Onion Man Production's Programs Director Joanie McElroy is currently directing "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller at the New Dawn Theater Company in Duluth, GA. In honor of her recent experience in the "Director's Chair" Joanie has written a few words for us about her relationship with Creativity and with Directing.

Directors are Creative, Too!

By: Joanie McElroy

This summer has been atypical for me. Usually I have some major project that requires the movement of furniture and the rethinking of the color scheme of certain rooms in the house. In other words, I tend to repaint the rooms on average about every summer. This summer, I have yet to lift a paintbrush. That isn’t to say I haven’t done any rearranging of furniture, purchased new items for the fireplace mantle and so on. I derive some sense of satisfaction doing this. But why?

What do directors do anyway?

I have concluded that it appeals to my sense of creativity. I need to see the fruits of my labor, be it a different paint color on the wall or a repositioning of the sofa. So, how does directing appeal to my sense of creativity? Isn’t directing more of a logistic or an event--an executive thing as opposed to creative? What creative input do directors have on a play?

How a vision is formed

I can only answer that question for myself. This summer I taught a directing workshop which required me to deconstruct my approach to directing. I had to begin with the beginning, as they say, which is the central conflict of the story. Who is in this play, what do they want, and what is getting in the way of allowing these characters to fill that vacuum? How can I illuminate that vacuum, that conflict? And where do I find the creativity in that?

I find as I am reading and analyzing a play that I begin to visualize the finished product – from the look of the set to lighting to important scenes. I also think about the flow and dynamics of the action.

Directing IS Art!

When I think back upon what influences me in my “art” – my creative input as to the look of the play – there were two major influences: a beginner’s drawing class and choreography.

When I think of choreography, I remember the words, flow, dynamics, depth, static, tension. The movement in dance (and movement ONLY) told the story. How can I take these elements of dance and use them in the movement of a play? Using the height, depth, line, and point of energy on stage allows me to manipulate how an audience will respond to that point of tension from point to point, character to character, or character to object. I can allow the flow to happen, impede the flow, or alter the flow.

One of the best things I remember from drawing is how to manipulate the eye – what do I want my viewer to see? I draw only what I see, but I don’t have to draw everything. What is important? What is irrelevant? What is incidental? And what is essential? Also, how can using shading allow me to highlight the point of focus of the eye? I tell them what to look at; I say, “Here, this is important; See this moment. This is the purpose of the scene.”

Of course, all of this begins with analysis. And in my analysis, I love to find symbols and metaphors. For example, in the play "Strange Snow," the two characters are going fishing. How can I use fishing as a metaphor? How does a scene show a character baiting the hook, waiting for a bite until the moment when, "A ha! You’ve got’em!" Or is it the story of the one that got away? Metaphors and symbols are literary elements you can really grab onto and help answer a lot of questions for your vision.

Payback

I have always been envious of my husband, a guitar player. When he wants to get out his creative energies, he simply picks up his guitar and goes and plays for hours and hours. But me? I've got to mount an entire production! However, after the weeks of rehearsals, analysis, and collaboration and so on, the final product becomes the visual and emotional payback. It’s a long way to go, but it’s sure with the trip!

If you would like to learn more about Directing from Joanie, she will be offering her "Directing Workshop" on Saturday, November 12 and Saturday, November 19th, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This is a two-part workshop, with a lunch break. Visit www.onionmanproductions.com to register and for more information. We are offering an early sign up fee of $75!

Action is Character

After much pleading and prodding, we have finally convinced our Literary Manager of Onion Man Productions, Daphne Mintz, to provide some inspirational words for your reading pleasure.

Daphne is a playwright, whose play “In Lieu of Flowers” is currently nominated for a MAT Award. She also is the creative force behind After Dinner Theatre, a networking group for all of us hardworking theatrical arts participants.

Daphne is a woman with many “Mantras” to share. Read below for some insight on one of her favorite mantras regarding ACTION, and how it applies to writing and creating characters.

Mantra: ACTION IS CHARACTER

People love to talk about themselves and love to talk about each other. So, be ready for your characters to spend a lot of time either talking about themselves or other people. Be ready to prove their perceptions right or wrong through the use of action.

