Blocking a Stuffed Animal and Paedon's (prop) understudy

Hello! 

Here’s an update on The Play With The Stuffed Animal In It! It was the first week of in person rehearsals this past week! I felt like we accomplished a lot more in the time we spent rehearsing this week than we did at all last week. 

Monday night began on the Withycombe Main Stage where we will be filming the project; so we were able to immediately work in the space which I was extremely grateful for. We mainly blocked for this rehearsal and discussed some of the technical aspects to the show that needed to be considered or the actors wanted to know more about. I noticed that in the first probably ten or so minutes, I kept wanting to start and stop my actors to get nit picky about certain aspects of the scene when this was clearly not the time for that. I think I start to overwhelm them; if not them, I know I was catching myself getting there and so I quickly stopped myself from doing that and kept with the big picture for the evening. 

The second rehearsal we had this week we were lucky enough to have the Lab Theatre as our rehearsal space for. The size of the Lab is similar enough to our taped-out set for filming that I felt confidence in rehearsing there for good reference. The actors both contributed to different ideas that helped in solving some obstacles we have faced through the production process. The main one has been that the two entrances the set will have won’t be able to magically disappear as the doors do in the train station that Rue gets trapped in with Paedon. Shocking, I know, but still a little disappointing that we can’t use ~actual~ magic. However, we promptly came up with solutions to those being that the hallway/doors led to things like the bathroom or a storage/security/electrical closet. Our magical door will be just off camera but if possible, I would love to get the visual that I had of the characters banging on said door or the place of said door somehow. That is a different obstacle for a different day. 

For the rehearsals, I brought in a substitute for Paedon’s actual bear until the costume designer, Libby, is done with creating his look and bringing him to life. However, in doing this, I brought the only stuffed animal I still have, a stuffed Dumbo that I got a few years prior when I went to Disneyland for the first time. Now, I think Dumbo is cute as a bee or even more but in the context of the rehearsals and being a visual representation of Paedon, I think everyone in our rehearsal can say that they were absolutely terrified. It didn’t help that Kane sat behind AB and I, while he voiced for Paedon in the rehearsals. I've included photos below for reference.

Thank you for reading!

                            Hannah

The red tape is the outline of our set with
"Paedon" sitting front and center 

Paedon's temporary understudy, *still voiced by Kane Sweeney

Tilly : Rehearsing a physical space!

 Howdy y'all,

Another week, another blog post, and let me say this one is exciting! We've begun the process of blocking and playing around with movement. This week I could really feel the pieces clicking together as the actors began to more concretely grasp the vision of what the product would be, and also have fun with the words on the page. The actors, particularly Tilly, the spirit of a dead dog, played by Jessica, really dug into the fun physicalties of being such a unique character. The two actors are having a lot of good chemistry, and after a long year of not being able to feed off of other people's energy in a rehearsal room, it felt really good. The whole team working together to make this production during a time of uncertainity, and a long time of not being able to be in a room together has made me very proud of the work we've done together. This week, my actors and writer/ASM were flexible with me to show up masked and socially distant for an outdoor rehearsal on one of our nights off from the space. They gave it their all, made new choices and kept having fun with it even with the many groups of graduation photo parties passing through. I look at the calendar and realize how quickly our show is moving but with such a hard-working and enthuiastic group of other directors, writers, designers, production team, and actors, I have faith it'll all come together by the end. Knock on wood. 

Write to you all soon,

Haille Lantz

A Helping Hand: Raising the Emotional Stakes

Yesterday we had our first in-person blocking rehearsal and I think it's safe to say, it was a pretty damn good first go. I don't even know how to get technical on this post simply because of how emotionally driven and satisfied I am after last night- it truly goes to show how things can drastically change once you get in and interact with the space. 

I've been doing theatre for a bit and I don't think I've ever experienced a cast and director that have been so willing to become emotionally connected and push themselves right off the bat. Normally as I've witnessed most of that emotionality doesn't fully begins to click until more props and costumes are in place to build the world- yet Nich, Lane, and Josh have built such an intense moment in the world with just the papers in their hands and it's mind blowing. Nich has really pushed the actors to find ways to connect or explore the different tones and dynamics of the characters while keeping a safe and accepting space, and their reception to these notes and their abilities to go even deeper and push themselves somewhere new each go is truly beautiful.

It's always fun at first rehearsals to see the cogs begin to turn in everyone's thought process and they were CHURNING last night. Josh and Lane have come for our hearts... any they're definitely succeeding as at one point or another in rehearsal we were all crying. I'm still so touched and grateful to be a part of this experience and we're not even half-way through! That's so insane to me! I can't wait to cry some more. 💓

A Helping Hand: Week 3, Blocking and Back Pain.

    Wow. If I can say anything more than that about the first blocking rehearsal I would say that I'm happy - more than happy - with the results of just four hours experimentation. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying so, but it has been mind-blowing how well this production has gone. 

