COMPLETE[PLAY]One Act Play Collection 018 - thw

[flavo5000]

Here's Robert Fitzsimmons for The Birthmark by Jack London:
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/birthmark_robertfitzsimmons_london_128kb.mp3
14:47

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd

[ToddHW]

Hi, everyone,

Is there anyone willing to mentor me (in a way) through BCing one of these? I’ve found a relatively short one-act play (2 actors, plus stage directions).

A) would there be someone willing to help teach me?
B) does this play look like a decent one for a first go? http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19931

Thanks,
Stephanie

I'll be glad to help you: that's one of the purposes of the One Act collections.

Percival died in 1953 so this is not PD yet for some of our European readers and listeners, but this will be okay in January 2023 methinks.

Looks like a good play to start with - nice clean script, easy for readers to follow. However, Wilde's wikipedia page says that the play was published in 1930 which would not be PD for many folk; the Gutenberg text is undated so no way to be sure that there is a PD version - though Gutenberg is very good about making sure stuff is PD. Ah-ha: there is a 1922 scanned version of the play at https://archive.org/details/reckoningplayino00wildiala/page/n1/mode/2up so we know that there was a PD version for the careful folks at Gutenberg to use.

You have some examples on the previous pages in this forum of the info that is required to set you up. (For example viewtopic.php?p=2124737#p2124737 )

I'll be handling all the MW interaction for you, and glad to discuss the editing. Somewhere I did a Zoom about it, and I have vgs I can send you if you PM me an email address.

Thanks, Todd

[stepheather]

Thank you, Todd! I thought (besides being fun) that might be part of the reason for these collections, but I am GREAT at overthinking and getting nervous about trying new things.

* "The Reckoning" by Percival Wilde
* https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19931
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_Wilde (1953)
* I don't see a link on Wikipedia for the play itself
* Three roles
* 1930 (but listed as PD on Project Gutenberg)
* Roles:
Narrator
The Barber
The Customer

I'll BC so I can learn that side of it. Let me know what else is needed--and thanks again.

[redrun]

Is there anyone willing to mentor me (in a way) through BCing one of these? I’ve found a relatively short one-act play (2 actors, plus stage directions).

A) would there be someone willing to help teach me?
B) does this play look like a decent one for a first go? http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19931

Looks like you're already set, but in case any of this is useful to you or to future readers:
I've yet to go through the process start-to-finish myself (my first three are all in progress, in this collection), but here's what I've learned so far. Most of this you've probably guessed or could easily figure out, but it's worth typing for me: if I'm wrong or missing something, perhaps someone can correct me, and save us both from learning by experience.

The actual "BC" duties in a one-act-play collection are pretty light, as mentioned. To put them all in one place:

• The first post has instructions with the required information about the play and the author, which is quick to collect. You'll need the list of parts for the play as well.
• Then you'll need to give any special instructions to the readers (e.g. how would you like to handle songs, or lines where folks might not know who says them), and keep the readers and Todd up to date on the status of sections as they progress. As Todd says, this play looks very simple, so not much on this front.
• Toward the end, you'll need to provide a formatted cast list for the catalog page. That looks very easy (if a bit time-consuming for larger plays) if you follow the instructions for this generator tool:
  https://ia800702.us.archive.org/31/items/LibrivoxM4bCollectionAudiobooks/CastCoder.html

You do have the added duty of being a parts-PL, unless you've found someone else to do that for you. Here's what I'd say to someone parts-PL-ing a dramatic work for the first time:

• PL for dramatic works, unlike Standard PL, does require reading along, to make sure none of the lines have been skipped.
• The first post already instructs readers to leave 3-5 seconds of silence between their lines, and making sure this is followed can make it easier to edit quickly.
• Where the stage directions or narration show up inside a character's line, treat it as two lines for the character - one before, and one after, and with the 3-5 seconds of silence between.
• Some editors prefer to handle noise-reduction themselves, but the usual way is to have readers do (or un-do) noise reduction as needed in the PL stage.

