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1100 Playwright Interviews

1100 Playwright Interviews A Sean Abley Rob Ackerman E.E. Adams Johnna Adams Liz Duffy Adams Tony Adams David Adjmi Keith Josef Adkins Nicc...

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May 30, 2007

I saw one of the greatest funniest things ever last
night and one of the worst this morning but I can't
really talk about either one.

Let's just say the TV/Film industry is constantly
getting so much better and more innovative and at the
same time they won't stop making unwatchable dreck.

But you already know about this.

Chris Durang

33 years writing plays

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-durang/a-life-in-the-theatre-so_b_49630.html

May 29, 2007

Susan Gets Some Play

i felt it was my duty to protect all theatre people
everwhere. So i wrote this song which i think will be
in my fringe play. It's called Never Fuck The
Director and i hope you will take it to heart. here
is the beginning. To see the rest, come see my fringe
show. We're going to makes Susan dance again.

(spoken) There's a motto in my profession, goes
something like this:

Never say the Scottish play when walking round
backstage
Never kiss the understudies when they're underage
Don't fool with the lighting guy if you want to be
well lit
And stay away from the costumer if you want it all to
fit

Chorus:
And Never Never Never fuck your director
Never Never Never fuck your director

visual history of women in art

h/t Phantasmaphile

http://www.phantasmaphile.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs

Last chance, west coasters



last weekend for Food For Fish in LA. See it if you can. It's a great production!!

" . . .Szymkowicz has written a refreshingly perceptive work about how love, work and interior narratives act to both blind and free the individual." - Steven Mikulan, LA Weekly


"Adam Szymkowicz puts a fresh spin on Anton Chekhov's most popular play in this hilarious facelift of The Three Sisters, performed by LA's multi-talented theatre of NOTE. Three sisters from New York put their father to rest in the Hudson River, and as he quickly becomes nourishment for the river denizens, they confront their individual choices and assess if, and how, the unraveling threads of their lives can be salvaged. Examining the least flattering tendencies of human nature both draws the siblings closer and threatens to pull them apart, showing that, as in life, tragedy and comedy exist side by side." - Flavorpill LA

http://www.theatreofnote.com/

May 27, 2007

Bill Clinton

This is the beginning of my Wikipedia play written for Ars Nova--they will be done in August. As always, this is a firt draft. (JAMES in a spot. The 10 or so interns are moving around in the background trying to look useful and busy.) JAMES Recently, by some sort of a cosmic fluke, I made two million dollars. I took a couple of my notebooks and gave them to my friend who was this like assistant editor and he made them into an anti novel slacker manifesto called “Runk.” It’s not even a real word. A lot of it was doodles I did when I was supposed to be filing at various temp jobs I held. It sort of has a narrative and it sort of doesn’t. It’s funny in parts. There’s some poetry and some string and some photos of my childhood dog. One page is a coffee stain. My “book” was hailed as a work of unadulterated genius by some and a waste of time and trees by others. But now, I’m suddenly wealthy. So I sort of don’t have to do anything anymore. So I don’t . . . do anything. When my recent success got back to my alma mater, they asked me if I wanted to be part of their internship program and I thought what the hell. And so now I have all these interns but I don’t really have a lot for them to do um . . . at all. (to INTERN 1, male, who is reading from a computer screen.) How’s it coming? INTERN 1 Good, good. JAMES I got him reading the internet. I said, read the internet and then report on it. He takes it very seriously. INTERN 1 I’m learning a lot. (INTERN 2, female approaches.) INTERN 2 You want me to take your laundry? JAMES Nah. I’m sort of wearing the same thing as yesterday. INTERN 2 Oh. JAMES Maybe tomorrow. INTERN 2 OK. You want me to vacuum again? JAMES Maybe later. You want to help that guy over there answer my fan mail? INTERN 2 OK. JAMES Just write whatever you want. You can sign my name if you want. INTERN 2 Really? JAMES Yeah. (to audience) Oh, so there is one thing. So one of the interns, she um . . . (Enter INTERN 3, female, the intern JAMES was about to tell us about.) INTERN 3 Hi. JAMES Hey. INTERN 3 So what do you want me to do? JAMES What do you want to do? INTERN 3 I dunno. What do you want me to do? JAMES Um, I don’t know. What did I have you do yesterday? INTERN 3 I sort of followed you around and took notes. JAMES Did you like that? INTERN 3 Sure. JAMES OK, let’s do that. INTERN 3 Cool. JAMES So this is Janice. INTERN 3 Hi. JAMES Um, don’t listen to what I’m saying for a second. So, um I know Janice is my intern and everything, but um, I kind of— (Enter ANDY who interrupts. JAMES and ANDY are in a sort of bar space away from the busy interns.) ANDY You dig her. JAMES Well yeah, but she’s my intern. ANDY So what? You just go Bill Clinton on her ass. You’re like, hey intern girl why don’t you stay a little after everyone goes and then bam bam thank you ma’am have a cigar, don’t wash that dress, don’t tell your friend or get me subpoenaed. You know what I’m saying? JAMES I think so. ANDY I don’t think you know what I’m saying. JAMES No, no. I get it. ANDY All right. JAMES You want another drink? ANDY You buying?

