strike blog

http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/

scene 2, first draft as always

2

(A hospital. The CRIMEFIGHTERS become NURSES. LISA in another area being examined by PETER, a heart doctor.)

NURSE 1
Is she in there?

NURSE 2
She’s in there with him.

NURSE 3
Lucky girl.

LISA
Thank you for seeing me so soon.

PETER
It’s no problem.

LISA
I’m sure you must be very busy these days, what with the rash of heart crimes.

PETER
Lot’s of people worried about their hearts. Lot’s of people sleeping alone. People who don’t even have to sleep alone. Don’t even want to. Lots of fear.

LISA
I was scratched.

PETER
You were?

LISA
By a syringe.

PETER
So you’re concerned.

LISA
I have concerns.

PETER
Well, let’s take a listen.

NURSE 1
He listened to my heart once.

NURSE 2
He did?

NURSE 3
He didn’t.

(LISA opens her shirt. PETER takes the stethoscope and listens to her heart.)

NURSE 2
Was the stethoscope cold?

NURSE 1
Only a little.

NURSE 3
Were his hands warm?

NURSE 1
He brushed my arm with his fingertips. They were like butterflies.

NURSE 2
Did you kiss him?

NURSE 1
I was too afraid. There was his breath in my ear. Pounding in my throat. I remember, he said—

PETER
Your heart is beating fast.

LISA
Is it?

PETER
You need to relax.

NURSE 1
He listened for a long time but when he was done, he told me I could go.

NURSE 2
And you went?

NURSE 1
There was nothing else to do.

PETER
(to LISA)
You have a strong heart. There are other tests I can run if you want but from what I’ve heard your heart is strong and capable of many things.

LISA
Thank you. That’s nice to hear.

PETER
Not everyone has such a strong heart. My own heart. It was damaged once and has never quite been able to recover. It’s a muscle you know.

LISA
I know.

PETER
And it atrophies if you don’t use it. Sometimes I don’t use mine as much as I should. Yours, though. You can be as active as you want. A heart like that.

LISA
Thank you, Doctor.

PETER
Call me Peter.

LISA
Thank you, Peter. (pause) There’s something else I wanted to ask you about.

PETER
Oh.

LISA
Sorry.

PETER
No. No. You heard about my experiments. It’s hard to keep anything a secret. I tried to keep it out of the papers, but I guess in the current climate—People are afraid to sleep together even when they shut their windows and lock their doors. My artificial heart would of course protect them. We could all sleep with our lovers without fear. We wouldn’t fear to love.

LISA
You have a lover you’re afraid to love?

PETER
No, no. With this heart? No, not me.

LISA
There’s not anyone?

PETER
No, not now. Not anymore. Not anyone.

LISA
But I’m sure, a man like you—

PETER
Please. I don’t want to talk about it.

LISA
Sorry. I just thought--

PETER
You were asking about the artificial heart. I’m going to be the first test subject. I can’t do the operation myself of course. But if the heart works on me and my body doesn’t reject it. . .

LISA
But doctor, can your heart . . . I mean, the artificial heart—can—Can it love?

PETER
There’s only one way to find out.

LISA
But what if it keeps you from ever loving again?

PETER
That’s the chance I’ll have to take, for science. For the hope of mankind.

LISA
Don’t you want to love again?

PETER
Me? Oh, no. Not me.

LISA
Why not?

PETER
My heart can’t handle it.

(LISA kisses him. A sound of a heart beating fast can be heard.)

LISA
It handled that OK.

(PETER looks shocked)

NURSE 1
I could fall in love with that doctor.

NURSE 2
Me too.

NURSE 3
In another life.

PETER
Well, I think we’re done here. I have other patients. You, I’m sure have other—

LISA
Come out to dinner with me.

PETER
Well—I—I don’t normally—with patients.

LISA
Have dinner with me.

PETER
It’s not—

LISA
Come out to dinner.

PETER
OK, Yes. OK. Yes. I would love to join you for dinner.

