Part 3: Lesser-Known Monologues to Add to Your Repertoire

Even Dame Judi Dench has no idea which play this is.

By now you've warmed up, read some plays, gone through the old repertoire of old stand-by audition monologues...

And you're hungry for more.

Shakespeare wrote northwards of thirty-seven plays (the exact number is hotly debated) but many are rarely read or performed.  The reasons for this are debatable: maybe tickets sell better for the handful of plays that have been made into popular films or perhaps no one knows how to pronounce the character name "Iachimo."*  Whatever the reason, some fantastic monologues often go overlooked, and they might be just the stuff you need to present yourself desirably in your next audition.

What follows are some of the most underutilized monologues Shakespeare---that also happen to be very good.

For Ladies:

• Portia 3.4, Lines 57-84 ("Come on Nerissa" to "measure twenty miles today") The Merchant of Venice
• Olivia 3.1, Lines 117-133 ("O by your leave" to "let me hear you speak") Twelfth Night
• Julia 4.4 Lines 185-210 ("A virtuous gentlewoman" to "make my master out of love with thee!") Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Isabella 2.2, Lines 106-123 ("So you must be the first" to "laugh themselves mortal") Measure for Measure
• Volumnia 5.3, Lines 131-182 ("Nay, go not from us thus" to  "I am hushed until our city be afire, and then I'll speak a little") Coriolanus
• Goneril 1.4, Lines 220-273 ("Not only, sir, this your all-licensed fool" to "Which know themselves and you") King Lear
• Ophelia 2.1, Lines 75-100 ("O, my lord" to "bended their light on me") Hamlet
• Imogen 3.6, Lines 1-27 ("I see a man's life" to "Such a foe, good Heavens!") Cymbeline
• Dionyza 4.3, Lines 16-46 ("She died at night" to "At whose expense 'tis done") Pericles
• Paulina 3.2, Lines 173-215 ("Woe the while!" to "To look that way thou wert") The Winter's Tale

For Gents:

• Duke Senior, 2.1, Lines 1-18 ("Now, my co-mates" to "I would not change it") As You Like It
• Berowne 5.2, Lines 394-415 ("Thus pour the stars" to "sans crack or flaw") Love's Labour's Lost
• Shylock 1.3, Lines 107-130 ("Signor Antonio" to "thus much moneys?") The Merchant of Venice
• Theseus 1.1, Lines 65-90 ("Either to die the death" to "austerity and single life") A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Lysander 1.1 Lines 135-149 ("Ay me!" to "bright things come to confusion") A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Orsino 1.1 Lines 1-24, ("If music be" to "what news of her?") Twelfth Night
• Ulysses 1.3 Lines 142-184 ("The great Achilles" to "As stuff for these two to make paradoxes") Troilus and Cressida
• Menenius 2.1, Lines 51-70 or as far as 99. ("I am known to be a humorous" to "this character, if I be known well enough too?" or "I will be bold to take my leave of you") Coriolanus
• Brutus 2.1, Lines 162-183 ("Our course will seem" to "When Caesar's head is off") Julius Caesar
• Porter 2.3, Lines 1-22 ("Here's a knocking" to "I pray you, remember the Porter") Macbeth
• Timon 4.3, Lines 250-276 ("Thou art a slave" to "Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer") Timon of Athens
• Aaron 4.2, Lines 88-105 ("Stay, murderous villains!" to "excuse it how she can") Titus Andronicus

If you would like me to go into detail explaining the meaning and context of any of the monologues I've mentioned today or in yesterday's post, speak up and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

*It's pronounced "YAH-kih-moh" and it means "little Iago" which in a way is quite correct.  The character is a much lesser villain than Shakespeare's Iago.  Iachimo's monologue from Cymbeline (2.2, Lines 11-51) is also a fun, underutilized one to try... but may need a trunk and a sleeping lady wearing a ring to be done most effectively.

Part 2: Most Overused Shakespeare Audition Monologues (And if you Should do Them Anyway)

If you google "overdone Shakespeare monologues" you'll see many lists from various surveyed professionals.  For ladies this is particularly frustrating, as many lists of the most overdone female monolgues in Shakespeare are pretty much lists of ALL monologues for female characters in Shakespeare.  

Do not worry yourself with these lists.  Choose what you know and love performing.

The fact is simply that the most "overused" monologues are for some of the best and most accessible characters in Shakespeare.  If a director has taken the time to direct Shakespeare, they should love the language.  If they do (and I speak from my experience) they will not get sick of seeing actors who enjoy performing it, no matter how many Romeos, Juliets, Macbeths and Hamlets walk in to audition.  Pick a monologue you'll enjoy repeating and replaying.

