Comments on: 10 questions: Simon Ogden http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/ Performance. Production. Theory. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:02:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Simon http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Simon Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:40:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=167#comment-267 I don't know, I think natural speech rhythms are accessible to every aspiring writer with more practice and less self-editing. Some people just don't trust the simplicity of it, and their dialogue ends up overwrought or overwritten, which is a common trap. A good question to ask yourself after a first draft is: okay, how is this not a radio play? Does the dialogue motivate action or render it unnecessary? The greatest playwrights realize that they are only one component in the production, and the words are merely a springboard from which the director and actors start making the decisions that will become the play. That's why great plays can (and should) be done over and over, they are open to interpretation and can always be a brand new play. <br/><br/>Alex' point is well made, thanks for that link, BTW. He's speaking about killing your ego and realizing that objective opinions and criticism are not an attack but a true gift if you are secure enough in yourself to realize which are valid and which are not. School, as well as theatre, is everywhere if you watch (and yes, listen) for it. I don’t know, I think natural speech rhythms are accessible to every aspiring writer with more practice and less self-editing. Some people just don’t trust the simplicity of it, and their dialogue ends up overwrought or overwritten, which is a common trap. A good question to ask yourself after a first draft is: okay, how is this not a radio play? Does the dialogue motivate action or render it unnecessary? The greatest playwrights realize that they are only one component in the production, and the words are merely a springboard from which the director and actors start making the decisions that will become the play. That’s why great plays can (and should) be done over and over, they are open to interpretation and can always be a brand new play.

Alex’ point is well made, thanks for that link, BTW. He’s speaking about killing your ego and realizing that objective opinions and criticism are not an attack but a true gift if you are secure enough in yourself to realize which are valid and which are not. School, as well as theatre, is everywhere if you watch (and yes, listen) for it.

]]> By: Ian http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/comment-page-1/#comment-266 Ian Tue, 04 Sep 2007 13:22:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=167#comment-266 By the way. This idea that dialogue is relatively easy because it's all around us is probably true if you're a good listener. Many of us, though, aren't that good at listening. We hear fine – just not so good at the listening part. (The distinction being somewhere in the processing, I guess.)<br/><br/>Joshua James recently wrote on the relationship between talent and listening (or that talent *is* the ability to listen) . . . an argument I find rather persuasive:<br/><br/>http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/?p=399<br/><br/>And never is the talent-listening relationship more clear to me than in the hands of a strong dialogue writer. By the way. This idea that dialogue is relatively easy because it’s all around us is probably true if you’re a good listener. Many of us, though, aren’t that good at listening. We hear fine – just not so good at the listening part. (The distinction being somewhere in the processing, I guess.)

Joshua James recently wrote on the relationship between talent and listening (or that talent *is* the ability to listen) . . . an argument I find rather persuasive:

http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/?p=399

And never is the talent-listening relationship more clear to me than in the hands of a strong dialogue writer.

]]> By: Ian http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Ian Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:17:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=167#comment-265 Shit Simon. This piece of writing of yours is so packed with insight I almost don't know what to do with it all; Bookmark it and refer to it often, I guess.<br/><br/>Thank you kindly! Shit Simon. This piece of writing of yours is so packed with insight I almost don’t know what to do with it all; Bookmark it and refer to it often, I guess.

Thank you kindly!

]]> By: Simon http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Simon Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:03:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=167#comment-264 Oh, we know that it's the "big smoke" Mike, we're just too lazy out here to use it, which is probably one of the reasons we don't have any money. And I couldn't agree more with your definition of theatrical success, I love the crew that makes up the choir we preach to at our shows, but I would be thrilled if I knew no one in the stalls.<br/><br/>Ian - thanks for the opportunity to sound off here, and for the clinic in interviewing. It was both a lot of fun and edifying to be on the other side of the soap box. Much respect. Oh, we know that it’s the “big smoke” Mike, we’re just too lazy out here to use it, which is probably one of the reasons we don’t have any money. And I couldn’t agree more with your definition of theatrical success, I love the crew that makes up the choir we preach to at our shows, but I would be thrilled if I knew no one in the stalls.

Ian - thanks for the opportunity to sound off here, and for the clinic in interviewing. It was both a lot of fun and edifying to be on the other side of the soap box. Much respect.

]]> By: mike http://theatreisterritory.com/2007/08/10-questions-simon-ogden/comment-page-1/#comment-263 mike Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:36:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=167#comment-263 "A lot of theatre that pops up here is the fed-up-with-commercial-auditions vanity piece – usually a LeBute or a Mamet – that contains the scene that they totally rocked in class, man, that’s thrown up for a week, poorly marketed, and never heard from again because, damn, theatre is hard work, man."<br/><br/>Oh snap.<br/><br/>Dude, this shit happens everywhere - not just Vancouver-, but way to call bullshit on it regardless. <br/><br/>I'm also glad that this whole, how do we get non-theatre people to get into theatre question keeps coming back. I'm starting to think a true theatrical success is when you come to your show and you don't know anyone in line.<br/><br/>Oh, Simon, it's "The Big Smoke" in the T Dot. "The Smoke" is just what we use in conjunction with mirrors to hide the fact that we don't have any money. “A lot of theatre that pops up here is the fed-up-with-commercial-auditions vanity piece – usually a LeBute or a Mamet – that contains the scene that they totally rocked in class, man, that’s thrown up for a week, poorly marketed, and never heard from again because, damn, theatre is hard work, man.”

Oh snap.

Dude, this shit happens everywhere - not just Vancouver-, but way to call bullshit on it regardless.

I’m also glad that this whole, how do we get non-theatre people to get into theatre question keeps coming back. I’m starting to think a true theatrical success is when you come to your show and you don’t know anyone in line.

Oh, Simon, it’s “The Big Smoke” in the T Dot. “The Smoke” is just what we use in conjunction with mirrors to hide the fact that we don’t have any money.

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