I Am Alpha & Omega, rewrites

  

UPDATE 4/17/24

   I am gearing up to dive into this piece again. I pulled some of the older material and I found myself feeling uneasy with the structure. Well, I think I did a good job with the material, but somehow I want to address the material in a less external way. 

   I know how I dealt with certain aspects and I have felt satisfied with those scenes, but some of the earlier scenes were not as abstract in the concepts. I'd like to revisit those scenes and explore alternatives to the present approach.

   I think this comes from the fact that I did an in-depth investigation into what might be called the sub-plot of Act Three, the new Act Three.  After removing the first Act Three and turning it into "Nunc Licet", which was in development for around twenty-five long hard years.

   So the new Act Three is still developing, but I'm happy with the potential.

   So, after reading an older version of Act Two, I'm not real happy about it's structure. I can see that it was improved over the first few versions, but what I read so far doesn't measure up to the new work for Act Three. I'll have to redress that.

   Admittedly, what I was reading is not the latest version. So I'm working on getting the files transferred up to my current work station and getting all the materials updated to the new format that I would like to see. By format I mean the creative aesthetics. Truthfully, it's been decades since I last worked on this and my perspectives are quite different than they were when I started it.

   So, overall, I expect the piece will grow into what I have always imagined it could be, but it will be quite different than I thought it would be.

AG

 ARCHIVE:

 I have begun transposing my prose over to a working document that I can use to structure the Third Act of A&O. 

   As I was kfelling over what to do about the Third Act, after I removed the one I had and turned it into "Nunc Licet", the Lord revealed to my mind that it was to be an opera based on the Apocalypse.

   So I began researching the material. I had extensive notes in my copy of Apocalypse Revealed, but apparently I took it with me when I was working as an actor on a production (to read while waiting to go on) and I must have left it behind, because I cannot find it. Not great, I guess I can reconstitute what I did to select sections of Johns writings.

   But what I did do in regard to material for the play, was to write prose on the subject and I found a few journals with material I might be able to use.

    The difficulty lies in establishing the visual elements and determining what the method of delivery should be. 

   For now, I am going to transfer the notes and structure an outline of the sequence of events. I expect that there will be events that can be interpreted visually and surround the prose, creating a multi-layered effect. 

   In terms of Operatic expression, I will need to extract characterization from elements in the Apocalypse that were simply visions, but in that case there is nut much room for character development, buy I will try. I'm having ideas that are based on my performing John in the June Nineteenth Pageant, something I did for probably twenty years (or more).

   I have the same difficulty with the First Act, where there is nothing but the Mind of God in a representation of Creation.

   So I guess, at this point, the work will be literary, with theatrical conceptions that are fluid, in terms of execution.

History;

    I began writing "I Am Alpha & Omega" when I was 21 in Berkeley, California in 1974.  It started out as a screenplay that had a science-fiction nature to it. It was a narrative that grew wholly from my mind and was structured to be a story of the Second Coming of Christ. 

  That first version grew out of my journey to Hollywood in an effort to make movies and that screenplay arose from an education that insisted that the first thing needed to produce a film is the screenplay. 

    After I completed that screenplay I showed it around Hollywood and I was told to take it to Bob Hope, which shocked me. I showed it (and some of my lyrics) to the agent Carter Wright and he wanted me to join the Song Writers Guild. I got to one of the top agents at Creative Artists Agency and he asked me what I wanted him to do for me. I was young, uninformed and I didn't have an answer, so that didn't pan out. The script ended up in Gene Roddenberry's hands (thru my association with Chaka Kahn) and he liked it. I got scared and decided I needed to improve it, so I took it back and started rewrites. Circumstances in Hollywood were difficult, amidst many adventures and foibles,  so I left California returned to Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

   I set up Image of the Mind Studios in 1977 and it was my intention to continue to advance A&O. I concluded that I needed to have other established people onboard. So I started thinking about the music for the soundtrack. I was very much interested in The Moody Blues music and I got the idea of having them write the soundtrack stuck in my head. So I started working to set up a meeting with them to propose that they write the music for A&O.

