Writer's Locked

So here is my first blog post. Lets all pause a moment to rejoice in this blessed event. Amen.

Last Saturday, Katherine and I attended my Big Fat Festival Meeting where I signed a contract and a check and made this thing official. We're in. No turning back now. Not unless we "never wanna work in this town again." And lose a bunch of money that wasn't even ours to begin with.

The meeting was very informative though and it was nice to finally put some faces to names and to meet some of the fellow artists. Thanks here to Katherine who made it her mission to network--which was awesome because I suck at it. I'm useless unless I have a script.

The meeting also brought into focus the enormous amount of work we have in front of us. Finding actors, designers, a director ... getting costumes, props and set together ... obtaining rehearsal space, getting postcards and posters made ... press packets. And don't even get me started on re-writes.

productionus interruptus

Well I am off to the Jolly tomorrow for three and a half weeks . Chip chip chaps. I will be scouting neighborhoods and "flats" and scoping the theater scene in Londontown.

If we have a decent run in New York, we will be attempting to stage Writer's Block across the pond, possibly at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest. That, however, is in the far future.

In the short term, we are looking for a director. Are you an experienced director? Have you ever been experienced? Can you direct a comedy? Can you work with two individuals who are already coming at this project with some strong ideas about it?

Drop us a line. . . kfortney @ gmail.com
We'll talk.

color us lucky then knock on wood

We have been granted a residency for six weeks of FREE rehearsal space for Writer's Block.

We WON the lotto!

Let's hope this luck remains.

Nay is for horses

I'm going to digress from Writer's Block a bit in this post.

The resposne Shaun and I get from peeps when talking about some of the projects we are working on is so varied. Most responses are supportive, which of course is great. Sometimes we get people responding who it seems, came from the glass half empty school. They respond with lists of things we need to know. And don't we realize that we have to do this and that and this other thing and Oh it's so hard. And we don't know the half of it. And on and on. . .

They're right. We don't know the half of it. We know what we know. We have common sense and intuition. Do you need to have a degree in film to make a movie or write a script? Is that a requirement? Is it any less hard if you went through that process?

Sure. We will probably make some wrong turns. Maybe we won't know some shortcuts. There are possibly technical things that it would be nice to have had classroom time to try and develop. But guess what? We are now making our own classroom. And as long as we don't end up in jail or in debtor's prison or dead, what's the harm?

Besides, what the hell else will we do with our time here?

Costumery

There are so many details to this play production that keep surprising me, such as costumes and wardrobe. At first I was thinking, "It's a contemporary play. We can keep it simple."

What a naïve thought that was. This is not a play in our back yard! I mean really.

Because Shaun, a.k.a. Master G (who will compose a post soon I am hoping) and I are do-it yourselfers, we will be creating the costumes. Quite honestly, the play will not feature complex costumes but attention to detail is required.

For example, in the first act there is a small vignette featuring gangsters from Chicago circa 1923. Very Al Capone.

There is a sassy femme fatale/gun moll/doll who gives the guys the business. I've been thinking about her costume quite a lot.

Is this right for her? Is she a Great Gatsby kind a lady, or more a Bonnie and Clyde Dame?

From the get-go I have been leaning toward the Bonnie and Clyde look for all involved. Fedoras and pinstripes for the boss guys. Newsboy caps and suspenders for the lackey. Pencil skirts, sweater, smart hat and gloves for the dame. Maybe I can find one of those Fox collars with the head and tiny feet still on it. It that called a stole?

Today's open forum topic is:

Does anyone have particular vintage clothing stores they are partial to, in NYC and elsewhere for that matter. Discuss.

P.S. I like these shoes and this hat for the costume. Let us know if you see something like this around.

the cultivation of donation

this is the weird part.

we have to ask people for money.

The question is how do you ask people for money but make it worth it to people to want to part with their hard earned duckets? How do you tap into willing donors?

