A great and inexpensive way for playwrights and theatre producers to inexpensively look at a play is a staged reading. I have been in a lot of play readings and seen more. I have been involved in readings for 30 years as actor, audience member, writer and producer. So I think I know what I'm talking about when I offer advice for actors, directors and audience members regarding the play reading.
Actors: Hire professional actors and pay them if you can
Actors know how to read plays and, especially, how to read them aloud. They can take direction with little or no explanation. Actors also ask very good questions about scripts and they will make choices like actors. Non actors and playwrights (unless they are also professional actors) not so much. Plays were meant to be acted so have actors involved as early as possible.
Directors: Don't direct.
What? Really? Yes! This is not the place or the time to make a statement. A reading is for audiences, playwrights and theatre decision makers to hear the play. That's it.
Playwrights: Don't act or direct.
If you are an actor or a director and a playwright you already know this. You want to sit in the audience and hear the play with everyone else. You also want to watch the audience and their reactions. If you're not an actor or a director, you need to know that actors and directors don't like playwrights to tell them what to do as much as playwrights don't like actors, directors and audience members to tell them what or how to write. Also actors hate being given a line reading; that is when you show them how to say a given line. It's like an actor spelling the word "the" for you.
Audience members: Don't rewrite the play.
If the opportunity to discuss the play arises, please remember that the playwright is the writing specialist in the room -- even if you happen to be a playwright. Remember that the writer is interested in your experience as an audience member. If you have a bunch of great ideas about how the play should go, please write a play and have a reading. Before you do, please read the above.
Thanks!
Kevin Six
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
From New Theatre World Blogger Tiffany Tang
...I also moderate some of the readings for the San Diego Shakespeare Society, which Kevin frowns upon, but I actually get a big kick out of.
Last month we had students from Grossmont College who were studying Romeo and Juliet for the first time. It was great. They were getting up and reading and really getting into it (especially
after I told them that the guys basically clown around and talk about sex the whole time). And then of course, we have solid actors like Steve Jensen doing amazing readings as Mercutio and Benvolio.
This one woman came up to me quietly during the break and asked if she might read the balcony scene as Juliet. She was thinking, when will I ever get the chance to play Juliet? And it was great. Sometimes the readings make for very special evenings. Would that be interesting for a piece?
-Read all about Tifany Tang here-
Last month we had students from Grossmont College who were studying Romeo and Juliet for the first time. It was great. They were getting up and reading and really getting into it (especially
after I told them that the guys basically clown around and talk about sex the whole time). And then of course, we have solid actors like Steve Jensen doing amazing readings as Mercutio and Benvolio.
This one woman came up to me quietly during the break and asked if she might read the balcony scene as Juliet. She was thinking, when will I ever get the chance to play Juliet? And it was great. Sometimes the readings make for very special evenings. Would that be interesting for a piece?
-Read all about Tifany Tang here-
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Shakespeare and Anonymous
Another film about Shakespeare is here and this one (gasp) puts forth the authorship question. The film Anonymous, which carries the tag line "was Shakespeare a Fraud?", was summed up by the San Diego Reader's David Elliott thusly, "Here is a film for people who hated Shakespeare in school, who think that iambic pentameter was taught in geometry, and guess that the first Hamlet was, uh... Simon Cowell? The movie, to its shame, enshrines ignorance about Shakespeare."
I'm going to see it. I love Shakespeare and watching scenes of his, in the period setting, is what gets me going -- regardless of who wrote them. Then there is the virtual cavalcade of Shakespearean actors to be seen: OK only Vanessa Redgrave and Derek Jacobi but they're worth the price of admission alone.
So there are the period settings, the costumes, two great actors and three or four really good ones. Done. Now, for the arguments...
Many Oxfordians believe that Shakespeare could not have written the plays, sonnets and poems attributed to him because he only had a grade school education, was a simple tradesman and was an actor. Oddly, these are about the only facts extant about perhaps the greatest writer in the English language -- and the same Stratfordian arguments for his authorship as well. I will take them in order...
