“Fire and stone; leaf and water. They have shown you the path to the land of the dead. Are you prepared to walk it?”
I finished writing Lacerta some time ago now. Once I really got into it, it came out rather easily. My crisis of faith is no longer a source of terror for me (though still discomfort) and the first few steps into the show have been taken. I have paid for my spot at the Saskatoon Fringe Festival, I have my actress cast, I have my lovely wife planning out sets and costumes, and I’m going through and fine-tuning the script. I’m quite excited.
I think that this is a pretty strong piece, which is surprising since this is my first attempt at a one-person show. I suppose it does have elements of dialogue which helped me work through it, and being able to draw from native storytelling was also a benefit. My favourite part is how everyone who has read it thus far has been unable to tell which stories are actual myths and which are stories of my own invention. I’m glad I was able to capture that style of storytelling and carry it through to my work.
I think that Lacerta will be a great show. I’m still hoping to get more feedback, to ensure that it’s as strong as it can be. I also need to find reliable rehearsal space, but I think we can figure it out. Still plenty of time before August. But it’ll come sooner than expected.
So that’s what’s going on now. It’ll be exciting! I’ll keep everyone up to date. If anyone has any questions about Lacerta, let me know!
Love.
~FDS
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Spirit Day -- An Open Letter to Whiners
Today was Spirit Day, a day to wear purple in support of LGBTQ youth, in condemnation of bullying, and in remembrance of recent suicides. Some people weren’t content to let that be.
This event was created out of the deaths of a group of children who were gay or believed to be gay. If someone holds a candlelit memorial for a dead son, do we say “What of the millions of children who die each year? Why do we hold a memorial for this one? He should get no special treatment!” and make a mess of it? If people protest together and bring awareness for violence against women, should the men of the world stand up and say, “What about violence against us?” Or when people hold a fund-raiser for breast cancer, are we to refuse to give them a cent unless they are raising money for all forms of cancer?
The attitudes of many people I saw and read today are nothing short of rude, selfish, and insensitive. They seemed to be incapable of looking past an event that was meant to bring awareness to a specific issue, and instead thought only of themselves. I suppose it’s because bullying is a subject that can be close to the heart of anyone. I can understand the impulse to say, “What about me?” when one watches a sudden outpouring of support and attention for someone’s plight, and know that the same thing happened not long ago to the one.
But I say this: if you truly feel so strongly about bullying, then seek out the organizations and groups that fight it. Volunteer, donate, and find out what events they are hosting to bring awareness to the problems of so many youth. Don’t spend your time flailing about on Facebook, scoffing at the people who wear purple, and decrying those who ignore the plights of all youth to focus on a small group. Put your money where your mouth is, literally.
For many kids out there, who saw their classmates and their teachers dressed in purple, they saw, perhaps for the first time, that they weren’t alone. How many LGBTQ kids are out there, afraid to come out and tell people what they are, for fear of hatred and intolerance? How many of them received just a glimmer of hope at seeing that not everyone hates them for how they feel? Doesn’t that mean something? Isn’t that something good?
But the whiners will say that wearing purple does nothing. They’ll ask, “What about the straight kids?” Well, if even one youth, who was thinking of ending it all, saw that there are people out there who care, and goes on living, then I’d say wearing purple did something. And perhaps this day may have meant a little less for the gay and lesbian youth if it were a general day for anti-bullying. The message we’d send is, “Yeah, you got it tough, fag, but so do we.”
Nine out of ten LGBTQ youth are victims of bullying. Think about that. Nine out of ten. What do you think the percentage is for straight kids? And those same youth are four times as likely to take their own lives as straight youth. Those are some scary numbers. I’ve experienced bullying, too. I was pinned up against the wall and threatened. I was crank called and mocked. But, y’know, I think that I can set my own interests aside for the kids in the LGBTQ community. And hey, let me know when you plan to stop whining and hold an event for all the victims of bullying. I’ll wear my colours, fly the banner, and encourage donations to the right sources; or if I choose not to, I’ll be sure to keep from whining about it over Facebook.
Please donate to Kids Help Phone, an organization dedicated to helping children and teens who are struggling and need someone to talk to.
This event was created out of the deaths of a group of children who were gay or believed to be gay. If someone holds a candlelit memorial for a dead son, do we say “What of the millions of children who die each year? Why do we hold a memorial for this one? He should get no special treatment!” and make a mess of it? If people protest together and bring awareness for violence against women, should the men of the world stand up and say, “What about violence against us?” Or when people hold a fund-raiser for breast cancer, are we to refuse to give them a cent unless they are raising money for all forms of cancer?
The attitudes of many people I saw and read today are nothing short of rude, selfish, and insensitive. They seemed to be incapable of looking past an event that was meant to bring awareness to a specific issue, and instead thought only of themselves. I suppose it’s because bullying is a subject that can be close to the heart of anyone. I can understand the impulse to say, “What about me?” when one watches a sudden outpouring of support and attention for someone’s plight, and know that the same thing happened not long ago to the one.
But I say this: if you truly feel so strongly about bullying, then seek out the organizations and groups that fight it. Volunteer, donate, and find out what events they are hosting to bring awareness to the problems of so many youth. Don’t spend your time flailing about on Facebook, scoffing at the people who wear purple, and decrying those who ignore the plights of all youth to focus on a small group. Put your money where your mouth is, literally.
For many kids out there, who saw their classmates and their teachers dressed in purple, they saw, perhaps for the first time, that they weren’t alone. How many LGBTQ kids are out there, afraid to come out and tell people what they are, for fear of hatred and intolerance? How many of them received just a glimmer of hope at seeing that not everyone hates them for how they feel? Doesn’t that mean something? Isn’t that something good?
But the whiners will say that wearing purple does nothing. They’ll ask, “What about the straight kids?” Well, if even one youth, who was thinking of ending it all, saw that there are people out there who care, and goes on living, then I’d say wearing purple did something. And perhaps this day may have meant a little less for the gay and lesbian youth if it were a general day for anti-bullying. The message we’d send is, “Yeah, you got it tough, fag, but so do we.”
