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ARTIFACTS FROM THE NOVEMBER 12, 2005 GATHERING VARIATIONS ON FEAR A project where both established and new Baltimore-area playwrights, actors and directors create new, diverse theatrical experiences around one theme. The theme each year is selected through an open voting process involving all audience members from the last season's production. This organic, original project was created by artistic director James Knipple and RotM Artistic Associate Carrie Klewin, (a Catholic University MFA Directing student) in conjunction with various other Rotm company members for Baltimore audiences. Workshopped and produced under the title The VARIATIONS Project, local artists of varying experience and backgrounds will comprise the authors, production team and cast. In this way the project is unique to Maryland, in that the writers creating the new plays, the artists involved in the production and even the open public have a collaborative involvement in the project, making it an event for and about the Baltimore area. The project also fosters a communication between Maryland artists, bringing together people of all ages, from all ethnic and economic backgrounds, with all levels of experience in the theater to work together toward a common goal. The technical sophistication and professional standards with which the project is executed also provide a learning atmosphere for those involved in the project who are less experienced with working in professional non-profit theater.
The first step of the project is to hold an event from which prospective playwrights will draw inspiration for new works. This event will be publicized as open to the public and will intend to attract local artists from every field, as well as any interested individual, so as not to limit the type of work which might arise from their communion. Particularly, playwrights, actors and directors interested in the project are encouraged to attend the event. Source material from the event, including video diaries taped at the event, pictures from the event and written materials will be made available to any local playwright interested in composing new theatrical material for the project. The only rules set for the playwrights are that they be locally based, that the work they submit be completely original, appropriately themed and based on the source material provided to them, and that they submit their scripts (one ten minute play and one play of any length) by the deadline. After a review of all submissions by RotM artistic associates and prospective directors, plays are nominated based on artistic merit, theme appropriateness, use and incorporation of source material, and stage readiness or the amount of revision and work with the playwright required to make the piece ready for the stage. After careful review of the nominations, plays are then selected for a staged reading based on interest from a particular director, relation of the plays to one another and length. Directors and dramaturg(s) then work with the selected playwrights to prepare the plays for staged reading, workshop and rehearsal. Open auditions are held to select actors for the cast, keeping in mind the casting needs of each play in the project. Working with the playwrights, individual directors determine at what point in this process revisions should end so that actors can completely memorize the scripts for performance. The
performances of this play, as well as selected rehearsals and readings,
will be open to the public and will feature a unique opportunity
for the public to communicate with and learn from the directors,
playwrights and actors through a series of advertised post-show
discussions. This production may also have student matinee performances;
local high-school teachers and administrators will be contacted
and made aware of this opportunity, and matinees with post-show
discussions may be scheduled depending on response from the schools.
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