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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...

Oct 6, 2008

What is your definition of success?

This sounds like a question Isaac would ask, and maybe has. If so I apologize. But I'm interested in your answer. Playwrights, what makes you a success? A play on Broadway? A play of yours made into a film starring Robert Downey Jr? Writing a new play every year? A production a year? Critical success? Working with people you love? For me, right now, I want my work to be done all over the country by lots of small theaters. I want them in colleges. I'm excited about the idea of actors being introduced to theater through my work. Do I want large productions of my plays? Absolutely. But partially this is because only the plays with big productions get done all over the country. Do I want to reach a larger audience? Yes. Do I want to work in TV and Film. Yes. But I'm sort of blurry on what that entails. An off broadway show is success for sure. A staff job on a good show is success of course. Then what comes next? It all depends where you're standing what is ahead and what is behind and what is irrelevant. but please, tell me. What is success for you. Actors, Directors, Artists of all types, feel free to chime in.

Oct 3, 2008

Oct 2, 2008

cast from Nerve in Long Island

link Sept 26 - Oct 19. Fri/Sat 8:30, Sun 3pm Tickets $18 Fri/Sun, $22 Sat The Cast: Elliot...John Leone Susan...Lucia Curatolo

Police celebrate (and commemorate) beating protesters

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/01/denver-police-union.html

Nigro's advice to the playwright

Advice to the playwright: Never let anybody alter your work. But if they do, and it happens to make it better, be prepared to take credit for it. Never allow directors to intimidate you, but have some sympathy for them. They are professional cat herders and you are why they drink. Strive to be kind to actors, even when they're being impossible. They have a difficult life, and without them, you're a novelist. Praise and blame are illusions. Never take kind words for granted, but do your work. Just do your work. Don't let anybody stop you. Keep writing no matter what. Direct, act, build sets, earn your right to be in a theatre. This will give you insight into the absurdly difficult tasks you set for others when you write. Help other playwrights when you can, even if they don't like you. Jealousy is poison. We're all in the same sinking ship. Calm down. Hysteria is contagious in rehearsal, and life is short. Break the rules. Trust your own instincts. If your instincts now and then betray you, learn from it, but don't stop trusting them. Experience can deepen and fine tune your instincts, but in the end, you have nothing else. It's better to be hated for what you wrote than for what you let somebody else talk you into writing. Write without fear. Love without hope. Never take advice. --- DON NIGRO

Oct 1, 2008

update

My bike ride to my temp job this morning was cold. My fingers felt wind burned or frost kissed. Winter comes early to Minneapolis it seems. I've been writing a new play. I'm trying to keep the cast size down this time so it won't be one more play that requires 7 actors. It looks like it will just be three people. I'm writing a lot of two person scenes. I haven't done that in a while. I kind of like it. I hope it works out. It could be good, I think, if I do it right. Anyway, I'm enjoying get up at 5 and writing. (6am new york time) I'm also enjoying (sort of) having the apt to myself. Although it gets lonely. Kristen was saying that 2 weeks is like the limit for her. I think that's true for me too. I'll see her on the 11th which is not so far from now. And I do have people here to hang out with, but damn! If you told me you wanted to get married and then move to minneapolis and then be apart from your spouse for a couple months, I would advise against it. But I'm ok. Thanks for asking.