By Douglas Langworthy, Literary Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

Alan Ayckbourn

Ayckbourn, who at age 72 has written more than 70 plays including ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR which is playing now in The Space Theatre, is considered the most prolific professional playwright living.  Each of his plays has some sort of stylistic device that makes each play easy to remember.  Here is a selected list of some of his more popular titles. Let us know which one you would like to see produced next!

Standing Room Only:  A maternity ward on a double-decker bus

Relatively Speaking:  A romance where no one knows who they’re in love with

How the Other Half Loves:  Three couples attend two dinner parties at the same time

Time and Time Again:  Three men chase after the ultimate trophy woman

The Norman Conquests:  Three plays, one cast

Bedroom Farce:  One night, three bedrooms

Season’s Greetings:  Another average Christmas with affairs and gunshots

Intimate Exchanges:  Two actors, one small decision, eight possible plays

Woman in Mind:  A woman with both a real and imaginary family

A Small Family Business:  Family furniture business turned drug-dealing ring

The Revenger’s Comedies: Two plays, one epic tale of revenge

Body Language:  Two women given the chance to exchange bodies

Time Of My Life:  A family drama that spans the past, present and future

Communicating Doors:  A time-travel comedy-thriller

By Jeeves:  A musical-turned-farce, all due to a missing banjo

Comic Potential:  A robot discovers her comedic acting abilities

House and Garden:  Two plays occurring simultaneously in two different theatres

Virtual Reality:  Miscommunication in a world of advanced technological communication

Damsels in Distress:  Three different plays with the same set and cast

Improbable Fiction:  One story told spanning multiple genres

Popularity: 33% [?]

It’s World AIDS Day AND the first Tuesday of December, which means it’s time for a new episode of “10 Minutes to Curtain”!

 
With Thanksgiving past and the holiday season upon us, one thing is certain at The Denver Center: A CHRISTMAS CAROL is up and running. Charlie goes backstage to talk with some actors about the real drama in the production, then climbs up to the catwalks to give you an exclusive birds-eye-view of the complicated scene changes in ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR. Then, join Ann Kron for a tour of her living room on the WELL set and learn about the upcoming world premiere productions of EVENTIDE and WHEN TANG MET LAIKA.

Popularity: 27% [?]

It’s Culture Day in Japan AND the first Tuesday of November, which means it’s time for a new episode of “10 Minutes to Curtain”
 
 
Charlie begins this episode with a theatrical exploration inspired by Well, a play about the creation of a play. Then join the characters from Absurd Person Singular in couples therapy as they deal with the stresses of the holidays. And get an exclusive look at A Christmas Carol kid auditions and find out what it takes to be Denver’s next Tiny Tim.

Popularity: 24% [?]

What does a stage manager do exactly?  I could say something trite and vague like “manages the talent” {yawn} but why not exercise the creative side of my brain by creating a list of some things that come across my “to-do” list daily?

And in the spirit of Christmas….

In the last weeks of rehearsal my bossman gave to me:

1 Director

2 Dogs

3 Kitchens

4 Assistants

5 Sound Minidisks

6 Members of the Cast

7 Parts of a Scenic Trick

8 Liquids that Appear Onstage

9 Rolls of Tape

10 Hours of Work Each Day

11 Furniture Units on Wheels

12 Days of Christmas… a Musical “Button” to the End of Act 2

Are you curious now?  Does my job seem absurd?  If you have a few more seconds then here are more details.  If not, see you opening night!

1 Director — The artistic guru, the person whom I report directly to for scheduling, tech notes, cueing, etc.  (in this case, Sabin Epstein)

2 Dogs — Sabin’s dog, Emma, can be found quietly minding her p’s and q’s beneath the director’s table.  Dog #2 is a special guest Chihuahua named Titus who belongs to the fight director, Gefe.  We have a few harrowing moments with knives that require fight expertise.  The dogs get along, by the way.

3 Kitchens — The play has 3 acts that each take place in a different kitchen: OCD ships galley, unkempt disaster zone (enhanced by some bits with a dog), and antique Victorian/turned dance club

4 Assistants — Rebecca, Dennis, Katrina, and Cassie all track props, fetch rehearsal clothes, take line notes, choreograph one kitchen moving offstage and the next kitchen taking its place, and nod and smile when I ask them to do something that makes no sense at all.

5 Sound Minidisks — Cues pivotal to rehearsal: rain, dog barks and growls (Emma doesn’t like those), party chatter, doorbells, and Scottish reels.

6 Members of the Cast — The 6 actors play 3 married couples and boy are there some classic marital moments.  And some bits with a dog.

7 Parts of a Scenic Trick — The main body, the bulb, the shade, screws, fake wires, a socket, and pyro…. can’t disclose further details.

8 Liquids that Appear Onstage — Sherry, coke, gin, scotch, tonic wine (higher alcohol content than traditional wine), brandy, water, and bitter lemons (Brit soda).

9 Rolls of Tape — Painters tape (to spike paint-sensitive surfaces), masking tape (to label props tables), black gaff tape (fixes anything), and 6 colors of spike tape (yellow, red, green, blue, aqua, and hot pink).

10 Hours of Work Each Day — On a good day.

11 Furniture Units on Wheels — Various combos of kitchen cabinetry, appliances, and countertops that roll on and offstage in scene shifts thanks to a pressurized air tank (and some smart carpenters).

12 Days of Christmas —  You have to see Act 2 to appreciate this traditional Christmas carol, and the bit with a dog.

Time to shut off the laptop now and get some shuteye before the next day of absurdity!

Popularity: 43% [?]