    Perhaps I should preface this. Yesterday was the first of many blocking rehearsals I would have with my troupe. It began well enough, a seated read on stage and a toe-dipping into basic movements before a break halfway through. It was going well enough, one of our actors had some back issues so we were going light with the actual movement and more thinking about what the needed movements were and playing with different ideas. Mainly we were seeing what happens when "X" actors moves to "X" spot during "X" line and so on. After said break, everyone came back and we had some banter. Then it began. I don't know what changed. Nothing was really all too different, but something amazing happened. The actors began strong, really pushing their characters hard, they went through and, from my point of view, it was like they had been doing it for weeks. They pushed, their lines felt honest and raw, and they fought like the stakes were real. They did this sudden transformation and then it only got better on the next two iterations of the performance. They nearly cried as did myself and our wonderful ast. Stage Manager, Taylor. It was out of no where. The blocking was working is the only explanation I could come up with. The movements maybe gave life to the words, the actors being able to see each other and really connect through their place on stage and their body language. 

    More than anything I hope it sticks and all we have to do is refine it to a near-science. I swear I must say this every time but I am more excited than ever!

Nich

Fetch- Blocking Begins!

It was blocking time this week for the actors of Fetch. At our Sunday rehearsal, we jumped right into the blocking that I had set up during that week and worked through it all during the first hour of our rehearsal. Our show has the fun aspect of having three actors instead of two, and while that’s great for the story, there was the struggle in having to block entrances and exits on separate sides of the stage without having them cross the invisible line we have for filming sake. Luckily, I had Libby there with me to see past what was already in my head, and we were able to make it work, not only for the blocking but having it work in the context of the story as well. 

After getting through the blocking of the entirety of the show, we were able to run it once, but we soon found out that since the actors are on all fours, it was really hard on their bodies to do it without things like knee pads, so we scratched running it through again. 

We were able to get knee pads for our Thursday rehearsal though- thank you, Taylor! This made the actors so much more comfortable running around and being “doglike.” Because of this, we were able to run it a couple of times and even record it so they have it for reference. Because of this, they were starting to make more character choices, especially in the physicality of what their dogs would do. This upcoming Sunday we have our first off-book run-through, so I’m excited to see where they continue their choices.

The Play with the Stuffed Animal in it: Blocking, Teddy Bears, and Writing, Oh My!

Things are starting to pick up in regards to rehearsals!

After trading in my writer coat for my stage manager vest.

Which is exiting

But it is a strange transition.

Instead of the normal playwright relationship where we drop off a script and let it be free-I end up spending a lot of time re-working it. 

Which is great

But sometimes there is a lot of doubt that stems from staring at the same piece of work for a while. I worry that maybe my words don't reach the way I need them to, or that my characters don't possess enough agency, or even that in the end I just...didn't do enough.

Yet, every time I walk into a rehearsal or talk to my director, those doubts fall away. Watching these characters I've created come to life on the stage does do great things to my neurotic writer brain.  Watching the cast have fun with their lines and blocking really brightens the week.

Okay, I'm getting sappy.

Just be ready for more to come! More exciting things coming to you from the people working on the Spring One Act Festival.

First Rehearsal in the Bag - A Helping Hand

 We had our first zoom rehearsal this last week and it was filled with excitement, energy, character development, and accidentally speaking over each other because of Zoom lags. Getting to hear the actors run through and share the text work they have done so far was fascinating and kind of surreal because some of their comments allowed me to go farther and expand these characters with everyone. We dove more into Mille and Rick's personal histories as well as asked questions about the relationship between them- what drew them to each other? What makes them grow throughout the scene? Questions like that that allowed us to build the psychological world of the piece. It was surreal because I've only ever known doing things like this with professional, published, and well known scripts, so getting to do it for my own words was slightly fulfilling. 

Nich did a wonderful job for our first rehearsal in my opinion, especially with the given online rehearsal format. For despite him having little to no theatre experience he still knows how to ask important questions that will get the actors thinking on how they can best portray their characters in these given moments. We start in person rehearsals and I'm thrilled to see it come even more to life in my eyes and see how blocking works out with the limited physical abilities we have. I know this crew is going to knock 'em dead and I can't wait for the process to continue.

Fetch! - Rehearsals Begin

 Although I wasn't able to make it to the first read through, I received a bunch of texts from people saying they were excited to see how the play turned out. Lorna did an amazing job in casting the show, and I was very pumped to see them read through the play, and I am still really looking forward to seeing how the blocking and filming come together. 

Our first rehearsal on zoom seemed to go really well! As Lorna worked with the actors through characterization, my heart was just so happy because the world that I created in my mind coming together. There were some fun conversations about vocal choices, the personalities of different dogs, and their physicality. We're still playing with the idea of the actors being on all fours, which as an actor seems pretty difficult but I really think it will help bring the show together. 

