Thespian Musings: Recap 2020

New Year's Resolution.

I hate that term.

Ok, fine, "hate" is a strong word, I know. "Dislike with a fiery passion" is a better one. 

And I "dislike with a fiery passion" the term New Years Resolution because I never fulfill them. Even as a kid I made goals and they always fizzled out for one reason or another. 

Back in January I wrote about what I wanted to accomplish as a playwright this year. As this is the second to last day of 2020 I'm going to beg your indulgence because this year I ACTUALLY DID IT!!!!

Yes, I know that makes me sound a little bit like an egomaniac, but I feel like celebrating. 

Because, believe it or not, we all need a little something to celebrate:

Due to the pandemic, theatres have been closed, rehearsals discouraged, all that awesome stuff (if you didn't notice you've been living under a rock) artists like myself had to figure out how to still make art.

It was hard, but not impossible. 

This year has been spent not on stage, but still seeing/reading/writing plays. 

Last year, 2019, I wrote one play.

It was a great play, and I was really proud of it, but it was only one. 

This year, I wrote six plays. 

SIX.

Ok, fine, three of them were ten minuters, but still. 

I mean, if I can't perform in them, I might as well spend my time writing, and revising and using my artistic time to the fullest, right?

Three

Full 

Length

Plays

In 

One 

Year

Yes. Yes, I'm really excited about this and nothing is going to change that. 

Also, I joined an amazing play reading group. They get together every week and read plays over Zoom. Granted, due to the holidays and day job I haven't been able to participate as much as a wanted to, but it's amazing to see a group of artists come together to read new work. 

Which would also be impossible without Zoom. 

I have been able to connect with other artists in other places in the country that I never would have met otherwise. 

I have learned so much about myself as an artist and a woman.

Having the opportunity to figure out ways to be productive in a day is something I needed, and something I think I wouldn't have been able to figure out otherwise. 

I mean, I would have eventually, but not as quickly as I did this year.

I've learned what it's like to be a friend. 

A real friend, I mean, not the type of tiered-aquaintence-you-say-hi-to-because-you're-a-nice-person-and-will-probably-forget-about-as-soon-as-he/she/they-is/are-no-longer-in-your-line-of-vision. But somebody who really truly cares about the people around them and will always be there no matter what. 

Yeah, I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. 

2020 has been hard. We've heard that all year. 

But you know what? There have been really good things too, and I for one am going to celebrate them and I encourage y'all to do the same. 

That is all.

Robbing Hoods: Kenna

 Christmas is FRIDAY, Y'ALL!!!!!

I've spent the past couple weeks prepping, which includes last minute present check and delivery, annual holiday audiobook listening, "Lion in Winter" and "A Christmas Carol" viewing (because DUH!!!!), and past family home videos. And there is nothing quite so amusing as watching your baby brother running down a beach while holding the back of his swimsuit so that it won't slide down his stick of a body to make your holiday.

But I digress.

It's time your you, dear readers, to meet the new characters in the Sherwood Cycle. Starting with Kenna.

Kenna is Declan's twin, and about as opposite to Declan as she can possibly be. She's as fiery and snarky as the rest of the Sherwood Wolf Pack and it's so much fun to pit her against Declan because I'm a sucker for sibling rivalry. It's almost like Braelyn/Jean-Luc, but not quite. Twins have a different dynamic.

Whenever I see Kenna in my head, I see this gorgeous woman.

This is Thalissa Teixeira, from "The Musketeers", "Millionaire Ransom", and "National Theatre Live: Yerma." Fierce and fiery with the ability to hold her own, any time I see her on the screen I'm riveted. Plus, I'd love to see her and Declan's model onscreen together. 

As always, here's more of the writing soundtrack, starting with Act II:

Between the Wars, by Allman Brown

Pain, by Three Days Grace

Without You, by Breaking Benjamin

No Mercy(Feat. isotope), by UNSECRET

Younger, by French Wives

Failure(Aurora Version), by Breaking Benjamin & Red

Cold Blooded (feat. Sam Tinnesz & Hulvey), by UNSECRET

(you'll have to Spotify this one)

Animal I Have Become, by Three Days Grace

Never Surrender, by David Chappell

Sometimes Love, by UNSECRET & Chuck Adams 

Robbing Hoods: The Minis

 You know the awesome thing about writing "Robbing Hoods"?

Ok, fine, one of the many awesome things?

Mini versions of characters pop up.

Which is fantastic!

I know in Hollywood-land it's possible for celebrities to play roles that are considerably younger than their actual ages, but sometimes that just isn't possible(see who dances around in my head for DeClaire in Wolves to see what I mean). 

So this means that I get new pictures in my head of all the "mini" versions of Jean-Luc, Cassian and...DeClaire.

I know--shocker to me, too. Apparently, no one wanted to be left out. 

Which is fine.

Mini Jean-Luc: Aidan Gallagher

aka "Number Five" from "Umbrella Academy".  Great with the snark!

Mini Cassian: Joel Dawson

aka "Georgie" from "Mary Poppins Returns"--isn't he adorable?!?!?!

Mini Mei: Thaddea Graham

 

From Netflix's "A Letter for the King", BBC's "Us" and the upcoming "The Irregulars"(like, Sherlock Holms' "Baker Street Irregulars"!!!!!!!!!) The characters this girl plays are feisty and can kick A$$!!!
 
 Mini DeClaire: Andrew Mattarazzo

aka "Gabe" from the second half of the sixth season of "Teen Wolf". Because I think he totally looks like a mini version of Toby Kebbell. 

