Written: Tuesday, February 27th.
Tom (16)
The script team today consisted of Darryl and Lily, the two major players in the script department. Everyone in the company has contributed in one way or another to the script, and to the script-writing process, but these two have spent the most time on it.
Lily made it her duty to type up onto the computer, the scenes that she and Darryl wrote (based on notes on improvisations, and on rough work by other company members) during the bulk of the recent rehearsal times, to be later included in the yellow-draft and first draft.
The script is now finished, and one would think their Civic Duty is done. However, script writing isn’t all that easy. Now the problem the two teens face is in editing down the script to fit the appropriate length for which the final product, our play, The Trouble with Fairies is destined.
A Robertson Davies quote I’ll paraphrase about editing novels is “it’s just like killing your babies.” Lily and Daryl are forced to cut favourite lines and change scenes that they themselves created, and took the time to write up.
In a way, they are forced to kill Little Lily and Darryl Jr.
I asked Darryl how he felt on the task, and he responded by telling me that editing a piece of writing is never easy, cutting down hard work that one contributed to, oneself.
But when it’s needed “you gotta do what you gotta do.” Darryl also pointed out that change isn’t always a bad thing. The end result of a scene may turn out to be better then they first expected.
I also managed to visit the strong Music Department, consisting of Jury , Spencer, Laura, Nicole, and their facillitator, musician and composer Richard J. Lehman.
Richard, although contributing to the shaping and finish of the music, is actually sitting back, letting the other younger four contribute the musical styles that will underscore The Trouble with Fairies.
The males of the department are all working with musical instruments, usually guitars, and ultimately, the beat and melody of the songs, while the females are working with vocals and keyboards.
Of course, these songs didn’t write themselves to start with. These four have created all the music for the show, down to the tune and lyrics. All but one song is basically in good shape, including lyrics and rhythmic drive. Currently the team is working on the melody for the “Dahlia and Choleric” song. I managed to catch Spencer, and ask him how he felt about his job in Music.
“Writing background music is hard,
basically all I do is sit with my guitar
and come up with tunes that sound
good, the only problem is I usually
forget some of the stuff I come up with,
before I have the chance to put it down.”
The last department, and the one I didn’t have time to visit Tuesday, was the Design Department. Hopefully, I will have some information up next week from them. But until then, please check out the pictures and designs posted elsewhere on this site.
I am, and still have been…
~ Tom (16)
ImproVis-à-Vis 2007