Grade School
In Elizabethan England, grade school was 10-hours, six days a week of Latin and Greek and has been likened to a modern Masters degree.
Tradesman
Shakespeare's father John was a Glover and an alderman who tried most of his life to become a gentleman. William ran off to be an actor and returned to Stratford a sharer in the best theatre troupe in London, purchased the largest house in town and got his family a coat of arms.
Actor
Actors in Shakespeare's time had to have an immense amount of words in their heads. They performed a different play every night and many parts in each play. Imagine TV but live, with a limited number of actors. Oh, and they all danced and sang too. So an actor would have an immense vocabulary, understand plots and characters, and know how to put them together.
But only a genius could create the characters who said these lines and Shakespeare, whether he was a Glover from Stratford, the Earl of Oxford or the Queen herself (oh, yes that's a theory too). I offer three nice sources on the authorship question:
How Shakespeare Changed Everything by Stephen Marche.
This brief and witty book shares all the things Shakespeare brought into the world and some of the funny outcomes of actions by Shakespeare fans. States that no one has ever been granted permission to write a masters' thesis on the Oxfordian argument.
My Name is Will by Jess Winfield
You might recognize the name of one of the founders of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and
authors of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. His story is simply the best look into the life and times of William Shakespeare even thought the journey is taken by a dude on mushrooms at a Renaissance fair in northern California.
The Beard of Avon by Amy Freed
Tough going as a playwright to write a play that has Shakespeare, the Earl of Oxford, the Queen and possibly a few others as authors of the Bards work. Tough because most theatres are Stratfordian and too few have produced it. But read this play, even if you can't see it. It brings Shakespeare to life as well as his theatrical partners and his witty wife.
If you want to have the argument, see the film, read the above and get ready. It will be hard to change any one's mind. After all the huffing and puffing, though, take your opponent to see a play!
Kevin Six is an actor, playwright and a self-described actorian who believes Shakespeare wrote his plays but had help from the actors in his troupe. He can be found at www.KevinSix.com.
I'm going to see it. I love Shakespeare and watching scenes of his, in the period setting, is what gets me going -- regardless of who wrote them. Then there is the virtual cavalcade of Shakespearean actors to be seen: OK only Vanessa Redgrave and Derek Jacobi but they're worth the price of admission alone.
So there are the period settings, the costumes, two great actors and three or four really good ones. Done. Now, for the arguments...
Many Oxfordians believe that Shakespeare could not have written the plays, sonnets and poems attributed to him because he only had a grade school education, was a simple tradesman and was an actor. Oddly, these are about the only facts extant about perhaps the greatest writer in the English language -- and the same Stratfordian arguments for his authorship as well. I will take them in order...
Grade School
In Elizabethan England, grade school was 10-hours, six days a week of Latin and Greek and has been likened to a modern Masters degree.
Tradesman
Shakespeare's father John was a Glover and an alderman who tried most of his life to become a gentleman. William ran off to be an actor and returned to Stratford a sharer in the best theatre troupe in London, purchased the largest house in town and got his family a coat of arms.
Actor
Actors in Shakespeare's time had to have an immense amount of words in their heads. They performed a different play every night and many parts in each play. Imagine TV but live, with a limited number of actors. Oh, and they all danced and sang too. So an actor would have an immense vocabulary, understand plots and characters, and know how to put them together.
But only a genius could create the characters who said these lines and Shakespeare, whether he was a Glover from Stratford, the Earl of Oxford or the Queen herself (oh, yes that's a theory too). I offer three nice sources on the authorship question:
How Shakespeare Changed Everything by Stephen Marche.
This brief and witty book shares all the things Shakespeare brought into the world and some of the funny outcomes of actions by Shakespeare fans. States that no one has ever been granted permission to write a masters' thesis on the Oxfordian argument.
My Name is Will by Jess Winfield
You might recognize the name of one of the founders of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and
authors of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. His story is simply the best look into the life and times of William Shakespeare even thought the journey is taken by a dude on mushrooms at a Renaissance fair in northern California.
