Shining a light on local artists.
Crafting original work.
In 48 hours.
This project focuses on local creatives and puts the spotlight on the professional talent Geelong and its surroundings have to offer.
This project benefits the local arts community by focusing on and sharing creation processes with audiences; giving visibility to local professional artists in flux.
While this project does aim to feature local professional performers, it is first and foremost about organic creation where the leading players are writers, directors, designers and other arts professionals in the region. This project may also help strengthen local professional community networks and offer the audiences insight into the creative and behind-the-scenes processes behind new works.
THE PREMISE:
3 writers are given 24 hours to write a 15 minute musical.
The next 24 hours are given to creatives and performers to stage them for a live-stream.
TIMELINE & SCHEDULE:
Each of three writer’s projects will work to this schedule…
Artist engagement over the 48 Hour period.
Local Artists highlighted in Green. Venue Staff highlighted in red.
Live Streams in blue.
Thursday 7pm.
Project begins.
Livestream 1: Introductions (15-20 mins)
Introduce the 48 hour musical and outline the concept and process to the audience.
The writers, directors and designers are introduced to the audience.
The writers choose a provocation.
While performing artists are being introduced to the live-stream audience, the artists are assigned to projects.
Each team must include a writer, director, designer and a cast of three from a pool of 9 cast members.
The writers then have until 7pm on Saturday night to finish their writing and compositions.
After the live stream, there is time for planning, taking costume measurements, assigning working spaces, schedules and access etc.
9pm. Tools down everyone goes home.
Friday 9am.
Writing commences. Through the day on Saturday, the writers communicate their work with their assigned directors, who in turn collaborate with a team of creatives to bring together costumes, set or furnishings, props and any other production design required.
Friday 7pm.
Livestream 2: 24 Hour Update (15-20 mins)
Update the audience on the day's events. Share updates from the writer, director, designer, technicians etc. Ie. What has been written, design concepts, technical plans etc.
The cast are given their scripts.
The cast can work to 9pm on learning music. At this point, the writers become musical directors and begin teaching the music. Then they head home and can take their material home to learn over-night.
Saturday 9am.
Rehearsal begins. The morning is spent rehearsing the material.
Following a lunch break, the casts take turns in the theatre space to light and tech their performances.
Saturday 7pm.
Livestream 3: 48 Hour Musical
Welcome the audience to the live stream of the performance. Each 15 minute musical is performed to the live audience.
The schedule allows for three musicals at 15 minutes each with 5 minute change-overs, amounting to a 55min live-stream presentation. Q&A to follow. (Up to 30 mins)
NOTE: Alternatively, instead of three new works taking place on the same weekend, we could aim for three new works over three weekends. Saturday night live-streams would then only run for 15 mins with a Q&A, totalling up to 45 mins.
SPACES & SCHEDULE:
Working to the schedule that three teams will be working concurrently on the one weekend, each team will need their own spaces.
The theatre space will be used for performance and Live Streaming.
ARTISTS ENGAGED:
3 x Writers
3 x Directors
3 x Set/Costume Designers
9 x Performers
LEAD ARTIST:
Christian Cavallo — Director
Christian is a graduate of the Masters in Directing for Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne). He has directed numerous theatre productions around the Geelong and Melbourne region including H#SHED OUT, The Eight Reindeer Monologues, Kinky Boots, Heathers The Musical, Dusty The Original Pop Diva and more.
Through COVID-19, Christian was one the Creative Directors who delivered Hope. New Works Development Initiative, producing and facilitating the series of ten developments for new plays and music theatre, as well as directing three.
Christian works as a freelance graphic designer. His company, Cav Creative, specialises in entertainment advertising design. He is Artistic Director of emerging company Bravo Arts.
www.christiancavallo.com