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creativeslime
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Posted: Sun Mar 16th, 2008 05:31 pm |
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A South African in the house!
Hello everyone, may I just congratulate you all on creating such a wonderful community where people of our niche interest can gather and play. Through trolling a little I have decided to say flatter you all further and say that it seems that the forum filled with very helpful and constructive members. As in any art we need all the support we can get because outside of popular belief creating something is a rather difficult act to pursue, and finishing it infinitely harder.
So geographically speaking I am from the southern tip of Africa. (Yes we have the internet over here, well the lucky few of us that can afford it) I am twenty five years old and am slowly trying to convince myself that I should not feel guilty that I have yet to complete my first play. My background is in acting, my medium is more film based and I completed my four year honours degree in live performance from a film school that is based in my city of residence Johannesburg.In those four years I did a fair share of physical theater and a little stage work. I often feel angry that I did not do more, but hey it is a film school so I guess that is understandable.
I currently work at the very institution I studied in. I lecture first, second and third years. This is my third year teaching and feel strongly that I have been hiding away from the world for a pay cheque. This is not something an actor gets much of, money that is, especially in South Africa where we hold our sport players at the pinnacle of the society and film, theater, art, music takes a backseat. However I think I need to make the change even if I end up doing something I have never tried before. I just recently got onto this idea that life is a verb and therefore one should just live it and not worry as much as we do. But enough with my current living situation, pardon my ramblings but since I am new at this whole writing thing I am still an infant and am trying to figure out how much is too much.
So where am I currently? Well with access to my students I have decided to work on my first play with me and a fellow student acting in it as well as me directing it. This may be considered self-indulgent but we do not have a fully fleshed out platform where work is created and made accessible to the public. So I have chipping away at a little comedic, romantic comedy.
May I ask a question here? What sort of page count, on average, can one expect a 45min - 1hour long play to be. I just want to get some idea as my knowledge is around that of film scripts where one can play with 1min per page but this obviously can vary in a huge way from play to play so excuse me if It is a question which is not even something one can ask.
So here I am, its so great to meet you all, it's nice to be able to come here each day and feel that you are not alone.
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Deirdre
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Posted: Wed Mar 19th, 2008 12:25 am |
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Hi! to you on the tip of South Africa!
(from one newbie to another)
I'm just poking around myself and before I make my own introduction I thought it only polite to acknowledge yours, full of life as it is and lovely.
My understanding is that stage plays also run around one minute/page.
We'll talk again I'm sure. The best your way.
D.
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Luana Krause
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Posted: Mon Mar 24th, 2008 02:13 pm |
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Hi, creative!
Nice to meet you. Congratulations on your play...hope all goes well.
I, too, believe Life is a verb.
Luana
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IanFraser
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Posted: Mon Mar 24th, 2008 02:27 pm |
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just wanted to say hi, as a former South African writer/performer - theres nothing wrong with staging your own work.. Its often the best way to get your material out there, and get noticed, especially in the tiny market of SA.. like at the Grahamstown Arts Fest.
I did it this way, starting at the bottom doing my own dramatic stuff as well as solo comedy, and by the end, had plays being staged by many of the Arts Councils at the time, as well as at the Market, and had cornered a big chunk of the box office, year after year at Grahamstown by the time I decided 'enough' (around '95).
Big rule of thumb is to not be concerned about the opinions of other people who arent doing what you're doing.
Just go ahead and do it, and if there're mistakes - well, the next production will be better.. There're a lot of folks in SA who want to seem like they're the sole arbiters of what is 'good' or 'bad' - just trust your own judgement, and make Theatre like you want to. Make theatre that YOU would go and see.
All that matters is that you're creatively satisfied, and the audiences are not resenting the price they paid for the ticket, by the end of the piece. Don't let other peoples ideas and negativity undercut you, or your desires to create what you want to create.
If you have venue and willing students, even better - make lots of theatre, all the time.. its a great way to hone your skills (and those of your students) without the overt public glare and cost of a formal run somewhere, and reliance on critics and box office to tell you where you're at..
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Paddy
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Posted: Tue Mar 25th, 2008 04:12 pm |
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Welcome....hm...Creative Slime? Creatives Lime?
A minute to a minute and a half...best way to know is to read it and time it.
And as for the arts taking a back seat to sports....that's pretty universal.
Welcome.
I look forward to knowing you better.
Paddy
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