AboutFACE are hugely excited to be bringing their NEWvember Festival of New Plays to the Civic for the first time with two fun events taking you behind-the-scenes of theatre, on Sunday November 3rd This is the 8th annual NEWvember. Dramturg Krystal Sweedman took some time out to tell us more…..
‘What makes a script sing? This is a question I have asked myself many times, when writing and dramaturging. There’s attention to craft, which is an obvious answer, but it’s more than just a well told story; good theatre moves the soul, excites the mind and connects its audience with their empathy, ultimately reminding us of our humanity.
It has been shown that while in a darkened theatre the audience’s heart-beats sink. A communal experience, where people laugh, gasp and cry together. A ritualistic experience that, if it’s working well will stay with them for days after; ideas or moments coming back reminding them of struggles in their own lives, and potentially leading them to think of an emotional or political issue anew.
We make theatre with the grandiose intention of changing lives, although perhaps we settle for knowing that if our work finds an audience of one who is helped through watching, then it will be worth having gone through the arduous process of sifting through the contents of the psyche, going deeper into the subconscious with every draft, integrating the ideas and characters which moved us to write, getting to the heart of what we are trying to say in such a way that clarity will not just be obtained for us, but also for those who witness the final product.
I am a firm believer that development is an essential part of this process, that a script does not become a play, until actors and creatives bring their own understandings and interpretations to it, that so much exists between the lines and that it is the collaborative process that helps us find these invisible beats. As a dramaturg, I try to look for the scripts heart; what is the subconscious trying to tell the writer, and what questions can I ask to help guide the story back into that vein of exploration?
While I may not always succeed, I know the very act of presenting a work in progress to an audience will help to highlight areas which may need to be explored further. That an honest and generous audience, who are willing to ask questions which reveal aspects of the play they didn’t understand or believe, can work wonders for the development of a new play. That even by being present, a writer can observe where an audience’s attention waivers, and as such know where to focus their attention on the rewrites.
We at AboutFACE can’t wait to share this year’s new plays with you and look forward to sinking our heart beats with yours’.
Come and join us to see exciting new works-in-progress, to find out more about the playwriting process, and give your feedback to help writers develop their plays!
Playwrights Roundtable
A panel discussion with a group of playwrights, discussing their writing process and what playwrights need. Featuring a mix of established award-winning writers, including Gary Duggan (TV’s Amber), Deirdre Kinahan (The Unmanageable Sisters) and Civic Associate Artist Adam Wyeth, as well as a number of this year’s NEWvember playwrights, in conversation with dramaturg Krystal Sweedman and AboutFACE Co-Artistic Director Paul Nugent.
Sunday 3rd November at 12 noon, entry free RSVP to Civic box-office (01) 4627477
Looking at the Sun by Emily Bohannon
Ron just loves summer vacation and is so excited to have his family and friends at his beach house. But his overworked wife just wants to sleep, his kids don’t want to hear his stories, the Joneses are searching for a swinger, Vaughn is wrapped up in his imaginary girlfriend, and can anyone even understand the two Australians next door? A playful and moving comedy of love, longing, loneliness – and not getting candy floss. Cast includes Alan Buckley, Ciaran McGlynn, Tara McKeever, Sean McManus, Declan Mills, Caoimhe Mulcahy, Anna Nugent, Paul Nugent, Matthew O’Donnell & Kathleen Warner Yeates, directed by Eric Weitz.
Sunday 3rd November at 3pm + post-show Q&A with the writer, tickets 5 euro from HERE.
