How To Make My Play More Stageworthy
How I'll be moving my play forward with the help of some brilliant theatre people.
This day last week, I was in the Coastguard Cultural Centre, giving what was probably one of my most nervewracking performances of my play.
It was for a brilliant theatre director, James Power of Stagemad Theatre Company, and his lighting guru, Andrew Dunphy.
Two men who are steeped in the traditions of theatre and who would be watching and listening to me with great care and attention. I kept telling myself: just get through it, just get through it.
A Play Is Never Over
It was a huge learning experience. The biggest lesson I learned is that a play is never finished. When I was planning my three 2023 performances, I was burning with the white heat of excitement that comes with organising a tour. I saw these performances as a top up to my five summer performances.
Let's just say every day is a school day.
Photo Description: This pic is actually from my video shoot in VISUAL Carlow back in March, but it’ll give you an idea of the sort of environment I’ll be delivering my play in in 2023 - bright lights, a big stage and rows of seats.
These three performances are standalone performances. Ideally, I would have secured grant funding for the performances and started working with James Power as my director as soon as my summer dates are finished.
But we are where we are.
A New Direction
James laid out a possible future direction for my play which would have taken me to a brilliant place. If I had performed for him a year or even six months earlier, I would have followed him in that direction.
But my work with Lynda Gough and Angela Keogh has already brought the play where I want it to go. Besides, following the James Power route would have required lengthy days of rehearsal, and at this stage I have other fish to fry.
How To Enhance My Play
So, James and I have come to an agreement. He will come with me to my performance and offer support, going through the tech rehearsal at the venue before the show. And Andrew will provide a lighting plan and lighting support on the performance days.
James also gave me nuggets of wisdom which will help me adapt my play for the stage. I'll be sharing those with you next week. His suggestions have renewed my enthusiasm for the rehearsal process, which had started to feel like a slog.
I'm hoping you'll all see the fruits of our labours at my three performances in Wexford on 19 January, Thurles on 2 February and Kill, Co Waterford on 23 February.