IDEAS?

[firegirl]

started working on a new show w/my performance partner, beth... it's looking really cool. being that it's called "mama said don't play with matches..." there is a lot of funny stuff we're including that has to do with what kind of kids we were...

anyhow - we've built the show around two stunts which we're known for... a fire stunt and a straight jacket stunt (see the show if you're curious ... these tricks are pretty unique & i'm protective of them...) we have some comic monologues, too... it's really nice stuff.

BUT

we've decided that we want to add in a couple of other variety moments... i've taken up the cause (finally) and learned how to juggle... (yes, i know i said i'd NEVER do juggling... only do jugglers...) which is a nice moment - because, it fits with the theme - as i've been obsessed with jugglers and magicians since i was a little kid... it's going to be a nice little two minute bit.


but, we need something for beth to do which matches it.

can't be fire.
we don't want to do sword balancing (or, swallowing, for that matter...) as we exhausted that in another show we did.

suggestions of simple things to riff for two minutes while doing?

t/y,

kate

[Steven Ragatz]

She could do something about putting the cart before the horse, or am I way off here?

Steven Ragatz

[firegirl]

i'm quite unsure of what you mean...

putting the cart before the horse? how so?

[Steven Ragatz]

My point is that asking what someone "can do" to fill a space in a show is backwards. It isn't what someone can do, it is what can you do? Just filling time isn't enough. If the technique isn't something that has time, interest and commitment behind it, then don't include it.

Here is some advice - write on your feet, not in your head. Let the show come from you, your physique and skill set.

If you want to pursue juggling, by all means go for it, but I would not be "writing" it into a show until you have mastered enough skill to warrant it.

Steven Ragatz

[firegirl]

oh. i see.

well - thank you for the advice.

i've spent the past year learning how to juggle because i felt like my show needed more dimensions of variety art in it. it was quite slow, actually - as i have trouble with depth perceptions & when people have tried to teach me how to juggle in the past it's not been fruitful. i've actually said that i'm the "unteachable juggling student." but, i finally found someone who could break it down into a process for me that my brain could understand - and, i've worked my way through scarfs, balls and onto clubs. and, while i'm not a spectacular juggler by any means - it is solid.

the purpose of it being in my new show is because i've been facinated with variety arts since i was a child & the focus of the moment isn't on the thing i'm doing - it's on what i'm saying while i'm doing it. i'm standing there juggling three clubs and telling the story of the very first time i ever saw a comedic juggler - how my dad took me to a ren faire... we went to see a juggler's show & i just sat there the rest of the day - a nine year old kid - trying to heckle this grown-up funny man... because i was so entranced by the very simple things which he was doing and making people laugh... sat there for four of his shows before my dad finally dragged me away... the juggler was very patient with me (my heckles were pretty lame) and how his comebacks made me laugh... and, when took my dad's dollar up to put into his hat at the end of the day - he told me i was funny and asked me what i wanted to do with my life - and, i said that i wanted to make people laugh, like he did.

that's the purpose behind the moment.

both beth and i have amazing skill sets & the ability to master most new skills quickly. what i'm looking for are ideas which i can present to her - simple things which she may already be able to do or things which she could spend the next two months perfecting - one of which will inspire a truthful moment like the one which my juggling moment does.

we have until the end of may/beginning of june to have something solid. and, i would never include something unpolished in a show i was directing/performing in. i've been doing professional theatre for more than half my life & i'm way too particular about end product to do that.

i'm not looking for filler for the sake of filler. i'm looking for substance.

this is a hour and a half theatre show. it's not 100% about the WHAT of the things we're doing as much as the HOW and WHY of it. don't get me wrong - there are a bunch of quick, show stopper moments in this show - but, the bulk of it is carefully developed moments - truth in comedy.

anyhow.

i appreciate what you're saying - but, i am unsure if it applies to the situation.

[Steven Ragatz]

i appreciate what you're saying - but, i am unsure if it applies to the situation.

Sure it does. What does Beth do? What is this imaginary two minutes about? Answer those questions, then use the answers to motivate the technique (if there is any) the way that your juggling story motivates yours.

