Steel Magnolias PART 1 - The begining of a shaggy dog story - it's all about me.

 

Drama Drama

I have been a bit busy for the last couple of months. Bryan and I have been directing a play. I have also been producing, finding props, finding costumes, finding people to do the props and the costumes and the producing so that I would not have to do them with limited success. Want to know why? Because I am a useless producer. EISH. And fraying my nerves in the process. And yet.....It has been bloody brilliant! In my mind I have been a Martyr for months. There is really nothing better for a “woe is me” type like me.  Move over Eeyore. All my favorite things all rolled into one. Stress , feeling sorry for myself, combined with self-righteousness and feeling like I have the moral high ground, for a few moments. Who needs calm and sanity and peace of mind? Clearly not me. Now I don't want you to think that I have been an island of suffering, well actually I do. But in the interests of full disclosure (don't you just loath the truth) I did get help from all sorts of people and places and I am most grateful.

suffering for my art.

I have an announcement.

I am a control freak. I never knew that. I did know that I really, truly, deeply, (down to the bone marrow, life blood deep) hate being controlled and react very badly when I feel even a tiny bit manipulated. Even for the very best of reasons , with the warmest of intentions. What I did not know was that, as a counter point to that, I am viscerally controlling. IT IS NOT A PRETTY THING. For someone who reacts so badly to being controlled you would think I would not be the thing that I loathe the most. All I can say on this point is that life is cruelly ironic. It is all too deep for me right now. I will revisit this revelation in my mind in the months to come. I will either make peace with it, and be a better person, or change and be a better person or completely freak out and you can visit me in Bedlam.

And I am sorry.

I know that my way is not the best way all the time or even all that often, for that matter. It is hardly relevant. I am controlling because I feel comfortable having my way. No surprises there right? And if I royally mess things up, I much prefer it if it is my fault rather than someone else’s. I can't hold a grudge against myself. I should just quit while I am ahead shouldn't I? “You are not ahead” I hear you think out loud? Oh well.

Back in April (wow  - was it that long ago?) DDG sent out a call for Directors for the upcoming season. Fresh from having dipped my toes back in the directing pool with DDG's "Chekhov’s Cigarettes" I was ready for another project. HA! Ready? HA! Fat lot I knew. By May the choice of "Steel Magnolias" was settled as being a play that would be well known and had a good cast for women. What a clever thing I am for suggesting the play and how wise DDG is for agreeing with me. Auditions were set for August. Hurry up and wait time. What it should have been was hurry up and get your ducks in a row time. But let’s not go there, okay?

In the meantime I was asked if I wanted to sit in on auditions for the DDG production due on stage before mine, "The importance of Being Ernest", as I might find potential cast members at the auditions. Yes, I did indeed want to sit in the Ernest auditions. And there my problems started.

 



Another Penelope playing Lady Bracknell



At the auditions, as you do, I landed up reading in for various roles against people auditioning and off the back of that was asked if I would consider auditioning for Lady Bracknell. What a silly question. In a very short space of time I was totally in love with the idea of getting back on stage and being Lady Bracknell. I so saw myself as that magnificent dowager. Another thing to think about. But back to the point, this left me with a dilemma. How could I direct a show and act in one where there would obviously be overlaps in terms of time commitments. I was like a teenager confronted with two great parties on the same night. And what does that foolish teen do? It goes to both. That is never a good idea, just trust me on that. I could not let go of either idea. I wanted it all and I wanted it now. Damn, a dilemma and a pickle. What to do? I did what I always do. I ran to Bryan. "Fix it Bryan. Fix it." I implored. "Help me. You know you want to." You know he did not, but what can he do? Give in or suffer an eternity of my sulking. Bryan agreed to co-direct so that I could act and direct. YAY.

 

"The Importance of Being Earnest" was postponed. I was crushed, really crushed; it has been a long time since I have been even a little tempted to act. SIGH. I was gutted, not least because I had used up a great many brownie points on getting Bryan to help me out of a tight spot. And now I was stuck with him. I would have to share.

 

It was just as well for Steel Magnolias. There is no way I could have done the show without Bryan. As it was Bryans job, with the travel he undertakes, combined with the fact that I could not get a producer meant that I was up to my eyeballs with Steel Magnolias.

 

And that is the story of how I landed up co-directing a play with my husband.

 

Do I recommend this?

To find out,  wait for my next post.........