Krugman on healthcare myths

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/opinion/09krugman.html?em&ex=1194757200&en=20ebaac94b8d4d4c&ei=5087%0A

WGA

Ken Levine on the strike:

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2007/11/12000-man-march-on-pico.html

give free rice

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

I got up to level 46 before falling back down

early morning

I worked some on this new play today that I was calling The Heart Stopper but now I think is called Open Heart. I like what I'm doing. I feel good about it and the writing is coming slowly which I'm actually enjoying. It's more like laying bricks than letting the play fly out of me. Food For Fish was like that a lot of the time and the play that resulted is a play I'm proud of so I hope it will be like that. Right now it feels like it will be the best thing I've ever written, although I have to admit I often feel that way at this point in the process. Otherwise, why would I continue? Two shows that I recommend: Page 73's production of Grote's 1001 Peter and Jerry by Albee at Second Stage

the problem with chuck

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/11/6/85342/1863

the WGA and what the strike is about

http://web.mac.com/ziboskwitz/iWeb/Cooper%20Family/Home/EF3D1C1D-C652-4650-8BB1-FFC2E383EF75.html

2

After a day of watching a reading of Herbie: Poet of The Wild West and then some scenes from Open Minds, I discovered something my subconscious mind may already know. First of all, they were written 3 years apart and are very different kinds of plays but they both have a character named Herbie in them. (I also have 3 plays with characters named Bobby--3 very different Bobbys.) And the Herbies are different too. And the plays are very different. But, I wasn't aware that they had similar lines. From Herbie, a scene between him and his mother: MARY Well I guess you have to kill him, then. Who’s my soldier? HERBIE I am. MARY That’s right. Just, um…shoot him in the back, OK? Don’t let him take a shot at you. From Open Minds: MOTHER Not quite yet. Oh, you’re such a good boy. Stand up straight. Now aren’t you a smart looking boy? Who’s my soldier? HERBIE I am. MOTHER That’s right. You are, aren’t you? Now what are you going to do when people come to visit? Now in one way I have no idea where this phrase Who's my soldier came from. But also, apparently my subconscious thinks this phrase is funny. Funny enough to use twice. The readings both went well yesterday. We'll see what happens next.

click to feed rescued animals

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

To Put you in the mood for my monday reading

on the humanity front

I know waterboarding is torture - because I did it myself By MALCOLM NANCE "One has to overcome basic human decency to endure causing the effects. The brutality would force you into a personal moral dilemma between humanity and hatred. It would leave you questioning the meaning of what it is to be an American. " h/t Mirrorup

in addition to that addition

Go see 1001. I saw it last night and it's fantastic!

in addition

First Flux Bar Series this Monday You are invited to the first performance of our Bar Series, a selection of short scenes from various plays that have been explored at Flux Sundays. It's a chance to see the work we are doing as well as kick back and have a drink with us. Monday, November 5, 7pm Jimmy's No 43 43 East 7th St (2nd and 3rd Ave) http://www.jimmysno43.com/ ADMISSION FREE!!! Featuring scenes from: Erin Brown's Narrator #1 Directed by Angela Astle With: Michael Davis, Kitty Lindsay, Brian Pracht, Christina Shipp August Schulenburg's Angel Juice Directed by Kelly O'Donnell With: Tom Del Pizzo, Candice Holdorf, Marnie Schulenburg, Jane Lincoln Taylor Adam Szymkowicz's Open Minds Directed by John Hurley With Jake Alexander, Tiffany Clementi, Felicia Hudson, Joe Mathers, Jason Paradine, Isaiah Tanenbaum, Cotton Wright ALSO SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FIRST IN OUR POTLUCK READING SERIES Pretty Theft By Adam Szymkowicz Sunday, December 2 FREE!!! The potluck reading series is a reading of a full-length play, where members of Flux bring their favorite dishes

MONDAY at 6

Monday, November 5, 2007, 6:00 PM Herbie: Poet of the Wild West Free reading of a play by Adam Szymkowicz Directed by Evan Cabnet. Starring Matt Stadelmann, Audrey Lynn Weston, Jeff Biehl, Heidi Armbruster, Guy Boyd, Arthur Aulisi and Barbara Pitts. at the New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center. Bruno Walter Auditorium, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts 40 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023-7498 (use Library entrance at 111 Amsterdam Avenue, just south of 65th Street.)

