Some Academics

When beginning this blog I mentioned that my work for this blog is related to my work as a MFA candidate at Mary Baldwin College. So far this blog has been mostly curiosities, items to think about or look at. This past week The American Shakespeare Center hosted the Blackfriars Conference in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature, (for more information about this conference see the ASC's description or for more information about the specific contents of the different paper sessions you can read all about them as they were liveblogged by the education department). With so many kindled ideas in one space, the sparks fly and everyone catches the academic fire. In response to the work of many of the scholars at this conference I put together a plan for the directed inquiry Linden and I will work on this spring, and thought I would share it here. The work planned out will clearly morph with the needs of the semester, but here is a plan of what you might expect to see on this blog over the upcoming months.

Objective for this Directed Inquiry:
To research and construct all elements of design for our production of All’s Well that Ends Well, paying particular attention to the construction of the set, costumes and props as signifiers creating meaning along with the words and bodies of the actors.

Things we need to accomplish in this DI:

Design and make the set
--Research the images/sketch out what we want to make
--Research how to make it
----Research the construction of popups
----Research the construction of large pop-ups

Design and make the costumes
--Find out what we have to work with
--Decide what else we need to do
----Alter the clothing/sew costumes
----Design and construct all paper pieces of the costumes

Design and make the props
--Figure out what they are
--Design and make all the props

Design the poster
Design the programs

Other things:
Reading the play-searching for images/props
Word searches: paper, letter, book
Researching Folklore
Researching folklore and Shakespeare
Researching fairytale imagery

Possible schedule:

Week one:
Re-read the play for images and props. Do word searches in the play. Go to the public library read fairytales, look at pop-up books-- draw pictures of ideas and things we like best. Write blog post.

Week two:
Research folklore and Shakespeare. Write blog post.

Week three:
Research pop-up construction. Design and construct a possibility of set design. Write blog post.

Week four:
Make sure we have all the cast’s measurements. Brainstorm about costumes, determine what have already with wits and with old laundry, etc. Sketch some ideas. Write blog post.

Week five:
Hit up all the thrift stores, procure patterns for any costumes we plan on building from scratch and go to Valley fabrics to get some materials. Write blog post.

Week six:
Make a plan for how the costumes are going to be constructed, who is helping, which tasks to tackle first, etc. Fill in the next three weeks with very specific details of task delegation. Write blog post.

Week seven:
Work costumes. Write blog post.

Week eight:
Work costumes. Write blog post.

Week nine:
Work costumes. Write blog post.

Week ten:
Research all the props and determine what they are and will need to be. Make a plan for all the props, and get started on them. Write blog post.

Week eleven:
Complete the rest of the props. Write blog post.

Week twelve:
Design the poster and program. Research the construction of extra large pop-ups. Write blog post.

Week thirteen:
Construct the pop-up set. Write blog post.

Week fourteen:
Construct the pop-up set. Write blog post.