Leave it to Psmith
Samara Weiss
>Hello everyone,
>
>I'm looking for advice on behalf of a drama club school group. We've
>been thinking about Leave it to Psmith as our big production next
>spring. This will be integrated into some study of PGW's writing and
>history of the early part of this century.
>
>Asking the assembled experts of the AFW forum...
>
>Is this a good selection or is there a more suitable Wodehouse play to
>do? Selection was based in part on the overall number of roles(~18, we
>have lots of kids involved) and the quality as well as quantity of
>female roles (that's mainly who we have in the group). These are young
>homeschoolers, mainly Jr. Highish in age, most with some acting
>experience, a few relative beginners.
>Helpful advice on sets, music, directorial hints, etc. would be most
>appreciated.
>
>Thank you all,
>Dean
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
Won't sets and dealing with the gunplay give you a bit of a problem? It seems to me that _Something Fresh_ might serve your purposes a little better, since _Leave It To Psmith_ would seem to demand a very strong central actor. But that's just my opinion, don't you know, and much clouded it is tooŠ
-Gladys, modern girl and fresh air child
dean_m...@my-deja.com
*remove
>Is this a good selection or is there a more suitable Wodehouse play to
>do? Selection was based in part on the overall number of roles(~18, we
>have lots of kids involved) and the quality as well as quantity of
>female roles (that's mainly who we have in the group). These are young
>homeschoolers, mainly Jr. Highish in age, most with some acting
>experience, a few relative beginners.
>Helpful advice on sets, music, directorial hints, etc. would be most
>appreciated.
>
>Thank you all,
>Dean
What ho!
It is an excellent choice - full of action. Wonderful choice, I say. Capital!
Now I assume you have the play script at hand. If not, look for "Four Plays"
which has the script. The sets are detailed therein. The first act has 3
scenes in different locales (Blandings, Tube station and Morpheus Club).
You can get away with just one set - the Morpheus Club. Half of the stage
showing the inside of the club and the other half the streets outside. That
way you could do the umbrella scene, the Ralston McTodd and Lord
Emsworth lunch scene and you could have the Freddie-Psmith-Chrysanthemum
interview right on the steps of the club. The only problem being the first
scene at Blandings. But rewriting that scene should make it fit quite nicely
in a London Club. Something like "Ah! Here we are. London!" and then after
the business is done, get rid of Lady Constance. I think she might like to
visit someone in London, or see her solicitor after she is done ruining
Freddie's day. Likewise, the second scene outside the tube station can
take place outside the club.
Also, if you are going to do this, may I suggest changing the names of
characters and places back to the original ones? The play has, for reasons
unknown, the Earl of Middlewick instead of Emsworth, Bellows instead of
Beach and Lady Middlewick instead of Lady Constance. And the club in
the play is the Morpheus instead of The Senior Conservative. If you are
planning on introducing the kids to Wodehouse, these changes will make
them familiar with the characters in the novel.
Good luck with the show,
Gussie
dean_m...@my-deja.com
Thank you for your recommendations, especially for suggesting
"Something Fresh". I'm not familiar with the play and would like to
know more. Is there a script readily available? Perhaps we can do both
plays at some point in time.
I have been considerable bucked up by talking with those who are doing
the sets and they are all for going all out to do "whatever it takes".
Or maybe they said "with knobs on it" or some other thing like that.
Gunplay is valid point/concern. They did "Cyrano" with all kinds of
dueling swords a couple years back and that was handled OK (although a
bit dicey at times).
Many Thanks,
Dean
>
> Won't sets and dealing with the gunplay give you a bit of a
problem? It seems to me that _Something Fresh_ might serve your
purposes a little better, since _Leave It To Psmith_ would seem to
demand a very strong central actor. But that's just my opinion, don't
you know, and much clouded it is tooŠ
>
> -Gladys, modern girl and fresh air child
>
dean_m...@my-deja.com
Thank you so much for your recommendations. I was most encouraged by
your whole hearted Leave it to Psmith endorsement.
I do have a copy of the script from the "Four plays" book and have read
the novel again recently. I especially agree with your point concerning
the naming differences between the novel and the play.
As I mentioned in my reply to Gladys, the set construction chappies are
a most encouraging lot as well and have bucked me up considerably on
doing all sets as described in the play.
Having said all that. What essentials go into a Blanding's castle set
(besides an uncatalogued library, a suitable place for poetry
reading/jewelry snatching, and numerous flower pots)? Same q for a
London Tube station?
I should emphasize that I'm merely in an advisory role here, not
directing,etc. Just helping out a bit without having to risk taking
vegetables on the chin from refined Saturday night eastend crowds, etc.