Either the dramatic effort drives the technique, or the technique drives the dramatic effort. If the latter, then you had better have your licks. If the former, then you had better be darned interesting - (and still have enough licks with the technique so that it doesn't detract).

Steven Ragatz

[firegirl]

i see what you're saying... but, i don't know that you're understanding what i'm looking for.

let me break it down... if you say "magician" to me... that makes me think of the first time i ever met harry anderson - it makes me think of the things which i said or did in that moment... it makes me think of the variety of magic tricks which either i know how to do or that i've seen harry anderson do... then i go: "oh, well - i could do blah-blah-blah thing while i talk about how one night i told harry anderson that when i was 13 i had a crush on him."

i'm looking for suggestions of actions which i can give to beth which will inspire her creative process.

i understand that you think that moments like that should come from skill as opposed to drama/comedy - i disagree. i think that it's fine if it comes from drama/comedy if you have the discipline to perfect what it is that you're doing as the action with the story.

the whole show is about childhood. with some subtext of how people have labled us as these seductresses due to the fact that we are fire-eaters w/big personalities... but, in reality we are two of the dorkiest girls on the planet. i mean - i spend my saturday nights (when not performing) watching "antiques roadshow" for crying out loud...

when we began developing this show (which has been a process - given that she and i live about 1,500 mi apart & don't have as much opportunity to rehearse anymore...) we decided that we wanted this to be more in the format of a story - as opposed to the stunt-to-stunt-to-stunt format which we'd done in previous shows. those shows were fun, funny and just fine - but, we wanted to put something more unique out there - something more personal to us.

when we talked about doing personal moments - i immediately knew that i wanted to do something about either magic or juggling.

beth hasn't had it so easy - it's performers/writers block...

beth is a fire-eater, escape artist and dancer. she's perfected those skills, along with many others. this isn't a moment between the two of us - it's a solo moment for her. the show is full of moments between the two of us which are unique and inspired from our specific skills... we're looking for suggestions which can send us on a new track. i want to be able to give her suggestions to help inspire this process... she's a little stuck. that is all.

[Steven Ragatz]

This looks like a writing problem to me...

So how about this:

After you finish your "How I've been interested in jugglers since I was a child" monolog while juggling circus clubs, she comes out and does a mirror/parody piece "How I've been manipulated and cheated on by jugglers since I was a child" juggling knives.

Steven Ragatz

[firegirl]

that is actually a really funny idea...

problem being that she doesn't juggle.

but, i bet we could work it in at another point down the line...

really that would be more of a story which i would tell, though... my predisposition to having flings with jugglers and all...

thanks for the suggestion.
-k

[Steven Ragatz]

that is actually a really funny idea...

That's the idea...

OK, so no juggling - what if after your monolog, she did the exact same dialog, word-for-word, but for the word "juggler" she substituted the word "gynacologist", all the while fumbling surgical instruments in a tray?

Steven Ragatz

[firegirl]

BWAHAHAAAA!

OH - that's funny!

i'll suggest that to her - perhaps she'll like that idea...

heh.

[jester]

Have you really exhausted the sword swallowing?

Do people really get tired of that, do you perform to the same people over and over again?

Can you not do it with a different angle, new jokes?

Just a thought.

Sounds very exciting though. I liked reading this thread. It was so constructive. Way to go guys. This must be exactly what Jim was dreaming of when he built this forum.

I'll bet his eyes are streaming as he reads this.

I love it..

MORE! Encore! Encore!

[Peter Voice]

Wasn't it Shelley Switzer that said,
"You know you've been on the road too long when you start to fancy the jugglers"?

[firegirl]

Originally posted by jester
Have you really exhausted the sword swallowing?

she's not into the sword swallowing - we haven't exhausted that - we've exhausted sword balancing & balancing of all kinds... w/the possiable exception of a weber grill and a refridgerator... which i don't see happening - as beth happens to be five foot two and weighs about 120 lbs...

anyhow.

thanks for the suggestion.

[firegirl]

Originally posted by Peter Voice
Wasn't it Shelley Switzer that said,
"You know you've been on the road too long when you start to fancy the jugglers"?

don't get me started on my prediliction to shag sarcastic jugglers.

i have a rather extensive list.