Sinbad in Process

I've been thinking a lot about adaptations lately. Most of the scripts I've written have been adapted from one source or another, and here I am, working on one for this summer.

It stands to reason that most musicals are adaptations, whether from plays (Green Grow the Lilacs became Oklahoma!, Pygmalion became My Fair Lady), books (Wicked, Les Miserables), or movies (The Producers, Hairspray). It's not just that it's easier to write an adaptation; those scripts also have instant name recognition, and in a ticket-sales-driven society like the one we're in, name recognition goes a long way in marketing.

I come up against this every year when choosing titles for our summer camp productions. We write the scripts for camp in-house, and so it's not as simple as picking (for example) Guys and Dolls or Annie. We have to think of stories that are intriguing and enticing, not only for the students, but also for the parents who shell out the bucks. This year, we're doing one adaptation--written by me--and one original story--written by my colleague.

Each year I've written a script, I've been encouraged to not stick incredibly closely to the source material; to take the outline of the story and run, in order to make my own product. The first year, there wasn't a whole lot of substance to the source material, so I tacked on another story from the same culture. The second year, I stayed pretty close to the Persephone myth, but updated the language and themes so a modern audience (both the parents watching the show and the students acting the show) could relate. And I've had a great time doing so!

I chose to work with the Sinbad stories this year, and feel free-er than I ever have to extend the story beyond the myth and make it something new. There are hundreds of stories starring the titular character, and I picked and chose between them. I also took the Scheherazade framing device and made it more child-friendly, while still providing a sense of danger. The storytelling framing device opened up even more options--since the princesses have to please their king, there's an opportunity to continually one-up the story, and add fantastic elements.

I put a "the end" on my rough first draft, and while major revisions are needed, I'm happy with the product so far. Here's to the journey.

(I'm talking to one of the playwrights from our professional stage this week, in order to get her outlook on the adaptation process. She's taken a popular fairy tale--one of my favorites--and made it something completely new. I hope to use some of the material she gives me for new insight.)