The Play's the Thing - Group Reads!
Apr 11, 2020 19:35:32 GMT -5
Killix, Celestial, and 5 more like this
Post by Gelquie on Apr 11, 2020 19:35:32 GMT -5
Sometimes there's IRL groups that put aside time to get people together and read through an entire play. These people can be anyone, from experienced play artists, or the casual interested person off the street! It's often hosted by a play group as a way to reach out to the community, and everyone has a good time and gets a chance to read part of a play.
I decided to try to adapt something similar to the NTWF!
Basically, what I'll try to do is get a group together on a group voice chat, and every now and again we can read a play! Plays will be decided upon by a group, or selected from a list. Then after selecting a time or setting a certain time/date per week, we can get together and read the play!
How the reading will most likely go is that people will be able to add themselves to a list of readers. Adding yourself to the list is optional; you can always join in the chat and just listen. At each new scene, readers are selected by going down the list, and each new scene (barring extremely short 3-line scenes), the readers change. At the end of the list, it restarts at the beginning. Exceptions may be made if someone wants to keep the same reader for a part for a climax. This should be kept to a minimum unless everyone agrees to it, as the idea is to give everyone a fair chance to read.
You do not need to have The Best Voice Acting to be a reader. If you're there and want to read, that's reason enough! Dramatic readings are absolutely encouraged. But if you can't or feel you don't compare, well... this isn't a competition. The point is to have fun. Please don't feel pressured, and please don't pressure others.
(As a courtesy, if you are not a reader for a certain scene while readings are going on, please mute your mic. Especially if you have a lot of background noise.
Of course, things like laughter will happen; that's okay!)
There will also need to be someone who reads the actions/narrations in a play, read the scene changes, and assign roles to readers. This is usually the person considered the Host. They may or may not get to read, but may if groups are short, or so long as their voice is distinguishable. Ideally, the person for this should remain consistent throughout the play (at least the role assignment part), when possible, though a backup may be assigned in case something happens. It's a very important part!
I will be flexible on whether not the Host will also be allowed to read a part, as it largely depends on the group. After all, it's all about having fun! So long as the Host remembers their role.
For the first play read, I will take the role as the Host. Next time, it may be someone else. People may volunteer to be the Host if they want!
Format Sample:
Forumers: A, B, C, D, E, F.
Host: A
Readers: B, C, E, F
Host: "Act 1, Scene 1! B, read Alice. C, read Bob. *Scene Narration.*"
Bob: "Alice, I love you."
Alice: "Go away, you smell."
Host: "Exit Alice."
Bob: "Noo, I must find out why I smell!"
Host: "Exeunt. Act 1, Scene 2! E, read Bob. F, read Alex. I'll read Finch. B, read Cow. C, read Cat."
*During reading, G joins and signs up to be a reader via text chat. Reader F needs to leave for a few minutes and is not available at next casting. Later.*
Host: "Exeunt. Act 2, Scene 1! E, read Alice. G, read Bob. and I'll read Finch."
*Etc, with F returning at some point and being included in the next round of reading.*
Venue - I would like the venue to be something everyone can access, if possible. For now, I'm going to plan to put it on Discord. People who share a physical location may share Discord access to the readings. I'll set up either a channel or a whole server for this.
If anyone has different ideas for a venue, or if Discord is not accessible, please bring it up and/or suggest some alternatives so I can explore them.
I can also set up a Skype session if need be.
When I get more options, I can set up a list of possible venues here.
When? - Because we have international members here, it may be difficult to get everyone in the same timezone. I'd like to set up a date and time that works for as many people as possible. If there are repeats, it will likely happen that there may be scheduling conflicts as it may be unavoidable. I'll try to establish a common date and time, but I can have another session at a different time to accommodate people in different timezones. Please let me know what day of the week and times work best for you! (Or you can state which don't work for you, if that's easier!)
Now, what to read?
I'll likely start this off with Shakespeare plays! They are very common and open-sourced, and fun for people of all ages. (Though note, there are a few with borderline language. Few of them have anything bad, and it's never made a big deal. If this is an issue, I can take a session off-NTWF. Any plays that are too troublesome will not be read by this group.
I'll also open this to poems! Shakespeare sonnets are always a good. There is one exception to Shakespeare poems that will be read; if you see it, it should be obvious why.
I'll keep this open to suggestions for any play or even readings, so long as they...
-Are free and open-sourced. (That way people can follow along, even if there are audio issues.) (Pirated does not count as free and open-sourced.)
-Are not too crass or have other issues that bother people.
-(This list is incomplete, please feel free to point out other things. Just be considerate.)
Please suggest what you'd like to have read here, as well as any scheduling suggestions, platform suggestions, or even just comments!
Discussion of this started here and ended here (one page's worth of posts), if you'd like to archive read or reference a previous post!
Approved Play List:
Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Romeo and Juliet
...There's more. The entire list is here, complete with full plays.
