Armagh Project 2015

(Intro music)

Ah, I did not see you there, please remove yourself from my potted ficus… welcome to today’s episode of “Things We Learn.” Today, we will explore the rehearsal process. Like all important television shows on public access stations, like this one, rehearsing is an important aspect for polishing the performance, just so you have an idea of what you are doing on stage and saying to the audience. I rehearse sitting in this faux leather armchair every day for at least fifteen minutes, wearing various hats, because I own an extensive amount of hats to the point which I will never be seen on camera wearing the same one.

Not only do the actors benefit from the rehearsal process, but playwrights get some inspiration for their pieces as well. An actor or the director may alter a line or stage direction that allows the play to flow better, or maybe even be more than barely incomprehensible. The benefits are unimaginable.

As for the actors, they might have a vision of how to perform their roles, but the director comes forward to give them real purpose and aid to their craft, seeing all the roles as part of a working object d’arte. While one actor may see what she needs to do to full the role, the director can piece the individuals together so they understand their roles beside the other cast members.

Well, that concludes another riveting adventure into the world of learning. Tune in next week for another exciting episode, where I feed a live chinchilla, on “Things We Learn.”

(Intro music reprise)

My audience is a group of people who have come to enjoy themselves. It’s my duty as a writer to make them feel the emotions I am expressing through my work. I like to write work that makes them think about the things others do for them in life but at the same time give them a good laugh to make them feel better. My audience just needs to come in with an open mind and leave the rest to me. I will serve up a piece that can make them laugh their troubles away.

For poets, the audience is a varied group that usually depends on the type of poetry that is being performed. Audiences for beat poets tend to move a bit to the rhythm of the words and sometimes the musical accompaniment; audiences for spit poetry typically vocalize their approval by snapping their fingers. In terms of my poetry…well, you kinda just have to sit back and listen, just as if you were listening to a story.

Sometimes I do humorous poetry which can warrant a laugh here and there, but (more often than not) the audience just continues to listen. Personally, I don’t think audience really plays that big of a part in poetry; I think that poetry is best absorbed when read silently on your own, multiple times, and very slowly.

Journalists are in a unique position when it comes to audience. We are expected to write to everyone. Anyone who can speak the language in which articles are written is supposed to be able to read and understand them. Of course, this is an impossible goal to achieve, so we are left striving continuously to reach it and coming as close as we can.

This results in journalists writing at about a 10th grade reading level most of the time so that those with less intelligence or reading ability can also understand the content. Though it depends on the publication, editors at many newspapers will cut out complicated words and opt for short, simple sentences with easy-to-understand words.

The idea when writing an article is to make sure the reader does not have to stop and think for a moment while reading. Flow is extremely important; we have to make sure each idea flows to the next one flawlessly so that the reader does not have to stretch.

Writing to everyone can be a pain sometimes.

For Soldier On, the audience partakes in the play directly when Conall gives his soliloquy . It can be delivered to the audience, which is the only time a character addresses them directly. When the soliloquy is delivered this way, the audience assumes the role of Andrew, Conall’s brother. Here’s where some time jumping happens. The characters partook in WW1, but the audience members are young enough to know people who fought in WW1 at the oldest. One might think the audience would be disjointed, but the soliloquy can actually be appropriated for other Irish conflicts: the troubles, etc. Or any civil war at all (rioting, etc.) The audience becomes aware of their experience with veterans and their struggles (even their own). James has the important role of representing the younger generation, whom all youths should connect with. Thus might help them understand the struggles of their parents or grandparents during WW1, the Troubles, the War on Terror, etc. The audience becomes concious of itself, and essentially the 4th collective actor in the play: Andrew.

I think about my audience often. Since I am attempting to convey a moment in usually brief verse, I pay close attention to language. I understand that language and familiarity with certain images comes from the readers environment and surroundings. This is particularly important when thinking about my personal language and vocabulary and then the audience that will be hearing the work.

My presentation for John Hewitt International Festival is a mix of two cultures. The language and images used reflects this difference. I understand that in some ways the audience won’t be able to follow along without their smart phones, but in some ways I am okay with that.

As a playwright, it is important to think about the audience role in my work because there are techniques that break the fourth wall, or that requires orchestrated audience participation. But I find that when a playwright is not utilizing these techniques, the audience participation is completely voluntary, therefore I try to consider what would be compelling to my audience. However, I write what feels good to me, cross my fingers and hope other’s will like it.

I like to think of the audience for Paint the Bluebells Red as silent participants and witnesses to a murder. Being that there is an element of sorcery involved in this play, the energy of the audience amplifies the actions and intent of the actors.

In An Irish Proposal, the audience and the main character Amanda have a very intimate relationship. Amanda allows the audience inside of her world and she completely opens up to them. She tells them about her painful past and inner demons she struggles with. As the writer I feel that the audience is extremely important because they provide you with positive and negative feedback, which can be helpful for future work.

See that title? That’s what I feel like whenever someone tells me I have an audience to appeal to. I think I was doing fine right up until someone brings up the fact “hey, someone might actually read this,” and now I’m all bothered by the fact that I’m writing to a person and every keystroke from then on is made with an unnamed general entity who is most certainly a person in mind that the thing I’m writing is supposedly for. What used to be automatic has become voluntary. I understand the usefulness of having a reminder every so often; you can’t expect guests and answer the door in pajamas, but sometimes, I just want to be me.

For Under Stone, the audience is at once spectator and accomplice: though members do not participate in the play, they are invited into Kalin’s head as she addresses her unseen mother. Through this dual view they are included in both internal and external goings-on, which should then give them better insight into the characters and story.

This is actually fairly unique for me, because I never write for an audience’s convenience: I write to please myself, because even if I don’t get published I’ll at least have produced something that I like.