EXCITING NEWS!!!

I'm at school in England right now, and since I'm a new student, I've been finding out a lot of things at the last minute. This past Wednesday, I went to a meeting for new theatre students and some representatives from the student-run theatre group were there. They told us about some auditions (one of which was happening ten minutes from then. I went, but didn't get a callback) as well as this thing called the New Writer's Festival and encouraged us to do both if we had any interest at all. Of course I was interested, so I took down their information and when I got back that night after celebrating my 21st birthday, I sent in my submissions (don't worry, there was no drinking, so it was professional.)

I got a reply the next day telling me that there were a few pieces missing- the reps hadn't told me that I had to fill out some forms with info about each scene I was submitting. I quickly entered in all of the information and sent it back- thank goodness for e-mail, is all I can say! They thanked me and said decisions would be made today.

When I got back from the opera tonight (no, seriously), I checked my e-mail and there were two e-mails from the theatre company. The first was an e-mail that began with saying how it was such a hard decision and everything was so well-written... basically all the stuff that comes with a rejection letter. I scrolled down to the list of the chosen pieces...

And both of mine were chosen!

I think I actually squealed. I AM SOSOSOSOSOSO EXCITED! While I have had a few things produced on a small, small scale (the film company I work with and a few acting schools), this will be the first time it's worked on seriously-and for a festival! People are going to AUDITION for my scenes!

I was asked if I want to direct them... I don't, really, for a few reasons. A) Even though I got great feedback from my directing teacher last year, I don't think I'm that good at it and I kind of hate doing it, and B) I think letting someone else direct it would be a good exercise in me being less precious about how I want things done. They did ask me if I wanted to have creative input, and I think I might like that- to sit in on some rehearsals and workshop along with the director and actors. That way, if they feel changes need to be made to the script, I can do it right then and there. I think it would be good for me.

I'M JUST SO EXCITED! I just wish these scenes were being performed later in the semester so my family could see them when they come to visit.

:)

A Wonderful Problem

Today I got tired of working on all the school-specific things I had to do (study abroad applications, resume for a job interview, etc. etc.), so I decided to return to my Peter Pan script. I've been working on it off and on this school year, but my two writing classes have been demanding all of my writing attention, and so poor Peter and Mary have been neglected for too long.

I touched up a few scenes here and there, put all the completed scenes I had written into a document (24 pages so far), and jotted down some plot ideas. I really want to use this script as my final project for Play & Screenwriting, though I'm not sure if I'll be allowed to- the teacher doesn't seem too pleased with my writing, so who knows if I'll get the special permission necessary to compose the 90-page script for credit.

As part of my work, I decided to look over some feedback from the class that had seen and performed in the first drafts of my scenes. One of the strongest ones was simply asking what would happen if one character did a certain thing, and it's something I'd been wondering myself. A few minutes later, I found myself beginning on a scene that would answer that question.

At first, it was just kind of a 'Let's see where this goes' thing. But now I've got a good-lengthed scene and... I really like where it's going. The problem? The one reasno I hadn't written the scene already is because I knew I could never use it in the play. To put this scene (and, if it's going where I think it's going, yet another scene) in between the two it's meant to, it'll slow the pace way down, and I don't know if I want that. But what I do want is this scene. In my play. Now. Unfortunately, there's a 99.9% chance that it won't work, and that's making me sad.

*sigh*

Oh well. Best get to bed- early rehearsal tomorrow, then I'm heading home for about twelve hours. Yay, broken teeth and dentist appointments :p

Finally Cooking!

At last! My terrible, horrible bout of writer's block has broken! And none too soon, because the project the scene is part of is due on Monday! I am not actually using the trouble scene as part of my presentation, though I do have to turn in an edited version.

The breakage happened on Wednesday. We had sort of a work day in class and so for about half the class, I just read over everything I had that related to the project- the two scenes I had written, all the notes I had taken, my page of random thoughts about the Peter Pan story as a whole and what could be done with it... and then something clicked. One peice fell into place, then another. The brainstoriming I did with my friend Kara the other night really helped me create a skeleton of the synopsis. I formed ideas, rejected them, brought them back and remolded them, cast other ideas aside. Instead of getting hung up on the questions, I made a note that there were questions and moved on. Our teacher had given us permission to leave early if we wanted, but I stayed the entire time until I was one of only three people sitting in the classroom, writing and writing without any distractions. Then yesterday, I took all the notes I had made and typed them up, filling in the holes and answering the questions as I went. And now I feel pretty good abuot the project. I wish I were further along, but it's merely technical reasons (the library being closed and not having my own printer) that I'm not. But I'm actually excited about my presentation on Monday :)