I have my own website now.
Please bookmark http://sherrierbooks.com/ and visit for information on my books, humorous columns, theatre education, and more. I'll also be transferring some of the content on this blog gradually, in addition to plenty of new material over time.
Thanks for looking.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Writing to direct
Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students...
So you’ve decided you want to direct a one-act your senior year, and you search and you search and you search, but you just can’t find the right script for you.
In that case, you might want to consider writing your own play. That way, you customize the show for your performance space, your available casting pool, and your overall comfort level. Basically, you choose your own directing adventure.
If you opt for this route, only a handful of limitations stand before you: any guidelines of appropriateness required in your school, budget constraints, your school’s stage, and the laws of physics and reality. Still, you’ve got tons of freedom.
You want to do comedy? Drama? Romance? Sheer absurdity? The choice is yours.
There are many different facets of playwriting I could talk about, but let’s focus on just one for now:
When writing a play, consider movement.
This is especially useful if you’re writing this play for your directorial debut and you’re still learning the ropes about that side of the operation, too. If you incorporate movement into your script, that’s less you’ll have to figure out during the rehearsal process--and more that will organically develop on its own. But the key here is to incorporate movement that needs to happen, as opposed to arbitrary movement for the sake of movement.
I wrote my first play my senior year of high school for the purpose of having something to direct. Without even consciously realizing it at the time, I incorporated a simple set-up that generated tons of action throughout the show.
This one-act was based on my senior Homecoming dinner experience, and therefore, I called it “The Play About Homecoming.” I was part of a group of six. The three girls were friends of mine, and the other two guys didn’t even go to our school...and those two guys were a little on the unusual side. Or a lot on the unusual side. One thought he'd impress the girls by trying to resuscitate his chicken dinner, for example. So, there was plenty of fodder for comedy there, especially when you have license to exaggerate things to absurd proportions. (This is playwriting, not journalism.)
Dinner, of course, is a somewhat static activity. People just sit at the table and talk. While you can develop some fun dialogue in such a situation, it’s not very visual. And theatre is in large part a visual medium. If I just had everyone sitting at a table for 15-20 minutes, it would have dragged.
So, I placed the women’s restroom to one side of the table, and the men’s restroom at the other. I couldn’t build those sets, so I simply established them with signs and had the actors pantomime opening the doors and washing their hands. This gave the girls a place to run off to when they needed to vent about their horribly awkward dates. And I could also have the dorky guys act all goofy while admiring themselves in their bathroom mirror.
By giving a place for the actors to move to, a snowball effect occurred. I kept thinking of more pieces of action and comedy to incorporate into the script.
Movement helps the overall flow of a show tremendously. When you first begin writing your script, figure out a basic set for the show and have it be a functional set. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, and it probably shouldn’t be. I used little more than a table and two invisible bathrooms, and with that, my cast generated tons of laughter from an appreciative audience.
Remember, movement can help actors keep their energy up. Sometimes, it provides memory cues for lines. Most importantly, it gives the audience something dynamic to watch.
So you’ve decided you want to direct a one-act your senior year, and you search and you search and you search, but you just can’t find the right script for you.
In that case, you might want to consider writing your own play. That way, you customize the show for your performance space, your available casting pool, and your overall comfort level. Basically, you choose your own directing adventure.
If you opt for this route, only a handful of limitations stand before you: any guidelines of appropriateness required in your school, budget constraints, your school’s stage, and the laws of physics and reality. Still, you’ve got tons of freedom.
You want to do comedy? Drama? Romance? Sheer absurdity? The choice is yours.
There are many different facets of playwriting I could talk about, but let’s focus on just one for now:
When writing a play, consider movement.
This is especially useful if you’re writing this play for your directorial debut and you’re still learning the ropes about that side of the operation, too. If you incorporate movement into your script, that’s less you’ll have to figure out during the rehearsal process--and more that will organically develop on its own. But the key here is to incorporate movement that needs to happen, as opposed to arbitrary movement for the sake of movement.
I wrote my first play my senior year of high school for the purpose of having something to direct. Without even consciously realizing it at the time, I incorporated a simple set-up that generated tons of action throughout the show.
This one-act was based on my senior Homecoming dinner experience, and therefore, I called it “The Play About Homecoming.” I was part of a group of six. The three girls were friends of mine, and the other two guys didn’t even go to our school...and those two guys were a little on the unusual side. Or a lot on the unusual side. One thought he'd impress the girls by trying to resuscitate his chicken dinner, for example. So, there was plenty of fodder for comedy there, especially when you have license to exaggerate things to absurd proportions. (This is playwriting, not journalism.)
