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AIN'T TRUE & UNCLE FALSE for the HOLIDAYS! Dec. 7, 9, 13, 14
offered by Erika MacDonald
Why "Midwifery"? Why not just call yourself a Director, Erika?
In my experience, so many people decide to make a solo show, but they don’t actually get to the finish line. They have the idea and the passion, but they don’t complete it because they feel overwhelmed and alone in the process.
Many other people do make it to the finish line, but they don’t want to feel alone, so they hire a Director. They are often secretly hoping their Director will make all of the MOST overwhelming decisions FOR them. But, in my opinion, the result of that is often a show that is MORE “competent” but LESS compelling than it could be, because it is LESS AUTHENTIC to that UNIQUE performer’s UNIQUE VISION and PERSONAL GENIUS.
That’s why I want to offer a completely different KIND of support to solo performers. I call it Solo Show Midwifery.
Current Offerings:
Solo Show Midwifery: Basic 4-month Program
By invitation only.
Here’s what you get:
3 months of Light Support (up to 4 hours per month, at least 2 of which can be in-person)
1 month of Intensive Support (up to 12 hours of support, all of which can be in-person)
Additional hours can be purchased each month if needed, depending on scheduling availability, at Erika's hourly rate
You schedule the sessions when you are ready to make use of them. You pay the full fee whether you use the time or not, so I encourage you to schedule the time! There is a 2-hour minimum each time we meet, and unused time does NOT roll over into the next month. For best results, try to schedule at least two weeks out. Please try to give 48 hours notice when canceling or rescheduling. Less than 24 hours notice, or canceling multiple times in a row, will result in a forfeited session.
A 50% Deposit is required to confirm your enrollment months. The other 50% of the fee is due at the start of the Intensive Support month.
Sample 2-hour Solo Show Midwifery Session
These one-on-one sessions follow a STRUCTURE that Erika has developed that has helped her with her own solo work, but the CONTENT of each session is driven by YOU and YOUR questions.
Sample 2-hour session:
- Opening check-in
- Warm-up
- Share a part of the piece that YOU want to work on
- Ask the QUESTIONS you are grappling with
- Erika will go through each question and either answer it now, or mark it as something to think about and answer at the next session.
- If there’s time, you share another part of the piece, ask questions, and Erika answers or saves them for next time.
- Repeat until you run out of questions or there are 15 minutes left, then:
- Closing check-in
- Schedule the next meeting
OK, But How Does This Actually Work, Erika?
You set your GOAL for our collaboration. For example: “By the end of April, my piece will be between 45 and 55 minutes long, and I will do a full showing for a small invited audience” or "By the middle of June, my piece will be at least 20 minutes long and I will present it, as promised, as part of PortFringe Festival in Maine."
I support you in meeting that goal, through a combination of your own individual work and our structured one-on-one sessions, guided by your own QUESTIONS.
Using this method, you will develop not only this unique show, but also your own unique PROCESS that you can continue to use for further development of this piece and/or creating future solo work!
The more you work on your piece OUTSIDE of our meetings, and the more HONEST and DARING you are about identifying and asking your own real questions, the more you will get out of this experience, and the more “YOU” your show will become.
The hope is that this approach allows you to take full responsibility for your own goals, your own questions, and your own art, without feeling like you are flailing away in a vacuum by yourself.
And THAT is the ultimate goal of Solo Show Midwifery: to help you make not just “a great show,” but a great show that you LOVE and that ONLY YOU could make!
Are you "expecting" your next solo show? Looking for support? Reach out!
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