It was also really fun to start pulling out different set pieces to be using. Just seeing the picture come together in general is really neat. Last term I wrote a play, but after submitting the final version that was the end of my part in the process. Now with this show, still being involved in the process as a bit of an Assistant Stage Manager, I get to see this little garden grow. I am slowly but surely learning how exactly to approach this job, but I'm just glad to be able to see all the rehearsals and help out. 

Tilly - Zooming Through the First Rehearsals

 Hi y'all! 

This week we began rehearsing on our own with the beginning Zoom rehearsals. Zoom is a difficult world as we all are conditioned at this point to sink into our seats when hopping on Zoom meeting. That makes it our job as a directors to fuel an environment that breaks that mold. We want to find a way to create a meeting that helps feed our process and continue to be productive as to not waste the valuable resource of time. I think that our rehearsal was as successful as it could be in pandemic glasses. It was nice to have the ability to dive deeply into the concept together, pick through the script, and discuss character work that had been down outside of rehearsal. The actors were super receptive to having conversations and adding any expertise they have from their own personal lives and script work. One of the brightest moments of the evening was one of the positive elements of this production being able to collaborate and ask the writer directly the questions that come up during the table work. This was truly such a wonderful addition to this type of show and one that I think really adds to the enjoyment of the One Act Festival. 

This week also began some elements of real collaboration with the rest of the team with production meetings starting up. The directors and writers have started making group creative decisions about what the project would look like as a whole to help make a cohesive vision of all our different stories. This helps fuel excitement as we continue to move into the project. I can't wait to move into the space and start diving into blocking with the actors and continue to see the creative vision with the rest of the team! 

Blog to you all soon! 

Haille Lantz

Stuffed Animal ~ Week 2

First individual rehearsals began this week for the shows. The Stuffed Animal cast met on Tuesday for our first rehearsal on zoom since that was how the shows were scheduled to be for this week. 

It was quite interesting though as we seemed to have more issues than normal with zoom this week - this just furthered my annoyance with the application and highlighted how ready i am to never have to use it again or at least as much as we currently do. There were a handful of setbacks from the rehearsal that it almost felt unproductive other than the progress we were able to make in discussion of the story, characters and overall message we are trying to share. The cast is really willing and ready to get to work which is great, especially since next week, I want to hit the ground running when we are able to meet in person to rehearse. It has been interesting to try to figure out all the different aspects we need to address when it comes to directing a one act let alone directing one during covid times. 

Next week, we start with rehearsing on the Main stage where we will eventually film these shows. I am really excited to work out the blocking and figure out how to embody the possessed stuffed animal and the overall characters and themes of this play. 

~ Hannah 

A Helping Hand: Week 2, Motion and Depth

 This week began what I guess would be "real" rehearsals. Delving into characters and exploring what lives there. I has been oh-so fun. I had forgotten what it was like to pull apart a script (I may have gotten carried away) and how different people work through their characters and it's forever fascinating to see how they work in their own unique processes. It turns out film may have stolen a few things from theater (surprise, surprise) and so the translation has not been too rough from one medium to another. The one thing I worry about is the next step: blocking. For film it's all centered around the camera, which is what we will basically be doing since we have a camera and will be filming. But to treat this as a recorded play is still, then, different. I think the main difference between a director of film and theater, at least in my small experience so far, would be how one guides the attention of the audience. In film you can directly influence what the person is looking at using the camera and it's narrow lens, however in theater, as it seems to me, you must draw their attention through motion and depth. 

    It will be interesting to experiment with blocking and see what comes to the surface. So far I feel as more of a guide than a director, which may to well or ill, but I want to allow room for play until we have all the motions going. I have been allowing the actors to pursue different portrayals, and only making slight suggestion. Something that I'm trying is a page out of Sokrates in that I am simply asking questions more so than making statements. I'll be inquisitive to the nature of a character and try to frame the actors portrayal by their perceived motivations and emotions, and the like. That was a good icebreaker I believe, however I do think I will make suggestions and, as a director does, directions going forward, not to decide for the actor, but rather to focus them, and ultimately refine the play into a single action, a single possibility which then can be continuously recreated. This allows for the greatest amount of play and creative freedom and yet can still be refined into a a performance which does not include improvisation. I think this is a good idea. The keyword is "think". I could be wrong, but so far it seems to be leading to powerful performances and emotional moments, even if only one rehearsal in. When blocking comes into the picture, I believe that it will only create more potency. 

    I feel good about our group. We have good energy and a strong forward momentum. All of which synthesizes only more excitement. 

The Play With The Stuffed Animal In It: A Vision is Born.

After auditions, the process of creating a show truly starts.

The creative production team is at full force in creating a wonderful festival for our audiences. Already we have booked spaces to rehearse, actors to move around, and constant conversation about what the vision for the show is.

So what is the vision for The Play with the Stuffed Animal In It?

The short answer, it's complicated.