Dinner, of course, is a somewhat static activity. People just sit at the table and talk. While you can develop some fun dialogue in such a situation, it’s not very visual. And theatre is in large part a visual medium. If I just had everyone sitting at a table for 15-20 minutes, it would have dragged.
So, I placed the women’s restroom to one side of the table, and the men’s restroom at the other. I couldn’t build those sets, so I simply established them with signs and had the actors pantomime opening the doors and washing their hands. This gave the girls a place to run off to when they needed to vent about their horribly awkward dates. And I could also have the dorky guys act all goofy while admiring themselves in their bathroom mirror.
By giving a place for the actors to move to, a snowball effect occurred. I kept thinking of more pieces of action and comedy to incorporate into the script.
Movement helps the overall flow of a show tremendously. When you first begin writing your script, figure out a basic set for the show and have it be a functional set. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, and it probably shouldn’t be. I used little more than a table and two invisible bathrooms, and with that, my cast generated tons of laughter from an appreciative audience.
Remember, movement can help actors keep their energy up. Sometimes, it provides memory cues for lines. Most importantly, it gives the audience something dynamic to watch.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
RIP teaser: "Touch"
But it's still only February, so what ever will we do in the meantime? I know! Let's have a preview!
First, the basic idea of the series, again, is:
Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you
vulnerable—but it’s the only way to grow. That’s what Rip Cooper has to do when
he learns he can perceive ghosts with his five senses as if they were flesh and
blood people, and he’s just as solid to them—in fact, the only solid thing to
them. This young loner has to overcome his fears and kill dead people to
prevent them from corrupting the living. He works alongside an impure angel and
his ex-best friend’s ex-girlfriend as they teach him how love can conquer fear.
You can find more information here.
RIP tells one big coming-of-age and redemption story over a series of novelettes...e-novelettes, that is.
The first installment is titled "Touch."
I've posted the teaser below. Other excerpts might find their way onto my Facebook page from time to time.
Text copyright Daniel R. Sherrier. Do not reproduce without permission.
TEASER
Rip
Cooper never forgot the haunted house in which he spent his early childhood,
though no one else seemed to notice its condition. Did he imagine it? No, he
remembered the day all too well, and every memory earns its place.
The
Cooper family lived in a tiny home, a quaint box with two tight floors and a creepy
basement. The front lawn was always kept trim, though there was too little lawn
to qualify that as a feat of any proportion. The real selling point was the
in-ground pool in the backyard. A lovely pool, indeed. Its square footage nearly
rivaled that of the house itself. The quaint box’s age spanned decades, thereby
qualifying as ancient to its five-year-old resident.
The
kitchen had a decent stretch of smooth, tiled floor—creaky, like the rest of
the place, but excellent for rolling around toy cars. Rip gave one a hard push,
and it raced away.
“Ripley,
don’t leave any of those toys lying around when you’re finished, please,” his mother
called out from the living room.
The die-cast
metal car careened across the kitchen floor and through a crack under a door,
the most horrible door in the whole wide world—the door to that creepy
basement. He shouldn’t have pushed so hard.
Rip
scooped up his other cars and dumped them in their box. Just one more to claim,
but it had escaped his view. He inched toward that looming door, stopping as
soon as his arm was within reach. Leaning forward, he stuck his fingers in the
crack and pulled the door out, hoping that would reveal the wayward toy and he
could grab it and close the door just as quickly.
It
didn’t. All he saw was a deep, dark gulf. And somewhere down there in that
foreboding abyss was his car.
His
crawling skin suggested he stop right there, and a newly unsettled stomach
seconded the motion.
His
mother wanted him to pick up his toys, all his toys. She always warned that
people could trip on them. Therefore, he had no choice. He needed to enter the
basement.
He
trembled as he crept down the wooden staircase into the chilly depths. Each
step laughed at him with a creak.
The
light from the kitchen shined a perfect path to the stray car. There it was,
overturned near the shelves. He just had to follow the light, grab the car, and
leave. Why did it have to be so far away?
His
foot touched down on the smooth, rock-hard ground. He quivered as his courage
faltered, and he began turning back to the kitchen…No! He had to get his toy.
His mother said so. And you always do what your mother tells you, especially
when she says please.
He
took a few more steps toward the car, trying his best to resist the shiver sent
from his brain straight down his spine.
Then
he made the mistake of looking up.