   I succeeded on setting up a meeting, backstage at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Made eye contact with Justin Hayward, where we acknowledged each other, but he was occupied so I moved to greet John Lodge. I had an excellent conversation with John who introduced me to their agent. My discussions with their agent did not go well. I was excited about a film idea I had for their music and I had an excellent vision of what I would do. I started to convey that to their agent. He made me feel small & insignificant and insulted me for even suggesting that I had something to offer them. Needless to say, I was crushed. I moved away and Justin Hayward came over to shake my hand. As we walked over toward the group, I asked him if he had seen the materials I sent them. I waited for an answer. I asked again and I got a grunt. Well, after being belittled by their agent, I said to myself "I don't need this" and I turned and walked away. Like a dope I walked into a dead end and I had to turn around. I walked past their limo, knocked on the window, it rolled down and is said; "Please thank (their tour manager) for setting up the meeting" then I left. Other things have happened around this over the years, but that decision to walk away has haunted me for nearly fifty years.

   I continued to consider the project, after that and this time I thought maybe Rick Wakeman might want to do the music, so I set up a meeting with him. He was interested and we agreed to set up a deal through his agent, who was there at the meeting. He worked out of NYC and I tried to communicate with him numerous times, but he never responded to me, so I dropped it.

   I then began producing concerts at The County Theatre in Doylestown and ended up going back to college to study theatre. I was engaged in many other film and theatre projects, so A&O was put on the back burner.

   Then I ended up in Boston and I was pitching A&O in conversation, which resulted in being offered an office in the Paramount Theatre to work on the piece. I think it was then that the screenplay turned into a theatre piece.

Theatrical presentation

  As you may know "I Am Alpha & Omega" has become a theatrical stage presentation. It started out as a script for cinema, but after numerous rewrites and my development as a theatrical designer, technical director, and ultimately a producer for projects in numerous formats, the project moved from being cinematic to becoming theatrical in nature. Of course, it can return to cinema in the end, but it will need to get there by way of a live stage presentation.

    There was a developing Hemispherical Theatre presentation  that may come into play in the future. That type of presentation would be a blending of technical theatre and cinema, but for the time being the focus will be on conventional legit theatre. Theatre in the round may be an interesting variation on the theme, but that too would require design specific to the venue.

   So, after a panicked search for the script notes, I actually found my journal for the new Act Three. I have been looking for my copy of Apocalypse Revealed by Emanuel Swedenborg, in which I made extensive notes about the sections in the Book of Revelations that I have chosen to highlight in Act Three. I believe I took the book with me to read in-between shows while I was doing the June 19th pageant in Bryn Athyn and I seem to have lost it. I can tell you, I have been very frustrated by that. But now, I have located my journal, where I actually transposed those notes over to a poetic structure intended for the stage. I am uncertain if what I found is sufficient for the entire third Act, but since I have determined that the form of Act Three will be Operatic, then whatever expansion that needs to take place can be musical. I've yet to thoroughly review the material I found, but I should be able to draw up a conclusion, if it isn't already there. I will be transferring those notes over to a Word document so I can published the Libretto.

   I have some concerns over a few hard disc failures that have occurred. I am uncertain as to whether or not my work on the script has been lost because of that, but I think my work in this regard was done mostly on older systems and may be preserved on Zip Drives. I will need to go back and set up those older G4 & G5 Macs so I can explore my older files.  I guess I will need to pay to recover the hard drives that failed.

    In any event, I do have a full hard copy of the script that was made, right about the time I broke off the Third Act, to make into a separate play titled "Nunc Licet" Check out The Nunc Licet Archive.

   So, I will be transferring my notes over to my laptop and, if I have to, I can retype the script copy I have into a Word document. My intention is to publish the Libretto (without technical notes) and after that is done, we can start to craft the music. Since I do have an EWI, I can lay down some tracks and print them out with Quick scribe. That will be the beginning of developing the score for the piece. I am talking to someone about composing the music, so, we'll see how that goes.

   Getting this piece published will become the priority after "The Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure" is published and distribution of that Collection of Illustrated Storybooks is on play.

.           The Seven Headed Dragon 

                         Refered to in

               The Book of Revelations

I Am Alpha & Omega

.         The Seven Headed Dragon

                     described in the 

                   Book of Revelations.

Update: 3/21/24  

Summary of work on 

"I Am Alpha & Omega"

     I am posting within this heading and moving the previous post down into archive.

