'Just Add Water' literally a work in progress
Matt Harrell is as anxious as anybody to see how Rough Magic
Productions’ new project comes together. Mainly because he is one of four
playwrights who will have a handful of hours to write a new script for the
performance.
“Daunting? I would be willing to say that this is a little bit of that,” the University of Nebraska-Lincoln film student said. “Performance anxiety, perhaps, is a possibility, too.”
Rough Magic will present “Just Add Water,” a festival in which four teams will each write, rehearse and design 15- to 20-minute one-act plays in 24 hours.
The project will culminate with performances at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at The Loft at The Mill.
The public is invited to watch any part or all of the process with a $20 all-access pass, which includes admission to the performances.
“I’m not sure anybody will want to watch us write unless we start banging our heads on the wall,” Harrell said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
The festival begins with a reception at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Loft at The Mill. The reception will feature the selection of a theme and actor auditions.
Rough Magic will audition the first 30 actors for 14 roles. Only the first 30 will be seen, so actors need to schedule an audition by calling (412) 913-7847.
Rough Magic artistic director Jack Carpenter said the festival came about when a two-day slot opened at The Loft.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What can we do?’ because we didn’t have anything else scheduled until April,” said Carpenter, who will direct one of the one-acts.
Carpenter said he originally envisioned putting together one long play in 24 hours.
“I’m glad we’re not doing that,” he said. “We wanted to be less stressful than that.”
Not that this won’t be stressful.
Each team will go into the project semiblind. Directors have been paired with playwrights. They know they will be writing a play with five, four, three or two characters.
But that’s it.
“There are so many things left up to chance,” Carpenter said. “It’s exciting.”
The biggest challenge, Carpenter said, will be coordination. Each team will be assigned a location to work once the theme and actors are picked.
Company member Joe Lupo will run the festival from The Loft, making sure the teams have what they need and that everybody knows where they need to be, including spectators.
Harrell isn’t worried about logistics. He’s just anxious to get going.
“Hopefully nobody has writer’s block, but it probably would make things more interesting,” he said. “You would have to figure out a way to get it done, as they say.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
“Daunting? I would be willing to say that this is a little bit of that,” the University of Nebraska-Lincoln film student said. “Performance anxiety, perhaps, is a possibility, too.”
Rough Magic will present “Just Add Water,” a festival in which four teams will each write, rehearse and design 15- to 20-minute one-act plays in 24 hours.
The project will culminate with performances at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at The Loft at The Mill.
The public is invited to watch any part or all of the process with a $20 all-access pass, which includes admission to the performances.
“I’m not sure anybody will want to watch us write unless we start banging our heads on the wall,” Harrell said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
The festival begins with a reception at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Loft at The Mill. The reception will feature the selection of a theme and actor auditions.
Rough Magic will audition the first 30 actors for 14 roles. Only the first 30 will be seen, so actors need to schedule an audition by calling (412) 913-7847.
Rough Magic artistic director Jack Carpenter said the festival came about when a two-day slot opened at The Loft.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What can we do?’ because we didn’t have anything else scheduled until April,” said Carpenter, who will direct one of the one-acts.
Carpenter said he originally envisioned putting together one long play in 24 hours.
“I’m glad we’re not doing that,” he said. “We wanted to be less stressful than that.”
Not that this won’t be stressful.
Each team will go into the project semiblind. Directors have been paired with playwrights. They know they will be writing a play with five, four, three or two characters.
But that’s it.
“There are so many things left up to chance,” Carpenter said. “It’s exciting.”
The biggest challenge, Carpenter said, will be coordination. Each team will be assigned a location to work once the theme and actors are picked.
Company member Joe Lupo will run the festival from The Loft, making sure the teams have what they need and that everybody knows where they need to be, including spectators.
Harrell isn’t worried about logistics. He’s just anxious to get going.
“Hopefully nobody has writer’s block, but it probably would make things more interesting,” he said. “You would have to figure out a way to get it done, as they say.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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