I've Done All that I can Do- The Play with the Stuffed Animal in It

 Hello!

I just wanted to start off with a quick thanks to everyone who has followed along with the posts made for this production.

It has been an absolute delight to write them and even more so to see the love that everyone has had for their shows.

It is difficult to let go of a show and leave it up to the audience to love. 

I'll give a recommendation for the premiere of our show-

Watch it over and over again. 

I think that's the absolute beauty in creating theatre through the filming process. It allows the viewers to rewatch their favorite moments or even get the chance to catch something new. Feel free to pause it, rewind, and admire the love and care that goes into our craft.

I'm thankful to be a part of a production that lovingly shows off the versatile skills that exist within the theatre department. 

A part of me hopes that it entices you to take a moment and step into our world. 

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." (Oscar Wilde)

Fetch Finished

 We are in the waiting game now...

This is the part of the process where my job is pretty much done. Lorna is still working with Zavi and Kenzie on the editing process and I am hanging back and letting the creative work flow.

I am still involved in other shows, such as Tilly where I volunteered to help with hair and makeup. Although we already filmed, the joys of doing split screen work means that things can go awry if they don't line up perfectly. I am happy to help out again however, I had a lot of fun getting to do the adorable 40s hair and makeup on the lovely Jessica. 

I'm not entirely sure what else to write for this week, not much else happened. But I'm excited for the end result!

A Bow for Now

 Well the job is done! We have filmed Tilly and are now in the process of being edited. I loved seeing the actors in their costumes and the set being simple and sweet. The actors did such an amazing job to the point of only having to film a couple times. The director has been the backbone of this whole process of making sure everybody would be more than ready for the filming process. I couldn’t have asked for a better director for this show. The other directors and dramatists have also been an amazing support system. You could tell we all cared about our craft and respect the other's art as well. I can’t wait for everybody to see it. I am nervous and excited but I know it is because I care deeply for all of our craft and hopefully the audience will see it as well. I am so glad to have been a part of this and to have learned and grown from this opportunity. Thanks for being part of the process. I am now taking my final bow….for now.

Filming and Saying goodbye to Helping Hand

    Hey All,

    It has been a wild few weeks and I can barely comprehend that it happened at all. I have very few words in this last entry. The filming went well, two takes after getting ready. Learning even as we take the last few steps in the process. It's all part of it. I may forget the lines that we used as jokes and the thoughts I threw out, but the people and the lessons I learned will be remembered - however cliché and romanticized it's kind of the point for those to stick. I can only take my hat off to my cast and crew- Lane, Josh, and Taylor. Without such brilliant talent I doubt the project would be what it is. At the end it was a strange feeling. I felt rather than letting go I had already said my goodbyes to the show and so I was watching it walk on its own. A strange detachment. A far distance. I can only hope to get the opportunity again. Watching it back on the screen there is a different feel to it, and I now truly understand the effect a camera. It separates people from the action, there is a different kind of action needed. The project has its wings all the same and stands strong as a one act. 

    Nich.

The Filming of Fetch

Well, we’ve filmed! Our show was the first to film, the beginning of the filming day was working around the technicals aspects, which luckily there weren’t too many. I got there early and helped make the stage what I had envisioned- it was nice to see it all together! When the actors arrived, I had them run through it once and gave my last few final notes. The biggest thing to pay attention to was the prop movement, but it wasn’t a big concern. 

Then the actors went into the costume shop to get ready. I’m not going to lie, the best part of the day was seeing them all in their own costumes, complete with the makeup, as we hadn’t seen that yet. They all looked great, and it helped bring life to the stage. When they were ready, we had them one by one go through and say their lines with the tracks in their ears. After working out the technical issues with the earpieces, it actually went very smoothly, and we were done filming in two hours- which was great. 

I received the rough-cut shortly after, and it only had a few moments where things weren’t lined up perfectly. That was to be expected though, and it was incredible to see two people acting on-screen together knowing they only filmed one person at a time. I can’t wait to see the other director’s shows and how they all came together- if mine looks the way it does, I’m sure theirs are also going to look great. While this may not be the most ideal way to do theatre, it’s exciting to be able to see actor’s faces and tell a story in some way. 