   Well, having been discussing the music for "I Am Alpha & Omega", I have, miraculously via Divine Providence, located the last presentation I made of the materials. That presentation consisted of samples of the first few pages of each Act. I also, just today, found a photocopy of the first full script of the stage version. I expect to be reviewing that for the next rewrite that I will be doing.

   I found myself kfelling over where all the materials might be. You see, I have had numerous computer hard disc failures and I am uncertain whether or not I had a backup of the most recent work on this.

  You may have seen the post I have on the IMS Virtual Studio where I present "The Ineffable Journey", an essay where I talk about some of my spiritual experiences. In that essay, I also mention how important "I Am Alpha & Omega" is as part of my mission here on earth.

   The difficulty I face is that I am... Uncertain, about how I should actually approach this. I've written numerous versions of this project, the first was a screenplay, followed by numerous stage versions and then a version for a Hemispherical Theatre concept I had. That version was mostly a technical script.

   It's very interesting that, only a few years ago, I found out that a Hemispherical Theatre has been built outside of Los Angeles.  When I was working on the Hemispherical Theatre concept I had to stop, because the technology and computers were not yet developed and I was getting ahead of what could be done, but technology has since progressed. I could see that the technology was developing faster than I could write for it, or even conceptualize how to integrate that into what I was doing, so I decided to wait until certain technological capabilities became refined.

   So I put the project down and focused on other theatre work. As I was showing  "I Am Alpha & Omega" to people, I received a number of opinions that; the Third Act should be a separate play.

   I had begun work on a mediaeval romance as well, so work on Alpha & Omega took a back seat to that for for years.

 Until I decided to take the advice I was given and break the Third Act off into a separate drama. I began refining that portion of Alpha & Omega into a play titled "Nunc Licet". I worked on that play for twenty-five years, struggling to ferment the (very complex) material (addressing Emanuel Swedenborg) down to a workable stage drama. That play has been workshopped four times, had a public reading and a stage-on-film version is being planned as the next effort.

    Along the way, I came to be employed by (among others) both The Bucks County Playhouse (in various capacities) and The New Hope Arts Commission as the Technical Director and principle Lighting/Set Designer. I held that position for nine years. I left that position desiring to write something simple, unlike "Alpha & Omega" and "Nunc Licet" or even the mediaeval romance (once titled "MiLady" and now) titled "Grael".

   It was then that I began to develop "The Gnomes of New Hope: Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure" as a simple puppet show (which inevitably turned into a full musical intended for Broadway)

   I should also mention that after I wrote the first screenplay for "I Am Alpha & Omega", Gene Roddenberry read it and liked it. Nothing came of that, because I took it back to rewrite it. During that rewrite process, I approached The Moody Blues about composing the score for the film. That didn't work out (my fault) and I ended up depressed and stopped working on the project.

   I got into designing outdoor feativals, which led to consulting with rock bands and producing concerts on stage. That led me back to college to study theatre, where I also produced a number of films and began writing another screenplay, which is a mediaeval romance, based on Arthurian Legend. I spent four and a half years writing that, almost went to England to work on that and ended up pitching that to a number of major studios (EMI/Shepperton, Paramount, Warner and others). After I got my degree, I ended up in Boston working in theatre and film. I was given an office in the Paramount Theatre, so I could continue my writing on "I Am Alpha & Omega". I did this while juggling other work in professional and collegiate theatre. This other work led me to New York, where I went to work for Joe Papp at the Public and Delacourte Theatres and Lorn Michaels, working on the Concerts on Central Park.

All the while I was working on and pitching my projects, most importantly

 "I Am Alpha & Omega".

   And so now, I am beginning to work on it again and I expect that will include a full rewrite, once I gather the materials and finish the layout/publishing for "The Gnomes of New Hope"

   If out are interested in my career history I posted it on the top of the IMS Virtual Studio

AG

Archive; 

     As I approach the completion of the Illustrated Storybooks of "The Gnomes of New Hope: Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure", I expect to be moving back into music composition. That also means addressing music for the third act of "I Am Alpha and Omega". 

    That means beginning to compose the opera (based on the Apocalypse) and redressing the other two acts of the same show. This will need to take place in conjunction with my construction of the Green Screen/Sound Stage in the Studio.

    Recently I have been reconsidering the Hemispherical Theatre (which I began to design before personal computers hit the market) and that leads me to consider a green screen set-up in conjunction with a dome. That seems like the way to program a presentation, given that technology has advanced as far as it has. I'll have to give that some thought.