 





"The Classic masks of Comedy and Tragedy or as they're now known, emoticons"

An Evening of Shakespeare at the Dubai International Writers' Centre

 

 

Thesps and Poets, particularly lovers of Shakespeare

 

The Dubai International Writers Centre  is opening on November 2nd and are holding events for poets, writers, and dramatists. "YAY. How absolutely marvelous." I hear you all agree.

 

So here's the treat for all you thespians. The Centre is hosting an  "Evening of Shakespeare " on the 9th of November. Under the stars darlings.... sigh......Here is a description of the event:

 

"Shakespeare’s flair for wordplay and dramatic twists has been appreciated in a multitude of languages. Most of all, it is meant to be spoken aloud. Join us for a free event at the Dubai International Writers’ Centre on 9th November, when we will enjoy excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets in Arabic, English, French, and other languages"

 

Doesn't it just sound too divine?

 To register for the event click the below link:

 

https://www.emirateslitfest.com/myblog/an-evening-of-shakespeare/

 

There are some pretty special events taking place in November apart from the Shakespere Evening. These are listed below: 

 

Inaugural Events for Dubai International Writers’ Centre

November 2014

 

Creative Writing Master Class with Ben Okri

‘True literature tears up the script’ of how we see ourselves, Ben Okri writes in his latest book of essays, A Time for New Dreams. A Booker-Prize-winning novelist, Okri was born in 1959 in northern Nigeria. As a teacher of writing, his approach challenges the writer’s perceptions and awakens their sensibilities. A rare and unique opportunity.  

Date: Sunday, 2 November

Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm with 30 minute break

Cost: AED 500

Spaces available: 15

 

Two-day Nabati Poetry Conference and Poetry Evening

Nabati poetry, noted for its spontaneous and direct style, has been passed down through the generations in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula since the 16^th century. This two-day conference, the first of its kind, celebrates this form in simultaneous translation. The general public as well as academics are invited to learn more about Nabati poetry from experts such as Oxford University professor Clive Holes, Professor for the Study of the Contemporary Arab World, and Professor Saad Sowayaan, Professor of Anthropology and Folklore at King Saud University.

Date: 3 November from 10 am – 4 pm; 4 November from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Cost: Free with lunch and refreshments provided

Spaces available: 200

 

Evening Nabati Poetry Reading

Enjoy an evening of traditional and contemporary Nabati poetry en plein air on Tuesday, November 4th from 8 pm onwards. Nabati poetry has been passed down through the generations in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula since the 16^th century.

Date: 4 November 8 – 9:30 pm

Cost: Free

Spaces available: 200

 

Effective Journalism in Difficult Times: A Seminar with Abdel Bari Atwan

The Dubai International Writers’ Centre is set to hold a fantastic seminar for journalists on November 4. The seminar will be conducted by famed journalist and Founder and Editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm, Abdel Bari-Atwan.

Abdel Bari-Atwan is recognized as an engaging speaker and a foremost expert in Middle East affairs. He is regularly invited to speak and write on topics related to this region and was chosen as one of the fifty most influential Arab personalities in the world by British publication – The Middle East.

Date: 4 November
Time: 5 – 7 pm
Cost: AED 250
Spaces available: 20

 

 

Educational Seminar on Nabati Poetry

At this half-day seminar, Oxford University professor Clive Holes will present a brief history of three Arabic ‘debate’ poems, which have been shared in their English translation with over 300,000 students in the United Kingdom.  Ideas on how to incorporate Nabati poetry into the classroom for children between the ages of 9 and 11 will also be discussed.

Date: 5 November

Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Cost: Free with refreshments

Tickets available: 20

 

Maximize your Impact: Public Speaking Workshop with Fiona Lindsay

Speaking in front of a crowd can be a terrifying experience, but it has also become an essential skill that many professionals require. Find your voice and build your confidence with Fiona Lindsay, formerly of the Royal Shakespeare Company, in an all-day workshop that combines public speaking and performance exercises. Book early for this popular workshop, which sold out at the 2013 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

 

Date: 9 November

Time: 10:00 am – 16:00 pm

Cost: AED 400 including light lunch

Spaces available: 20

 

An Evening of Shakespeare

Enjoy a celebration of Shakespeare under the stars with short readings of our favorite passages in an evening of readings by local enthusiasts.

Date: 9 November

Time: 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Cost: Free

Spaces available: 100

 

Shakespeare in Your Space – King Lear

A practical exploration of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy.

