"Give my creation Life!"
"Abby someone, Abby-normal"
Even reduced to quotes, our images of the Frankenstein story vary in the extreme. In adapting the story for Inconceivable I wanted to go back to Shelley's novel and rediscover an eloquent, haunted creature who has an opportunity to ask his creator burning questions - Why? How could you? What were you thinking? Questions that I am sure have crossed all of our minds at one time or another.
While reflecting the romantic roots of the piece, I also wanted to make sure that the piece functioned theatrically, that it was possible to care about the creature and that the story drove like a tragedy to its conclusion. Balanced against this was the need to keep it primarily in Shelley's words, probably 80% at this point, and to introduce some lighter moments and round out some of the happenings aboard Captain Walton's ship. And of course it is a piece for Halloween too, so where would we be without some horror!
I hope you enjoy seeing a Frankenstein drawn closer to the source and will let us know what you think.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Process
The Inconceivable people "get it." That was my first thought, after our first reading of The Trojan War, back in October of 2010. They really "get it." As I sat at the table with members of the ensemble, listening to them read aloud from my script (no matter how many times it happens, I will never get over how cool it is to hear actual human voices reading words that I've written), I was smiling like an idiot. Most actors would be turned off by dialogue that sounds like translated Greek, or worse yet, actually is translated Greek. But not these daring souls. Really, these folks deserved red capes and superheroic emblems on their chests. They understood the purpose of that style. It was meant to serve the story. And I knew, from that moment on, that working with the Inconceivable Theatre was going to be an incredible experience.
The Trojan War is, as our director Tony puts it, a "deceptively simple play." On the surface, it resembles something the Reduced Shakespeare Company might produce: A comic retelling of ancient stories, littered with anachronisms, euphemisms, and cross-dressing. And believe me, The Trojan War is guilty as charged. But underneath the surface of this zany comedy lies an important conversation that is taking place every day, across the country and around the world. This conversation can be reduced to two simple questions. "Why do wars start?" and "What prevents them from ending?" The Inconceivable people "got it."
Now, this revelation leads to a very logical question: Why use the backdrop of the Trojan War to discuss modern day issues? I'd like to say that the decision harkens back to 1950s Hollywood, when movies like Spartacus, Julius Caesar, and Quo Vadis made commentary about McCarthyism through the distancing device of classical antiquity. It sounds very sophisticated and academic and makes me feel smart. But the truth of the matter is that I chose the Trojan War because it's what I know best. That's Creative Writing 101. Write what you know. And, in my case, write plays that you'd want to see.
I'll admit to one additional, ulterior motive with the setting. I chose the backdrop f the Trojan War for one other reason. Frankly, I feel like many stories from Greek mythology aren't being told. Homer and Hesiod and Ovid were really sophisticated, stylish writers and people tend to shy away from them. I don't know how they got a bad reputation. Maybe there were one too many "begot-beget-begotten" passages. Maybe something about professors in tweed with intimidating British accents did them in. But the Greeks are making a comeback (see the Percy Jackson phenomenon) and that is definitely something I want to be a part of. It's also the reason why I fell in love with the Inconceivable Theatre. Their mission statement really speaks to me and the kind of plays that I write. They "get it."
The Trojan War is, as our director Tony puts it, a "deceptively simple play." On the surface, it resembles something the Reduced Shakespeare Company might produce: A comic retelling of ancient stories, littered with anachronisms, euphemisms, and cross-dressing. And believe me, The Trojan War is guilty as charged. But underneath the surface of this zany comedy lies an important conversation that is taking place every day, across the country and around the world. This conversation can be reduced to two simple questions. "Why do wars start?" and "What prevents them from ending?" The Inconceivable people "got it."
Now, this revelation leads to a very logical question: Why use the backdrop of the Trojan War to discuss modern day issues? I'd like to say that the decision harkens back to 1950s Hollywood, when movies like Spartacus, Julius Caesar, and Quo Vadis made commentary about McCarthyism through the distancing device of classical antiquity. It sounds very sophisticated and academic and makes me feel smart. But the truth of the matter is that I chose the Trojan War because it's what I know best. That's Creative Writing 101. Write what you know. And, in my case, write plays that you'd want to see.
I'll admit to one additional, ulterior motive with the setting. I chose the backdrop f the Trojan War for one other reason. Frankly, I feel like many stories from Greek mythology aren't being told. Homer and Hesiod and Ovid were really sophisticated, stylish writers and people tend to shy away from them. I don't know how they got a bad reputation. Maybe there were one too many "begot-beget-begotten" passages. Maybe something about professors in tweed with intimidating British accents did them in. But the Greeks are making a comeback (see the Percy Jackson phenomenon) and that is definitely something I want to be a part of. It's also the reason why I fell in love with the Inconceivable Theatre. Their mission statement really speaks to me and the kind of plays that I write. They "get it."
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Opening next week!!!
Greetings again folks! I am happy to announce that just this week, we ran through the entire play, from Zeus to Trojan Horse, for the first time. And let me say this: I truly haven't been this excited for a show to open in a long time. Not just because I'm assistant directing or writing to you in this blog or whatnot, but this piece truly has the potential to inspire, in my opinion.