Shakespeare Plays that Will Not Be Read (aka the Nope List):
The first play will be A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. (Entire play!)
Time: TBD
I decided to try to adapt something similar to the NTWF!
Basically, what I'll try to do is get a group together on a group voice chat, and every now and again we can read a play! Plays will be decided upon by a group, or selected from a list. Then after selecting a time or setting a certain time/date per week, we can get together and read the play!
How the reading will most likely go is that people will be able to add themselves to a list of readers. Adding yourself to the list is optional; you can always join in the chat and just listen. At each new scene, readers are selected by going down the list, and each new scene (barring extremely short 3-line scenes), the readers change. At the end of the list, it restarts at the beginning. Exceptions may be made if someone wants to keep the same reader for a part for a climax. This should be kept to a minimum unless everyone agrees to it, as the idea is to give everyone a fair chance to read.
You do not need to have The Best Voice Acting to be a reader. If you're there and want to read, that's reason enough! Dramatic readings are absolutely encouraged. But if you can't or feel you don't compare, well... this isn't a competition. The point is to have fun. Please don't feel pressured, and please don't pressure others.
(As a courtesy, if you are not a reader for a certain scene while readings are going on, please mute your mic. Especially if you have a lot of background noise.
Of course, things like laughter will happen; that's okay!)
There will also need to be someone who reads the actions/narrations in a play, read the scene changes, and assign roles to readers. This is usually the person considered the Host. They may or may not get to read, but may if groups are short, or so long as their voice is distinguishable. Ideally, the person for this should remain consistent throughout the play (at least the role assignment part), when possible, though a backup may be assigned in case something happens. It's a very important part!
I will be flexible on whether not the Host will also be allowed to read a part, as it largely depends on the group. After all, it's all about having fun! So long as the Host remembers their role.
For the first play read, I will take the role as the Host. Next time, it may be someone else. People may volunteer to be the Host if they want!
Format Sample:
Forumers: A, B, C, D, E, F.
Host: A
Readers: B, C, E, F
Host: "Act 1, Scene 1! B, read Alice. C, read Bob. *Scene Narration.*"
Bob: "Alice, I love you."
Alice: "Go away, you smell."
Host: "Exit Alice."
Bob: "Noo, I must find out why I smell!"
Host: "Exeunt. Act 1, Scene 2! E, read Bob. F, read Alex. I'll read Finch. B, read Cow. C, read Cat."
*During reading, G joins and signs up to be a reader via text chat. Reader F needs to leave for a few minutes and is not available at next casting. Later.*
Host: "Exeunt. Act 2, Scene 1! E, read Alice. G, read Bob. and I'll read Finch."
*Etc, with F returning at some point and being included in the next round of reading.*
Venue - I would like the venue to be something everyone can access, if possible. For now, I'm going to plan to put it on Discord. People who share a physical location may share Discord access to the readings. I'll set up either a channel or a whole server for this.
If anyone has different ideas for a venue, or if Discord is not accessible, please bring it up and/or suggest some alternatives so I can explore them.
I can also set up a Skype session if need be.
When I get more options, I can set up a list of possible venues here.
When? - Because we have international members here, it may be difficult to get everyone in the same timezone. I'd like to set up a date and time that works for as many people as possible. If there are repeats, it will likely happen that there may be scheduling conflicts as it may be unavoidable. I'll try to establish a common date and time, but I can have another session at a different time to accommodate people in different timezones. Please let me know what day of the week and times work best for you! (Or you can state which don't work for you, if that's easier!)
Now, what to read?
I'll likely start this off with Shakespeare plays! They are very common and open-sourced, and fun for people of all ages. (Though note, there are a few with borderline language. Few of them have anything bad, and it's never made a big deal. If this is an issue, I can take a session off-NTWF. Any plays that are too troublesome will not be read by this group.
I'll also open this to poems! Shakespeare sonnets are always a good. There is one exception to Shakespeare poems that will be read; if you see it, it should be obvious why.
I'll keep this open to suggestions for any play or even readings, so long as they...
-Are free and open-sourced. (That way people can follow along, even if there are audio issues.) (Pirated does not count as free and open-sourced.)
-Are not too crass or have other issues that bother people.
-(This list is incomplete, please feel free to point out other things. Just be considerate.)
Please suggest what you'd like to have read here, as well as any scheduling suggestions, platform suggestions, or even just comments!
Discussion of this started here and ended here (one page's worth of posts), if you'd like to archive read or reference a previous post!
Approved Play List:
Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Romeo and Juliet
...There's more. The entire list is here, complete with full plays.
Shakespeare Plays that Will Not Be Read (aka the Nope List):
The Taming of the Shrew
The Merchant of Venice
Titus Andronicus
The Merchant of Venice
Titus Andronicus
The first play will be A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. (Entire play!)
Time: TBD