Nine out of ten LGBTQ youth are victims of bullying. Think about that. Nine out of ten. What do you think the percentage is for straight kids? And those same youth are four times as likely to take their own lives as straight youth. Those are some scary numbers. I’ve experienced bullying, too. I was pinned up against the wall and threatened. I was crank called and mocked. But, y’know, I think that I can set my own interests aside for the kids in the LGBTQ community. And hey, let me know when you plan to stop whining and hold an event for all the victims of bullying. I’ll wear my colours, fly the banner, and encourage donations to the right sources; or if I choose not to, I’ll be sure to keep from whining about it over Facebook.
Please donate to Kids Help Phone, an organization dedicated to helping children and teens who are struggling and need someone to talk to.
Friday, October 15, 2010
OMG! I'm losing!
Oh my! I’m losing the blog-off, bloggowar bloggulations against Chelsea! Meeeeps! Clearly, I need to come up with the best blog post ever!
. . .
. . .
Um.
There once was a man from Nantucket!
. . .
So, I have a cache of unfinished blog posts. Things I was going to write about Nightfall Ablaze, but then never finished, and they quickly became irrelevant.
Thoughts on life and death and such things.
Poetry.
It just sits here, now, staring at me. Waiting to have purpose.
I’m having trouble working on Lacerta. It’s difficult writing a one-person show, especially since I haven’t seen very many, and have never written one really. Should I make it more like someone telling a story? That might work out, especially since I’m drawing a lot of my influence from native culture, and they had quite the oral tradition.
I find myself often losing focus, drifting into thoughts that have terrified me of late. Things I should not torment myself with. Occasionally it colours the work, which could work out. I don’t know. I’ve just been having trouble writing it.
Anyways, I have an essay I should be editing. Damn you, Kevin!
Have a good night, all.
~FDS
. . .
. . .
Um.
There once was a man from Nantucket!
. . .
So, I have a cache of unfinished blog posts. Things I was going to write about Nightfall Ablaze, but then never finished, and they quickly became irrelevant.
Thoughts on life and death and such things.
Poetry.
It just sits here, now, staring at me. Waiting to have purpose.
I’m having trouble working on Lacerta. It’s difficult writing a one-person show, especially since I haven’t seen very many, and have never written one really. Should I make it more like someone telling a story? That might work out, especially since I’m drawing a lot of my influence from native culture, and they had quite the oral tradition.
I find myself often losing focus, drifting into thoughts that have terrified me of late. Things I should not torment myself with. Occasionally it colours the work, which could work out. I don’t know. I’ve just been having trouble writing it.
Anyways, I have an essay I should be editing. Damn you, Kevin!
Have a good night, all.
~FDS
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Blogging of the Bloggonaughts-Laughing Gall
Good day, dear Squirrels and Squiggle-fish!
I have decided to bloggulate! Because bloggulation is fun. As fun as it is squishy.
*cough*
At any rate, I am getting more involved in a project called Laughing Gall Productions. It’s headed by my sister-in-spirit Mary, and it’s really quite delightful! It works off a lot of things that I like, and would find in an ideal art world; everything it strives to do is collaborative and supportive.
I’ll work off an example that Mary gave on how Laughing Gall Productions works. Let’s say that you want to want to make a pen and paper RPG. You have some ideas for a campaign setting and a story, and even some ideas for rules, but you need help. So, you turn to the group and then someone who’s big on rules and numbers helps you work out the details on how to make the system function. Great! Now wouldn’t it be great to see it action? Well, some people in the group like pen and paper games, so they run their buddies on some adventures, trouble shoot, see how it goes. Now there’s a basis for an idea. Maybe you could make a rule book out of it! Needs art. Through Laughing Gall, you find someone who’d love to do some drawings for you. You go on and on, work together to figure out a good self-publishing option, maybe even just making little booklets to sell at your local comic book store (and maybe some of the others will try to get their local stores to sell it, too). Suddenly your little idea gets somewhere, and with the help of a community of artists. Maybe it doesn’t get much farther than that, maybe it turns into something, who knows? But the point is, that you turn your ideas into something tangible and bring your art to life.
That’s also what I’m loving about Laughing Gall.: the sweeping definition of art. We’re all artists in our own way, whether we paint, write, or code; it’s all about creation. Right now, a few of us have been looking around the net for different self-publishing services and seeing what might be best for people. We can share what we’ve learned, work together to help someone publish, or just send someone looking in a new direction. Overall, I think the concept is really cool, and it definitely has potential to help emerging artists. If nothing else, it could just be a great community for people to share their works, receive feedback, and support.
So yeah, I’m really excited about that. Laughing Gall Productions. Stops time. Tell your friends. ^_~
The reason I’m going on about this, is because I’ll be dedicating blog time to talking about different projects I’m working on in conjunction with Laughing Gall. It was suggested that we all keep a blog and update it on a monthly basis to talk about what we’re doing. It gives all of the people involved in Laughing Gall a chance to keep up with everyone’s goings-on, and it’s also to help us keep focused. If we go to write a blog post and we haven’t done anything new for a month, well then that’s a sign to get productive and make some dreams come true, damnit! ^^
What am I working on? Well, I just finished Nightfall Ablaze, my first self-produced show and first show under the name of my own company Within Theatre. I have begun contemplating over a new play that I have tentatively titled Lacerta. I won’t give much away (since it’s still in its infancy), but it is a one-person show that combines spirituality, self discovery, astronomy, Native American and Native Canadian mythos and storytelling, and an acid trip gone horribly horribly wrong. Actually, that’s quite a comprehensive description for what I have in mind. So yeah! Exciting!
I am also working on a new project that I’m hoping Laughing Gall can help me get out of my imagination and into something more real. I’m calling it Empyrean Theatrics. It’s an open database of plays for schools and non-profit or emerging theatres. These folks get completely free plays for performance, and emerging playwrights get their work “out there” and performed (hopefully) all over the world! So yeah, hopefully that works out.
So there you are. Big post for my first time back with the Bloggonaughts. Wish me luck, peoples! And feel free to get involved with Laughing Gall Productions. They’re awesome. ^_^
I have decided to bloggulate! Because bloggulation is fun. As fun as it is squishy.
