Cardboard is Not a Byproduct

Design Meeting #2 (9/18)

I am very behind in writing these blog posts, but I promise they will come. Eventually.

The second design meeting was less of a meeting and more of a hang-out; the fact that all of us were sitting in very squashy and comfortable sofas for the duration probably didn’t help the fact. In any case, it’s devised right? No need for anything concrete yet…

One highlight of this meeting was that I got to meet our costume designer, I, for the first time! I think she was a little overwhelmed by the craziness of the group around her, but she seems like a sweet person.

I probably should have cut the meeting short when they started discussing sex sounds in all their capacities, including:
-recording people in the room over
-recording in the same room
-recording people just making sex noises
-doing foley work with some pieces of meat

In any case, who knows what the next design meeting will look like.

Did You Get All the Condoms From the Health Center?

First Rehearsal!

This week we had our first rehearsal, another design meeting, and a second rehearsal! Let’s see if I can keep up with everything, shall we?

Rehearsal started off as a fairly normal affair, with T and L welcoming in the actors as they arrived in silence, then leading them through some movement exercises. Then they pulled out the condoms. The next half an hour consisted of the full cast, T, and L coming up with increasingly odd things you can do with a condom that isn’t having sex, still without talking. Highlights included:
-Blown up condom as a baby
-Fortune-telling with a condom crystal ball
-Not knowing what a female condom was
-Using a pregnancy test as a mimed joint
-Eventually, spin the bottle.

That’s right! The answer to the question “Can you make your actors play spin the bottle?” is most definitely yes. There was no hesitation from this group.

I don’t know what we’re going to do if we need to keep that many condoms on hand for random rehearsals. Sad to say, I bet it’s not the weirdest thing the theater department has gotten a charge request for.

Also, check out the updated bios page! Hey ho, the gangs all there now.

Metaphorically Cute Ducks in a Metaphorical Line

Starting the Fall

It’s one week until classes start, but I’m already back on campus, so I thought I’d start lining up what I’m facing this fall. Small things, such as the unwritten script have been clarified (it’s devised, I know, I know). But the elephant in the room remains–where exactly?

T and L would love to have the show be site-specific. Currently, they would like to be in one of the smaller concert venues on campus. This site has never been used for theater. The people who organize the site would like to keep it that way.

Space Organizer: We need this space for the other groups on campus, as well as for dance parties. Have you looked into the spaces the theater department offers? T and L: But they’re boring! (This may be a simplified exchange.)

Well, hopefully our elephant of a show will find a room to fit it, providing we all manage to get those ducks in a line.

Well, It’s Better Than Surprise Devised

First Meeting

Today, the director (T) and the writer (L), set up a lunch meeting with me and the designers to talk about what the show might look like. Everything is so up in the air at the moment though, that it turned into more of a look at what working with this crazy bunch is going to be like.

The theses writers:
L: No, I definitely want a linear narrative.T: It could have time travel!
This very accurately sums up both of these gals.

Can you make an audience play spin the bottle? Can you make your actors play spin the bottle? Before every rehearsal? The point was then brought up that if you share germs early, then they hopefully won’t get sick closer to the performance.

I stopped taking notes way before they stopped talking.