Step Three Do rewrites based on feedback if necessary

Do Rewrites

When I received the first draft of the script “The Stupid Economy” from Robert Lynn, I had a plan to read it at a designated time. BUT, I wanted to get a quick glance because my Gemini mind -meaning curious, curious, curious- could not wait until my scheduled reading time. So, I started to glance through it. I ended up grabbing a cup of coffee, postponing whatever it was I thought was more important than reading the script right then, and I read that script right then.

It was clear to me that I had a gem in my hands and I voraciously consumed every word. As an actor yourself, you know what this feels like; that every single word was specifically written from your DNA. It was my rhythm and it was my voice! How Robert nailed that in the first draft is a magical genius I will never understand but he continues to do it with every request!

These rewrites should inform you as the writer, or the playwright you enlisted to write this solo show for you, how to mold the show into a performance piece for YOU that highlights YOUR talents, YOUR message, and YOUR voice!

Based on Feedback If Necessary

If you’ve been following this step by step in order, you know that doing the rewrites starts with the reading in front of a selected audience at a local venue. After we did the reading, we received quite a bit of delicious feedback. Some of that feedback we took: like threading the Corporate Insider character throughout the production like a Narrator who coldly tells the audience what is. And, some of that feedback we left: like removing LaMonica Johnson from the show because it appeared like I was playing a “black woman”.

We left LaMonica Johnson because she was the voice of wisdom and reason in the show and could have been any race (it is not expressly indicated in the script whether she is black, white, hispanic, mixed, or other)! As an actor, I created a character. The character I created, was actually over 250 pounds. I weigh 150. But, the audience believed I was a bigger woman because of my mannerisms. What the audience believed about LaMonica’s race was their own. As Anais Nin stated so eloquently, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

It is not your job as an artist to hide from the scarey, social trappings. It is your job as an artist to shine a light on them. That’s a quote from me.

Rehearsal

The rewrites from the feedback are continuously enhanced as part of the rehearsal process. But, that’s a whole article for another time.

What you should take from this session is to stop reading, stop listening, stop watching and go DO the rewrites from the feedback from the reading!

Break a leg! And, have a ball.

Until next time,

Chrissy

“Conceive then write (or hire a writer) to create your Solo Show. Decide if you want to do this on the road or at a specific venue. Important to do this as part of the first step in order to create a show that either travels well or can be stationary and perhaps more involved.”

Conception. When I called up Robert Lynn to ask him to write a one-person show for me he was interested in what that meant for me, what that looked like in the grand scheme of things, what the big picture looked like. And, of course, what did I want it to be about, he needed to know!

At the time I made that call to him I honestly didn’t have an exact idea of what I wanted. I did know a few things and I rambled them off to him. I knew that I really liked doing political theater, that taking an audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions was tremendously effective in good theater and that I could play a variety of characters and had a great ear for accents. I remember saying, “maybe something about the economy or the 1%?” which happened to be a major focus at the time.

Robert returned to me in what seemed like less than a month with our show “The Stupid Economy”. I played 7 characters. Audiences laughed. Cried. And talked about it for weeks after the lights went out. I know that because they wrote those words to me in messages, on LinkedIn as Reviews, and blasted them all over their own social media profiles. The show also sold out on Theater Row as part of the United Solo Festival. More on how to get to this in upcoming articles.

I could not write a show. It wasn’t in my scope of abilities at that time. I am currently in the concept stages of a new one-woman show and very excited about writing it myself. But, I needed the experience of doing one without having written it myself at that time. Why? I am an actor. All I wanted to do was act. I wanted to showcase my talent and deliver a message I stood behind. I hoped to perform for the masses and perhaps get seen by someone who wanted to sign me or cast me in future productions. But, most importantly, I wanted to make my living acting. Where I live that means making it happen myself.

I encourage a script written for you because of time. When we write our own work and have nobody else to hold us to a deadline, we tend to get tied up in perfection mode. This can keep you from actually producing! Suddenly, years have passed and you still haven’t completed your script. Let the momentum of someone else who is dedicated to getting you a script in a timely manner get you up on that stage and Making a Living Acting Anywhere, right now! Right now! Go! Go find someone or get a referral from someone to a playwright and don’t worry about knowing what you want to DO! Just, start the conversation and let all of the possibilities run out into the creative space between you and get started. You’ll be Making a Living Acting Anywhere in no time!

Subscribe, share with friends you know will benefit, and comment or submit questions to learn more about the process of getting a solo show up and running so that you can start Making a Living Acting Anywhere.

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