wga strike

http://www.televisionunplugged.blogspot.com/

Going after the producers through the advertisers.

What you can do

Stop Bush's war on the poor. Isaac tells us how to help.

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/five-things-you.html

what's going on

So I broke out in hives this time last week, dosed myself with benadryl, went to the doctor who dosed me with something stronger. So I've been unable to write or drink alcohol or do anything fun all week. On top of that I had to have blood drawn, which as many of you know sometimes causes me to vomit or faint. (not this time, happily but it wasn't fun) Yesterday the doctor called me with a report from my blood test on what I'm allergic to. Basically everything. I am "highly allergic" to clams, corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, walnuts, and scallops. I am also allergic to shrimp, codfish, eggwhites and have a slight allergy to milk. On top of the allergies I already have to chicken and turkey which if ingested makes it hard for me to breathe, I'm not looking forward to a life of flourless brownies and never being able to buy sandwiches at a store or eat bread at a restaurant. never mind that I can't have a freaking peanut butter and jelly sandwich anymore. Or cornbread. But I have an allergist appointment on Monday and hopefully they will tell me with better accuracy what I can and can't eat. And hopefully I'll be able to write this weekend. In other news, it looks as though Food For Fish will be performed at a college in Michigan and a college in North Dakota this spring. And Deflowering Waldo will be done in Wisconsin around the same time.

nytheater steps up

http://www.indietheater.org/blog/archives/169

Support off-off theater

I’m taking Matt Freeman’s lead. Along with the worthy places he mentions that you may want to support this holiday season, please consider giving a small (or large) donation to an exciting new company I’ve been getting to know recently, Flux Theatre Ensemble. They did a reading of mine last weekend and I was overwhelmed by their generosity and talent. I have also been taking part in their Sunday workshops which are always a blast. Their new season is exciting and ambitious, with a fantastic play by Gus Schulenburg called Other Bodies which I'm extremely impressed with. Also my favorite Shakespeare play, Midsummer and a trilogy of Johnna Adams plays in rep. Both Gus and Johnna are the real deal. And I hear good things about Shakespeare. You can read more about them here and here. Give to them here. Oh, and please feel free to leave notes on your favorite charities in the comments section.

more on the exploitation of New Orleans here

http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/index.php?module=article&view=99&page_num=2

read this

Public housing in Katrina demolished to make way for the developers

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/rebuilding-just.html

Flux play reading this past weekend

I'm still home sick with hives. But you can read about my weekend and
play here in a charming post by Gus.

http://fluxtheatreensemble.blogspot.com/2007/12/our-inaugural-foodsoul-pretty-theft.html

They're a great group and it was a fantastic event.

Thinking About Writing About Thinking About New Plays

You may have already seen this essay by Jeffrey Jones about providing
context for plays. If you haven't, it's worth the look.

http://jeffreymjones.blogspot.com/2007/10/thinking-about-writing-about-thinking.html

h/t Histriomastix

http://histriomastix.typepad.com/weblog/

I saw Local Story last night

It's pretty freaking great. Now, it's true that I'm biased. I have friends in the cast and I'm marrying the playwright. But part of the reason I fell in love with her was this amazing poetic play. Please go see it here or in LA. I know the show here is great and I can vouch for at least two of the actors in the LA show and they are tops. I also recommend Rag and Bone if you have not yet seen it.

Floyd tries to compete with Master of the Universe, Freeman

http://floydbritch.blogspot.com/

Help some kids

I just donated to this. It's a great way to keep theater alive and help some poor kids. Bush may not give them health care but we can give them theater, by Jove.

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2007/11/tis-the-season.html Update: The project was funded. Good job, folks.

Matthew Freeman continues to astound

How to name your play

http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/2007/11/naming-of-plays.html

08

See which candidate you most agree with here h/t Chris Durang

Local Story in NYC

http://www.villagevoice.com/nycguide/ev118859,8.html

Local Story in LA

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7518622&blogID=331361445

things to do

I'm on page 55 of a new play. It's about this time usually when I get a little sick of what I'm writing. I start to think maybe it's not as great as I think it will be. It's too similar from my last play or it's not deep enough or funny enough, etc. And I know I will keep writing and by the end be happy to have written it. And then I will think that it's a great work of art and also not very good. And both of these things will be true for me at the same time. And then there will be the depression that comes right after the play is finished and I will scramble to figure out what to write next. A new screenplay, a pilot? go back to the novel? Write that clown murder mystery play? Or the winter play? Or the pirate play? The two people in Paris? The amnesia guy? The second act of Bee Eater? Maybe turn Herbie into a musical? And then there are all the revisions I need to do. And I was going to slow down. Slow down, Adam. Slow down.

need stocking stuffers?