a new book by my former professor



Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile's Hunger for Home (Hardcover)
by Eduardo Machado (Author), Michael Domitrovich (Author)

May 24, 2007

LA Daze, New York Days



I had a great time in LA even though I was in culture shock much of the time. And all that sun and open space and having to drive a car. But I got to meet with a lot of great people and the theatre of note production is really excellent. Go see it if you're on that coast.

But yeah I'm happy to be back in crowded subways again. I'm happy to be graduating in two days. I kind of wish I had an excuse to wear a robe every day without having to answer a bunch of questions.

May 21, 2007

very simple equity petition that pisses no one off

"We the undersigned believe that, in the interest of
preserving and strengthening Off-Off-Broadway in New
York City, the Actors Equity Association's Showcase
Code merits revision."

check it out here:

http://www.nyc99.org/

May 14, 2007

Cool Post from Patrick on a new model for small theatres.

2 emails i received today

1 Adam, Clyde can't make it to the reading tonight b/c he has a wretched case of clap. He is trapped in Greenpoint peeing fire. I say we still do the reading, I'll try to replace him with a Y employee who doesn't have any STDs. See you at 7pm Susan 2 Great news! Clyde had Mark administer an emergency syringe of penicillin and he's back in the game. Sorry for the confusion. susan

thank you for visiting

I have not done a lot to make my blog particularly
user friendly. I often don't try to entertain you. I
don't spellcheck. sometimes I go for long stretches
without posting any content of my own and instead just
post links to things I find interesting. Sometimes I
post a bunch of pictures that have perhaps no interest
to anyone except me. Sometimes I go a long time
without posting any pictures at all. Also, I post
scenes from plays. No one likes to read scenes off
the computer taken out of context. I am sometimes
snarky and/or ironic or possibly snarky and ironic yet
not funny. My blogroll is not in any particular order
and is probably incomplete and not up to date. Also I
don't link to others as much as I could.

I've been doing this blog thing for over two years now
and my audience is gradually growing despite the fact
that I don't seem to cater to anyone and don't much
think about audience or anyone besides me really.

So, thanks.

Please know that I will continue to give you the kind
of quality you have come to expect.

wise words from Freeman

Please give us the gist of the acceptance speech you
would use were you to win one of our Pretentious
Awards.

"Members of the Brick Theater... I accept this Award
on behalf of the Working Class, who cannot speak for
themselves; and my parents, who should never have
gotten divorced."

http://pretentiousfestival.blogspot.com/2007/05/interrogation-iv-interview-with-author.html

http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/

What I'm reading



I am a sucker for the charismatic young genius. I loved reading about Neal Cassidy, can't help but like Finding Forrester or Good Will Hunting or Proof. I love the myth of the rebel genius who can do things no one else can or who is bold enough to do what no one else would. That's what this book is so far and I'm loving it.

article about Jonathan Coulton

This guy grew up in the same small town as me. I
think we rode the same bus when I was in Elementary
school. He is super-talented but I had no idea he had
a blog.

Sex, Drugs and Updating Your Blog

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/magazine/13audience-t.html?em&ex=1179288000&en=f55e0d94efd98eb0&ei=5087%0A

May 10, 2007

Tom Robbins' writing process

http://www.dareland.com/emulsionalproblems/robbins.htm

"When he starts a novel, it works like this. First
he writes a sentence. Then he rewrites it again and
again, examining each word, making sure of its
perfection, finely honing each phrase until it
reverberates with the subtle texture of the infinite.
Sometimes it takes hours. Sometimes an entire day is
devoted to one sentence, which gets marked on and
expanded upon in every possible direction until he is
satisfied. Then, and only then, does he add a period.
Next, he rereads the first sentence and starts
writing a second, rewriting it again and again until
it shimmers. Then, and only then, does he add a
period. While working on each sentence, he has no idea
what the next sentence is going to be, much less the
next chapter or the end of the book. All thoughts of
where he is going or where he has been are banished.
Each sentence is a Zen universe unto itself, and while
working on it, nothing exists but the sentence. He
keeps writing in such a manner until he eventually
reaches a sentence which he works on like all the
others. He adds a period and the book is done. No
editing or revising in any way. When you read a Tom
Robbins book, you are experiencing the words not only
in the exact order that he wrote them but almost in
the exact order that he thought them. "

from Heidi's article about J. Schwartz

"Schwartz's rigorous vision is honed in a
painstakingly slow and rather weird process: she
rewrites the entire play from memory each time she
works on it. "I think my process of typing the play
from the beginning over and over again, whenever I
work on the play, helps me to figure out a formal
structure that supports the emotions," she says. "It
also helps me to get the language into my body…When I
get too formal, I usually feel like I'm taking a wrong
turn.""