Here is a list of great monologues from Shakespeare that happen to be popular:

For Ladies

• Lady Percy Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 9-45 ("O yet, for God's sake..." to "Have talked of Monmouth's Grave.") from Henry IV Part Two
• Phebe Act 3 Scene 5 Lines 8-27 ("I would not be thy executioner." to "That can do hurt.")  and Lines 109-135 ("Think not I love him..." to "And thou shalt bear it--- wilt thou, Silvius?")  from As You Like It
• Rosalind Act 3 Scene 5 Lines 35-63 ("And why, I pray..." to "So take her to thee, shepherd.  Fare you well") from As You Like It
• Helena Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 226-251 ("How happy some..." to "To have his sight thither and back again") from a Midsummer Night's Dream
• Viola Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 18-42 (I left no ring with her" to "'Tis too hard a knot for me t'untie.") from Twelfth Night
• Julia Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 105-129 ("O hateful hands" to "contend, do what you will") from Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Portia Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 237-302, or any starting and stopping point within those lines ("Y'have ungently, Brutus" to "And not my husband's secrets?") from Julius Caesar
• Lady Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 39-55 (The raven himself is hoarse" to "To cry 'Hold, hold!") from Macbeth
• Emilia Act 4 Scene 3 Lines 87-104 ("But I do think it is their husbands'" to "The ills we do, their ills instruct us so") from Othello
• Juliet Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 1-35 ("Gallop apace" to "That Romeo bit thee fetch?") from Romeo and Juliet
• Hermione Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 92-117 ("Sir, spare your threats" to Apollo be my judge") from The Winter's Tale

For Gents

• King Henry V Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 259-297 ("We are glad the Dauphin" to "Convey them with safe conduct.  Fare you well") from Henry V
• Launcelot Gobbo Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 1-32 ("Certainly my conscience" to "I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment.  I will run") from The Merchant of Venice
• Benedick Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 7-37 ( "I do much wonder that one man" to "I will hide me in the arbor") from Much Ado About Nothing
• Launce Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 1-35 ("Nay, 'twill be this hour" to "I lay the dust with my tears") and Act 4 Scene 4 Lines 1-41 (When a man's servant shall play" to "Didst thou ever see me do such a trick?") from Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 575-634 ("Now I am alone" to "Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King") from Hamlet 
• Cassius Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 90-131 (I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus" to"And bear the palm alone") and Lines 135-161 ("Why man, he doth bestride" to "Th'eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king") from Julius Caesar
• Edmund Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 1-22 ("Thou Nature..." to "Now, gods, stand up for bastards!") from King Lear
• Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 33-65 ("Is this a dagger" to "That summons thee to Heaven or to Hell") from Macbeth
• Romeo Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 2-32 ("But soft! to "And sails upon the bosom of the air") from Romeo and Juliet
• Puck Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 6-34 ("My mistress with a monster" to "Titania waked, and straightway loved an ass!") from A Midsummer Night's Dream

For any monologue you choose, first read and understand the play before you rehearse.  You need to know the context in which your character delivers their speech.  If you're short on time to prepare for an audition, pick the play you're going to perform from first---meaning pick a play you know well.  Then pick your favorite character from that play and finally your favorite monologue from that character.  If you enjoy the lines, you'll enjoy playing with them as you rehearse.  This will come through in your audition and make you a delight to watch.

By the way, if you choose any of the monologues I've mentioned and need help understanding them a bit better, feel free to ask questions!  I suggested them because I know them well.

Next up...

Part 3: Lesser-Known Monologues to Add to Your Repertoire 

Back to School/Back to Stage? Audition Tips for a New Season. Part 1: Warming Up.

While I've primarily been posting about how theaters may use social media to increase their audience engagement and attract the much-coveted "under 30" crowd, every now and again, it's good to revisit my roots.

If you've never had the... experience of meeting me, nor spoken to me about the Bard, you may need to prepare yourself for the tide of Shakespearean evangelism I'm about to unleash this week.  There is a name for people like me and many of my cohort at the Rocklin Shakespeare Company: Bardolotrists.

When reading and performing Shakespeare, we become enraptured, seduced and possessed by his language.  Some of you may relate: as a witness to the lines of the Bard, do you tend to feel them wash over you like warm rays of sunshine after the rain?  Do you find yourself particularly intrigued with antiquated expressions and sharp-witted insults?  Do you speak the speech trippingly on the tongue?

If so: this week is for you.  If not: have a sit and consider trying out for a play by Mr. Shakespeare... we'll see you converted yet!

This week begins as my rehearsals usually do: with warm-ups.