And, as always, here's more soundtrack bits:

Ghost, by Halsey

Gonna Be a Legend, by The Phantoms

 

Le monde est a rende, by Louis Delort

At My Best (feat. Hailee Steinfeld), by Machine Gun Kelly

Don't Wanna Fall, by Seven Lions, Last Heroes, and HALIENE

 

Hypnotic, by Zella Day

 

How Can I Forget, by MKTO

 

With You, by Tyler Shaw

 

Fires, by Allman Brown

 

Un monde a changer, by Nyco Lulliu

 

Desert Rose, by Sting

 

The Campfire, by Peter Crowley

 

The Archer, by Taylor Swift

 

Technicolor Beat, by Oh Wonder

 

Arms Around Me, by Starley

 

The Reckoning, by UNSECRET

 

Blood and Glory, by Audiomachine

Tell Her I Wasn’t Scared, by Dan Thiessen & Epic Music World

 

 And that's the end of Act I.

You're Welcome 😛

Robbing Hoods: Beginnings

I've said I hate endings. 

I also hate beginnings. 

 

Like a freaking lot. 

 I started this whole Sherwood Cycle because of how annoyed I was that all the Robin Hood retellings seemed to be Origin Stories

Except now I've back and the beginning (since I write things backwards, remember?) and now I "get" to write my own version of the Origin Story. 

Yay. 

Now, I love a good origin story, don't get me wrong, but so far as mythic heroes like Robin Hood are concerned, it kind of feels like the first season of a new tv series--it'll either become a Critics Darling And Soar To New Heights or Crash And Burn.

Obviously, I want the former to happen, rather than the latter. 

The good news is that since I know how everyone ends up, I don't have to work so hard to eek exposition out of new characters. 

What I get to do instead is turn the clock back far enough so that the lessons already learned and the relationships already formed are nil. 

And ohmigosh that's hard. 

But also, ohmigosh it's fun!

Like, characters that end up as hardened veterans and mature adults are in their pre-teen years(Jean-Luc and Cassian)

And I get to find out how things that are significant later in the cycle (like the wolf howling thing) actually started(which is one of cutest bits of dialogue I've written so far)

 

And I get explore the creation of relationships that already existed later in the cycle( like Will and Elodie's, which has been...interesting.) 

So long as everything goes according to plan(unlikely, since my characters seem to have a penchant for taking over the story rather than nicely play out what I planned for them--which I am not complaining about...too much), I'll get over my aversion to Origin Stories by writing this one. 

Or I might just decide that Origin Stories will always exist and I need to deal(the far more likely scenario).

For now, I'll be happy that I get to go back to Nottingham and Sherwood as depicted in the classic tellings of the tale (so far, still early days yet.)

While I'm at it, here's some more soundtrack samples:

Thief, by Ansel Elgort

 

Like a Man, by Louis Delort

 

Kingdom, by Young Tribe

 

Fight for My Survival, by The Phantoms

 

Wanted Dead or Alive, by Chris Cagle

 

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, by Cage the Elephant

 

Do I Make You Wanna, by Billy Currington

 

Warrior's Song, by Audiomachine

 

The Great Divide, by Breaking Benjamin

 

Ghost of a Rose, by Blackamore's Night

 

Warrior, by The Phantoms

 

Watch Me, by The Phantoms

 

Bloodstream, by Ed Sheeran

 

Shadow of the Moon, by Blackamore's Night 

 

Fantasy, by Sofi Tukker

 

Dibs, by Kelsea Ballerini

 

Robbing Hoods: The Beginning of the Sherwood Cycle

 You know what's really hard about revising tow plays at the same time?

The blog doesn't get updated for two months. 

But that's being remedied now. 

Remember when I said all the Robin Hood stories out there were "origin stories"? 

Well, there's about to be another one. 

I'm finally writing the first play in my "Sherwood Cycle"--my own adaption of "how Robin Hood became Robin Hood".

Except it's not. 

There is no "man transforming into outlaw and then hero" montage.

There is no "steal taxes off with his head" screaming sheriff(ok, fine, there kind of is, but not in the usual way).

But there is a lot of combat and derring-do and snarky asides(because of course there is).

And I'm loving it. 

Because Locksey's in this one. 

And Will

And Elodie

And Marion and Gisbourne

And Malbete 

And Declan and Enzo and Mei 

And Jean-Luc and Cassian.

Which means there's not very many character tidbits I can share that you haven't heard before. 

And that's fine.

All that means is that I can share other spoilers instead. 

And the soundtrack of course, because there's always one of those. Starting with the Themes of all the Characters(most of which you already know, but still worth a re-listen, right?)

Wolves, by Rag ‘N’ Bone Man[Main Theme]

 

Live Forever(feat. Cheat Codes), by Liam Payne[Main Theme]

 

Outlaw, by The Phantoms[Will]

Born This Way, by Bear and a Banjo[Will]

 

 Pretty Waste, by BONES UK[Elodie]

Plain Gold Ring(Live), by Kimbra [Elodie]

Gallows, by Kate Garfield [Malbete]

 

Bad Things, by The Phantoms [Nazaire] 

 

Warrior Concerto, by The Glitch Mob[Locksley]

 

 

 Horns, by Bryce Fox [Marion]

 

Let It Bleed, by Adam Jensen [Declan]

Looking for Trouble (feat. Anna Mae), by UNSECRET [Mei]

 

Arsonist's Lullabye, by Hoosier [Enzo]

 

 

Stronger(feat. Black Violin), by The Phantoms [Kenna/Cassian]

 

 

The Hunter, by Adam Jensen [Jean-Luc]

 

 

The Chain, by Fleetwood Mac [Gisbourne]