An encounter with a play should be an exploration that considers a series of questions, and opens up multiple interpretations. This interactive workshop will introduce the story, character, themes and language of King Lear through a series of practical rehearsal-room techniques, to immerse participants in the world of the play.

Date: 10 November

Time: Two separate sessions: 8:30 – 11:30 am and 12-30 – 15:30 pm.

This session is available for school groups of up to 30 students.

 

 

From page to screen: Akira Kurosawa’s Ran

Akira Kurosawa said, "What has always troubled me about King Lear is that Shakespeare gives his characters no past. In Ran, I have tried to give Lear a history." With commentary by Fiona Lindsay formerly of Royal Shakespeare Theater Company and renowned film critic Mohammed Rouda, Kurosawa’s epic 1985 film promises an evening of culture and enlightenment.

Date: 10 November

Time: 6:00 – 9:30 with intermission

Cost: Free

Spaces available: 200

 

Beginners Arabic Language Course

The course will be taught via the Communicative Approach, which emphasizeslevel.

Date & Timings: Sunday and Wednesday evenings from 7 – 9 pm, beginning 19 November.

Cost: 2500 for 10 weeks

Spaces available: 20

And here is a MAP!

 

Raw Theatre Productions are putting on Cyrano De Bergerac

 

 

 

 Raw Theatre are relative new comers to the Dubai Theatre scene though not to the theatrical world. Brother James and Chris Gaddas have both been involved in theatre in the UK with James being a familiar face on British stage and TV. The brothers have teamed up with some of our Dubai talent and between the 16th and 18th of October at DUCTAC in Mall of the Emirates you can treat yourselves to RAW's production of Cyrano De Bergerac.

Being an utter philistine my complete knowledge of Cyrano De Bergerac is made up of childhood stories of high romance and the 1987 movie "Roxanne"  as a modern take on Edmund Rostand's play.  Oh my gosh did I say "modern"? 1987  that was  27 years ago! I am sooooooo old. Not as old as the original work at 117 years young. I would say that this is a story that has stood the test of time. 

 

I am looking forward to seeing my first Raw production in the form of Glyn Maxwell's adaptation of the original play.

 

 

Practise makes perfect

Tickets are available at DUCTAC at Mall of the Emirates on-line and at the DUCTAC box office. You can all DUCTAC on
04 3414777

Doubt - A Parable reviewed

 

“Doubt - A Parable” is one of those plays that does very well in the classroom and at a dinner parties in generating lively and passionate debate. I wonder what the play wright, John Patrick Shanley, is getting at by referring to his play as a “parable”. Is he being a bit ironic (a parable being a fable) considering the recent unfortunate (to say the least) history of the Catholic Church in relation to its priesthood and young boys. Are there allegories in Doubt that allude to religious doubt? What is the symbolism in the play? What is the hidden subtext or rather subtexts - it gets a bit busy in this play. What are the characters hiding? What does the play say about the Catholic Church, education in the 1960’s, sexual repression, homosexuality, innocence, bitterness, and pedophilia and racism? Oh my goodness there is just so much juicy material to work with under a civilized layer of the bland life of institutionalized religious education. I could go on and on but you would be stuck here reading for hours about the play and we would never touch on the Backstage production.

Brent Jenkins chose his play well. It is superbly written. The writer absolutely wants the audience to doubt. Every word that drips from that calculating pen is meant to leave you in doubt. The script is so very ingenious in this aspect of its presentation. I believe that Brent was true to the intention of John Shanley. Brent’s direction did not try and influence the audience. No mean feat. The slightest wrong footedness in direction would skewer the opinion of the audience and the work would become dishonest in its presentation.

If you watched the play with absolute honestly and an open mind (that most wonderful of things) you could not, in good conscience, choose between innocence and guilt. You may have had a leaning in one or another direction. But make no mistake, that leaning will have been very much influenced by your personal life experience. This is what John Patrick Shanley has to say about his work: “Doubt requires more courage than conviction does, and more energy; because conviction is a resting place and doubt is infinite – it is a passionate exercise. You may come out of my play uncertain. You may want to be sure. Look down on that feeling. We’ve got to learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty. There is no last word. That’s the silence under the chatter of our time.” We do all have an opinion though don’t we, at the end? This says a great deal more about us, as the audience, than it does about the play.

As much as I thought that Brent Jenkins did an excellent job of not crossing the ever so tempting line of having his actors lean in one direction and influence the audience, I felt that the actors played their parts beautifully in this regard too.

