Mark (director), Mikael (George/Harry/Mrs. Strath), Tyler (Fergie et al), and I met yesterday in Regina to read through Lords of Sceptre twice and come up with some ideas of how to improve/hone it. The discussion was lively. These folks are so invested in telling this story the best way possible -- and of course, so am I. We are hoping to bring a third actor on board to play Hal Price and some of the other NLB players. This is a really exciting opportunity, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that one of the young gentleman that Mark knows will be available.
One of the most interesting ideas (Tyler's!) was discussion around how the "bases" of our imaginary baseball diamond could be used progressively to imitate the expanding schedule, rivalries, etc. of the Sceptre club. Doing this will give the audience visual "touchstones." Baseball is such a metaphor for life, and we will relish exploring those opportunities. Mikael and Tyler also began testing out different voices for the characters. This is going to be a joyful challenge for them. We hope to get together with the real George Mahaffy sometime early in the rehearsal process so that he can help out with the gestures/batting stance/physicality of each of his peers. I will be absent for the next workshop in October -- and I certainly have significant revisions to make before then -- but I am confident Lords of Sceptre is in very good hands.
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It's hard to believe how beautifully it's coming together at last.
I started down the road with Lords of Sceptre last year when I spent hours on the phone with my dad's cousin George Mahaffy. At the time my dad was still alive, but I was losing him. Dementia was slowly and inexorably stealing his brilliant mind, and when he no longer knew me, I wanted to find a way to connect with him through his past. Thank goodness George doesn't believe in email or social media or computers. I was forced to communicate with him the old fashioned way, and therefore, his passion for Sceptre baseball could reach out to me right through the receiver. While I was growing up, Dad didn't talk much about himself as a ball player. But my mom did. "He was a great pitcher," she told me. "His nickname was Red Mahaffy. I grew up in Saskatoon, and even there the Sceptre team was a really big deal." Dad did talk about his baseball buddies though. Besides George and Dad's other cousin Bill Gatenby, Dad's peers were Harry "Nibs" Gracie, Jimmy "Shorty" Shields, and Bert Olmstead. Up until about 18 months ago, I'd exchange emails several times a year with Nibs, but he hasn't responded to me in quite some time and I suspect he may have suffered a stroke or other major setback. I met Jim briefly when I was about thirteen. My grandparents Harry and Ella Mahaffy took me to visit Canada West Stables outside of Calgary. Jim was warm and hospitable and invited me back to ride his stable ponies. To my regret, I was too shy to take him up on his offer. I never met Bert, but I know he was a legend in Sceptre -- a hometown boy who made it to the NHL and won five Stanley Cups. As for Cousin Bill, he lived in Calgary, so we saw him reasonably often. Bill eventually moved back into his mother's house in Sceptre though he was a millionaire several times over. Obviously once Sceptre got its hooks into you, it didn't let go. I have fond memories of my grandparents' house. We spent many an hour playing cards and crokinole with them. I remember the Christmas my brother Jim and I awoke to find four sets of skis under the Christmas tree. How did Dad manage to get them to Sceptre without us seeing them? We had no idea we were about to become skiers! But back to George. He told me stories about baseball, so I could talk to Dad about them. And eventually my interest in the team itself was piqued. There's a story here, I thought. A story that's poignant and funny and thrilling. I'd known the excitement of following a small town team. From the time I started dating Randy in 1981 until he finally threw in the towel in 2014, I watched him play baseball with the Lampman A's -- and when he was too old for that -- the Lampman Legends. The A's, who won 6 provincial titles in 9 years, were inducted into the SBA Hall of Fame in 2012. Watching the A's take the diamond against their crosstown rivals the Lampman Cubs, or travel long distances to play their cross-province rivals -- Mervin, Saltcoats, and Dinsmore -- I fell in love with small town ball. in late October 2017, I took a road trip to spend two days interviewing George Mahaffy about the Sceptre squad in late 40's and early 50's. If you've driven through this little town now, and didn't bother to check out the Great Sand Hills Museum, you might think, "Hm. Nothing to see there." But Sceptre is rich in history -- especially baseball history, and I look forward to bringing a little of it to life in November. Thank you Mark, Mikael, and Tyler for believing in this show. I can't wait to get started on Monday. |
Maureen UlrichPlaywright Archives
September 2018
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