Filming Fetch!

 What a journey, I mean this was just amazing to see everything start to finish. It was bittersweet to film the show and see it all finally come to a beautiful finished picture, but also having to retire the script for now. Seeing words that came out of my mind not only said allowed but performed with passion and talent from our amazing actors under the direction of the wonderful Lorna Baxter, it was for lack of better word, insane. 

The rehearsal process as a writer was already fairly hands off, only really making script tweaks here and there and keeping track of each rehearsals progression through the rehearsal reports. Filming was very hands off, I basically just got to sit back and watch the actors do their magic. We did run into some technical difficulties but the actors were absolute champions when it came to filming.

I was nervous going in about what the mode of filming would be like, not being able to have any two actors on the stage at the same time without a mask, but I think they did fairly well! We luckily caught some timing issues just from listening to the one person who was filming at the time.

I LOVED the costuming, especially for Queenie (Leah). All the actors looked absolutely adorable. I don't know if it was really what was in my head, or what my idea even was, but I thought they were wonderful nonetheless.

Can't wait to see the finished product!!!

That's a Wrap on A Helping Hand

 That's it everyone, we're filmed and now we just wait until the release day! Filming night was so fun, it was great seeing everything come together, everyone working their magic, and watching the actors come into the world and create this scene in its entirety. There's not much else I can say except for what I have already which is I am so grateful to have had this experience and I am so proud of everyone that was a part of making this happen. In one of the shittiest years for everyone, this truly was a saving grace to my sanity and I'm so happy to have worked along side all of these talented and wonderful people. 

Tilly almost to the end

Hi y'all!

It's been a moment! Life has been wild but we're back and moving with one rehearsal left and filming to come the next two days after this goes up. The show has a lot of moving parts as any production does and it's at the point where trusting the process is particularly important. I am nervous for filming, but I also know we have a group of hardworking individuals who are ready and willing to give this their all. I am so proud of the product we have this far and can't wait to see what comes next from the editor. Sharing this with you all will truly show the labor of love when we've created a full moving piece. There are not words to say how enjoyable it has been to be back in a space and directing in person after last year's radio plays. Thank you to the department for wanting to find ways to make art. Thank you to my writer for giving me a show to put together. Thank you to my actors for their hard work that I know will continue. Thank you to the people out there willing to take the content we are making and support it. We still have a bit to go and I know tomorrow's 9am rehearsal will be exactly what we need before filming. Write to you all after filming!

Haille Lantz

Tilly- Holy Ham!

 Holy Ham! This upcoming week will be the last week of rehearsals for Tilly. We will start filming and then after that the rest of the process is in the hands of the tech team. The Director and the actors have been putting in great work and I can’t wait for others to see it as well. Not only them but also the other directors and dramatists. When there is a problem we are all there for each other to make sure none of us look bad. Even though we are all focused on our own project we have no problem jumping if help is needed. That is why I love theatre. We all have our parts to do but if others need a helping hand we are there for them. It’s like the quote says “we are only as strong as our weakest link.” But lucky for us, we got some hard working talented group of individuals. I can’t wait to see the other One Acts. I just know they are gonna be great. Until then, Tilly still got some work ahead. The show continues. 

Fetch's Final Week of Run-Throughs!

We’re getting close to filming this week, so there were quite a few things during our run-throughs that were focused on understanding the process of filming, and whether or not things were going to work on the stage, with the set, and the camera. The camera was set up for our Sunday rehearsal, so I was able to see things on the monitor and was able to understand the spacing and what everything looked like. Luckily, it all looked great, and now I can’t wait to see their costumes all together with the set pieces. 

Prior to our Thursday rehearsal, I went into the theatre and was able to record the sound cues, and was able to work on the set on Thursday. All the finishing touches are coming together- we even have a cone of shame for one of the dogs now. Alongside their physicality and their costumes- they will look not only fabulous but also very much like dogs. 

