Black Triangle production pics (CUC: The One-Acts 2013)
Photos by Kristen Felicetti
Black Triangle
" This sounded like an engaging process and creative space -- Lavinia Roberts, playwright
SynopsisBlack Triangle is about two ghost hunters, one a medium the other much more scientific, exploring the Triangle Waist Company factory fire.
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Credit: Laura Murdoch
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An interview with playwright Lavinia Roberts
Truant Arts: So, the Truants proposed this idea that you should sit in a room with a bunch of people and then generate a play. And you said yes. What were you thinking?
Lavinia Roberts: I really love creating live performance, over working in other artistic mediums. I enjoy the dialogue and interaction between the audience and a performer that happens in the performance space. There is an element of creative playfulness there that is exciting. I also appreciate the opportunity to create work with different artists. I have never engaged in this type of process before. I have devised shows or approached them as a playwright aware of my role in this process. This sounded like an engaging process and creative space that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to explore and develop work in.
TA: What was your process as you worked on "Black Triangle?"
LR: We started discussing our experiences of the words we were given as a collective. From there we improvised scenes based on the words. After that, I went away and worked with that source material to create a first draft. We then, tinkered, molded, and created something together for the final project.
TA: What was the biggest/most surprising/most useful thing that’s come out of this process?
LR: I really appreciated working with actors and a director early on in the writing process. I also think I wrote something that I never could have written if I hadn't been in that space or with those artists. I also appreciated the support I had with my ensemble in exploring the work.
Lavinia Roberts: I really love creating live performance, over working in other artistic mediums. I enjoy the dialogue and interaction between the audience and a performer that happens in the performance space. There is an element of creative playfulness there that is exciting. I also appreciate the opportunity to create work with different artists. I have never engaged in this type of process before. I have devised shows or approached them as a playwright aware of my role in this process. This sounded like an engaging process and creative space that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to explore and develop work in.
TA: What was your process as you worked on "Black Triangle?"
LR: We started discussing our experiences of the words we were given as a collective. From there we improvised scenes based on the words. After that, I went away and worked with that source material to create a first draft. We then, tinkered, molded, and created something together for the final project.
TA: What was the biggest/most surprising/most useful thing that’s come out of this process?
LR: I really appreciated working with actors and a director early on in the writing process. I also think I wrote something that I never could have written if I hadn't been in that space or with those artists. I also appreciated the support I had with my ensemble in exploring the work.
Black Triangle actor Jessica Appel talks all things Truant
In a city as full of actors as New York, finding roles you can sink your teeth into can feel close to impossible, especially as an actor just beginning her lifelong journey. I was heaven blessed to find Truant Arts along my way. This summer marks my (official) second time working with Truant Arts and (I believe) my fourth time being involved in projects with Jamie and Bob. I'm lucky enough to say I knew them before they were Truant Arts.
Jamie and Bob are artists’ producers. They are artists themselves so they understand us. They are great at giving guidelines and setting parameters for projects, but are also awesome at leaving room for growth, for creativity to flourish, for mistakes to be made, for people to be human, and to allow for projects to change from what they originally were into something different, and always better. Truant Arts did just that with Chaos Under Construction by setting up closed and open readings before heading into more solid rehearsals. Things definitely evolved with my group between our first and second open readings: parts were exchanged, edits were made, actors made different choices, characters were explored, direction got tighter. Bob and Jamie set meetings with all members of the festival to make sure we were supported through the process. They are best at keeping things rolling no matter what, and for knowing, finding, and bringing together a LOT of very talented actors, writers and directors.
Some of the best scripts I’ve worked on were written for Truant Arts’ festivals (some in less than 24 hours). There is always a final product that, more often than not, exceeds everyone's expectations. This is because Truant Arts sets you up for success. They ask for what they need from participating artists (generally just participation), but they run the show, and they give so much to the artists. They know how to produce--find the talent, get the rehearsal space, sell the tickets, get people in the seats and make evenings of great art come alive on stage. They are also great people who are so supportive, and they know other great supportive people. This allows them to bring a bunch of people together who enjoy and support each other's work. Working with awesome supportive people always leads to a better end product.
Truant Arts has become my home for creating rich work where I can take risks, because I know that Bob and Jamie, and the rest of the Truants, will be there to catch me if I fall, and will prop me right back on my feet to say, "You okay?! Cool! Let's try it again!”
I thank them for helping me live my dream of being an actor in NYC and I look forward with delight to continuing to work with them in the future.
Read Jessica's bio here!
Find out more about Chaos Under Construction here!
Help feed the beast that is giving birth to five new plays September 2013 by clicking here!
Jamie and Bob are artists’ producers. They are artists themselves so they understand us. They are great at giving guidelines and setting parameters for projects, but are also awesome at leaving room for growth, for creativity to flourish, for mistakes to be made, for people to be human, and to allow for projects to change from what they originally were into something different, and always better. Truant Arts did just that with Chaos Under Construction by setting up closed and open readings before heading into more solid rehearsals. Things definitely evolved with my group between our first and second open readings: parts were exchanged, edits were made, actors made different choices, characters were explored, direction got tighter. Bob and Jamie set meetings with all members of the festival to make sure we were supported through the process. They are best at keeping things rolling no matter what, and for knowing, finding, and bringing together a LOT of very talented actors, writers and directors.
Some of the best scripts I’ve worked on were written for Truant Arts’ festivals (some in less than 24 hours). There is always a final product that, more often than not, exceeds everyone's expectations. This is because Truant Arts sets you up for success. They ask for what they need from participating artists (generally just participation), but they run the show, and they give so much to the artists. They know how to produce--find the talent, get the rehearsal space, sell the tickets, get people in the seats and make evenings of great art come alive on stage. They are also great people who are so supportive, and they know other great supportive people. This allows them to bring a bunch of people together who enjoy and support each other's work. Working with awesome supportive people always leads to a better end product.
Truant Arts has become my home for creating rich work where I can take risks, because I know that Bob and Jamie, and the rest of the Truants, will be there to catch me if I fall, and will prop me right back on my feet to say, "You okay?! Cool! Let's try it again!”
I thank them for helping me live my dream of being an actor in NYC and I look forward with delight to continuing to work with them in the future.
Read Jessica's bio here!
Find out more about Chaos Under Construction here!
Help feed the beast that is giving birth to five new plays September 2013 by clicking here!