Many Thanks,
Dean
dean_m...@my-deja.com
dean_m...@my-deja.com
dean_m...@my-deja.com
Alan Bird
writes
<snippety snip snap snorum>
> What essentials go into a Blanding's castle set
>(besides an uncatalogued library, a suitable place for poetry
>reading/jewelry snatching, and numerous flower pots)?
I should imagine one essential (whether the Noble Animal appears among
the dramatis personae or not) would be to have some stout fellow
prepared to make grunts, squeals and other sounds of a Porcine nature.
To make the Noises Off consistent with those real sounds that drift
across the balmy air of a drowsy Blandings summer evening...
>Same q for a
>London Tube station?
On current reckoning a scruffy bloke with a dog on a bit of string
trying to flog you a copy of the Big Issue. And a foul, stale smell
wafting up from the subterranean depths.
>
>I should emphasize that I'm merely in an advisory role here, not
>directing,etc. Just helping out a bit without having to risk taking
>vegetables on the chin from refined Saturday night eastend crowds, etc.
Watch out for roots. A turnip's a dreadful weapon at twenty paces.
>
>Many Thanks,
>Dean
>
>
<snip>
Good luck for your foul enterprise. But don't expect
Yours faithfully,
Maj Brabazon-Plank, ret'd (late Roper's Light Horse)
to attend: an early exposure to one school play was adequate preparation
for the cut and tumble of life in the rough. If I see another one it'll
be if the valedictory party nip in on the way to the cemetery to escape
a downpour, and prop my coffin against the fire exit. And even then
there'll be an anguished knocking from inside the lid.
--
Alan Bird
beach_th...@hotmail.com
[snip]
> Having said all that. What essentials go into a Blanding's castle set
> (besides an uncatalogued library, a suitable place for poetry
> reading/jewelry snatching, and numerous flower pots)?
In the library Sir will find globes (terrestrial and astronomical),
library steps, a reading desk, a large number of chairs, many occasional
tables (covered with china ornaments), a well-thumbed copy of Whiffle's
"On the Care of the Pig", Lord Emsworth's spare eyewear, and (as per
Lady Constance's instructions) large quantities of cut flowers arranged
in vases and bowls.
Flowerpots are not normally found inside the library (they are usually
on the terrace outside) unless we have been enjoying one of Mr Baxter's
more energetic visits.
Beach. The Butler's Pantry, Blandings Castle.
beach_th...@hotmail.com
dean_m...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Dear Gussie,
>
> Thank you so much for your recommendations. I was most encouraged by
> your whole hearted Leave it to Psmith endorsement.
I say old chap. Repeating something three times for emphasis is quite
allowable don't 'cha know what what what. But four times is rather
gilding the lily.
I suspect there may be a problem with your posting software.
The Mixer
>
> dean_m...@my-deja.com wrote:
> [snip]
> > Having said all that. What essentials go into a Blanding's castle set
> > (besides an uncatalogued library, a suitable place for poetry
> > reading/jewelry snatching, and numerous flower pots)?
>
> In the library Sir will find globes (terrestrial and astronomical),
> library steps, a reading desk, a large number of chairs, many occasional
> tables (covered with china ornaments), a well-thumbed copy of Whiffle's
> "On the Care of the Pig", Lord Emsworth's spare eyewear, and (as per
> Lady Constance's instructions) large quantities of cut flowers arranged
> in vases and bowls.
Don't forget the Blandings copy of the Gutenberg Bible. Correct me if
I'm wrong, but in Leave it to Psmith I believe Lord E. had not yet
entered his pig phase or discovered the Joy of Whiffle. Perhaps a few
pamphlets on scarab-collecting and pumpkin-growing would fill the bill.
dean_m...@my-deja.com
My apologies to all for my accidental quadruple posting.
Thank you for your recommendations.
Dean
beach_th...@hotmail.com
Oh I SEE! Sir was talking with reference to a particular time period! I
just stuck my head through the door and took a quick inventory.
I must put it back later.
Beach. The Butler's Pantry, Blandings Castle.
Fruitbat49
detailed--though certainly not uncompelling--string on the theme of
board-and-buskin. I must say, however, after wending my way throughout all your
delightful posts, I had the distinct feeling of having directed the play,
painted the scenery, and popped in as impromptu prop-pixie as well. Is there
possibly some aspect of this play that DOESN'T fascinate each and every one of
you? Is there, possibly, a sub-Wodehouse newsgroup for some of us who are
accursed with a less than heroic attention span? I remain, respecfully yours,
--Robert
"We've got a blind date with Destiny, and She's just ordered the lobster."
--The Shoveler
helen...@googlemail.com
I realise this is an old post, but my drama society are looking to stage a production of "Leave it to Psmith" and I wondered if you did end up staging this how it went.
Also do you have a copy of a script you can email?