Blue Box Productions presents Sticky@ Bowery Poetry Club Friday, November 2nd, 7-9 pm* all new 10-minute plays and music with cabaret star Jeffrey Marsh 308 Bowery, b/w Houston and Bleecker $8 at the door, $6 if you come by 6:30 pm to see the legendary Taylor Meade This week's line-up includes plays, performances and direction by : Ali Ayala, Ethan Baum, Sheila Callaghan, Jody Christopherson, Jennifer Elliot, Libby Emmons, Laura Heidinger, Neil Hellegers, Jeannine Jones, David Marcus, Joe McLaughlin, Kara Ayn Napolitano, Michael Niederman, Tlaloc Rivas, Stacy Rock, Ann Rooney, Jacob Saxton, Mary Sheridan, Joshua Skidmore, Karen Sours, Adam Szymkowicz, Eve Udesky, Ari Vigoda because anything that can happen can happen in a bar* we'll be Sticky every Friday in November: November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Check the website for full details and listings of what's up each night: http://www.blueboxproductions.net/

more on the plight of the wright

http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/?p=488

the only responsible thing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDsIFspVzfI

I <3 A.M. Homes

but I have to say even though I'm loving Music For Torching, This Book
Will Change Your Life is my preference.

Jason Grote's project

I'm seeing the play tomorrow. Can't wait. Check out this new site. It's a trip. So I'm very interested in getting your thoughts on a new web-based project. As both a marketing tool and artistic extension of my play 1001, Page 73 and I have created a sort of skeletal alternate site and reality game to accompany the play. Here's how it works: if you go to http://1001nyc.com and click on "Enter The Story," you'll be taken to a web-based alternate reality - the world of the play. This links to character blogs and email conversations, message boards, a 1001 wiki, and a few other easter eggs. Thematically, the play is all about the power of narrative, the porous border between reality and fantasy, and the internet as a real-life Library of Babel, so the site idea fits. In an ideal world, I'd love to see it transform into a Henry Jenkins-like, open-source fan project (mass group dramaturgy!) , with the idea that we are all storytellers in one big infinite collection of Arabian Nights tales, but we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. You can also get there directly at http://www.1001nyc.com/enter-the-story/ , but the first way is more fun. Thanks! Jason

what to do about despots

Post by Patrick

http://writinglife3.blogspot.com/2007/10/calling-all-daily-show-liberals-you.html

I welcome your thoughts.

feed the hungry, improve vocabulary

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

are you going to be there?

Monday, November 5, 2007, 6:00 PM
A Rose by Any Other Name: Adaptations of Shakespeare
Herbie: Poet of the Wild West
Reading of a play by Adam Szymkowicz, based on Hamlet.
Introduced by the author, followed by discussion.

Directed by Evan Cabnet.

Starring Matt Stadelmann, Audrey Lynn Weston, Jeff
Biehl and 4 more TBA.

at the New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln
Center.

Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023-7498

FBI threatens torture

http://www.psychsound.com/2007/10/a_tale_of_two_decisions_or_how.html

h/t isaac

http://parabasis.typepad.com/

isaac says:

"The FBI forced a man to confess (Falsely it turned out) to terrorist
activities when they threatened to torture his family. Once the man
was proven innocent, the section about how the FBI forced a false
confession out of him was redacted for national security reasons.
Read all about it here. If this doesn't get your blood boiling, what
will?"