Example

Lillian (dressed in overalls): I don't give a rat's ass what people think! I mind my business, so they should mind theirs. What business has she coming in here telling me I'll never get a man 'cause of the way I dress. Not every woman needs a man like that shined up hussy!
Martin: Well, pretty is all Emma Jean has going for herself I reckon. So, the thought of being plain is scary to her. I suppose the day will come along when your sense outshines her pretty face. That will be a sad day for Emma.

Martin exits.

Lillian's anger subsides to a pout as she returns to the table and flips through her school book not really reading. Determined to get her mind off of Emma Jean, she searches for the homework page and finds it. The difficult science or philosophical problem restores her usual confident, demeanor. Ready to tackle the problem she reaches for her pencil that is not there. She goes to the bureau opens the top drawer where she finds a pencil and heads back to the table. She stops part way then returns to the bureau and reopens the drawer. She pulls out a pink hair ribbon. She ties the ribbon in her hair and smoothes her hair.

Lights fade.

Analysis of the Scene: Imagery Offers Clues

The book is a symbol of SENSE, as is the pencil, perhaps. The ribbon is a symbol of BEAUTY. The business about the science or philosophy is to help the actress and director understand the internal character. The audience will not see what is in the book, but they will see how Lillian interacts with it. This bit confirms that Lillian is a woman of sense/smarts, even though her dialogue indicated that she's not committed to perfect grammar. Lillian's interaction with the ribbon contradicts her dialogue about beauty.

But How Does this Apply to Action?

Give each of your characters something TO DO WITH THEIR HANDS HABITUALLY...even if that means keeping them folded neatly, or tensely, in their lap. (Royalty, matriarchs, patriarchs, other persons in charge can stand like a chess piece with arms down, hands relaxed...even that shows character.)

WARNING: Do not write every hand action down. Include this in the character breakdown or when you first introduce the character. The actor will find the right time to use this information.

Examples:
* Susie keeps a compact mirror and lipstick handy. She methodically applies lipstick whenever she is about to take over a situation or conversation.

* Lewis keeps a pair of dice handy, but never rolls them.

* Brad is always reading. You're never sure if he's really listening to anyone.

~Daphne Mintz

The Actor's Role and Responsibility

The last couple of posts have gotten me thinking about the role of the actor in the play and how creativity fits into the equation. Is the actor an independent agent pursuing his own creative path? How does the actor fit into the director’s vision or the playwright’s intentions? It's a balancing act, and I think it's something that has to be explored anew in every theatrical experience.

Stanislavsky said that we create a new being every time we do a play: you as the character in the part. He felt that the ultimate character was a unique combination of the text, the character, and the particular experiences of the actor. I've always liked that idea, because I think it leaves room for artistic expression for everyone; no one is a puppet. One important element of acting as art is the actor's ability to bring him/herself to the role. It’s kind of a cliché, but we have to bare our souls and let the audience see inside us. Whether we do this is the difference between entertaining an audience and moving them. I’ve seen far too many performances where an actor simply did an impression of the movie version of a role, often to the delight of the audience. Yes, they were entertained. Yes, the playwright’s intentions were met. The director may have even pushed the actor toward the ordinary. But this is still mediocrity on the actor’s part, and a lack of fulfillment of responsibility.

The actor has a responsibility to present a live, truthful performance every time, even if Saturday night is not the same as Friday. She has a responsibility to reveal something of herself to the audience. Most importantly, she has a responsibility to continue to grow in every role and never settle. These things make the difference between an actor and a performer. I say we should be actors.

The Function of Creativity

A lot of thoughts on the creative process and experience have been kicking around inside my old onion head. Having just produced another collection of short plays – this year’s collection called "Life is Short" – I was able to both participate and observe a variety of approaches to crafting a play and a performance. One thing I certainly learned is that there is no single absolute when it comes to creativity. As we are all different human beings, we therefore must bring ourselves to the process with our own history, work ethic, emotional qualities, and spirit. Everyone seems to have different needs when it comes to creating a play or a role. But there are a few common aspects that all strong plays and performances share.