Now that filming is on Sunday, we spent our last rehearsal on Thursday going through the show and making everything more dog-like. It was those little things that made watching the show more enjoyable, and more believable, and overall just more finished. I asked them to really push the limits, and surprise me with whatever they decided to do, and they really took that in stride. There was a bit of tweaking here and there, but overall, they did a great job of taking my strange notes to heart and acting away! Sunday is going to be a long day, and hopefully, we won’t have any major issues, but we’re at the finish now- let’s put on a show! 

The Calm Before the Storm - Fetch

 Sort of an ironic title for the blog post, I think, since dogs generally hate storms. But Fetch Films in 2 days!!! AHHH exciting!

Seeing the set starting to come together and the actors finally at a point in which they are super comfortable in their lines and able to play around more, it is very cool. I am so impressed with Noah, Leah, and AJ for all the work they have put in and how much they've been improving during the rehearsal process. Lorna has made a masterpiece out of my writing and it makes me very very happy to see. 

I am a bit nervous for filming because we will be using the earpieces, but I find comfort in that the actors have been extremely consistent in their blocking and have it down in their muscle memory. It will probably be a long and tedious process, but I am sure that it will look good in the end. 

I am probably most excited to see the costumes for this show. I have gotten glimpses and pieces of it but that is really going to help bring the characters to the surface.

Can't wait for Sunday!

Helping Hand: Final Rehearsal, Filming

     And so, now less than a week from being finished with the play, I feel more proud than ever. I am proud of my actors Lane and Josh, and of Playwright and my stage manager, Taylor. It is hard to come up with words. It has been such an amazing experience. I am so excited to see the filming and there after the final product on screen. I am excited to see them in costume and giving it all they got. I feel so happy with all of it: the work going through characters and collaborating to create this work as it is performed. I don't have too many words. I simply wish to extend my thanks to all who have been part of the process and have been more than patient with me during this process. 

    The last rehearsal went so well. We did some testing with lights and audio to make sure it would all work when filming. I received some notes and incorporated them into the performance. After practice the cast and crew had a bit of a debrief where we let out all of our feelings about the play and the process and we all felt that it was such a powerful and positive experience. 

    I am so excited to see this through the rest of the way and see the final product, as I have said. 

    Nich.

The Play with the Stuffed Animal in it- Filming Day is Almost Here

The production process is making its way towards the end-

The actors are ready,

The costumes are ready,

and thus, we as a production team are ready.

Mostly.

It's hard to let go of something you have worked a long time on, a process that takes a lot of emotion and mental capacity to achieve. 

But that's how it is in the theatre, full of frustration, inspiration, and discovery. 

We bond through the collaborative experience we share together.

We take the memories we made and put them towards even more experiences. 

I'm excited to see The Play with the Stuffed Animal in it, in all of its film glory, but I'm excited about what this means for how theatre can look in the future.

I'm glad we made it through this experience, it's been quite the learning process.

Being a part of this festival has reminded me that theatre makes it through anything-

Regardless of what is thrown at it. 

The Pieces are Coming Together!

 Yesterday was an exciting rehearsal because it was our first time working with props, costumes, lighting, and the camera! We film next Thursday and it was our last time in the space until then so it was crucial we utilized every new piece, and it's looking oh so great. It was so fun to see everything come together and it was definitely one of those rehearsals where I remembered why I do theatre in the first place- to create art. Josh and Lane did a phenomenal job working with all of their pieces and they truly became the characters last night, I genuinely felt like I was watching Rick and Millie. You could feel them listening to each other and putting their emotions into every moment - I cried... many times.

It has been such a wonderful process working on this project with all these incredibly talented people, I could gush for hours. It's been wild seeing something I made come to life and it has definitely been an experience I will think about until the day I die. Rick and Millie are characters I created out of love for the people in my life that have experienced drug addiction. I wanted to create a realistic moment and show that everyone f*cks up sometime in life, but everyone in this world deserves a chance and the room to grow and learn from their mistakes. I hope the audience enjoys Rick and Millie as much as I have and forever will. Thank you forever and always to Liz Helman for giving me this opportunity, I wouldn't have discovered something I love if it wasn't for your support. To Nich for even wanting to do this show and for being one of the best directors I've ever worked with. Finally, to the wonderfully talented Josh and Millie who have blown me out of the water since day one and for originating these roles. 

