Don't bother "saving theatre"

You've heard the gloom and doom predictions about theatre, I'm sure. They usually sound like one of these:

• The audiences are all older people, and when they die... no one will come.  
• Movies are killing live theatre. 
• The internet is killing theatre. 
• It's the prices! 
• People just don't have long enough attention spans.

Some of the above things have some truth to them, but I want to address this idea of "saving theatre."  I think it's misguided.  Me and the internet like lists so I'll make a bunch of vaguely outlandish claims and then support them with my experience or logic.  

(First let me make a distinction between what Broadway is/should be doing vs. nearly everywhere else. Broadway is a behemoth, high cost, high risk market, and what they're doing has little to do with what I'm talking about.  Broadway is largely (but not entirely) a tourist trap where only the shows that are known commodities and which have a very wide appeal will ever be successful.  I'm not really talking about those theatres.  They are in a trap of producing the Big Macs of theatre, and they can't really do much else.  It's not their fault. Blaming them for playing it safe would be like blaming a tight-rope walker for concentrating on balance.) 

1. Theatre doesn't need saving.   

During many periods in history, theatre was the popular form of entertainment.  It no longer is. Let it go.  The dominant form of entertainment will always be 1. the most convenient and 2. the broadest and least challenging thematically.  "Ease of access" and "lacking in substance" will always be the recipe for WIDE appeal.  Examples: McDonald's, Candy Crush, YouTube videos of cats in your FB feed.  It's right there, and it takes no investment of time, money, or thinking.  Theatre used to fill some of those needs, but it is no longer the easiest to access and it's rarely vapid in content.   

Happily, theatre doesn't have to be for the masses. Because things made for the masses are dumb and often bad for the masses.  I am suspicious of any work of art that everybody likes.  It usually means it's too easy to be profound, and too socially reiterative (read: the way things are now, is the way they should be).   

The truth is, theatre has found its place on the artistic landscape.  Poetry, dance, symphony orchestras, and studio art aren't trying to produce the next Marvel superhero movie, so why is theatre looking so hard to be something everybody likes?  Not everyone will love theatre and that's ok.   

Don't get me wrong, I have a considerable evangelical zeal for the art form.  I have spent most of my adult life introducing people to theatre and trying to get them to engage as audiences or artists.  I have just learned to stop bemoaning the fact that I dedicate countless hours to the production and promotion of a play, and most people would rather just watch Netflix.   

But theatre is not going anywhere.  It may not be as popular as it has been, the market may shrink, and there are certainly drawbacks for the artform as a result.  But history has shown us again and again that humanity longs to enflesh its beliefs, big questions, and demands for justice in a communal setting.   

2. The internet and cellphones are neither the destroyers or saviors of theatre.   

It's funny to me that many theatre people forget the words of Shakespeare: "There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."  The internet falls into this category as well.   

There are those who bemoan its impact on the brains and attention spans of audiences. These are some of the doomsayers who think that there's no way we can make theatre work in a world where people want to check their phones every ten minutes.   

Then, on the other end of the spectrum are those who want to make theatre more like the internet to appeal to the digital generation.  I've seen productions that encourage people to Tweet about the production with a hashtag during the performance and they even project the tweets on a screen throughout the show.  And of course, smart theatre promoters have been able to utilize social media. 

I don't believe that smart phones and Facebook have made us dumber.  I believe that this generation has been brought up to read, process, and synthesize at a much more rapid rate that other generations.  Some would argue that they can't just sit down and read a book well, and that's true for some.  But the kind of "reading" people are doing today is just a different kind than that of the past.  Creators of theatre can certainly take this into consideration, but I think it's a mistake to think that all theatre now needs to feel like 140 character tweets, or 2-minute cat videos.   

As a side note, I think playwrights, directors, and designers will be wrestling for sometime with staging the internet.  It's not something we need to do to stay sexy, but it is necessary because the internet is a locus of culture.  People meet, fall in love, create and destroy on the internet.  We can't ignore it.  But staging it presents an interesting challenge.  I've seen some plays do this well, including dark play or stories for boys and Water by the Spoonful.  It will be interesting to see how future plays take it on.   

