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Last night was another magic opening night, for our theater company's new series of staged readings called "Bare Bones." We started off with a funny and strange play called "Tragedy: A Tragedy" which I have come to describe as a quirky look at how the media tends to sensationalize EVERYTHING. Heh.
We were doing a "pared down" production...five stools and music stands on the stage, a few sound effects and a music, no special lights. I had the feeling all day that I had forgotten something, because there was so much less to do than usual. But it still had all the hallmarks of a "Theatre@First" show. I got to work with fun people, setting up chairs, catching up on their news. I got see Davis Square denizens and actors and crew from prior shows that I don't get to see often enough. I picked up big news about another church on the street - the Methodists are selling their building to the Haitian church and mostly ending as a congregation! And there were cookies!
The audience laughed and giggled and chuckled and sighed...just what we wanted! I had fun watching the incredibly expressive faces of the actors...and appreciating the words. It's a play that seems silly at first but as it sinks in and bounces around my brain, I realize there were many deeper messages the playwright was trying to unlock. Having heard the initial reading, it was cool to see how the director and actors had brought the script to life, adding so many "jumping off points" for my imagination. There were a lot of interesting comments after the show from the members of the audience who had been struck by this or that line...great discussions. I also like the shorter format...we locked the doors by 9:30 pm. Lots of time to party!
I have a great love for staged readings...I've seen some amazing ones. It's wild what can happen when a small groups of talented actors are given powerful words and creative direction and my imagination adds the rest. I'm so glad we're sharing this form with more people. It reminds me of the informal magic of "Talley & Son," where I attempted voicing a 19 year old (dead) soldier from Missouri in the parlor at First Church. Playing God (channeling Bill Cosby) during a one-acts selection reading afternoon. Or the stark formality of Rebekah Maggor's autobiographical play about her time as a prison guard in Israel army...the sexual undertones and violent overtones in the powerful scene of being taken captive by a prisoner during a revolt. And the "everyone's felt that" experiences of Thornton Wilder's plays about America and families in "The Long Christmas Dinner" and "The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden."
And I get to see it all again tonight...watch from a different angle, see more old friends from other shows, eat another cookie!
We were doing a "pared down" production...five stools and music stands on the stage, a few sound effects and a music, no special lights. I had the feeling all day that I had forgotten something, because there was so much less to do than usual. But it still had all the hallmarks of a "Theatre@First" show. I got to work with fun people, setting up chairs, catching up on their news. I got see Davis Square denizens and actors and crew from prior shows that I don't get to see often enough. I picked up big news about another church on the street - the Methodists are selling their building to the Haitian church and mostly ending as a congregation! And there were cookies!
The audience laughed and giggled and chuckled and sighed...just what we wanted! I had fun watching the incredibly expressive faces of the actors...and appreciating the words. It's a play that seems silly at first but as it sinks in and bounces around my brain, I realize there were many deeper messages the playwright was trying to unlock. Having heard the initial reading, it was cool to see how the director and actors had brought the script to life, adding so many "jumping off points" for my imagination. There were a lot of interesting comments after the show from the members of the audience who had been struck by this or that line...great discussions. I also like the shorter format...we locked the doors by 9:30 pm. Lots of time to party!
I have a great love for staged readings...I've seen some amazing ones. It's wild what can happen when a small groups of talented actors are given powerful words and creative direction and my imagination adds the rest. I'm so glad we're sharing this form with more people. It reminds me of the informal magic of "Talley & Son," where I attempted voicing a 19 year old (dead) soldier from Missouri in the parlor at First Church. Playing God (channeling Bill Cosby) during a one-acts selection reading afternoon. Or the stark formality of Rebekah Maggor's autobiographical play about her time as a prison guard in Israel army...the sexual undertones and violent overtones in the powerful scene of being taken captive by a prisoner during a revolt. And the "everyone's felt that" experiences of Thornton Wilder's plays about America and families in "The Long Christmas Dinner" and "The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden."
And I get to see it all again tonight...watch from a different angle, see more old friends from other shows, eat another cookie!