Gleaming
jack o’ lanterns lined the shelves up and down the wall—and that was just in
the parts he could see. They weren’t there a moment ago, were they? He forgot
all about a moment ago, because big ugly pumpkins now grinned at him, each one
carrying a small piece of hellfire inside.
Rip
screamed. He spun around to escape—so quickly that his legs tangled his feet,
causing him to trip and crash to the floor.
He
buried his face in his hands. He should have covered his ears.
“My,
aren’t we a brave little one?”
A man
was in his basement, and it wasn’t his father; wasn’t any relative. The voice
was unfamiliar, new. It didn’t belong.
Rip
sprang to his feet and froze. The jack o’ lanterns had vanished, and in the
middle of the lighted path appeared a gaunt old man with wizened skin,
disheveled silver hair, and no smile. Nice people smiled.
Rip
had never seen him—not a moment ago, not a month ago, not ever. Sure, those
hideous pumpkins were gone, but a strange man in raggedy clothing now stood in
his basement. At least he could run away from pumpkins…they couldn’t reach out
and grab him…
The
old man’s jaw dropped. “You can see me, and hear me.” His voice was gravelly,
but the chuckle that escaped his throat was worse. “I see. You’re one of the
Seven, aren’t you, boy?” He stepped toward young Rip.
The
boy instinctively shielded his eyes, muttering, “No, no, no…”
The
old man began, “Do you know how long—” and Rip heard nothing else.
He
opened his eyes and peered around. The man had disappeared.
But
the jack o’ lanterns were back. This time, they cackled at him.
Crying
piteously, Rip booked it up the stairs to the safe haven of brightness above.
He slammed the door behind him with enough force to rattle the kitchen window.
What
Rip hadn’t realized, and didn’t dare contemplate just then, was that the old
man hadn’t gone anywhere. He was still there, lurking in the shadows of the
basement, just as he had for years.
“Just
a little boy. A little coward,” the old man said, letting out a wheezing laugh.
“Good.”
He
strolled over to the abandoned toy car. He knelt and held his hand over it. The
die-cast metal, untouched, began to vibrate.
“I’ll have nothing to fear from a coward.”
Friday, February 8, 2013
RIP -- what it's all about
Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you vulnerable -- but it's the only way to grow. Rip Cooper, 24, may be a successful freelance photographer making a name for himself in a new town, but personally, he's in a rut. No friends, no goals, no greater purpose. He's going through the motions...until the “angel” Serissa informs him that he's “one of the Seven.” That’s the starting point of RIP, a series of e-novelettes that blends drama, humor, action, and the paranormal.
At any given time, seven individuals throughout the world are gifted with the capacity for extraordinary perception. They can see, hear, touch, smell, and even taste ghosts. The flip side is: Ghosts can do the same to them.
Most people who die go either to Heaven or Hell, depending on how they lived their lives. But some are on the fence. These people linger around the Earth as invisible, inaudible, intangible ghosts, and each one has a choice to make -- become a better person and earn a place in Heaven, or give up and settle on Hell. The former are considered angels, and the latter tend to become demonic. It is, however, possible for a ghost to shift back and forth before finally being summoned to either place.
Rip is not Mr. Action-Hero. He’s a decent fighter, but he initially has no incentive to fight.
The series is about Rip coming to terms with his place in the world. He must choose to embrace his new role and excel, or turn his back on it and slide into a life of untapped potential and mediocrity. He's a loner who yearns to be a part of the world -- and being a freelance photographer, he’s often on the outside looking in. Also, he was never a brave child, but as an adult he must resolve to cultivate his courage.
Serissa serves as Rip's angel guide and steers him to where he's needed. But she's also a recently deceased, sociable young woman who misses life and interacting with the living. Rip is the only solid entity she's ever encountered in her afterlife, the only living person who can even acknowledge her.
She's an angel, true, but in this world, angels are merely flawed people working their way out of purgatory and trying to avoid an eternal sentence in Hell. Rip fears becoming separated from the world, but Serissa already is. She's a fun angel, and her colorful personality serves as a contrast to Rip's more subdued nature. However lively she seems, she’s always just hanging on by a thread. After all, there’s no proof there actually is a Heaven, and when you’re an intangible ghost, it’s hard to hold on to anything.
RIP is coming to a digital device near you in late March.
At any given time, seven individuals throughout the world are gifted with the capacity for extraordinary perception. They can see, hear, touch, smell, and even taste ghosts. The flip side is: Ghosts can do the same to them.
