school for scandal.

http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=P18396_0_42_0_C

A scheme was proposed around 1800 by the French architect C-N Ledoux for the town of Chaux. The venue was called the 'Oikema' or 'Temple of Sexual Instruction' and was shaped like a giant phallus in plan. Needless to say it wasn't built...

http://studentwebs.coloradocollege.edu/~n_buehrens/oikema.htm

the lab.

Nikola Tesla. totally crazy. totally amazing.

"Sham Gothic"

So I have become interested in the idea of "Sham Gothic" going along with the idea put forward in the first design meeting that "things are not what they seem".

Looking at:

Strawberry Hill (1748? Horace Walpole)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Hill,_London

Fonthill Abbey ( 1795, James Wyatt.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonthill_Abbey

Fonthill is of real interest in that "Beckford lived alone in his abbey and used only one of its bedrooms for his own use. His kitchens prepared food for 12 every day although he always dined alone and sent other meals away afterwards. Only once, in 1800 did he entertain guests when Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Hamilton visited the Abbey."

odd, in many ways, but it's a connection to ROCKY, and the world we are after.

GOTHIC Adjective
1. of a style of architecture used in W Europe from the 12th to the 16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses
2. of a literary style featuring stories of gloom, horror, and the supernatural, popular in the late 18th century
3. of or in a heavy ornate script typeface
Noun
Gothic architecture or art [Greek Gothoi]

Goth·ic (gthk)
adj.
1.
a. Of or relating to the Goths or their language.
b. Germanic; Teutonic.
2. Of or relating to the Middle Ages; medieval.
3.
a. Of or relating to an architectural style prevalent in western Europe from the 12th through the 15th century and characterized by pointed arches, rib vaulting, and a developing emphasis on verticality and the impression of height.
b. Of or relating to an architectural style derived from medieval Gothic.
4. Of or relating to painting, sculpture, or other art forms prevalent in northern Europe from the 12th through the 15th century.
5. often gothic Of or relating to a style of fiction that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate.
6. gothic Barbarous; crude.
n.
1. The extinct East Germanic language of the Goths.
2. Gothic art or architecture.
3. often gothic Printing
a. See black letter.
b. See sans serif.
4. A novel in a style emphasizing the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate.

and we're off

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. West Chester University. 2009.

this will be an attempt to show the design process on ROCKY as it progresses from the the official offer to design both set and lights came sometime in late May 2009 through the meetings, 8 million emails, phone calls, cocktail napkins, and vectorworks.

the artistic team is.

co-directors: Bob Bytnar & Liz Staruch
musical director:
choreographer: Liz Staruch
production design (set & lights): Mark O'Maley
costume design: Joan
sound design: Todd William
dramaturg:
stage manager:

Our first meeting was 8 June in the MWAT.

NOTES:

Next meeting - Mon, June 22 at 10:30am (location?) - Joan and Briana, can you both make it to this? (Please confirm with me)

Mon, July 6 at 10:30am
Mon, July 13 at 10:30am
(these are dependent on Bob's orientation schedule with the incoming freshmen - Bob, please let me know ASAP on your schedule)

Drawings Due - Wed, July 22
Plot Due- Wed, Aug 19

Initial concept ideas:
-Things are not as they appear!
- Liz interested in the Gothic imagery and manipulation of the show. Wanting visually to break the 4th wall as the audience is very much a part of this experience.
-People complete the pieces/elements (ie archway - the top is representational, the columns completed by people (Phantoms))
-Using "people as architecture" (Mark's words)
-Don't hide anything - the crew and the orchestra would all be seen (need to be costumed in some way?)
-Do we have a blank slate when the audience comes in (they are expecting something) or do we give the impression they are expecting (set, location, etc)
-Props used are not what they are supposed to be used for; ie tree branches could be lighting/electric bolts, painted metal, a cape becomes a window
-Costuming Phantoms - possibly include capes, certain parts include masks, maybe we don't always see them as human figures, but shadows, flurry of activity to change acting spaces, provide just enough element to suggest location
- We know its presentation, audience participation with a sense of realism within the scenes

Cast:
- per Bob, no double casting
- # Phantoms to be decided - combo of singers, dancers
- Bob would like 2 Usherettes

Pre-Show ideas:
- A lot of names people do not know anymore (50s icons in B movies?). How do we identify names, their cultural role, etc?
- Introduce idea of film with this - pre-movie trivia film - as they do before movies, run images, info, games (?) as audience comes in

Overall questions:
- How do we bridge audience expectations with original script?
- Are we doing the movie, the play, a combo, what?
- Could we be doing a movie - frame the script as a movie - from screen is life - where do they go at the end - where is "someplace else"?
- Story arc - from A to B or circular? Conversation on circular seemed prominent - start w/nothing, end w/nothing, did this even happen?

Dramaturgy Initial Needs:
-Info on the original STAGE production and the 25th Anniversary stage production
-What made it jump from script to film?
-Reviews - several productions within Philly - check Inquirer, City Paper, Philly Weekly ad Daily News archives
-Bob mentioned the TLA in Philly used to run the movie once a month - perhaps there is info on why, and if it still happens
-Focus more on the stage production. Too much written about the film and that's not what we want.

contacting Gina to discuss her part in this with her schedule and we'll have to contact Dan about possible conducting.

We are talking a 2 weekend run - Opening, Thurs Oct 22, run Fri-Sat Oct 23-24; resume Thurs, Oct 29, run Fri-Sat, Oct 30-31 with 2 shows on Halloween (7pm and 12midnight?) - NO MATINEES of this performance (times need to be decided soon)

Strike to be scheduled on Sun, Nov 1 (not directly after the midnight showing)