You're also the editor, unless again you've found someone else. This is what's helped me get to the point where I can do it fairly quickly, but obviously I'm still learning!

• You can find Phil's video on editing dramatic works here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q96dbRCnG0
  I've shamelessly stolen his approach of starting with the narrator file as the main one, then cutting lines from each of the readers and pasting them into the silences.
• Another helpful video for editing, this one by Adrian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM7wcwAL84w
  Labels are very handy for jumping to certain spots, or for selecting a line all as a single unit. A little experimentation with them can go a long way in making the editing process quicker.
  I use the Analyze -> Label Sounds tool on the narrator file, with "Label type" set to "Point after sound". That puts a marker after every line of the narrator's, which I can jump to using keyboard shortcuts (Alt+Right to move to the next).
  On the reader files, I use it with "Label type" set to "Region around sounds", so Alt+Right will select the whole line, and I can cut it all at once without zooming or dragging.

You'll also need a final PL, but it's pretty easy to get a drive-by, for a one-act play.

[flavo5000]

Here's Ned Bashford for A Wicked Woman by Jack London:
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/wickedwoman_nedbashford_london_128kb.mp3
13:25

[stepheather]

Millions of thanks, redrun! Yes, this is very helpful to me (especially those editing notes and links).

[ToddHW]

Your BC duties will include getting readers to submit their material in a timely fashion (or have me orphan them), PL'ing submitted files, and then Spot PL'ing again after corrections. You will edit the play together from the submitted parts and find someone to PL that: you can not PL your own editing. You also need to make up the cast list that will go on the catalog page.

I have to do the MW part of the BC'ing becuz we don't have enough access slots in the MW database for each play BC to get in. This means I will set up the sections in the MW for you (already done), post claims, post links to submitted files, and change the status as the files get PL'd. I move sections around on the MW to make it easier for potential readers to find open roles, etc. Eventually I will merge all the cast lists for the catalog page, and catalog everything.

EDIT: I see redrun has already nicely covered this

Thanks, Todd

[redrun]

Here's Robert Fitzsimmons for The Birthmark by Jack London:
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/birthmark_robertfitzsimmons_london_128kb.mp3
14:47

Robert Fitzsimmons, in The Birthmark is PL OK!
Really well done story-telling in character!

Here's Ned Bashford for A Wicked Woman by Jack London:
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/wickedwoman_nedbashford_london_128kb.mp3
13:25

Ned Bashford, in A Wicked Woman is PL OK!
Thanks for paying such close attention to the stage directions, you're spot-on with those special lines, like "biting his lip".

[stepheather]

Thank you, Todd! I thought (besides being fun) that might be part of the reason for these collections, but I am GREAT at overthinking and getting nervous about trying new things.

* "The Reckoning" by Percival Wilde
* https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19931
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_Wilde (1953)
* I don't see a link on Wikipedia for the play itself
* Three roles
* 1930 (but listed as PD on Project Gutenberg)
* Roles:
Narrator
The Barber
The Customer

I'll BC so I can learn that side of it. Let me know what else is needed--and thanks again.

I realized I should have included a short description of the play--although I don't know how many will read it here.

The customer needs a quick shave. The barber seems intent on making him late--but why? Why does the barber use his razor to keep the customer in the chair? This short one-act play explores motives, deception, and what it takes to bring about a reckoning.

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd

[GregGiordano]

May I claim the Customer in "The Reckoning."

Thank you!

Greg

[stepheather]

May I claim the Customer in "The Reckoning."

Thank you!

Greg

Yes, please--welcome to the barber's chair!

Thanks,
Stephanie

[GregGiordano]

May I claim the Customer in "The Reckoning."

Thank you!

Greg

Yes, please--welcome to the barber's chair!

Thanks,
Stephanie

Thank you! I'll keep my head on a swivel while sitting in that chair!

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd