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Community Performance Inc.

March 22, 2008

I’ve finished the rewrites for my Franklin County play, titled "The Last hard Times". Writing for community performance projects is very much a juggling act. I’m writing a dramatic piece out of stories of the people. And in order to involve at a high level all areas of the community, I’ve got to include stories with agency of these people. They will show up to participate and perform in the project if they see themselves somewhere within it. If there’s not a role for a strong woman in the show, we won’t get strong women to participate in the "general cast". If we don’t have strong roles for kids, we’ll lose them. If we don’t have strong roles for people from the smaller towns within the county, we’ll lose them, and it will cease to be a county-wide project. Whatever demographic there is, I’ve got to find a way to effectively write for that group, while also creating a cohesive, entertaining piece of writing.

Land of Spirit, as I think about it, is probably the biggest challenge I’ve had to date. Oh, but I loved writing it. I found it easier to write, because to start with, this community turned in 51. That’s right, fifty one transcripts in just one season. When I’ve got plenty of transcripts, (which means plenty of stories) to read through, then I can sort through, see which stories really have something in common and "talk to each other", and the flow just happens. It falls together. It’s much, much more difficult when I have very few transcripts to deal with, and I have to somehow make the few stories I get fit together effectively. Sometimes, it can be like forcing a puzzle piece in place that sort of looks close, but isn’t quite, but since it’s all I’ve got, I have to make it fit. I’ll always do my best to turn out the absolute best product I can, and then work with the community when I get on the ground to further refine the work. But it is a much better and more effortless process when there are plenty of stories to choose from to create a piece with a real pattern. Patchworks are fine too- that's when I have fewer stories, and I create a piece based loosely on theme. And they are enjoyable and entertaining. But I do so love the ability to make the patterned piece, though- with pieces taht fit perfectly together. It all depends on the community’s willingness to make the transcript and story gathering process happen. Franklin County was utterly willing and able. They did an outstanding job. And I was able to create some really wonderful characters, such as my "Philosopharmer." He’s a farmer, philosopher, commentator. I really dig this dude. And then, of course, the medicine woman of Franklin County. And as I was working on her character, I got the transcript of Tommy Scott, a 91 year old man who run the last real medicine show in America- as classified by the Smithsonian. I’ve got stories that are talking to each other, in so many ways, and across so many different demographics.

This is what I had to do for this play. Along with the usual demographics I had to write for: White Kids, Teenagers, Men, Women, Older Men, Older Women, African American Kids, Teenagers, Women, Men, Older Women, Older Men, I also had more considerations. Since it is a county-wide project, instead of a town project, like in say, Newport News or Colquitt, I had to make sure I had plenty of stories representing the various towns. So in addition to the mix above, which is writing for 12 specific groups, I also had to write and make sure we had good stories from Lavonia, Carnesville, Royston, Gumlog, Red Hill, Sandy Cross, Canon, and Franklin Springs. So that’s 20 different groups to write for. Believe me, each town has it’s very own unique characteristics. During the first read through, I was asked to make sure I included more stories from other places like Royston, because they couldn’t hear themselves in it. So I asked for some more specifics, and I wrote three more scenes from Royston. I added Red Hollow Road. I added another Canon story.

Agency is what they are looking for. They will participate only as long as they feel they are considered important. Including all of these groups in the work may be a task, but if it isn’t done, then there will be an understandable reluctance to participate. If it truly is to be a county-held project, then it must, in all areas, include the county. Not just in the fundraising area, but in the production, itself. It is a task. But I love the challenge. I love trying to figure out how to fit all of these different pieces together. I always did puzzles with my pop. We’d fill up the kitchen tables for weeks with a 5000 piece puzzle. We'd do this all the time as i was growing up. We'd finish them, and then give them to a senior center or to the DAV. And even after I got married, if my dad would start on another puzzle, I’d stop by in the afternoons, visit, and fit pieces in with him. He’d fuss when I’d come in and just start popping in pieces after he’d been working it for ages. But it was fun. Writing Community performance is like putting together one of those 5000 piece puzzles. I look and look and look at all the pieces (read through the thousand pages or so of transcripts) and then I can start to see how they fit. Where the edges are- what the picture is, what the boundaries are- how far I can go with any given story in any given community. And then start piecing all those stories together.

I explain this, because I’m not sure anyone knows what goes into writing these plays. There is so much drama in the rehearsing of these plays, putting them on their feet and then performing. The relationships that are formed- the different personalities coming into contact with each other, and some of the drama that comes from this contact is what makes community performance strong- as these relationships are formed. (Like the homeless person and the CEO of a company singing a duet together in Chicago.) That part is what I usually write about- when the people come together. But I think I forget to talk about the thing that will allow these different people to come together in the first place: By remembering to make a place for them in the production.

It’s not just telling a story in a dramatic way. It’s making sure that voice is given to all the different people we want involved in it. That’s where the drama starts. It’s a much quieter part of the process. But if I leave someone out- a town, or a group, or a neighborhood- it could blow it for the whole project. That’s why the first public readings are so important. I always try to cover everyone, but especially, when I’m working in a new community, I haven’t gotten to know all of the smaller neighborhoods within neighborhoods. At the reading, I get to find out if something is missing, and then find some stories from that group, and then, work those stories into the play in an artful, effective way. And not just a little tacked-on story. It’s got to have agency and purpose. It’s got to tie in with the whole. People know when they’ve been tacked on. And besides, the challenge and fun isn’t tacking an extra piece on. It’s more like the excitement of finding the missing piece of the puzzle under the table or the rug and finally fitting it in.

I’m really excited at the moment, because I just finished the final draft. And I really believe I included all twenty of these groups in a dynamic, effective way. Ok, and maybe I feel a little smug. But mostly, I’m really excited at having met the challenge. With that many transcripts to work with, it made it all possible. What an extraordinary community. I can’t wait to go to work there again next month.

   

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