• Stand up, stretch, and shake out all of your limbs.
• Tense and relax your face, squeezing tight like you've sucked a sour lemon and then stretching wide like you've hit the third G on a roller coaster.
• Well done.
• Sitting or standing up straight, place a hand at your ribs and feel them expand as you slowly breathe in.  Breathe out slowly and feel your ribs condense back into place.  Repeat as necessary until this comes naturally and you are able to support your breath.  Hum as you breathe out.  Feel that tone resonate through your body.  
• Soothing, isn't it?  These steps release any tension you've had in your body so that it may devote itself fully to the glorious task at hand: reading Shakespeare aloud.  
• If necessary, rub out any localized tension you may be carrying.  Personally I clench my jaw, so I take the heels of my hands (at the base of the palm) and rub my jaw hinge (right in front of my ear lobes) in a circular motion.  Then I pull the heels of my hands down the sides of my face to end in a far less terrified copy of Macully Culkin's Home Alone face.
• I won't walk you through the exercises for all areas that can carry tension, but mention them in the comments below (or on Facebook) and I'll tell you what you can do.

After you're loose and relaxed it's time to exercise your verbal skills.  I have a large selection of tongue twisters that I change up depending on the mood of the actors, but I'll share a few fun ones here.  Try these out loud:

I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.

Budda gudda Gudda budda, Gudda budda, Budda gudda (repeat five times as quickly as possible).

Topeka, topeka, topeka... (as many times in a row as you need to)

Red leather, Yellow leather (repeat)

To sit in solemn silence on a dull, dark, dock

In a pestilential prison with a life-long lock

Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp, shock

From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big, black, block.

A dull, dark, dock

A life-long lock

A short, sharp, shock

A big, black, block

To sit in solemn silence in a pestilential prison

And awaiting the sensation from a cheap and chippy chopper

On a big, black, block.  (rather morbid, that one)

I am a mother pheasant plucker.

I pluck mother pheasants.

I am the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker that ever plucked a mother pheasant.

I do hope you're having fun!  Please comment below if you would like me to cover warm-ups that may help you with a specific problem you have on the stage.

Coming up... Part 2: Most Overused Shakespeare Audition Monologues (and if you should do them anyway)

Curating as a Social Media Marketing Strategy

For a lot of people and businesses, summer is a slower season.  Not only are customers on vacation, but staff members are as well.  So how do you keep your social media pages flush with great content when there just isn't much going on around the office?

Simple: curate.

The internet is not lacking in content: 48 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, Facebook boasts close to one billion pieces of content shared on its site each day, and Twitter users are generating 200 million tweets per day.  In all of that content, you can use your expertise to find posts, videos, pictures and articles that are relevant to your topics of influence and your fans interests.

Personal Example: My Shakespearean theater company is not working on a show right now, but that doesn't mean our Facebook fans are tired of watching great Shakespearean performances.  So, since I don't have any content to generate at present, I'm featuring clips from some of the greatest Shakespearean performances recorded.  As a former Theater and Performances Studies major with a minor focus on Shakespeare (through the English department) I've had the good fortune to be exposed to a lot of great performances and learn which were legendary in their time.  By finding YouTube clips of these performances and providing a little background, I've successfully curated great content and added value to my Shakespeare company's Facebook page.

Twitter is where I see the most curating activity at present, and it's very useful!  Often I decide on whether to follow a Twitter user based on the usefulness of their posts.  Whether or not they've written the posts themselves is not always a problem as long as they are truly good curators.  I do try to find the best content generators to follow as well, but they're all the more welcome and credible if they're fantastic curators.

In the end, the people who provide the most relevant and useful information to their fans tend to succeed.  If that means the content you share is curated from time to time, don't fret: you're still creating value for your fans.

-Dani Loebs

P.S. If you're nervous about how many pieces of content to post, the Science of Social Timing from Kissmetrics is a great guide.  Just click on the infographic to enlarge after you follow the link.

Tweet to Conquer! Can the Little Bluebird be Your Secret Weapon?

Topics in this Post Include:

-3 Ways You Can Use Twitter to Drive People to Your Website
-Using Twitter to Promote Your Shows, Events or Products

3 Ways You Can Use Twitter to Drive People to Your Website:

1.    By composing fabulous tweet headlines that attract views. The headline is the only thing readers will see before making the decision to follow your link. If the headline is catchy, they'll pursue it, if it isn't, you've just lost a potential viewer.

2.    By linking those headlines to high quality content. Content should have your potential audience/customers in mind and reward them with something useful, like practical tips, exciting offers or special deals. If the content on our sites is truly remarkable, people will start tweeting about it on their own.

3.    By using the Twitter "Favorites" feature to list positive reviews from your fans. At the bottom of each tweet in your Twitter stream, there is a little star. When you click the little star, that tweet gets added to your Favorites Tab. When you track what people are saying about you using Twitter Search,* favorite all of the positive tweets. These 3rd party testimonies will be valuable to show the public what other people think of your work.

