NYC empties out for the holidays
Especially this one..
so, I could ride my bike easily down to 43rd Street
to attend our full session of classes today.
Entering Cameo studios and traveling down into the earth
two floors and how many levels
I try not to think of the
fall out shelters of the my youth and
they way they were stocked with canned goods
and guns and no books.. ever...
in the displays at the State Fair anyway.
I always wondered,
what we'd do down in those shelters with no books.
Maybe card games? Our nails? Maybe Scrabble?
Anne Frank Annex fantasies?
Not to worry though. This travel down two levels
leads me to the clean, bright and
cool rehearsal studio. We are the first group to use it.
It was created by developers of a local hotel.
NYC makes developers contribute to the well being of existing communities
when they build their huge complexes.. and so the theatre district got another rehearsal studio at low cost for the use of a few companies for special events. Hence, our arrival.
We are delighted to be there.
This afternoon I had the chance to read some of my material. And be as vulnerable as the rest of the writers. Did FOREST FOR THE TREES, a stylized presentational love story and a five pages of a brand new piece about the prisons we work in, live in and choose.
We were also visited by Playwright J. Holtham who brought in some brand new work and some more seasoned scenes. J. will come back next Friday with his rewrites and the students will get a chance to see how their work, their input changes and affects a living piece of art.
Kind of the idea in this program.
How do we affect each other as we exist in the room,
in the town, on the planet together?
We do affect each other, whether we know it or not.
The energy of an event translates to the energy of an action.
The energy of an action translates to the energy of origin, that is..
where the action originates.
Our job is to get all of those actions to
generate from the heart.. not the mind, not the head,
but the wise and judicious heart
that tells the truth and
is open to its effect in the world.
Tall task... to keep that heart undefended and
yet strong enough to emanate its own love and strength from within.
Well. we're all on the road.
We're in it together.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
WEEK ONE
Zip.. and all time collapses
and we are in the middle of the end and
the beginning and spinning all at once.
For those more linear thinkers I'd like to report an inspiring week one.
Acting, Collaborative Workshop, Playwriting and Rep are all launched. Rod is back from the Berkshires where he directed Andrew Dolan's new play THE MANY MISTRESSES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING for Producer Bob Jaffe of Berkshires Playwrights Lab. Stay tuned re; Bob as he will join us the director of RECLAMATION, the solo piece we will try out for the group on July 20.
We conquered the air conditioning and the subway.
Saw new work at The Public, New Dramatists, Don't Tell Mama and the Comic Book Festival at the Brick.
We got to know each other, met Crystal Skillman and Joe Gilford, guest writers.
And had a chance to begin the process of unpacking the images and
style of their work..
and even heard the new work of our writers Benjamin Benne and Greg Palmerino.
Benjamin, our Hayakawa scholar, is working on his full length CAPTIVITY about the
the complicated relationships between an upscale working couple and their nanny. I promise Ben started this piece way before the Schwarzenegger situation came up.
Greg,a support Associate, is working on ANJELICA examining the way in which we love beasts.. the beasts in ourselves and those that surround us. Dark and theatrical , he is just beginning the work.
Jenn, our Program Admin and Gus, her trusty intern, are still standing.
Oh! And our first visual artist, Fred Hatt, visited and sketched this week as well.
And phew.. now a day of rest and back at it July 4 when EST playwright J. Holtham comes by and introduces his work to our group.
RUN SILENT RUN DEEP was on Channel 13 tonight.
Gable kept yelling, DIVE DIVE DIVE...
and in the quiet of the deep...
there lies the answer.
and we are in the middle of the end and
the beginning and spinning all at once.
For those more linear thinkers I'd like to report an inspiring week one.
Acting, Collaborative Workshop, Playwriting and Rep are all launched. Rod is back from the Berkshires where he directed Andrew Dolan's new play THE MANY MISTRESSES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING for Producer Bob Jaffe of Berkshires Playwrights Lab. Stay tuned re; Bob as he will join us the director of RECLAMATION, the solo piece we will try out for the group on July 20.
We conquered the air conditioning and the subway.
Saw new work at The Public, New Dramatists, Don't Tell Mama and the Comic Book Festival at the Brick.
We got to know each other, met Crystal Skillman and Joe Gilford, guest writers.
And had a chance to begin the process of unpacking the images and
style of their work..
and even heard the new work of our writers Benjamin Benne and Greg Palmerino.
Benjamin, our Hayakawa scholar, is working on his full length CAPTIVITY about the
the complicated relationships between an upscale working couple and their nanny. I promise Ben started this piece way before the Schwarzenegger situation came up.
Greg,a support Associate, is working on ANJELICA examining the way in which we love beasts.. the beasts in ourselves and those that surround us. Dark and theatrical , he is just beginning the work.
Jenn, our Program Admin and Gus, her trusty intern, are still standing.
Oh! And our first visual artist, Fred Hatt, visited and sketched this week as well.
And phew.. now a day of rest and back at it July 4 when EST playwright J. Holtham comes by and introduces his work to our group.