I can't wait for filming day!

Memorization and Working During C*VID

    This has definitely become one of the most fulfilling yet stressful rehearsal processes I've had, solely because of how disconnected from the theater all of it still feels and the limitations we're still facing.  Working on these one acts has been the shred of normalcy I've been so deprived of and I think all of us doing this could agree to some extent. The amount of adjustments, logistical issues, and hurdles we all as a company have had to deal with because of this pandemic, proves immensely how dedicated people will be when it comes to the things that brings them happiness/purpose/job security/a reason to live/all of the above.

    With the limited time in the space, memorization has become crucial and our actors have been hitting it hard. It's the frustrating first week of being off book and not wanting to call "line" too often but also being unsure in some moments and calling it anyways. There will always be bumps in the road and these two aren't professional actors so I'm trying to do my best in giving them affirmations and reassuring them that they know their lines. During our rehearsal on Thursday Josh and Lane both came to epiphanies about their character developments and better understandings of the relationship and power dynamic between Rick and Millie. It was really great to be able to have those kinds of discussion with them because it shows they're doing their text work and willing to put in the extra time to bring these characters and the moments between them to a deep emotional level. I trust the process and these people more than I have trusted most things in my life and I know that in the end no matter what comes our way we'll still bust our asses to get things done in the name of good theatre.

Off Book with Paedon - The Play With The Stuffed Animal In It

Monday was off book day! I was very impressed with Abby and how little she called for line. Since Kane will be recording he doesn’t have as strict memorization expectations but both did a great job at running it smoothly. We were on the main stage and had opportunity to finally work with the bench we will be using for filming.

     Wednesday we had another rehearsal where Liz came and sat in to see a run of the show. It was good to have her there as I think it showed me how ready the actors were for performing this and what needed working on. There’s a section I was struggling to figure out as I want the visual experience to match the story we are sharing. We also worked with the real Paedon bear on Wednesday as Libby was finished working with him. He looks so creepy and terrible in the best way possible. Libby really went above and beyond and did an amazing job with the bear and creating something that would bring the eerieness to the show. The actors were very impressed and slightly scared of the bear. It is starting to finally come together as we see these pieces join the rehearsals. 

     Today we had our production meeting and discussed the logistics of audio recording and filming. This whole process has been a bit stressful in trying to make the production look good and work within the confinement’s that we currently are in. Yes, I am extremely grateful to be directing and working in theatre during this time in any capacity, but I can see and safely say that we are all burnt out on the covid accommodations. This show is really going to turn out to be amazing, I can see that now even before we film. The amount of heart put into this department and this production continuous to blow me away and I am so blessed to be a part of it.

Hannah

Paedon the Bear- The Play with the Stuffed Animal in it

 The more I write these blog posts the more I realize that...

The name of the play is long.

The Rehearsal process is not.

As we go further and further into blocking, into creating the visual aesthetic of the show, I am more and more thankful for the wonderful actors involved.

Seriously, the fact that they have questions and ideas for my script feels so freeing as a playwright.

Normally we let our plays go and wonder how the world looks at them. 

Yet, I have had the privilege to witness the process for myself, and my goodness it is helpful.  I look at the characters differently and the script feels like it is springing to life. 

Also being in a creative space always sparks more creativity. It is necessary to surround yourself with people who input new ideas into the world, breathing life into words that we usually use our inner reader to acknowledge. The beauty of theatre is illustrated in moments of collaboration. 

...A bit sappy, I'll admit that.

