18 January 2006

Torrid Felties


Yeah, yeah. I know. This is supposed to be a blog about The Felties. So why am I wasting your time with some play I wrote and directed?

Before launching headlong into producing weekly episodes of The Felties, I needed to learn a little bit about producing. Heck, before doing this play, renting a soundstage was unconfrontable.

Also, I needed to flex my writing and directing muscles (I hate to admit it, but they have been a bit flacid lately.) Well, I pounded out this script in three weeks. Also, it is the longest dramatic work I've ever directed. That makes writing and directing 5 minute-long episodes very doable.

Finally, sometimes the best thing to do when stuck in a rut is to blow, do something else for a while, and come back. Yes, I was stuck in a rut on The Felties. I have been mired in the technical mumbo-jumbo. It's been nice to switch over to good, old-fashioned analog entertainment. So much so, I'm contriving a live puppet show for one of the upcoming Puppet Slams the L.A. Guild of Puppetry produces.

In the (underrated) movie Center Stage, there's this great part where a dance instructer tells a talented young dancer:

"Whenever you reach a plateau and you need to bring the passion back into your work, you must remember to return to the bar."

The instructor here is referring to the ballet bar dancers use while practicing their basics. Theatre is and forever shall be my "bar." From time to time, I know I will have to return to it.

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