*To monitor yourself (or your theater company) on Twitter, use the Twitter Search Tool (http://search.twitter.com) to search and track what people are saying about your company, products, competitors, events, campaigns or any other hot words in the industry.  Be helpful: if you find in your search that someone is looking for a service you know where to find, respond to connect them with the right people.  Others will begin to do the same for you! 

Using Twitter to Promote Your Shows, Events or Products

Tweet-ups are a great way to get to know your Twitter community offline. The next time you hold an event, fundraiser or open house, tweet about it! The best practice is to send people directly to an event-sign-up page.

VolunTweet-ups are a variation of the above geared toward gathering volunteers for charitable events. The name is still pretty new, but it is already earning a positive reputation for philanthropy across social media. VolunTweet-ups are a great way to get your Twitter followers to support and spread your causes and, as an indirect result: yourself.

The Hashtag for individual events, products and promotions should be selected and agreed upon before your group starts tweeting about them. This will enable you to track the mentions of the specific event, product or promotion using Twitter Search, and will increase each hashtag's likelihood of becoming a Trending Topic.

Selecting a hashtag for an event is also beneficial because:

• During the event, people often use the hashtag while live-tweeting, or tweeting what they see/hear in real-time. The hashtag will aggregate the event tweets, building an online conversation around the event.

• People who are not at the event will see your hashtag and perhaps use it too. A popular #hashtag often sparks curiosity, and people will go to Twitter Search to follow the conversation around the event.

Finally, it doesn't hurt to take a look at best practices to see how others are using Twitter to succeed.  Here are some helpful links:

5 Successful Twitter Marketing Campaigns You Should Know About

Twitter + Random Acts of Kindness = A Successful Social Campaign

12 Tips For Developing A Successful Twitter Campaign

Did you learn something useful from this post?  Click on the +1 button below so that others may find it!

Tech Report: Could HootSuite Be Your Social Media Savior?

Excuse the belated Tech Tuesday---I've been building websites round the clock this week!

With multiple social media sites, different events and content contributors, organizing and managing your social media campaigns can seem nightmarish.  Using services like HootSuite, however, can empower you to organize your content to schedule postings at the perfect time of day for any day of the year.  I've recently found out just how important good Social Timing happens to be.

Here is a great new infographic from KissMetrics on the science behind great social timing. On any given day, the best time to tweet is about 5pm ET, when about 6% of all re-tweets are made.  According to the study, 1-2 tweets per hour seems optimal for click through, especially mid-week or on weekends, at noon or between 5 and 6pm.  Meanwhile, Facebook is much more likely to drive shares and CTR on Saturday around lunchtime, so long as you don’t post more than once. 

Cool New Tools With HootSuite Publisher

1. Scheduling Tweets With Calender View.  

Since we may not have our schedules perfectly aligned to tweet or update our social networks at optimum times, HootSuite allows users to schedule their posts in advance.  As of June 15th 2011, HootSuite has made scheduling even easier.   Now you can slice and dice the destination profiles for each message and drag-and-drop your updates into time slots to match your editorial plans.

The whole power of daily/weekly/monthly calendar view (seen above) will soon only be available with Pro and Enterprise membership plans, but currently everyone can take the advanced scheduling functionality for a spin to see how calendar views can manage complex campaigns.

2. Limiting Permissions.

With this designation, collaborating interns, contractors and new recruits can share search streams and compose messages, but are limited from broadcasting directly to valuable company profiles. Instead, drafts are held for approval in the calendar view until a qualified Team Member pushes to the send queue. It’s ideal for ensuring accurate and appropriate updates.  Sadly, this is not a free tool, but if you plan on getting a lot of new blood to help you make content for your company's social media, it may be worth the investment.

How I Used HootSuite to Conduct 

a Successful Social Media Campaign for My Theater

1.  The first step was for me to define the goals of the campaign: I wanted to see more engagement (likes and comments) on the Rocklin Shakespeare Facebook page while teaching my viewers fun facts about the Bard.

2. Next, I took that goal and turned it into a game, a trivia challenge, to be exact.  I'd already written a great deal of Shakespeare Trivia Questions in preparation for another online game, so converting the questions into the proper format was easy.

3.  I added an incentive for users to play by offering a prize.  To get the ball rolling, I told users that it would take five "likes" on the post to uncover what that prize was, and launched into the game.  Oddly, users didn't seem to care what the prize happened to be, they were excited enough to be playing for a prize that they dove right in.  Eventually the status post got the five "likes" and I revealed three prize options: a Rocklin Shakespeare T-Shirt, a purse of ducats that was used as a prop in our production of The Taming of the Shrew, and the bragging rights of being featured with picture and bio on our Facebook hall of fame.