The longer answer, it's complicated. 

I want you to be aware that I don't mean complicated in any negative connotation, instead, I mean it in a truthful sense. When there are many voices within a project the overall vision needs to be built upon that. 

There is a story I wanted to tell

There is a story my director, Hannah wants to tell

There is a story that the actors want to tell

Our goal in Rehearsal is to bring all of these stories together and create work that we can all be proud of. One that we are excited to spread the news about and look back on fondly through the years.

My vision? My true vision? 

I just want to have a really fun experience. One with everyone involved, including the audience. 

Fetch- To Be On All Fours, Or To Not Be On All Fours? That Was This Week's Question.

There comes a time in each play process where everything becomes real, and the hard work begins. This week was that time in our production, at least on my end. I got started with our first rehearsal, which was a read-through, got to pull the necessary furniture so I could begin prepping the blocking, started blocking, and had our first production meeting. It’s been a lot, but it’s been fun so far. 

Before rehearsal, I had asked my actors to do some text work before coming to read, and they were amazing enough to do so! Because of this, we were able to jump in headfirst into the material and start to really play around with energy and relationships. We also had a great conversation about physicality- Libby and I were able to talk them into being on all fours- which gives me a place to start for blocking and understanding the different aspects of creating levels. We start blocking on Sunday, and honestly, the hardest part is going to be working around the cone of shame- it’s most likely going to limit his vision, and limit what we can see of his face. 

During class, we had the discussion of making the shows be filmed on a security camera, and Libby and I thought that it would be a great touch for Fetch. We think it would make sense as to why the audience would be watching dogs in a waiting room. We discussed this idea in our production meeting, and hopefully, something cool will come out of it. 

Overall, I’m feeling pretty good about where we’re at with the process. That might change depending on how everything goes, but I have faith that it will all work out eventually. There’s a lot of uncertainty that COVID has caused with how all of this will take shape, and there’s the personal uncertainty that comes with not having directed for over a year, but so far, it’s been great. I’m looking forward to blocking in person on Sunday. 

Tilly- First Rehearsal

 We just had our first rehearsal for Tilly. It is great to finally sit down and talk with our actors on how they feel about the script and to also present the concept of our play. We read through the script again and it was really great to see the actors read through it trying out how they want to represent their characters. The director asked them a few questions about their character, their character's background and where they want to take their character. It was great to hear each actor's perspective and their input. I had to make a few changes in the script but nothing major. Right now, as a writer since the writing process is really over we just help taking notes or answering questions if needed. I am feeling strong in our creative team on putting on a great show for our audience.  

FETCHing Some Actors

 Casting a show is hard. Having to weigh all the auditions and all the things people did really well, and trying to not double cast with 4 shows all running simultaneously. It's a lot. 

I remember it being about 11 o'clock, the auditions are due at midnight, and just looking at the folder to see that only about 8 people have turned in an audition and we need 9 actors. It was nerve wracking to say the least. In the end, we had 11 auditions, but ran into the problem of having way more males than females (which is not usually a problem that is had in theatre). Although this worried at the time, it actually ended up working out fine in the end. I think that all the shows ended up being cast amazingly and am so excited to see what these actors have in store. 

It was interesting going through auditions because one of the thoughts in my head is "how open will this person be to running around and acting like a dog", which is not a thought I ever really expected to have, so that was funny.  Of course, this is more of a directing decision, because I honestly have no idea how this show will end up looking in the end. That is one of the fun parts of being the writer, it is somewhat out of your hands once production starts. These one acts are a bit different in that we effectively act as the Assistant Stage Managers of our show, but still. My word baby is now in Lorna's hands.

With that being said, I think Lorna is going to be an amazing director. Every idea that she has had and shared with me, I have loved. Her concept presentation was so spot on to what I've been envisioning in my head that I almost teared up a bit. I can't wait for the amazing costumes, the cone of shame. It is all going to be wonderful. It will be great to see it slowly come together. 

Tilly - Casting and First Read Through

Hi again everyone! 

This week has been full of excitement as we had auditions! They were due at midnight on Sunday and we casted the whole festival the next morning. The day auditions were due I found myself jittery with expectations and the way they shift as I sorted through each submission. Everyone who submitted was very talented and made fun choices. There were many ways in which the show could go. The pandemic has made things difficult, and while I believe us to be very lucky with the auditions we had, I can't help but be excited for a time when casting can be done in a live setting. Despite the inkling for a time when we can have live auditions, I felt confident in the casting of not only my production but all of the other directors. 

After we casted the show, we began the process of scheduling and working out the production details. I must admit with my background in stage management, I love a good clean calendar. I could not help it but feel a little overwhelmed with the scheduling aspect as we all are students with many other responsibilities school, work, and extracurriculars mix that with Covid-19 protocols there can be an overwhelming sense of how is this all going to fit together! Luckily those nerves were quickly pushed aside as the calendar began to fit together like a puzzle piece. In the end, we all ended up with a schedule that handles the different conflicts and gives us time in the space. 