Passion
There is really no substitute for this energy. It will keep an artist moving through a process even when it gets tough. In our most recent collection of plays, I think I let my passion slip just a small degree. And that is dangerous.

Doing the Work
You have to do the work. You can’t do half the work and call the result of your work something great. It may have the makings of something great but it never truly becomes manifest because the artist doesn’t stay in the fight. And if passion starts to slip, the place it will show is in the total effort. This doesn’t seem to be an equation in a linear form. There is a compounding effect. For every ounce of passion lost for the project, the result will be an even greater loss in the overall quality of the work.

Finding a Good Balance
Creativity is a chaotic force. The idea that it can be harnessed or forced in any manner is simply a false belief. It is a partnership. As a leader of a creative effort it is necessary to create a fun, enjoyable atmosphere while at the same time setting a standard. This is where I seem to find the biggest challenge. It has been the hardest component to manage. Creativity needs freedom to roam and the opportunity to be constantly evolving. The people doing the creating need a certain amount of structure and that will vary from artist to artist. So it is very much a moving target all of the time. For a person like myself that enjoys the occasional sense of completion or stability, I am constantly being nudged out of rest and back into the spinning turmoil. This is not a bad thing, but it can wear me down unless I stop and understand what is happening in the moment. And, in doing so, I am left with this last important realization.

The Evolving Nature of Creativity
This is the idea that has become the most profound in my juicy mind. We are on a constant course to reinvent and to be reinvented. So any attempt to stand still for any length of time beyond a brief moment (time being subject to Einstein’s theory) is missing the mark. I’ll try this as an explanation. The nature of creativity is like a child playing a very weird game of hopscotch. In the game there is a pattern drawn out on a sidewalk, the child somewhat at the mercy of the toss of a beanbag but also left feeling secure by the lines that mark the course and the numbers that define the progression of movement. But the game it seems is being played in a multi-dimensional space on some spinning axis with levels that change with each new thought, intent, or action. The path is there. The path is changing. And when you reach the point that signals "home" you must then return back the way you came, but it’s not quite the same. That’s as reasonable of an explanation of the experience of creativity that I can articulate. And, in reality, it is probably much more true for a progression of a life than the creative process. Creativity has some other cog in the wheel. This thing called Chaos. A beautiful monster.

And now, having finished our annual shows and ready to find some sense of stability, Onion Man Productions is moving into the educational arena and I find myself right back in the midst of the turmoil. I think I just need to stop believing in the idea that we are ever at rest. Something is always churning.

I just have to keep my onion head rolling along.

Actor vs. Playwright

I notice an odd phenomenon sometimes when I'm at the theatre, or at a rehearsal. An actor, in a contemporary play, will say something no person would ever say; or perhaps say words in a way that no person would ever say them. The speech onstage becomes unnatural.

- I should take a moment and emphasize that this post was not inspired by any of the acting in any of the Onion Man shows... everyone I've seen is doing great. -

This is commonplace in modern Shakespeare acting. The actor who can speak Shakespeare naturally and conversationally is rare. But it happens in modern plays as well.

I think it comes from distrust, either in the playwright, or in the actor himself. A line doesn't make sense on first reading, and the actor makes one of three assumptions: 1) The playwright wrote a bad line, 2) The playwright made a mistake, or 3) The actor isn't smart enough to grasp the language, so he's going to have to fake it. I don't buy any of them.

1. Most published plays have been through several staged readings, and a first rehearsal process and production. Hundreds of opinions, on moments big and small, have been thrown at the playwright. The playwright has thought through all these opinions and altered the script as she has seen fit. So much thought went into the words of that line, there's a 99.99% chance that they say exactly what the playwright wants to say.

2. Typos happen, but they're fairly obvious. The character Brian's name didn't suddenly become "Brain," though if "Brain" is written, you might want to explore the possibility that it's a nickname before you assume it's a typo. If an actor thinks there's a typo, she should explore every avenue that the words are the playwright's intent before finally concluding otherwise.

3. At some point, every actor was given their role by a director or casting director of some sort. Dumb actors don't get cast as smart characters. And most actors are actually pretty smart, despite what the techies say. The language of a play may have a level of poetry or nuance to it that makes it difficult to grasp; but it should still be spoken as though the characters do naturally speak that way.

