Stratford, Prince Edward Island
"Rip and tear! Rip and tear!"

That's a quote from SCTV's "Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Stewardesses" skit - but it's terribly apt considering what's being done to the libretto! :)

I'm attempting to continue this rewrite - in between the increasing administrative stuff, that is. In some ways, grateful as I am for the progress, I'm reminded of how frustrated Maud would get trying to write in between all her minister's wife duties. I'm kind of only able to do this in drips and drabs. So, working on a scene that should've only taken a day at most has so far taken four.

You may or may not recall I had written two songs, The Correspondence of Edwin and The Further Correspondence of Edwin, all by way of describing the pseudo-triangle between Maud, Edwin Simpson, and Herman Leard. Well, the one thing that struck me during the workshop in September is that the whole sequence had a way of dragging, and now that we're trying to "stick to the through-line", I've had to reimagine things to make it tighter and more relevant. So, I've had to combine the tracks into one, and rewrite all but a few lines to make it reflect the new direction of the scene. It was much fluffier before, only leading up to the engagement. Now, the song is the engagement. I'd been used to the old version for well over a year, so when I started putting new lyrics to it, it seemed really odd. Fortunately, Leo likes the direction I'm going, and I think it actually makes the song more substantial while retaining its sense of fun. Obviously these are not changes I can implement in a 5-minute session! I'm having to go back through the journals, and even initial drafts of the libretto to try and make things make sense. Exhausting by itself! Let alone the three jillion other things that keep coming up to be taken care of.

That being said, I'm certainly grateful there's stuff to come up, considering not that long ago all was way too quiet on the Western front. And it's all leading to...well, something I hope to announce in the not-too-distant future; alas, I must remain quiet about it yet. :) I can tell you that we're not just trying to do this by ourselves anymore - more and more, we're getting help, and if that's not something to be grateful for, I don't know what is!

Speaking of reinventions, I hope to do one to the web site before long...if I can ever get the time, that is! (Wow - I really channeled Maud in that statement! LOL)

Stratford, Prince Edward Island
Well, there's a whole lot going on - but I can't tell you about most of it! Not yet. But there are some really exciting things in the works, and, as soon as I can make any kind of announcement, you better believe I will right here.

All the craziness in trying to get a show on its feet aside, my world recently has been about rewrites. Yes, it's certainly not the first time, as you know. But this time, it's kind of more about learning. And study. I got detailed notes from a theatre staffer and one dramaturg, plus Leo's had me reading this book called Naked Playwriting. So there's a lot of stuff that's been percolating in my head. In some ways, I can see where I made some tactical and structural errors, which I'm planning to fix. But the one thing I've learned about dramaturgy in the past few weeks is that, while they can give you suggestions, you don't have to take 'em! Things were suggested to us that I wouldn't do in a million years. Of course, it's all made me look at our show in a different way. Some answers I have - I just haven't implemented them, because I wanted to wait until I finished the book (which I did this afternoon). Others...well, they haven't made themselves known yet.

One thing I'd like to say here and now is...I hope you'll all forgive me! There are certain things I'm going to have to cut and certain characters that I'm going to have to cut, all of which is going to dilute the accuracy somewhat. Or at least the amount of it. I know some of you will be sitting there going "Where's such-and-so?" But something else I've become more acutely aware of is the through-line - and the necessity of sticking near it. For me, that through-line is and remains the power of the imagination - whether that's Maud's creative process and books, or the way she "imagined" positive or negative things into her experience. If you know anything about The Law of Attraction, or have read or seen The Secret, you know what I'm talking about. The school of thought that suggests the inner creates the outer, or that our thoughts create our experiences. I'm a rather stringent student of that particular school, even though I'm nowhere near mastering it. So, whatever doesn't contribute to that through-line - with a few exceptions - has to go. There are two characters in particular that I hate cutting, and never imagined cutting, but the story drags when they're there. It isn't just about getting the thing down to 2hrs 40mins or less anymore. Now I've got to make it make more sense structurally. In the beginning I was just determined to do a straightforward biography. And I'd still like to, but I see now that the only way to make this stageable is to have a theme and follow through on it. People have been telling me that right along, but...well, my skull is a bit on the thick side. :)

Anyway, it is still my aim to put something out there that accurately reflects Maud (I may have to leave some things out, but I'm not about to start making things up!) and that you'll all still enjoy. But don't hate me, OK, guys? :)

North York, Ontario
2008 is here! Funny how when we first started up with this show and decided to get it ready in time for a 2008 début, it seemed like this far-away, mystical number. And now it's here! And I have a feeling it's going to be the busiest year yet. Hopefully with the biggest payoff yet!

Anyway, Happy New Year to all Lucy Maud Montgomery fans and to everyone who's followed and supported us on our Nine Lives journey. May whatever you wanted that eluded you in '07 show its face in abundance in '08!

And happy official 100 years of Anne of Green Gables!