Poll: Real life Ember Island Players: Would a stage adaptation of ATLA work?

[titankore]

Okay, I think it is safe to say almost everyone hated The Last Airbender with M.Night. So I got to thinking while watching the Ember Island players episode and thought, "You know with some decent actors and script a stage version would be awesome..."


So I ask you guys, could a stage version work? Using things like kabuki theatre "ninjas", colored fabric for the bending, puppets, wires, training the actors in the appropriate martial arts, decent casting choices, etc?

Also what kind of suggestions would you have for making it work better? What would be added, changed, or cut from Book 1?

I was thinking of having each book broken into two productions, but that is just an idea.

(edit: this is under the assumption that it would be done with the appropriate licenses paid for to avoid copyright shenanigans.)

 

[titankore]

Hmmmnn, so there are technically 2 votes for it being a good idea, and one for no. It would be nice to see people's reasoning for why it would not work out. It would get some conversations going.

 

[AeroZeppelinSevenfold]

I would love an actual reenactment of that episode. That episode is the greatest thing ever. It recaps the entire series in the most hilarious way.

 

[The Funslinger]

Only if it involved totally serious utilization of the phrase 'tear bending'. And a 6'5" body builder playing Toph.

 

[titankore]

I would love an actual reenactment of that episode. That episode is the greatest thing ever. It recaps the entire series in the most hilarious way.

Hmmmnn, it would be good to do that episode as a kind of preview of the project if it ever gets done.

 

[soren7550]

Ehh, probably not. It works just fine as a cartoon, and a stage adaptation (much like the film) would only take away from the show rather than add to it in my opinion.

 

[titankore]

Ehh, probably not. It works just fine as a cartoon, and a stage adaptation (much like the film) would only take away from the show rather than add to it in my opinion.

Why do you think that? It is a completely valid opinion I just want to know why you believe this. Do you think any attempt to move a series like ATLA to another medium would only be detrimental or just ATLA?

 

[randmonds4]

They will never suspect...

 

[soren7550]

Ehh, probably not. It works just fine as a cartoon, and a stage adaptation (much like the film) would only take away from the show rather than add to it in my opinion.

Why do you think that? It is a completely valid opinion I just want to know why you believe this. Do you think any attempt to move a series like ATLA to another medium would only be detrimental or just ATLA?

Largely because seeing as the first season is somewhere around eleven hours long, stuff is going to be cut. A lot of stuff. There's just only so much they can keep in without boring/confusing/etc. the theatergoer.

 

[BrassButtons]

I agree that adapting the show to a play wouldn't work because of time constraints. The story works as it is and should probably be left alone.

That said, a new story set in the same world could be pretty amazing. My personal vote would be for a prequel focusing on Iroh's life, though a number of other stories would work as well (it could focus on events after the first series ended, or go back to the time of a previous Avatar and tell their story, or any number of things). So long as it keeps the feel of the world and the quality of writing it could work.

The technical aspects would be a lot of fun to see. I'm imaging something along the lines of The Lion King, where no attempt is made to hide the fact that it's stylized and pretend, and the audience just goes along with it.

 

[titankore]

Snip

Good point and sadly yes thing would need to be cut, but there is about 2 hours of content including the entire episode of "The Great Divide" that can be cut without too much harm. That and breaking each book into two productions should make it manageable. Zhoa capturing Aang and Zuko freeing him would make for a good climax for the first one.

It would probably take one or two really good writers a small team of experts and a deep breakdown of all of the fundamental elements of the entire series to do it, but I think it would be possible.

 

[titankore]

I agree that adapting the show to a play wouldn't work because of time constraints. The story works as it is and should probably be left alone.

That said, a new story set in the same world could be pretty amazing. My personal vote would be for a prequel focusing on Iroh's life, though a number of other stories would work as well (it could focus on events after the first series ended, or go back to the time of a previous Avatar and tell their story, or any number of things). So long as it keeps the feel of the world and the quality of writing it could work.

The technical aspects would be a lot of fun to see. I'm imaging something along the lines of The Lion King, where no attempt is made to hide the fact that it's stylized and pretend, and the audience just goes along with it.

That would also be pretty awesome to do an original story set in the same universe... That is something to ponder.

As for the technical aspects it would be really fun to work on. A mix of wire fu,old fashioned stage magic, and large bolts of red/blue/white silk billowing around to simulate the elements... also rocks, big rocks.

 

[titankore]

How about this for a basic original plot set in the ATLA timeline?

Well, Jet's gang could not be the only rebel group out there right? Well, in one of the most secluded fire nation colonies a few kids along with an older earth bender start rebelling. They mostly do it to survive, stealing supplies, attacking scouting parties that get near their camp, etc. One day they accidentally set off a shipment of blasting jelly, taking them from a nuisance to some of the most wanted criminals in the area.

Their wanted pictures are everywhere and they decide to take advantage of their notoriety. They bust out a few war prisoner convoys and end up with a few more young benders to their crew.



I'm not sure what the climax or the ending should be but that is the basic idea.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Sure why not? I mean there already a theatre play for anime like Bleach and video games like Pheonix Wright althought those two are more of an musical sort of play.