Editing the Script

I've been reviewing the script for "Nunc Licet". As it turns out, I am clarifying some of the text, adding blocking and business to areas not so well defined, and eliminating some text and or actions that I think interfere with the flow.

It's funny how this round of refinement is going so well. I guess that is due, in part, to my changing life's perspective, probably some of the responses I got from previous workshops, and from looking at this with a bit more of a cinematic eye, but still primarily theatrical.

I found that other people have conveyed their opinions about changes, but it's clear to me that those opinions are not founded in a solid understanding of the material. Most people skip over the staging instructions and draw their conclusions from the text. There are very subtle emotional and motivational elements that build up to create the drama from the minor text, in terms of both dialogue and staging notes. Inferences in the dialogue and business are critical, while the blocking (including the asides) crafts the dimension of the piece.

There is a limited amount of space on the stage, therefore, especially in a piece with many complexities and a wide swath of characters, it is important to create definitions of time and space that give the piece greater dimension. That is the purpose of, not only asides, but also segmenting the character relationships with an assortment of intimate moments both in the present sense and with an inferred historical sub-text.

More on this later. AG

Script Review

I have been reviewing the script for "Nunc Licet" again. This time from more of a director/writer rather than a writer/technician/director perspective.

I'm amazed at some of the subtle changes I'm making. I'm not altering it from a need to cull it, rather I am clarifying some of the dialogue and action. I'm reevaluating the blocking and sub-plot. Mostly I want to gain a clearer vision of the sub-plot that is manifest by the women. Most of the dialogue was given to the men. I did try to shift some over to the women, but the challenging nature of some of the text does not sit well with the feminine mindset, so I have mostly wanted the feminine elements to paint a backdrop for the maculine meanerings in the abstract ideology. I'd rather paint a picture of the feminine being a stable foundation upon which the masculine intellectual fantasies rest. I see that as being present more in the sub-plot, with only and occasional foray into the immediate action and dialogue of the piece.

The main objective is to make a proposition and then to offer challenge and support of that proposition, thus building a foundation for the larger propositions that rest on those resolutions. You see, the larger propositions must rest on a foundation before they are put forth, otherwise they become absurd.

That is the whole point of "Nunc Licet", to establish a premise upon which certain "unheard of" concepts/ premises can rest.

This allows us to proceed into a whole array of other dramatic circumstances that are conveyed in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Without establishing that foundation, it is, irresponsible, to attempt addressing those circumstances dramatically.

That is the point.

AG

Most recent thoughts about NL

I've sent out some inquiries about Nunc Licet and producing it for the 2020 Assembly in June, when people from around the world will be in Bryn Athyn.

Well, one of the things I have said is that my interest is to focus only on the directing aspect of producing the show.

I have to confess that producing work is also taking place, but I have been reviewing the script from a director's point of view.

I have found that there are blocking and performance items which were not considered before. In all probability I will transfer those notes over to the next revision of the script.

I want to convey that I have included a plethoria of technical notes in the script, under the presumption that future persons will attempt to produce the show (after I'm gone) and will want to know what my intention, as the writer, was for the production of the show.

Being a theatre technician for many years, I came across some very scant scripts, which basically gave no idea what the writer intended, other than what could be presumed. I wanted to eliminate the presumption for future generations. I think George Bernard Shaw made a comment in that regard that struck home with me.

Anyway, I'm encouraged to shift my attention away from producing on this show and over to the real job of directing. I have no delusions about my abilities as a director, but clearly, I have the most familiarity with this piece and can, without a doubt, offer the most pragmatic approach to bringing the vision of this show to the stage.

So in this regard; the last effort was a reading " script-in-hand". It was a heavily edited version of the script. In that regard, I was not very satisfied with what we presented, but I know we were limited in terms of time and we were not able to present the show as intended. We "were not able" for a variety of reasons, but I do not want to attempt a reading under the conditions we were faced with the last time we presented the play.

I am convinced that the show " as written" works. And after further review, I am even more certain if that. The only variable factor there is the audience's span of attention.

I do believe that; that variable was taken into account when structuring both the text and the blocking, but more than that; the sub-text.

During the last reading, we were not able to address sub-text, let alone craft it's a backdrop to the action or the text delivery. So I am anxious to have the  dictates to freedom to craft those elements that are written into the script. In fact, I have to say, I am unwilling to advance into a production effort without the freedom to craft the performances, without the constraints of time limitations or the imposition of external dictates to edit the script.

As I have said, I think that, on average, a two hour sho is tolerable, but I don't know just how long it takes to deliver the due text with the appropriate pauses, music and blocking. I need to find that out, by directing a fully cast and blocked reading, at the very least.

I'll continue these thoughts later.

AG

Transfered from Virtual Studio

6/19 Update

I'm adding to this post so it shows up as recent and moving it to the NL Archive.

There's been some talk about producing "Nunc Licet" for the Assembly next year. I'm looking into building a producing team. That means raising the money to make it happen. So anyone interested in Producing is invited to communicate with me. Even if we can't pull it together for next year, the idea of producing it as an environmental theatre piece at Cairnwood, sounds like a very good idea.

You will be able to locate a link to the script here on this blog. Also, there is a Nunc Licet Archive blog. I'll try to add links here in the future.

