Flashbacks...
I got a chance to catch the New Play Festival at USU tonight...I've been looking forward to it for a while, now--Mark emailed me back in December to tell me it was coming up and invite me to attend, and it's been in my plans ever since. It was kind of an odd experience, sitting there and watching the plays--a lot of the playwrights were also acting in the pieces (some of them were even in their own works), which I can only imagine would be really stressful--I know, when my stuff was being performed, I was very agitated, mentally, about how it was going to go over. I can't imagine compounding that with having to remember lines and blocking from a bunch of other works.
The format this year was VERY different from anything I've ever seen before. It was a combination of ten-minute and 'flash' plays (flash plays are even shorter than ten-minute plays...Mark, in the program, kind of equated them to the stand-out scenes in movies, where it's only a two or three minute sequence, but it really defines the character in that moment). On top of that, it was in the Black Box Theater...so it was extremely minimalist, and very disjointed (the plays were not arranged to have any relationship, one to the next).
There were a lot of the players that reminded me of old faces, too...one guy (Brandon) reminded me of Paul Filan, in his mannerisms and delivery...but he was built more like Aaron Martin. It seemed really odd, to me, watching him, because of the similarities...and it really kind of made me homesick for my time up there. I think someone's trying to tell me it's time to go back to grad school...because every time I go see a college production, I remember how much I miss doing them. (Either that, or I need to find a rich backer or three and start my own theater, doing simpler fare--I can count the number of theaters around here that DON'T do a constant diet of musicals on the fingers of one hand...EASILY...)
Another thing that was fun was being able to sit down next to Kevin to watch the shows...there were moments that I almost missed in some of the shows, and caught only because Kevin let out a wry chuckle that made me open up my 'field of focus' and try to figure out what inspired the laughter. In case I haven't said it before, Kevin, I really miss working with you.
In spite of (or perhaps because of) the presentation being so different from anything I'd experienced before, I really enjoyed the evening. I hope Mark hasn't entirely abandoned doing one-acts in favor of ten-minute plays, because I also have, in the past, really enjoyed getting to take the time to get to know a character through the course of the play...there's not much time for that in a ten-minute play, and even less in a flash play. But it was a lot of fun to see this less-publicized style being explored and developed, too.
I got a chance to catch the New Play Festival at USU tonight...I've been looking forward to it for a while, now--Mark emailed me back in December to tell me it was coming up and invite me to attend, and it's been in my plans ever since. It was kind of an odd experience, sitting there and watching the plays--a lot of the playwrights were also acting in the pieces (some of them were even in their own works), which I can only imagine would be really stressful--I know, when my stuff was being performed, I was very agitated, mentally, about how it was going to go over. I can't imagine compounding that with having to remember lines and blocking from a bunch of other works.
The format this year was VERY different from anything I've ever seen before. It was a combination of ten-minute and 'flash' plays (flash plays are even shorter than ten-minute plays...Mark, in the program, kind of equated them to the stand-out scenes in movies, where it's only a two or three minute sequence, but it really defines the character in that moment). On top of that, it was in the Black Box Theater...so it was extremely minimalist, and very disjointed (the plays were not arranged to have any relationship, one to the next).
There were a lot of the players that reminded me of old faces, too...one guy (Brandon) reminded me of Paul Filan, in his mannerisms and delivery...but he was built more like Aaron Martin. It seemed really odd, to me, watching him, because of the similarities...and it really kind of made me homesick for my time up there. I think someone's trying to tell me it's time to go back to grad school...because every time I go see a college production, I remember how much I miss doing them. (Either that, or I need to find a rich backer or three and start my own theater, doing simpler fare--I can count the number of theaters around here that DON'T do a constant diet of musicals on the fingers of one hand...EASILY...)
Another thing that was fun was being able to sit down next to Kevin to watch the shows...there were moments that I almost missed in some of the shows, and caught only because Kevin let out a wry chuckle that made me open up my 'field of focus' and try to figure out what inspired the laughter. In case I haven't said it before, Kevin, I really miss working with you.
In spite of (or perhaps because of) the presentation being so different from anything I'd experienced before, I really enjoyed the evening. I hope Mark hasn't entirely abandoned doing one-acts in favor of ten-minute plays, because I also have, in the past, really enjoyed getting to take the time to get to know a character through the course of the play...there's not much time for that in a ten-minute play, and even less in a flash play. But it was a lot of fun to see this less-publicized style being explored and developed, too.
posted by Curtis at 11:34 PM
1 Comments:
no, i don't think you're the only one concerned. i've got my share of debt; student loans and medical only, a few miscellanious small snippets here and there that crop up (read bills that i have to pay once a year, or two or three times a year). i'd prefer not to have the student loan debt, and now regret not taking a semester off and working sooner than i did (if i had done it sooner i wouldn't necessarily be stuck where i am now). the medical bills, well i'd prefer not to have them either, but didn't have a choice there... the only thing i have, really, that i paid for via credit was my van, spent five years paying on it. it's got alot of miles now, but *knock on wood* hopefully it will last a few more. it has to have it's share of repairs here and there, which usually do a number on my wallet when they crop up, but paying $300 a year sure beats paying $200 a month. my goal isn't really to get more stuff (though i inevitably do) but to get rid of the debt. not been terribly successful at it as of yet, but i'm working on it. sad thing is, i'm gong to have to face the inevitably of quitting this job, which most days i actually quite enjoy, for one that pays more to do it. (if i didn't have the debt, well this job would be keen), or work a second one for a set amount of time. i'm looking for that time five or six or seven years from now, when the only thing i have to worry about it rent, utilities and the occassional new tire. that means i have the capability of pulling up shop and moving somewhere else when i want to with out the dreadful obligation of other bills. that day is a while off however, so i'm not holding my breath... but i'm looking forward to it.
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