Robin Hood Fever Catching This November!

I'm in the the middle of the biggest theatrical challenge of  my amateur career.

I've been in over fifty plays in one capacity or another, but nothing like this before.

I've written a lot of stuff before, on this blog or other places.  But a full-length play?  I did a short Christmas play for the church once (featuring an alligator at the manger scene), but nothing like this.

When Benjamin tried out for Robin Hood, and I saw the script being used, I saw that it might not be the best fit for our theater.  I volunteered to tweak the script, which Executive Chris Jeffords generously allowed me to do.  But I soon went off completely on my own tangent.

So I had to prepare a script very quickly, as casting needed to be finalized and rehearsals to begin. I've spent much of the last two weeks trying to get it ready, including taking an extra day off work.  I now find myself  two scenes short of completing (having finished 12 of 14 scenes), which I hope to do this weekend.

Having written it after auditions, I was able to shape many of the parts to the talents of our Flying Dragon children.  Blake Barnhill is a perfect fit for the kind of Robin I had in mind, and has been outstanding in rehearsals.  This is a Robin Hood that will charm you and take you into the kind of story I want to tell.

The play is a joyous celebration of many of the Robin Hood versions you have seen, plus a mix of other tales, movies and legends as well.  There will be plenty of songs, action, romance, jokes, lots of clever (hopefully clever) references to other movies, and an over-arching theme about standing up to bullies.It is kid-friendly, and with plenty of fun stuff that adults will find amusing as well.

I am not writing this alone.  I have the awesome talents and support of Karissa Cook as a collaborator on the script.  She has made many helpful suggestions, including some of the song choices, corrected my errant grammar and spelling, kept me focused on major plot points, and has prepared the manuscript in a format that makes it look like I actually know what I'm doing.

I hope to post pictures soon, and will continue to update you on the production.  This, along with my son's upcoming wedding will a major part of my life the next couple months.  Robin Hood is scheduled to be performed the weeks of the 9th and the 16th in November.

Wish me luck, and be sure to see The Adventures of Robin Hood if you're in the area!

UPDATE:  Got a picture!

First read-through!  Upper left features our erstwhile villain, the Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Enum Hyers, standing at the down stage corner..  Upper right is our young Robin Hood, Blake Barnhill.  The lower left also has Little John (Benjamin Strait) and in the green shirt, Friar Tuck (Noah Cook).  The lower right has the magnificent Big John Eli (Eli Coook) in the light blue shirt.