I'm always excited to see what comes next :)

Tilly- Pride

 Wow! We are halfway through finishing our show and it feels so good. It is crazy to see the play I wrote, go from paper to the stage. It is most amazing and the scariest thing I have done so far. For me, it feels as though I am revealing a part of myself. I reveal a glimpse of myself in each character. Reveal a glimpse of my world with every interaction the character’s have. But I am learning as we continue this process is seeing pieces of my creative team put pieces of themselves into it as well. Seeing the director bringing this one act to life and seeing the colors, sounds and actions being put in place with such care is exciting. Plus, the actors putting a face to the characters is so stunning because it is beyond what I imagined. Each one of us loves and respects each other's artwork. Even though the Tilly will be more or less 10 minutes, the care put in place is worth the ten minutes to watch. I can’t wait for the audience to see it and maybe see little pieces of themselves as well. 

Tilly: Time and Money

 Hi y'all,

This week was a productive and exciting week, but also the eerie reminder that theatre moves fast. In all theatre, no matter what type, there seems to never be enough time or money to accomplish all of your hopes and dreams, yet somehow the dreams still morph into a tangible real-life thing. This was the week I could feel the impending deadline coming up while still feeling the growth and magic of the show. The actors are fantastic! They are doing the work expected outside of rehearsal and always ready to roll with the punches as discoveries are made and changes happen. The run throughs have really solidified that my concept feels to be coming to life as the little moments spark responses from myself and Tess (writer/ASM extraordinaire) even with our many times of watching. 

One of the bonuses of this week was having our professor Liz Helman come and sit in on one of the run throughs. A fresh pair of eyes allowed for a problem I'd been noticing, but couldn't quite put my nose on, be brainstormed differently, adding a lovely layer to the production. The collaborative nature of theatre is just what I needed in the midst of a long pandemic, stressful end of year, and just a new adjustment time in my life. The help from Liz, the people working this show in general, and my actors remind me why I love the creative elements of production. The way to solve puzzle pieces and tell a story. There isn't more I could ask for. While the filming date seems to approach quickly, I know that we're going to do the thing and tell a pretty great story from it. Signing off similarly to my first blog I can't wait to keep making some art. 

Talk to you all next week!

Haille Lantz

Fetch- The First Off-Book Run-Through

This week started with another Withycombe rehearsal, and it was their first day off-book. I was curious to see how far they would have gotten in their lines, and they did incredibly well on being off-book and willing to work hard on their movements and character development. 

Through some discussions, we also decided to change the setting so-to-speak, of the show. Instead of the vet waiting room, the stage will be made to look like two different kennels. This is just to help make the setting make more sense, especially since the dogs can’t get close to each other. Hopefully, this will help to establish the show more. That means though, that extra sound effects are needed that I wasn’t originally envisioning- the sound of kennel doors being opened and closed. After learning how to fill out sound cues though, hopefully, it will all fit together. 

I also got to see how the costuming is coming along- all the dogs have a specific look, which I think works really well in establishing their character. They're just putting on the finishing touches, and I'm excited to see how they all look together on the stage- Taylor and Savannah are awesome! Everything is coming together, as Sunday is another run-through to get things solidified before we film in two weeks.

A Helping Hand: Week 4, Practice and Repetition.

     Hello once again! This week has been a fun twist on how theater and having a busy life gets "fun". In a number of ways. The first way was getting Off-Book. It's rough. It's always rough. Especially when we had such a phenomenal performance last week from Josh and Lane. They were just insane with being able to connect to the emotion and character. This week it was hard and frustrating for them, as I saw they were having a hard time with lines which interrupted their connection to what they were saying. In all regards they were doing really well, all things considered, at the end of the night they were barely calling line and they were getting that connection back. It was knowing what had been and wanting that exemplary performance again. I think it's a game of expectation management at that. I know they will continue to get back to that point. From what I read of acting from somewhere (I've been reading up on the subject to try and get better for my crew) that people shouldn't try to exactly replicate an emotion - which has benefits and drawbacks - but they should try to attain that feeling everytime through connection with character and their scene partner. I think that's such an important distinction: that you are creating, not copying. I think we will work towards that.