How about my plays? get em here

Jaime on the same topic

http://fishunderwater.blogspot.com/2007/11/for-fans-of-straight-drama-replacements.html

Isaac's letter the the editor of the Times

http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2007/11/charles-isherwo.html

Why write about theater in the theater section? I go to the Times
theater section to read about the grocery store. Don't you?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/theater/21surv.html

what the left hand does while the right hand sleeps

Check out this Parabasis Hal Brooks interview. I especially liked this section, which I think is the best articulation of this particular playwright dilemma I’ve seen. The main challenge of working with the writer in the room is finding a way to run the room, while knowing that the guy/gal who wrote the play might have the answers - but that you might be the best person for a variety of reasons to answer the questions. I think actors sometimes want to get the answer from the playwright - because he's/she's there. But often times a playwright, having written their work, tapping into their unconscious might not have the actable answer...or they might. It depends. I love it when a writer doesn't know the answer. It makes the whole room freer, I think.. I am often afraid to open my mouth in the room for this reason. I don’t want to say the thing that is true but not useful. And I don’t want to say the thing that is not true and not useful because sometimes I’m not sure what made me write a line 3 years ago. This uncertainty is sometimes what makes people (not Hal) think they can help us write our plays. Because it’s not always easy to translate the subconscious into something everyone can understand. And when you can’t explain something, people sometimes thinks that means that they can do it better. Or that you need help. I think it’s actually a separate skill to try and be able to talk about what you’ve written while keeping safe the things you can’t say and yet keeping your confidence or appearing to keep your confidence while you deal with a question that you’re not sure if you should answer or are unable to answer. Meanwhile, you have to figure out in the rewriting process what things your subconscious put there that have to stay and which of them have to go. Because a lot of this is instinct, other people are often not helpful with this. What they can do is see the play with their eyes and tell you what they see. Which is helpful because you can never see the play with their eyes. It helps if these people are smart and know things about plays. And it helps if your subconscious doesn’t want to kill you. You see how I ruined a perfectly good essaylet with that? That was my fucking subconscious mind getting involved. And you know what? That probably shouldn’t make it to the next draft.

Matthew Freeman is a genius

And so are his rules for the writing of plays

http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/2007/11/rules-for-writing-of-plays.html

isaac pointed this out

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060130/holtzman

When you look at the sheer amount Bush has done that is illegal, it's
kind of overwhelming. And it's even more disheartening that he is
getting away with it. Makes a mockery of justice in this country.

Where I'm at

It's hard to get nothing but rejections for 4 months or so, which is perhaps why I practically swore I would leave theater recently. Some of those things hit me pretty hard individually but as a whole, as an accumulation, they hit me much harder. Was it because I was so optimistic that I thought I would stop getting so many rejections? Is it because I think I'm churning out good stuff and I can't understand why everyone isn't going for it in a much bigger way? Both of these, I'm sure. I did get into the MCC coalition which made my day for a while and is still excellent. I do have great agents who are excited about my work. And I have to say I'm pretty excited about this new play I'm writing. And though I've sworn to write slower, I can't wait to finish so I can work on the 5 other projects I also want to be working on. Like the 2nd act of the dog play. And revisions of my screenplays. And that novel. and Temporary Everything. So I have not quit playwriting yet. But I am still tired. And the day job and the commute still wear me down. And the lack of money is a problem. But I'm still here. And I hope I'm writing a pretty fucking great play.

Local Story by Kristen Palmer

in NYC:

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/loca6105.htm

in LA:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/24219

Yes, K. Palmer has the same play going up in two cities at the same
time. I love this play. I highly recommend you catch it if you are
on one coast or the other.

You should also check out Rag and Bone at Rattlestick (NYC)

dec 1 and 2

On December 1st and 2nd, 2007 The Monarch Theater Company presents THE ONE MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL at The Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Curated by Dominic D’Andrea THE ONE MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL is an informal festival of incredibly short plays. Thirty-four of today’s most exciting playwrights were challenged to write plays with only one rule: it must be under 60 seconds from lights up to lights down. Then eleven directors were assigned several plays to be staged with a small ensemble of actors. And all of the plays will be presented in the course of a single evening! THE ONE MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL features PLAYWRIGHTS: Mando Alvarado, Trista Baldwin, Andy Bragen, Abigail Browde, Clay McLeod Chapman, Alley Collier, James Comtois, Emily Conbere, Migdalia Cruz, Mike Daisey, Bathsheba Doran, Michael John Garces, Jason Grote, Ashlin Halfnight, Christina Ham, Jakob Holder, J. Holtham, Kyle Jarrow, Rajiv Joseph, Sibyl Kempson, Callie Kimball, Courtney Brooke Lauria, Matthew Lopez, Qui Nguyen, Emily O’Dell, Matt Olmos, Daria Politan, Mac Rogers, Trav SD, Lloyd Suh, Adam Szymkowicz, Andrea Thome, Gary Winter, & Anna Zeigler DIRECTORS: Isaac Butler, Jay Cohen, Dominic D’Andrea, Michael Gardner, Marlo Hunter, Yana Landowne, Taibi Magar, Jennifer Ortega, Michael Silverstone, Max Williams and Jordan Young THE ONE MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL will be presented on Saturday, December 1 at 9PM and Sunday, December 2nd at 7PM at THE BRICK THEATER, 575 Metropolitan Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tickets are $15 suggested donation and are available at the door only. www.monarchtheater.org www.bricktheater.com

