ORIGINAL WORK: STAGE DIRECTING

Ariana Martinez

ISM 2
2016-2017
Wakeland High School

Table of Contents
Original Work
Original Work Proposal

Process
Task List
Original Work Calendar

8
9

Product
1
1

Script
Prop List

Costume List

73
75

Location Scouting

7
9

Black Box
Possible Rehearsal Schedule
Set Design Sketch

80

85

Promenade

87

92

Possible Rehearsal Schedule

Set Design Sketch

Assessment
Original Work Assessment

94

Original Work

Original Work Proposal

As my original work this year, I am going to start the
planning

for

my

final

product

which

will

be

performance,

however since I have two possible types of theatre I will be

producing, I will be creating two separate plans. This years
performance is going to be much different in comparison to last
years in the sense that it will not be a musical and my goal
isnt to create a big Broadway play, but rather create a great
product that affects my audience, through an intense sense of
intimacy. I have decided to plan my performance around a play
that uses absurdity as a theme, however there is a very possible
chance that I will be collaborating with another ISM student who
is writing a short play and direct that. Despite which play I
pick, the plays all surround the same topics of social issues
striking the young adults and adults today. I will be taking
this very serious topic and converting it to absurdity to mask
the message at first, and then at the climax of the production
have it shake an audience to their core because they snap to
reality and realize that the performance they are watching feels
oddly familiar because in our day to day lives we tend to be
incredibly absurd about serious topics. As for the original work
I will be planning everything including blocking each scene,

sketching set designs, costumes, props and set, hair and makeup,
character development, finances, a possible rehearsal plan,and
location

scoutings.

think

it

is

very

important for me to

remember to think quality not quantity this year, in order to

ensure

that

am

creating

great

product

and

not

making

something so over the top that I cannot actually produce. I will

do all of this planning for a black box performance and then
again for promenade theatre. The end result of my original work
will be a great tool to go forth with my final product. I am
essentially

doing

the

pre-production

for

whichever

play

finally choose.
As for the steps I need to take, the first I need to do is
create a list of my tasks and create an equal representation in
a calendar format with different deadlines, thus keeping me on
track and ensuring that I have given each task the allotted time
needed to be executed properly. The next step is choose a play
and start digesting it and creating my planning within the play,
which essentially is how I want to portray characters or scenes
and why and different deconstructions of a script. Next would be
to start refining my characters and their development through my
representation

of

the

story. After, I will create a diagram

showing the storys arc and how my characters fit and which

points in the play I want to bring out and the others I want to
get rid of. I then will create sketches of each scene and their
set designs. I will then start pre-blocking each scene and show
how each scene demonstrates something different and how it adds
to the play as a whole. Next I will start the finance section
which will include location scouting for possible venues and
calling them for pricing, also making a list of costumes and
props I need and their prices. I then will create a possible
rehearsal plan/schedule for my final product, next semester. I
will be creating all of this for both a black box performance
and

promenade

performance

and

then

adjusting

everything

uniquely to each performance. All this planning will be put into

documents, charts, and diagrams all inserted into a binder to
tangibly turn in. At the end of all of this planning, if I
choose to do work with the other ISM student, I will meet with
my writer and touch base with my planning.
Throughout this original work, I hope to plan to the very
last minute detail in order to ensure that my final product runs
as smoothly as possible. At the end of the day my goal for this
entire

year

is

to

create

performance

that will impact my

audience in an intimate setting, and since intimate settings are

so visible, I need to be on point every step of the way. If I do

all of this planning correctly, I will be setting myself up for

success and an easier experience that last years. Throughout
this planning I will be learning how to do pre-production for
plays rather than musicals and in intimate settings. I will also
be taking a peek into the the producer role or a play in the
finances

section

of

my

planning.

Also,

will learn how to

combine my ideas with another person to create a great product.

My original work, will display my research and knowledge of my
topic because I will be taking the instructions and tips Ive
researched

about

intimate

theatre

and

applying

them

to

my

planning so it will be evident that I essential know what I am

talking

about

and

doing.

It

meets

an

appropriate

level

of

difficulty because I will be taking on the task that even big

time directors take years to do with their productions and doing
it as a fairly inexperienced young director in a shorter time
period and I would like to think in even more detail to ensure I
have

all

bases

covered.

This

original

work

will

display

my

creativity, originality and elaboration through the specificity

and how I am choosing to surround this play around absurdity,
something not many directors dare to do. The work will show
attention
with

my

to

detail,

extensive

neatness,

research

and

thorough,
planning

and
will

professionalism
make

it

very

detailed and thorough and the neatness and professionalism will

be met through clean sketches, documents, charts, and diagrams
that legible. Finally, my original work will serve the purpose
of further planning my final product that will lay a foundation
for later learning and my future career.

