FRANKENSTEIN Meeting #4

Date: 7.11.16                                                                                       Meeting # 4

Time start: 9:24                                                                                                Time stop: 

Attendance: Chris, Allen, Bob, Nicky, Richardo, Charlot, Dr. Taylor                                                  

Absent:            Sam                 

                                                                                                                         

Please Note: It is advised that all departments review all notes from the entire meeting and not just the bullet points under your specific department

General:

• Missy is here to take over as SM team.
• Dr. Taylor will reach out to Jessica Pearson about joining the production team as the choreographer. If she is on board, Ricardo will meet with her before the 22nd to catch her up!
• Friday AM school show- was told needed to be decided by today's meeting. would be Friday (Sept 30th) at 10am. 115 seats are available  at $5 per student and free for chaperones. Both Ricardo and Dr. Taylor have ideas for schools to contact. Stage Management will get in touch with the cast to make sure they keep that time available. Dr. Taylor will be adding the performance to the calendar. 
• Chris & Bob's presence at these meetings is not as concrete in the beginning stages of the production.

Direction:

• Ricardo is participating in a feature film sometime in September (the 2nd week) Sept 14-16 (there is still negotiation for shooting dates on the 11&12th- this is a TBA issue) may use those days for choreography or have Missy run rehearsals with specific instruction. Dr. Taylor may come to these rehearsals. 
• Ricardo feels as though Frankenstein & Creature should not be ignorant or reactionary to the current events of the world in present day. 
• Ricardo is out of town until the July19th and then has an unknown early august shoot schedule for an upcoming feature film. More on this schedule to come. 
• The question of Creature's incredible strength should be clear and this will be demonstrated with stage combat and ensemble staging. There may be an  idea of only 2 hands being seen at one time with only 2 feet. The idea was brought to the table that actors should be rehearsing in full body harnesses for grab-ability and stability when learning their " new" center of gravity. This will be key when the performers are over reaching to demonstrate the differences between  motivators (the Alpha, Gama, and Bata) driving the beast through style of movement. 
• the goal is to also build the creature on stage in the graveyard scene in front of the audience's eyes. 
• Ricardo is looking to remove the intermission from the production. The goal is to get the run time to 75 minutes. If this is possible, the intermission is no longer needed. 
• Ricardo is very serious about wanting  to be sure to convey the appropriate desperation  and isolation for the crew

·         Ricardo is thrilled with the production status

·         The theme of the design elements should be no time rather than timeless.

·         The battle scene should be live and not recorded in the intimate (close to the audience) space. 4-5 ensemble members will be used for this scene as ship's crew. As soon as these performers are identified Charlotte will be made aware.  

·         The battle scene should be as gruesome as Game of Thrones

·         Ricardo is eager for a meeting with Jessica!- Maybe she can attend the Creature's foot apparatus fitting on the 22nd? Dr. Taylor will inquire! Ricardo is eager for this fitting as well.

Technical Direction:

• Bob's title is somewhere between Scenic Shop Forman and the TD of the production. Will need some supplemental information soon. 
• Allen and Chris would like to make a set of flat feet for the actors to work with for rehearsals and then potentially add height to this. This set of feet will include positions for 3 actors in one "foot apparatus"

• The total # of feet to be made is 2. the 3 actors will stand in the middle, front and back. The actor's who will be wearing the shoes the question Grace is 5'9' Casey is over 6', their shoe sizes are already recorded. The actors need to be present for a fitting with these foot apparatuses so that the bindings can be fitted to their individual needs. At this time the design is to be completed with a hard binding that the performer can dismount and remount from easily.

Projections:

• The kind of projector that is thought to be used is a rear projector. The school has a screen that measures 30' wide and 15' tall. (The bottom of the catwalks are 16')
• Ricardo was nervous that the added technology of the projections would not work with the flashback scenes, however Alan put his mind at ease when he explained that the mapping  technology will allow partial projection to give the allusion that there is a view seen from a window/door way or half stage. The images projected will also primarily be different views of the sky/ background.
• In order to gain as much out of the projector as possible the screen will beed to be placed as far down stage as possible. this creates a shallow and intimate playing area. 
• Only atmosphere and the monster video clips will be projected.
• Ricardo is liking the idea of the Creature having emotional links to video projection. (i.e.: The mood of the skyline is linked to the mood of the Creature... Red sky at night sailor's delight  but red sky in the morning- sailors take warning!)
• Chris Griffin will now be the Video Programmer for the production.
• Alan would like to borrow Ricardo's live footage of monsters to create a series of clips of both modern and classic monsters. Ricardo will block the Creature to watch some of this. The estimate at this time is not more than a minute. (Alan will need to know how long the creature will be watching for) There should be no audio to this video other than voice over at the introduction. 
• Alan has requested that we reach out for assistance from Vince in Film Studies for editing film footage for projections. Allan will reach out to him for this. 