*cough*
At any rate, I am getting more involved in a project called Laughing Gall Productions. It’s headed by my sister-in-spirit Mary, and it’s really quite delightful! It works off a lot of things that I like, and would find in an ideal art world; everything it strives to do is collaborative and supportive.
I’ll work off an example that Mary gave on how Laughing Gall Productions works. Let’s say that you want to want to make a pen and paper RPG. You have some ideas for a campaign setting and a story, and even some ideas for rules, but you need help. So, you turn to the group and then someone who’s big on rules and numbers helps you work out the details on how to make the system function. Great! Now wouldn’t it be great to see it action? Well, some people in the group like pen and paper games, so they run their buddies on some adventures, trouble shoot, see how it goes. Now there’s a basis for an idea. Maybe you could make a rule book out of it! Needs art. Through Laughing Gall, you find someone who’d love to do some drawings for you. You go on and on, work together to figure out a good self-publishing option, maybe even just making little booklets to sell at your local comic book store (and maybe some of the others will try to get their local stores to sell it, too). Suddenly your little idea gets somewhere, and with the help of a community of artists. Maybe it doesn’t get much farther than that, maybe it turns into something, who knows? But the point is, that you turn your ideas into something tangible and bring your art to life.
That’s also what I’m loving about Laughing Gall.: the sweeping definition of art. We’re all artists in our own way, whether we paint, write, or code; it’s all about creation. Right now, a few of us have been looking around the net for different self-publishing services and seeing what might be best for people. We can share what we’ve learned, work together to help someone publish, or just send someone looking in a new direction. Overall, I think the concept is really cool, and it definitely has potential to help emerging artists. If nothing else, it could just be a great community for people to share their works, receive feedback, and support.
So yeah, I’m really excited about that. Laughing Gall Productions. Stops time. Tell your friends. ^_~
The reason I’m going on about this, is because I’ll be dedicating blog time to talking about different projects I’m working on in conjunction with Laughing Gall. It was suggested that we all keep a blog and update it on a monthly basis to talk about what we’re doing. It gives all of the people involved in Laughing Gall a chance to keep up with everyone’s goings-on, and it’s also to help us keep focused. If we go to write a blog post and we haven’t done anything new for a month, well then that’s a sign to get productive and make some dreams come true, damnit! ^^
What am I working on? Well, I just finished Nightfall Ablaze, my first self-produced show and first show under the name of my own company Within Theatre. I have begun contemplating over a new play that I have tentatively titled Lacerta. I won’t give much away (since it’s still in its infancy), but it is a one-person show that combines spirituality, self discovery, astronomy, Native American and Native Canadian mythos and storytelling, and an acid trip gone horribly horribly wrong. Actually, that’s quite a comprehensive description for what I have in mind. So yeah! Exciting!
I am also working on a new project that I’m hoping Laughing Gall can help me get out of my imagination and into something more real. I’m calling it Empyrean Theatrics. It’s an open database of plays for schools and non-profit or emerging theatres. These folks get completely free plays for performance, and emerging playwrights get their work “out there” and performed (hopefully) all over the world! So yeah, hopefully that works out.
So there you are. Big post for my first time back with the Bloggonaughts. Wish me luck, peoples! And feel free to get involved with Laughing Gall Productions. They’re awesome. ^_^
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
News Blog! Blogging the News!
So, all of the blogs these days seem to be about something. You can be a humour blog. You can be a science blog. You can be a technology blog. I suppose this is kind of a diary blog, or a “reflections” blog or something like that . . . “personal” blog might fit it best. And that’s all fine, well and good . . . except no one reads it.
So, now I figure . . . why not go for the gusto? Why not have a really big, impressive blog like the blogonauts on the rest of the interwebs! Maybe I can make a place for myself! So, I present to you Within’s new format as . . . NEWS BLOG!!
Top breaking exciting news story full of news! Right now! Top of the day! Whooosh! News graphic!
BP, or Bathing Pretty as they like to be called, is planning to begin to plan to start a plan that will stop the oil leak that’s happening in a gulf somewhere! They’re gonna slap some mud on that leaky crag of leakitude and call it a day . . . TODAY! That’s right, it could very well be happening as we speak. They call this mud-slapping plan the “top kill” procedure, named for its ability to murder oil spills! That’s right! When this is done, there will be no more problems. Zero! None! . . . Insert the Russian word for nothing in here! Engineers are somehow involved.You go, you crazy learnèd bastards! You go! So, there you have it. Top breaking news broken into! Glad I could be of service.
Here’s a link to a similar story that I just so happened to find on a similar subject from the front page of the CBC website that I think I should post here, lest I incur legal penalties! SOURCE! Rar!
And now, VIDEO BLOGGING THE NEWS . . . IN CAPS LOCK!
Video blogs are more popular than ever. With blogs constantly competing to see who can be more awesome, it’s important to stay cutting edge. That’s why Within will always feature a special video blog on the news as well, as if it were a real newscast on the television! Here’s our breaking story on Apple, which was totally researched and not just taken from the CBC website again. For no reason other than I feel like it, I will post a link that says source in capital letters. SOURCE!
Now we turn to you . . . the reader!
One of the great things about blogging is the feedback! Sweet, juicy feedback! So, let me know what your thoughts are on the BP thing and whatever Apple’s up to. We can have a dialogue! Dialogue means talking with people. We can do that! And remember, trust Within to bring you the best news, the most news, the freshest news a mere 12 to 36 hours after CBC posts it!
So, now I figure . . . why not go for the gusto? Why not have a really big, impressive blog like the blogonauts on the rest of the interwebs! Maybe I can make a place for myself! So, I present to you Within’s new format as . . . NEWS BLOG!!
Top breaking exciting news story full of news! Right now! Top of the day! Whooosh! News graphic!
BP, or Bathing Pretty as they like to be called, is planning to begin to plan to start a plan that will stop the oil leak that’s happening in a gulf somewhere! They’re gonna slap some mud on that leaky crag of leakitude and call it a day . . . TODAY! That’s right, it could very well be happening as we speak. They call this mud-slapping plan the “top kill” procedure, named for its ability to murder oil spills! That’s right! When this is done, there will be no more problems. Zero! None! . . . Insert the Russian word for nothing in here! Engineers are somehow involved.You go, you crazy learnèd bastards! You go! So, there you have it. Top breaking news broken into! Glad I could be of service.
