Call me random, call me silly, or call me just plain weird but I put this on everything...
Right before I decided to type this blog I turn on my itunes and what song starts randomly playing....
"We are a family" off the Dream Girls soundtrack!
Ironic thing is, I feel like my cast is definitely going to become my newest family! We are a small cast totaling six main characters and two ensemble roles! Not to say my last cast wasn't my family either but there is going to be a huge difference working with eight people as oppose to the 20 people cast I had to work with in my last production.
Cool thing I notice is, half of my cast has experience on the stage and the other half are virgins to the stage. Despite the differing experiences, there is one thing the entire cast shares in common and that is, they all have passion and dedication! I think some of them are more excited about the production than me!! =)
Last night everyone came to my apartment and we did a full table reading of the script. We timed the play at 2 hours 40 minutes(without intermission) however we had to take into consideration a few interruptions, plus the pacing of some of the lines. I'm estimating after i make some cuts and once everyone becomes familiar with their parts, the play will run at 2 hours 20 minutes WITH INTERMISSION!!
I just sent an email to my family a.k.a my cast breaking down all the important dates they need to remember! Rehearsal starts this Monday! In the email I was explaining to them what to expect at rehearsal....to be quite honest I'm not sure what to expect myself :-P
I'm trying to be as organized as possible, so I wrote out a timeline of what we'll be doing each week and I even started sketching out on paper how I want people positioned on stage for certain scenes. However, you really don't know how things will go until you start! But I'm confident that God will direct me to be the best director I can be! I have faith in my cast and I'm praying that they continue to have faith in me too! I explained to them that I'm an open minded director who takes all ideas into consideration! I'm being patient with them and in return I know they will grant me the same.
This will also be a new experience for me not only because I'm working such a small cast but this will also be the first time, I'll be hitting the stage!!!
Yea can you believe it? I've made some small cameos in my short films in college and even in my last play. But to have an actual speaking part, um no. I've always backed away from the stage, which is funny cause I'm not really shy. In fact, I'm very outgoing and loud(lol) But being on stage wasn't where i wanted to be. I liked being behind the scenes! I found comfort in pouring all my thoughts, feelings, desires and dreams onto paper only to have others convey them for me. But this time around I'm feeling different. I'm feeling courageous and bold and I don't want to hide behind a piece that is so intense and has so much feeling, I want to be a part of this experience, off stage as well as on stage.
and besides acting is fun! =) and if Mel Gibson, Spike Lee, and Denzel can act and direct in their own films, well then heck, SO CAN I!!! =)
Even though my to do list is now exceeding to4 pages lol i will get it done!
by the way...56 more days till we premier!! =)
so much work to do, but this is fun work!!!
and one day...just one day
I'll be able to do this all day everyday.
i just know it.....i just know it! =)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day One of THE PROCESS....or at least documenting it =P
Day One....hmmm, yeaaaaaaaa right!!! This production process goes beyond that! I actually conceptualized the story back in 2006, started writing it early 09 and began pre-production in mid 2009...So please believe, A LOT has occurred before today! HOWEVER, today will be the day that I officially start to document my thoughts on this entire production process! This will be my place of sanity =)
Because between all the MILLION and two things that I have to do, I must find time to sit back and just simply relax. I have no problem dealing with pressure, however I do not want my pressure to turn into stress, so a little R&R is good to the soul =)
For those of who don't know, this is my 2nd full length production...but this is the FIRST play, my production company(Don't even Tripp) is heading up! It's ironic though because there are a lot of correlating similarities with this production in comparison to my last production(The Skin I'm In)
First off, with the Skin I'm in that was produced on my camps(San Diego State) spring of 08. That was a during a time in my life when I was going through a great transition, I was graduating from college. =)
As of right now(two years later) I'm putting on this play during a time in my life where I'm in the process of going through another great transition...I'm applying to grad school =)
When I did my first production 'The Skin I'm In." I took a trip to Vegas in January and said when I returned, I would buckle down and get serious about this play!
I did the same thing with this production! I took a trip to NYC last month and told myself when I returned I would get right to work!
The auditions for the Skin I'm in were held right before Valentine's day weekend
The auditions for this play are being HELD NOW, right before valentine's day weekend too =)
The Skin I'm in premiered April 18th
This production will be premiering April 23rd and April 24th
Very interesting all of this similarities, don't you think? I'm just hoping the good karma from my last play will carry over into this one!!
Which I have full faith and confidence that it will. =)
Especially since now, I have more experience and know a lot more as far as what it takes to make a play truly successful! Diligence is key and being organized is MUST! I just feel extremely blessed, because I have the most amazing random creative friends who are now my coolest most dedicated passionate production team ever!
I call them "The SOOO ambitious production team!"
We had our first production Meeting on Monday @ La Pinata in Alameda. The bomb dot com Mexican food matched perfectly with all of our energetic ready to work minds! I came correct and prepared, and they were impressed!
I took the time to make everyone cool folders filled with all the information concerning our production. There was a calendar with all the important dates/deadlines, a breakdown sheet of our budget, and there even was a section within the folder explaining in detail each department and who was in charge and responsible for what.
