August 15, 2012
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Post Table Read Post Mortem
Don’t think that this is gonna be a morbid post. That’s just what popped into my head for a post title and well, I like repetition and wordplay.
Besides, last night’s read through of Wolf at the Door was anything but dead or dull.
But first, a recap.
Wolf at the Door is the second play (though technically I started it before The River Bride, however The River Bride is now at a production-ready draft) in my grimm Latino fairy tale series/cycle/trilogy (not sure if I’ll stop at 3).Here’s a synopsis (a first draft of one):
Shortly after Isadora’s stillborn baby is buried, the naked and very pregnant Yolot is found sleeping in the hay with the family’s dogs. Isadora’s abusive husband Septimo forces Yolot to stay on the property because his in-laws are coming soon and he needs a replacement baby. As a pack of wolves closes in on the property, Yolot’s true identity is revealed and Isadora much decide what price she will pay for her own freedom.
And back to last night.
We started with dinner. Dinner is how I attempt, in my own small way, to compensate my actor friends for their time and talent. I made them a delicious meal (if I do say so myself): a Spanish tortilla. Quinoa, arugula, strawberry, goat cheese salad with olive oil, honey balsamic vinaigrette. TJ meatballs topped with pineapple. And this amazing truffle infused cheese paired with bread and prosciutto.
Yes, I know how to feed people.
And we ate. We ate and talked. Caught up. Laughed. And destroyed that cheese–gone, gone, gone.
Then came the read through. Now the purpose of the evening was 1) to get me to finish the first draft which was languishing in limbo for about a year with a gaping hole in it. (Note: I did fill that hole); 2) to hear the play aloud–I confirmed my instinct that the pacing is really fast (I want to slow it down) and caught a few typos in the process; and 3) to discussed the play afterward with the actors as a way for me to gather ideas on how to expand the play–what elements or characters could I delve deeper into with writing exercises.
I wrote copious notes. Copious. They’re all scribbled on the back of my script (need to type those notes up) and the evening left me feeling energized by the ideas that surfaced. This is great. Momentum for this play–just what it needs. I’d like to get it to a new draft by say early October. Wouldn’t that be great?
More soon,
M
