After almost 2 years its time to move on...best of luck to VF with all they do abroad in 2008!
Drew (Press & Marketing Manager '06/'07)
PS: 75 in The List magazine's Hot 100 for 2007 - Job Done!
Monday, 17 December 2007
Minneapolis Musings 3
Last tale from the city...
The workshops have gone well and I can’t believe they are nearly over.
The artists I’ve been working with are filled with great ideas and very supportive of each other. The room is like a big children’s playground – with lamps, sheets, sticks and puppets everywhere. The idea I initially had about the staging of the production has totally changed and we’re now finding a new way to bring the story alive on stage. This is scary but very good and at times I feel like I’ve jumped out of a plane and my parachute hasn’t opened yet!
Fabrizio is very good and his ideas are bold and beautiful. The actors I’m working with are also very open, willing to try and are very, very playful which is so important to make this happen. Federica the puppet designer arrived at the end of last week and she is working very hard at the back of the room to create prototype puppets for us to use and explore with.
Thankfully our Stage Manager is keeping us well sustained with home made caramel popcorn and biscuits (or cookies as they call them in the US) - Tasty!!!! We have a sharing of all our explorations tomorrow with everyone in the theatre…. Keeping my fingers crossed they like the things we’ve found.
The workshops have gone well and I can’t believe they are nearly over.
The artists I’ve been working with are filled with great ideas and very supportive of each other. The room is like a big children’s playground – with lamps, sheets, sticks and puppets everywhere. The idea I initially had about the staging of the production has totally changed and we’re now finding a new way to bring the story alive on stage. This is scary but very good and at times I feel like I’ve jumped out of a plane and my parachute hasn’t opened yet!
Fabrizio is very good and his ideas are bold and beautiful. The actors I’m working with are also very open, willing to try and are very, very playful which is so important to make this happen. Federica the puppet designer arrived at the end of last week and she is working very hard at the back of the room to create prototype puppets for us to use and explore with.
Thankfully our Stage Manager is keeping us well sustained with home made caramel popcorn and biscuits (or cookies as they call them in the US) - Tasty!!!! We have a sharing of all our explorations tomorrow with everyone in the theatre…. Keeping my fingers crossed they like the things we’ve found.
Monday, 3 December 2007
Minneapolis Musings 2
Dougie Irvine on his current adventures in America as work on Peter Pan continues...
The first week is over and it’s been very busy. I’ve had meetings with 4 designers, the theatre production manager, company stage manager, head of costume & the whole costume department and head of sound. I also met and auditioned 140 actors! Fabrizio the designer arrives today and we start the development workshops on Tuesday which is very exciting.
I’m not sure what we’ll discover but undoubtedly the workshops will also bring up lots of questions which is very exciting!
We’ve had some snow but its very dry and fine - not like snow in Scotland at all. About 20cm fell yesterday and within minutes the city had swung into action to clear the roads and paths. On my day off there was a blizzard outside! I went to the Mall of America – the largest shopping centre in the US - with 520 shops, 50 restaurants, an amusement park, church and aquarium. I did some good shopping and also saw some intriguing things - living mannequins in the shops, hermit crabs for pets and salt and vinegar pre-flavoured chips with my lunch. It was an interesting day!
The first week is over and it’s been very busy. I’ve had meetings with 4 designers, the theatre production manager, company stage manager, head of costume & the whole costume department and head of sound. I also met and auditioned 140 actors! Fabrizio the designer arrives today and we start the development workshops on Tuesday which is very exciting.
I’m not sure what we’ll discover but undoubtedly the workshops will also bring up lots of questions which is very exciting!
We’ve had some snow but its very dry and fine - not like snow in Scotland at all. About 20cm fell yesterday and within minutes the city had swung into action to clear the roads and paths. On my day off there was a blizzard outside! I went to the Mall of America – the largest shopping centre in the US - with 520 shops, 50 restaurants, an amusement park, church and aquarium. I did some good shopping and also saw some intriguing things - living mannequins in the shops, hermit crabs for pets and salt and vinegar pre-flavoured chips with my lunch. It was an interesting day!
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
MINNEAPOLIS MUSINGS 1
Visible Fictions Artistic Producer Douglas Irvine files the first of his tales from America where initial work has begun on the Company's co-production with Minneapolis Children's Theatre Company.
