SLP vs. Cleage

In a rare event Eclipse has featured not one but two playwrights during its 2007 season: Pearl Cleage and Suzan Lori Parks. Both prolific African American writers – let’s take a moment and take a quick peek at each author.
Pearl Cleage
Born: December 7, 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts but was raised primarily in Detroit, Michigan
Education: [...]

Ethnicity in Theatre

Last summer Time Out Chicago had a feature article discussing the race barrier in Chicago. Prior to the articles publication Eclipse had already announced their 2007 season playwright, African American writer Pearl Cleage. A mostly white theater company producing an entire season of theater by an African American playwright. Could this [...]

One playwright. Two nights.

We performed seven short plays by Suzan-Lori Parks this past Friday and Saturday night; Week 43 of the year-long 365 Days / 365 Plays festival. This has been a great couple of weeks – they’ve been fun plays to explore, and we had a fantastic group of ensemble members and friends to explore them with.
We invited [...]

Interpretations

An interesting inquiry came up both nights of Eclipse’s performance of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays. People wanted to know what was the difference between what was performed and what Parks wrote on the page.
In general her plays purposely leave a vast amount of interpretation up to the actors, directors and production team. SLP has [...]

Only One Page?!?

In the world of theatre we have ‘plays’, ‘one acts’, ’sketches’, ’scenes’, amongst other categories of performance types. One of the questions brought up during last weekend’s Suzan-Lori Parks post show discussion was: “How are these plays?” This brings up a very interesting question in the world of theatre, especially in dealing with a group [...]

Dress rehearsal: 365 Days / 365 Plays

We’re taking the night off tonight, so last night’s dress rehearsal was our last before we perform 7 short plays by Suzan-Lori Parks this Friday and Saturday.
Everybody seems to be having a lot of fun, and we’re all trying some new things and taking some wild risks – something about these plays takes away all the [...]

365 Plays – getting our 7 ready

In the last two weeks we’ve been rehearsing the seven short plays that make up Week 43 of the world premiere of 365 Days/365 Plays.
When Suzan-Lori Parks first explained the concept of 365 Days/365 Plays to a group of representatives from theatre companies all around Chicago, there was an energy in the room that reminded [...]

you call them plays?

As I try and wrap my head around trying to write a play a day for a year and what kind of extreme exercise that would be as an artist I love the section from one of this weeks play below.
From 365 Days/365 Plays, August 21st, “The Bear”
Woman: I dunno. I feel very-insignificant. Ive been [...]

Read a Play a Day

 
 
 
While browsing around looking for more information
regarding the 365 Days/365 Plays festival I ran
across this link where you can read the play of the day!
Of course the plays can also be found in the published
365 Days/365 Plays book.

SLP on 365

“[Writing 365 Plays in 365 Days] it became this prayer, almost.  To theatre. To life. To the art process.”
-Parks in the New Yorker  regarding 365 Plays/365 Days

Suzan or Susan

Tidbit of the week:
Suzan Lori Parks was born as Susan Lori Parks. What’s with the change? Parks spells her name with a ‘z’ due to a misprint that happened early in her career. You can read more about that and Parks in this interview.

Who is Suzan Lori Parks?

For those of you whom are unfamiliar with SLP-Let’s take a glimpse at Suzan Lori Parks life and work-

Suzan Lori Parks was born on May 10, 1963 in Fort Knox, Kentucky. She attended a German high school (her father was in the military) and attended college at Mount Holyoke College. In 2002 Parks became the [...]

Kick Off to Eclipse’s SLP 365 Days/365 Plays

In a little over a month Eclipse will produce their week of Suzan Lori Parks’ 365 Days/ 365 Plays.  I am dramaturging Eclipse’s portion of the festival and directing one of the pieces.   
For those that have not heard about this year long world premiere play festival here is a summary:  In 2002 Pulitzer [...]