It truly was a PRODUCTIVE meeting! Ideas were flowing left and right. It felt great to be around motivated individuals who were taking this production just as serious as me. I had explained to them, that this was the first piece I had ever written, where during the entire writing process I didn't let anyone read it until I was done. As with my other works, as I would write I would let people read. But this play is more intimate and very special to me. They were receptive and understanding to that. It's just a great feeling to know that I am working with people who I can trust and have my and the production's team best interest at heart.
While there is a lot on our plate, we're dealing with things one day...or bite at a time, whatever you choose =)
First order of business is, finding the perfect cast. I already have a few people in my mind for parts but I still wanted to keep my options open so we had our first auditions today!!
We had a good turn out! It was funny though, we sat there as a panel reviewing the actors who came in as if we were somebody important! Ha, but honestly, to everyone who came in we all genuinely thanked them and tried our best to make them feel at ease. Because it's not easy getting up amongst your peers to be judged. So we went out of our way to make the audition process as easy and comfortable as possible! We cracked jokes and had a good time and I feel like a majority of the people who came out felt comfortable and at ease...we even had one actot tell us, even if she wasn't casted for a role she still would come out to support the play! So people we're on point and offered a lot of talent tonight!
Not to say there weren't a selected few who came in who were doing a bit much lol...but there is no need to speak on those certain individuals =)
But let me just say this! As a writer, there is something ever so remarkably great about having people finally read your work aloud for the first time. The characters become alive, the lines they speak have passion and the story itself is now on the verge of becoming a reality! It truly was motivating!
So I'm super excited to see what tomorrow's auditions will bring and even more excited for the night the play premiers! Thiis is truly going to be one AMAZING experience =)
Because between all the MILLION and two things that I have to do, I must find time to sit back and just simply relax. I have no problem dealing with pressure, however I do not want my pressure to turn into stress, so a little R&R is good to the soul =)
For those of who don't know, this is my 2nd full length production...but this is the FIRST play, my production company(Don't even Tripp) is heading up! It's ironic though because there are a lot of correlating similarities with this production in comparison to my last production(The Skin I'm In)
First off, with the Skin I'm in that was produced on my camps(San Diego State) spring of 08. That was a during a time in my life when I was going through a great transition, I was graduating from college. =)
As of right now(two years later) I'm putting on this play during a time in my life where I'm in the process of going through another great transition...I'm applying to grad school =)
When I did my first production 'The Skin I'm In." I took a trip to Vegas in January and said when I returned, I would buckle down and get serious about this play!
I did the same thing with this production! I took a trip to NYC last month and told myself when I returned I would get right to work!
The auditions for the Skin I'm in were held right before Valentine's day weekend
The auditions for this play are being HELD NOW, right before valentine's day weekend too =)
The Skin I'm in premiered April 18th
This production will be premiering April 23rd and April 24th
Very interesting all of this similarities, don't you think? I'm just hoping the good karma from my last play will carry over into this one!!
Which I have full faith and confidence that it will. =)
Especially since now, I have more experience and know a lot more as far as what it takes to make a play truly successful! Diligence is key and being organized is MUST! I just feel extremely blessed, because I have the most amazing random creative friends who are now my coolest most dedicated passionate production team ever!
I call them "The SOOO ambitious production team!"
We had our first production Meeting on Monday @ La Pinata in Alameda. The bomb dot com Mexican food matched perfectly with all of our energetic ready to work minds! I came correct and prepared, and they were impressed!
I took the time to make everyone cool folders filled with all the information concerning our production. There was a calendar with all the important dates/deadlines, a breakdown sheet of our budget, and there even was a section within the folder explaining in detail each department and who was in charge and responsible for what.
It truly was a PRODUCTIVE meeting! Ideas were flowing left and right. It felt great to be around motivated individuals who were taking this production just as serious as me. I had explained to them, that this was the first piece I had ever written, where during the entire writing process I didn't let anyone read it until I was done. As with my other works, as I would write I would let people read. But this play is more intimate and very special to me. They were receptive and understanding to that. It's just a great feeling to know that I am working with people who I can trust and have my and the production's team best interest at heart.
While there is a lot on our plate, we're dealing with things one day...or bite at a time, whatever you choose =)
First order of business is, finding the perfect cast. I already have a few people in my mind for parts but I still wanted to keep my options open so we had our first auditions today!!
We had a good turn out! It was funny though, we sat there as a panel reviewing the actors who came in as if we were somebody important! Ha, but honestly, to everyone who came in we all genuinely thanked them and tried our best to make them feel at ease. Because it's not easy getting up amongst your peers to be judged. So we went out of our way to make the audition process as easy and comfortable as possible! We cracked jokes and had a good time and I feel like a majority of the people who came out felt comfortable and at ease...we even had one actot tell us, even if she wasn't casted for a role she still would come out to support the play! So people we're on point and offered a lot of talent tonight!
Not to say there weren't a selected few who came in who were doing a bit much lol...but there is no need to speak on those certain individuals =)
But let me just say this! As a writer, there is something ever so remarkably great about having people finally read your work aloud for the first time. The characters become alive, the lines they speak have passion and the story itself is now on the verge of becoming a reality! It truly was motivating!
So I'm super excited to see what tomorrow's auditions will bring and even more excited for the night the play premiers! Thiis is truly going to be one AMAZING experience =)
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