In my latest delusions while stuck at home doing NOTHING, I'm planning what plays I will direct in the upcoming year. The things I keep returning to:
THE WEIR - Conor McPherson
THE FEVER - Wallace Shawn
CELEBRATION - Harold Pinter
MACBETH - Shakespeare (I really love this play)
HEDDA GABLER - Henrik Ibsen
Adrienne had a great piece of advice for me. She recommended found space shows and told me to "THINK SMALL, POWERFUL, AND ELEGANT." I think that's something I need to work on in my directing overall. I loved the production of Macbeth that I did at Kenyon, but I was thinking huge. So a lot of smaller aspects suffered. Notably, any scene with just Mackers and Lady M. Stunning and beautiful design, especially for what I was limited to -- but it needed some work. Frozen forced me to do just that because there was nothing except the actors. And my hard work showed. And by 'my' I of course mean the hard work of the actors showed with my guiding hand.
Without any petty rivalries or comrades-in-arms, I've found myself thinking more freely. As a kid, I was always told to "think outside the box." Here's a revelation: fuck the box. Comparing the 'box' to Nietzsche's master/slave morality, the 'box' is an obsolete concept. It represents normal, traditional problem solving. Whereas 'outside the box' represents anything diametrically opposed to this traditional 'box'. Both are limiting. So... fuck the box. I will not be limited either within or without this metaphorical box -- I'm just going to brainstorm and see what comes of it. There's no pressure to either conform or rebel when there's no box.
Similarly, I've been walking everywhere. My suburb is bordered on three sides by major, uncrossable roads. And there are no bus stops. So I've found a lot of shortcuts because I walk so much. I've got to say... it's like living in a parallel plane to the rest of existence to walk everywhere. I cross the asphalt desert of commercial and suburban America to do anything. And the people who drive to my area for the shopping don't seem to get that people live here too -- people walk. It's kind of enlightening in that freaky way. Sometimes, it feels like I belong to a cultural heritage that is unable to assert itself.
(Yes, Nat. That was pretentious.)
Just realized today that I love being a graduate. I have a hunkering for fine Japanese dining, sake, and maybe a little night on the town. And you know what? I can do that now. (Also, I got my driving permit, so I will be able to do that alone pretty soon.)
I've spent my time at home twiddling my thumbs. Nothing much to be said. I've started a calendar of fun things to do in Columbus this summer. It includes plays, festivals, cons, art gallery events, new movies, holidays, and unique columbus things. This way, I figure I'll never be bored.
Psssh, yeah right.
----------------------------------------
Taken
I Love You, Man
Terminator: Salvation
Battlestar Galactica: The Final Episodes
Cowboy Bebop
Futurama
----------------------------------------
THIS WEEK: Adam's party, adventures on campus, more job applications, wishing I was somewhere else, UP, Wex Gallery(??)
THE WEIR - Conor McPherson
THE FEVER - Wallace Shawn
CELEBRATION - Harold Pinter
MACBETH - Shakespeare (I really love this play)
HEDDA GABLER - Henrik Ibsen
Adrienne had a great piece of advice for me. She recommended found space shows and told me to "THINK SMALL, POWERFUL, AND ELEGANT." I think that's something I need to work on in my directing overall. I loved the production of Macbeth that I did at Kenyon, but I was thinking huge. So a lot of smaller aspects suffered. Notably, any scene with just Mackers and Lady M. Stunning and beautiful design, especially for what I was limited to -- but it needed some work. Frozen forced me to do just that because there was nothing except the actors. And my hard work showed. And by 'my' I of course mean the hard work of the actors showed with my guiding hand.
Without any petty rivalries or comrades-in-arms, I've found myself thinking more freely. As a kid, I was always told to "think outside the box." Here's a revelation: fuck the box. Comparing the 'box' to Nietzsche's master/slave morality, the 'box' is an obsolete concept. It represents normal, traditional problem solving. Whereas 'outside the box' represents anything diametrically opposed to this traditional 'box'. Both are limiting. So... fuck the box. I will not be limited either within or without this metaphorical box -- I'm just going to brainstorm and see what comes of it. There's no pressure to either conform or rebel when there's no box.
Similarly, I've been walking everywhere. My suburb is bordered on three sides by major, uncrossable roads. And there are no bus stops. So I've found a lot of shortcuts because I walk so much. I've got to say... it's like living in a parallel plane to the rest of existence to walk everywhere. I cross the asphalt desert of commercial and suburban America to do anything. And the people who drive to my area for the shopping don't seem to get that people live here too -- people walk. It's kind of enlightening in that freaky way. Sometimes, it feels like I belong to a cultural heritage that is unable to assert itself.
(Yes, Nat. That was pretentious.)
Just realized today that I love being a graduate. I have a hunkering for fine Japanese dining, sake, and maybe a little night on the town. And you know what? I can do that now. (Also, I got my driving permit, so I will be able to do that alone pretty soon.)
I've spent my time at home twiddling my thumbs. Nothing much to be said. I've started a calendar of fun things to do in Columbus this summer. It includes plays, festivals, cons, art gallery events, new movies, holidays, and unique columbus things. This way, I figure I'll never be bored.
Psssh, yeah right.
----------------------------------------
Taken
I Love You, Man
Terminator: Salvation
Battlestar Galactica: The Final Episodes
Cowboy Bebop
Futurama
----------------------------------------
THIS WEEK: Adam's party, adventures on campus, more job applications, wishing I was somewhere else, UP, Wex Gallery(??)
- Mood:
accomplished
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Comments
> THIS WEEK: ... UP, Wex Gallery(??)
Oh, the Wex gallery (, if we are thinking of the same place, heh) is neat (wexarts.org). On June 30th they have a unique event they do occasionally : a 'secret cinema'. For these particular screenings, they pick an unavailable-on-DVD, debut for the area or restoration of an otherwise-forgotten film and show it to people. In advance, one has no idea of what it is! You are literally surprised when you get there.
I have been to a few of them. They are always truly random things : Ozu's "Late Spring", Michael Winterbottom's explicit-but-heterosexual "9 songs", Ozon's "Angel" (almost literally like a "Lifetime original movie") and the (2007-ish) "Undertow" are 4 recent examples. Tickets are $3 for all audiences.
You may know of an organization called the "Columbus Arts card", as well. It's a great newer program which - for $40 / year (if you are under 40 ; $50 otherwise) is meant to encourage participation in the arts. The cardholders get into the Columbus Museum of Art (including ticketed exhibits), the Wexner Center art openings and a few other places for free, and also essentially 50% off of literally every artistic endeavour in town (from ballet to symphony to OSU's music hall shows). One also gets 2 free film and video passes to the Wex, too!
Some info on the card, including a (somewhat outdated) list of benefits, is here : http://www.columbusarts.com/artcard/org
Okay. Take care!
* Geoff