3.  It's okay if your audience is nearly dead, as long as your theatre isn't

I see a lot of people bemoaning theatres doing 50-year-old musicals and Neil Simon plays in an effort to get the blue-hair crowd.  And I understand the commercial necessities of producing plays that will fill seats.  The truth is, people just don't come to shows they don't know.  I am a HUGE fan of new work, and would dedicate my work entirely to it if I could. But a theatre without an audience isn't a theatre at all.

So, it's fine to do older plays occasionally, or plays that will appeal to an older audience sometimes, but it must always be ALIVE!  I simply mean, that doing Arsenic and Old Lace exactly as it has been done for the last 60 years might please your blue hairs (and it might not), but it will kill your theatre.  

We must never lose sight of what makes theatre unique and powerful.  We must never be reduced to doing a play that would be just as successful as a movie.  This has a lot to do with how we tell the story, staging, audience arrangement, etc.  How can we make the "aliveness" of the work, the urgency of live theatre, conspicuous and meaningful?  

The best plays, the ones I want to see and direct are the ones that demand to be live theatre.  I want people to walk out of performances I direct saying, "That HAD to be a live experience".  If you could video tape my play and get a pretty good idea of the experience, I have failed.  

Once audiences, new and old, come to trust the work of your company, they'll trust you enough to come see a newer or lesser-known work.

So, do "A Christmas Carol" if you must, but figure out how to make it something special for the people who decided to see your version. Or next Christmas you can bet they'll just watch it on Netflix.  

4.  Let there be theatre on Earth, and let it begin with me.   

For as many conversations as I've had about "the future of theatre" on a national or international scale, exactly zero of those conversations have been with the director of the NEA, or program directors for major theatres like the Steppenwolf or the Arena Stage.  So why are we playing armchair commander, when we are foot soldiers, at best?  Our job is to make theatre, support theatre, and see theatre (oh, and probably to bring our friends). Period.   

Nothing will transform people into theatre-lovers like them giving them the chance to love theatre.   

The future patrons of theatre are in middle schools, high schools, and universities right now.  And I'm not talking about those kids that are destined for the stage.  I'm talking about the DABBLERS!  Dabblers are the future.  I know lots of theatre educators and what I hope they are doing for the majority of kids is giving them the love of theatre. That's it.  Be infectious with your love of the thing.  People will go see a play as adults if they were in that show in middle school, or they read it in high school and loved it.  I know far too many theatre teachers who think they need to be tyrants in order to get hard work and good productions out of their unskilled casts.  I'd rather high schoolers do terrible productions and love theatre, then do great shows but be resentful about their treatment during rehearsals.  

So we need to teach people how awesome this thing is.  Here are a few tips on theatre evangelism:

• One-on-one outreach works the best. Invite along a friend to a show, especially someone who doesn't consider themselves "a theatre person".  Guilt your friends and family into seeing the shows you are in.  

• Kids get and enjoy more theatre than you think. Bring them to grown up plays, not just children's theatre.  Most people who love plays were exposed to them early on.

• Be mindful of "Gateway" theatre.  Don't bring a staunch conservative to a showing of Hair. Don't bring a first time theatre person to a high minded, avant-garde work about suicide.  DO bring people to improv shows to get them exposed to live performance, then follow it up with a scripted comedy.  Then they might be ready for something heavier.  DO start people off with a very fun stuff, or straight-forward stories. Remember for most non-Theatre people STORY matters the absolute most.  If you have become fond of unresolved endings or non-linear plays, you might want to leave your "beginners" at home for those.  

• Get involved in bad stuff.  No one was a brilliant playwright, director, or actor in their first production. We get better by doing it more, but if beginners keep having doors shut in their face, or being judged as poor quality, they will leave the artform defeated.  So help the local community theatre, give the aspiring playwright feedback on his script. And remember that you sucked once too.  

I'm certain there will be people who disagree with me on a lot of this.  And that's okay.  I have been fighting the fight for theatre for a long time, and these lessons are earned through some success and a lot of failure.  But there's a lot of wild speculation in there as well. Feel free to take me to task on those.  :)  

When "Almost, Maine" almost wasn't; a playwright asks WWJD

When I first joined the theatre faculty at Lee University I chose John Cariani’s (now very popular) Almost, Maine as the first play I would direct. 