Most people who die go either to Heaven or Hell, depending on how they lived their lives. But some are on the fence. These people linger around the Earth as invisible, inaudible, intangible ghosts, and each one has a choice to make -- become a better person and earn a place in Heaven, or give up and settle on Hell. The former are considered angels, and the latter tend to become demonic. It is, however, possible for a ghost to shift back and forth before finally being summoned to either place.
Rip is not Mr. Action-Hero. He’s a decent fighter, but he initially has no incentive to fight.
The series is about Rip coming to terms with his place in the world. He must choose to embrace his new role and excel, or turn his back on it and slide into a life of untapped potential and mediocrity. He's a loner who yearns to be a part of the world -- and being a freelance photographer, he’s often on the outside looking in. Also, he was never a brave child, but as an adult he must resolve to cultivate his courage.
Serissa serves as Rip's angel guide and steers him to where he's needed. But she's also a recently deceased, sociable young woman who misses life and interacting with the living. Rip is the only solid entity she's ever encountered in her afterlife, the only living person who can even acknowledge her.
She's an angel, true, but in this world, angels are merely flawed people working their way out of purgatory and trying to avoid an eternal sentence in Hell. Rip fears becoming separated from the world, but Serissa already is. She's a fun angel, and her colorful personality serves as a contrast to Rip's more subdued nature. However lively she seems, she’s always just hanging on by a thread. After all, there’s no proof there actually is a Heaven, and when you’re an intangible ghost, it’s hard to hold on to anything.
RIP is coming to a digital device near you in late March.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
It began as a teleplay...
RIP, my upcoming e-novelette series, began life as a TV pilot script.
It was a semifinalist in the 2011 PAGE International Screenwriting Contest in the TV Drama category and a finalist in the 2010 People’s Pilot Competition.
A Hollywood producer, in passing on the script, said it was “a fun idea” but he “would prefer to see this show executed in a more episodic/procedural way...”
There you have it. RIP -- not formulaic enough for Hollywood!
(The producer was very nice, I must say. He certainly did not have to read my script. His comments merely demonstrated why this story is a better fit for books than TV. So, you get to read it soon!)
A Hollywood producer, in passing on the script, said it was “a fun idea” but he “would prefer to see this show executed in a more episodic/procedural way...”
There you have it. RIP -- not formulaic enough for Hollywood!
(The producer was very nice, I must say. He certainly did not have to read my script. His comments merely demonstrated why this story is a better fit for books than TV. So, you get to read it soon!)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Casting
Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students...
Casting a show can be fun, but there’s one potentially stressful part. For most school one-act festivals, you’re competing with several other directors for the same pool of actors. You probably won’t get everyone you want. You have to realize that going in.
As I said last time, you need to consider alternative cast members before you meet with the other directors. That way, if one actor isn’t available, you have someone else in mind you’re comfortable with.
Here’s the tricky part here...Unless you’re doing a one-person show, no actor gets cast in a vacuum. You’re looking for talent in each individual actor, yes, but you also want to make sure these people have some chemistry with each other--that they look and feel right together.
For example, if your script calls for three girls who all need to be the same age and who appear together frequently, you might not want to cast one senior and two freshmen. Unless she looks as young as the freshmen, the senior might stand out in an awkward way. They might all be great individually, but something could look a little off when you put them together.
It’s easy to get so focused on each individual role that you forget about the larger picture.
Of course, you’re not going to get your ideal cast. You’ll have to make concessions, just as the other directors will make concessions that will work in your favor.
Casting a show can be fun, but there’s one potentially stressful part. For most school one-act festivals, you’re competing with several other directors for the same pool of actors. You probably won’t get everyone you want. You have to realize that going in.
As I said last time, you need to consider alternative cast members before you meet with the other directors. That way, if one actor isn’t available, you have someone else in mind you’re comfortable with.
Here’s the tricky part here...Unless you’re doing a one-person show, no actor gets cast in a vacuum. You’re looking for talent in each individual actor, yes, but you also want to make sure these people have some chemistry with each other--that they look and feel right together.
For example, if your script calls for three girls who all need to be the same age and who appear together frequently, you might not want to cast one senior and two freshmen. Unless she looks as young as the freshmen, the senior might stand out in an awkward way. They might all be great individually, but something could look a little off when you put them together.
It’s easy to get so focused on each individual role that you forget about the larger picture.
Of course, you’re not going to get your ideal cast. You’ll have to make concessions, just as the other directors will make concessions that will work in your favor.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Announcing a new series...
Coming soon...
Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you vulnerable -- but it’s the only way to grow. That’s what Rip Cooper has to do when he learns he can perceive ghosts with his five senses as if they were flesh and blood people, and he’s just as solid to them -- in fact, the only solid thing to them. This young loner has to overcome his fears and kill dead people to prevent them from corrupting the living. He works alongside an impure angel and his ex-best friend’s ex-girlfriend as they teach him how love can conquer fear.
Look for RIP, an episodic series of ebook novelettes, this spring.
Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you vulnerable -- but it’s the only way to grow. That’s what Rip Cooper has to do when he learns he can perceive ghosts with his five senses as if they were flesh and blood people, and he’s just as solid to them -- in fact, the only solid thing to them. This young loner has to overcome his fears and kill dead people to prevent them from corrupting the living. He works alongside an impure angel and his ex-best friend’s ex-girlfriend as they teach him how love can conquer fear.
Look for RIP, an episodic series of ebook novelettes, this spring.
Let the teasing begin...
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Interviews!
Folks from two nice websites interviewed me yesterday.
Angella Graff interviewed me here.
And Justin Bienvenue interviewed me here. (You might have to scroll down to get to me.)
We discussed various things, especially Earths in Space. Have you downloaded it yet?
Angella Graff interviewed me here.
And Justin Bienvenue interviewed me here. (You might have to scroll down to get to me.)
We discussed various things, especially Earths in Space. Have you downloaded it yet?
Monday, January 28, 2013
When life throws you bozos, write a play
My high school senior Homecoming resulted in my first original one-act play -- a farce.
The play, “The Play About Homecoming,” went over well with its high school audience, and my cast did great. The show brought considerable laughter to an auditorium full of teenagers. But what I and a few friends had to endure to get it…
I was very last-minute with the whole Homecoming thing. Three days before the dance, I learned one of my female friends was dateless, so I figured I’d swoop in and save the day.
She wasn’t the problem, and neither were her two best friends—but their dates left pretty much everything to be desired.
One was a 21-year-old guy who for some reason wanted to go to a high school Homecoming with a 17-year-old girl he barely knew. The other was our same age, but not our same level of hygiene, and he wore a tie-dyed shirt under some garish sportscoat.
I’ll withhold the names of the girls. They suffered enough. I don’t even remember the guys’ names at this point.
Neither fellow qualified as a gentleman. I’m not saying I was Mr. Wonderful, but I was at least Mr. Tolerable. However, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum...no.
The play, “The Play About Homecoming,” went over well with its high school audience, and my cast did great. The show brought considerable laughter to an auditorium full of teenagers. But what I and a few friends had to endure to get it…
I was very last-minute with the whole Homecoming thing. Three days before the dance, I learned one of my female friends was dateless, so I figured I’d swoop in and save the day.
She wasn’t the problem, and neither were her two best friends—but their dates left pretty much everything to be desired.
One was a 21-year-old guy who for some reason wanted to go to a high school Homecoming with a 17-year-old girl he barely knew. The other was our same age, but not our same level of hygiene, and he wore a tie-dyed shirt under some garish sportscoat.
I’ll withhold the names of the girls. They suffered enough. I don’t even remember the guys’ names at this point.
Neither fellow qualified as a gentleman. I’m not saying I was Mr. Wonderful, but I was at least Mr. Tolerable. However, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum...no.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Coming soon...
What's better than one ebook series? Two ebook series!
Coming soon...an episodic series of novelettes about ghosts. So, if you like sci-fi space travel, Earths in Space will continue, but if you prefer supernatural fantasy, I may have something for you later this year.
I'll announce the title and other details when I'm further along with revisions. For now, I'll leave you with this dialogue exchange:
“Do I have to worry about zombies, too?”
“I never met any.”
“Not really the firm answer I was hoping for.”
“I’ve only been dead a couple of years. What am I supposed to be, the Encyclopedia Brown of death? ... Was that the correct usage of Encyclopedia Brown?”
Coming soon...an episodic series of novelettes about ghosts. So, if you like sci-fi space travel, Earths in Space will continue, but if you prefer supernatural fantasy, I may have something for you later this year.
I'll announce the title and other details when I'm further along with revisions. For now, I'll leave you with this dialogue exchange:
“Do I have to worry about zombies, too?”
“I never met any.”
“Not really the firm answer I was hoping for.”
“I’ve only been dead a couple of years. What am I supposed to be, the Encyclopedia Brown of death? ... Was that the correct usage of Encyclopedia Brown?”
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Note-taking during auditions
Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students...
