Red Bastard

Matt,

If you have some extra time today, you could do worse than to read this interview Dean Evans conducted with Eric Davis (this really great clown, I'm told). Lots to do with the rehearsal process that we can draw from, I reckon.

http://www.theaterwit.org/blog/index.php?id=7631354806278552877

Yrs,
Sz

Re: Chitown Clown Down

MH,

Actually, I just talked to Dean. He might want us to do something BETTER. Let's talk about it tomorrow.

Sz

P.S. I'm going to see the Other Other Show tonight. I will take notes.

2011/1/26 Matthew Hope

Curses! We shall overcome!
-MH

On Jan 26, 2011, at 1:20 PM, Samuel Zelitch wrote:

Matt,

Chitown Clown Revue is booked solid.

Mantra for the day: Setbacks are gifts in disguise. Cry and get over it -- to the other side!

Sz

Chitown Clown Down

Matt,

Chitown Clown Revue is booked solid.

Mantra for the day: Setbacks are gifts in disguise. Cry and get over it -- to the other side!

Sz

The Last Days of Pitch One

Matt,

When this week is good to meet? We're so close! 

Sz

Try Try Try Try Again

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anna Bosy <anna@collaboraction.org>
Date: 2011/1/20
Subject: SKETCHBOOK 11: Evolution - Devised Work
To: paisleycan@gmail.com
Cc: anthony@collaboraction.org


Dear Samuel,

Thank you for applying for Collaboraction's SKETCHBOOK Festival. We received over 50 applicants for devised work, and have had the strongest pool yet. The selection process has been incredibly difficult, and unfortunately, we are unable to include "The Disney Holocaust: First Sequence" in this year's festival. SKETCHBOOK could not happen without its vibrant submission pool and we appreciate you sharing your work with us. We hope you will consider submitting again next year.

Sincerely,

Anthony Moseley, Artistic Director

Sarah Moeller, Producing Director

Kristin Idaszak, Associate Artistic Director

--
- Anna Bosy
Sketchbook Literary Assistant

Where do we go from here?

Matt,

I've started doing the busy work on the video. It's great -- I'm learning a lot about iMovie. Maybe this is useless knowledge, as I'm almost certain whatever we aim to do in iMovie would be a kilo times easier on FinalCutPro. But alas.

When can you meet to do some editing? I'm going home to Massachusetts on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Sz

A brief message about Saturday

Matt,

Just a brief message containing a pared down version of what I planned to say last night. I hope neither of us overthink in our preparation for Saturday. Our collaboration has really taken off and should continue to thrive. Let's just get together and have some fun. Whatever comes of it will be useful, no matter what. 

Sz

Bingo

Matt,

Please please please don't waste your time with that last email. Or skim it or whatever. 

Also, the events from this weekend have meshed well with a lot of the stuff I've been thinking about for Gill. Here's an article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/us/10shooter.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all

Respect,

Sz

Next steps

Introduction

To begin like Stephen McCauley: All right. 

Costumes

We have our to-do list. (I typed it up on the bottom as a record. Of course it isn't very specific and it goes in no order.) On the way home yesterday I made a visit to my favorite thrift store at Belmont and California. Everything there is $3 and it's run by a guy named R. Kelly. I got three pieces that I think would be appropriate (also because they were so cheap). Obviously I don't mind if we never end up using them, I was just eager to make a choice. If it's the wrong choice then that answers at least one question. 

Today and Tomorrow

I'm going to spend the night drinking coffee and reading, and hopefully I will find a way to cut down the script. I actually think, for this very very first one, we should consider going as short as possible. Like, one-two minutes. 

Emily and Michael

I also would like to get the "Emily and Michael" footage up onto a computer, and hopefully online. I need Leor for that, and he's out taking Ori and the Night Visitors to places. Back burner for now.

Alien Queen

I would love to hear how Alien Queen was and if there's anything to learn from it. I'd like to try to see it if I can. Was it a good date choice? That's an important question to answer. I'd like our thing to be a good date choice.

Next Step

My personal next step, I realized, is to develop an attitude for Gill. (Aside: We should talk soon about how we like the name "Gill" so far.) E.g., why is he doing this? We discussed his big and small motives the other day, which were to make a pitch (small) and to find a family (big). Hovering above these motives I see a few different attitudes we could decide upon. These, in turn, could lead us to various costume choices and patterns in speech, etc.

Guffman

I saw Waiting for Guffman this morning. It's a beautiful movie and the thesis is particularly apt: Success is viable if you make your audience your whole world. I will keep it out from the library should we have the time to watch it together. Not to be corny (or even pragmatic), but I believe it helps our process to have shared experiences. If you'd like to see Pirates this week, let's talk about reserving tickets. 

Conclusion

Now that the midwest tour is out, shall we find another goal? Am still waiting to hear from Collaboraction people, and meanwhile I'm keeping my eye on deadlines for various other applications. I don't want to get too big for our britches. Keeping the Guffman thesis in mind, if we can just get a performance in your living room I would be pleased as punch. The danger in that is: the stakes are lower and we control the deadline. Which I dislike. 

Since I feel as if my tenets have changed somewhat, I would like to offer you a revised version, also in a separate appendix. 

New thing: I discovered we can post blog notes via e-mail. I have cc'd the appropriate address in order to do so. All you'd need to do is copy and paste that address into the cc part of any e-mail you send to me and want to post. I'll understand if it makes you uncomfortable, but I'm just obsessed with providing a public record of this process, if for no one's benefit but our own. And I don't think anything we say in these e-mails is particularly private. 

This is a long e-mail, but after a weekend of movie watching I felt particularly verbose. I hope you haven't read all of it.

When do you want to meet next? 

Sz

Appendix I: To Do List

Pare down script

Record voiceover

Record video

Look at video

Listen to audio

Make drawings

Decide upon a costume

Appendix II: Tenets

(1) Make as good as we can

(2) Simplify, simplify

(3) Find satisfaction and pride with every part of this creation

Hey, come onto Casablanca
Hey, the mini bun to see ya
Matching Halloween can opener
Doubt the mineral seer
(2x)

Oh, you're a Nick Cane noir
See, very Nick Cane noir
Oh, you're a Nick Cane noir
See, very Nick, you vane noir!

Why you weighty?
Why you weighty?
Nick should know.