Picture This...

Hooray! Today marks the debut of the awesome show poster (welcome), which showcases the photography of Kathleen Finlay and the design genius of Rob Kimmel. It's a unique, powerful vision that I didn't see coming.  

Rob sent Diana a proof Monday morning; when she told me about it, and I was like "Huh." When I finally saw it, I was like "Well, that's it then... that's the poster." Diana and I spoke briefly about the possibility of minor alterations, but in the end, it didn't need much back and forth between us and Rob (he clearly has a handle on the show); now, it is my great privilege to share it with all of you.

I took the photographs with Kathleen many months ago in a testing of sorts to see where we could go with capturing Icarus, Lucifer, and Phoenix. I never imagined that they would be the final product, but she clearly captured something very compelling. I look forward to working with her again; she's crazy talented, and totally fun to be around. Be sure to check out Kathleen's collaboration with Diana called Starfall; Kathleen's link is to the right.

In other news, it's been a very intense time; there has been much upheaval in my life in the last few weeks; however, I will say this... rainy days in March are perfect for memorizing.

Slow and Steady

The gathering and discussion of images and points of inspiration continues in its fractured way as everyone else is currently preoccupied with other projects. Group emails filled with video links, photos, and/or staging ideas is the order these early days. I have been having regular meetings with Diana, talking through sections of the script and setting the foundation for everything that will follow.

I've also talked to several people about memorizing, given the length of this piece (at about 9200 words long, it's the most I've ever had to memorize). I have been given several helpful suggestions only to discover that my own powerful method (walking around my bedroom with the script in hand reading and muttering to myself, then collapsing on the bed and staring at the ceiling and spitting out the text) works as well as anything else. Victory me!

As we inch closer to the end of the March, the intensity grows; these slow and steady days of contemplation and careful planning will soon give way to a chaotic descent into the madness of the creative fugue. There is a roller coaster ahead, navigating and understanding the twists and turns of the bones and blood of the thing, which (I suppose) is best not anticipated but experienced in the moment.

Onward!

Saturday Status

More memorizing. Trips to the gallery. Emails to artists. The sharing of inspiration. Continuing creative conversations. Fine tuning the script.

The piece really sings now... a final script session with Diana sorted out any remaining areas of concern. On Thursday, the spine of the play snapped completely into place; it felt like a chiropractic adjustment. Now properly aligned, the piece has a resonance that is very profound; it simply sings. The years of development work feel like they have totally paid off. There is something to be said for the taking of time to develop a play like this. Everything is falling into place.

The more time I spend with the play, the more I realize I simply need to get out of the way, and let Icarus, Lucifer, and Phoenix do their thing. That's going to be the challenge, I think... abandonment. But if I can do it, if I manage to step outside of myself enough that they manage to get their hands on the steering wheel, it's really going to be something to behold. Very exciting.

Spirals.
The double helix.
The meaning of the minotaur.
The weight of being Lucifer.
Embracing the fall.
Breaking the code.

Forgetting everything we (think we) know so that we can see what is really there.

And So it Begins...

Ok, so... yesterday we had our first production meeting. We managed to make one huge staging decision, and took several steps towards the deciding of other mid-sized decisions. There was talk of foam core. There was a ladder discussion. There was technical chin-wagging between Sharon and Jacob. We slowly zeroed in on the show we wanted to do, how the piece was speaking to everyone, and what it was inspiring. A couple of key words emerged during the discussion; aftermath, epicycles, and compass (with an honorable mention to the Ptolemaic Universe). Very cool.

I have been busy memorizing, but there is still a ways to go. The three (Icarus, Lucifer, and Phoenix) are definitely hanging out with me more and more, and that is very comforting. They are so good to have around.

Wingéd. It's called Wingéd.

It's a dream born in a barn.
A star that fell from the cold midnight sky.
A promise rising through the snow and mud.

It's joy that burns bright and hot.

I'm looking forward to the ride...