So you’re the director going into auditions to cast your wonderful show. You’ve got some excellent cold reading pieces picked out, and you’ve thought of some sample directions to throw at people. Plus, you know precisely what sort of actors you’re looking for.
You’ve got it all figured out...except for one thing.
While the actors are jumping through your hoops, what are you supposed to be doing?
Simple: Take notes. Good notes.
Different people have different styles. There’s no one right answer on what to do here. But here’s what I’ve done...
On some line paper, write down each actor’s name as they come in to audition. If it’s someone you don’t know, jot down some quick notes about what they’re wearing and what they look like--whatever will jog your memory and help you connect the name to the performance 30 auditions and two hours later.
So you’re the director going into auditions to cast your wonderful show. You’ve got some excellent cold reading pieces picked out, and you’ve thought of some sample directions to throw at people. Plus, you know precisely what sort of actors you’re looking for.
You’ve got it all figured out...except for one thing.
While the actors are jumping through your hoops, what are you supposed to be doing?
Simple: Take notes. Good notes.
Different people have different styles. There’s no one right answer on what to do here. But here’s what I’ve done...
On some line paper, write down each actor’s name as they come in to audition. If it’s someone you don’t know, jot down some quick notes about what they’re wearing and what they look like--whatever will jog your memory and help you connect the name to the performance 30 auditions and two hours later.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Cold readings
Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students...
I never liked auditioning as an actor, but the process is much more fun when you’re on the other side of the table.
Still, as the director, you need to have a plan going in.
Part of your job is to pick out excerpts from your script for cold readings. For those unfamiliar with the term, a cold reading is basically the opposite of a prepared monologue. A cold reading is an excerpt from the script handed to actors at an audition, and they have maybe a few minutes to prepare before they’re called to perform it in front of the director.
The cold reading will help you determine which actors can think on their feet and demonstrate creativity.
After they perform their initial reading, you can give them some direction. This is the most fun part.
The goal here is to see if the actors can take direction. The ideal actor can both develop his/her own ideas for the role and also incorporate your ideas. It’s the old saying: Two heads are better than one. Theatre is a collaborative art. A wild card actor or a tyrannical director might reduce the quality of the overall production.
I never liked auditioning as an actor, but the process is much more fun when you’re on the other side of the table.
Still, as the director, you need to have a plan going in.
Part of your job is to pick out excerpts from your script for cold readings. For those unfamiliar with the term, a cold reading is basically the opposite of a prepared monologue. A cold reading is an excerpt from the script handed to actors at an audition, and they have maybe a few minutes to prepare before they’re called to perform it in front of the director.
The cold reading will help you determine which actors can think on their feet and demonstrate creativity.
After they perform their initial reading, you can give them some direction. This is the most fun part.
The goal here is to see if the actors can take direction. The ideal actor can both develop his/her own ideas for the role and also incorporate your ideas. It’s the old saying: Two heads are better than one. Theatre is a collaborative art. A wild card actor or a tyrannical director might reduce the quality of the overall production.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Who was this John Hancock fellow anyway?
I saw a clip from Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? in which a woman was shocked to learn that Europe was a continent, not a country.
We all have lapses in common sense (some more than others, it seems), but we should at least have some shame when we do.
I was reminded of an incident from my retail days. I was an assistant manager at a store in an outlet mall. For reasons that were never sufficiently explained, whenever I completed a refund transaction, I had to get the signature of one of the other employees -- in addition to my own and to the customer’s, resulting in a most impressive triple-signature document.
One day I asked a 21-year-old co-worker to sign one of those receipts, and she said, “Alright, I’ll give you my John Hancock.” Then she stopped and thought for a moment, wondering aloud, “Why do they call a signature a John Hancock?”
I immediately responded, “John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, and he signed it really large.”
She laughed, clearly not expecting anyone to actually know such a thing. “OK, nerd.”
 |
| John who? |
We all have lapses in common sense (some more than others, it seems), but we should at least have some shame when we do.
I was reminded of an incident from my retail days. I was an assistant manager at a store in an outlet mall. For reasons that were never sufficiently explained, whenever I completed a refund transaction, I had to get the signature of one of the other employees -- in addition to my own and to the customer’s, resulting in a most impressive triple-signature document.
One day I asked a 21-year-old co-worker to sign one of those receipts, and she said, “Alright, I’ll give you my John Hancock.” Then she stopped and thought for a moment, wondering aloud, “Why do they call a signature a John Hancock?”
I immediately responded, “John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, and he signed it really large.”