AG

I just had the idea that I should publish the play (of the same title), which I have since it's inception considered my Magnum Opus. Although I have published a few versions of this play, none are actually refined enough to be considered sufficient for production.

Along the way, I have shifted back and forth between this and other projects. When I thought it was completed enough to show people, one person reviewing it proclaimed that the third act should be a play of it's own.

So I took his advice and "Nunc Licet" came into being, leaving "I Am Alpha & Omega" without a third act.

After that, I spent 25 years writing "Nunc Licet" and barely addressing Alpha & Omega. However, before I broke NL off, I was writing a screenplay titled "MiLady" a mideaval romance, which became "Grael".

After "Grael" came to require a major film production, I stopped working on it, because it was out of my league. Being an independent filmmaker, the films I make never come close to the major Hollywood film scenario. Although I've worked in a few major films, I've mostly stayed away from Union work. I don't like the complexity. That's ironic, because now "The Gnomes of New Hope" is potentially in that league.

Well, after working on "Grael" and running into walls (some of my own making) pitching that film in Hollywood, I began working on "The Gnomes of New Hope".

To make a long story short, I'm feeling the impending inevitable creeping ever closer and it strikes me as a good idea to post the script for "I Am Alpha & Omega", in the event that I never get around to producing it before I depart.

The interesting thing about A&O is that I finally realized what the third act will need to be - an opera based on The Apocalypse. Yeow!

The Gnomes of New Hope project is based on the stage musical, so I am set up for composing the music for Act Three of A&O. But before I engage in serious writing of that opera, the Gnomes must produce the income objectives that I have set.

My goal is to secure the operating expenses of my living and working environment for the rest of my life. I can no longer engage in the creative process and deal with the grief and struggle for economic satisfaction at the same time.

I'm tired of it and now it affects me in more profound ways, than it did when I was younger.

I have been, for years now, taking notes on the third act of A&O, and I continue to do so, but I have not yet addressed the music end. I'm set up to do that, although I want to upgrade my workstation with a Mach Five instead of Reason and that will take time.

I do know that I want the text of the opera to be in Latin. I don't think English cuts it. Subtitles have become more or less standard, so why not Latin. I'm not proficient enough in Itailian to translate it, although I could, but I already have the text in Latin, so it's just a matter if selecting the sections I want to use.

That's all for now.

AG

A&O Soc. Foundation

   I'm on the brink of endowing the A&O Soc. Foundation with some seed money.

 As a not-for-profit organization, the A&O Soc. can be funded directly with income created by The Gnomes of New Hope and I expect to assign all or some of the Ancillary Market Licensing fees and Royalties to the Foundation directly. This is advantageous because, being provided directly to a non-profit Foundation those monies would be tax free, both in acquisition and expenditures. 

There are projects that are underway, which would fall directly into the purposes of the Alpha and Omega Society and so funding them in this way is most appropriate.

So producing or funding these projects (such as "Nunc Licet" or "I Am Alpha & Omega") can become a project of The Alpha &Omega Society as a funding mechanism for other important work.

My income from The Gnomes of New Hope only needs to be a fraction of the income potential. So I expect to assign the remainder of actual and potential income to the Foundation. After all, now that I am advancing in age, my time here is limited, so what else am I going to do with it?

That's the intent. But, of course, I will need to build a Board of Directors.

I am happy to discuss this with anyone who is interested.

image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com

A New Batch of Hats

One of the benefits to helping bring The Alpha & Omega Society into becoming a functional Foundation is getting a hat.

I know, big deal, but they're cool hats.

Actually this batch is not correct. The wrong thread color was used, so a new batch will be made with the A in the logo being white instead of grey.

I am looking to build a Board of Directors and move to establish the proper organization structure in concert with that board. I expect to post some further thoughts on the mission at another time, but... If you think sitting on the Board is interesting to you, don't hesitate to discuss it with me. AG 🇺🇲🎭🎬🎨🎶🙏

Recent Activities

   "The Woman Clothed with The Sun"

            From The Apocalypse

                   represented in

     the June Nineteenth Pageant at

            The Bryn Athyn Cathedral

Well, interestingly enough, I am looking at  1) establishing the Alpha &Omega Foundation 2) buying and renovating a church 3) setting up the Administrative Offices.

