Backstagf

Backstagf

From Page B2

perhaps even find carpeting, in preparation to writing Hold it, all that will take well past the date for the plays opening Joyce calls back to set ine straight, “Get on with it.” feht pushes me back to my computer with a ream of paper, a clean, unvarnished surfacedetermination and the ardu ous job of typing Shakespearean text. These will be woven together with newly-written commentary or scene-setups delivered by an Ambassador-Narrator, yes! No. Yes. Perhaps. Maybe. Why not. Yes, no. Tidbit #3: at this stage don’t be afraid to rethink an idea even if it means tossing away several pages of text. Instead I’ll us.* the Muses; they worked like u charm and tied the storytogether in the Christmas performance, and so let them weave the magic again. But this time, not only dancing ,but speaking as well.

Of course, I have to get the facts about “muses.” Oops, learning that there were actually nine classical Muses plus their Mother, the Muses of Memory, I wonder if this play can incorporate this many, or if I have a large enough talent pool. I hope that Kitty Keyser, Dance and Movement Director, will agree that fewer will work well. So I combine all the muses of poetry: Lyrical, Epic, Love, and Sacred, into one, bringing the number down to six, giving them speaking parts that I had been intended to “The Ambassador.” That makes sense to the text and won’t overpower the audience with too many muses.

I abandon the “Paul Newman idea.”' He played the stage manager in “Our Town.” Oh well, kill my darlings; not Paul, but the idea. Well, that was an overused idea anyway.

Continuously, I must not forget that I am beginning with two ideas: the four themes and casting young actors who are closer to the ages of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. (Finding, adult actors to play the older roles will have to happen later.)