The read through was brilliant! It was empowering to see all of the Zoom boxes filled with directors, writers, actors, stage manager, and designers. This project was really happening! It's more than just words we are all putting on a production. This excitement was kept up as we watched the first readings on Zoom. After all the readings were done, we hopped into a breakout room and did introductions. We talked about expectations, scheduling, and next steps. The talent and excitement from the cast and the rest of the creative team calms me as I feel confident in the end we'll have a brilliant show. I can't wait for our first Zoom rehearsal on Wednesday!

Looking forward to updating you all soon.

- Haille Lantz

Casting With A Stuffed Animal In It

Hello everyone! 

    It has been a very eventful week with auditions being due last Sunday to getting through the full production read through last night! We have officially cast the shows!! 

    After watching all the auditions and much deliberation, we were able to cast the entire Spring One Acts 2021 on Monday and release the cast list soon after! I am so excited to be working with Kane Sweeney as Paedon/Man and Abby Oliver as Rue in The Play With the Stuffed Animal In It! 

    Last night, we had the read through (over zoom) with all the other productions. It was so nice to finally hear the lines from the individuals who will be playing these characters and I can’t wait to see how the progress from here! As we went through each show, you could tell that everyone was so happy to be there and loved what they were seeing. I especially loved seeing the reactions to some of the moments through out the different scripts from the casts who hadn't read/didn't know what the other one acts were about. 
    After we read the scripts, we were out into break out rooms and given the chance to chat with the casts individually where I was able to schedule our first rehearsal and the expectations of what I had for it. Since next week will be on zoom as well, I thought it was easiest to wait on covering some things until the first rehearsal so we were all fresh brained and could really dive in. 
    After sharing the concept presentations and now getting through this week, I feel much more confident every day in this show and what I am striving to achieve in the world of the play. We now have schedules being solidified and continue to progress forward in this project. 
    I am so grateful to be a part of this production. I want to do my best and bring mine and AB's vision to life through this production and make it the best it can be. 

Onward and upward! 

Hannah Schwartz 

Casting and further thoughts

    So we move forward; into the world of character, motivation, psychology, line memorization, and lots and lots of notes. 

    In the past week, we have: cast the actors, had a company read-through, and begun working towards the date of filming. I think casting went well, smoothly. The perfect fit, as it were. It felt good, seeing the people I would be working with, seeing how well they took to the lines and the characters. They had already been making choices, some bold choices, and hitting it out of the park. It's a motivation and challenge to myself at this point, what do I have to add? At this point I am hoping something, and something good. There are a great many thoughts in my head about the coming weeks and what they will mean and what they will contain. There is worry and anxiety, as any person may feel at such a task. Luckily, theater does not balance on a single point but rather on the whole. The actors we have on A Helping Hand are talented, as is the writer, and so they will undoubtedly know what they need and want from me. From my experience in film, I know I deal with character not by issuing a ready-made template, but by asking questions of the text and of the actors, more discovering by inquisitiveness rather than by force of will. Hopefully I can bring new ideas, a fresh insight, and some fun thoughts to the mix.

    At a time such as these, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the smallest things, let alone a theater production, however, I heard a great phrase during a little breakout group after the company reading. We had met over zoom and spoke about initial impressions and more of the scheduling and boring aspects of organizing a project. One of the actors had said "I can't wait to play!" or something like it. I had heard that before. I practice marital arts (or did) where a similar mantra would be echoed: "Keep it playful." It was striking to me that this big huge thing would be shrunk down to the idea of having fun, interacting with others and "playing." For me, it put the whole thing into perspective. I'm excited and hungry to work more on these projects in the coming weeks.

Nich Svoboda.

Fetch- Casting the Pups

This week was jam-packed with auditions, casting, a read-through, and production schedules. Even though I took the directing class last winter, I had to find my own people for the two scenes we did in class- and I loved getting to have a full audition process. Those who submitted sides did a really great job of providing us with a variety of styles and characters and made the task of casting our four short plays very enjoyable. I’ve done theater since middle school, yet I’ve never actually cast a show before- and I found it to be enlightening to what all the directors I’ve worked with have had to go through. I think we were very lucky to have those who audition, audition, but I can see where casting choices can be incredibly difficult in some situations. While it was a great experience, I'm hoping to be able to eventually experience casting in a way that existed pre-pandemic and seeing people make bold choices in the moment rather than film.

Once the cast list came out, we prepared for our read-through and proceeded to begin making the production calendar. COVID has definitely made it more challenging for rehearsals since only one group can use the theater space at one time, but as we worked through the different conflicts, it was reassuring to see it all come together in a way that gives each cast time in the space, as well and being considerate of people’s conflicts. 