4.  But users were already engaged.  They didn't rush to unlock the prize, because liking that post wasn't worth any points.  Here was the first trivia question (last names are obscured for privacy):

Points were awarded to the first AND second responses with the correct answers.  This added a sense of urgency to the contest, and users rushed to be first and second.  To make the race fair, I always informed the viewers when to look for the next update.  This was easy to do, since I'd already scheduled the entire week-long contest in a few minutes on HootSuite.

5. At midnight, the answer was given along with an informative link about it.  Five minutes later, a bonus question appeared to reward viewers for checking the site at the appointed time.  The answer to the bonus question always featured in the informative link that came before it.  In this way, users would quickly learn to check posted links and would be rewarded for doing so.  Additionally, users got points for "liking" the bonus posts, which of course they did.

6.  I took this formula and repeated, with one question, one link and one bonus question each day for a week.  The final question was timed for noon on Saturday, which happens to be a peak time of the week for facebook sharing.

7. By analyzing the data on Facebook insights, saw that the contest increased the user interactions substantially.  Weekly post views rose by 217% and feedback increased by a staggering 3400%.  The campaign achieved its set goals.

The total cost of the contest was a T-Shirt (that I'd already had in overstock) and 99 cents in postage.  Again, using HootSuite I was able to type up and schedule a week's worth of facebook page updates in minutes.

-Danielle Loebs

Other Helpful Links:

12 Tips For Developing a Successful Twitter Campaign

5 Facebook Giving Campaign Success Stories

Did you learn something useful from this post?  Click on the +1 button below so that others may find it when they search on Google.

Marketing Monday: Mobile Takeover! Expect SoLoMo Gamification to Explode.

Last Monday I wrote about the need for theaters (and others) to accept and utilize mobile marketing---even during shows/movies.  This week I have a few more numbers to back this claim.


According to a study published on Flurry this morning, the minutes U.S. consumers spend on their mobile apps has eclipsed the number of minutes they spend on the web, though both continue to rise.  Here's the chart:

Here's what Flurry reports U.S. mobile users are doing while they're on their mobile apps:

Gaming and social networking are, by far, the most common practices on Mobile Apps right now.


SoLoMo and the Rise of "Gamification"


SoLoMo stands for social, local and mobile.  The "gamification" of apps is a surefire way to engage a new generation of audiences, and by adding a gaming layer to social-local-mobile interaction, marketers are creating ways to get the biggest piece of the mobile pie.  


With geolocation applications and services like Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and BrightKite, as well as virtual check-ins on Twitter, Facebook and beyond, the convergence of SoLoMo is creating a whole new way to market.  These applications are social first, gaming second.  But what about apps that reverse the equation?


SCVNGR is location-based gaming first, social second.  While you can easily connect the game to social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, SCVNGR makes check-ins a mere gateway to a set of games and challenges designed for specific locations.


Take a look at a set of challenges for American Apparel:

The check-in is worth +1 point, while the main challenge (taking a picture of yourself posing like a mannequin) is worth +5.  The social aspects, such as sharing the picture or sharing the useful note you wrote about the store for the +2 points, are secondary.

The app is young, however, and has run into problems with implementation and follow-through.  It seems that if you wish to create a successful experience on SCVNGR, you have to do it yourself.


Here's a link on how to start a marketing campaign on SCVNGR.

 Geocaching, however, is also a game first, social second type of application.  It has been around a long time (11 years!) and is already active on all seven continents.  By putting a Geocache at the site of your business, you put yourself on their map for users to find.


Existing cache types allow for a game play, including:

• Mystery/puzzle: This cache requires one to discover information or solve a puzzle to find the cache. Some mystery caches provide a false set of coordinates with a puzzle that must be solved to determine the final cache location. In other cases, the given location is accurate, but the name of the location or other features are themselves a puzzle leading to the final cache. Alternatively, additional information is necessary to complete the find, such as a padlock combination to access the cache.
  
• Multi-cache: This variation consists of multiple discoveries of one or more intermediate points containing the coordinates for the next stage; the final stage contains the log book and trade items.
  
• Event Cache: This is a gathering organized and attended by geocachers. Physical caches placed at events are often active only for the event date.

Idea for Adding a Game Layer to Traditional or Existing Caches:

• QR or Scannable Codes.  Include these as a sticker on the inside or outside of your geocache.  When the code is scanned, users are linked to your website with your personal game challenges.  You can also link straight to a game located on the web.

GPS services aside, I'm still going to herald the potential of QR Codes, especially for entertainment events.  What if you're the lucky patron at a show (movie, theater, concert or other) with a QR code under your seat that gets you a free drink at the snack bar?  Or an upgrade to a backstage pass?  The basis for all of these social gaming platforms is the possibility of earning a reward, be it virtual (like 4square mayorship) or in real life.

Things to think about.

-Danielle Loebs

PS.  Since my brother designs mobile apps, you may be see the Theater Friendly App available in the near future.  