Here’s a link to a similar story that I just so happened to find on a similar subject from the front page of the CBC website that I think I should post here, lest I incur legal penalties! SOURCE! Rar!
And now, VIDEO BLOGGING THE NEWS . . . IN CAPS LOCK!
Video blogs are more popular than ever. With blogs constantly competing to see who can be more awesome, it’s important to stay cutting edge. That’s why Within will always feature a special video blog on the news as well, as if it were a real newscast on the television! Here’s our breaking story on Apple, which was totally researched and not just taken from the CBC website again. For no reason other than I feel like it, I will post a link that says source in capital letters. SOURCE!
Now we turn to you . . . the reader!
One of the great things about blogging is the feedback! Sweet, juicy feedback! So, let me know what your thoughts are on the BP thing and whatever Apple’s up to. We can have a dialogue! Dialogue means talking with people. We can do that! And remember, trust Within to bring you the best news, the most news, the freshest news a mere 12 to 36 hours after CBC posts it!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Yes, I'm Going to Have a Crazy Wedding
Wedding plans continue along their course, burbling and whirling and squirreling their way towards victory. I’ve been having a lot of fun lately picking out the wedding music for the reception.
In case anyone missed something, Audra and I are not going to be particularly traditional. Audra has made an amazing and beautiful wedding dress that is primarily in black, and she’s making me a stunning white coat. The coat is going to be a trench coat, too. Oh, and it will be the trench coat from The Matrix. Yep, perfectly untraditional.
So . . . the music. I’ve been trying to make a blend of music that will be fun to dance to, that will satisfy both the old and the young, that seems “wedding-y,” that is traditionally heard at dances, that both Audra and I enjoy . . . and that will make people pause and ask what the heck they’re dancing to.
The list includes dance party classics like Rasputin and Cotton-Eyed Joe. It has the exciting music of Ukrainian pop sensation Ruslana. It has some Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to satisfy some grandparents. And then things get crazy. I’m taking requests (so please feel free to request something in the comments), and I will do my best to include every request (even Ukulele de Chocobo from Final Fantasy IX). After the requests comes David picking stuff like crazy. Weird Al. Star Trekkin’ by The Firm. I even sent a tweet to one of my favourite music websites OverClocked ReMix and now I have a delightful blues piano arrangement of Super Mario Bros. added to the list.
Of course, not everyone is going to appreciate rockin’ techno, video game music, Apocalypica, and the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean being played at my wedding, but I’m having too much fun to care.
There’s been a lot of contention with Audra’s family and the unorthodox way we’ve been doing things. From the black wedding dress to a hall that won’t fit every cousin in Audra’s convoluted Ukrainian family to a private supper before the Reception. My own family isn’t any better; my grandpa will likely be upset that we’ll be dancing. But hey, we’re going to have a blast. We’re going to have the wedding that we want. It’ll be great. And at exactly one month away, there’s no gettin’ offa this train we’re on!
Get ready to rock.
In case anyone missed something, Audra and I are not going to be particularly traditional. Audra has made an amazing and beautiful wedding dress that is primarily in black, and she’s making me a stunning white coat. The coat is going to be a trench coat, too. Oh, and it will be the trench coat from The Matrix. Yep, perfectly untraditional.
So . . . the music. I’ve been trying to make a blend of music that will be fun to dance to, that will satisfy both the old and the young, that seems “wedding-y,” that is traditionally heard at dances, that both Audra and I enjoy . . . and that will make people pause and ask what the heck they’re dancing to.
The list includes dance party classics like Rasputin and Cotton-Eyed Joe. It has the exciting music of Ukrainian pop sensation Ruslana. It has some Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to satisfy some grandparents. And then things get crazy. I’m taking requests (so please feel free to request something in the comments), and I will do my best to include every request (even Ukulele de Chocobo from Final Fantasy IX). After the requests comes David picking stuff like crazy. Weird Al. Star Trekkin’ by The Firm. I even sent a tweet to one of my favourite music websites OverClocked ReMix and now I have a delightful blues piano arrangement of Super Mario Bros. added to the list.
Of course, not everyone is going to appreciate rockin’ techno, video game music, Apocalypica, and the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean being played at my wedding, but I’m having too much fun to care.
There’s been a lot of contention with Audra’s family and the unorthodox way we’ve been doing things. From the black wedding dress to a hall that won’t fit every cousin in Audra’s convoluted Ukrainian family to a private supper before the Reception. My own family isn’t any better; my grandpa will likely be upset that we’ll be dancing. But hey, we’re going to have a blast. We’re going to have the wedding that we want. It’ll be great. And at exactly one month away, there’s no gettin’ offa this train we’re on!
Get ready to rock.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Nightfall Ablaze -- Director's Reflections No.1
For the last few days I have been going over the script for my new show Nightfall Ablaze. I really want to get this “right.” That is to say, I want to create a show that everyone will enjoy, I want to be a strong director, and I want the actors working with me to feel a sense of growth from the process, and I want to impress my peers, former classmates, and teachers.
Since writing that first paragraph, I have completed my first blocking rehearsal. It was great. Allow me to explain to you exactly what great means.
I’ve been learning different things, bit by bit. I’ve been trying to keep the tidbits of information I gleaned while speaking with and working with Raymon during E. D. Feehan’s production of Within the Penumbra. He spoke of how objectives were the work of the director, and that through physicalization an actor can find all of the different actions and tactics that I have long found troublesome. I’ve read little pieces about directors and theatre styles, nothing substantial yet. So, while on one hand I wish that I had taken some time to read about, and learn about the vast wealth of knowledge that other directors and actors have learned, but on the other, it makes this project even more exciting. I’m taking the pieces I do know, and trying to find my own way with it. Trying to see what I can learn, before turning to the books. This is just a chance for me to experiment --to play.
I told my actors I have no idea what I’m doing, which may not be the best way to instill confidence in what we’re about to undergo, but I wanted everyone to understand that I want this to be a learning process for everyone. I want to see what we can do if we take these bits and pieces and ideas and theories that we’ve learned, mix them all together, and just try something. We can just go for it, and see what happens.
