To learn more about the upcoming "New Works Festival" at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, we fired a few email questions at the director, MU Professor Jack Cirillo. Here's what he had to say:
Q: Just what is a "New Works Festival" and is this the first for our area?
A: The Robert Hinchman New Works Fest is in its first season and to my knowledge it is the first of its kind in this area. What “new works” and “playwright” festivals typically do is workshop and develop the workings of new plays in an effort to prepare them for production. It’s an opportunity for the playwright to have at his/her disposal a director and cast to work through their play aloud - sometimes with staging and sometimes without but always with script in hand — this insures that the emphasis of focus remains on the play itself and not on performance or stagecraft. This kind of reader’s theatre format often times gives a great deal of information to the playwright about clarity of plot points, character motivation and conflict.
Q: Why did MU's Dept. of Theatre decide to tackle this project?
A: We’ve been looking for ways to incorporate more contemporary material into our season and this is a great way of doing it. I think it also speaks directly to the educational mission of the Department, the College and most definitely the University. The New Works Fest is primarily focused on development and collaboration, not only among playwright, director, performers and designers; but with the audience as well. (SEE PROGRAM NOTES BELOW)
Q: How were the works chosen?
A: This first year I thought it important to feature “local” and alumni playwrights, i.e. Clint McElroy, Jon Joy and Mike Murdock. I also asked some colleagues from colleges and universities from our region that I am familiar with through the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (an organization that Marshall University Theatre is very involved with). I received (in a very short time) about 35 plays for perusal and I selected two from Middle Tennessee State University that I thought would pair well with Jon Joy’s one-act: Lunch at the Fork n’ Finger.
Q: What kind of challenge is this for the actors taking part?
A: Very challenging in that there is not a whole lot of rehearsal for these plays — about 20 hours each. The very nature of this work is in immediacy. By that I mean that changes may and will happen constantly throughout the process. An actor may get line changes or even recast 20 minutes before we do it for an audience! You’ve got to be able to adapt quickly. Also, the actor has do to much of the work with their voice as most of the time they are in a chair, reading their part.
Q: Do you hope to make this an annual event?
A: Absolutely. We’re committed to doing this for the foreseeable future. We hope to grow and learn from this season and hopefully broaden the scope of what we do and how we present the work in years to come. I look forward to developing other partnerships like the one created with Middle Tennessee State University this year. Also it is my goal to not only provide an opportunity for new playwrights, but for nationally recognized professional talents as well.
Thanks, Jack, for taking the time to answer those questions! He also sent along this information, which is also featured in the program for the event:
Great theatre begins with an idea and more often than not, that initial spark of creation is ignited by the playwright. But don’t get the wrong impression; the difficult journey of a play from “idea” to fully mounted production is not the solitary task of any one individual, quite the contrary. What makes the theatre such a magnificent art form is the fact that it is such a remarkable demonstration of collaboration. It is through the artistic collaboration of the playwright, the director, the actor, the designer—and eventually the audience that the initial idea of the playwright’s story can develop mature and (finally) be told.
It is the goal of the Robert Hinchman New Works Fest to encourage, develop, and present the playwright's tale in the early stages of the play's life. The plays of this year's festival are in the truest sense — works in progress. They have minimal staging, virtually no sets and very few props. What they do have however, is careful attention, hours of considered discussion and preparation, as well as the creative support of many gifted performers, directors and theatre artists to help define each play, each moment and each character. The plays will be read in “reader’s theatre” format so as to direct focus on the play itself (as opposed to individual performances and/or clever stagecraft).
What we hope to achieve is a clearer understanding of each play and the refinement of its story in an effort to bring it that much closer to full production. As an audience member of this “laboratory” experience, you too have an important contribution to make in the life of these plays. We are in need of your unique perspective. We need to know what your experience with this play is like. You are the “Test-Market” audience that will help to decide the future of these plays. In an effort to focus our discussion after the presentation you will see tonight, please consider these few guideline questions:
1. Did the play(s) capture your interest and imagination?
2. Were you in any way moved by the conflict of the central character(s)?
3. What did you find confusing or perhaps contrived in the piece?
4. Was the play given sufficient time to explore the story?
5. Would you be interested in seeing a fully mounted production of this play?
Tomorrow: We'll hear from writer / actor / bon vivant Mike Murdock.
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