    Now the other thing that's harder. I went out of town for work this last week and wasn't able to make it to a rehearsal - something that seems, or at least feels, like a cardinal sin of theater - luckily my Ast. Stage Manager, Taylor, is freaking amazing and ran the rehearsal. Honestly she's a life saver, and from what she told me it went well. I think that this underlines something else that should be set from the beginning - trust. I trust Josh, Lane, and Taylor. They are hard working and passionate and they know what to do. They want this and I trust in them to be able to do it. Honestly they do most of the heavy lifting anyways. I feel reassured that I can go away for a day or so and come back knowing that they've been at it still - though I really want to be there.

    Looking at the weeks ahead, I think that it will be just more practice and repetition until the blocking and lines sink in to the point where the actors are feeling emotion more than remembering the aspects of mapped theater. I want to define the blocking more and develop the playfulness we have into a routine and solidify that so that we can dive into their performance. I'm excited for what is to come - as always!

Nich

Fetching the lines! - Off book day

 Off book day was Sunday, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well the actors had their lines down!

That is always one of my fears while writing, is "am I giving enough context in each of the lines to help cue the next one effectively". The last thing I want to do is have actors trying desperately to remember their lines because I wasn't clear enough. But I think I effectively wrote the script in a way where they are able to clearly move from one beat to the next, and I think that was shown through the slop through we did. 

The first slop through we had quite a few callings of line, and quite a few notes on wording/order/skipped over lines. I had debated just generally saying to look over the wording on certain pages, but figured that it would be more helpful to actually specifically point out everything despite this taking more time and being a bit tedious. But it must've worked out quite well because the next run through they had cut the amount of times line was called by more than half, and the lines said were more true to the script.  By the third and final run through of the day, they only called line a total of 4 times I believe? And I had a quarter of the line notes from the first time. I am really proud of all our actors and for how much work they're putting into this because the show is just really starting to come together nicely. Lorna and I are laughing at each run through with every new choice that is made. I mean, it really is just phenomenal.

Having Liz come into rehearsals and give advice is very helpful too. She had mentioned the idea of kennels throughout my time writing the play, but I was NEVER able to visualize how that would work in my head (I was picturing literal cages for the actors to be in and I did not want to do that ha). But now that she has clearly helped us visualize the stage in this new way, the blocking will be so much easier and won't need as much editing to make sense. Overall, the rehearsal process has just been amazing. I can't wait to film in the coming weeks. 

Rolling through Rehearsals - Fetch

 The technical challenges are arising!

With COVID, and trying to balance three actors who cannot cross the center of a split screen, blocking is not the easiest feat. We've had to be creative with entrances and exits, working to have the correct motivation for where each actor is sitting/what side of the screen they are on, and more. Our first blocking rehearsal, we spent the majority of the time just figuring out how to make the split screen work. And I think we finally did! Lorna came in with some great ideas that just needed minor tweaking.

It has been so fun to see the physicality of these characters come to life. Writing the characters as dogs, knowing they are going to be played by humans, I had a billion different ideas of what the play could look like. I am very grateful that Lorna's vision of the play was SO similar to what I had in my head from the beginning of writing the plays. There have also been some choices that pleasantly surprised me. AJ doing a southern accent, Noah rolling around the floor and climbing over the furniture, and Leah's dog mannerisms. Every rehearsal is super fun. 

The one thing that I think I preferred as a writer for Townsend when I was just passing off the script as soon as the final version was written, is that I can only listen to my own writing a few times without going crazy. This is all because of myself only. It has been alright because it is constantly developing in the theatrical aspects, but I am starting to get annoyed by my own writing.

It will be interesting to see how filming goes. I'm glad that we aren't using mics on their persons because this allows for them to have a lot of physicality without the worry of breaking a mic pack, but this also means the actors have to be really conscious of where they are directing their voice. Especially since they are so far below the camera being on all fours. I do enjoy seeing these things develop throughout the rehearsals, and all of the actors we have for this show are so talented and are making such amazing choices with the notes they are given.

Can't wait for sunday! Off book day is EVERYONE's favourite.