© 1996 for American Folklore Theater
Fred Alley and James Kaplan
THE IDEA
James Kaplan and I are relaxing after a hard day at the AFT office. James tosses out show ideas like salted peanuts from a stadium vendor. One bag strikes my fancy hard enough to make me look up a show about a mail order bride who's ordered by accident.
That night I consider the broader comic possibilities of The Mail Order Bride. Who orders the Bride? Why? Where? The idea of lumberjacks creeps into my conscious. Take a bunch of ornery guys who've been in the woods too long, toss in a beautiful woman and watch all heck break loose. I get out of bed and spend the night writing a rough scenario. The next day James reads it and likes it. I refine the storyline until I have a four-page outline with most of the major plot points and comic turns. I fax the outline to Doc Heide and Jeff Herbst for input. It is early March. The idea of writing a musical to begin rehearsal in mid-May is ridiculous. We decide to go ahead.
FIRST DRAFT
I lock myself in my room with a case of Diet Coke, six boxes of Low-Fat Pop Tarts, a laptop computer, my research materials and several legal pads. I mostly write freehand and consolidate things on the laptop for easy editing. I print script pages as I go and tape them to the wall so I can more easily visualize the play's structure and quickly trace an individual character's story line. I write a script by inventing characters and listening to them talk. I hope the characters will say things that surprise me. If they don't surprise me, they won't surprise the audience.
James volunteers titles that he thinks will sell tickets. We consider Love Among the Lumber, Wood You? and Love Me, Timber. James comes up with Lumberjacks in Love, and the search is over.
THE SONGS
Sometimes dialogue triggers an idea big enough that a character bursts into song. After filling a legal pad with lyrics, I rewrite and revise. Jimmy will fine tune and recommend changes that improve how the lyrics "sing". Jimmy likes to write music before breakfast. I get sunrise phone calls and he is on the other end playing a beautiful melody to lyrics I gave him the night before.
We will write a dozen songs that we don't use. My favorite song in Lumberjacks is called “Stealing Sugar”. It will be cut. Nothing in the script is sacred.
At this point, I'm sure Lumberjacks in Love will be the funniest show ever, win Tony awards and become a motion picture starring Tom Cruise and Madonna. While jogging I practice award speeches.
REWRITING
I've found it best to accumulate as much material as possible before I edit. Characters always say more than we need to know so I go through cutting out obvious ideas, looking for funnier turns of phrase and improving pacing within scenes. The show can be broken down into rhythmical beats, and Jeff Herbst's sharp direction will quickly expose material which drags.
THE FIRST READ THROUGH
By early May, we have a complete enough draft to take the next step. An informal reading. Friends and family members gather in my kitchen to read what I've cooked up. The first time you hear a script read aloud is traumatic. All of your brilliant work is exposed as obvious and unfunny. I quit practicing award speeches and start making up excuses why the new AFT show is so pathetic.
THE DEADLINE
It is important to get back on the horse right away. I make a flowchart listing possible rewrites. I take long walks, stopping to scribble thoughts. I incorporate new ideas into the working script wallpapering my room. At some point I give the script to Doc Heide. Doc has been part of every show on the Peninsula Park stage since 1973. He calls me with a few key observations about characters and songs. Rehearsals start in two weeks. Neen Rock is selected to design and supervise the building of costumes, props and set. She's designed all of AFT's successful comedies including Belgians in Heaven. A vision of what the show looks like begins to take shape as Neen, Jeff and I share research materials and ideas.
Two days before rehearsals start I take down the script from the wall for the last time. I put it in a three-ring binder and make last-minute changes.
REHEARSALS
The script is now in Jeff Herbst's care. Without his skill, my scripts would end up looking like skits at the Elks Club talent show. The actors read their parts for the first time. Awkward moments are awkward, some of the big laugh lines fall dead, other unexpected moments become evident. A professional actor's contribution to an original script can be huge. They will improvise and rephrase lines that sound better than the original, and their portrayal can lead you in new directions.
The writer has to pay attention and help to incorporate all the new visions into the script. Every morning I have fresh rewrites to pass out. Over the four-week rehearsal process the Haywire Lumber Camp takes on a life of its own.
TECH WEEK
Long hours under the park lights as the performers, set, lights, costumes, props and sound are brought together on-stage. Technical Director Dave Alley and his crew work around the clock. Hurry up and wait. There is very little time to adjust lines.
A preview performance with a paid audience. The moment of truth. Does the show work? Do people laugh? Do they walk out of the theater singing the songs? For Lumberjacks the answer is yes, yes and yes. Bugs are ironed out and lines are cut or added but now it is up to the actors and the crew.
At the opening night party everyone is too tired to whoop and holler. If a show works, folks sit around sipping beer and soda and feeling good about themselves. But you can't get too carried away. This is AFT. There is another show opening tomorrow night.
Lumberjacks in Love will run November 8, 2024-January 12, 2025 in the Stackner Cabaret.
To purchase tickets call the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit the Lumberjacks in Love play page.