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Jeff’s final blog

Posted by DCA Theater on February 1, 2010 in January-June 2010 Season, INCUBATOR Series: Wishbone Theatre Collective

by Jeff McLaren, Wishbone company member and Director of Spandex

DCA Theater’s INCUBATOR process was a wonderful opportunity for Wishbone.  I’ve learned to never underestimate the potential power of a vacant room, in this case DCA’s beautiful Studio Theater. Add an inspiration, a few energetic actors, someone to lead, and you’ve got yourself a play waiting to write itself, so to speak.  But is that really all it takes?  Even with an abundance of ideas to fulfill concept, what happens if the play doesn’t write itself?

It’s an intriguing decision to make before commencing an ensemble-developed piece whether to include a dedicated playwright.  On one hand, you are entrusting just one person to capture the essence of all the ensemble’s research, discussions and improvisational efforts and convert it into a play that ideally the entire group believes in.  On the other hand, without a playwright to absorb and filter what is created in rehearsal, whose responsibility then is it to write?  The director’s?

We faced a similar quandary during Spandex.  While we had very fruitful creative process, ultimately and somewhat unexpectedly, the playwriting role came to me (the director) and Laurie Jones (a member of the acting ensemble).  It became necessary for us to consolidate seven different superhero stories and draft the first three scenes.  With feedback from the acting ensemble, we tweaked and refined the scenes until we had a script we felt happy to present to an audience.  However, looking to the future with Spandex, I would prefer not moving forward without a dedicated playwright.  If anything, to give more clarity to a very free and open-ended process.