The Beard of Avon by Amy Freed
Tough going as a playwright to write a play that has Shakespeare, the Earl of Oxford, the Queen and possibly a few others as authors of the Bards work. Tough because most theatres are Stratfordian and too few have produced it. But read this play, even if you can't see it. It brings Shakespeare to life as well as his theatrical partners and his witty wife.
If you want to have the argument, see the film, read the above and get ready. It will be hard to change any one's mind. After all the huffing and puffing, though, take your opponent to see a play!
Kevin Six is an actor, playwright and a self-described actorian who believes Shakespeare wrote his plays but had help from the actors in his troupe. He can be found at www.KevinSix.com.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Four Questions
As part of our continuing series, Four Questions, I have interviewed myself in an attempt to understand why it is I do the things that I do...turns out I'm a tough interviewer to face. Read and comment as you will.
You’ve studied theatre abroad in England – what’s one thing you’re really glad to have learned from this experience?
Obviously it was great to meet new people and experience all the cultural differences, but the most useful thing I learned while there was how to properly write a theatre review. I took a class that was dedicated to this style of writing, and as a requirement we had to see and review six shows. I learned that it is a tricky balancing act of summarizing plot quickly, getting across all your points succinctly and clearly, and being opinionated while still seeming rational. As with the rest of my writing experience, I found the hardest part was the art of being concise. No one is going to sit and read a ten-page essay on why they should or shouldn’t see a play.
Why aren’t you writing reviews of San Diego theatre now that you’re here?
I do on occasion, but I still want to work in other aspects of theatre in San Diego and it’s hard to do both at the same time. I also think it’s difficult for people to understand that a negative review doesn’t equate to dislike of the producing theatre company. In fact, a negative review should be seen as supportive encouragement to improve future productions. After all, reviewers want the theatres to succeed just as much as anyone else, otherwise they would be out of a job.
Why do you stage manage? Isn’t it a lot of work for little reward?
Yes and no. It is a lot of work. And there is often very little monetary reward. That sounds like a full-hearted yes to the latter question. But the question is akin to asking someone why they breathe. It is hardly adequate to reply, “Because I’m good at it and I want to.” That may be true, but it is more of a calling, a love, and perhaps a bit of masochism. Stage management picks you, not the other way around. Stage management is difficult, but it is like being on top of the world; you know everything and everyone within the production and can help all to succeed and reach their fullest potential. And although it’s a heck of a climb to get through rehearsals and tech, there is a beautiful sense of accomplishment when a show goes off smoothly.
If you could do anything in theatre, what would it be?
I would own my own small black box theatre and invite theatre companies and groups to come perform. In this ideal world there would be a coffee shop / bookstore / bar next door with whom we would collaborate. On off nights there would be everything from mini rock concerts, to poetry slams, to readings of new plays, to art shows, to classes, and more. And as long as we’re talking hypothetically, the cost of a ticket would never be more than a trip to the movies. A person can dream, can’t they?
You’ve studied theatre abroad in England – what’s one thing you’re really glad to have learned from this experience?
Obviously it was great to meet new people and experience all the cultural differences, but the most useful thing I learned while there was how to properly write a theatre review. I took a class that was dedicated to this style of writing, and as a requirement we had to see and review six shows. I learned that it is a tricky balancing act of summarizing plot quickly, getting across all your points succinctly and clearly, and being opinionated while still seeming rational. As with the rest of my writing experience, I found the hardest part was the art of being concise. No one is going to sit and read a ten-page essay on why they should or shouldn’t see a play.
Why aren’t you writing reviews of San Diego theatre now that you’re here?
I do on occasion, but I still want to work in other aspects of theatre in San Diego and it’s hard to do both at the same time. I also think it’s difficult for people to understand that a negative review doesn’t equate to dislike of the producing theatre company. In fact, a negative review should be seen as supportive encouragement to improve future productions. After all, reviewers want the theatres to succeed just as much as anyone else, otherwise they would be out of a job.