Where I’m At

Last weekend I was creating a packet of writing to try and get a TV gig. I’m doing another one now. I have to revise Herbie for the reading on the 5th and there might be a reason for me to revise Searching as well soon. And I have to go back and fix that screenplay, currently titled Stalker. I am also on page 30 or so of a new play but I have to say, even though things about it excite me, I keep putting it aside. I can’t help but thinking writing a new play is a waste of my time. In some ways it is probably my best work, and it is certainly a play I would like to see, but the thought of going through the channels afterwards, the revising and re-revising, the readings, the waiting, the rejections, leaves me cold. Why am I still doing this? I have all sorts of stamps of approval. I have writers groups and readings when I need them. When my plays do go up, they go well. They go much better than I imagine they will go and I have a great time. But breaking through to the next level seems not to be happening and it’s true I’m not a patient person, but I’m just not sure what exactly I have to do. For the first time, the answer does not seem to be write a new play. And I’m not sure what the answer is. The answer seems to be stop writing plays. I’ve already written about a bazillion of them. Why write more when no one is doing these ones? And the thing is, I have great agents on both coasts. I should revise the plays I’ve written, perhaps and fix this screenplay and figure out how to get into the TV and Film area. Because I’m sick and tired of the day job and of being so poor and of putting so much effort into writing plays and working to get them into the hands of people who are unable or unwilling to take a chance on my work. And it’s not their fault either. The market is flooded with good work. Most theaters have specific needs and only a couple slots and a particular audience they are catering to. But I’m tired of working so hard and not seeing results. If I can’t find a way in here, why should I stick around?

reprinted with permission

FROM THE DESK OF GARY GARRISON US & THEM Billy Crawford was twice my height and twice my weight; he was, in short, a wall of a human being. He seemed to be the only thing that ever stood in my way of being on the first string of our junior varsity basketball team. If I wasn't called off the bench to play in a game, it was Crawford's fault because there was so much of him physically, the Big Coach naturally overlooked me. If I tripped and fell during the warm-up, splaying out like a starfish on the unforgiving hardwood floor of the gymnasium, it was Crawford's fault for distracting me with my evil thoughts of how to make him suffer a slow, agonizing death. If the basketball slipped from my hands during a pass, it was because Crawford sweated it up before he passed it to me. He was my sworn enemy and thank God he was there. What else could I possibly blame for my lack of success? Certainly not my own inability. Cut to thirty-five years later, and I'm sitting in the Ahmanson Auditorium in Los Angeles with two hundred of our Southern California members. In front of us are literary managers, artistic directors and producers from the area's most accomplished theatres - everyone from Pier Carlo Talenti (Center Theatre Group), to Megan Monaghan (South Coast Rep) to Matthew Shakman (Black Dahlia Theatre Company). The memory of Billy Crawford comes flooding back, and it occurs to me how easy it is to make the obvious people the object of our anger and frustration. How many artistic directors, literary managers or theatre directors have I blamed for my not having the career I know I should rightfully have? Too many; I've blamed them more times than I've blamed myself, and that math just doesn't add up. And then, as if the panelists were reading my mind, they one by one begin articulating their love of new plays, playwrights, musicals, composers - all things new and interesting. I hear Talenti say, "Every time I open a large, brown envelope, I'm excited. There's potentially a new discovery to be made. I may learn something new. I may fall in love." Monaghan echoes the sentiment: "I want to like your work. I'm pulling for you from page one." Raul Clayton Staggs from the Playwrights' Arena says what everyone wants to hear: "I want to do your work -- the people in this room, because nobody knows the issues of my community like you." I feel the warmth and generosity of spirit spilling across the stage to a room full of writers, and I wonder, how did we get to this painful divide of what we often perceive as Neglected Us (the writers) and Neglectful Them (the industry)? Is it old history? Is it even true? Or is it just easier (and less painful) to think that way? Is it too hard to accept that they're actually on our side? Gary ggarrison at dramatistsguild dot com

Mark your calendar

Monday, November 5, 2007, 6:00 PM A Rose by Any Other Name: Adaptations of Shakespeare Herbie: Poet of the Wild West Reading of a play by Adam Szymkowicz, based on Hamlet. Introduced by the author, followed by discussion. at the New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center. Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center 40 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023-7498 Directed by Evan Cabnet, starring lots of talented actors.

Agreeing with Matt Freeman

http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/2007/10/reggie-watts.html