| | Tonight: Final AlterLab Workshop
Tonight I'll leave work just a little before 5pm in order to catch the express Golden Gate Transit bus to San Rafael (I only learned about the express buses and I wish I had learned sooner) for AlterTheater's final AlterLab workshop of the season.
We'll once again convene at Ann Brebner's beautiful home. Side note: Ann has had a long career in both theatre and film. My favorite Ann story is when she told us about reading the first draft of a script at the request of the screenwriter. The script was for a little sci fi movie. You may have heard of it, it's called Star Wars. I'll wait as you pick up your jaw off the floor.
We've all submitted the latest draft of the plays we've been working on and tonight we gather to talk about how the residency worked for us. I myself have enjoyed the challenge of this residency: having to write a first draft in a month (with my 9 to 5 job I find it slows down my writing) and trying to get a production-ready draft by the end of the residency completed.
During my residency I've written The River Bride, a fairy tale inspired by Amazonian folklore. Of all my plays it feels the most poetic. I didn't set out to do that. I just found that that's the way the characters wanted to express themselves and I just let them do it. Granted I was kind of taken aback by how "formal" they sounded to my ear, but I decided to not fight it.
I came across this photo by Toni Frissell early during the development for The River Bride. It's the image I have on the first page of the play's script.
The River Bride is part of a cycle or informal trilogy of fairy tale plays I'm working on. And it's been truly helpful to have the support of the AlterLab residency as I worked on this play--hearing it read aloud by actors, talking over scenes with my fellow playwrights.
And it's been a pleasure to hear what my fellow playwrights Ann, Rebecca and Ignacio have been working on. Truly a pleasure.
-M
p.s. I should really wait for the coffee to kick in before writing. Grammar much?
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| | Posted 6/7/2012 9:34 AM - 60 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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