Cambium Research File
Picking a Tree
Let me know which tree you would like to work with no later than Thursday March 18. Your tree can be one you pick yourself (from a previous connection or interest, or from research or from a walk about; think about using the TASAs as you do a walk about/traveling on Google Earth. Keep a notebook with you to write the TASAs down.). Or you can pick a tree from the research file. If you are picking from the research file please send me a list of at least two choices that interest you. I will confirm one with you quickly.
Be sure to visit the tree you pick (or visit it on Google Earth).
Pick a tree that is in a public area. Avoid trees on private homes, unless it is your house or you know the person who owns the house and can get their permission.
When you go scouting for a tree, take a photo (or screenshot it).
In addition to the creative exploration, try to identify the type of tree.
Use this research as a leaping off point. You are not writing historical plaques. See what stories or voices your imagination conjures up based on the information you learn. It may be the voice of the tree or a person/animal in relation to the tree or even a character the tree inspires. If this tree were a person what kind of person would they be? Can facts about the tree translate into traits a character might have.
Let me know which tree you would like to work with no later than Thursday March 18. Your tree can be one you pick yourself (from a previous connection or interest, or from research or from a walk about; think about using the TASAs as you do a walk about/traveling on Google Earth. Keep a notebook with you to write the TASAs down.). Or you can pick a tree from the research file. If you are picking from the research file please send me a list of at least two choices that interest you. I will confirm one with you quickly.
Be sure to visit the tree you pick (or visit it on Google Earth).
Pick a tree that is in a public area. Avoid trees on private homes, unless it is your house or you know the person who owns the house and can get their permission.
When you go scouting for a tree, take a photo (or screenshot it).
In addition to the creative exploration, try to identify the type of tree.
Use this research as a leaping off point. You are not writing historical plaques. See what stories or voices your imagination conjures up based on the information you learn. It may be the voice of the tree or a person/animal in relation to the tree or even a character the tree inspires. If this tree were a person what kind of person would they be? Can facts about the tree translate into traits a character might have.
- Example: A tree that has fungus growing on it, has become a vessel that supports another life. If the tree were a person what kind of person supports another life at a cost to themselves? Are they willing or unwilling? If they were unwilling one might write a play like Hedda Gabler. If they were willing maybe a play like Saint Joan. This is an intentionally broad example, so one does not feel inclined to copy it.
Finding equivalents can be a helpful tool as a playwright (sometimes if something is too personal, an equivalent can be a freeing way to explore that story). Ask what is the essence of this story, object or image? The core idea. Then what might be a way to explore that essence or core idea?
- Example: It is widely believed that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet as a response to the death of his son Hamnet. The spellings of Hamlet/Hamnet were interchangeable in Elizabethan England. Shakespeare did not write a play about a boy dying of illness in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Instead he wrote a story about a Danish Prince exacting revenge for the death of his father. As Maggie O’Farrell explores in her wonderful novel Hamnet and Judith, Shakespeare uses Hamnet as inspiration and writes a play with different specifics, but the same essence; the exploration of death and grief. Shakespeare probably played the Ghost/Old Hamlet in the original performances. So on stage Shakespeare was doing what a parent would naturally wish when a child dies, to take their place; or to defy death and still converse with the deceased. In Hamlet Shakespeare may be wishing that he, the father, died instead of the son. It is the natural order of things, the son should outlive the father, the opposite of what had just happened in the Shakespeare family. Shakespeare may also be imagining Hamnet if he had grown up, taking his wit and intellect he had as a boy and imaging what he could have become as a man. So Shakespeare took the essence or main idea of his son’s death and his own grief and found a dramatic equivalent for it.
Order of Sharing Drafts
Spend the latter half of this week working on a rough first draft. I will need everyone to send me a rough first draft by Monday March 22, hopefully many will send a draft sooner.
Half the unit will share their first draft at our second meeting and the other half at our third meeting. People will share in the order that I receive the drafts. I think this will work out an order organically of people who take more time and those who get a draft done quicker.
