Are you surprised?
I haven’t had a teensie, tiny thing to do with theatre since I directed “A Christmas Carol” back on December 20th. I needed a break. Five shows last year. Two I both produced and wrote. Then I did one for Sunshine City Theatre last fall (MASH) and MAT back in February 2009 (Out of Sight. Out of Murder).
Although I have not stomped the boards, I have been writing. One show I wrote last summer is still simmering. I had a read-through a year ago with an actor that I really had written the part for. After having some time to think it over and digest the amount of dialogue memorization required, she bowed out.
That’s Okay.
It happens in theatre .
So I sat on the script. Put it on the shelf. Costs money to produce a show anyway.
Then Hank- that friend of mine, has told me he might be doing another Christmas Show in December. He wants to call it- “A Hankmuss Carol”. You can well imagine what famous story he would like to borrow script ideas from. Hank can be such a “scrooge” when it comes to spending money on a “new” script. We’ll see how it goes. I have a new idea for a Hank Christmas Show. Then again, last year’s show could simply be done again. Tweek it a bit with a new cast and some new “gags”. Apparently, according to Hank’s Mother, I can take my time and think about it until the Canadian National Exhibition is finished it’s run come September.
Back to the script I wrote last year. I asked another actor to do a read-through. We got together and did a reading. We decided to work on the script and will get back together again with a few extra bodies present to see what they think of the script as parts of it are read by the two of us- in character. I need to see and feel a spark and I haven’t as of yet. Maybe the next read through.
I also had an idea to do a show that featured some characters I created. Dame Clare Voyant from the Swisssh Site would be one. Then, there’s the Story Lady, although I borrowed the name from a radio show of long ago. It must be Public Domain by now. The Story Lady appears on the Swisssh site too. There would also be a couple of characters who just happen to be a “pair of fairies” in the forest like in William Shakespeare’s “A Mid-summer Night’s Dream”.
Think what you like!
These two “fairies” would contemplate life.
I would introduce the show, link the vignettes together and do some monologues. The show would be presented in a format of vignettes that would fade to black, possibly linked together by some simple songs and music.
To be truthful, I am looking for something that would be absolutely fabulous, without a lot of “new” writing- only stage direction. Again, something that would “spark” on the stage and allow me to work with 4 or 5 of my favourite actor friends. Firstly, I need to get some stage direction and ideas down on paper- I’ll call my secretary- but for the most part many of the “vignettes” I have already written over the past few years.
Wow! That would be easy I hear you say!
It would appear that way but anything transferred to stage from a script needs tweaking and re-writes. I may scribble some things down in the next few days and run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes!
Hmmmm. Do you think that maybe I am finally getting bored and need a new challenge?
Impossible!
What with Swisssh the Website,
Swisssh Radio,
This Blog,
Looking after my hubbie, cutting grass-
Not to mention trying to publish a book-
I am anything but bored!
Have a good one!