It’s an alternately sweet, sad, and funny play about love.  About finding it, losing it, being surprised by it, and realizing when it’s passed you by.   The play is made up of several stand-alone vignettes featuring the various residents of a rural stretch of Maine.  Exactly the kind of play an audience of Lee Theatre production would enjoy.  Oh, and also there is a scene in the play where the people who find love both happen to be men. 

Lee is a Christian liberal arts university in a very conservative region.  So, I knew that we could only produce the play if we omitted that particular scene.  It’s sweet and, compared to virtually any other television or film depiction of gay relationships, it is very innocuous.  Still, doing the scene would be so controversial that the rest of the play would be overshadowed.  That’s a waste of a lot of time and energy on our part, if the audience doesn’t even notice the other 90% of the play. 

However, we knew it would be both immoral and illegal to cut the scene without the playwright’s permission. Unfortunately, I was running out of time, if I didn't get permission pretty quickly it would be back to the drawing board in finding an appropriate play for my first production at Lee. I got lucky and found the email address of the playwright, Mr. John Cariani. 

I largely expected a “no”. In fact, I probably would’ve said no had the tables been turned.  But instead, we received the following very gracious reply.

I want you to know how much I appreciated your e-mail. "They Fell" has been cut from the play so many times--and I have learned about the cut after the fact. So uncool. But your wonderful e-mail--made me feel so...respected! It meant so much. I appreciate your kind words about ALMOST, MAINE. And I really do feel for you and Catherine and Christine. I am so sorry you have to deal with stuff like this. It's so lousy.

So...my initial reaction to your request was NO WAY! But--when I thought about the lousy position you're in...well, I decided that saying NO WAY is just mean. Fighting hate with hate, kind of. And that's not cool. So I say--go for it. I don't want to be a hater. I think omitting "They Fell" makes ALMOST, MAINE a lamer play. But--I understand your position, and feel like the rest of the play should be heard! So...here's me granting you permission to do the play without "They Fell." With one caveat. I would like there to a note in the program from me. It's below.

October 2, 2010

Greensboro, North Carolina

Dear Audience Members,

Lee University's production of ALMOST, MAINE is not being performed in its entirety. One scene, called "They Fell," has been omitted. When I was initially approached about allowing ALMOST, MAINE to be performed without this scene, my response was, "Absolutely not." "They Fell" is a story of two people who literally fall in love. I think it is an interesting examination of love, of being true to your heart, and to yourself. To me, redacting the scene lessens the impact of ALMOST, MAINE as a whole.

Initially, I was very angry that anyone would even consider cutting the scene. However, good decisions are never made in the heat of the moment. As I thought about the request, I realized that perhaps I was being intolerant, imposing my values on others. I was also making my decision from a place of anger and that's just no good. I'm a Christian, so I asked myself:  WWJD?  He'd probably allow the production so that at least part of the message of the play would be imparted. So, that's what I decided to do. "They Fell" was never written to inflame or offend, it was simply to tell a story--a love story-- and I don't think that is wrong. I hope that after you see this production of ALMOST, MAINE, you will seek out a copy of the full script and read "They Fell."

I hope you enjoy the show.

Sincerely,

John Cariani

"But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."--Matthew 5:44-45

If you think any of this is a bad idea, please let me know.

Thanks for your kind words and for doing what you do. Boy--theatre seems so important at places like Lee. Fight the fight!

With great respect,

John

[Joyful music] We were of course stunned.  We couldn’t believe his response.  When we went to our university’s administrators with his reply, they were thrilled!  They told us to go ahead and do the play and publish the playwright’s note in the program, but... to cut the Bible verse.  [Record scratch] They believed it was combative, and to be honest, I could see their point.  This was going to be difficult.  Now I had to write back to this man who has done a very selfless thing by considering our audience above his own written work, and ask if I could cut the BIBLE verse, of all things, from his letter. 

