Tag Archives: solo show

Nov30

Creativity Workshop Starts January in Oakland!

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Creativity Workshop Starts January in Oakland!

Creativity Workshop Starts January in Oakland!

Six to One : Six Weeks to Complete One Creative Project

Are you ready to kick your creative work into high gear?  

Starting in January, and meeting for six weeks, the Six to One course will challenge and hold you to complete your chosen creative goal.  Each week, we'll meet, set intentions, check in about our work, and set about the task of completing a creative goal.  We'll also have guest co-leaders teach a new skill each week that will empower you to get closer to your goal.  

Life is short:  If you've had a creative project on the back burner–or the front burner–for months or years and needed that special combination of kick-in-the-butt and holding-the-hand to really get it done, this is your chance.  Life is short and it's time to live it up!  

Small Group, Special Attention:  With eight participants, you will divide into four pairs.  Your partner for the course will be your daily action partner (you'll let each other know at the beginning of the day what you plan to do and at the end of the day what you did do.)  We'll also have a mid-week phone call to check in about your progress each week so that you don't have any chance to slip through the cracks.  

The Syllabus:  

The evening meetings will be approximately three hours; the first hour will be for checking in, and a new guest co-leader each week will join us for two hours and lead us in the following skills.  

Week One:  Visioning, clarifying and setting intentions for your project.  We'll get really clear on what your project is, get a timeline worksheet to break the work into manageable sized tasks, and then give each participant the attention of the group.

Guest co-leader and I "circle" the group regarding desire and fulfillment and letting the deep heart lead.

Week Two:  Writing and the unconscious, opening the channel to creativity.

Guest co-leader and I lead the group to unblock the heart and the pen and help you "blow out the pipes" to get the creative juices flowing.  We'll write until we get blisters on our fingers.  Well, almost.  And this will be a practice you can take into the next five weeks to increase the speed and reduce the censorship of your creative flow.

Week Three:  Making your dreams sing, using your voice.

Guest co-leader and I lead a voice session that will allow you to purify, align and express your intentions, and make them manifest through sound.  As you speak your dreams, you reify them.

Week Four:  Embodiment and aliveness.  Your life is a performance. We are working from the subtle levels to the gross, from inside out in this course.  This is the process of manifestation.  This is not airy-fairy stuff, it's just plain creation.

Guest co-leader and I will take you from thought to word to speech to body, and awakening your whole being.

Week Five:  Support, self-care, and stepping into a bigger you.  One reason we don't step into a bigger Self in our lives is that staying small keeps us "safe".

Guest co-leader and I lead you in learning the essential skills of self-care and boundary setting that allow for a sense of safety and security which ultimately allow you to take your wings and fly. 

Week Six:  Celebration and integration.  If you have ever found yourself caught in a never-ending cycle of doing without rest and appreciation for the hard work you've done, you may not have learned how to enjoy yourself properly.  

Guest co-leader and I offer a celebration and integration of music and party (!) where you will learn to truly celebrate your accomplishments and allow yourself to receive the benefits of your work.  Authentic joy and celebration builds in such way that it pervades every area of our lives and warms the hearts of all those we come in contact with.

It's not where you are that matters.  It's how far you've come.

Early bird signup: now until December 11 and get $100 off!  ($195)  After December 11, the course is $295.  

In this project-based course, you get the support of:

-Special attention with a small group

-Community building with fellow artists and creators

-Eighteen (18) hours of class time

-A daily action partner to check in with

-A midweek conference call with the group to keep the momentum high

-Email access to Alicia for questions

Nov17

Divulging the Material that Will Create Your Solo Show

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Divulging the Material that Will Create Your Solo Show

Writing the story of your life (or any other made up story for that matter), and then performing it for others, can be a difficult task.  A one man show or one woman show however depends on your ability to reveal the nitty gritty of your story in a way that is fascinating and entertaining, as well as perceptive and often humorous as well.

via www.creativeheartcoaching.com

Whether performing standup comedy or making a new painting, your creative process feeds on bits of truth from your subconscious. Here's how to dig inside and get the goods…

Sep20

So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 6 of 7

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So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 6 of 7

So to recap, Part 1 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show", I spoke about discovering the Central Moment on which your show pivots.

Part 2 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show" we looked at the moments that lead up to the Central Moment of your revelation in your solo show.  We explored possible turning points and after effects of the Central Moment, and we looked at possible through lines, the threads that sew your stories together into one cohesive piece.

Part 3, Write write write. We threw out all we "knew" and explored all possible avenues.  This is where the rubber meets the road–we took creative risks and pushed past our normal habits and ideas about who we are and what we can create.

Part 4, Take a break, play, and contact your muses. We contacted our "muses"–that something greater that guides us and shows its genius.

Part 5, Bringing it all together, editing, refining through performance.  "The difference between a standup show and a solo show is that in standup, the character knows exactly what they're talking about and exactly what they think.  And they're going to tell you.  In a solo show, the character doesn't know.  They're looking for something, they want something, and they're figuring it all out with you, on this ride, together.  The hero has a conflict."