Set:

• Alan has a ground plan for the production meeting but unfortunately cannot give it away. We are apparently suffering from a grumpy printer plotter and it is our only hard copy for now. 
• All stairs are 18" deep so the Creature's feet will fit with ease. 
• The Creature will not be able to mount the 3rd level of the set due to its height. 
• There will be a platform SL that will serve as the iceberg and also transform as another playing area. This platform shape is adjustable with platforms that we have in stock
• There will be a platform SR that will serve as the captain's cabin and the crow's nest 7' off the ground (accessed off of a 7' staircase from ground level.) Due to the height of the catwalks (16') the performance space is limited to a height elevation of 1.5 floors rather than a full 2 floors.  The crow's nest itself will be on a rough 4'x4' platform.
• The front  of the captain's cabin will be faced with a bi-fold flat. When closed, this flat with be dressed to look like the front of the captain's quarter's. When the flat is opened, it will be dressed to look like the laboratory. 
• There will be a triangular space between the platforms left vacant of scenery for a playing area.
• Alan would like to use the gray kabuki chiffon drops (from Godspell) as a background for both of the iceberg scenes. These drops would be hung one at a time. The first hung and draped artfully with fullness. When it falls to the deck, it may need to be struck by run crew. The 2nd drop would not have the ability to be draped artfully, but would be released and struck the same way. 
• The Forman Theater will be set up with a proscenium style stage. 
• There is only one wall/flat included in the set, this is the bi-fold that when closed is part of the Ship and opens to portray the Lab. 

• July 22nd at 9:30 am in the shop a fitting for the straps holding on the Creature's feet to the actor's feet will be held. This meeting is also to give Ricardo and idea of how the current version of the foot apparatus functions for actor mobility and blocking. Currently Casey is the first performer to respond that they can attend this meeting. If needed stage management will fill in for a performer. 

Props:

• The lab scene may have a rolling cart with "stuff'' on it; this is TBA at this time.  
• The style of design and time period of props on the ship (crates and barrels) should be simple shapes that are of "no time" rather than "time less." Once these props are introduced to the stage they should not be dressed or undressed to make them more or less modern.  The exact quantity and requirements that these props need to fulfill are still TBA at this time. 
•  

Electrics:

• Alan is planning on using the extreme Front of House Left and Right positions for Lighting towers for side/ front light. 

Audio:

• Ricardo likes the possibility of  Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" present day. Whatever is chosen should be relevant to current times.
•  Sam is participating in this production in the roll as  Musical Director.
• Sam may be able to make the Creature's foot apparatus fitting on the 22nd! SM & PM will inquire.
• Alan will maintain the title of Sound Designer however may be bringing in another set of hands to assist in the process because his "plate is filling rather quickly with this production."
• Ricardo may want to use static or snippet of a news cast of a symphonic music, or the ambient track that Alan had given  to show that the crew is trying to reach out and connect with the outside world while something is trying to kill them.
• An audio/musical meeting should be set up between Sam, Ricardo and Alan to discuss the show.
• Sam's normal availability is Tuesday/ Thursday afternoons before 4 pm

Costumes:

• Ricardo would like a cape for the creature to unify all 3 actors as one character. He would also like the actor's to rehearse with a cape.
• Charlotte has some images to show Ricardo after the meeting. Steam punk is still in the mix of possibilities.
• The blood factor is a possible challenge for laundering costumes, Charlotte said that she will work it into the design plan because laundering may not be a possibility on 2 show days.  
• Ricardo stresses that the first image the audience has of the Creature should be strikingly beautifully and then  the Creature can become grotesque. Allen and Charlotte believe the grotesque quality could come from the performers' movement rather than a cosmetic change since we are striving to remove the intermission from the production.
• Charlotte will be at the foot apparatus fitting on the 22nd with a version of a cloak.

The next production meeting will be will be scheduled after the Creature's foot apparatus fitting on July 22nd. Stage management will notify all party members of potential meeting times.

 If you have any questions, comments, or corrections, please contact Stage Management.