Most of my letter was very positive.  I thanked him for his permission and wrote about how excited I was about the instructive possibilities of this situation for our students and audiences.  And then I included this:

You asked me if I thought any of it was a bad idea.  And as you can tell from my gushing thus far, I think it's a very GOOD idea.  There's one thing I would like to mention.  You quote a Bible verse at the end of your program note.  And while I understand its appropriateness to the situation, I am concerned that some reading it might interpret words like "persecutors" and "unrighteous" as combative in this context.  I think anything that smacks of an "us" vs. "them" sentiment undoes all the good that can happen here.  I would recommend keeping the letter exactly like it is and either removing the verse or choosing another one.  I don't think you meant to say that Lee audiences are "the enemy", clearly you're talking about prejudice and hate.  But I wouldn't want anyone to think you're applying those labels onto the very people reading the note.

It was several days before I heard anything in response. I thought we had lost him. We’d asked too much.  I was reading other plays in case I had to do a last minute switch.  But finally, he replied with this: 

Well... I think this is all extraordinary. Can we talk? Call me: [his cell phone number omitted]. I am a little busy with my new play and can't properly respond to this in an e-mail--just don't have the time--because I have a deadline!  But--let's cut the Bible verse. That was a barb on my part. No need for it. Or any verse. I don't want to demonize--and that's what I was doing. No good. Good catch. So--the letter--without the verse. Perfect.

This dialogue is so great. Because it's a DIALOGUE! I bet you guys get screamed at all the time for asking to modify plays...and you're all Christians who believe in the power of theatre! And...I wish more playwrights would just revolt from within. Disguise their points a little more. And...I wish more theatre people in NYC believed in the power of God! And I'm not real "Goddy."

A few days later, I did call him and we had a great chat.  He told me how hard it was for him as a New York City playwright to deal seriously with faith in his plays. He wasn’t trying to write plays about Jesus, but he felt like no one would take any character seriously if he/she was a person of faith.  And as I shared some of the struggles we had at Lee, we realized we had inverse versions of the same problem.  I often struggled to serve art well in a world filled with religious people, and he often struggled to serve religion well in a world of artistic people. 

At the end of the conversation, I felt truly blest. In this dialogue, I encountered God.  I was blessed by the experience.  In this unexpected, respectful connection, I told Mr. Cariani that I sensed God's presence and he voiced a similar notion. I told him that I believe God exists and manifests himself most clearly in the spaces between people. And to put it simply, in our connection, God showed up.

I am in the connection business.  In my art, in my teaching, I strive to help people connect people.  Audiences to performers, students to playwrights, designers to directors, etc.  As I go forward I will strive to remember the humility of my friend, Mr. Cariani when I want to make those connections God-filled ones.

Ultimately, the play was produced and was a big crowd pleaser.  Best of all, our audiences, our cast and crew, and the director learned a lesson in grace from a playwright who thinks he's not real "Goddy".

Cast of Almost, Maine at Lee University - 2010

Let us love one another, for anyone that loves is borne of God and knows God. (no one asked me to cut this verse)

**Please note:  Anyone reading this article should not assume that Mr. Cariani would grant this permission to any such request.  I would not be willing to speak on his behalf regarding any special requests regarding his work. And you should contact the playwright or his agent. 

Audition Tips

This weekend I saw nearly 300 high school seniors auditioning for college theatre programs at SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference). On the whole, I saw a number of fantastically talented students, many who seem very kind, and excited about this crazy art form that I love. So, you know... that's good.

But of course, after about number 88, you start to realize there are some types of monologues you are just praying will stop. I thought I'd share some of my observations from the point of view of an auditor. I can't say that EVERY theatre professor/recruiter will agree with these, but I'm betting they'll be on board. (Special thanks to my new friend Amanda Wansa Morgan, from Ole Miss, who was very fun to sit next to during the first portion of these auditions.)

So, here are the tips. A list of 9 DON'Ts followed by 1 big DO: (and then a SECRET of auditions)

1. Don't cry.  I know, you want to show your emotional range.  And what actor doesn't fantasize about that UGLY CRY moment where they lay it all bare on the stage and the audience is left flabbergasted?  But the truth is, those moments are earned by the full length journey that a character takes throughout the course of a whole play.  I only care about your crying if I know you, if I feel your pain with you because I've gone with you on a part of your journey.  In a 1-2 minute monologue, we don't have that.  And no matter how good you are, we won't have it.  So mostly, crying monologues just feel whiney, hard to understand, and uncomfortable.
   