Why do you stage manage? Isn’t it a lot of work for little reward?
Yes and no. It is a lot of work. And there is often very little monetary reward. That sounds like a full-hearted yes to the latter question. But the question is akin to asking someone why they breathe. It is hardly adequate to reply, “Because I’m good at it and I want to.” That may be true, but it is more of a calling, a love, and perhaps a bit of masochism. Stage management picks you, not the other way around. Stage management is difficult, but it is like being on top of the world; you know everything and everyone within the production and can help all to succeed and reach their fullest potential. And although it’s a heck of a climb to get through rehearsals and tech, there is a beautiful sense of accomplishment when a show goes off smoothly.
If you could do anything in theatre, what would it be?
I would own my own small black box theatre and invite theatre companies and groups to come perform. In this ideal world there would be a coffee shop / bookstore / bar next door with whom we would collaborate. On off nights there would be everything from mini rock concerts, to poetry slams, to readings of new plays, to art shows, to classes, and more. And as long as we’re talking hypothetically, the cost of a ticket would never be more than a trip to the movies. A person can dream, can’t they?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Four Questions
Four Questions is an occasional series in which we ask people to interview themselves. Not many people have had the pleasure of being interviewed and many fewer have been able to choose the questions. So we thought: what the hell? Let’s see what happens when we ask people to ask themselves four questions and then answer them honestly.
As an example, I (Kevin Six) will now ask and answer four questions. Please feel free to read and comment. And get ready! We might ask you to answer four questions too!
Is it possible to be a working actor in San Diego?
No. That is if you want to earn all of your income as an actor in San Diego. Most, if not all, actors in San Diego have second (and third and fourth) jobs. Many work at theatres. But as for San Diego being able to support a working actor solely, no. It is possible in Los Angeles, where there are so many projects being filmed... You could make a good living there as an extra but you'd have to be available to only to that kind of work and, the minute you aren't available to an extras casting person you are off the list. That was the case in San Diego when Stu Segal Studios was furiously filming Tele Novelas here but that work has dried up...
Why do you act?
Acting one of the things I cannot do without. I tried. I really tried and succeeded for almost ten years. I was in nonprofit arts management, which can be like acting at times but there are even less rewards. One day, I found myself unhappy in this life and decided to chuck it (and a pretty decent salary) to get a low-stress job and make myself available for work as an actor.
It's odd, really, working as an actor. Some people have likened acting to prostitution but actors give of their emotions as much as their bodies. So in that way, it's like super-prostitution; you can have my body, for a price, and, for a little more, you can watch me manipulate my emotions. You can even tell me what emotions to experience and have input on how that looks and how those emotions are projected. All this for about the same – or less – money than a prostitute makes.
What about writing - is the need/desire similar?
It's worse, actually. With acting, you can go for a long while and it won't affect your life. But writing... Writing or, more realistically, not writing, can keep you up nights. It can make you irritable, cranky and a little bit crazy. The odd thing is that the feelings don’t stop once you start writing. It's one of the few things that affects you no matter how, or how much (or little) you do it. I don't write because I want to or even have to; I write because I can't live my life without doing it.
Is any of it good?
There's the question. I have acted my socks off and been told "not so much". I have driven home from an audition composing the resignation speech to my agent it was so bad and, before calling or e-mailing the agency, having them call me to say I've been offered the part. What are these people thinking? Don't they know I'm terrible/better/the best/the worst actor in the world? It's just gotten to the point where I do my acting thing for an audience that includes me and whomever is there before me and if some of us like it, I keep doing it.
But writing's worse. I remember reading that English speaking writers are competing with the English-speaking public. There's nothing like competing against hundreds of millions of people who can read, speak and write your language to give you that you-are-here feeling. You've all seen that postcard with a picture of the Milky Way Galaxy and an arrow pointing vaguely to our solar system?