AG

ARCHIVE

I had a dream last night about producing "Nunc Licet". So I am starting the search for a Production Manager and other crew members. Discussions about this are not compensated, but we will pay people once we begin actual production. If you are interested let me know.  I will be shifting the old posts on Nunc Licet up on this blog but I think I might have a blog by that title. It's been awhile since I worked consistently on this blog. I hope to bring things up to date in that regard. If you search for information about Nunc Licet below you can that all the previous activity was taking place six years ago, so that information is not current, but it is applicable. I suggest you use the file folders to locate the posts.

I checked the links in this post and it does seem that the script is posted here. That version is not the most recent, but it is close enough. It is a PDF, so it almost is an e-book, so I think I'll set it up that way. Nothing to loose, especially if I can make a few bucks in the process.  Feel free to download it if you want to have it. I only ask that you do not attempt to alter it is any way or lay claim to its contents, or produce it without consulting with me first. It is copyrighted and any such use is a violation. I will pursue my rights if I discover any such violation. Plans are underway to produce this for film cameras.

If anyone wants to join the producing team, do inquire. If you'd like to kick in some bucks, then you'll become an Executive Producer. The management for this project will be taken from the Business Plan for IMS Management and The Gnomes of New Hope Productions, so the layout for that is already done, it only needs to be adapted.

Work continues on the Gnomes of New Hope so watch that blog for any information about that project.

I expect I will restructure the blogs to be more pointed toward the specific activity that is relative to specific projects, so bear with any changes which seem odd.

That's All Folks... to coin a phrase  AG

A presentation for The Assembly?

I'll develop a collection of thoughts here in this post.

1) I'm inclined to only seek a full production of the script as written.

2) We've had four workshops while it was being written and one abrieviated reading before the public.

3) It's clear to me that only a full production will produce the results intended, even if that appears to be a significant effort. The truth of the balance designed into the script cannot be determined any other way.

4) Although it is written in script form, it is not a Literary work and cannot be assessed from a Literary point of view. Nor can it be reshaped or refined any further without an active fully developed production, giving it a sense of reality.

5) There are elements that have been given clarity by the previous efforts, although those possible adjustments are not written in the current script.

6) I'm not sure about Directing a production. I've had a strong vision of how it should be, but with a coposetic partner, I might prefer to sit it out. If necessary, I would be willing to do it.

More later, AG

An e-Book Version and some other thoughts

    Well, it is interesting how well an e-Storybook has been working out for The Gnomes of New Hope: Zach & Zebby's Grand Adventure, even though it hasn't been released to the public, the preparations and the way it looks on an e-pad are amazing.

    So that leads me to believe that preparing a readable version of "Nunc Licet" as an e-book might be a good idea.

The Forth Reading of the Play

   For those of you who did work on our "psuedo-stage" reading we had at Bryn Athyn College during the last Assembly there, you know how laborious it seemed doing that. I have to say - THANK YOU for your efforts and blame whatever difficulties we felt during the process, in part on the environment and the way in which a reading was presented. I confess to being somewhat rigid in my desire to present the material as I wrote it, but I also have to say that I chopped it up miserably at the various requests by folks, to only present parts of play. It really became disjointed because of that. The accouterments which seemed so inconsequential at the time were designed into it for a purpose and without those elements the core material lost it's levity. This is why I will wait until I can present it in full before I make another attempt. I am not a fan of theatre by vote. The calculated structure of a piece cannot easily be seen or modified without the composite of it being presented to view.  But it was a gallant effort on the part of all those involved.

    Liz, I have to say thank you for your effort. But I want to say that the writer's work is sacred and only he or she has the right to make any changes whatsoever... and only, if and when, he or she wants to. That is paramount and communication on that front is not only essential, but the creator's right. Everybody needs to be on the same page with that.

    The play was really not written to work as a simple reading and that was obvious to me. There was also the issue of being pressed for space, time and the awareness of the attendees. Thanks to the planning people for putting us right up against a long day and supper time in a space with no air conditioning in the middle of a hot summer. Those things didn't help either the audience attention or the patience of the players. But Oh well, we did it. Thanks again.

An e-book

    I'm thinking that an e-book version of this play, with the technical specification taken out (or provided in appendix) might be a good idea. I'm not quite sure how that would look just yet, but Revision 1 of the e-book might be as simple as providing the same digital text that is on the CD with no modifications. I'm going to look into doing that and will report the progress here.

A Film Version

    This was alway part of the plan, but not until the core material gains a few refinements to condense it's presentation. I really do not want to change the premise around, as was suggested art the last reading. However I do need to refine some of the relationships so that the social inferences can be presented in a more subtle way. That is less possible on stage than it is in film, because the setting doesn't change as readily and I feel that can effect the way these inferences are presented. I'm probably the only one who knows what I am talking about here, but those are some of my internal thoughts on that subject. I do think that alters the perception of what the play is presenting in terms of the divergent subject matter which shapes to overall feel of the piece. I think that is unique to the film presentation because it involves subtitles which can only be presented that way.

So if I move to reshape an e-book version, that may lead to a screenplay, even without the stage version going up. I am sure that my more mature mindset will and a significant effect on that.

That's all for now. Look for some updates. AG

The Script

I had posted the script for Nunc Licet as a PDF on line (accessible below) but it seems as though only some of that is available online. If you are interested in having a copy of the script I can provide you with one on a flash drive. Contact me with that request. If you are a producer, I will provide that to you free of charge if not the cost will be $25.