All of this is quite detailed, but you can expect that I will be addressing this in the future, once certain milestones are met.

I will fix the alignment issues, when I get to my computer.

AG

A Theatrical Development Centre

A Beautiful shot of a ballet dancer. I did a lot of ballet in college, mostly tech, but some dance.  I ended up working for The Boston Ballet, The Boston Opera Company and Gilbert & Sullivan at Harvard & MIT, but that was over thirty years ago. Now I'm working on building The Theatrical Development Centre. Here are some thoughts on that and how it relates to The Alpha & Omega Society.

As you will see below, I make mention of a Spiritual Retreat Community. I'm working on building Image of the Mind Studios and I am sitting up the studio space as The Theatrical Development Centre, but in my mind I have a vision for that concept to grow beyond my studio facility into a community facility. IMS is shaping into a micro-cosom of the larger community concept. Part of implementing that "Artist Community" is to form and establish "The Alpha & Omega Society" as a foundation with the purpose of constructing and maintaining a community compound centered around the Theatrical Development concept. Why theatrical activities at it's core? Well, theatre uses all the known Arts & Crafts to implement, so using the theatre brings together artists of all talents as well as management oriented people. Well, clearly, to bring people together requires a working space that will accommodate the work and living spaces required to be productive in this way. I have had this prevailing vision in my head for most of my life and everything I do is leading in that direction.

Image of the Mind Studios has gradually grown through various levels of operation, remaining as low key as possible and engaging in development of new works in a wide range of mediums. The result has been a gathering of supplies and equipment, all oriented toward an ever receeding objective. By that I mean that I have gathered supplies, such as video equipment (for example), only to find the industry moving at a speed that is hard to keep up with. So overall, I have developed an attitude and stance where, I do not strive to compete with advancing technology, rather, I am using whatever obsolete technology I have to set up a work space around that technology, presuming that at some point, when it is required, that technology can be upgraded. But in the meanwhile, I am using that equipment to define the parameters of the studio working space. In that way, the changes that occurr through advancement in technology can be put to use effectively. But I diverge.

My point here is to proclaim that I intend to transfer Image of the Mind Studios and all it's assets over to The Alpha & Omega Society when I depart this plane of existence. That being said, I must follow the path of establishing the A&O Soc. as a foundation operating under a Board of Directors. This hasn't been done yet. For my part I am very busy and the most I can do is to conceptualize the community, while I gather the resources to proceed. 

As it stands now, I envision the resources to establish The A&O Soc and the Spiritual Retreat Community coming from The Gnomes of New Hope. You can follow that blog and Image of the Mind Studios to see how that is proceeding. I have it in my mind to acquire between 25 & 100 acres in either Upper Bucks County or the Poconos. I'll go into that later, but if it is Upper Bucks County, then the facility in Southampton would play a pivoital role. If for some reason, I need to relocate the Southampton facility, then the Poconos is more likely. Frankly, I prefer Upper Buck County, because that wouldn't involve starting over again. IMS has had nine previous studio locations and I have it in my mind that the Southampton facility is the last time I have to set up, but that's not absolutely certain. It all depends on my cash flow. 

The Gnomes of New Hope is nearing completion. I have said that countless times and Everytime I say that there is more to do. In fact, it is only the Storybook that is nearing completion and it is the publishing layout that is complete. There is still much artwork that needs to be done for the remaining illustrations. But you can read about that on the Gnomes blog. The truth is that there are literally dozens of other projects in various stages of completion at IMS, but the facilities are dependent upon The Gnomes generating the capital to move forward and in fact, The Alpha & Omega Society is contingent upon The Gnomes of New Hope generating an excess of capital, an excess beyond what is required to maintain the Southampton operations. That is the point of The A&O Soc. A place to deposit income from the projects emminating from The Theatrical Development Centre and to distribute those funds to maintain a community environment where artists can live and work on common goals. Those goals are the projects approved by the Board of Directors to receive the support of the whole community, projects submitted and developed by the whole community. Very much like the old Studio System, but, hopefully on a more communal and less dictatorial basis.

Of course rules must be set down and followed, so it may well fall back into the old methodology tried time and again by others, but hopefully, tying the Theatrical Development Centre to a Spiritual Retreat will help us achieve the Elisian Dream.