My first step was for everyone to come up with an objective. Something very basic, at the very root of what the character wanted. Whether grandiose or deeply personal, I wanted it something that could be very tangible and understandable at the root of that character. “I want to take over the world.” “I want redemption.” “I want balance.” “I want my own destiny.” I then asked them to create a gesture to encompass that desire. A full-body gesture that grows and shrinks and fills the room. I was basing this on the work with psychological gesture that we learned. I want to take this further, to make it so that we no longer need to think of an objective for the gesture, but that the gesture is the objective. Through pure physicalization we can see what every character wants and what they need from the other characters. That’s what I’m hoping to create.
Nightfall Ablaze will be performed completely in silhouette and candlelight. The use of gesture and physicalization will be key. I’m excited to see where we can take this and how far we can go. I’m not sure if we can do everything I want in the time given to us, but if we can start to scratch the surface on something interesting and powerful (which I hope this will be), then I think we’d have accomplished what we set out to do.
So yeah, first rehearsal was great. I can’t wait until next week.
Since writing that first paragraph, I have completed my first blocking rehearsal. It was great. Allow me to explain to you exactly what great means.
I’ve been learning different things, bit by bit. I’ve been trying to keep the tidbits of information I gleaned while speaking with and working with Raymon during E. D. Feehan’s production of Within the Penumbra. He spoke of how objectives were the work of the director, and that through physicalization an actor can find all of the different actions and tactics that I have long found troublesome. I’ve read little pieces about directors and theatre styles, nothing substantial yet. So, while on one hand I wish that I had taken some time to read about, and learn about the vast wealth of knowledge that other directors and actors have learned, but on the other, it makes this project even more exciting. I’m taking the pieces I do know, and trying to find my own way with it. Trying to see what I can learn, before turning to the books. This is just a chance for me to experiment --to play.
I told my actors I have no idea what I’m doing, which may not be the best way to instill confidence in what we’re about to undergo, but I wanted everyone to understand that I want this to be a learning process for everyone. I want to see what we can do if we take these bits and pieces and ideas and theories that we’ve learned, mix them all together, and just try something. We can just go for it, and see what happens.
My first step was for everyone to come up with an objective. Something very basic, at the very root of what the character wanted. Whether grandiose or deeply personal, I wanted it something that could be very tangible and understandable at the root of that character. “I want to take over the world.” “I want redemption.” “I want balance.” “I want my own destiny.” I then asked them to create a gesture to encompass that desire. A full-body gesture that grows and shrinks and fills the room. I was basing this on the work with psychological gesture that we learned. I want to take this further, to make it so that we no longer need to think of an objective for the gesture, but that the gesture is the objective. Through pure physicalization we can see what every character wants and what they need from the other characters. That’s what I’m hoping to create.
Nightfall Ablaze will be performed completely in silhouette and candlelight. The use of gesture and physicalization will be key. I’m excited to see where we can take this and how far we can go. I’m not sure if we can do everything I want in the time given to us, but if we can start to scratch the surface on something interesting and powerful (which I hope this will be), then I think we’d have accomplished what we set out to do.
So yeah, first rehearsal was great. I can’t wait until next week.
I Am The Internet
I’ve done it. I’ve taken the plunge. I joined Google Buzz after deleting it.
Ridding myself of Google Buzz was mostly a knee-jerk reaction to hearing about a young lady whose personal life was revealed to her abusive ex because of Google Buzz’s initial privacy settings. Also, it was totally my way of being all, “I am going to senselessly boycott something because you don’t use Facebook . . . Chelsea! Hah! So there!” But I have since realized that this is childish and silly. Sure, the privacy settings may suck, but it doesn’t do anything to me, a simpleton who doesn’t really do anything on Google. My gmail is mostly my spam folder anyway.
Then Chelsea said that she would consider joining Twitter (but not Facebook, never Facebook) if I got back on the Google Buzz band-wagon. And I thought, “You know, me. That seems fair. I never gave Google Buzz a chance, and it’s hypocritical of me to criticize Chelsea for not giving Twitter much of a chance, and then to not give Buzzing a chance. Besides, remember what the Dalai Llama said on, Twitter! ‘To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone .’ So, let’s go, me!” And here I am . . . on Google Buzz . . . and it doesn’t seem any more amazing than Facebook or Twitter, but hey, all social networking sites are the same nowadays anyway.
My dear friend and colleague Andy Carlson-McNab noted that I have become all “internet savvy.” That’s not to say that I can now use the internets and work their magic like a pro, but that I am using all of these funly networking sites and trying to be “cutting edge.” Now that I have a blog, three Twitter accounts (@EmpyClaw for me-ness, @FLoYD_Fest for official FLoYD Fest news, and @NooParkcast for anything and everything parking lot), Facebook, a website (in progress), a YouTube account (with posted videos!) and now Google Buzz, I feel that I have become the internet itself. Oh, except I don’t do Digg or Reddit or Myspace . . . and I think a few newer social networking tools have popped up that Felicia Day is on, but I totally haven’t heard of before. But beyond all of those things and more, I am totally the internet now!
So yeah. Um . . . Follow me on Google Buzz, I guess? I don’t know how that works. Just find me and do it. Or better yet, follow me on Twitter. ‘Cause Twitter’s sexy. Y’know, in a “I’d totally do that if I weren’t getting married” sort of way.
Peace out, waffles!
P.S. Read Chelsea’s blog and watch us battle to the undeath in a blog-off to end all blog-offs. http://somanyrants-solittletime.blogspot.com/
Ridding myself of Google Buzz was mostly a knee-jerk reaction to hearing about a young lady whose personal life was revealed to her abusive ex because of Google Buzz’s initial privacy settings. Also, it was totally my way of being all, “I am going to senselessly boycott something because you don’t use Facebook . . . Chelsea! Hah! So there!” But I have since realized that this is childish and silly. Sure, the privacy settings may suck, but it doesn’t do anything to me, a simpleton who doesn’t really do anything on Google. My gmail is mostly my spam folder anyway.
