{dinner & theatre}: space.So, I’ve been muttering to a lot of you that we {miscreants} of the forest were thinking about bringing back dinner&theatre, and I threatened that we would do it as soon as we found a SPACE. Well put those bananas back in the blender, kids, cause we’ve got one, and its going down.
{date&time}: 4667 esplanade (chez benji). sunday night at 6:30.
this week’s theme is SPACE
For those of you weren’t around last summer, what is {dinner&theatre}? We believe good theatre is like a good meal, with lots of smiles, healthy conversation, and a warm, full feeling at the finish. So, we make a POTLUCK DINNER, eat some DELICIOUS FOOD, and share/participate in some GREAT THEATRE. This is how it works:
you bring a (short) “text” and some food you want to share. we eat great food and share the texts. people volunteer to make your pieces into (short) performances. the next week they’re performed.
—there is no obligation to bring a text or make a performance. all are welcome—
the night will go like this:
6:30 – show up, get a glass of wine, gab about julien’s latest fashion choices, heat up food, etc.
7:00 – share “performance texts.” we will ask you to choose another person/people to give a first reading.
7:30 (no later) – WE EAT! and mingle, and talk about the texts.
8:00 – We choose a “director” (and “actors” as necessary) for each text. We want each text to have some response, but we certainly welcome multiple responses to a single text.
8:15 – get dessert/wine, and watch performances. (for the first week, we will organize a special opportunity to “play with our food” in lieu of prepared performances.)
Interested? Confused? The “dan-length” explanation is below.
Still here? Now you’re in for it.
history lesson:
Last year, the design was to read one play each week AND watch a staged reading of the previous week’s play. Writers got immediate feedback, and other participants got to try acting or directing for the first time in a scrumptious and supportive environment.
BUT many people felt TWO plays was TOO much. so…
quoi de neuf:
While we still want to keep focus on writer development and quick&dirty performances, we’ve decided to explode our notion of script to include any “performance text.” We invite you to share anything that you have written (or composed, if your medium is non-linguistic), or that you have found and connected with. Please note that we will ask SOMEONE ELSE to read the text you bring. It should read (or “read”) in under five minutes (2 minutes is ideal).
{glossary:}
“performance texts”:
~2 (no more than 5) minutes.
-We’d prefer if you sent it to us first, but for this week, feel free to just bring it along.
– Can be a part of a play or a story, a poem, or an independently composed piece. Found texts are fair game as long as you have a specific, personal desire to present them for performance.
– Visual artists are welcome to bring pieces that they would like to see rendered as a performance.
“staged readings” (performance-responses)
-May be straight “productions” or readings, or may recontextualize the text as the director/actors see fit (ie. you can sing about it, dance about it, sculpt about it, etc.)
-May be presented in visual media, but there must be a performed “reading” of the visual piece, even if it only involves pointing out the piece from across the room.
-Both individual and group responses are welcome
-Keep it under 5 minutes.
“food”
-We will attempt to make pasta or something basic that will go far. We encourage you to bring salads, desserts, vegetables, and other starches that go far.
– wine ALWAYS helps.
“Touchy-Feely-Artsy-Fartsy” {disclaimer}
-We openly encourage cross- or multi-disciplinary responses to the performance texts, but we’re far more interested in a performance that is earnest and considered than simply, well….you get the picture.
dan j ruppel 