Pennsic Cycle Project

11/05/2023

Just a check-in - my mundane life has been crazy with theatre, but after this tech week I should be back with some updates!

09/16/2023

Hello Friends of the Cycle! Sorry for the quiet stretch - I'm about two weeks out from tech for the fall musical, so things have been busy here on the mundane side. My current goal is to write up a call for playwrights next!

I am pondering some of the following guidelines -
* Short plays, 5-15 minutes
* Limited technical demands, demands that can be solved with style & imagination
* Consideration on cast size, or allowance for doubling
* Modelled in style after a mystery/miracle/morality play (perhaps creating a document summarizing some of these typical characteristics)
* Concern topics relevant to the SCA
* Respectful of the diversity of beliefs in the Society - not evangelistic/didactic for any real-world faith tradition
* willingness to release the script under a Creative Commons or similar license, to permit non-commercial performances (can offer a broader use, but this is a minimum)
* willingness to add script to the Pennsic Cycle "codex" - a database of all available plays for folks to access

One of my personal goals for this is to make theatre more accessible - shorter scripts, smaller casts, and light tech help remove barriers.

I would love to hear folks thoughts, especially from the writers out there!

09/06/2023

Thoughts on the Project:

Phase 1: Development -

Goals for Phase 1:
1: Building a community of artists

2: Development of resources (policies, guides to historical practice, resources/guides for playwrights/performers/other artists)

3: Cultivation of scripts (Finding "secular mysteries" and "Scadian miracles" to inspire plays, hopefully inspiring & encouraging playwrights!)

3a: Creating an online archive/database of scripts for artists to use - likely with something like Creative Commons licensing to protect the playwright's authorship & intentions, while allowing folks the ability to do, say, 1 short play at a local event or a demo - to encourage theatre alongside the other bardic arts like storytelling and song

4: Establishing community standards to protect the rights of all involved artists

5: Building and maintaining a community beyond the Facebook sandbox to maximize accessibility for all interested Scadians (Discord, off-FB websites/forums?)

6: Working logistics on a distributed/open-source production model for plays, strategies for encouraging more theatre performance

Thoughts & questions are always welcome!

09/04/2023

Since Facebook can be a barrier, I am going to be sharing updates and resources on my WordPress as well.

What is the Pennsic Cycle Project? The Pennsic Cycle Project is an attempt to create a theatrical event which simulates the cycle plays of the high middle ages, in the context of the SCA. The goal …

09/04/2023

What is the Pennsic Cycle Project?

The Pennsic Cycle Project is an attempt to create a theatrical event which simulates the cycle plays of the high middle ages, in the context of the SCA. The goal is to have a series of performances at Pennsic 52, to enrich the experience of all.

Medieval Cycle plays were written, directed, and performed by members of the community - they are a truly democratic form of theatre, and a unique and wonderful aspect of medieval life. The Pennsic Cycle Project seeks to recreate this community-based artform and highlight the contributions of many Scadians - as performers, as writers, or as very-needed cat-herders.

While there are many extant plays in this style, the artform is deeply tied to medieval Catholicism, which can be a barrier to performance in a modern context. The Pennsic Cycle Project seeks to create new works in an old form, and to take the rich history of the SCA as inspiration for the Saints and Parables and Legends to present on stage.

In the spirit of the English Guilds or French Confraternities of old, the Pennsic Cycle Project seeks to have a collaborative of small groups, each taking on a 5-10 minute play. The project seeks playwrights, who can contribute works which can be adopted for performance. The project seeks performers, who might find a short play and rehearsal schedule more manageable in our busy Pennsic schedules. This format has great potential for households or local groups of friends, but could also work on zoom & discord for an eventual meet up in final prep.

If this sounds like something up your alley, please follow this page. I am working to get more resources written up and posted, but this is where it starts.

09/04/2023

For those who have been invited: Welcome, and watch this space! You are all friends and artists, writers, bards & others who I think might be interested in this mad idea of mine.

Imagine, if you will, a collaborative project where Scadians can emulate the community-based theatre of the middle ages to tell OUR stories. This is a place for creating theatre that celebrates the Society's half-century and change of legendary battles, epic stories, and homebrewed saints.

I hope some of you are interested in joining me on creating something new!