TED Thursday: "How I Became 100 Artists" by Shea Hembrey

I love a funny TED Talk.  When you have a little time to laugh and be inspired by the wealth of imagination and creativity that can be generated by a single person, watch Shea Hembrey's talk entitled "How I Became 100 Artists."

About the Talk:

"How do you stage an international art show with work from 100 different artists? If you're Shea Hembrey, you invent all of the artists and artwork yourself -- from large-scale outdoor installations to tiny paintings drawn with a single-haired brush. Watch this funny, mind-bending talk to see the explosion of creativity and diversity of skills a single artist is capable of." -TED.com

One of my favorite quotes from the talk is Shea's explanation of his criteria for the art he wished to feature in his show:

"Among all of the criteria I had, there's kind of two main things. One of them I call my Mema's test, and what that is, is I imagine explaining a work of art to my grandmother in five minutes.  If I can't explain it in five minutes, then it's too obtuse or esoteric and it hasn't been refined enough yet.  It needs to be worked on until it can speak fluently.

My second set of rules---I hate to say "rules" because it's art--- but my criteria would be the three H's: Head, Heart and Hand.  Great art would have Head, [meaning] it would have interesting intellectual ideas and concepts.  It would have Heart in that it would have passion and soul, and it would have Hand in that it would be greatly crafted."

By stretching himself and creating different artists with unique backgrounds, interests and styles, Shea was able to put together 100 pieces of art that were at once accessible to a broad audience while reflecting different sides of himself as an artist.  In fact, the artists he invented were very much artistic creations in themselves.

I think Shea's criteria could be applied to all creative pieces, events and projects that we would like to share.   It is a way to focus the art on the audience while balancing the importance of the artist's technique, passion and concept.

What do you think?

-Danielle Loebs

Tech Tuesday: Google Instant Search Conference Reveals Cool New Tools

I postponed today's blog post last night in anticipation of the Google Instant Search press conference which was streamed live from San Francisco this morning.  I'm glad I did, because they revealed three seriously cool new tools.

1. Instant Search Using Voice : 

How Voice Search will appear.
Click to enlarge.

Now you don't even have to type your search queries.  Just clicking on the microphone button in the search bar will enable you to speak your search request.  This is helpful when you don't know how to spell the words or more likely, the names of who/what you wish to search for.

It should be noted that this feature was already available and popular for mobile devices, but now is coming to your desktop on the Chrome browser.  Google's voice search traffic has risen six-fold in the past year, an increase that speaks to the popularity of speech recognition on mobile devices. It will be interesting to see if desktop and laptop PC users show the same enthusiasm for voice input.


2. Instant Search Using Images enables users to drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste image URL, or upload the image from the desktop into the search box. They can also use a Chrome or FireFox software extension to add images to the search. 


Google said the search-by-image feature will be available in most countries and regions over the next few days to Chrome users, noting that it will not collect and store any images that users use.

3. Instant Pages pre-renders Websites when it's confident you'll click on the top result of a query. In a demonstration today, pages loaded immediately when using Instant Pages, while an old version of Google search took an extra three or four seconds. Even when pages don't load immediately, they load a few seconds faster using Google Instant Pages.

The feature will be available today in the developer version of Google's Chrome browser, and this week in Chrome's beta version. Instant Pages will come to the stable version of Chrome and mobile browsers in the coming weeks. Because the code is open source, developers can build Instant Pages extensions for other browsers as well.  

"Uh... that's cool, but what does this have to do with theater ideas?"  

Good point.  Let's imagine.

Image Search-

You're a costume designer and have finished the latest round of sketches for the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire.  After scanning them into your computer (unless you work primarily on a drawing tablet already) you drag the sketch into the search bar.  Immediately, shopping results for vintage clothing that look exactly like what you sketched Blanche in pop up, and you're able to find the best deal.

OR

You're a theater director in Oregon planning on touring a production of Shakespeare's a Midsummer Night's Dream in an outdoor setting in Virginia.  You want to scout a location that has the same curving trees and ground cover as your neighborhood park.  You take a photo of the Oregon location, drag it into the search bar, and find a great match at a Virginia country club complete with booking information.

OR

You're a location scout for a film project and you need to find a building in town that looks enough like the high school the script is based on 100 miles away...  

You see where I'm getting at.

Voice Search and Instant Pages provide more general conveniences.  Instant Pages save seconds of time, but they add up.  Perhaps that time saved only allows a person to make one extra search each day, but that search might be for you.

Voice Search is mostly useful when you don't know how to spell something, like the name of the Russian actor you're supposed to locate for your theater's next production of Uncle Vanya.  To be honest, when Voice Search allows me to go completely hands free and talk to my computer like a Star Trek character while I'm hand stitching a costume, I'm going to get far more excited.  

