Sunday, December 13, 2009

Freedman Bites the Bullet

David White, director, talks with John Freedman about the Towson workshop production of Yury Strike Klavdiev's I AM THE MACHINE GUNNER.



Read the full article: Yury Klavdiyev, an 'Atom-Smashing' Playwright

Freedman Takes Aim


John Freedman, translator of Yury Klavdiev's I AM THE MACHINE GUNNER writes about a weekend of Russian theatre at Towson University. Generous Company's workshop of MACHINE GUNNER was proud to be a part of this incredible weekend of conversations, workshops, readings and productions. Read John's article: Russian Drama, a Birthday, a Parade and 100 Surprises at Towson University



James Knight and John Freedman in Moscow.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Operation: Towson, Victory















James here.

Operation: Towson is safely in the rear view mirror and we are all feeling that sweetly mingled sensation that victory brings: a mixture of excitement, deep satisfaction, and relief.

We did it again. Bigger, Badder, and Better.

We had three performances, playing to nearly full capacity each show. Had an ugly snowstorm not descended upon the Chesapeake and given the east coast its first taste of winter, I've no doubt we would've filled every seat on Saturday night as well. Even with very little advertising on our part tickets were selling, thanks in part to some tremendous word of mouth. On Saturday night we had only sold about 60% of the house for Sunday's show. By 11:00 am the next day we were completely sold out. To all of you who gave us your support by spreading the word, we salute you.

Immediately evident from the first performance was how much the show has grown since last June. I don't think that there is anyone involved with "Machine Gunner" since Wordbridge who wouldn't agree that it is smoother, more poignant, and more emotionally gripping than before.

Having three performances also gave us a chance to change things up from show to show. Most of these changes were relatively minor: using different lighting effects and trying new sound cues, changes in blocking, etc. Other changes were more dramatic. The "Bullet Points" veil of secrecy is always in effect here, but suffice to say that if you saw the show on Friday, you saw a different ending than those in the audience on Saturday and Sunday.

What direction will the shows ending eventually take? Even amongst ourselves we find disparate opinions. Only time will tell.

But I know one thing for certain.

I'm ready to find out.

Peace

Out

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Mike "Dutch" Vandercook

James here.

Things have been fast and furious around here and we're two of three shows down. There are more posts dealing with the specifics of those performances coming in short order but first I thought I'd post one that I'd written a couple of days ago.

And if you complain about these blog posts coming too rapid fire. . .

the show is called "I AM THE MACHINE GUNNER".
Rapid Fire is how we roll.

here ya go. . .
Photo Below: Mike "Dutch" Vandercook

The crew has been toiling in the Ruth Marder Theatre trying to take the technical elements of the show to the next level, and today saw huge leaps forward. Much of this was due to the ingenuity of Mike "Dutch" Vandercook, who once again is proving to be a master of the round hole/square peg relationship. After a few days of frustration and more than a few uttered curse words, Dutch has proved that he's the guy you want in your corner when the bell's about to ring.

Over the course of the two workshops, Dutch has engineered some very interesting and effective pieces of equipment. Pieces of equipment that have been given colorful names due to their resemblance to musical instruments. So far Dutch has whipped up the "Bagpipe",the "Xylophone", the "Harp", and now the "Pan Flute".


Photo Above: Dutch stringing the "Harp"

The music that these instruments make is still under wraps from the general public, but assure yourself that should your jaw ever hit the floor of the theatre while watching "I am the Machine Gunner", then Dutch and his "Pan Flute" probably had something to do with it. He's like a regular Zamfir.

Right.

Except that if you ever wind up in a bar fight, Zamfir is not the guy you want by your side.

Advantage Dutch.

Out

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Back to it.

James Here.

It’s been a while since my last post but to paraphrase our playwright, “Its time to get back to it.”
The Machine Gunner Crew is back at it – and Operation: Towson has been set in motion. You might remember Towson University mentioned in earlier Bullet Points as the site of our rehearsals in the weeks before Operation: Wordbridge. But while Operation: Wordbridge culminated in one performance, Operation: Towson will give us three solid shots to take the show to the next level. Having three performances this coming weekend (Dec. 4th-6th) gives us an opportunity to tinker with the show, adding new elements while changing some of the old. We’ll use our own instincts and combine them with what we learn from this new audience to set our course for the show’s future.

Photo: Back for Round 2


From my side of things, rehearsals have been extremely productive. Having months between performances has given our creative ideas time to incubate and the results are already showing. The pace has slowed at moments, giving us time to tell the story in a clearer and cleaner fashion. We have also welcomed another set of eyes into the rehearsal room, Towson student and Wordbridge perennial Bob Harris. He gives us a fresh perspective while simultaneously raising questions that we had thought answered months ago. I’m just glad that I am able to work in an environment and with a crew that can afford to keep asking those questions and keep challenging ourselves to make the show as good as possible. When you have the time to create a truly collaborative process, good things can happen.

Out