new scene, 1st draft as always

11


(DR. X exits. The CRIMEFIGHTERS and LISA arrive at the slain couple. It is a crime scene now. They all put on rubber gloves as they enter. The dummies of the previous scene are replaced by CARSON and ED.)

SALLY
Welcome to your first crime scene.

LISA
It’s – not like I thought.

SALLY
It never is.

JAZMIN
Dr. X entered through the window as is his custom. He stood here.

NINA
I’m standing where Dr. X stood. I’m breathing the same air. It feels—I don’t know. I feel alive.

JAZMIN
The doctor is efficient. I’ll say that. Comes in. Kills ‘em. Goes out.

NINA
It makes me shiver.

SALLY
Any clues?

JAZMIN
Nothing.

LISA
(standing over the dead couple
Look at his eyelashes. He reminds me of—

JAZMIN
Who?

LISA
No one. Never mind. I shouldn’t think of it anyway.

NINA
You can’t help what you think.

LISA
Can’t I?

SALLY
Get some carpet samples.

NINA
I’ll take samples of where I’m standing.

JAZMIN
I have a sink full of dishes at home. Why do I always think of that at a crime scene?

SALLY
I always think of the Commissioner.

NINA
I think of nothing but Dr. X.

LISA
They were very much in love.

(The CRIMEFIGHTERS gather around the dead bodies.)

SALLY
They were?

JAZMIN
Were they?

LISA
The way they’re holding each other.

NINA
I don’t see it.

LISA
Look how close they were. Breathing on each other until they stopped. Oh, yeah, there is no doubt. They were very much in love.

(A flashback: The couple, ED and CARSON, come alive. CARSON in bed. ED moving around.)

CARSON
Come to bed.

ED
I’m coming.

CARSON
Did you lock the window?

ED
Yesss. I always lock the window.

CARSON
Did you lock the window tonight?

ED
I said I locked the window.

CARSON
Ok. Ok. Don’t get bent out of shape.

ED
I’m not.

CARSON
Are you sure I’m the one you want to spend the rest of your life with?

ED
I’m sure.

CARSON
Are you sure you’re sure?

ED
Yes.

CARSON
I’m sure too.

ED
Let’s go to sleep.

CARSON
Ok. Hold me.

(They hold one another.)

CARSON
Our life is good.

ED
I think so.

CARSON
Me too.

ED
You were really good at Trivial Pursuit tonight.

(But CARSON is asleep. ED closes his eyes. Light shift. They are dead again. The CRIMEFIGHTERS and LISA sigh.)

LISA
It makes you think.

SALLY and JAZMIN
Yeah.

LISA
Oh, well.

NINA
What’s wrong with me? I don’t feel anything.

SALLY
Why did I ever break it off with the Commissioner?

NINA
I think I don’t feel anything.

LISA
I think I’m going to cry.

JAZMIN
I’m going to be late to my date. But I ran out of fabric softener. Should I go get the fabric softener and be a little later and then carry it around on the date? Or should I just go without it and have clothes that aren’t as soft?

LISA
I can’t stand this.

NINA
Does Dr. X hate love? I think I hate love to. Do I? Is that possible? I am just like the Doctor, deep down or even on the surface too? I look at them and I don’t care. I am empty.

SALLY
I think I’m going to call the Commissioner and say we should give it another shot.

LISA
I got to go.

JAZMIN
Are you going?

LISA
I got to go. I can’t wait another second. I’m sorry. I have to go.

(The CRIMEFIGHTERS watch her go.)

JAZMIN
Where are the body bags? I can’t look at these anymore.

two more explanations of WGA strike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRHlpEmr0w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a37uqd5vTw

The other side is really unsupportable, isn't it?

more on Isherwood, thanks to JJW for pointing it out

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robbie-baitz/all-the-views-fit-to-prin_b_72637.html