It can feel like that when writing or – or actually when thinking about writing. This is why I try not to think. About acting, about writing, about what people think, what people want, what someone will pay. It's worth less than nothing if you want to create. The best you can do is create, get the hell out of the way of the people watching/reading/reacting and let the feeling you get from finishing a process carry you on to the next one.
But, yes, to answer your question, a lot of it is good. Thanks for asking.
As an example, I (Kevin Six) will now ask and answer four questions. Please feel free to read and comment. And get ready! We might ask you to answer four questions too!
Is it possible to be a working actor in San Diego?
No. That is if you want to earn all of your income as an actor in San Diego. Most, if not all, actors in San Diego have second (and third and fourth) jobs. Many work at theatres. But as for San Diego being able to support a working actor solely, no. It is possible in Los Angeles, where there are so many projects being filmed... You could make a good living there as an extra but you'd have to be available to only to that kind of work and, the minute you aren't available to an extras casting person you are off the list. That was the case in San Diego when Stu Segal Studios was furiously filming Tele Novelas here but that work has dried up...
Why do you act?
Acting one of the things I cannot do without. I tried. I really tried and succeeded for almost ten years. I was in nonprofit arts management, which can be like acting at times but there are even less rewards. One day, I found myself unhappy in this life and decided to chuck it (and a pretty decent salary) to get a low-stress job and make myself available for work as an actor.
It's odd, really, working as an actor. Some people have likened acting to prostitution but actors give of their emotions as much as their bodies. So in that way, it's like super-prostitution; you can have my body, for a price, and, for a little more, you can watch me manipulate my emotions. You can even tell me what emotions to experience and have input on how that looks and how those emotions are projected. All this for about the same – or less – money than a prostitute makes.
What about writing - is the need/desire similar?
It's worse, actually. With acting, you can go for a long while and it won't affect your life. But writing... Writing or, more realistically, not writing, can keep you up nights. It can make you irritable, cranky and a little bit crazy. The odd thing is that the feelings don’t stop once you start writing. It's one of the few things that affects you no matter how, or how much (or little) you do it. I don't write because I want to or even have to; I write because I can't live my life without doing it.
Is any of it good?
There's the question. I have acted my socks off and been told "not so much". I have driven home from an audition composing the resignation speech to my agent it was so bad and, before calling or e-mailing the agency, having them call me to say I've been offered the part. What are these people thinking? Don't they know I'm terrible/better/the best/the worst actor in the world? It's just gotten to the point where I do my acting thing for an audience that includes me and whomever is there before me and if some of us like it, I keep doing it.
But writing's worse. I remember reading that English speaking writers are competing with the English-speaking public. There's nothing like competing against hundreds of millions of people who can read, speak and write your language to give you that you-are-here feeling. You've all seen that postcard with a picture of the Milky Way Galaxy and an arrow pointing vaguely to our solar system?
It can feel like that when writing or – or actually when thinking about writing. This is why I try not to think. About acting, about writing, about what people think, what people want, what someone will pay. It's worth less than nothing if you want to create. The best you can do is create, get the hell out of the way of the people watching/reading/reacting and let the feeling you get from finishing a process carry you on to the next one.
But, yes, to answer your question, a lot of it is good. Thanks for asking.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
San Diego Theatre World needs bloggers
Hey there blog-watchers!
We're looking for bloggers and that's probably why you're here.
The idea is to have a few San Diego Theatre specialists sound off on things that are important to them one day a week. We're sure that whatever you write will interest our readers.
This blog isn't attached to anything yet but as soon as we're at critical mass, we will hook it into San Diego Theatre World and get information to people.
So thanks for looking and thanks also for considering our offer to have you blog for us!
We're looking for bloggers and that's probably why you're here.
The idea is to have a few San Diego Theatre specialists sound off on things that are important to them one day a week. We're sure that whatever you write will interest our readers.
This blog isn't attached to anything yet but as soon as we're at critical mass, we will hook it into San Diego Theatre World and get information to people.
So thanks for looking and thanks also for considering our offer to have you blog for us!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
First Post
As usual, there is nothing very interesting about a first post except for the potential it represents.
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