I went to the lumber store this morning with Black Forest's set designer, Davey J. It's a ritual we haven't, for various reasons, done for awhile. It's usually one of the first steps in creating a new theatrical production. Davey J. designs a set, based on conversations he's had with me, and the Lovely Carla, then he builds a little model, (a remarkable work of art in it's own right), which he passes by us, and after we all kind of agree, Davey J. figures out the wood and masonite required. It's the first step in the "magic." I mean it. The set provides the foundation, it's the first real tangible "thing" in the process. This time around we've kind of kept an open-ended creative process. We will build a set at Davey J.'s studio and then rehearse and film various scenes and monologues. Not sure where it's all headed. I have been very reluctant to put this piece in a box. My motto this time around, "there is no box." Which also goes with my original concept which is only a tiny seed, but it is the beginning, a director named Elston Gunn is working on a movie, he can no longer decide what needs to be in the frame and what needs to be outside the frame.
We may end up with a series of little videos, or one big video. I've got a couple of set pieces written and ready to go. The Lovely Carla too has written a monolgue and scene. Once we go through the filming process we will take some or all of it to the Abbie Hoffman Died for Your Sins Festival in August, for a premiere theatrical performance. Then in the fall we will present the whole shebang (whatever it turns out to be) at the Peter Jones Gallery for a full theatrical run. It's an exciting time. It's all preparation and expectation. I haven't a clue how it will all come out, and that's part of the kick. The main thing, it's all in motion. Now's the time to hang on tight, be open to the creative process, and well...damn the torpedoes!