Then Chelsea said that she would consider joining Twitter (but not Facebook, never Facebook) if I got back on the Google Buzz band-wagon. And I thought, “You know, me. That seems fair. I never gave Google Buzz a chance, and it’s hypocritical of me to criticize Chelsea for not giving Twitter much of a chance, and then to not give Buzzing a chance. Besides, remember what the Dalai Llama said on, Twitter! ‘To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone .’ So, let’s go, me!” And here I am . . . on Google Buzz . . . and it doesn’t seem any more amazing than Facebook or Twitter, but hey, all social networking sites are the same nowadays anyway.
My dear friend and colleague Andy Carlson-McNab noted that I have become all “internet savvy.” That’s not to say that I can now use the internets and work their magic like a pro, but that I am using all of these funly networking sites and trying to be “cutting edge.” Now that I have a blog, three Twitter accounts (@EmpyClaw for me-ness, @FLoYD_Fest for official FLoYD Fest news, and @NooParkcast for anything and everything parking lot), Facebook, a website (in progress), a YouTube account (with posted videos!) and now Google Buzz, I feel that I have become the internet itself. Oh, except I don’t do Digg or Reddit or Myspace . . . and I think a few newer social networking tools have popped up that Felicia Day is on, but I totally haven’t heard of before. But beyond all of those things and more, I am totally the internet now!
So yeah. Um . . . Follow me on Google Buzz, I guess? I don’t know how that works. Just find me and do it. Or better yet, follow me on Twitter. ‘Cause Twitter’s sexy. Y’know, in a “I’d totally do that if I weren’t getting married” sort of way.
Peace out, waffles!
P.S. Read Chelsea’s blog and watch us battle to the undeath in a blog-off to end all blog-offs. http://somanyrants-solittletime.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
It's a Blog-Off, Apparently!
Note to self: never press enter after writing title. Apparently it automatically posts things.
Onward, then!
So, I received an e-mail from Chelsea, challenging me to a blog-off (essentially). She claimed that she would soon out-post me and that her popularity would soon surpass my own! Well, that's not surprising. But hey, gotta give it the ol' one-two for the Gipper, eh? Not sure what I'm talking about. Moving on!
I just wanted to post to say the gauntlet has been thrown down and subsequently picked up and subsequently pickled. That's right. I just pickled your gauntlet. Feel the burn.
Also of note, I suck at updating my website. I haven't worked on it for some time. And really, the only stuff I need to do is get the old stuff into the new format, but I have been lazy and thus failed. Ah well. In due time. Not like anyone has been anxiously waiting . . . Or that anyone will go to it when it's up. It's all for my own amusement anyway.
Oh, and while I am in the midst of battle Chelsea on this whole Web 2.0 thing, let me just say this: His Holiness the Dalai Llama is on Twitter. Get with the times, people. That said, the Dalai Llama did have this to say on Twitter recently: "To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than a thousand in someone else." I'll admit, I can be a jerkface. Now you have to join Twitter and Facebook, Chelsea. That's totally what His Holiness was getting at.
À bientôt!
Friday, March 26, 2010
A Message From The Artistic Director -- Thoughts on Theatre
This is a message for all of the wonderful people who write, direct, and act shows for FLoYD, so sit back and enjoy!
Now, it is fairly well known that my ideas on theatre differ slightly from others'. Kevin and I have had many an argument on the play as artistic expression vs. the play as entertainment. The thing is, we're both right. It all just comes down a bit to semantics.
Theatre is here to entertain people, but that doesn't mean that we are only entertained when it is goofy, or comedic, or making us smile. To entertain is also to give attention or consideration to something like an idea or a feeling. And while this definition is considered in an introspective context, I think it is something that can also be projected outward. As artists, actors, writers, and directors, we are trying to convey an idea or a feeling to an audience: to "entertain" them. That's where the artistic expression comes in. We want to tell the audience what we want to tell them. We want to express ourselves, and invite the audience into our story. Without artistically expressing ourselves, we cannot truly entertain people.
I have never been a fan of catering to the audience. I think that people need to be challenged, and need to experience a whole world of different ideas and possibilities and beliefs and ways of doing things. By catering to the audience, one takes away an opportunity to grow. When one dumbs down the play because one thinks the audience won't understand, one is hurting both the art, and the audience. Rather than challenging them, making them ask, "Why is it happening like this? What is going on? How does this connect?" one is just giving them the answers. And perhaps, in the short run, this is for the best. The audience will leave satisfied and never give it a second thought. But if those questions aren't answered so easily, then it leaves them thinking. It is not so easily forgotten. It leaves them wanting more.
This was one of the tragedies of the show Trafford Tanzi at Greystone this year. After all was said and done, it was the "entertainment" that I despise so much; empty entertainment, I'll call it. For the whole show, the brain was entirely unnecessary. And I admit, I chanted along when I was supposed to, but not so much because I thought it would be fun. It was my role to do so as the audience was a part of the show. It was our duty as fellow actors to help the leading cast with our energy, lest we be labeled as a "bad audience." By the end, it was that empty entertainment, but not entertaining by making me think or feel. I didn't think or feel anything. And this is the problem with catering to the audience. One thinks, "Hey! This is a show about wrestling! Well, people are going to expect certain things, and they're going to want to be entertained! Let's do that and no more!" But, if something more had been brought to the table, it could have been just as entertaining for the masses (in the definition that most would consider), but still have left one with something more than this empty hole where ideas and feelings should be, and a regrettably lighter wallet.
I digress. This is just an example of my problem with theatre being used as empty entertainment. This is where artistic expression is so vitally important. One has to want to share an idea in order for theatre to be of any value. The playwright, the director, and the actor all need to have ideas and feelings to convey. Otherwise, the whole process is empty and meaningless. That's the key right there. As artists, we are doing what we are doing because it means something to us. It allows us to explore something within ourselves, within people, or beyond that. If we are creating empty entertainment, then our work will feel empty. And that is a dangerous thing.
If you're working as a cashier at Wal-Mart, you're not getting a lot out of your job. It doesn't make you feel like you're contributing something. You don't get a sense of fulfillment from telling someone that their selection of t-shirts will cost them $55 today. This is empty work. And when theatre becomes empty entertainment, it risks becoming empty work, too. Acting to pay the bills rather than something one can feel good about.