At the read-through, everyone brought their A-game and made the scripts come to life, which was so exciting! It made the process of looking ahead at what this will become so much more exciting, and definitely gave me more thoughts into what I’m envisioning overall for the show. My cast made me laugh the whole time, and I’m excited about working with them, especially working on something so whimsical. In our break-out room we had great conversations about the process, what the show was going to look like, and even discussed the cone of shame and poodle hair. I was honestly a little nervous- I’ve directed in a year, but after last night, I think this show is going to come together so well. We have our first Zoom rehearsal on Sunday, and I’m anticipating bringing each of these sweet dogs to life. 

And for reference: a cone of shame

Photo cred

Tilly- Art in Motion

 Hi again! Now that Tilly has been written and pretty much finalized, it is now being read out loud by folks that I do not know or barely know. We have had our auditions and have chosen our cast. We have a talented group that was well chosen by the director. We had our first read through with the whole company and I felt so exposed. I am a private person. More so now with Covid and not needing to communicate as often as I use to. I don't talk much unless asked. I am not much of a writer except for this year. I usually keep my thoughts and ideas to myself. But, I do have a passion for the art of theatre, and this is what it is all about, expressing and exposing yourself. Don't get me wrong I have acted in plays, I have directed plays and you always expose yourself just a little bit, but I have never exposed myself in this fashion. The anxiety I feel is the healthiest form I can think of because I know I am trying something new and putting myself out there. I know I can only grow from this experience. Now that the writing is all done. I am excited to see what each actor is going to take from their character, and how they will present their character. It is fascinating to witness it from the author's perspective. I feel confident in our little team to produce something that is entertaining and heartfelt for our audience. Let the work begin.

(Shy Tilly)

Production Begins! - A Helping Hand

 Another week of One Act planning in the books! 

Things are finally starting to pick up this week- our shows have been cast and we just had our first read through tonight! It was nice getting to chat after reading through to see what the actors thought now knowing the script and I'm so excited work alongside all these talented and creative people. I'm absolutely thrilled to get back into rehearsal spaces and see this show progress come alive week by week.

Alongside with working on "A Helping Hand", I have the pleasure of getting to co-costume design with Savannah Taggard on the show "Fetch" written by Libby Brennan! So it'll be an extremely immersive experience for me and I feel proud to get to take all of this responsibility on and know that we all have each other's backs in this. 

On to starting rehearsals!

 

The Play With the Stuffed Animal in it: Anticipation after Casting

 Another week, another blog post and another step in the right direction for the One Acts Festival 2021.

As someone who is still new to the Theatre Department at Oregon State University, I find myself constantly amazed by the multitude of people who dedicate their time to producing art.

I find myself constantly grateful for the respect, admiration, and love that my fellow classmates have for this festival. 

I just wanted to take a quick moment to say one big thank you to everyone in the OSU Theatre Department.

 Now, I bet you're wondering,  where are we at this week?

Well, auditions have occurred, casting has been done, and scheduling is in the works. I wish I had a bit more to offer in regards to my personal contribution, but this week is truly a directors week (don't worry though, there is still much more for me to do!).

However, being able to put faces to the characters has helped create a solid visualization of where I want this show to go.

I want it to be fun for everyone involved.

I want it to be a little creepy.

I want it to be a collaborative experience.

Edits will still come by and working with the actors and my director will help bring my play to its full potential.

I'm excited to see what comes next :)

Creating "A Helping Hand"

 

Hi everyone!

My name is Taylor Stageberg, and I wrote the piece “A Helping Hand” being directed by Nich Svodoba for this year’s one act festival. The beginning of this project has been exciting, even though this isn’t my first time writing a piece, it’s the first time where I get to be a part of the production process- so I’m pumped for the next 8-10 weeks. The directors presented their design concepts for the show and we will be casting soon so it’ll be nice to finally begin to mold this lump of clay of a show! Writing this show has been a process for me because it touches on the difficult subjects of addiction and recovery, which I don’t want to make light of, but I wanted to display a more uplifting scenario of to show compassion towards those who have had experiences with this process. I wanted to create a piece that shows that even in some of the darkest and loneliest moments a light can shine through. I’m so grateful to this department and the people involved for not only the chance to do this, but for pushing through during a difficult time and still finding a way to create art when resources are so limited. I’ve never had so much trust in a team and I’m truly thrilled to see what we produce this term!

Directing- The Play With The Stuffed Animal In It

Hello, I thought I'd start by introducing myself. I’m Hannah Schwartz, a third year Theatre major and I am directing the one act written by Abrianna (AB) Feinauer, “The Play With the Stuffed Animal In It.” 

I have been very involved in the department in the past few years, especially throughout this pandemic and I am so excited to be a part of directing the Spring One Act festival once again this year! Last year I directed the radio play "Idiot Hill" by Sophie Brown. While that was also an amazing experience, with the limits and constraints that came from the pandemic and being a radio play, it was a different kind of challenge compared to what this show will bring. I am nervous but so ready to begin this process and find ways to tackle any problems or issues that may arise. I am so grateful for the experience and hope to create something that everyone, especially AB, is proud of.