   If you absolutely must do a sad monologue, than do everything in your power to play against the sadness.  I'm much more moved by a person who is trying not to show that they are sad, than by someone who has just given themselves over to screams and tears.  If I see you deliberately trying to hide sadness, or any emotion, really, than I might take notice.  But, in truth, it'd be better not to do a sad monologue at all.
   
2. No monologues about suicide.  I know it's a serious topic.  But it feels cheap, like an after-school special (does that reference make sense anymore?).  It feels like you are using the seriousness of suicide to make me take you seriously.  And it doesn't work.  It just makes me feel uncomfortable, and not in a good way.
   
3. Or cancer.
   
4. Or rape.
   
5. Or being molested.
   
6. Don't choose "adult" material.  I'm no prude, but in most of these auditions you have a lot of older professors watching a much younger actor or actress (often 18 or younger).  When you talk about sex, or your body,  it's difficult to like your monologue without feeling a bit creepy.  We don't want to be creepy.  We want to see the best in you. We want to feel great about helping you along the way of your career.  But not this way.
   
7. Don't scream or yell!  It feels like a cheap way to get my attention, and I might spill my coffee a bit, which makes me like you less.
   
8. Don't be quiet (even for dramatic effect).  Whenever a song or monologue was too quiet during the SETC auditions, I'd lean in to try to hear better, and my new friend Amanda, from Ole Miss, would say "it's a secret".  Don't have secrets.
   
9. Don't stand still and don't move uncontrollably.  So many students walked up to the downstage center spot, looked straight ahead, and delivered their monologues nearly motionless. MOVE!  Theatre is a visual as well as auditory art.  If you can't use your body to convey a character, then I have no idea if you can act.  I always tell my students, "If you could have performed your monologue just as effectively over the phone, it wasn't very good."
   
   On the flip side of this, don't move all over with no apparent control of your arms and legs.  You should make CHOICES about when to move, when to gesture.  Your ability to identify the moments and movements of the monologue are what I'm looking for.  Have someone direct your monologue for you.  Find someone you trust to find the move points and give you feedback.
   
10. And finally the DO ... MAKE US LAUGH!!! I used to think this was just a suggestion, but after watching 270 or so students I have decided this is the only IMPERATIVE in an audition. Pick a funny monologue or song, and make us laugh the whole time.  If you can make us laugh, I don't need to see that you can "do serious" as well.  Comedic monologues done well require serious acting, it's all I need to see.  (I'd even go so far as to say that if the audition calls for contrasting, make the language/period contrast, but make them both funny.)
    
    Which brings me to the secret... 

SECRET TIP:  More than you think, and certainly more than most adjudicators will admit, we are looking for students that will be a joy to work with.  And I honestly believe that if you do a crying, weeping, or screaming monologue, there's a part of us that feels like you may be like that in real life. And we would rather pick the guy or girl who has us laughing in the middle of a long day.

So, when picking a monologue, pick a character who you'd have a lot of fun hanging out with. Seriously. It sounds stupidly simple, but I'm 98% positive it will work better than a screaming, weeping monologue about someone who committed suicide after aborting her baby. 

A few bonus tips that are purely my opinion:  

• No songs from Phantom, Guys and Dolls, or Les Mis.  
• No monologues from Our Town or The Fantasticks.  If you notice the professors saying the monologues along with you, you have chosen something too common.  
• I love Dr. Who as much as the next guy, but I think bow ties are done.  (I know, I'll get some pushback here.)  
• I used to be a real stickler with my students about choosing monologues from produced, full length plays and avoiding monologue books (where the monologues were written as stand alone pieces just for audition).  I'm not sure I feel that way anymore.  The Make Us Laugh rule seems so important that if the monologue does that, I don't think I care where it comes from.  I'd be curious to hear what other theatre professors and casting directors think of this. 

---

Watching People Laugh - It's Funny

I have a new observation about comedy.  People love to watch other people laugh.

There's little that causes genuine laughter like genuine laughter.  

You've seen it. When SNL actors start to laugh in the middle of a scene.  It's a mistake but it's supremely enjoyable.  We imagine the fun it must be to do what they are doing and we watch them enjoying entertaining us.  It's always funny. 