Part 6, Kill Your Darlings.  

You may have heard this quote before and not fully understood what it meant, so let me elaborate.   It was Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch who spoke it first, ???Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it ??? whole-heartedly ??? and delete it before sending your manuscripts to press. Murder your darlings.??? 

My senior film thesis in college was a mockumentary about standup comedy.  I made a feature length film (video) in which I starred as a struggling comedian, struggling with whether she wanted to be a famous comedian or just date one.  It was a lot of fun to make, and earned a high grade in a school where we didn't technically even have grades.  And it was good work.  But years later, I got re-acquainted with an assistant who helped shoot the movie.  He handed me a DVD of my film, recut.  He recut my film.  From 75 minutes to 40.  And you know what?  It was better.  It was a totally different movie and missed a lot of the points I was making, but there were about 30 minutes of purely self-indulgent material that I had no ability to recognize as indulgent at the time.  In fact, if I were to re-cut the film again, I'd make it about 25 minutes long.  There is a fantastic scene (which I am not in) that I directed two friends to improvise about chicken soup and sex, and it is probably the best 10 minutes of the whole film.  By killing 65 of my "darling" minutes, there is an incredible piece that would be wonderful to watch.  And it took 10 years to be able to see that truth.

So take some steps back, acknowledge and let go of your darlings.  What is really in your work because it stands on its own, and what is there that needs explaining?  What is in your work because it makes only you satisfied, and what is truly satisfying to people in general?  What is in this piece that sheds light on some aspect of humanity never before spoken, and what is trite or cliche?  What is in your piece that's part of some inside joke and what is a universal joke?  What's there to make a secret jab and someone you're mad at, and what's there to speak truth to power?  What's there to secretly impress someone you're in love with and seem clever or brilliant, and what's there that was truly channeled through genius?  What's there that distracts people from what you really want to say, and what's there to artfully hide what you want to say so they'll come upon it in surprise?  It's time to be ruthlessly honest with yourself, step aside, and allow your muses to speak through you.  And when it goes well, let them take the credit, too.  The joy will come, not in hearing the accolades, but in being an instrument for something truly, humanly brilliant that touches people's hearts and raises the stakes in living their lives fully.

Stay tuned for Part 7, though I have no idea what could follow that!

Aug16

So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 5 of 7

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So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 5 of 7

So to recap, Part 1 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show", I spoke about discovering the Central Moment on which your show pivots.

Part 2 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show" we looked at the moments that lead up to the Central Moment of your revelation in your solo show.  We explored possible turning points and after effects of the Central Moment, and we looked at possible through lines, the threads that sew your stories together into one cohesive piece.

Part 3, Write write write. We threw out all we "knew" and explored all possible avenues.  This is where the rubber meets the road–we took creative risks and pushed past our normal habits and ideas about who we are and what we can create.

Part 4, Take a break, play, and contact your muses. We contacted our "muses"–that something greater that guides us and shows its genius.

Part 5, Bringing it all together, editing, refining through performance.

I recently spoke with Paul Stein, who is a really perceptive theater and comedy director in LA, about my new show.  We talked about the difference between solo performance and standup monology, and which art form this piece will fall under.  It seems to be a perennial question for me.  He said something I won't forget: (paraphrasing)

"The difference between a standup show and a solo show is that in standup, the character knows exactly what they're talking about and exactly what they think.  And they're going to tell you.  In a solo show, the character doesn't know.  They're looking for something, they want something, and they're figuring it all out with you, on this ride, together.  The hero has a conflict."

It's looking like my new show is taking the form of a standup show, but that it will have an arc, a through-line, through the jokes.  He asked me to describe what is the one thing I most want to communicate in this show.  And with that answer, he said, "Find a way to relate and further that communication in each moment, in each piece of your show.  Ask yourself, bit by bit, if each segment fulfills that purpose.  If not, you know what to cut."

So I'm now looking at each segment, with that central communication, that central "conflict" for my character (the fictionalized version of me that I'm presenting through my standup persona, which is sort of an exaggerated, fun-house version of me).  I'm not going to cut anything yet.  I put everything in chronological order for this show (at this point).  And now I'm editing and strengthening each segment so that it's succinct, clear, pithy, and funny or highly poignant.  It's going to take some time.  I have noticed that I need my writing to be colloquial–I'm not writing a book here–and cut as many words as possible before even going on stage.  When the work reaches the point where I'm happy with what I'm saying, (after many edits), I'll take it to the stage, piece by piece.  I didn't do this with my last two shows, which leaned much closer to solo show than to standup.

Comedy that's already well-written and memorized benefits and grows greatly from reaching an audience.  From working the material out in front of an audience, magic arises… nuanced moments, new tags, different perspectives, and an understanding of what bits are not well-communicated or just don't click. Plus, it's fun! Standup tip: Memorizing your material allows for greater confidence on stage and if you feel like riffing or deviating, you've always got a route back "home".  It's a lot like jazz–learn the standards, and then you can do anything.  But sit down at a keyboard with no musical knowledge, expecting to play like Miles Davis, it's just not going to happen.)

