Powers of Imagination

Years ago, I wrote a short one-act play about the power of imagination in adults. I chose this subject because I was noticing a distinct drought of artistic creativity among friends who, I believed, lacked imagination. Or, more specifically, the power to communicate to others their imaginative ideas and thoughts. I took the title of the play from a line in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream - THE LUNATIC, THE LOVER, AND THE POET - because the speech is all about the power of imagination. Now we have an adaptation of JM Barrie's PETER PAN to consider. The story seems to suggest that the power of imagination is necessary for children to become fully developed human beings. That only through imagination's use can children guarantee themselves a thrilling and adventurous upbringing. But the story also suggests there comes a time when imagination's use must be set aside and replaced by the burdens of responsibility. Burdens that coincide with an adult who survives in the workaday world. Those of us who work in the American theatre know all too well the importance of maintaining that childhood power of communicative imagination - for it is the springboard of our creativity. I hope the audience members that join our play will embrace this as well.

Getting ready

Welcome to our blog. I am Devorah Spadone, the production stage manager at Book-it and am currently working thru the last 2 days of rehearsal before we move into the theater for tech week.

Tech week is when the stage manager's job begins to shine. We essentially become the director. Tech week is when we add in the costumes, the lights, the props, the set, and the sound ALL IN ONE! It's a lot of commotion and a lot of fun. Tech week is what I look forward to the most. It's when all of our hard work from rehearsal, our countless hours spent in production meetings with the designers all comes together to create a show. It's where theater magic is created.

It's always amazing to me that we are able to put all these elements together so quickly. It's wonderful. It takes a LOT of hard working people to make it all happen, but some how we do it!

I always wish that more people were aware of all the hard work that goes into making a show. When I try to explain what a stage manager does to people, my words jubble together and my explanation turns into a spoken novel. There are so many details that can't even be explained, that it's just easier to see it, than it is to have it explained to you.

I hope you all enjoy Book-It's production of Peter Pan, and give a quick thought to all the many factors that made it come to life!

Peter Pan

These are random thoughts that I have had today about directing Peter Pan.

Jane Jones keeps reminding me to remember the events of the story. "What are the events, Joy?" And I nod my head, go back to my room and open my script- Directing a play is about slowly hacking away at all the different elements and then continuing to discover. To keep asking yourself, "Is that the most interesting idea? Is that honest to my story? "

J. M Barrie's fantasitical play turned children's story is so different than previous renditions of Peter Pan, that I have been able to experiment with the style of this show. And the experiments are proving to be some of the more interesting aspects of this show.

Risk and lack of ego are essential to a good director.

Directing Peter Pan is turning out to be my first taste of desiring graduate school in the future. Every day of rehearsal feels like new terrain. The only ground I trust is my taste.
My taste of wanting this show to appeal to both the 75 year old man, and a 7 year old boy. And i am starting to feel moments of this working on the audience.

Joy