Ringplay arises from the dead
Nico on Dec 04 2005 at 1:10 pm | Filed under: Workshops
Well, it’s been some time since we last wrote. That isn’t to say that we’ve not been busy, but we haven’t touched the blog. Our apologies!
In the way of updating you on what’s been going on:
The IDB/Ringplay Production Workshops have come to an end now. The production workshop was perhaps not as successful as the writing workshop, in that not all the people who began the course in October finished it. Now while numbers were not a problem in the playwriting workshop, writing being more or less a solitary activity, the collaborative nature of theatre production made it difficult for the production workshop to achieve all of its goals. Some of them were well dealt with, but when it came to actually putting the play up on its feet, at least nine people were needed (it’s a cast of nine, eight of whom must be onstage at once), a core of two participants didn’t really cut it. Still, the production workshop was able to work on many of the theoretical aspects of production, like blocking, sets, costuming, lighting, interpretation, direction, and so on. Putting these into practice was a lot harder.
By the way, for anybody who wonders why theatre produced to professional standards draws upon a tight, closed pool of people, that’s the reason why. Theatre does not produce itself from spiritual possession; it takes work and collaboration, and relies as much upon teams and teamwork as football or basketball. To make the team requires not only talent but commitment and stickability, which is why, whenever you find excellence in theatre, you find what outsiders call cliques.
The next step is to audition casts for the play and put it up. Look for that process to begin early in January — December being a black hole for anything but social occasions, it seems. A word to whomever wishes to audition: commitment is fundamental. Don’t even bother if you can’t commit.