It can be argued that there is plenty of empty entertainment that makes a lot of money, and that actors do plenty of empty work, especially when they are first trying to make a name for themselves. Kevin (and others) would likely argue that the paying customers are very, very important for making theatre happen (which they are), and if they want empty entertainment, then we should give it to them. This is where I tell you that I am an idealist. We need to change things. We need to make people want more than emptiness. We need to eliminate empty entertainment. It will make everyone happier in the long run. That being said, I don't expect this to really happen. There has always been empty entertainment, and there always will be, but I say we fight against it rather than succumbing to it.
So, what I am saying in all of this, is that as Artistic Director for FLoYD Fest, I am committed to eliminating empty entertainment from the festival. That's not to say that you're play can't be fun or silly and that it has to be a very thought-provoking epic that will make me feel all the colours of the rainbow. What I'm saying, is that we will not be going into this thinking about what the audience wants. We will be asking what does the audience needs. The audience needs to see the actors. The audience needs to enjoy themselves. The audience needs to think. The audience needs to feel. Even if the thoughts and feelings are simplistic, at least they are not empty. So, keep that in mind, everyone.
I have one other message I'd like to share. Beware of feedback. I first became concerned when I heard that Andrew was undergoing major edits to Tables because of some feedback he received. Now, I'm not about to tell you not to ask for feedback, or get feedback. By all means, seek out as many people as you can. Get as many contributions and opinions, and points of view as possible. But then, sort out the grain from the chaff. You need to know what it is that you are trying to do with your work. You need to have a strong vision of what it is you are creating, so that you can stay true to that vision.
Raymon Montalbetti told me before of his dislike for audience feedback on things like staged readings, or feedback from what I will call "random people." The problem is, these sources are not committed to your work and your ideas. They do not need to take the time or effort to understand what you are doing, and give criticism in light of that. Instead, they just criticize without regard. In a staged reading, one audience member can dominate the discussion, and their ideas will have no relevance to what you are trying to do.
Case and point: the staged reading for The Veil of Night. With that project, I wanted to create a non-linear, unravelling story where no one really knew what was going on until the very end. I wanted my hero-figure male lead to have a grey area, where he was not a shining beacon of morality. What was some of the feedback from the audience? The non-linear nature confused them, so instead of offering ways to clarify my choices in the style I chose, they suggested I put the play into two acts where all of the stuff that happens in the beginning happens in act one, and all of the stuff that happens at the end happens in act two, creating an easy-to-follow, perfectly linear story. One person said they didn't like how my hero-figure wasn't "good" enough, and I should have made him a better person.
There was some really good feedback, but because of this extra clutter, I have been unable to repair the piece yet. Now, imagine if I had instead worked with a few people who were committed to my ideas, and tried to help me find ways of making everything work within the boundaries to which I had dedicated myself. It would have been a far easier process. Now, I know that I need to separate the useful from the useless feedback, and I think I could have an easier go at it.
My point is, to Andrew and to everyone who is currently "in process" for their work, really think about the feedback you are getting. Are these fleeting opinions from someone who may not understand what you are doing, or is this a critique from someone who has taken the time and effort to comprehend what you are trying to accomplish? Are you catering to the audience, or are you allowing your ideas to be expressed? Consider it this way: pretend you are making a clay pot and you received two criticisms. One person tells you, "That looks stupid, you should make it a bowl." The other says, "It looks like your pot needs some work. Here's what you can do to fix it." To whom are you going to listen? You should work the same way when you receive feedback on your work for FLoYD.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Birth-Life-Death
It’s amazing how fixated we are on death. How death grips us. How unreal it seems until we face it. Until we are touched by it.
Death has been explored throughout the creative arts. From the old storytellers, through paint, through theatre, and even in video games.
Hironobu Sakaguchi became fixated after the passing of his mother. Well, not fixated perhaps, but exploratory. In VII and Spirit Within, he explored our connection to the Earth, to our founding mother. Is all life connected? Do we all share something in common with the world around us? Perhaps we are made of the same stuff as the grass, and the trees, and the birds. Perhaps we are all connected to one living, breathing planet through The Lifestream, Gaia. In IX, we see just how fragile and short our lives are. And how important it is to fully live them. We can surrender ourselves to the fear of death, and do whatever we can to extend our lives, no matter how evil our actions become, like the Black Mages or Kuja. Or, we can embrace each moment we are given, and live our lives to the fullest. We do not know how long we have, whether it be one year, or twenty, or an hundred, but each moment is precious. Each moment we have with the people we love, each kiss, each glance, each smile and each tear is precious. We take so much of our lives for granted. When we finally do pass into death, what becomes of us is unknown. Do we rejoin the stream of life and return to the planet that created us? Or do we just . . . stop?
My own interests in theatre have always been on the darker side of the human condition. Despair, death, suffering, and tragedy. When one looks at my disposition, it’s hard to draw a connection between my work and myself. It’s because I believe that theatre and creativity allows us to explore an aspect of life that should exist precisely there: in the world of creativity and fiction. Life is for living. For happiness. For smiles and hugs and friendship. Let the world of death and sorrow, let the sea of shadows rest on the page. Let it dance on the stage. Let it breathe on the canvas. Not in our hearts.
But of course, the reality cannot be so rosey. I try to live my life this way; I try to leave sorrow in the realm of the imagination. But it is impossible to ignore the real sea of shadows that whirls and crashes against us. From the immense tragedies in places like Haiti or New Orleans to the ravaging wars in the Middle East, it is impossible for sorrow to live in a fictional world. This is made all the clearer when death touches you so closely.
Bonnie Leikam, the mother to one of Audra’s dearest friends, passed away last week. Hers was a spirit untouched by malice, and greed. She was selfless, kind, and caring. And it’s hard to believe in a world filled only with happiness when someone so sweet is taken well before her time. It is a tragedy that should only be felt in the creative mind.
Of course, I recognize my idea as being an ideal, and that it is naïve to think a sorrow-less and hate-less world could exist here on this plane. But, there is something that I think can happen: we can be free of despair. Despair is the surrendering of all hope that is left, when we refuse to accept the light anymore, when we drown within the sea of shadows. There is no need to despair, for there is always hope. In Within the Penumbra, I killed Hope,but I do not believe that Hope can truly die. Hope is not confined within one body or spirit. Hope exists within all of us, and even though we may not always see it, its light is still there.
