A Dramatic reading? Or is that a completely crazy idea :)

[SweetPea]

Hi!
I'm considering starting a dramatic reading
Would anyone be interested in helping read, or would this just not work with such a small site? I was thinking of The Fairy Caravan by Beatrix Potter, but it is a full novel. (Even if it's only a short one.)
Another option I was thinking of was one of L. M. Montgomery's short stories. The problem is, though she wrote a lot after 1923, I can only find the online text for one of them. It's a ghost story, which isn't really my genre. (For anyone interested, it's The House Party at Smoky Island) Would it be possible to type out another story (they have some in the public library)?

What do you think?

Rachel

[J_N]

I think we had one play so far - and it took ages... we probably lack resources... if you know people on Librivox that like to do things like this, they might like to help you out I recommend having most of the cast ready before starting a project... dramatic readings, plays and the like are a lot of work, it would be a pity if it was futile...

[Viktor]

The two main issues are, I think, a number of roles which must not be too large for our little community, and the availability of an editor - that's the most time-consuming task for a play. Apart from that, it should be doable!

But I had a look at "The Fairy Caravan", and I'm confused, certainly because I have not seen yet how such cases are handled on LV. It's prose, and you want to read it as a play? Does it need rewriting? In sentences such as:

“Sandy! Sandy!” cried Jenny Ferret, “the tent-pole has been forgotten, and our little bucket at the well. Bother that crowing cock! Where is Iky Shepster?”

does a narrator read the "cried Jenny Ferret", or does it get omitted?

[SweetPea]

The two main issues are, I think, a number of roles which must not be too large for our little community, and the availability of an editor - that's the most time-consuming task for a play. Apart from that, it should be doable!

I agree. My main concern is the number of roles - I'm not sure exactly how many there are since I haven't started to prepare text. Editing isn't a big problem - I've edited longer books than this.

But I had a look at "The Fairy Caravan", and I'm confused, certainly because I have not seen yet how such cases are handled on LV. It's prose, and you want to read it as a play? Does it need rewriting?

Yes, I want to read it as a play, and no, it doesn't need rewriting exactly. What it does need is to be made into script form - usually by colour-coding lines. You can see an example from a dramatic reading I am doing on Librivox: here's chapter 17 of Huck Finn.

In sentences such as:

“Sandy! Sandy!” cried Jenny Ferret, “the tent-pole has been forgotten, and our little bucket at the well. Bother that crowing cock! Where is Iky Shepster?”

does a narrator read the "cried Jenny Ferret", or does it get omitted?

On Librivox, the narrator would read the "cried Jenny Ferret", since we're not allowed to change the text. I don't know what the policy is here, but I think it would work either way.

Thanks guys!

[Viktor]

My main concern is the number of roles - I'm not sure exactly how many there are since I haven't started to prepare text. Editing isn't a big problem - I've edited longer books than this.

Two possibilities come to mind. Either we do this as one of our "long-running" projects that's done when it's done, and we are all happy with that. Or we do a "crowdfunding-like" scheme of giving us a deadline (one month, for example) for getting all roles assigned. If we do not get all roles covered, we don't do it, at least not at this time.

Thanks for the color-coding explanation. So that takes time as well, but it's time the BC invests before others get involved.

On Librivox, the narrator would read the "cried Jenny Ferret", since we're not allowed to change the text. I don't know what the policy is here, but I think it would work either way.

Our policy is open for discussion, I will open a thread in the general section. The obvious next question is, what is with slightly expanded explanations, such as "said Hannah Brighteyes, sourly".

[SweetPea]

Either we do this as one of our "long-running" projects that's done when it's done, and we are all happy with that. Or we do a "crowdfunding-like" scheme of giving us a deadline (one month, for example) for getting all roles assigned. If we do not get all roles covered, we don't do it, at least not at this time.

The problem I see with the second idea is that no-one can start recording until all roles are filled It could work, though, especially for a short story with not very many roles.

I don't think I'm going to do the Fairy Caravan as a DR (right now anyway). I think (if I decide to do one at all) I'll do a short story

[jessieyun0404]

Rachel, if you would like a short story for DR here, I'd be happy to help you