Process

Task List
Create calendar for Original Work progress, including
deadlines.
Choose a play with themes of absurdity.
Deconstruct script, cut down to short one act size (approx.
40 mins)
Sketch Set Designs
Block Scenes
Location Scout with possible est. prices
Costume & Prop List with possible est. prices
Possible Final Product process on calendar, including pre
planning, auditions, read throughs, scheduled rehearsals,
run-throughs, possible show dates.

Product

Prop List
Drink Trolley with:
3 wine glasses
Brandy snifter
Bottle of white wine
Cooler bucket
Decanter of brandy
Napkins
Silver beaver inkwell
Wine glass 1/3 full
Watercolor of dog painting
Fat address book
Yearbook
Autobiography of Sidney Poitier, This Life
Snifter of brandy
4 bowls of pasta salad
4 silverware rollups
Guitar
Basket of flowers with jam and card
Letter to Paul
Knife
Blood

 Keys
Wallet
$50.00
$25.00
Notebook
Pen
The Catcher in the Rye

Costume List
Ouisa:($40)
Silk robe
Nice suit, with matching shoes, gold jewelry
Engagement ring and wedding band
Day dress, matching shoes, and bag
Black evening gown, matching shoes, jewelry, and bag

Flan:($30)
Silk robe
Nice suit, with matching shoes, shirt, tie, belt watch
Wedding band
Different shirt, and tie
Black tux, and formal accessories

Paul:($65)
Blazer and khakis, matching shoes, white shirt, matching
belt, and watch
Blood stained shirt
Pink button down
Black tux
Black jacket

 Black jeans, black tank, tennis shoes

Geoffrey:($10)
Suit, matching shirt, matching shoes, matching belt,
matching watch
Tie
Wedding band

Larkin:($0)
Sports jacket, slacks, shirt, shoes, belt, watch.
Wedding band
Different shirt and tie

Dr. Fine:($10)
Suit, with matching shoes, belt, watch, tie, shirt

Detective:($10)
Suit, matching shirt, ugly tie, belt, shoes, and badge

Kitty:($10)
Blazer, with dress, matching shoes
Gold jewelry, and wedding band

Doorman/Policeman:($0)
Uniform suit, with white shirt, black shoes, black tie, hat

NYPD uniform, badge

Elizabeth:($25)
Jean jacket, with white shirt, floral skirt, laced
leggings, flip flops, hair scarf.
Satchel with broadway show pins on it

Rick:($0)
Black tux, shoes, belt
Jeans, t shirt, sneakers, button shirt
Different shirt

Tess:($0)
Black mini skirt, black tights, combat boots, lots of earth
jewelry, watch, hipster top, bomber jacket

Ben:($10)
Jeans, button down shirt, grey pullover, matching shoes,
glasses

Woody:($0)
Khakis, button down shirt, sweater, boots

Doug:($15)
Khakis, pink button down, yellow pullover, boat shoes,
watch

Hustler:($0)
Black skinny jeans, tight white top, belt, shoes, one sock

Trent:($10)
Khakis, plaid shirt, boat shoes, watch, glasses

About $225.00 Total for Costumes (give or take)

Location Scouting
Frisco Discovery Center (Black Box Theater):
8004 Dallas Pkwy #200, Frisco, TX 75034
Seats up to 120 guests
Total occupancy 141
2,300 square feet
Professional sound equipment
Professional lighting equipment
Fully equipped dressing room and green room
Monday - Thursday... $75 per hour
Friday - Sunday... $100 per hour
Nonprofit rates available

Wakeland High School Auditorium

10700 Legacy Dr., Frisco, TX, 75033
Stage only
Professional lighting equipment
Professional sound equipment
Seating occupancy approx. 30
Fully equipped dressing room
No cost or TBD
*other possible locations are TBD because of scheduling

Black Box

Promenade

Assessment

Original Work Assessment

As an ISM student the Original Work is meant to encompass
all the research, experience, and knowledge gained in the first
semester of the program. It is also a creative and unique
representation that will, in someway, aid the community. As a
second year ISM student studying the same topic, being Stage
Directing, I decided I wanted to look back at my original work
from last year (that also happened to tie in with my final
product from last year) and continue relatively the same idea
but correct all the mistakes that a rookie created in the past,
thus growing as a person in my field. I knew from the beginning
that this is what I wanted to achieve from my Original Work,
essentially correcting all the wrongs that have haunted for the
past year and try to become a better director because of it. So
after many hours of brainstorming I came to the conclusion that
I needed to start again from zero but correctly move forward.
What I mean by this statement is that I needed to go back and
refresh my fundamentals of pre production planning and ensue
this journey through a slow and detailed process. To begin with
my Original Work, I knew I needed to stay on track so I created
a task list and a calendar that would help me stay the course.
Continuing with this, I read through many plays and decided on

what theme intrigued me the most and which I wanted to pursue.