If you're not doing standup, there are many open mics that allow performers to showcase various art-forms.  Storytelling nights, solo performance nights, alternative comedy shows, small gatherings at friends' houses.  You can even gather a friend or two you trust to enjoy a piece from your show.  Some people are really happy to hear what you're working on.  They might feel honored that you'd like to read for them.  In this case, you might even be able to convince them to sit for 10-20 minutes while you read from your script, drink some tea or wine, and give you their impressions.  

Tips for friend-readings: don't ask "Did you like it?", but instead, ask "What did you feel I was communicating?  Was it clear?  How might I improve my clarity?  Which parts were most engaging?"  These questions guide people away from "good/bad" and toward what you really want, which is honest feedback about whether you're fulfilling the obligations you've set out for yourself.  Take this as information and not judgment.  And let it sit with you before you make more edits.  Other people make great mirrors for us.

Continue with this refining process until you have worked through your whole piece at least twice.  And stay tuned for part 6 of 7 on writing a one man show or a one woman show or a one human show…

Jul23

So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 4 of 7

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So You Want to Write a One Person Show, Part 4 of 7

So to recap, Part 1 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show", I spoke about discovering the Central Moment that your show pivots on.  You did free-writing about this pivotal moment and you held it close to your heart, a secret for yourself.  

Part 2 of "So You Want to Write a One Person Show" we looked at the moments that lead up to the Central Moment of your revelation in your solo show.  We explored possible turning points and after effects of the Central Moment, and we looked at possible through lines, the threads that sew your stories together into one cohesive piece.

Part 3, Write write write.  It can be tempting in this phase to feel as if it's time to choose a topic and stick with it.  It may feel like you're taking a new direction or things are "falling apart".  Good.  Stay committed.  Create quantity now and worry about quality later.  "It's all good in the end.  If it's not good, it's not over." 

Part 4, Take a break, play, and contact your muses.  Whether it's closer to standup comedy or closer to melodramatic tragedy (not that I think you're being melodramatic), if you're following the process diligently, you'll find you may have become a little overwhlemed by looking at your life, or this fictional version of your life so intensely.  Of course your show might not be about your life..  it's still going to be intense to sit with all the work that's come through you over the recent past.  

This is a good time to take a little space from your project.  At least three days if not a week.  A good time to nap and write down your dreams, to spend time with friends who both relax and inspire you, who you tell the truth with, to read books that have nothing to do with your project.  A good time to draw or paint something, to make an offering or gift to your muses and ask for their guidance.  Make up a ritual or a ceremony!  Light some candles!  Invite that special puzzle piece, that something more into your work that you could not possibly have come up with on your own.

See a piece of theater or hear a piece of music that is truly brilliant, truly transportive.  Unfocus your eyes, soften your ears.  Understand how this art is specific and universal at the same time.  Grok how  some part of the person who created it bowed their small self to the something greater to come through them.  Perhaps it was a deeper intelligence in their brain or perhaps it was divinity..  It was most certainly something that spoke softer and felt truer than their personality, their habitual way of being, their social conditioning.  In Hindi, the word namastasay means to bow.  Find a way to bow your small self and make way for something greater. 

Ok, now.  Keep a notepad (and pen!!) by your bed, keep one by the shower, keep one in the car.  Before you go to sleep at night, ponder your show for at least ten minutes, as the last thing you do.  When you wake up, first thing, write down your dreams or any ideas relating to your show.  Do this for at least seven days in a row.  Any moment you feel something coming through you, say yes to it.  Write it down.  Write everything down that comes, no matter how silly, how insignificant it seems. 

Alternatively, you may find it helpful to create a time each day to allow this "transmission" to come through.  In that case, chose a time and a place to write for one half hour or one hour each day.  Light a candle or some incense at the start–whatever you need to do to mark this time and space as holy and invite that extra something in.  When you complete your writing for the day, always thank your muses and "close the circle". 

If it feels like things are backwards and confusing right now, this is good.  Anyone can write from A to B.  It's called a diary.  What's happening with you now is that you are breaking some holes in the fabric of your normal understanding so the light can come in and illuminate it.  

Ok, now take each incident or character or vignette in your show and put it on a 3 x 5 card.  Mix them up.  The sequence of your life is now like Dada poetry.  Play around with it for a while.  Scramble it up.  Notice themes and threads you may not have noticed before.  You may start to find an order you like.  Make a note of it but keep scrambling.

Part 5 will be forthcoming.  BTW, I am a real human and this is really being written now, so if you have questions or comments, please write to me and I'll do my best to answer them in future blogs.  I am also a solo show coach and can help you work through blocks and bring what wants to be expressed into being.  Keep up the good work!

Alicia Dattner