Perhaps I need to focus on that, more, in my work. Perhaps I need to allow Hope’s light to shine through, even in the darkest of tragedies. Or perhaps we can all see the light in our own lives are brighter, if the light in a fictional world is burnt out.
Birth-Life-Death. It is a concept that I have heard second-hand, but is apparently taught by Mr. Montalbetti. As I understand it, each moment, each scene, everything has a birth, a life, and a death. Guedo once equated it to Beginning, Middle, End, but I think that the resonance of Birth-Life-Death is far stronger. Guedo presents a textbook approach to the work; it is an approach that is solely felt within the analytical mind. It is the approach of a scholar, or a student of English. But Birth-Life-Death . . . it is something beyond the mind. It is something wholly recognized by one’s very spirit, by the essence of a human being. It is something understood without words, without analysis, and without judgement. It is. It is the way of things, the order of our very world, and a far more powerful approach.
From black mages in a video game, to arguments on theatre . . . It’s all together. Each one of us is touched by tragedy, is touched by death. And each of us explores, and handles death in different ways.
I hope, Bonnie, that at the Death of this scene, you find yourself in the Birth of another. That you are approaching a whole new world and Life beyond anything that I could conjure onto paper. Bless you.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I see them...
“I see them”
By F. David Schultz
I see them.
Their mouths open and bleeding.
Sores forming on their hands.
I see them.
Waking. Dreaming.
I see them.
Dripping, leaking, the blood
Flows
Out.
Mouths agape in silent screaming ecstasy.
I hate them.
I see them.
Their eyes glazed over, the pain
gone
numb.
And I stare into their silvered eyes,
Hold a hand to my lip
And pray.
What will become of me?
What will happen when the lights go out?
Dripping, oozing,
They lick their bloody lips.
Do they feel pain? Do they feel like I do?
What happened to them? What happened that made them change so suddenly?
And oh.
Oh.
The heartache they must feel.
They must have felt.
Could they have felt.
If it had been.
Oh.
And I see them still.
They wait. They leer.
They look beyond the glass
and reach out with their fragile hands.
I want to reach back.
To hold them.
Caress.
Comfort.
But I cannot.
I see them
and they frighten me
Disgust
Dread me.
Do they know how I feel, with my eyes glazed over?
Eyes yearning for a better time
Freedom
From the coil
The wretch
The worm.
Hatred. Swirling.
Burning.
Quenching nothing.
I see
they wake.
I see
the storm.
I see
the ending of all things.
Biting, licking, touching, yearning.
Hateful, spiteful, bitter creatures.
And I will still see them.
For now. For
ever.
I see them always.
Waking.
Dreaming.
Through the glass.
They see me, too.
By F. David Schultz
I see them.
Their mouths open and bleeding.
Sores forming on their hands.
I see them.
Waking. Dreaming.
I see them.
Dripping, leaking, the blood
Flows
Out.
Mouths agape in silent screaming ecstasy.
I hate them.
I see them.
Their eyes glazed over, the pain
gone
numb.
And I stare into their silvered eyes,
Hold a hand to my lip
And pray.
What will become of me?
What will happen when the lights go out?
Dripping, oozing,
They lick their bloody lips.
Do they feel pain? Do they feel like I do?
What happened to them? What happened that made them change so suddenly?
And oh.
Oh.
The heartache they must feel.
They must have felt.
Could they have felt.
If it had been.
Oh.
And I see them still.
They wait. They leer.
They look beyond the glass
and reach out with their fragile hands.
I want to reach back.
To hold them.
Caress.
Comfort.
But I cannot.
I see them
and they frighten me
Disgust
Dread me.
Do they know how I feel, with my eyes glazed over?
Eyes yearning for a better time
Freedom
From the coil
The wretch
The worm.
Hatred. Swirling.
Burning.
Quenching nothing.
I see
they wake.
I see
the storm.
I see
the ending of all things.
Biting, licking, touching, yearning.
Hateful, spiteful, bitter creatures.
And I will still see them.
For now. For
ever.
I see them always.
Waking.
Dreaming.
Through the glass.
They see me, too.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Progress Moves Slowly.
Yesterday was a pretty lame day. I barely got out of bed, I spent too much money, I missed my bus to go to Yoga, and I spent most of my day at work (even after work). Work was incredibly slow and boring, and I didn't do anything. I tried working on my new script, currently known only as "Quartet" but could barely get a line of dialogue in before losing anything vaguely resembling an idea. I would have worked on ClawCo. but I just couldn't get myself to do it--procrastination rearing its ugly head.
So, I felt a little depressed by my lack of accomplishing anything meaningful whatsoever. On the bright side, I got to spend some time with Audra that I wouldn't have otherwise, and had a very fun chat with one of my co-workers, so that was okay.
And now I'm trying to get myself back on track. Be the infinity! And whatnot. So, hopefully today goes better and I can rock the waffle. I'm starting to lose it. Wish me luck. Half the day is already past, but there's plenty to do. Have a great day, all 0 of you who read this. :^p
Thursday, March 4, 2010
And so it begins.
I've decided to become more internet savvy and create a blog for myself to type out my inane thoughts and rants and flailing arm gestures. I shall become totally emerged in this internet realm, and then weep at my own failures.
I am now hard at work (sorta . . . not really) at sprucing up the ClawCo. website. I'm keeping the basic coding and design that was created by Colin Basnett, wonderful guy that he is. No idea where he is now, but his memory shall live on in ClawCo. (I'm pretty sure he's not dead. He's too cool for that.)
So, now my Facebook, Twitter, and Blog shall fly across the internet as an interwoven web of weaving madness and woven . . . wubbles. Yeah.
Interesting note about ClawCo. (Sentence fragment!) I have decided to retain the old stuff from when I was 11-15 that is probably really really laaame now, but was so totally awesome back then. It shall serve as a monument to the silliness of youth. Also, I recall promising people to never change back when I was 12 or so, and so I MUST COMPLY! *spins around* Look what I can do! See? See? I'm awesome! Weeee! *smash into pole*
Okay! So, have fun. Rock on. Lots of love. Keep you posted on the awesome sauce. Love!
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