What I've Been Doing Lately:

Since I already (accidentally) did the poetry in media post for Tuesday, I finally get the chance to fill y'all in on what I've been doing for my self-directed learning as far as reading and picking a play to direct.

First, though, I wanted to give y'all an opportunity to see my poetry in media post in case you didn't get to the first time. I posted about slam poetry, and I really like the videos I posted and I liked being able to talk about dramatic poetry (being the in the drama group and all).  I was pretty proud of it.

Anyway! I've been researching plays LIKE CRAZY! I had some pretty specific terms when it came down to it. I mean, I am going to be directing this play while taking a full load of classes and doing one of my harder teaching practicum classes, so I don't want to kill myself!

• I want a relatively small cast (less than five people)
• Ideally, I'd like to find a one act so I don't have to do any cutting
• NOT a musical (like I said, I don't want to kill myself)

So I compiled a list a week or so ago, a list of plays that I wouldn't mind looking into a little further. Since making that list, I have either purchased, rented or found online copies of scripts so that I could read through them and decide. I wanted to get all of this preliminary stuff done so that I could take my time in reading them with the four or five weeks we have left of the semester. 

Here is the list I made, with a very brief description of the play!

Murder on Center Stage - Jerry Twedt:

A mystery play about a theatre ghost.

Rumors - Neil Simon:

A farce about a dinner party that goes awry.

The Dining Room - A.R. Gurney:

A comedy play about a dining room set owned by eighteen different families. 

Remember My Name - Joanna Halpert Kraus:

A period play about a group of people who hide a Jewish girl during WWII.

'Night Mother - Marsha Norman:

A drama about a woman who doesn't want to live her life anymore.

The Friends of Julia Dark - Art Lennox

A tragedy about the effects of drug use and peer pressure.

The Insanity of Mary Girard - Lanie Robertson

A drama about a young woman who is committed to an institution in 1790.

Almost all of these break my rules, but it's worth it to me for one reason or another. Now I will just focus on reading them! I'm excited for this part.