BWW Reviews: Sydney Theatre Company's ROUGH DRAFT Creative Development Opportunities Open Up Its Resources To Project #28, HOOTING & HOWLING.
Friday 13 March, 2015, Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Walsh Bay
Sydney Theatre Company's ROUGH DRAFTS initiative allows theatre creators access to the company's resources including space, research materials, administration facilities and STC's Artistic Team for one week to aid their process of developing a work. How the artists use their week varies from using the time to research a new idea, further develop a script or use the space and resources that would otherwise be harder to access to create theatre. The projects included in the ROUGH DRAFTS program need to be by creators with a proven track record and show the need for space to get the work to the next level.
Sydney Theatre Company Literary Manager, Polly Rowe, explained that at the end of each week long ROUGH DRAFTS process, the creators are required to present their work in some form in front of an audience. She explains that whilst HOOTING & HOWLING is a read through of the full script that Phil Spencer has been working on from the 3rd draft he arrived with to the 8th draft written by the end of the week, the delivery on the final day can vary from project to project. Some may present more complete works to gauge story flow and audience reactions whilst others may take the opportunity to talk about their work to gain feedback and solidify ideas.
For ROUGH DRAFTS #28, writer/performer/storyteller Phil Spencer has joined with singer/songwriter Elana Stone and director Scarlet McGlynn to develop his work HOOTING & HOWLING. As Spencer read through his very humorous work, divided up with songs from Stone on piano accordion it was clear that he was observing the audience reactions as prompts to make notes to review words or phrases. I believe that the performance was also being recorded as another part of the review and development process. It was interesting to not only get to see a work in its development but also get a glimpse of the process that a writer goes through before a work makes it to stage.
The free ROUGH DRAFTS series are well worth seeing to get an insight into the creative process and whilst HOOTING & HOWLING is already an entertaining, descriptive, humorous work presented in the simplicity of a reading with just Spencer and Stone on stage, I look forward to seeing where Spencer, Stone and McGlynn take the final product.
Sydney Theatre Company
Walsh Bay NSW
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