RUN SILENT RUN DEEP was on Channel 13 tonight.
Gable kept yelling, DIVE DIVE DIVE...
and in the quiet of the deep...
there lies the answer.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
TAKING ACTION
Action.
Taking action.
Being active.
To act is to do.
To create action from need.
To create action from want.
What do I want so much that I will take action to get it?
What do I need so much that nothing will deter me?
And how do I show this desire?
Objects hold the keys to action-- at this point... real palpable objects.
Dumbo's feather.
The ruby slippers.
How about the red violin?
And how can I save my life and take action.. urgent, connected and palpable action.. that is worthy of the goal I am after?
Well.. I could ask for something or demand it
I could cajole, hide, seduce, redirect, steal,..... and it goes on.
I could actively wait or actively conquer.
The art is in the choice, yes?
Taking direct action, from a direct and connected place.
That was today. In both Jose's class and playwriting.
We have started collecting and sorting, choosing and releasing
and it is just the beginning.
Oh, and Rod is back. Our Producing Director Rod Menzies is back from directing Andrew Dolan's play THE MANY MISTRESSES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING at the Berkshire Playwrights Lab in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
So, the Rep class starts tomorrow afternoon.
Stay tuned.
Taking action.
Being active.
To act is to do.
To create action from need.
To create action from want.
What do I want so much that I will take action to get it?
What do I need so much that nothing will deter me?
And how do I show this desire?
Objects hold the keys to action-- at this point... real palpable objects.
Dumbo's feather.
The ruby slippers.
How about the red violin?
And how can I save my life and take action.. urgent, connected and palpable action.. that is worthy of the goal I am after?
Well.. I could ask for something or demand it
I could cajole, hide, seduce, redirect, steal,..... and it goes on.
I could actively wait or actively conquer.
The art is in the choice, yes?
Taking direct action, from a direct and connected place.
That was today. In both Jose's class and playwriting.
We have started collecting and sorting, choosing and releasing
and it is just the beginning.
Oh, and Rod is back. Our Producing Director Rod Menzies is back from directing Andrew Dolan's play THE MANY MISTRESSES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING at the Berkshire Playwrights Lab in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
So, the Rep class starts tomorrow afternoon.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
STarting strong....
In our first two days we have seen three theatre pieces.
Readings at New Dramatists today, and the Public Theatre last night.
And we all were able to attend Leslie McKinnell's cabaret evening at Don't Tell Mama, directed by our own associate Greg Palmerino and featuring the talents of many Cal State Fullerton students who are here in NYC working and growing and making it happen.
That's the best... To see the way in which these artists grow into themselves as they claim what is specific to their own selves. I often quote Gide.. or paraphrase him:
LOOK FOR YOUR OWN
DO NOT DO WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO AS WELL AS YOU
DO NOT LOOK
DO NOT FEEL
DO NOT THINK
DO NOT BREATHE
WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN THINK FEEL OR BREATHE AS WELL AS YOU
LOOK FOR YOUR OWN
AND OUT OF YOURSELF CREATE
YOU ARE THE MOST IRREPLACEABLE OF BEINGS.
That quote set me on my path. Irreplaceable? A specific mission?
And so the task
of eliminating all the extra debris, the triggers, the baggage, the static..
ridding ourselves of the extra "stuff"
with which we adorn ourselves to keep ourselves from ourselves.
And this is the artists training.
simply being.
simply breathing.
simply channeling
and allowing light to flow through us --
and allowing that light to hit the skill sets created by training and growth
and maturity
and in this way we create.
We are larger than ourselves.
This has little to do with paparazzi.
But lots and lots to do with stardom..
Stay tuned.
Readings at New Dramatists today, and the Public Theatre last night.
And we all were able to attend Leslie McKinnell's cabaret evening at Don't Tell Mama, directed by our own associate Greg Palmerino and featuring the talents of many Cal State Fullerton students who are here in NYC working and growing and making it happen.
That's the best... To see the way in which these artists grow into themselves as they claim what is specific to their own selves. I often quote Gide.. or paraphrase him:
LOOK FOR YOUR OWN
DO NOT DO WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO AS WELL AS YOU
DO NOT LOOK
DO NOT FEEL
DO NOT THINK
DO NOT BREATHE
WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN THINK FEEL OR BREATHE AS WELL AS YOU
LOOK FOR YOUR OWN
AND OUT OF YOURSELF CREATE
YOU ARE THE MOST IRREPLACEABLE OF BEINGS.
That quote set me on my path. Irreplaceable? A specific mission?
And so the task
of eliminating all the extra debris, the triggers, the baggage, the static..
ridding ourselves of the extra "stuff"
with which we adorn ourselves to keep ourselves from ourselves.
And this is the artists training.
simply being.
simply breathing.
simply channeling
and allowing light to flow through us --
and allowing that light to hit the skill sets created by training and growth
and maturity
and in this way we create.
We are larger than ourselves.
This has little to do with paparazzi.
But lots and lots to do with stardom..
Stay tuned.
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