If you are sharing in the third meeting you can continue working your draft during the second week, perhaps incorporating what you learned from the first six sharings. You can then send me a newer draft closer to the third meeting.
You can always continue to work on your monodrama right up to the sharing, even though you have already sent me a draft. You can also send me multiple drafts in a week, to get feedback or questions answered. If you continue to work right up to the meeting, be sure to email me your most recent draft at the start of the meeting.
Keep in mind if you send me something on March 22nd you will probably be sharing on the third week.
But if everyone waits until the 22nd to send me something, the first six will be still be sharing that evening.
The first six to share will share a subsequent draft at the fourth meeting, the second six will share subsequently at the fifth meeting. Everyone will share a final draft at our final meeting.
Some people prefer hearing someone else read their work, so they can take notes and listen. If you prefer this at any point, you can let me know when you send me your draft. Chris McAuley and Kydra Ryan have kindly agreed to be our designated readers whenever someone wants to listen to their work.
Throughout the unit, I will be able to offer better notes to you when you share if you send me a draft at least a day in advance of sharing.
Tracking Your Drafts
Keep all your drafts. You can always go back to a previous draft if it works better for you. Playwriting does not move in one direction. I suggest saving each draft in the following format:
Title-Author-v1
Title-Author-v2
Spend the latter half of this week working on a rough first draft. I will need everyone to send me a rough first draft by Monday March 22, hopefully many will send a draft sooner.
Half the unit will share their first draft at our second meeting and the other half at our third meeting. People will share in the order that I receive the drafts. I think this will work out an order organically of people who take more time and those who get a draft done quicker.
If you are sharing in the third meeting you can continue working your draft during the second week, perhaps incorporating what you learned from the first six sharings. You can then send me a newer draft closer to the third meeting.
You can always continue to work on your monodrama right up to the sharing, even though you have already sent me a draft. You can also send me multiple drafts in a week, to get feedback or questions answered. If you continue to work right up to the meeting, be sure to email me your most recent draft at the start of the meeting.
Keep in mind if you send me something on March 22nd you will probably be sharing on the third week.
But if everyone waits until the 22nd to send me something, the first six will be still be sharing that evening.
The first six to share will share a subsequent draft at the fourth meeting, the second six will share subsequently at the fifth meeting. Everyone will share a final draft at our final meeting.
Some people prefer hearing someone else read their work, so they can take notes and listen. If you prefer this at any point, you can let me know when you send me your draft. Chris McAuley and Kydra Ryan have kindly agreed to be our designated readers whenever someone wants to listen to their work.
Throughout the unit, I will be able to offer better notes to you when you share if you send me a draft at least a day in advance of sharing.
Tracking Your Drafts
Keep all your drafts. You can always go back to a previous draft if it works better for you. Playwriting does not move in one direction. I suggest saving each draft in the following format:
Title-Author-v1
Title-Author-v2
The Trees
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Meeting Tree at Westminster Ponds
Source One Source Two This is London’s oldest tree at over 670 years old. It stands ten stories high. It is strongly believed that this tree served as a meeting and a rest point for people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad. For some it may have been a place to carry on from, for others it marked the end of the journey and they settled in London. Side Note: This is a significant tree, but one that needs care and cultural sensitivity in the exploration of. Directions from Dan Ebbs:
- walk west of Adelaide St. along Commissioners Rd. on the south side of the street - immediately after the train crossing, turn left into the little parking lot - enter the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area - walk south and take the path up the hill - in 5-7 minutes, you will come to a fork in the path marked by a post - TAKE THE RIGHT TRAIL into the forest (westward) - follow the path uphill to the south - in about 5 minutes, you'll see it |
Meeting Tree
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Lambeth Tree on James Street