 I am excited going into auditions to see who will come in and what each individual can bring to the table. For “The Play With The Stuffed Animal In It,” we are casting one male presenting and one female presenting individual that will play Rue and Paedon. This play is one of many twists and turns and captures the audience's attention with its Ted-like humor and Twilight Zone style twists. I will include my concept presentation here in what I was envisioning. 

I also was inspired by the other directors to create my own playlist inspired by the show I’m directing. I want to convey comfort within the loneliness and eeriness of this alternate realm we are taken to with Paedon and Rue. 

The songs would include: 

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore) - Frankie Valli 

Aint No Sunshine - Bill Withers

I’m really excited to get this process started and to see what we can do with the script as well as what we can make work within covid protocols.

 

Tilly : Act One - Road to Auditions

Welcome to the journey of putting on Tilly, a show in part of the Spring One Acts Festival 2021. 

I'll start off by introducing myself as the director. My name is Haille, I am a fourth year student at Oregon State University with an aim to graduate this spring with a double major in Theatre and Political Science with a minor in Film Studies. I began taking directing classes last year in the winter term to be met with the challenge of moving into the Covid-19 world we all know now at the end of that term. With the pandemic came the challenge of not only OSU, but the world of theatre at  large figuring out what's next. I had the opportunity to continue to make things and be a part of the world of theatre with the adventure of directing a radio play last spring as part of 2020's Spring One Acts Festival. Now, a year later, things are not back to normal but we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Some of my classes are back in person and with strict Covid-19 protocol we are able to create a filmed production for this year's festival. The joy I feel is unmatched to be able to work with actors and see their faces to create a product. Now that you know a little about the journey that led us to this project let's dive into Tilly. 

I was drawn to Tilly right away. When reading through after being selected to direct it, the age old theme of a broken man finding a reason to live and the guidance of the spirit of a childhood dog; what more could you want? We as directors were tasked with sharing our concept presentation to the rest of the team the other day. This felt daunting as I prepared for it; I have a tendency to babble and with babbling comes convolution, something that is not helpful in concept presentations. I spent a majority of the time during our workshopping sessions writing any little note that came to my mind throughout the weeks, down on a page titled "thoughts and feelings" that allowed me to truly sit down and figure out what I wanted from this piece. When looking back on it, I was drawn to one of my notes; the details to a playlist that would eventually turn into my inspiration playlist, including songs by The Chicks, Bing Crosby, and Garth Brooks. Listening to this playlist on repeat finally led me to what I view as the perfect concept statement for Tilly; "Blowing the dust off your grandfather's radio with the comfort of your family dog beside you".  This show is a period piece, but I want the setting to remind the audience of the timelessness of the story. While the world the show is struggling with is a part of WWII, that doesn't mean that we cannot relate to Adam, the main character. In some ways, this concept is an homage to all the families and people that still cry every year to It's a Wonderful Life. As I finish writing this post, auditions are due at midnight tonight and I can't wait to start this journey! Let's go make some art. I've included down below the playlist for the inspiration for my concept for the production of Tilly. 

Directing "A Helping Hand"

 Hello, I’m Nicholas Svoboda. I’m a director working with the OSU one acts festival this term. I’m directing the play “A Helping Hand”, which follows two people recovering from substance abuse and facing themselves. 

So far this experience has been really interesting and quite daunting. I’ve directed before, however, I have only had the opportunity within the realm of film, which I have found is much different and a completely separate experience. I’m learning the differences between the two mediums, which I had previously thought not too distant from one another, but am discovering that they are completely different languages. 

Today was the concept pitch which I felt the largest distance to date. I had done pitches before but they were more focused on the visual aspects, more describing what you see as a director, whereas the concept presentation is more of a communication of emotions, of ideas, to the team you are working with so that the whole group has a shared understanding of what everyone is trying to achieve. 

I did not do great in my own eyes, however, it was well received and people were kind about my first step into the realm of theater. 

It’s been exciting so far and I’m excited to continue.

Dogs and Death - Writing Fetch

  This isn't my first rodeo, it's my second!

    (In which rodeo is a metaphor for play that I've written which is being produced)

There is something so nerve wracking about writing a play that is strictly words from your own brain that you know is going to not only be shared and edited and shared again to a class, but also to eventually be performed and then made available to the world. I thought that after two terms of play writing classes I would be more used to it, but it's not much better.

I've always done creative writing. I'm a creative person in general, I paint and draw and act and sing, but something about sharing my writing just seems so much more personal. It's literally the inner machinations of my mind on paper. This play perhaps moreso than any I've written before: but jokes on you! I hid my feelings behind cute anthropomorphic dogs!