She laughed, clearly not expecting anyone to actually know such a thing. “OK, nerd.”
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Ground plans
Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students...
Directors need to establish the framework in which their actors move around. That’s the ground plan.
After you read the script several times, sketch out what the stage will look like--but only generally. Don’t be picking out the color of the couch just yet. That’s irrelevant at this point. But do figure out where that couch will be located in relation to other prominent set pieces and props. Here, you’re focusing on what goes where.
As you do so, you have to keep two things in mind. First, how do you need the actors to move? Second, how would your ground plan compel the actors to move in the absence of your direction?
And realize this: Copyright law dictates that you follow the script’s dialogue exactly as it’s written, but you are free to ignore the stage directions. (I’m no lawyer, of course, but that’s what I was taught.)
So, the actors have to say all the lines in the script as written. When you’re designing the ground plan and blocking the show, think of the script’s stage directions more as suggested guidelines, but do whatever works for your production. (After all, the playwright doesn’t know what performance space you’re working with.)
Directors need to establish the framework in which their actors move around. That’s the ground plan.
After you read the script several times, sketch out what the stage will look like--but only generally. Don’t be picking out the color of the couch just yet. That’s irrelevant at this point. But do figure out where that couch will be located in relation to other prominent set pieces and props. Here, you’re focusing on what goes where.
As you do so, you have to keep two things in mind. First, how do you need the actors to move? Second, how would your ground plan compel the actors to move in the absence of your direction?
And realize this: Copyright law dictates that you follow the script’s dialogue exactly as it’s written, but you are free to ignore the stage directions. (I’m no lawyer, of course, but that’s what I was taught.)
So, the actors have to say all the lines in the script as written. When you’re designing the ground plan and blocking the show, think of the script’s stage directions more as suggested guidelines, but do whatever works for your production. (After all, the playwright doesn’t know what performance space you’re working with.)
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Preparing to direct
Continuing the theatre education series for high school students...
When you’re the director, you have to do several things before you step foot into the first rehearsal. Otherwise, your leadership may amount to little more than “Okay, actors--go!” and “Okay, actors--stop!”
After you find the script you want to direct, you need to re-read it several times. Each time, have a different focus. Here are four important topics to consider:
1.) You want to define in your mind the purpose of the play. Is it just a simple comedy designed to make people laugh, and that’s it? Is it trying to provoke thought? Does it have a theme you want to emphasize?
The production needs a reason to exist beyond “Well, I felt like directing a play my senior year, so...yeah...I’m doing this one...”
 |
| Photo courtesy: www.stockfreeimages.com |
After you find the script you want to direct, you need to re-read it several times. Each time, have a different focus. Here are four important topics to consider:
1.) You want to define in your mind the purpose of the play. Is it just a simple comedy designed to make people laugh, and that’s it? Is it trying to provoke thought? Does it have a theme you want to emphasize?
The production needs a reason to exist beyond “Well, I felt like directing a play my senior year, so...yeah...I’m doing this one...”
Monday, January 14, 2013
Why theatre?
A few years ago, I wrote some theatre education articles for another website. I'll gradually transfer them over here for whoever happens to be interested. Here's the first:
With so many forms of media in existence, what’s the point of continuing to do theatre? After all, theatre is old enough for Sophocles to have taken part. Ancient Greece had no television, movies, CDs, iPods, or anything of the sort to keep them entertained. They didn’t even have the printing press back in the day.
It’s clear why theatre appealed to people in ancient times. Their options for artistic recreation were limited. But why do we continue thousands of years later?
Just because something is old doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. Theatre can do things no other medium can.
A few years ago, I wrote some theatre education articles for another website. I'll gradually transfer them over here for whoever happens to be interested. Here's the first:
 |
| Every city needs a theatre district. |
It’s clear why theatre appealed to people in ancient times. Their options for artistic recreation were limited. But why do we continue thousands of years later?
Just because something is old doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. Theatre can do things no other medium can.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Meet Amena, the whimsical realist
Presenting...the lead character of the Earths in Space series...Amena Wharry!
Amena has one true love: exploration.
She just wants to find something amazing...and then something else amazing...and something else...
Okay, so she really wants to find everything that’s amazing. Best way to do that? Find everything. After all, how could you possibly assess a thing’s amazingness if you’ve never once come across it?
Amena, a 29-year-old whimsical realist, leads an elite team of space travelers. The official mission is to scope out these alien planets and make sure none pose a threat to the Earth.