Source One Source Two Source Three This is one of London’s oldest trees, somewhere between 300 – 400 years old. Located on James Street in Lambeth. It has gotten lots of press recently when it was slated to be cut down. However part of it has now been saved for the time being because it has been colonized by bees. So we have an old tree, which is 90% dead and is now being lived in by bees. The bee colony will be moved this spring and the rest of the tree cut down. The tree drew lots of visitors to the street last summer and fall. The Eldon House Sycamore
Source One Source Two This sycamore is approximately 150 years old, heading towards 160 years old. It is the last sycamore still standing from a stand of trees planted by the Eldon House’s first owner, John Harris. Cherry Hill
Source The area where Cherry Hill Mall and Apartments is now, was famous in the mid-1800s for its cherry trees. While the cherry trees are gone now, you could take a look around the area and see if you can imagine a connection with any of the current trees and the past cherry orchard. If you do, pick an existing tree as a focal point. Victoria Park – Sweet Marie
Source In 1891 the American born writer Cy Warman wrote the love poem Sweet Marie on a bench in Victoria Park. He wrote the poem for his beloved Marie, who was sent to school in London from Kansas because her parents disapproved of Cy. Cy secretly visited London, where the two would have rendezvous. Warman wrote the poem just after the two had walked through the streets of London. The poem became the lyrics for the song Sweet Marie by Raymond Moore, which the chocolate bar is named after. Perhaps you can visit Victoria Park and get a sense of what tree he was near when writing the poem? Elderly Oak Survivor at McCormick Home
Source At the back of the McCormick Home, on Shore Road, there is a fifty plus year old oak tree. The plans and grading were adjusted during the construction of the McCormick Home to ensure the the survival of this tree. Springbank Park Willows
Source One Source Two Along the riverbank in Springbank Park, between the pump house and the footbridge, are a pair of striking knotted willow trees. These wort like growths occur on willow trees from bacteria getting into wounds in the tree or from bacteria in the soil. This is Crown Gall Bacterium, which doesn’t need a live host but can live on decomposing organic matter in the soil. It is suspected the bacteria can survive for up to ten years in contaminated soil. Turkey Vulture Tree at Fanshawe Golf and Country Club
Source This cherry tree has a big opening in and each year turkey vultures make their nest in it. Simcoe’s Ontario White Pine – Springbank Park
Source This tree on the North East curve of the park railroad was chosen by John Graves Simcoe as the terminating point The Erie Lake Head Highway to Port Stanley. The tree became known as the main corner of Southwestern Ontario. George R Dartnell’s Painting of London
Source One Source Two George R Dartnell was stationed in Canada as part of the British Medical Corp from 1835 to 1844. From May of 1840 to June of 1843 he was positioned in London. While in London he did several watercolours of the area, which focused on the artistic study of trees. In his painting of the Forks of the Thames you can see the Court House in the background. I believe you can still easily identify the two large trees overhanging the river on the North Bank (left in the painting). Dartnell did several stump studies while in London. In many of his paintings stumps feature prominently. In some paintings there are only stumps and roughly chopped trees. Perhaps this is indicative of the colonial actions occurring during this period. There is a chapter on Dartnell in Simcoe’s Choice edited by Guy St-Dennis. Available from the Library. Simcoe's Choice Library Link Graham Arboretum – at Springbank Park
The Graham Arboretum was originally conceived by first park superintendent Ernie Graham in 1926. The collection includes 300 trees including 75 species: Red oak, Serbian spruce, weeping beech, purple beech and an entire magnolia grove. There is a pavilion with a memorial wall included in the arboretum. You could pick a tree from the arboretum. Harris Park – Trees in Floods
The trees in Harris Park during spring floods can be submerged in water right up to the lower branches. It may be interesting to visit Harris Park and with this in mind and pick a tree in the park. The Blackfriars Neighborhood, across the river from Harris Park famously flooded until the construction of the flood wall and the dam system. The largest Flood was in April 1937. PRACTICE CAUTION: This is the time of year for flooding, so you may want to observe from the floodwall pathway, as Harris has been flooded recently. |
Lambeth Tree on James Street
Eldon House Sycamore
Cherry Hill
Sweet Marie
Elderly Oak Survivor at McCormick Home
Springbank Willows
Turkey Vulture Tree at Fanshawe Golf and Country Club
Simcoe's White Pine
George R. Dartnell's City of London
Graham Arboretum
Harris Park Flood
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