Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 3) – From the Page to the Stage: Novel to Script to Production

Posted by hallep on Monday, October 10, 2016 in Grade 5, Grade 6, SAVY.

Thank you for another exciting class as we continued our exploration of all things Starcatcher(s).  If our first session represented an emersion in the world of the novel and our second session allowed us to dig into the script, this Saturday we moved towards the kind of work done in the workshops at Williamstown Theatre Festival that led to development of the Broadway production. We investigated Rice’s complex text – and language! – and in our discussion of the larger concepts of change and adaptation we began to explore ways of bringing the piece to life, transforming cardboard boxes and bubble wrap into living tapestries of 1885 London and life aboard The Never Land.

And along the way, we continued to add to your diverse vocabulary: words that we added to our board included morbid, trident, anachronistic, and antiquated. We discussed Rice’s decision to sometimes create language: in the case of Bill Slank, a strange combination of vaguely “pirate-sounding” words, and for the Aster family the completely incomprehensible language of Dodo. I know that I promised you that we’d play the language-based game Omnish, but that will have to wait for next week.

For next week: we’ve thus far focused on the early moments of the play, setting location and tone. When we next meet we’ll dig into character. We’ll investigate the odd boy without a name – whom we all know to be Peter – and the vile pirate Black Stache.

Thanks as ever for your focus and your sense of fun. I look forward to our Saturday sessions, and I’m excited for the coming weekend!