-Danielle Loebs

PS.  All information in this article was obtained from the notes I took while watching the Google Instant Search conference.  The images are courtesy of Google Instant.

Marketing Monday: Why Theaters Should Tell Patrons to Turn ON Their Phones

Take a moment to imagine a scenario with me:

You arrive at the theater to watch a play.  The House Manager (or whomever fills the function) approaches the stage (or loudspeaker) and welcomes the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," they say, "thank you for joining us at [name of theater company] for [name of play].  At this time, I would like you to take out your cell phones and turn them on."

Now wouldn't that be surprising?

Here are a few things I would love for the House Manager to say next:

• "Now send a text saying: fan [your page name] to 32665 or FBOOK to like us on Facebook."
• "Now text 40404 with the message: follow [your username] to follow us on Twitter."
• "Please turn on our Theater Friendly Phone Application while texting about the show in progress!"

First, I really don't understand why I have not seen this done.  Obviously the people coming into the theater like your organization enough to shell out for tickets, so capturing dozens (even hundreds) of new "likes" and followers each night should be easy!

But wait, what was that last bullet point?

New Idea: The Theater Friendly Phone App

This post was actually inspired by a story I read about a movie theater.  Apparently a patron became disgruntled when she was asked to turn off her cell phone during a movie and management had her thrown out.  The woman's indignation at the turn of events was recorded in a (probably) drunken phone call to the theater.  The theater's response with the ex-patron's inebriated rantings was to add captions and turn the recording into a YouTube video.

While I appreciate a good laugh, and want to smile at their creativity, I feel they're missing a big point:

People don't like to turn off their cell phones.

Even I feel apprehensive when I am unreachable for over two hours.  What if something happened to a family member?  Don't forget that many of those patrons hired a baby sitter and probably want to be contacted in case of an emergency.  So why not take on a huge chance to increase audience engagement for your theater by being the first to allow cell phone usage during a show or movie?  I think it's a great idea, considering that I've also mentioned some astonishing statistics from Google about how addicted Americans are to their phones.

For Review:

• 72% use their phones while "consuming other media." A third of that use is while watching TV.
• 39% use their phones while they're in the bathroom .
• 20% would rather give up their cable TV before giving up their phones.

I want to see an app that:

1. Is included with the purchase of a show/movie ticket (either as a free download with online purchase or as a QR Code on the physical ticket).
2. Will dim the screen and mute all sounds on the phone to prevent any obstructions in visibility or audibility for other audience members.
3. Blocks video recording (though how one would be able to sell a bootleg movie or show from a cell phone is beyond me).
4. Prompts the user to "like" the theater on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
5. Logs ticket purchases and suggests new releases based on the user's preferences (like Netflix and more).
6. Allows the user to tweet/update their Facebook about the experience at the theater and rate the movie or show.

Will this cause spoilers?  Not any more than usual.  I see most patrons getting on their phones as soon as they leave the theater anyway.  Why not let them talk about you for the two hours they're enjoying your service?

I'm probably going to be giving my code master a call... but in case he's busy: somebody should be doing this!

Controversially Yours,

Danielle Loebs

Photo courtesy of unreality.com.

Fun Friday: Got Shakespeare? The Comic!

I’m a big webcomics junkie.  I’m also a playwright.  So I’ve always dreamed of one day posting one of my plays as a webcomic.

Tthe trouble is… I’m not a great artist. 

Don’t get me wrong, I watched a lot of Bob Ross growing up and can paint a pretty damn happy looking tree, but working with a drawing tablet is hard.  I have nothing but respect for the webcomic artists out there.  Still… I already had the script for converting one of my plays into a webcomic, and after much determination, created page 1 of the prologue:

I still intend to feature artists and innovators on Fun Fridays, but if you’d like to see more of my play as a comic, I’ll draw my little heart out and put up the pages whenever I can. 

Cheers!

-Danielle Loebs

PS. If you do wish to see more of Got Shakespeare? The Comic, would you click the +1 button, below?

TED Talk Thursday: Janet Echelman Takes Imagination Seriously

Spring is finally warming up here in Rocklin, California and the weather is gorgeous!  With the weekend so close at hand, I thought I’d write a companion post to a TED Talk about imagination, public art and the beauty that results from the synergy of ideas.

About the speaker:

Janet Echelman builds living, breathing sculpture environments that respond to the forces of nature — wind, water and light— and become inviting focal points for civic life.

Exploring the potential of unlikely materials, from fishing net to atomized water particles, Echelman combines ancient craft with cutting-edge technology to create her permanent sculpture at the scale of buildings. Experiential in nature, the result is sculpture that shifts from being an object you look at, to something you can get lost in.
–TED.com

Here’s the Talk:

If you don’t have nine minutes to spend, here are some takeaways:

The Value of Synergy and Collaboration

“Fourteen years ago I searched for beauty in the traditional things in craft forms.  Now I combine them with high tech materials and engineering to create voluptuous billowing forms the scale of buildings.  My artistic horizons continue to grow.”

