For the past three weeks, I have been holed up with four actors and a director who were slogging their way through my play. Now that it's finished, I can say sincerely that I am very happy with the whole process. It was pretty much what I was expecting, plus more. I knew that I had reach a point where I knew it needed more work but I wouldn't know what was needed until the play spent some time up on its feet.
It's really kind of like alchemy when you give the pages to live actors and let them work with the piece. Suddenly they're finding things that I never knew were there. Relationships are developing between characters in ways I couldn't have imagined. Of course that means that I have to change stuff, but that's okay. That's exactly what I needed to find out. And they find humor in places I didn't know were funny. But they are! And I love it. I was very good and kept my mouth shut most of the time. (I had to be careful and not stray into the director's turf. It is definitely NOT my job to tell the actors what to do.) But I was happy to sit back and follow along and see what they came up with. When stuff was redundant or like that, we'd discuss it and then I'd scribble and scratch and cross out. Almost every page has marks on it. That's a good thing.
One of the things I really love about theatre is that it's a group effort. Everybody really brings something to the process -- or should, anyway. The writer invests his or her energy and imagination, then the actors get it and make it come alive, literally. And the really cool part is that you never know how that's going to happen. It just takes on a life of its own. Wahoo! I'm a happy camper.
Now of course I have another rewrite to do. But it's gonna be a piece of cake.
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Yes, I find the creative process to be exactly like alchemy. Very mysterious (when you're doing it right) but still somewhere buzzing around in the back of your mind you can feel that it is "right." There is no feeling on earth like it. Relish the moment when it comes.
I do. Wouldn't it be neat if we could tap into it at will?
I believe that there are certain techniques that can be used to do just that. Although I also believe that to hone this process one must have extreme patience.
I think this sounds so incredible -- watching actors say and act out your words. I can't even really imagine it, but it must be surreal.
It is amazing, Beth. The most wonderful part is seeing how it grows and develops into something much richer than what I had imagined.
wa11z, I think part of it is patience. But also, part is discipline, making yourself concetrate and tune out distractions. I have my little techniques to get into the zone but they don't always work. Sometimes the muse just isn't there. That doesn't mean I can't get anything done, it just means it's a lot harder.
I am very happy for you!
I love it when actors read my stuff. Even if they don't do it the way I heard it in my head before (that's why we have duct tape and cattle prods). But it's amazing to hear the characters come to life.
You're writing and directing, right? So it's your job to tell the actors what to do. I'm not directing, nor do I have any desire to. So protocol dictates that I don't get into that at all. I can let the director know what my intention was in writing a certain way but that's as far as it goes. Since we were working with Equity actors who very generously gave their time for nothing, I was very careful to behave myself.
ctheokas -- one other thing. Why duct tape and not gaffer tape?
Brand loyalty. I've been using duct tape for years to keep people in line, and then I got into making movies. Besides, you need gaffer tape for important things, like keeping cables and such out of the way. Why waste it on unruly actors?
I would love to see the finished work!!!
bc - when it's done, you can be I'll let everyone know! :)
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