18 posts tagged “playwrighting”
It is done. The run is over. The set has been removed; flats taken down, furniture moved out, walls painted and repainted and then painted again for good measure.
I have mixed feelings about endings. I always do. Watching the final show on Saturday night wasn't easy. As much as I resisted taking this show from my imagination into a space with real people who had ideas of their own, I came to love this show and really enjoyed watching it.
Sure there were things that made me sigh. (No, it wasn't the ad-libs that began popping up. Though stopping mid-line to add your own, then trying to finish the scripted line just makes us both look like we don't know what we're doing.) More and more I began to see the things I wish we had more time to work on. Much of it inspired by the way the actors came at the lines that I hadn't noticed before myself. A moment that I always thought of as a "throw-away" that was given a little weight suddenly made me see another avenue for the scene that could have made it a little richer. Lines that just didn't work. Scenes that were too long or too short. I might take another crack at the ending.
I might never have seen these things if the play had stayed on my desktop. For that I am grateful to the cast and crew for all their hard work and dedication. Thank you Mercedes, Dietrich, Zoe, Joe, Becky, Emily, Sean, Sarafina, Hattie, Jehan, Liz, Alicia, Erin R., Erin O., Dehlia, Jamie, Graham, Brian, Dianna, Amy, Steve, Dan and Dan. Thanks, too, to Speaking Ring for taking a chance on a new play. This really was a dream come true.
And thanks to you, too, Gentle Reader. I don't know what the future holds for this blog. It was started with the intention of keeping a record of the show in progress. Now that the show is over I'm not sure how I feel about being a blogger. Maybe I'll shift the focus on to something else as an excuse to keep coming back here. Though these internets are chock so full of interesting places that I don't know if I'd be able to keep up. Plus, there are already a good many Chicago playwrights working the blog angle. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
But thanks for coming along. I'll be sure to let you know when the next adventure arises.
Well. Here we are. Closing week. Three more shows and then these characters will return to the confines of my imagination. Hopefully they've expended enough energy and won't be so restless that they keep me awake nights. I've got other things I need to be working on.
But I'll miss this show when it closes. It really is a lot of fun to watch. I think there are plans to tape it this weekend, so I suppose I can watch it any time I want. But judging from the layer of dust that sits on all the other show tapes that I have, it seems unlikely that I will. Of course, the shows that I've been in that were taped weren't always worth watching to begin with.
If you're out there and you haven't seen the show yet (my ego is assuming that people other than the cast read the blog) come check it out this weekend before it's too late. And don't try to use the "I'll borrow the tape off of you" excuse either, because I'll be charging a $20 rental fee. You can make a reservation by calling (312) 458-9374. Bring your friends. Bring your neighbors. Grab people off the street and bring them. And just to make it fun, if you mention the title line of this blog entry, I'll get you in the door for $10. Feel free to pass it on.
The show's been open now for a couple of weeks and it feels like there's nothing left to do. Which is an odd feeling. Because there for a while, there was a lot to do. Now it's just the actors doing the same show again and again while I get to try and resume some semblance of normal day-to-day life. Whatever that is.
My parents saw the show over the weekend and, I think, they liked it. They laughed quite a bit. But I'm sure it was odd for them to watch this play where so many names and references were familiar. We're not big sharers in my family either, so I'm sure some of it was eyebrow-raisingly interesting. Espcially the fact that their son seemed to have had a nasty habit of sweeping women off their feet and then dumping them on their asses.
It was interesting to watch it with them. It was the first time in a quite a long time that I thought "Oh yeah. This is my life here." I found myself getting choked up at different spots too as the real memories came back to me to replace the staged versions that I've grown accustomed to. The stuff about my grandfather really got me.
I was a sophomore in high school when he died, and even though he'd been through many cancer operations I still wasn't prepared for him to go. I had the luxury of growing up a bike's ride away from my Grandparents and, as kids, my brother and sister and I would spend countless hours at their house. He was one of those grandpas who loved to teach you things and let you do things that other grownups wouldn't. Like drive a tractor or shoot a BB gun or start a fire to burn the trash. In that way he felt more like a best friend. And at 16 I just wasn't equiped emotionally to deal with loosing him. For a long time after he died, I would talk to him while I watched the stars. Whenever a one would fall from its perch and streak across the sky I knew that was his was of telling me that he was listening and that he was still with me. And yes, there was a moment, after walking a girl home from a bar, that I saw a giant shooting star and asked her what she was doing for the rest of my life. She turned out to be nuttier than a bag of trailmix and I'm glad I got away. But I'm also glad to have had that experience. We've become a very cynical society, but there's something about seeing a shooting star while you're walking, hand in hand, with a lover that will make you think the gods are smiling on you every time.
At one point, I had written a scene between Nathan and his grandfather, where Nathan was watching The Persiad Meteor Shower and trying to remember what they used to talk about. It sort of established Nathan's fear of letting people in, and maybe, had I left it in, people would have liked him better, but in the end, it just seemed a little too sacchriney. Also, it was the only time any other male showed up on stage. Maybe I'll have to revisit it? Maybe have the Leader talk to Nathan about it?
As for the play, we have two weeks left and it would be nice to get a house bigger than six. We've had a couple of Fridays and Saturdays that were nicely attended, but I'm sure the actors are getting tired of performing to empty chairs every Sunday. I'm sure there are lots of factors that play into this; the reviews, warmer weather, location. But I can't help but feel responsible. And maybe a little like I've let everyone down. Not only is it my play they're bashing in the reviews, it's my play based on my life. But, I suppose, if you're gonna get baptised by fire, this is probably the best way to go about it.
Not that I want you to feel sorry for me, mind you. After all, I did have a play that I wrote produced. There are plenty of playwrights that would kill their mothers for such an opportunity. That's one of the many reasons you should be weary of playwrights actually. That and the fact that anything you say to them could, one day, wind up in something that they've written.
Though my father will be quick to point out that he never said he'd give his left nut for an office job. Which, incidentally, was the one line my parents laughed the hardest at.
Another day another review. This one is from Time Out:