laugh from 2 cast members).
"So, 'patience' will be on the part of the audience having to watch them go through this...."

Which, I GUARANTEE, does not sound anywhere near as awful as it sounds!!

Loss Prevention in the AM

Loss Prevention is breezing through their rehearsal after a meeting with a band to figure out the how to make a few cues ("cleanup on aisle 5") sound like they're coming through over a store intercom.

Kelly to her actors: "make her really percussive"

The band prepares

While the actors read their scripts, I checked in with the band.
TOJ is a great space, but setting up the band with all---and I mean ALL---their gear and instruments is a challenge on that relatively small space.

COOL - a harp and a toy piano.

The "real" piano is quickly checked for in-tunage (OK, good to go...) while lighting designers pick their way around instruments, cases, stands, blacks, cables and The Cone of Destiny pointing upward discussing the plot and its idiosyncrasies...

"FUCK!!! I forgot my guitar stand! How fucking stupid!!!"
"This is mine but I can't find the bottom."
"I know we won't have time, but I only live 10 min away...?"

A couple of phone calls are made and panic is averted; the threat is neutralized.

Time to start learning the theme song!

Casting is in!

#1 Solidarity

Ashley Flanagan

Samie Detzer

Becky Chong

Terri Weagent

#2 Loss Prevention

Gretchen Douma

Pattie Mles Van Beuzekom

Jenny Schmidt

#3 Instructions for Making a Play

Mik Kuhlman

Lisa Viertel

#4 Monster Mash

Jessica Hatlo

Erin Bryn Fetridge

Jill Snyder

Carolyn Marie Monroe

Michelle Chiachiere

#5 Puppy Love

Christine White

Susanna Wilson

Shermona Mitchell

#6 The Beautiful Part

Kate Jaeger

Lori Lee Haner

Alyssa Keene

Susan Perleros

#7 The Fall(s), Or June 23rd, 2011

Rebecca Olson

Teru McDonald

Lyssa Browne

Erin Stewart

Sara Coates

Making a Play pt 2

After getting back from their walk, the actors in Instructions for Making a Play are writing about their observations and responding to questions like:

-How would you define patience?

-Example of time you had great patience?

-What makes you think of a person as virtuous?

Annie leaves them to this part of the instructions to talk tech, exclaiming on her way out of the room "I can't believe we found jump ropes!"

McB to Witches of Eastwick

While director Jennifer Jaspers was meeting with designers about tech for Monster Mash, the ladies of the cast discussed a song in the script. References included Macbeth, Witches of Eastwick, and ritual songs. But not the one that the title of the show might have you humming.

our story begins here

Instructions for Making a Play by Mallery Avidon is just that - a set of instructions for director Annie Lareau and actors Mik Kuhlman and Lisa Viertel. Think of a how to manual combined with a letter that would destruct from the CIA.

After Annie lead the pair through the first set of instructions and gave the charge for the morning, they've all set off for a 15 minute walk, in silence, around the ID.

Updates from when they return!

It's not exactly cell phone hacking...

...but the bloggers got their hands on a set of the scripts! Well, actually, they were handed the band's copy of the scripts to have fun reading until they get here.
Oh, yes. The girls are settin the bar pretty high.

...and the directors are....

Susanna Burney / Solidarity
Kelly Kitchens/Loss Prevention
Annie Lareau / Instructions for Making a Play
Jennifer Jasper / Monster Mash
Carol Roscoe / Puppy Love
Beth Raas-Bergquist / The Beautiful Part
Makeala Pollock / Pride Cometh After the Fall(s), Or June 23, 2011

Scripts are in!

Here are the shows for today's theme, "patience is a virtue"

Solidarity

by Becky Bruhn

4 women

loss prevention

Aimee Bruneau

3 women

Instructions for Making a Play

Mallery Avidon

TBD

MONSTER MASH

Rachel Atkins

TBD

Puppy Love

Kelleen Conway-Blanhard

3 women

The Beautiful Part

Ki Gottberg

4 women

Pride Cometh After the Fall(s) (Or, June 23, 2011)

Keri Healey

5 women

good morning

The writers are rolling in and comparing notes about the first night. A little bit more coffee and we'll get this thing properly started.

I didn't blog

I wrote something last night. I just emailed it in. I won't be there to see it. I am doing this: www.AmericaNotWorking.com. I hope it goes wonderfully. I hope everyone has a fabulous time. You'll all have to tell me about it!!!!!

Tidbits of advice

At the meeting, I said "Great, now I can't think of a plot" and intrepid playwright Becky Bruhn said to me: "don't think 'plot' - think character and conflict." And I rolled my eyes at her.

I have better* advice: start your play by typing "THE END." It may be the only thing you write for hours and yet you will still feel like you accomplished something.

*(here, better = dubious)

Ponies?!

Dang it. I'm writing about monsters!

When writing late at night, patience...

Ki Gottberg working on her 10