I'm currently directing The 39 Steps, a very funny parody of the spy-thriller.  And it's never funnier than when I notice the actors struggling to keep from laughing.  I don't encourage it. It can hurt the narrative to some degree. But when one actor does something hilarious and it takes the other off guard, it's hard not to enjoy the stifled giggles and covered smiles. 

I've experienced this quite a bit myself.  I have done a lot of improv shows and specifically, I have often hosted those shows.  And as a host I find that the audience is often watching me watch the scenes.  I don't think it's because I'm ridiculously good looking, I think it's because I'm their proxy on stage.  I am the first audience member and I am often cueing them about how to react to scenes.  When I laugh, they laugh, both at the players, and at me laughing at the players.  After shows, audience members often want to talk to me about moments they saw me laughing the hardest.  I've even heard them say "I love watching your reactions to the scenes as much as the scenes themselves."

I think there's an honesty to laughter.  Fake laughter is immediately recognizable and, I daresay, truly off-putting.  But someone caught up in a moment of hilarity is true, honest, vulnerable, and very human.  And, as I always tell my actors, there's nothing more compelling onstage than someone being fully human.  Laughter breaks through the barriers of self-consciousness, especially spontaneous laughter like in the clip above.  

Perhaps it's why we spend so much of our time trying to make each other laugh.  We are trying to spur an involuntary joy response.  Because we know it's real. 

---

Lee University

I got a job!

I will be starting at Lee University this fall as an Assistant Prof of Theatre. Lee is a mid-sized private university (about 5,000 students) in Cleveland, TN. About 1.5 hours north of Atlanta and just west of the Smoky Mountains!

I am very excited about the position and the area is beautiful!  We will be sad to leave the VERY good friends we've made in Waco.  But the new opportunities are exciting.

Fuddy Meers was a success!

Here's a review!

And another...

Design Presentation - Fuddy Meers

The slide show below is the one I presented to Set, Costume, Make-up, Lighting, and Sound designers for my upcoming production (Dec 1). Enjoy.

Design Ideas - Fuddy Meers

View more presentations from DanBuck.

MUSIC COLLAGE - Some of the music I'd like to use (or music like it). Notice how it embodies my "familiar made strange" concept".


KNOEBEL'S GROVE HAUNTED HOUSE VIDEO - This video is a part of my concept for the show. I will be borrowing much of the aesthetics inherant in dark rides like this one and the carnival in general.

Whiffs of the end...

I am a long way from being done with my graduate work, but I am noting the passing of a number of milestones. My last classes with two of my three graduate profs. My last theory class. A series of lasts. There's still lots to come.

Papers to write in the next few weeks.
Comprehensive exams in a month! (Terrifying)
Writing my thesis paper (150 pages or so)
Directing my thesis show
Teaching one more class
Taking two more classes

But I sense the end coming. The BU Theatre grad experience is pretty front-loaded (I think), at least in terms of the classroom experience. After May, the focus will be more centralized on my Thesis.

I'm not feeling sentimental as I still have year left here. But, I am noting the benchmarks along the way.

Iphigenia 2.0 - Assistant Directing for Steven Pounders

Iphigenia 2.0 - For the last 5 weeks I have been living in the theatre building as the assistant director of this contemporary, po-mo take on the Greek tragedy. It's been a good experience largely as a result of two people. The director and the playwright. These are two men whose processes and understandings of theatrical collaboration are extremely open. Both of them position their vision and talent within the larger context of the theatre artists they work with. They fear not the shaping of the end product by a multiplicity of ideas and perspetives.

Charles Mee is a critically acclaimed playwright, who shirks the current publication/production rights system. Typically, playwrights and the large publishing companies who represent them are cranky watchdogs over their work. They stand in marked opposition to those who would want to add to or adjust their texts. But Mee is excited by this idea. Not only does he welcome additions and transformations of his texts, but he posts his work on his website for free. (http://www.charlesmee.com/) He charges production rights to those who want to produce his play (as all playwrights do) but he doesn't sell his scripts through a publisher.

Steven Pounders, the director of the show, shares Mee's collaborative spirit. At first, being Steven's assistant director was challenging not because he wouldn't listen to my ideas, but because he'd already gathered a group of talented people around him to be whispering in his ear about the production. He has a dramaturg (w/ two assistants), a stage manager (w/ two assistants) and a great relationship with his technical director, set designer, sound designer, cosutme designer, and lighting designer (w/ two assistants).