It turns out they’re all Earths, so they only meet aliens in the foreign sense, which sure is disappointing. A whole gigantic universe, and only one sentient species? It couldn’t muster any more variety than that? What’s the universe’s problem?
Amena has one true love: exploration.
She just wants to find something amazing...and then something else amazing...and something else...
Okay, so she really wants to find everything that’s amazing. Best way to do that? Find everything. After all, how could you possibly assess a thing’s amazingness if you’ve never once come across it?
Amena, a 29-year-old whimsical realist, leads an elite team of space travelers. The official mission is to scope out these alien planets and make sure none pose a threat to the Earth.
It turns out they’re all Earths, so they only meet aliens in the foreign sense, which sure is disappointing. A whole gigantic universe, and only one sentient species? It couldn’t muster any more variety than that? What’s the universe’s problem?
Monday, January 7, 2013
Earths in Space: Episode Two teaser
There is another.
Here's the opening of Episode Two: "The End of an Earth."
All text copyright Daniel R. Sherrier. Do not use without permission. However, feel free to share this link far and wide.
TEASER
The
world was going to explode in ninety minutes. Onella simply needed to wait.
She
lounged on a thick branch more than ten stories above the ground, but still
well below the tree’s highest extremities. She gazed through healthy leaves at
the deceptively clear sky. It seemed so peaceful, and the red sun cast a
surreal tint that would have fascinated her way back when. The younger Onella
would have wanted to freeze time and study it forever before moving on to the
next, even more fascinating discovery. The older Onella was glad she only had
ninety minutes.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Earths in Space update
To your NOOK! Quick!
Earths in Space vol. 1: Where Are the Little Green Men? is now available at Barnes & Noble!
And that's not all! It's on Kobo!
It's showing up in the system at Gardners Books, so if you're in the UK, ask your bookstore about its availability.
Here's a place where you can learn more about the book. That site also serves as a venue for posting reviews, if you feel so inclined after reading.
You can also read about the book here on this blog, including a teaser excerpt.
Reading is good for your brain.
Earths in Space vol. 1: Where Are the Little Green Men? is now available at Barnes & Noble!
And that's not all! It's on Kobo!
It's showing up in the system at Gardners Books, so if you're in the UK, ask your bookstore about its availability.
Here's a place where you can learn more about the book. That site also serves as a venue for posting reviews, if you feel so inclined after reading.
You can also read about the book here on this blog, including a teaser excerpt.
Reading is good for your brain.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Night of the Pink Sweater
Rules sometimes lead to ridiculousness—like that time I visited a Williamsburg nightclub.
Yes, I was also surprised to learn that “Williamsburg nightclub” was not an oxymoron, but that wasn’t the most ridiculous thing that night.
This was back in 2005. My time at the College of William & Mary was nearing its end. Classes were over. I completed all my exams. I was free and directionless.
One night, a friend invited me to join her and couple of others at this nightclub. Clubs have never been my thing, but I figured a change of pace wouldn’t hurt.
So three young women and I journeyed to the non-colonial part of Williamsburg and arrived at the nightclub, only to encounter…a bouncer. (You can be gainfully employed in Williamsburg, Va. as a bouncer. Who knew?)
The bouncer politely informed me that my attire did not adhere to the club’s dress code. I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Apparently, I was supposed to wear either a collared shirt or a sweater.
Yes, I was also surprised to learn that “Williamsburg nightclub” was not an oxymoron, but that wasn’t the most ridiculous thing that night.
This was back in 2005. My time at the College of William & Mary was nearing its end. Classes were over. I completed all my exams. I was free and directionless.
One night, a friend invited me to join her and couple of others at this nightclub. Clubs have never been my thing, but I figured a change of pace wouldn’t hurt.
So three young women and I journeyed to the non-colonial part of Williamsburg and arrived at the nightclub, only to encounter…a bouncer. (You can be gainfully employed in Williamsburg, Va. as a bouncer. Who knew?)
The bouncer politely informed me that my attire did not adhere to the club’s dress code. I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Apparently, I was supposed to wear either a collared shirt or a sweater.
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For any other authors out there with books on Amazon...
I stumbled across this website that offers free book promotion. It's called Ask David.
There's a waiting list of at least six weeks, but it costs nothing. So, I figure it can't hurt to try it out. Extra visibility is generally a plus.
I stumbled across this website that offers free book promotion. It's called Ask David.
There's a waiting list of at least six weeks, but it costs nothing. So, I figure it can't hurt to try it out. Extra visibility is generally a plus.
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