Once I chose my play it was smooth sailing for quite a while,
this was because I was just blocking and brainstorming costumes,
and props. However, the challenge came when I was looking for
possible venues that would allow a teenager complete access to
their space. I finally ended the with two possible scenarios of
performance, one was a black box theater performance, and the
other was a promenade theater performance. Both of these had
detailed set designs and then future rehearsals on calendars set
up. This Original Work is essentially meant to set me up for my
final product, and help me remain organized and achieve the best
success.
In order to execute the Original Work, one must have the
correct materials: one half inch binder, scrapbook paper,
printer paper, ink, printer, pencil, pen, highlighter, glue,
scissors, script, patience, and creativity. All these materials
went hand in hand in aiding in my creation. Throughout the
process of the Original Work, no one truly was involved besides
myself. This is mostly because I have not done auditions or
interviews for the positions of my future company meaning that
all the pre-production was in my hands. However, there is a
possibility that I will be collaborating with an ISM student

studying Creative Writing who wrote a play for their Original

Work. That being said, if that does happen then everything will
remain basically the same except the script and blocking will
change.
The steps to follow in order to ensure a replica of my
Original Work are quite simple, but do require time, effort,
patience, and creativity. I started with brainstorming what I
wanted my entire work to consist of. I knew I wanted to have an
entire play blocked and deconstructed, however in addition I
wanted to have a prop list, costume list, set design and a sort
of start to a financial plan, in order to smoothly achieve
quality results in the future. After brainstorming all of these
ideas I thought it would be best if I created a Task List
including all the checkpoints I needed to cross off before
finishing my work. I then proceeded to create a 2-month calendar
of November 2016 and December 2016, filled with deadlines for
certain points on my task list, thus helping me stay on track
and not have to overwork myself. Next, it was time to finalize
which play I was going to use. After many weeks of reading play
after play, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to do
something along the theme of absurdity and found Six Degrees of
Separation by John Guare. I then proceeded to read through the

play several times to truly understand it and get a feel of

which direction I wanted to take it and then I started
deconstructing the script and then blocking the play. After I
was done blocking, I brainstormed and decided on what props and
costumes I wanted each character to have and typed them out. I
included estimated prices on each character's personal expense
in the costumes list, better preparing me to stay on budget. My
next step was finding where I could possibly present my show. I
researched online for ideal spacing with professional lighting
and sound and came up almost empty. I got the contact
information for a few places but many are not sure if they would
be willing to allow me full access. However, the Frisco
Discovery Center has quite a large black box that is made to be
rented with the correct equipment, and then also the Wakeland
High School auditorium is another possibility. Both of these
would work just fine for what I want to achieve so included them
both in the Location Scouting section. Next, I sketched the
set design for the play in Black Box format and in Promenade
format, in order to have a variety of possibilities to choose
from later on. After sketching the sets out I went in and made
them detailed so my reasoning behind each decision was obvious
and understandable. Finally, the last step to completing the

original work is to create a calendar rehearsal schedule for the

next five months for both a Black Box performance or a Promenade
theater performance. After that all that is left to do is print
out all your work, logically organize it and put it in your
binder, not forgetting to include creativity in cover design.
As I look back on my Original Work process this year, I am
pleased with the way it turned out. I will not say it is exactly
what I wanted because ideally I wouldve done all of this pre
production for the actual play I will do in the ideal venue, but
I had to work with what I was given, and I believe I did a great
job with it. Although Ive gone through the process of pre
production three times now, it never get easier or less
stressful, nor does the anxiety ever leave. The problem with
being a creator is that your mind never stops creating, so every
time you feel as though you have finalized an idea, another
bunch fly into our conscience making you doubt your decision. It
is a very tedious process that requires you to be fully invested
at all times.
What I learned this year as opposed to last is that you can
never forget your fundamentals. They are your basic building
blocks that hold up your entire creation. You can never cheat
them either. The process takes a gruesome amount of time because

it is not easy to put on a show, it is not a simple task, it is

a job designed to make you challenge yourself every time you
turn a new page. It is difficult and stressful but I would not
change it for the world, because once you learn to love your
fundamentals you start to notice how much more your product
improves which is something I would never wanted to deny. I am
constantly trying to better myself as a director, looking at the
latest styles, genres, techniques, etc., but I used to never
look back at the aspects I learned first or why my mentors
drilled those key points into my head, it was not to create
stress but rather help me become the best creator I can.
In conclusion, although my Original Work was very similar to
that of last years, it helped me improve as a director quite
extensively. This assignment allowed me the chance to redeem
myself for skipping over the key aspects of being a director,
which is in the details, everything has a purpose and meaning.
Because I was able to correct my previous mistakes, I believe
that my final product that is somewhat tied with my original
work will benefit greatly as I am now a better, more experienced
director who understands the importance of the smallest of
aspects. Due to this reasoning, I am certain that I am ready to
take on the next task ahead with the help of my mentor, in hopes

of creating a fantastic final product that will lead to many

more opportunities in the near future.