Adaptation

I now have two weeks with my children all away in different parts of the world to really get down to some serious work on the new musical I am writing with Steve.  This is an adaptation from a novel.  There has already been a film but I have decided to work from the novel and also use the biographical information on the author to help inform the work.  The novel is very biographical and so the stories about her life in both the biography on her and her autobiography will be very useful.

I have made copious notes on the novel,  chapter by chapter and background to the characters etc.  I have also made some decisions about who and what to eliminate.  My next job is to decide which are the most important scenarios from the book that need to be in the musical.  I have been mulling this over and making notes and think I have already got a good idea.  I am already getting ideas for songs but need to put them on paper now.  Unlike Possessed, I am thinking of opening it with a song which tells us about all the characters, where and who they are and what is happening in their lives.  Although 'In My House" is an opening number in Possessed there is an introductory scene between Jane and Bessy at the opening which helps tell the back story of the musical and set up the relationship between the two women, but I think I can get away without this in the new show.  

One important aspect of the new musical is the two very distinctly different places it is set in, I am going to use this to open up the show and also inform about the period it is set in.  One place is dark and mysterious and the other bright and frivolous....  I am going to try not to worry about how to stage them at the moment but the obvious way would be a revolve.

The characters are very real already.  It feels as if they are sitting in the Green Room, waiting to go on stage!  But experience tells me that the more I plan their entrance the better it will be and the easier it will be put words and songs into their mouths.

Comments

  1. What an exciting artistic process, though I'm sure it can be frustrating at times. Best of luck on your latest project!

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