Everyman Daily Report: 9

First of (hopefully) many publicity shots

Today went wrong very early on.  Having realised I have a doctors appointment at the end of the week I had to have a blood test this morning - which meant a visit to the new Community Health Centre - so called because they built it where there is no community whatsoever.  This took out my morning, because getting to the middle of nowhere from another part of nowhere takes a while, plus the queue took an hour to get to me.  (This was an improvement from the last time I was there, and the chairs in the waiting area have been re-positioned in a more sensible fashion - i.e. facing the general direction of the number counter.  And the nurse was lovely.  The machine coffee was reassuringly undrinkable.)
I then didn't quite get my connection to my first flyering site, plus I realised I'd forgotten various parts of my flyering kit for the afternoon and so gave up on the day as a bad job.
On the plus side - and after this massive whinge (sorry) it's a BIG plus side - I then spent the rest of the day working on the play.  I'm now much, much happier with progress.  I was starting to get the impression that progress was on the slide.  I was behind on my schedule, I hadn't got up and moved the show much and, though I was only a little behind, I was getting really worried that I wasn't giving enough focus on the show - too much on the process of putting it on.
I also took some time to sit and think about the aesthetic of the play - of imagery and what to do with the opening.  I've gone through so many different openings for this production, it's getting silly, and I need something to work against the venues I'll be playing.  I need to create atmosphere in spaces where there often will not be one, to create a sense of anticipation from the very start.  This is tricky.  And I'm still working on it.
Another thought that I liked today was to do something more with my collection of good and bad deeds from the previous shows.  I've still got them all, and I think something, some work of art to add to the art of the play, could be created.  Sketches in progress.
Also, I want there to be a comprehensive logic to the symbolism of the play - for the few props to add to the understanding of the play.  I'm struggling in some parts - and I don't want to abandon the use of props halfway through, I prefer an all or nothing look.
But props are a discussion for another day.  Tomorrow I'll hopefully get a few more flyers out and continue working on the close of the play (another discussion for another day) before I act as question master for a quiz.  As you do.  And, at some point, I'll finish editing the video shoot from the other day.  And... and... and...
It's nice to be busy.

Everyman Daily Report: 6 & 7

It's been a sedate but busy old weekend and now most of my ducks are in a row.  I'm just sent off the first batch of press releases and tomorrow will do the local newsletters and start buying advertising.  The flyers will also arrive tomorrow and, once they're been stickered up, I'll be out and about again, letting the world know about Everyman.  If you're at the beginning of the tour it's getting really close now, if you're at the end, you'll wonder what all the fuss is about.  But I know, blink, and you'll miss it.
Beyond the admin I've doing the last purely text based work.  I planned to have gone over the whole text by tonight (Sunday) but I've got three pages to do tomorrow.  That's not quite true, I might have gone over it all by the time I crawl into bed (I have been rehearsing late) but that would technically be on Monday, so I've failed.  However, the words of the play are now, by and large, back in my head, with three or so weeks before my first performances for students at Essex University.  Next week I'm going to be moving about, playing with the physical score - but next week I also have competition for my time, as I've got a performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on Saturday.  Life is really getting busy.
Yesterday was photo/video day - or evening rather, I needed the darkness.  Though that won't be the end of it - the photography will be a continuing process - I'm looking to create something for Everyman each week, as I try to perfect imagery for the show.  It's not easy, because I'm trapped in the same problem I always have for a one-man show.  All I've got to photograph is one man.  And there are only so many ways to do this.
More importantly, I want to document the show properly - as there are no photos or videos of this show at all - nothing since I started on it two years ago.  This needs to change, but I'm not sure, yet, how I'll do this.
Anyway, here's a little vlog of a retired costume from the show - the original, very creased, shirt of Bad Deeds.