read more here:

http://brooklynrail.org/2007/5/theater/the-fat-lady-will-sing-with-bells-on

Photos of Food For Fish in LA







Photos by Josh Buerian-Mohr

www.theatreofnote.com

the last juilliard class

We read my new play and it went over extremely well.
I was actually really worried about it and uncertain
but it was a big hit. Now I just sit back and wait
for the offers to roll in. That's what it's like to
be a playwright. You jsut write it and then everyone
finds out about it and wants to do it. You have to
hit them away with a stick.

"No, bad producer! Not until you get Kevin Spacey to
be in it! Go away! Bad!"

May 9, 2007

wed

We live in an oligarchy. Was this always true and I
just never noticed? Has it become more true lately?

So depressed. Today is the last day of Juilliard. I
will miss it. sorely. so sad.

got to finish the play for the fringe and write that
ten min play for ars nova and then finish that novel
by August 17 and then write a screenplay and a new
play and somewhere in there revise all the things that
need revising.

Wish me luck.

May 8, 2007

book signing

also hope to see you here

http://www.dramabookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=abc93yMijgSPfe0QZgkjr?s=storeevents&eventId=348208

this morning

This morning, I finished the first draft of a new play
currently called "Temporary Everything."

I hope it's good. One never knows with these things.
I'm just so glad to have it done. It took way longer
than it should have.

Go See

God's Ear by Jenny Schwartz. I saw it last night and
was very impressed. Amazing cast, excellent
direction. It goes off on tangents sometimes but damn
it's so good. Don't miss it. She's an exciting new
voice in the American theatre you should know about.

http://www.newgeorges.org/frame_content/cev.html

I also saw Cymbeline over the weekend at BAM. I'm not
a big Shakespeare guy but I had a blast at this. I'm
glad K dragged me to it. They make the play extremely
clear and enjoyable to watch. I especially loved the
music number.

http://www.bam.org/events/07CYMB/07CYMB.aspx

May 4, 2007

I love this song

Your Belgian Things by The Mountain Goats

The men were here to get your Belgian things
They'll store them for you in an airplane hangar
There's guys in biohazard suits
Mud kicking on their rubber boots
They've come to keep your pretty things from danger

The men were here to get your Belgian things
They'll spend the whole day hauling them downstairs
I shot a roll of thirty-two exposures
My camera groans beneath the weight it bears

more here:

http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/mountain_goats_the_lyrics_11052/we_shall_all_be_healed_lyrics_35024/your_belgian_things_lyrics_379824.html

May 3, 2007

Coming this summer to the New York Fringe

Susan Gets Some Play

by Adam Szymkowicz

starring Ms. Susan Louise O'Connor

and Some Men.

Directed by a Young Genius Director (as long as he is
still available.)

Just found out today. This means I have to finish
writing the play now. I'm glad I got in this time.
Last time I applied, I did not get in. Although the
rejected play is now published by DPS so I guess it
worked out OK.

wow

from isaac

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2007/05/the_rug_removed.html

"In the United States, the NEA has a budget of $139.4
million US dollars, none of which (by law) can go to
individual artists. What does this mean in terms of
per-person spending on the arts? The United States
spends $0.47 per person, while Denmark spends $12.27
per person, which means that Denmark spends 27 times
what the US does.*** (To make the point even starker,
if we were to raise the NEA's budget to keep up with
the Danish government's budget it would come out to
something around $3.6 billion dollars) . This is
despite the fact that the US's GDP is $13.22 trillion
dollars and Denmark's GDP is $256 billion dollars"

from Kristen Palmer's email to me

Dear friends,

Please join me on May 13th at 7pm for a reading of
"The Melting Point." There are wonderful people
involved and it's very new and I'd
love for you to be there!

more sooner,
Kristen


May 13th, 7pm
SohoRep
46 Walker Street

a reading of:

The Melting Point by Kristen Palmer
developed in the SohoRep Writer/Director Lab

directed by Awoye Timpo

with the talents of...