I would like to say that the three characters are based on people from my life, because that's deep and interesting, but they're really not. Or if they are, it isn't anyone specific. Perhaps they all represent parts of my mind? Is that even deeper and more interesting? I do think that if there is one of the dogs I relate to most, it's Queenie. I too, HATE to think about death. In the first drafts, she had few redeeming qualities, she wasn't nice to Sparky, she was kind to Rufus but not in any significant way. Perhaps that is reflective of how hard I am on myself, because I do not think of myself as an empathetic person. I can hardly handle my own emotions, let alone those of other people. I think that is Queenie summed up pretty well, she likes to focus on day to day, cause as soon as she looks further it is too scary to handle. I do think now that she has more redeeming qualities that she is a much more well rounded character (perhaps I should remind myself that I have some too). 

I will say, to all the people thinking after reading/watching this play that I should've killed the dog: no. (Trust me, I thought about it. But that's obvious. Obvious is boring).

It is also interesting in that I don't know if this is what I would have written had we not been in COVID times (assuming I had the same space and actor limitations), because the only reason I can rationalize these dogs being completely alone in the waiting room is that the owners cannot come in due to the pandemic. It would've been interesting to see what my other ideas were.

Also, I think I should get a pat on the back for not writing about murder or gruesome death yet again (out of the 6 plays in playwriting, 4 of them had that). Go me. 

Fetch- The Beginnings

These past two weeks have started the beginning of our Spring One Acts. As part of the Directors and Dramatists class, we as students are tasked with either writing or directing the chosen plays. As for me, my name is Lorna Baxter and I'm directing the play Fetch by Libby Brennan. 

Over our class time, we've been reading through the scripts and making suggestions, letting the dramatists change what they feel is necessary. Our job as directors was to come up with our concept presentations- explaining the plot and story of our chosen play, our concept statement, and how we want the play to look and feel. As a brief overview, Fetch will be similar to an 80s/90s Disney movie. 

We've all grown up and rewatched the classics like Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, or The Little Mermaid, and gotten a sense of nostalgia while catching the adult jokes that went over our heads as kids. Fetch is very similar, as it has the older comedic timing, but still deals with concepts that even younger audiences can begin to grasp. I love the beauty of that and am excited to bring it to life on stage...with dogs! 

All of the auditions for the One Acts are due Sunday at midnight. I’m excited to be able to start the rehearsal process- even one that has to be developed for COVID. 

Tilly- OSU One Act Spring Festival

 Hello! My name is Tess and I am the writer of Tilly, one of the one act plays being produced this spring. Tilly is about a World War II Soldier that goes on a spiritual world journey guided by the spirit of his dog that helps him make the choice to live or die. The inspiration of this playwright begins with my childhood dog name Tilly. Tilly was like my older sister/best friend. We grew up together. She kept me safe from all harm and I would always sneak her food I didn't like. She was honestly the greatest dog. Sadly, she passed away from old age. My little sister was talking about how she is happy in Heaven now. I instantly thought of what my abuelita said, and she said if we treat our pets well they come back to us as angels to guide us into heaven. I thought why not write a play about it. So I did, and now I get to help put it on the stage. I am really excited to see it put together. I am really glad to get back into the process of a production. It has been too long due to Covid, but I am ready to get back and create some art. Not only that, I get to experience it with some pretty talented and wonderful people. Let's make some art :)

The Play With The Stuffed Animal: Writing Outside of the Comfort Zone

Stuffed Animals tend to be one of our first friends in life. 

They are cuddly, never judge, and are there to hold when you're scared. It's a sweet moment when you spot a child with their favorite pal, usually worn around the edges, but overall very cute. 

I'll admit it myself, I have my childhood companion (a small stuffed dog named, Cuddles) here with me in my apartment. 

So how in the world did I come up with a thriller play? A play that takes that idea of childhood comfort and forces it on a train to an alternate reality?

Well, it really all starts with Cuddles. . In his glory days, Cuddles was a soft and sweet little inanimate dog that brought joy to toddler me. However, as I've aged...He's aged too...

That's where the next piece of this play puzzle stems from. As a stuffed animal ages, it becomes an unrecognizable vessel for horror. As humans change and grow, their former stuffed companions become worn, torn, and often forgotten. This became my first concept with my play, one that explores the stagnation of the human experience. 

The loss of innocence and wonder is represented by the Teddy Bear, Paedon. Rue, a young woman from a small town,  represents how our expectations for life can let us down and that we can refuse to grow and change after we feel we have accomplished enough. 

I also wanted to write something that felt open to interpretation, because I really love hearing what people think about at the end. 

What surprised them? 

What resonated with them? 

What part of the human experience does the end represent? 

These are all questions that I will continue to carry through my workshopping process, and I hope that you reader will also keep these in mind. 

This is a collaborative journey. A journey traveled by You and Me. A journey that requires a bit of waiting. 

                                                (A picture of the very old, but lovely, Cuddles)