Mike Green as the accused priest Father Flynn rises, as always, to the occasion. He takes on the skin of our unfortunate protagonist with conviction. His interpretation of the role was well judged and convincing. We know he is hiding something but what? We get insights into his character from his soliloquies. In one moment you think “Ahhh I know which way this is heading.” but instead you get turned in another direction with subtlety - doubt building on doubt. His characterization is honest and complicated. We see him coaching the boys and warm to him and then we see his subtlety misogynistic attitude to Sister Aloysius and his defensive manner when confronted and we bristle with suspicion and antagonism. He is warm and caring with the boys and utterly unbending towards Sister Aloysius.

The ridged unsympathetic character of Sister Aloysius was played well by Celia Cookson. I loved the way Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn never made eye contact. A risky move as eye contact creates tension on stage. In this production the lack of eye contact created a distance that showed the characters distrust and extreme dislike for each other. There were flashes of bitterness in Celia’s performance that were lovely to watch. I would have liked to see a bit more light and shade in her character but again this may have been a risky move in terms of the overall need to keep doubt in the audiences mind. Celia’s voice lacked depth but her expression and fiddling hand movements made up for this. Sister Aloysius is not a warm person and yet the audience roots for her. You feel so dreadfully sorry for her. She is a women who genuinely cares for her charges but you get annoyed and bristle at her way of doing absolutely everything. Her ridged, set ways, and suspicions nature, stomping out light and warmth in her quest to do the right thing in every situation regardless of the consequences. She is the most dangerous of people - a zealot. My major criticism of the presentation of Sister Aloysius character is that at the end of the play when she herself expresses her own doubt I was not convinced. Not by her performance but by the lack of a building of it leading to that moment. Again this is a very risky bit to pull off without sacrificing the intention of the play.

Ramya Bala played the young inexperienced Sister James. Ramya looks the part, all big eyes and youthfulness, displaying a quivery uncertainty. We see confusion from the get go but I did not see development from a simple, optimistic, young teacher to a teacher filled with doubt. The impression I got from Ramya’ s characterization was of fear rather than doubt and I would have liked Ramya to be a stronger voice in expressing doubt and giving voice to the audience’s conflict.

There is an added twist in the plot when we meet Mrs. Muller, beautifully played by Mylene Gomera as the mother of the boy Father Flynn is accused of molesting. Her pragmatic attitude is shocking and tragic and utterly believable. Mylene give depth to the character of the mother and painted a heart aching portrait of the boy that we never meet, Donald Muller. Her role introduces yet another element of doubt into the production with a great big dilemma. Was Father Flynn giving a confidential supportive ear to a boy who would be ostracized not only for the colour of his skin but also for his sexual orientation or was he taking advantage of those factors to act out his nefarious selfish ends?

Hurry and and wait and learn your lines.

Doubt could easily have been written as a two hander and been amazing to watch. By adding the two lesser roles the subject is given a voice and the plot a twist which makes us all the more doubtful. These characters also add depth to the social issues of the time. The 1960’s was a time were social reforms were sweeping across America. Attitudes were changing towards women’s rights, the black empowerment movement, ideas about doing things in the way that they had been accepted for generations were changing. All the fears that come with these events are woven into the story and seen by us, the audience, by the reactions to situations by the cast. Rather Flynn’s anger at Sister Aloysius for not following the protocols of Patriarchal hierarchy in resolving her conflict. Sister Aloysius distain for people who use a ball a point pen and her squashing of any fresh ideas out of Sister James are signs of fear of and resistance to change. The numbing attitude of Mrs. Muller who just wants her son to be able to grab the opportunity he has been given and get on with his life, fearing making any waves that might affect his ability to get further and fear of the reprisals of her husband against her son. It is a show laden with ideas.

 

From a practical point of view the show was a great success. I loved the set and the use of space on the stage. The costumes were great and chosen with care and attention to detail was given in putting them together.

The lighting, as always at this venue, is a bit problematic. I liked what was intended and having inspected where the lights were hanging and trying to figure out where else they could have been placed the crew did the very best that they could have done to get the effects they wanted. But I do have one complaint here. There were several ends of scenes where the fade outs were just too long. The audience needs to know that the end of the scene has come. Help them with this. Fade out quickly, don’t drag it out.

I liked the choice of music used in the production but the music played for far too long before anything got going after the lights had faded down. There is nothing wrong with fading music with the lights.

This must have been an exacting show to put together. You can never know for sure if you have achieved the purpose of the production until you have an audience. I think that Brent Jenkins and his cast pulled this off sensitively and elegantly.