One thing that throws actors is inconsistency between playwrights in style. Some playwrights will include "wrylies" all over the place, telling actors that the line should be read according to some adverb. Therefore some actors don't explore sarcasm as a possibility in lines that don't say "sarcastically." Some playwrights will cut off an interrupted line with (...), some with (--), and some make sure to include "interrupting" on the following line.

The solution to this confusion is looking elsewhere in the play for similar usage. Readers of my plays should find that I consistently use (--) to mean the line is interrupted, and (...) to indicate that the line trails off. They'd also find that I rarely include acting directions in the text. Shouted or overemphasized words might be in all caps; or I might include a "[to Brian]" where leaving it out would be confusing.

Here's a quick example:
The line "Despite what you've heard, I am not a thief" doesn't tell you what word gets the emphasis. Or does it? Why would the character say "I am not" when he's clearly not above using contractions in the first clause? That tells me that "not" should be emphasized.

Yes, I could write the line "Despite what you've heard, I am NOT a thief," but doing that with every line will irritate the actor and the director.

So my advice to the actor struggling with making a line make sense: trust that the playwright knows what they're doing and did it on purpose. Trust that you can unlock the reason. There may be some illumination of character hiding behind it.

Time to Grow

It is time for this blog space to transition from a blog about one person to a blog about many people. Specifically, the artists, instructors and creative talent working with Onion Man Productions (OMP, www.onionmanproductions.com), as well as other invited talented creative types. The purpose being to relate the experience of artists exploring this mystery we called “creativity.” And since many of the artists writing for this blog will be related to the company, OMP, I thought this might be a good time to explain the name, Onion Man.

The “Onion Man” is a character in a play of mine by the same name. The character is a metaphor for the unconscious part of ourselves that will hold us to the truth of our experience and existence. In the play the Onion Man is specifically the reflection of all the things the father in the play refuses to recognize in himself. And the play goes on to use this character to explore how things are passed, unconsciously, father to son. In starting the company, it meant a lot to me to name the company Onion Man because in many ways it is a reference to my own father. But I also realized that the name would need to carry a “larger” meaning to represent an organization.

And there is more meaning in the name. One meaning is obvious – the peeling away of layers. And that is certainly intentional but not the only metaphor at work. Some other meaningful connections between the name and the creative experience – the firm, roundness of the onion, the thin skin that covers the body, the relationship between what is “natural” and the experience of “man,” the organic nature of creativity, and there are certainly other parallels that can be found in the meaning.

But, in the simplest terms, it is a metaphor for our unconscious self. And as an arts organization focused on developing new plays, working with the unconscious elements that emerge in new work and also from an actor or director bringing themselves to the experience, a crucial element is being able to parse out the fragments of inspiration and working to craft something wonderful from often the odd impulses from our “other” self. It is the way to create meaningful, powerful work

So it is my hope, that the people contributing to this blog will explore the experience of creativity. Because at its best, Onion Man strives to be a place where creative thought and energy can be made manifest on the stage in a manner that reflect both the individual experience in life but also the “big ideas” represented by a good old round onion.

In Lieu . . .

It has taken a while to be able to post anything. I have written some things but in the end they did not feel right for putting up on this blog. Maybe the timing was just not right. So, nothing has gone up for months.

But now, with the opening my friend’s play Daphne Mintz’s wonderful “In Lieu of Flowers,” it’s time to put words on this blog.

As a playwright, your dream is to get your play produced. And as I have been very successful in producing short plays by many Atlanta playwrights and some of my own short plays the production of one of my full-length plays is still a goal that has remained unfulfilled. And I have some strong work that is ready for production; I just don’t do a very good job of submitting my work. I decided a couple of years ago that I wanted my first full-length production to be in Atlanta so I have limited myself to a large degree. I’m sure I need to re-evaluate that position.