Echelman’s art is made possible through the design technology of architects, engineers and sail designers.  Combining a variety of disciplines with a shared goal, the team was able to create giant sculptures for everyone to enjoy.  Additionally, an organic collaborator (the wind) is ever present to change the way that the sculpture moves.

Free Sharing to Reach Untapped Markets

“ An attorney in my friend’s  office in Phoenix who had never been interested in art, never visited the local art museum, dragged everyone she could from the building and got them outside to lie down underneath the sculpture.  There they were in their business suits lying in the grass, noticing the changing patterns of wind beside people they didn’t know and sharing the rediscovery of wonder.”

Rather than keeping her ideas behind museum or gallery glass, Echelman shared her work with the public for free.  Earlier in the talk, she revealed how creating one public art piece lead to the commission of another and that one to another, etc.  By putting a moving, changing piece of art in the public sphere, Echelman was able to reach out and connect with untapped markets for her work.  

When You’re Stuck, Improvise

Echelman’s entire technique of sculpture never would have been invented had her paints arrived in India in time for her show.  Without the art supplies she was used to working with, and with the deadline for creation fast approaching, she used the supplies at hand, improvised, and invented something new, unique and beautiful.

-Danielle Loebs

PS. While we muse on this, I’ll leave you with an open ended discussion question: how can we apply these lessons to our daily lives?   Feel free to tell a little about yourself in the comments below, or, if this just made you wonder, share this post or click the +1 button below so that others may be invited to wonder along with you.

Image of courtesy of echelman.com.

Wild Card Wednesday - Must Love Blogs! New Weekly Columns + Best Practices for Bloggers

I've noticed a big spike in readership after starting my social networking, marketing, and technology-themed posts.  Since I really like researching and writing about these topics, this pleases me.

I believe theaters will greatly benefit from embracing new technology and social networking as a way to actively engage their audiences.  Though I still write my blog posts with artists and theater companies in mind, I'm aiming to make them applicable to small businesses and individual artists trying to get exposure on the big, fat internet.

For now (beginning the week of June 6th) my blog will be posted at between 9pm and 12am PT every weekday with the following topics:

• Marketing Monday- These blogs take a look at marketing trends, media and social networking.
  
• Tech Tuesday - Here you'll find new (or under appreciated) technology and tips to use it to your advantage.
  
• Wild Card Wednesday- Though open topic, here is where you'll most likely see interviews and guest columns.  I also like to have a gap mid-week in case some big news breaks that can't wait until its designated theme day.
  
• TED Talk Thursday- We all need a little inspiration to get us through to the weekend.  Here's where I'll post and discuss an inspirational TED Talk that I find relevant with that week's news and posts.
  
• Fun Friday- I'm still an artist, and I know a lot of artists.  This day is reserved for showcasing creativity.  To apply to be showcased, go ahead and send me an e-mail with a sample of your work.  Videos, comics, jokes, paintings/drawings, photography, music and (short) creative writing are all perfect to submit.

Are you a blogger or interested in blogging?  

3 Recent Articles for Best Practices in Blogging:

1. The Blueprint for the Perfect Blog Post.  While I'm against standardizing all blogging styles to fit one model (that would make for a boring blogosphere), B2C blogger Brian Rice makes some excellent points:  Keep the blog clear, to the point, and able to be scanned for quick reading.  Be helpful by linking to related posts and sites, and make it easy for readers to share the posts!
   
2. The Four Pillars for Writing Exceptional Blogs.  Featured on Problogger, this article was contributed by Leo Babauta from Zen Habits, a blog that has 12,000 readers and made it into the Technorati Top 500 in 5 months.  Babauta writes that "content is king" in drawing readership and lists four tips for producing great content.  Largely common sense, the advice is a worthy read.
   
3. Blog Marketing Strategy: 7 Steps to Social SEO Success.  Once you've written the perfect blog filled with high-quality content, how do you get people to see your work?  Lee Odden's lengthy post on toplinkblog.com takes a little time to digest, but offers fundamental tactics for getting your blog viewed by the readers you seek.

Finally: Do You Need Blogging Buddies?

I hope these articles will help you type your way to blogging success!  One final article to check out is the B2C post on the benefits of having a blogging buddy.

If you have a blog and are searching for a blogging buddy, go ahead and post it in the comments section below.

Please click on the +1 button if you found this blog to be useful!

-Danielle Loebs

LED Keyboard photo courtesy of technabob.com, Awesome Face Buddies picture created by me.