Last night we saw Christopher Cross at BB King’s in the city. The song has a special place in my heart for many reasons, and resonates with me in countless ways.
We had the pleasure of sharing our cabaret table with a man named Robert. He was there alone…feeding his vice incognito. He’s a self professed “big tough guy” on the outside… “I played football and stuff… an’ my friends get in the car and hear this stuff playin’ and they’re like, ‘What’s this?’ But I love this song… It’s just so beautiful.”
Sailing is a beautiful song, and he did a great job with it last night. But hearing Robert’s story, and slapping him five as I heard the intro and guessed what was coming, made me love the song even more… and underscored once again the unifying and far reaching power of music.
Though I never fully understood I had the ability to write lyrics and songs until my composer asked me to write with him, it’s one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me… opening that door and instilling in me the confidence to develop this unique gift, and to share it with others.
Enjoy the video above… hope it sends you on your own magical journey.
As I was getting my teeth cleaned yesterday, the hygienist asked what I do. I told her I’m a playwright. She just stared at me.
“I write plays and songs and stories.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Do you work for a company?”
“No, for myself… I work at home.”
“Oh, that must be convenient,” she said.
“Not really… it’s hard sometimes, when I have stuff I need to take care of at home to make time to write.”
“Still, it must be nice…”
And though it is nice to not have to commute very far from our bedroom to the living room where my desk sits… and it’s nice to not have to get dressed up for work when I’m home… I sometimes wish I had a clock to punch in with.
The conversation prompted me to forgo some errands today, and keep my butt in this seat long enough to work through part of a scene. And though it’s far from complete, I feel like I accomplished more in those few hours than I feel after a full day’s worth of errands.
Oftentimes, before pen hits paper, or fingers tap keys, I’m talking talking through a scene or dialogue. What this does is give the words a voice, and the story legs. Ultimately, it makes the world in my head that much more real… and one that can be translated to the stage.
Thanks DH and SDR for being my sounding boards these last few days…
Many have attempted to put a new spin on Shakespeare’s classics, but the newest spin might be spun on Twitter.
The RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) in London is mounting a “production” on Twitter of Romeo and Juliet. Six actors are being asked to write their own tweets as their characters, with diaries and guides as to what their characters are feeling/doing at different points in the story. The story itself is also updated, having started in 2000, and taking place right now in 2010.
To follow the story (and even chime in), you can follow a Twitter feed of any one of the six actors (for some strange reason, Romeo is completely absent), or log onto their website.
As a playwright hoping to reach a broad audience, I applaud the effort to make the story relevant for the next generation… My only concern is that a lot of the play’s essence might be lost this way… especially without one of the main characters tweeting. (I’m sure they have a reason for the omission, but it doesn’t make much sense to me right now.)
An interesting experiment indeed… I’m curious to find out the outcome.
It was a winning show with an animated and expressive cast. The space at the Dorothy Streslin Theatre was intimate, warm, and just the right environment to heighten the dramatic tension — inspiring the sense of being a fly on the wall, watching private and vulnerable scenes play out before our very eyes.
Though a period piece, much of the thrust of the show and its high ideals were indeed very modern.
A show not to be missed. It runs from April 9th-May 2nd. Get your tickets here.
I wrote a scene yesterday that I had hoped would give me some direction for a second act revamp. (Seems I’m fond of those these days… I realize my strength lies with building up to the conflict and the expression of the conflict… resolution, which usually happens in the second act, is a bit trickier.)
Within a few hours I knew it was a dead end. But a few hours later, I knew it was a beginning.
My idea for the play I’m currently working on has always been for two really strong female parts, mother and daughter. Sustaining a dialogue between them for most of the second act will be tricky, but it’s what I’ve been working towards, and what they’ve been working towards.
I’m not sure where to go from here… but, happily, I realize that means I can go just about anywhere!
Yesterday evening, between 51st and 54th streets and Broadway, there was an explosion underground and a manhole cover shot up in the air. Apparently, it was caused by “feeder cables under the street catching fire and creating a buildup of smoke and carbon monoxide,” according to the Times.
In addition to guests at the Hotel Novotel being displaced for the night, Jersey Boys was unable to go on due to a power outage and worries about excessive levels of carbon monoxide in the area. A note on the Jersey Boys website alerted patrons to get “…exchanges… at the point of purchase.”
It’s unfortunate for tourists in the area, especially foreign tourists who might be enjoying our city for the first time… but you never know what can happen in a city like New York!
I’ve been noticing a trend, having gone to a handful of readings lately… writers are writing stage directions that are more intricate and visual than ever before. And it’s possibly because they are taking a cue from their screen (big and small) brothers and sisters.
Unfortunately, I’ve been left scratching my head, more than once, wondering how they were going to pull off those directions/actions on stage. You’re not usually going to have someone reading stage directions while a show is running on stage…
Not only is it hard to translate intricate actions, it’s also a dilemma with small props that are essential to the plot, as I saw in a recent reading. A theatre is a space to accommodate many, in the dark… small props just don’t work in a medium where a camera can’t come in for a closeup.
Is it a writer’s job to worry about these things? YES! A director or even producer can help make choices based on what’s in the text, but it’s up to a writer to create a world that will translate on stage.
This trend could push the envelope… or set us back. Only time will tell.
I’ve been seeing a lot of shows in development lately… Today was the first time someone followed up with me to ask me for criticism — full out criticism without holding any punches.
As a writer, I can’t even begin to explain how AMAZING that is. More than amazing, it’s WONDERFUL! It not only says a lot for the person who asked me, but it says a lot about his respect for the process… why we have readings in the first place.
Unfortunately, a lot of people say what they think artists want to hear, “It was good.” And while they mean well, it doesn’t really do much, it just sits there in the air… and then everyone smiles… but nothing changes, nothing moves forward.
So yes, I will be offering more feedback, and I won’t hold anything back… and hopefully, I can help theatre reach new heights.