Nicole Behaire
Stephen Bel Davies
Kate Benson
Chris Kipiniak
Alfredo Narciso
Heidi Schreck
Mary Schultz

the other review of my LA play so far

http://reviewplays.com/

"If watching a woman dressed as a man pretend to
masturbate to orgasm---TWICE! ---isn't revolting
enough for you, how about a coffee table made out of a
coffin in which the father of the family is slowly
and stinkily decomposing? And so is the play.

It's "Food for Fish" by Adam Szymkowicz, a thoroughly
stupid production in which most of the parts are
played by actors of the opposite sex. What it's about
I couldn't tell you. I left at intermission. But the
playwright has the nerve to claim that it's loosely
based on Chekhov's "Three Sisters". (You bet! Just
like
"Dumb and Dumber" is based on "Hamlet").

This is not a review, it's a heads-up. "Food for Fish"
will be performed at Theatre of Note, 1517 N. Cahuenga
Blvd. in Hollywood through June 2nd. Consider yourself
warned!"


I don't think she liked it. What do you think? Am I
crazy?

Although I bet we'll get some people in to see it from
this seemingly bad review. On the theatre company
myspace someone wrote "Masturbating men being played
by women? Where's my fucking ticket?"

May 1, 2007

pull quote from the only review of LA Food For Fish I've seen so far

"...Szymkowicz has written a refreshingly perceptive
work about how love, work and interior narratives act
to both blind and free the individual."

LA Weekly

go see it

http://www.theatreofnote.com/

tues night blog

The reading last night went really well, I thought.
Thanks to everyone who came out to see it.

An unrelated question for a scene i'm writing. If you
wanted to fuck up a bunch of computers, how would you
do it? Erase the hard drives? mess up the network in
some way? Is there a physical way that is not too
complicated to take out a necessary part of a PC for
example? Like can someone just take out the hard
drive or the motherboard or something? What would you
knowledgeable computer people do to screw up a bunch
of computers if you were so inclined?

(I am not in any way endorsing destruction of any
computer, even a PC. It's just something my character
wants to do in this play.)

of Interest

Reprinted with permission from the Dramatists Guild E-Newsletter From the Desk of Gary Garrison BLOCKED, BETTER KNOWN AS BRICKED I don’t think this is particularly profound or even necessarily true for everyone, but this whole notion of writer’s block is a simple reaction to too many bricks on the head. Let me explain. Imagine every time someone has injured you about your art, it takes on the weight of a brick on your head. When your girlfriend fell asleep during the reading of your play, a brick landed on your head. When your father asked you when you were going to get a real job and stop playing “writer,” two bricks plopped on your head. When your director didn’t acknowledge you to any of his friends at the end of the evening, another brick was added to the pile. When your husband, wife or partner gave you that disapproving look of “Again?!” as you headed out the door to rehearsal, five bricks piled on top. After so many years in the theatre (or maybe just one really bad week/month/year), you’re carrying around a lot of weight up there. Who can write with that kind of weight on their brain? More importantly, why write at all, you might ask yourself? Why spend the time, energy and exertion of passion if you get nothing back but a heavy weight on your head or one in your soul? Why, indeed? Because you have to – it’s who you are. Because we need to hear your stories – that’s who we are as a culture. We desperately need to hear your stories. We need your guidance, wisdom, advice and even folly. We need to laugh and forget a few miserable things. We need you to write. How then to solve the problem? How can you pull yourself to the typewriter or computer when it just feels so friggin’ harmful sometimes? Well, you might think I’m crazy (and believe me, there’s a long line behind you), but I’m a firm believer in righting an old wrong. My friends can vouch for the two a.m. phone calls from me wherein I start the conversation with, “Do you remember when you saw that play of mine in Detroit, and you never said a word about it? Well, that hurt. It still hurts. And I want you to know, as my friend, I expect better of you.” I know, I know. It takes a lot of strength and courage to do things like that. And people aren’t always responsive to you drudging up an old painful memory. But it’s worth a shot, no? It’s worth resolving, all these years later, the rage and anger you’ve felt for your playwriting teacher who was so unkind and insensitive to you as a struggling, vulnerable artist. It’s worth resolving the sadness you feel about your best friend’s lack of sensitivity to who and what you are, isn’t it? It’s worth your art, isn’t it? It is. By the way, it’s occurred to me that maybe one of you has a call to make – to me. And if one of you calls me to tell me some way I’ve injured you, I’ll listen to you carefully, ask your forgiveness and hope that I never make that mistake again. It’s what we can do for each other. So go on. Try it. Start taking the bricks off your head, one by one. Gary ggarrison at dramatistsguild.com

How to



This is a plug for my friend Jodi's very funny yet informative book, How To Eat Like a Hot Chick now available here