I’m here! After what felt like the longest journey ever I’ve arrived and settled in Minneapolis. I was met by Nancy at the airport who held one of those placards with my name on it. I felt like I was in a film!! I’d been in contact with Nancy a few times - by email and phone - so to meet her face to face was so lovely even after 15 hours of travelling.
I’m staying directly across from the theatre so have excuses for being late in the morning ;-) and I’m feeling quite excited and nervous about going in there. I’m meeting lots of actors and various designers for the first time this week. Mostly I’m looking forward to meeting up with Peter (the Artistic Director) and Elissa (New Play Development
Director) who together with VF have been hatching this crazy plan to create a production of Peter Pan between our companies. I’m also looking forward to meeting with Jim (the General Manager). We’ve spoken loads and laughed lots too but I have no idea what he looks like. I wonder if he’ll be like I imagine!
I’m here! After what felt like the longest journey ever I’ve arrived and settled in Minneapolis. I was met by Nancy at the airport who held one of those placards with my name on it. I felt like I was in a film!! I’d been in contact with Nancy a few times - by email and phone - so to meet her face to face was so lovely even after 15 hours of travelling.
I’m staying directly across from the theatre so have excuses for being late in the morning ;-) and I’m feeling quite excited and nervous about going in there. I’m meeting lots of actors and various designers for the first time this week. Mostly I’m looking forward to meeting up with Peter (the Artistic Director) and Elissa (New Play Development
Director) who together with VF have been hatching this crazy plan to create a production of Peter Pan between our companies. I’m also looking forward to meeting with Jim (the General Manager). We’ve spoken loads and laughed lots too but I have no idea what he looks like. I wonder if he’ll be like I imagine!
Monday, 29 October 2007
Diary of a Shoe-Stopper!
Currently on tour with our one woman show 'Shopping For Shoes', Christina Strachan sets us right about life on the road...
Opening Night: (Perth)
The strange thing about my opening night was being in the dressing room on my own before the show. The atmosphere was completely different to any other show I've done before. I missed the banter of other actors encouraging one another and getting nervous together. It was just me which was terrifying. It made me more nervous. It went well though and I was more relaxed and confident by show 2 (Aberdeen) and told the story.
Further down the road...
After one show we found an amazing Nepalese restuarant called Yak Yeti Yak and we dined sitting on cushions on the floor, which played havoc with our stage manager Davie's knees.
One of the shows in Cork had a hundred 15 year old boys from a boy's school and we had a blast! They were so into it they even made me corpse which was hysterical, I had tears streaming down my face. There's something magical about a hundred 15 year old boys going 'Awwww' whenever Bethany the 2 year old character made an appearance.
more soon...
Cx
Opening Night: (Perth)
The strange thing about my opening night was being in the dressing room on my own before the show. The atmosphere was completely different to any other show I've done before. I missed the banter of other actors encouraging one another and getting nervous together. It was just me which was terrifying. It made me more nervous. It went well though and I was more relaxed and confident by show 2 (Aberdeen) and told the story.
Further down the road...
After one show we found an amazing Nepalese restuarant called Yak Yeti Yak and we dined sitting on cushions on the floor, which played havoc with our stage manager Davie's knees.
One of the shows in Cork had a hundred 15 year old boys from a boy's school and we had a blast! They were so into it they even made me corpse which was hysterical, I had tears streaming down my face. There's something magical about a hundred 15 year old boys going 'Awwww' whenever Bethany the 2 year old character made an appearance.
more soon...
Cx
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
LAUNCH
After years of being a confirmed Luddite, I am now a blogger!
This is the first of a hopefully endless stream of personal entries that Visible Fictions' staff and contributors will be posting over the coming months. Look out for actors on tour telling us what they've been getting up to, young people thoughts and experiences of Visible Fictions projects they are involved in and anyone else with something interesting to say for themselves.
...and dont forget to reply if you've got something to say or just want to join in.
Drew
VF marketing
This is the first of a hopefully endless stream of personal entries that Visible Fictions' staff and contributors will be posting over the coming months. Look out for actors on tour telling us what they've been getting up to, young people thoughts and experiences of Visible Fictions projects they are involved in and anyone else with something interesting to say for themselves.
...and dont forget to reply if you've got something to say or just want to join in.
Drew
VF marketing
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