Production Creative meeting notes

updated 171024


Production Creative meeting for Journey to the East
Richard Beaune, Trevor Copp and David Vivian @MIWSFPA
17.0921

• Following the meeting a current copy of the script was circulated, dated February 2017 – Trevor and Richard will meet to review variances from the previous version and to review inclusion of some strong moments from previous work
• Estimated length of show: 50 min + 40 min
• Plan for upcoming October workshops is to cut and define the play. Act I is the priority, Act II may persist as a less well realized/more workshop type production

DESIGN

• Review of the plan of the Burlington PAC, discussion of similarities to the MIWSFPA theatre space
• Regarding the scenic space – discussion about technical elements and creative conceptual strategies – rough notes were drawn into theatre plan that will be collected for a future drawing (to come)
• Discussion of actor and audience access points, use of house soft goods tracked so can be opened at centre on long sides (see plan)
• Placement of audience: Act I: preference for all 4 sides above in MEZZ, combination of chairs and standing, no audience below.
• In Act II audience will move to lower level floor
• Black and white world
• Use of chalk to draw (fat stick) and chalk or chalk-like powder on the stage floor (research to determine safe choice)
• Chalk comes from costume pockets preset in lined pockets, no pails or similar
• Place: tunnel, but not with physical walls, roof; tunnel into chalk deposit, but no chalk mountain/well.  Hero emerges on enemy side covered in dust, comes out as ghost
• Keep open, wide
• Importance of the violin as deus ex machina (?): is the theatre venue the inside of the violin, the soundbox?
• Diagonal action line between two corners: line of rope on floor, no upright barriers, keep diagonal clear
• Infinity loop will be played but not shown by chalk or other mark
• Examine possibility of small built ‘welts’, finished as if stage floor, that are movable on stage floor, similar in scale to DART small black boxes (somewhat similar to skater park shapes), to be markers of cochlea shape
• Alternate shape slices of cylinders
• French curve is a strong shape reference
• Like idea of Serra echo chamber
• Water bowls will not be used
• largely played in darkness with simple house plot with 5-6 specials plus low sides and floats to be moved by actors, providing three to four looks
• create cochlea shape (possibly up in air) and f-hole (onto stage floor, gobo?) using stage luminaire
• light creates violin / matter creates cochlea
• investigate light shooting across from low side, hitting haze to create visual shaft of light that actors pass under
• Atmosphere: hazer, investigate possibilities
• Some visual references: Richard Serra’s sculpture in Terminal I YYZ, Richard Smithson’s Spiral Jetty

COSTUMES

• Three men
• Zack (Basanio in MoV): younger, medium distressed;
• Mike Hannigan (older man in MoV): oldest, most distressed costume
• >>> these are near mirror-images of each other
• Trevor: Leo, Christ-like figure, considerable contrast to the other two, pronounced in the second act (dies and is resurrected, undamaged by explosion)
• Gloves and boots are important
• Miner’s lamps: vintage type, may need new lights installed
• Helmets?
• Gas masks: Trevor has
• Silhouette: not period, simple soldier like, remember need for ease of movement
• All three share similar aspects

PROPS

• Ropes – have in stock
• Violin: NEED. Not played (strings not required), shape is most important, used to refer to trench shovel
• knife

SCHEDULING:

• performance workshop demo in Burlington has been pushed back one day to Wednesday November 8th AT 7PM.
• TC also to provide slightly changed rehearsal schedule for Burl PAC
• DV to confirm dates for tech, rehearsal and performance in MIW Theatre with Brock: Nov 18 and 19th weekend is planned for performance; possible tech on Nov 14, 15 eves, for example
• to be discussed: How we promote/ bring in the PWYC audience (Eventbrite?)
• DV preparing budget sheet for theatre rental and support costs

/dv