Brustein on huffington

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-brustein/how-not-to-write-a-play_b_49600.html

<3

a new scene. as always, this is a first draft. 5 (In the hospital, the NURSES stand around talking. PETER is visible in a space behind them, working on an artificial heart with a screwdriver.) NURSE 1 Is he in there again? NURSE 2 Yeah. Never eats or sleep, just plays with that damn heart. NURSE 3 Does it work? NURSE 2 Not yet. NURSE 1 If he’s fiddling around with that, he doesn’t have to deal with the world outside or with real problems or with other people. NURSE 2 He’s solving a real problem. You’re not being fair. NURSE 1 I don’t want to be fair to him. He’s never been fair to me. NURSE 3 Can you say that? Can you really say that? NURSE 1 If he’d been fair to me, He would have let me kiss him under the mistletoe at the Christmas party. He would have smiled back more, he would have frowned less. He would have taken the time to notice my body instead of looking away. He’s never been fair to me, so he doesn’t know what could have happened. NURSE 2 He has a higher calling. NURSE 1 He has an escape hatch. I wish I had one. I would have liked to find it in his lips. (The NURSES sigh in unison) NURSE 3 His lips. NURSE 2 His lips. PETER Dammit! Why won’t you beat? Beat! Beat! (PETER fiddles with it some more.) NURSE 1 I’ve seen him in there, you know. With the heart. Shimmying his screwdriver between the chambers. PETER Beat, dammit. Beat. NURSE 1 He wants the heart to beat for him, but a heart will only beat for who a heart beats for. NURSE 3 Isn’t that the truth?

I had some drinks and some dinner this weekend and now I can't afford
to get my hair cut.

Why did being poor seem so much more romantic when I decided to be a
playwright 9 years ago?

or if not romantic, sustainable.

please welcome Steve Patterson to the theatrosphere

http://splattworks.blogspot.com/

trick or treat

And while you're at it, buy a play by Freeman, a play by James, a play by Qui, a play by Reuben, a play by Johnna. Who else has a play for sale? Leave it in the comments.

and now

my plays are finally on Amazon. Get them while they're hot. You can even give them away to trick or treaters who want something new and delicious to..um...read.

Bush doesn't want children to have healthcare

seriously, one more step towards bringing us closer to third world status

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bush-Childrens-Health.html

He proved during Katrina he didn't care about Americans in harm's way.

He brought us into a war under false pretenses and kept our soldiers
there--clearly he doesn't care about them.

Why should he care about our children?

national playwriting month

http://www.naplwrimo.org
http://groups.myspace.com/naplwrimo
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4665638038

join dorothy and write a play in november.

5 and 4

5 things to hate about being a playwright 1. Rejection letters from people who feel compelled to give a fake reason why they aren’t doing your play when the real reason is they are doing Neil Labute’s play instead. 2. Reviews that have the power to set your career back five years. 3. The impossibility of making a living writing for the theater. 4. The waiting. 5. Other people’s fear. 4 things to love about being a playwright 1. Post show beers with talented actors. 2. The sound of people laughing because of your play. 3. The electric buzz in a darkened theater caused by something breathtaking that inspires you to create something beautiful yourself. 4. The joy of writing down what the voices say.

another photo

Jennifer Elise Cox and Marin Hinkle in Adam Szymkowicz' Incendiary, SCR's 100th NewSCRipts reading.

SEE THIS PLAY

Come see Departures this week and enjoy a special discount:

$12 Tickets (Regular price: $18) ...plus free wine or beer for AEA members!

Blue Coyote Theater Group Presents:

Departures
By Kristen Palmer

Directed by Kyle Ancowitz
Cara is an American ex-pat living in Britain who decides to return to the US after three years abroad. But with the death of her father and loss of her childhood home, what is she returning home to? Complicating things further is the boyfriend who refuses to let go. DEPARTURES is a touching two hander starring Keira Keeley (from Adam Bock's Obie-winning play, THE THUGS) and Travis York (from Anne Washburn's THE INTERNATIONALIST) that crosses time zones and continents to explore questions of family, home, and homelessness.

Featuring Keira Keeley* and Travis York*

Set Design: Kerry Chipman

Lighting Design: Daniel Meeker

Production Stage Manager: Susan J. Sunday

Thursday-Sunday, October 4-28 , 2007
At the Access Theater Gallery
All performances at 8pm.

For more information, visit: Blue Coyote Theater Group
Tickets here or (212) 868-4444.

*These actors are are appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

Matty Freeman recommends

last night

I had a roundtable reading at MCC last night of Herbie in preparation for my November reading at the NY Performing Arts Library. It went really well and also looks like I need to do a bit of work. Amazing actors though. Thank you all!

ny times today, America tomorrow

"You may think Guantánamo Bay is a prison camp in Cuba for Al Qaeda terrorists. A lot of the world thinks it’s a place we send visitors who don’t give the right answers at immigration. I will not vote for any candidate who is not committed to dismantling Guantánamo Bay and replacing it with a free field hospital for poor Cubans. Guantánamo Bay is the anti-Statue of Liberty."

my friends just started this website about cocktails.

http://www.cocktailbuzz.com/

from Crooks and Liars "Saddam Wanted Out, Bush Lied About It"

. . .now we are finding out that the entire war could have been averted for letting him get away with $1 billion. That’s just than one tenth of 1% of what this insane invasion and occupation of Iraq, that continues claim the lives of our country’s bravest men and women, has now been forcast to cost. Think about that just for a second. Every single death, Iraqi and American coalition alike, could have been saved and Bush could have had Saddam’s oil, but apparently he didn’t even seriously consider it. Topping that, he then lied in public to the entire world about it just so he could have his war regardless. How’s that for compassionate conservatism? h/t Joshua

sunday

If you are free sunday, free wine, theatre and food.

