T. James Belich
02/05/09

A break from writing...

Since finishing draft 2 of the one-man show I've taken a short break from working on the writing of that and have instead focused on some other aspects. The set requirements are a little tricky (not so much because they're complex but because they have to be able to fit in my small car) so I decided to take some time and work on those. The major set piece is a blackboard which doubles as an "offstage" area that I can duck behind and change costumes. I've spent the last week or so working on that, having turned my basement into a mini-scene shop. Because it has to fit into a car it comes apart into a couple of pieces and then folds up, and I was very relieved when I was able to successfully fit it into my car. It's nice when the picture you have in your head works, more or less, when you turn it into reality. The chalkboard still needs a few finishing touches, but that's one tech item down and several to go...


The trunk is going to be a little more tricky. I have to fit inside it, and it has to fit inside my car... which now will have a folded-up chalkboard inside it already. I was having difficulty finding trunks that would fit the bill even not taking into account the chalkboard, so I've come to the conclusion that the trunk too will need to be built, and in such a way that it can be disassembled for simpler transport. Hmm.... Perhaps I should write the next draft of the play first; the set building makes for a nice change of pace in-between drafts.


And the other day the official list for the MN Fringe Festival lottery came out: 317 shows vying for about 150 slots. Keep your fingers crossed for lucky number 10.


11 days until the Fringe lottery. 175 days until Fringe.

3 comments

# Claudia on 02/05/09 at 21:59
Oh Jim - I just laughed. I write plays figuring in the school bus schedule for matinee performances and you design sets according to the space in your car. We should go to an MFA playwriting program and speak to them about the reality of doing theatre. I had an idea for ablog - but maybe that's my next blog!
# T. James Belich [Member] Email on 02/05/09 at 22:55
That's part of the beauty of playwrighting, isn't it? The grandest ideas can never be fully divorced from the realities of production! I'm a big fan of keeping tech to a minimum, keeping things about the story and the characters. Fringe is good that way. You have 10 minutes to set up, and 10 minutes to tear down, no more. It forces you to keep things simple. And I like the idea of addressing a program about the realities. I think this is why every playwright should try the production side of theater at least once - some things you never think about until you're the one who has to make it all happen on stage! :-) And I suspect that when it comes to matinee times school are just as persnickety as the Fringe, perhaps more so!
# Claudia Haas on 02/08/09 at 21:02
A playwright once told me I could anything I wanted with settings - it would be up to the designer to figure it out. All I see is a huge "un-producable" (is that a word?) bin filled with plays that may be good but laden with set requirements that could backrupt a theatre. That's why no helicopters land onstage in my plays. And twice - as a director - I have had to design my own set. (Not build it ... whew). I do agree a playwright should understand acting, directing and design.

It seems a silly thing - that the busses must get the kids back to school at 11:30 a.m. for lunch - but the reality is - for some kids - it's their only hot meal of the day.

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