At the end of the show we (the audience) were asked to “vote” if we thought Father Flynn was guilty or innocent. I would love to know how the audiences voted.

 

Stage Write 2014 - Summer Edition

 

Several weeks ago I said “Yes, yes, yes, I would love to judge Stage Write 2014” Jumping in with a yes despite the fact that I was a bit busy at the time. I could not resist. It would be such a treat to read a few plays, get an idea of what new talent was out there and revisit the work of play writes who had entered last year and see if I could recognise the writers work a year down the line. I looked at my schedule and thought "Yup I can do this". Ho Hum. I somehow did not factor into my calculations the small fact that a day is only 24 hours long and he do need to sleep for some of that.  Actually, I did not expect that I would be reading 32 plays. Seriously! Dubai playwrights are gluttons for punishment. Clearly this bunch did not realise how tough the brief was or (more likely and rather wonderfully) they are all up for a challenge.

For those of you who don't know, here is the low down. Interested writers attended a briefing at which they were given two randomly drawn character cards which would decide the two characteristics of their main character. Next they were given two equally randomly drawn situation cards which gave them the information they needed to lead the story. This year there was an added criteria – genre. The writers had to write in one of the following genres: Horror, Sci-Fi, Western, Historical, Fantasy or Crime Noir. They could choose. And then came the killer kicker: the play had to be written and submitted within 24 hours. No kidding! Snakes alive. What a challenge. I metaphorically tip my hat off to all of the participants.

Here are some numbers for you :51 teams signed up , 14 teams did what I would have done and thought "eek there is no way I am brave enough to do this," and  37 showed up for the draw. I picture a western ghost town with tumble weed and fear whirling about the street. Of the 37 teams, 32 submitted entries which met the competition rules. No mean feat let, me tell you. There were 3 judges, Liz Hadaway Kapur-Festival director of Short+Sweet Dubai, director, actor & teacher. Hananah Zaheer - Local actor & writer and I.

This year’s competition really separated the wheat from the chaff. My scores for the top plays were way ahead of the bulk of the middle, and the few weaker entries scored very low. I thought long and hard about how I would score. The judges had been given a criteria for scoring where we could score ten points for each of four areas. In an effort to make my scoring as objective as possible I then broke down my four categories into five sub categories and scored up to two points for each sub-category. Out of the whole forty points I allocated two points in two categories to my feelings about each script. The main reason for me being so persnickety is that I knew that there was no way I would be able to read all the plays in one sitting. I really did not want my judgement to change depending on my mood, level of alertness or desperate need to have a snack.....for example. I was a wonderfully fair judge, if I say so myself. By the way none of the judges had a clue as to the identity of the script writers they were reading.

This form of competition creates instant originality. The contestants are forced to dig deep and find inside themselves some creative wizardry to weave their stories around the sometimes wacky combination of character and situation cards that they are presented. From Mike Greens quirky, ironic and very funny crime nior to   Osman Aboubakr and Maha  Zeibak’s thoughtful  and ultimately tragic sci-fi I was impressed with how the writers stepped up and delivered great stories. Arjuns Burmans  time warping sci fi and Jordane Chedotal  eerie story had me caught up in a mental quickstep as I manoeuvred my way around their cunning plots both with slam dunk finishes. And lastly I found Charlie  Cunningham’s fantasy a delightful bit of frivolous fun.

Below is the overall judging.

1st          Place     -The Bronx Budgie Murder by Mike Green (Crime Noir)
2nd        Place     -The Ithaca Project by Arjun Burman (Sci-Fi)
3rd         Place     -The Consultant by Jordane Chedotal (Horror)
4th         Place     -Third Strike by Charlie Cunningham (Fantasy)
5th         Place     - Hypnosia by Osman Aboubakr & Maha Zeibak (Sci-Fi)

And here is mine.

1st          Place     -The Bronx Budgie Murder by Mike Green (Crime Noir)
tie 2nd   Place     -The Ithaca Project by Arjun Burman (Sci-Fi)
tie 2rd   Place     -The Consultant by Jordane Chedotal (Horror)
tie 4th   Place     -Maqbool by Ryan D’Sa (Fantasy)

tie 4th   Place     -Third Strike by Charlie Cunningham (Fantasy)
tie 4th   Place     - Hypnosia by Osman Aboubakr & Maha Zeibak (Sci-Fi)

Writer at work.