Typically, I'd worry that perhaps the show already had too many cooks in the kitchen. But it was clear, there was only one cook, he was just constantly running around letting everybody taste the sauce and contribute a dash of their favorite spice. The result is a show robust in style, visual spectacle, and overall excellence. Eventually, I found my place in this group of talented folks. Steven let me play the role of sounding board, idea man, and a second pair of eyes once we were running the show in rehearsals. He never flinched or seemed annoyed at me for jumping in to add notes or expand upon his own. He always listened to my ideas and I'd say he took roughly 2 out of 5 of them to add to the show. There are moments of the show that are entirely my concept and a number of little details and tweaks that were mine.

Interestingly, the show is unmistakably Steven's. Despite more input from more sources than any other show I've been a part of, this is a Pounders work. His own ieas, vision and talent are all over it. And in addition, the pastiche of influences makes it more his as well; because few directors (in my experience) would allow that much cross-pollination. His generous spirit has fused with his formidble talent and the result is quite compelling. Thanks Steven, for letting me in the kitchen.

The show, by the way, is wild. Baylor's Iphigenia is a thrilling hodge-podgery of classical and contemporary elements whose impact on audiences will be as multi-dimensional and varied as the cultural touchstones in utilizes. We're asking more of Baylor audiences that we normally do with this show. We're asking them to let genres, emotions and thoughts live next to each other in a way that most of our productions do not. I'm very curious to see their reaction. I'm not sure they'll all get it, but I'm pretty sure most of them will really like it.

Here's an article about the production in a local newspaper: http://www.wacotrib.com/aw/content/accesswaco/2009/02/19/02192009wacbaylorplay.html

By the way, considerable props should be given to Adrienne Harper, whose set design is imaginative in way that inspires all sorts of creativity in the actors. She has created an evocative playground for actors, lights and action that make the play really sing. Technical director, Adam Redmer has also done an incredible job tackling unique building challenges.

Random Notes on My Life

Here are some quick notes and updates on things I 've seen expreienced since my last posts.

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Synecdoche, NY
Thanks to our lovely wives, Shane, Chris and I got to head to Austin to see this one on a recent Saturday afternoon. The film is nothing if it isn't ambitious. This is Kaufman's first crack at directing his own work. And like his writing his directing is deep and wide. Profound and messy. Complicated and beautiful. And deserving of a second viewing. I really loved the film. I love the themes it explores. I love the way it straddles reality and surrealism - which, by the way, I think works better and is more accepted on stage than in film. And Hoffman is quite amazing. He's probably one of the greatest American actors living today. Between this, The Savages, Doubt, and his oscar winning Capote he's clearly at the top of his game. Check out the trailer (here). That trailer also features a haunting song by Deanna Storey.

Step Brothers
God-awful. Dull. Unfunny. Embarassing work from two talented actors.

Grad School
I am officially halfway through! Woo-Hoo!

Thesis Show
I will be directing Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is a dark laugh-your-face-off comedy about a woman who wakes up each morning with no memory. I am very excited about it. It will go up the first week of December 2009.

Photo Update - Gloryday Production Pics

Gloryday - a musical act from "See What I Want to See"

My current project is a five person 30 minute musical that I'll be presenting in workshop on November 21st. It's hard work, and a lot to stay on top of, but I have a remarkable dream team cast. Everyone of them is talented and fun to work with. Oh and they can sing their faces off too!

SYNOPSIS:

GLORYDAY, set in present-day New York City, introduces a priest during a crisis of faith after a terrible tragedy strikes the city. Disillusioned and angry, he plays a practical joke and posts an anonymous letter in Central Park, declaring that Christ will appear, rising from the pond. At first, the joke is embraced by an unstable CPA, who has chosen to live in the wilds of the park. Soon others begin to believe in the miracle, including a drug-addicted actress and a bitter reporter—even the priest's atheist aunt. On the day of the miracle, a storm blows through the Park, and only the priest sees his lie become a truth.

70 Scenes from Halloween (production pix)

Photobucket Album

My next directing project

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We start rehearsals tomorrow.

