How does it feel to watch one of my beloved stories play out on the stage?
I must admit, I was a little terrified on opening night. I wrote the script, I worked closely with the composer, and I had meetings with the director and co-director. The guy who plays Erris has also been with us from almost the beginning. And the girl who did costuming was awesome about asking me questions about the intended time period, how fairies should look, etc. So I knew all these people and had talked to them a lot about my intentions with the story. And yet, there is a LOT I had nothing to do with. Casting, makeup, dance choreography, direction of actual scenes, sets...
I didn't REALLY know what I would see when I sat in that theater seat.
Well...it turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. I was SO transported. It made me yearn for that world all over again. Are there things I would change? Sure, of course. Some of them are aspects of the script for which I can only blame myself! Some characters weren't perfectly cast, as it was a teen theater camp and the directors had to work with whoever signed up. I have a list of things I would change. And yet, I was amazed at just how much the whole thing did suit my vision, and even exceed it in places. There were moments of the musical I liked much more than the book! I really felt like everyone involved in this at every level was very dedicated and passionate and it was amazing to be a part of this.
Here is just one of the moments I loved to bits: a fun love/reconciliation song between Hollin, Annalie, and her spirits. My original intention was to write Magic Under Glass as a trilogy and bring these two back together in the third book, so to see this happen here was a total squee moment for me.
A DVD and cast album of the performance is on the way, stay tuned!
Now, I have #2 in my "created beings" blog tour series to celebrate The Sorcerer's Concubine and The Stolen Heart, my novels that deal with my race of lifelike doll people! With me today is Tyrolin Puxty, the author of Broken Dolls and Shattered Girls. I'm eager to read both of them...they sound kinda creepy, and kinda sweet, and kinda Tim Burton-y.
1. Tell us about the created being(s) in your book! How were they made? Who made them and why? What is their place in the world?
My little dolls were created by the professor, when he deemed their human forms too sick, weak or 'broken' to carry on. I can't say too much without spoiling the end, but the dolls are trying to figure out what their place in the world is. Lisa is convinced the professor is evil and she does everything in her power to expose him, meanwhile Ella is certain he's just the sweet, old man who has cared for her for the past thirty years.
2. Stories about created beings can delve into many themes, such as what it means to be human, how we treat people who are different, the quest for immortality, and the relationship between an artist/craftsman and their work. What was your reason for telling this story?
I'm fascinated by the concept of 'good and bad', 'right and wrong'. Our choices are a matter of perception. What if a man kills a child to save the world? Many would say he was a hero, but he would be a villain through the mother's eyes.
Belonging and selflessness are strong themes in Broken Dolls, with each character perceiving their circumstances with vastly different mindsets. Ella is happy with her simplistic life, dancing in the attic. Lisa strives to uncover the truth. Neither of them are right or wrong. It's just how they choose to live their life.
3. Do you have a favorite fictional created being?
Oh, hands down, The Powerpuff Girls. Like, come on! Adorable, intelligent with hardcore abilities like ice breath, laser eyes and the ability to talk to squirrels. There's a website where you can turn yourself into a Powerpuff Girl. I think I totally rock the look. Just sayin'.
Website: www.tyrolinpuxty.com (mailing list should be under the blog section, but I'll edit it and put it on the homepage!)
YouTube channel https://youtu.be/Y3FeZp2Hr8U
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tyrolinp
Twitter: Tizthunder
Instagram: Tyrolin.author
Twitch: Tyrthunder
Ella doesn't remember what it's like to be human - after all, she's lived as a doll for thirty years. She forgets what it's like to taste, to breathe...to love. She helps the professor create other dolls, but they don't seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn't like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her? Ella likes the professor's granddaughter though, even if she is dying. Gabby is like Ella's personal bodyguard. It's too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll too, depriving her of an education...depriving her of life. With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate...
