The set is built, the lights are lit, the script is rehearsed, the songs are fine-tuned … and soon we will have another show. The process has been arduous and has consumed a good chunk of my life for the last little while.
Years ago, I imagined a show a show with a cat and a mouse, some children, and a window. Now, it’s here.
GIVE, ultimately, has been an attempt to give to this community.
I am sure I can speak for everyone that has been a part of this team when I say, we hope you enjoy it.
To be finished with the book and have a working draft of the music … These things make me happy. And since we’re only a couple months from out from the production … it’s about time. I think we are all really excited about sharpening the finer points and polishing this project to a shine. I’m feeling confident and grateful this is going to happen. Two and a half years of hard work is about to take shape. Yay.
Working on Act 1 for the last couple of days. One thing about production of a play that is outstanding is finally seeing the actors moving around on a stage, reading the lines, and singing the songs. Also, one thing I keep thinking is … “When this is finished, it will be finished, and we can do it without even trying.” The work for a play is hard in the beginning, but not so much after.
We’ve secured The Dumas Center in Roanoke, VA as the stage for the world premeir of this little Christmas play. Hopefully people will walk down the block and across the tracks from downtown Roanoke to venture into this historic venue where greats like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald have walked. If they do, they will give a little of their money to worthy charities, be entertained for a couple of hours, and provide for their children a rare opportunity to experience live theatre.
I think that’s the biggest benefit for children … the experience. Any child who attends gets to experience a live play that’s not an ice-skating Nickelodeon character or a fake band with stupid songs about brushing your teeth and the colors of the rainbow. Smart kids will follow the story, get the lesson, absorb the theme, dig the characters, and enjoy the music. What better gift to give a child than what might be his or her very first pleasant evening of theatre?
GIVE is an attempt to create a rich live-theatre experience for families. There’s a lot of art in this play, and I feel like any family who attends will be enriched by it. At the same time, families get to GIVE by attending.
That’s win-win.
Last night we ran through the play again, sitting in my office, drinking coffee and having various delicious snacks and desserts. The holes in the script are pretty obvious to me, now, and the final revision of the work will be finished toot-sweet. The music, now, turns to the smoother side of the wet-stone.
The cast members are a joy. Lots of laughs and smiles while we’re figuring out the simplicities and the complexities of this little work. It’s fun to be a part of it and watch as GIVE becomes something from nothing.
I’ll post more pictures here and there.
So much goes into the production of a simple stage show. I find it hard to fathom the extreme work-load of those who put on huge Broadway-style productions. I think it would be decades of work for some shows to go from idea to performance. Seriously. Can you imagine having an idea in 1990 and then seeing it come to fruition, say, in 2010? I’ll bet there are plenty of shows that do just that.
Anyway, I find myself plugging away on a daily basis, polishing the act, so to speak. As I do this, though, I see dozens of little things that need to be done in order to add life to the show. Here are just a few I’ve written on a recent list:
Posters – Design, printing, distribution
Recordings – Studio time, tightening music
Sound effects – Find & record solid sound effects for key moments
Concessions – Snakes, drinks, meat & cheese samplers (haha)
Tickets – Get an online-company to set up purchases, print & design custom tickets?
Build two backdrops
Build window
Gather props (there are 10 unique props on my list)
Program – Design & print for showtime, sell ads if possible
Merchandise – T-Shirts? Toys? CDs? Whatever we can sell as souvenirs to help our cause.
Contact – Charities, auditorium, etc.
Advertise – Flyers, mailers, online, billboards?
— Anyway, this is just a brief list of SOME of the things that aren’t even related to the actual art of the show. It’s so much work, but so worth it as an experience. I’m having a blast.
Second reading went wonderfully. I feel like we’re really making progress toward something, here. I can’t wait to see what all the creative people involved are going to bring to the production.
Not much more to write, now, so I’ll end with a picture. Here’s Phil’s latest rendition of ALLEY CAT.
Although at this stage, many of the songs are already complete, there’s room for improvement and the tracks we’re going to use for rehearsals are almost done. At least for most of the songs.
We’re going to have a second reading tomorrow night, and it’s looking to be fun. I’ll get to play a new song, actually, that only myself and my girlfriend have heard.
I’ve secured a couple of dates for the Dumas Center to be the place for our premier. Looks like it’s going to happen. Now, all we need to do is finish the material, build the art, and rehearse.
Some pre-production thoughts I had about how the costumes should change over the course of the play.
This particular drawing of DEEDEE done by Philip Hatter of Thistledown Puppets fame really captures DeeDee’s attitude towards the concept of giving. She’s more of a taker, really, and thinks the world works that way. You can’t blame her. She’s just a child, and children mimic the people who raise them. They believe what they see, and her Mommy and Daddy have spent years teaching her to be a taker.
She's a taker, and a little confused cynic about Christmas.