Tape - Production Pics

Well, we wrapped the run last night with a great show. The best performances and a full house. This show was a highly rewarding experience. Not only was it a joy to work with such talented people (actors and stage manager) but it was fulfilling to produce such a quality product. Here are some of the shots from the show.

Stranger Every Year...."Peeeeeeer Presssssure" - A line added by Sky and kept. Label reads: Therapist In the words of Thomas Ward: "This is when I knew he was a Bad Guy."
"I just called... to say... Jon raped you."
When skinny men wrestle

An awkward reunion "I'm glad you're not fat"
"Scary Shaun"
"Calling Officer Friendly"
So shines a good deed in a weary world.

AND NOW FOR THE CRAZY PICS...
Shaun eats human flesh.
Sky saying "Fudge!"
Justin and Sky pulling a Jimmy Fallon.

Click the image below for more pics...

Tape opens and gets reviewed!

We opened last night with a great show. Nearly 60 in attendance which is good for a Thursday in the summer. And a responsive crowd as well. Lots of students and Carl Hoover, of the Waco-Tribune whose review appears here. He talks more about his feelings about the play (which are mixed) than his feelings about the performance of it (which are positive). It's hard not to pin too much on reviews; especially the first real one I've ever received. So I'm glad it's mostly good.

Ultimately though, I know the show is very strong. My actors are amazing, and they play each moment exquisitely. I've worked hard on being "precise" in my direction this time around. Something I've been criticized for previously. And I think it's paid off. Especially in these last five days of rehearsal.

Here are some of the nice things people said:
"Your best work"
"It's as good as a movie"
"I felt the tension"
"I've read the play before, and I didn't like it. But you guys made me appreciate the play."
"I liked Vince's character and Jon's wardrobe, oh.. and Vince's cologne... mmm"

If you've seen the show and want to talk about it, this seems like as good a place as any. Leave your thoughts, comments and questions in a comment, or email them to me directly and we'll talk about the show here.

Waco newspaper article about Summer Shows

Check it out.

Tape - update

We open one week from tomorrow. I think we're right on track. My actors are so good, that we keep circling back over the text going deeper and deeper. Finding new thins to keep it fresh, new moments to convey character, and ways to turn the intensity up to eleven! It's great!

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I interviewed with Carl Hoover (his blog)- a kindly and clearly sharp man, who I suspect would make a good friend. He writes for the Waco Tribune-Herald and he is doing a preview article about the two summer shows. I'll post a link to the article when it appears tomorrow.

Here's a pic...

Tape - rehearsals

Well the rehearsal process is in full swing. The actors are 90% off book. They are making many magic moments and I'm waking up at 3:30 AM each morning making mental lists of things I need to do.

Recent victories:

1. Recoded a radio interview at Clear Channel that will air at ungodly hours for the next three Sundays.
2. Scored HUGE at the Residence Inn (Marriot) with bed spreads, curtains, a coffee maker, and a host of other hotel stuff that they let us borrow for free in exchange for some advertising space in our program.
3. Used the formidable building skills of my cast to build two bed frames that will save me from buying them, and from buying box springs as well.
4. Wrote a press release that will go to the Waco-Trib for further coverage.

All in all a good couple days. Tomorrow I hope to buys some odds and ends and then find a full size mattress, a credenza, a couple tables, a vanity and a hanging lamp that will work for the room. I also plan to by 600 sq ft of carpet.

I'm busy doing what I love. It's not a bad place to be.

Tape is coming! - My first full-length at Baylor

I have begun rehearsals for my full-length show Tape, which will go up in one month.

Horton Foote is reported as having once said "Rehearsal is what heaven will be like." I know what he means. There's something, holy and rich about a group of like-minded people putting their hands, talents, and abilities to a common beloved endeavor. A good rehearsal process is filled with discovery, self-exploration, hard work, and laughter. So far (two rehearsals in) I'm already seeing that. I have three very talented actors who are commited to the play and for some reason seem to trust me. I've already seen my vision of the play expanding because of their input. Horton may be right.

Click on the Image to see larger. Click on the icon in my sidebar to get more info on both shows.
I would love for you all to see it. I know distance is an issue for some of you, but if you're around, you gotta come!