http://www.mcctheater.com/Literary%20Folder/Readings.htm

and

http://aszym.blogspot.com/2007/09/from-mcc-this-sunday.html

bait and switch or why talk about the issues?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/26/225845/285

Hear Bill Clinton talk about the Senate vote on whether or not to
condemn the Move On Ad, General Betray Us.

h/t Joshua

http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/

because you need to know

Bog Face Post of note

from apple: "Then there was his trashing of Lucy Thurber's Scarcity, which seemed to suggest that brutality in the "underbrush of American culture" makes for compelling drama coming from Sam Shepard, Tracy Letts, or Martin McDonagh but just spells "Ick" when written by a woman. I haven't yet seen Scarcity (though someone very dear to me, a man, came home raving about brilliant it was) so maybe he's right, maybe it's unconvincing, but the tone of the review, holy crap, it's just dripping with condescension."

read some Durang, prevent a US attack on Iran

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-durang/beware-kyllieberman-pro_b_65797.html

12 dollar tix for first week of departures

http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=DEP

Bush and Upholding Human Rights

http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/george_bushs_devotion_human_rights

h/t isaac

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/

argh...Chicago makes me admit to lameness

I've been meme tagged again. this time by Paul (or Adam or Bries apparently) http://prekk.blogspot.com/ for a meme written by Marisa http://chainsawcalligraphy.blogspot.com/ List 5 things that certain people (who are not deserving of being your friend anyway) may consider to be "totally lame," but you are, despite the possible stigma, totally proud of. Own it. Tag 5 others: 1. I'm an Eagle Scout. enough said. 2. I don't deal well with blood. I sometimes faint (or vomit) after blood is taken from me and sometimes I can't watch blood being taken from other people or pets. 3. in 8th grade, me and another white kid did a production of a David Henry Hwang play in which we were supposed to be Chinese railroad workers. 4. I own a binding machine. 5. After talking to someone for a little while I can guess (9 times out of 10 correctly) if they are an only child, youngest, oldest etc. oh...tagging people. Freeman, Johnna, Ruben, Malachy, Callaghan

this week

http://www.preludenyc.org/

the prelude festival. Check it out if you can.

from MCC --this sunday

What do you think of when I say “Autumn”? Changing leaves? Apples? Sweater weather? Fading tans and impending snow? What about “readings of work by five amazing writers”? No? Well, it should be. That’s what it means at MCC. This fall we are thrilled to welcome five new writers to the MCC Playwrights’ Coalition – Anton Dudley, Ashlin Halfnight, Dan LeFranc, Adam Szymkowicz, and Kathryn Walat. To celebrate these additions to our literary family, we’re devoting our first PlayLab of the season to showcasing their amazing work. Because, if you don’t already know their writing, they’re really awesome, and you totally should. (In case you want to get a head start, their bios are below.) Please join us: Sunday September 30th, 5pm work by new Playwrights’ Coalition members: Anton Dudley, Ashlin Halfnight, Dan LeFranc, Adam Szymkowicz, and Kathryn Walat with: Steve Boyer, Nick Cordileone, Susan O’Connor, Heidi Schreck, Tobias Segal, and Rufus Tureen Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch College 25th Street between Lexington and Third (closer to Lex, on the south side of the street) Bring friends, and join us afterwards for food & drink. Apple picking can wait. Hope to see you there! Jaime

in an email from Johnna Adams: Working on my new plays, but getting the distinct feeling that they will all be noted in my biographies as "minor works." I think about stuff like this. i wonder what I'm leaving behind and if any of it will have lasting power. I also wonder if one knows when one is writing something great. My friend Larry says yes but I'm not so sure. I never quite get the response i expect. What do you think?

today

As you may know, I work at Columbia.

Today, the Iranian president is here. the protestors are also coming.

Should make for an interesting day.

Departures

D e p a r t u r e s

Written by: Kristen Palmer
Directed by: Kyle Ancowitz

Produced by: Blue Coyote Theatre Group
Performed at: Access Theatre Gallery Space

Cast of:

K e i r a K e e l e y *
"I'm always worried about hurting you and now I'm leaving and I can't
wait – but I don't want to go – but – I can't think anymore here
– I
can't think-"

&

T r a v i s Y o r k*
"I fall in love then throw my heart to the girl let her squeeze the
blood out of it and return it to me – like a piece of roadkill."


Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Early summer 1995.
Two character play takes place in 1995 during 24 hours at an English
University. Cara, an American student, is returning to the US and
leaving Andrew, her Northern Irish boyfriend, behind...possibly
forever.

********************
Access Theatre Gallery Space
380 Broadway at White Street
(off Canal ACE, NQRW, 6)

October 4th-October 28th 2007
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday's
8PM
Running Time Approximately 70 minutes.


Tickets:
www.smarttix.com
212.868.4444

Details:
bluecoyote.org


AEA showcase
*appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

who exactly is running this country?

Now the senate is condemning free speech? Great job, guys. It would be one thing if it wasn't true, but now we need to waste senate time publicly admonishing people for daring to call propoganda propoganda? When are our representatives going to start representing us? I'm with Chris Dodd: "It is a sad day in the Senate when we spend hours debating an ad while our young people are dying in Iraq. Now that the Senate has twice voted on this ad, it is time to move on and vote to end the war."

repost and addition--Plays You Should Know

http://aszym.blogspot.com/2007/04/plays-you-should-know.html Also Everything Will Be Different by Mark Schultz The Mistakes Madeline Made by Liz Meriwether The Venus de milo is Armed by Kia Corthron God's Ear by Jenny Schwartz Now That's What I Call A Storm by Ann Marie Healy and some I'm sure I'm forgetting.