Changing Key: an introduction to hyperdrama

My video introduction to hyperdrama, in my eternal, so far futile quest to turn on young writers to this new dynamic way of telling stories on stage. I prepared this lecture-demonstration for the annual hypertext convention in 2008. I had attended the first at Yale University over a decade earlier but none since. I was invited to make a hyperdrama presentation, being one of the very few practitioners of the form in the U.S.

• Overview
  • In "Changing Key" I will introduce the dramatic principles of hyperdrama, illustrate them with a short dramatic video, and discuss the "nuts & bolts" of writing and producing hyperdrama both for live performance and for film. The entire package will be a structured video accessed at this website with embedded videos that are hosted at YouTube.
• Outline of the video:
  • Introduction
    • I'll begin the video by comparing the differences between traditional dramatic storytelling and storytelling driven by the new dramaturgy of hyperdrama.
  • Hyperdrama story
    • The new dramaturgy will be illustrated by a short video drama called "Changing Key." It's the story of an aging and addicted jazz pianist who has placed himself under house arrest at his sister's home in order to get straight but then decides he must escape in order to participate in a special gig in New York. The story features 7 actors, each with a unique narrative path through the hyperdrama.
  • Nuts and Bolts
    • I'll conclude the video with a discussion of the techniques of planning, writing, directing and producing hyperdrama, including the use of specialized software.