For example, in addition to assistant directing The Trojan War, it is also my responsibility to act as the Managing Director at Inconceivable Theatre. Those duties include writing checks, filing paperwork, etc., etc., etc., and from time to time: revisiting our mission statement. And wow, I really think we're hitting the nail on the head with this show! How so? Because this production really does "provide fresh insight and modern relevance into texts, literature, music, fine arts and other works that have stood the test of time." In other words, with Jessica Puller's text and Tony Dobrowolski's direction, this cast is really beginning to show all these century-famed stories revolving around the Trojan War. But what is more beautiful is that the sense of comedy in this play does not mean you have to be a Greek historian to appreciate it in the least, nor must you simply just like fart jokes either.
In a time where all you see on the news is Republicans and Democrats blaming each other over wars and debt ceilings and taxes, The Trojan War really begins to put things into perspective. Please be sure to sign up for your tickets now. We are open only for four short weeks starting Sunday, August 7 at the studio theatre at the Apollo. More to come!
Monday, July 11, 2011
And we're off...
GREETINGS INCONCEIVABLE FANS! This is Pat Murphy, Assistant Director for our upcoming show The Trojan War; Or, How One Bad Apple Spoiled the World. I'm excited to say that we'll be wrapping up our second week of rehearsals this weekend by getting up from the reading-the-script-at-the-table-phase and on our feet to the let's-really-delve-in-and-play phase!!! I think our cast is aching to start moving, and there's plenty of sword-fighting, Ken-doll-posing, and more to get into. We've only just begun...
And more, I love that a brand new fresh script like this have all the silliness and craziness that it does, but still be able to show off the great acting skills of our cast dramatically, too! As each one of them hop back and forth between character to character, century to century, and even mortal to god, it looks like a promising production in the works--even from our first couple table reads! So be sure to mark your calendars, because I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what will be happening in the Apollo Studio this August! :)
And more, I love that a brand new fresh script like this have all the silliness and craziness that it does, but still be able to show off the great acting skills of our cast dramatically, too! As each one of them hop back and forth between character to character, century to century, and even mortal to god, it looks like a promising production in the works--even from our first couple table reads! So be sure to mark your calendars, because I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what will be happening in the Apollo Studio this August! :)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Creating This "War"
What do you get when you mash up No Exit with A Company of Wayward Saints and The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged? As it turns out, you get this play.
It all started with storytelling. Not the play alone, but also the mythology behind the Trojan War. This is what people did before TVs and internet chatrooms and Adam Sandler movies. They told stories. And so, when I decided I wanted to write a play for young adults about the story of Troy, I wanted to start with the basics, with the storytelling. Thus, the play was born not to be a factual account of the details in Homer, but a story, told to an audience.
And who would be the storytellers? The ones who could skew it with bias the most, of course! Eris, Aphrodite, Helen, and Paris, four figures who arguably caused the war, were chosen as the characters for the play. After all, who really started the whole mess? And I do think that "mess" is the appropriate word. While many of the stories in the canon of Greek mythology (some included in this play) are comical in nature, the take-home lesson of the Iliad is always that, in the end, war is nothing but a mess. A great, big, bloody, less-than-honorable mess. And the bloodier the examinations of the war became, the more I realized that this was not destined to be a play for young adults, but a play for mature audiences.
This isn't because I think that children can't handle the realities of war. The fact of the matter is that many are living them. This was because the bloodier the second half of the play became, the darker the comedy of the first act had to be, in order to balance the scales. What can I say? I believed that this play was in need of feng shui.
-Jessica Puller, Playwright
The Trojan War; or, How One Bad Apple Spoiled the World
It all started with storytelling. Not the play alone, but also the mythology behind the Trojan War. This is what people did before TVs and internet chatrooms and Adam Sandler movies. They told stories. And so, when I decided I wanted to write a play for young adults about the story of Troy, I wanted to start with the basics, with the storytelling. Thus, the play was born not to be a factual account of the details in Homer, but a story, told to an audience.
And who would be the storytellers? The ones who could skew it with bias the most, of course! Eris, Aphrodite, Helen, and Paris, four figures who arguably caused the war, were chosen as the characters for the play. After all, who really started the whole mess? And I do think that "mess" is the appropriate word. While many of the stories in the canon of Greek mythology (some included in this play) are comical in nature, the take-home lesson of the Iliad is always that, in the end, war is nothing but a mess. A great, big, bloody, less-than-honorable mess. And the bloodier the examinations of the war became, the more I realized that this was not destined to be a play for young adults, but a play for mature audiences.
This isn't because I think that children can't handle the realities of war. The fact of the matter is that many are living them. This was because the bloodier the second half of the play became, the darker the comedy of the first act had to be, in order to balance the scales. What can I say? I believed that this play was in need of feng shui.
-Jessica Puller, Playwright
The Trojan War; or, How One Bad Apple Spoiled the World
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Adapting Frankenstein
I can’t believe that Mary Godwin (Shelley) was only 18 when she conceived this story. Not only that, but the basic idea and form behind it came over the course of a very abbreviated period. I think people lived faster in her time.
I think the origins of it as, perhaps, a piece intended for reading aloud come through clearly in the structure of the book. The way she divides the narrative is a precursor to the modern dividing up of storylines to keep readers’ interest. She doesn’t go as far as we do now, but the idea is there.
The creature gets such a bad rap! He really is a modern day Job, although this time, he knows exactly who to blame and is free to seek and demand not only an explanation but redress. But really, how could he know any better? Is his lack of inherent moral knowledge a statement about the quality of his soul or lack of one or does it reflect on mankind itself that devoid of acculturation we would be no better? I love that the book makes me think of these things and go back and forth on the issue.
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