Ken points us to this post by Marsha Norman An anonymous comment there struck me: I’m a playwright who has recently had a number of high profile productions. I’m considered a reasonably “hot” “emerging” talent. One play of mine was savaged by a reviewer in this this very paper just a few months ago. Not to be grousy or precious but I have in fact sacrificed an enormous lot for the American Theatre. I have virtually no security — financial or otherwise. I don’t have a permanent home. I live like a monk, basically. I endure routine humiliations in the development circuit, by Artistic Directors who foist lots of bad ideas on me - the list is pretty endless. So to finally get to the point where i actually GET a production — in a country that has virtually no support for the arts and a pretty paltry theatre culture overall — and then be flicked off like a bug by the only paper with “power” was enough to send me packing to L.A. — where critics actually have relatively little power, and you can make more than three thousand dollars per production (!). The critic may not be able to keep Journey’s End open, but he can sure disrupt the careers of the best and brightest talents out there: Itamar Moses, Rinne Groff, Anne Washburn, Francine Volpe, Lucy Thurber, Ann Marie Healy, Jason Grote, Jordan Harrison…and the list goes on and on. In another era or country these people would be the future of theatre — but we may never get to see their best works, because they’ll all be writing for movies and television. The system is broken and it is very sad. — Posted by X I can't help but agree. These people (and more) are the future of theater. And theater is a place where there is no longer even the hint of a living and where if you do finally get a play up, you are most likely going to be torn down in the paper of note. I have been very lucky in the reviews I have received, but I have not had a high profile production yet. I am hungry for such a production, but at the same time I'm dreading what I've seen happen over and over to playwrights, especially young playwrights. This is not something new. I've heard it said over and over. Playwright X could be almost anyone. And it is enough to cause you to pack it up and head to LA where it might be possible to feed and clothe yourself, maybe buy a house one day, have some money saved so you don't have to hustle forever.

finally!

House Rejects Eavesdropping Immunity

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/washington/14cnd-fisa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

what economy?

Bush not making a good impression

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/opinion/15collins.html?em&ex=1205899200&en=4f3bd43ae3506781&ei=5087%0A

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/opinion/16dowd.html?em&ex=1205899200&en=2056931c3e3f8cd6&ei=5087%0A

recession since '75

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5622455.html

"But the most important step may be the first one: Recognizing that
the United States is mired in a 33-year-old quality-of-life recession
and that our continued national focus on growing GDP is blinding us to
the way out."

what I'm doing

rewriting a TV spec writing a novel planning a wedding taking Xyzal

the rise of the third theater

Jaime -- http://fishunderwater.blogspot.com/

points us to this:

http://www.mccarter.org/blog/?p=234

I recommend

U.S. Drag

Saw it last night. Smart, funny, substantial yet entertaining with an
all star cast and superb direction.

Go see it.

http://www.thestagefarm.org/shows-us-drag.htm

reading last night (LA)

Photos of the cast of Theater of Note's reading of Herbie: Poet of the Wild West

improv everywhere

Over 200 Improv Everywhere Agents froze in place at the exact same
second for five minutes in the Main Concourse of Grand Central
Station.

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

h/t daisey

http://www.mikedaisey.com/

new blog

The Producer's Perspective

http://www.theproducersperspective.com/

Why I'm poor

"Most American households are still not earning as much annually as
they did in 1999, once inflation is taken into account."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/business/08recession.html?bl&ex=1205294400&en=23ba9f83b5ade3e6&ei=5087%0A

truth about British Petroleum from the Yesmen

http://beyond-petrol.com/index.html

On Friday, I had a great time at Qui's play. I don't know that I had ever seen a play like that before. It's basically a sci-fi comedy with lots of impressive fights in it. It's very funny but the thing that stuck with me most is the direction.

There is this thing directors do onstage that if you saw it in a film would be stupid but onstage looks amazing. I don't know how to explain it except to say it's a trick of imagination and feels like magic. This play is full of them. Not to mention a whole world of alien lifeforms created. Anyway, I recommend it. Check it out.

tonight

http://www.stu42.com/

one more

just finished writing a new play.