Of course there is the regular grant writing and the soliciting of corporations and corporate underwriting. . .that's not a problem. That doesn't scare me. In that sense I've got nothing to lose. But passing the hat around to peeeps like you and me. . .well that is a little bit more uncomfortable.

So what I am trying to think of now, in order to take the edge of the blantant requests for $$$ are fundraising ideas.

So far I have the ubiquitous silent auction, a hosted event with cheap good beer, music and raffles, me coming to your house and cooking you a turkey dinner, naked car wash, fortune telling & sooth saying, the ubiquitous silent prayer, drug dealing, and last but not least prostitution. I know Shaun is up for the last bit but I am really leaning toward things like the first two. My pimp hand is tired.

If anyone wants to chime in with ideas they have used to successfully raise funds for the arts in their past lives, speak ye now. It's an open forum!

The Field of dreams

Hey MLK,
I have a dream too. It involves winning the lotto and buying a five story building in Long Island City. It would be used to house an arts cooperative in which I would bring kids and artists together and where artists could obtain studio space in exchange for teaching kids about art and stuff. Then sometimes the dream turns a little psychedelic like an acid flashback which may or may not get a little sexy, but that is for another blog.

The dream may be on a scale that is a little beyond my scope. That doesn't mean that it can't happen.

Wendy Lasica's dream turned into something beyond it's original scope too. She created The Field , a not-for-profit service organization for independent artists which provides programs directed toward the creation of new work and its dissemination.

In terms of creation, The Field:

assists artists in making clear, cogent work through peer-oriented feedback groups;
produces performance festivals focused on the exhibition of new work;

sends artists on retreats at arts colonies such as White Oak (FL) and Earthdance (MA) to create new material and developnew collaborations;

provides free rehearsal and performance space grants in the FAR Space, our new Chelsea gallery district studio.

In terms of dissemination, The Field:

provides artists with tools that enable them to understand managerial and administrative functioning via more than two dozen workshops on fundraising, booking, marketing, non-profit theory, legal issues, and arts management;

trains artists and other individuals to become arts administrators and managers;

enables 300 artist members to solicit grants and individual contributions through the use of our non-profit sponsorship program;

produces a website devoted to independent artists touring their work throughout the US;

houses a resource center tailored specifically to the needs of independent performing artists with resources including six laptopcomputers, databases of grantmakers, periodicals, and books, and on-the-spot consultations with Field staff and other arts administrators.

Isn't it good to know that there are still resources out there for the independent artist? It fills my heart and appeals to my hippie sensibilities when I find organizations like The Field which exist to promote art and creativity. An organization that hasn't been crushed by The Man. . .

Shaun and I are in the middle of our membership application to this fine organization which I will support 100%. We have also applied for the Far-Light Residency grant in hopes of winning the lotto for free rehearsal space for Writer's Block.

I have a dream.

no war on whimsy yet

Yesterday Mr. Gunning and I met with the ever talented Dana Carslon to inquire as to whether or not we could commission her for the artwork for the play's postcards, poster and playbill.

We love Dana's work and think it is a good fit for tone of the play. The play is a somewhat whimsical comedy and although I dread whimsy in real life, I will tolerate it in the pursuance of art. I will not declare war on whimsy until after this show is finished. Did I say finished? I meant flimmished. It's okay. They sound a lot alike.

PS this post is not saying that Dana's work is pure whimsy. It is not. We just know she could bring the "W"-word if'n she wants to. And if she wants to sneak an owl into the mix . . . I'm not saying no. . .

in the beginning

Hi ether friends,

my name is Kris and I'm a long time blogger, first time producer.

Welcome to the first post for "The Path to Production" blog which will attempt to document, well. . .doy. . .the path to production for my roommate Shaun Gunning's play, Writer's Block.

We are proud to announce that the play was recently accepted to the Midtown International Theater Festival and should be onstage for your viewing pleasure sometime between mid-July and mid-August.

On behalf of Shaun and I, we hope that you tune in and join us on this exhillarating and terrifying excursion into the world of New York theater. We think it'll be kinda fun.

Cheers,
Kris