But then Daphne’s play kind of fell into my lap and I decided to be the one to produce her lovely play. I was first introduced to the work through a staged reading of the play presented by Working Title Playwrights. After hearing the reading, I knew at that moment this was a gem of a play and assumed one of the local theatre companies would snap up the play. But they didn’t. So, fast-forward a couple of years and Daphne and I had grown close and worked together through Onion Man Productions. I don’t remember the moment it happened, but she gave me the “okay” to produce her play. But I did so stating that if a better offer came along, I would want her to take advantage of the larger exposure. Onion Man is still a new company and would be straining its resources to produce her play, but I felt it was a gamble that would pay off. But there was also this . . .sensation, feeling . . . that I would only need to take the play part of the way and someone else would step in to finish the job. And I was right.

Thankfully, Tanya Caldwell, a close friend and Artistic Director with Lionheart Theatre Company agreed first to direct the piece and then agreed to also produce it as part of Lionheart’s season. I happily stepped aside and was thrilled for Daphne and the play. I knew Tanya could do the play justice. It also allowed me to fall back into the role of volunteer and supporter of the creative effort. It is a role I relish and felt I could really help the play by doing a lot behind the scenes. In the end, Tanya ended up listing me as Technical Director. A kind gesture and a reward for all the time and effort I put into the production of this lovely play. But that is not “why” I worked so hard to see this play succeed.

Going back to the idea that a playwright’s goal is to see their work produced, it began to dawn on me that maybe the best thing I could do was help another playwright - one I admire, respect and love - gain their first full-length production. Having been way too self-absorbed for much of my life, this seemed like a good opportunity to put another’s dream ahead of my own, and I set a goal to work just as hard on the production of her play as I would one of my own. I also had a great love for her play and an emotional connection to the work, although I only came to really understand that deep connection through the process. And I would also be helping out Tanya and Lionheart Theatre. So, there was a lot to be gained in the process, but none of it was directly about me. And well, I guess it’s almost unnatural to invest yourself in someone else’s dream. But I did it and her lovely play has hit the stage and become a fully realized dream.

Maybe blogging about all this takes away from the effort and focuses things back on me. I don’t know. But I learned so much. And I have always carried the hope that in some karmic way by helping another playwright gain their first full-length production it would at some point come back to me in the form of a production of one of my own plays. But you can never know. It is an act of faith and love.

Often in my relationship with God, it is easy to complain, whine or get my nose out of joint based on my life. But what I often don’t see are all the little ways God blesses me and allows my life to continue to grow and serve a greater notion. And, of course, I rarely acknowledge that love. God is selfless. It is a whole other way to experience love. And it is new to me . . . to give with little expectation of return, to fight against any growing need of reward, to just to give and find satisfaction in giving and seeing it cause joy for another. It is certainly not something I am used to experiencing. But I have been thoroughly touched and amazed by how deep the experience can be in terms of my understanding the love of God. That’s a big lesson for me.

I pick up this post the night before the closing performance of “In Lieu of Flowers.” The experience has only grown richer. I have witnessed this gem of a play touch people. As a team working on the play, we have all grown and gained from the experience. It has truly been a joy. Friday night, in a moment of joy, Daphne jumped into my arms and we laughed and embraced. That was it. That was the moment that made all the work worth the effort. To experience that kind of joy with another person is so deep and wonderful.

And then there is a neat twist in this story. One I never saw coming and then it just kind of happened. Tanya, the director and producer of “In Lieu of Flowers”, and I were exchanging emails. We were kidding about how well we worked together. So I proposed she direct one of my plays. The one play she was aware of that I have completed and ready is not one she wants to touch. And I get that. But, I was like “No, no no, I have this other play that is REALLY funny.” And it is. So I sent her the play and she totally gets the humor and sees the potential. Next thing I know she is offering to produce my play “Bleach” as a part of the 2012 Lionheart season. It truly was the last thing I saw coming down the tracks. I was stunned and amazed. Here I was totally engaged and enthralled in the production of Daphne’s play and next thing I know I’m finding out that I will get my play produced. Someone should have just gone ahead and kicked me in the head. I was dizzy.

I conclude this post with a prayer. A prayer that many will start to take themselves less seriously and learn to give of himself or herself to someone, or something, they love. It is not only well worth the effort, it is where true meaning can be found in this life. To give as God gives – not because we expect something, not because we feel obligated but because we are able.

This post is dedicated to Daphne and Tanya. I love you both. I am blessed to call you friends.