If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was just out of the theater in New York City. Maybe it's because Darren Caulley's script, "Dare," is so poignantly written. Clear and crisp dialogue, historical musings, and a bit of colonial-era Puritanism come together to form a compelling tale.
This TMPW session was the first time we got the webcams working, and I am still reflecting on whether they helped or hindered the session. On the one hand, I liked seeing Cate and Darren (Christian was on his iPhone, which doesn't yet do video through GoToMeeting), and feel like I know them a little better than when I had only heard their voices (they've all been on previous TMPW sessions!). But, during the reading of the script, I found the video distracting. I almost wanted video for the introductions, then audio only for the reading of the script, then video again for the workshopping.
For the workshop questions, I fear I'm getting into a bit of a rut already, and not deviating from the basic questions I have used for the sessions so far:
- Initial responses
- Character depth
- Story progression
- Title
- Production worthy?
- Production ready?
If anyone has some new questions I could be using, please leave a comment on this post. I'll also continue my search for writings on the art of workshopping, but I have found very little so far.
My thanks to Darren for his script, and to Cate and Christian. All three of these folks are already becoming TMPW regulars; their involvement is making this a "go." If you want to join in, for one session or several, Sign Up Now and join in as a reader/critic or guest professor.
Here's the audio recording of Session #5.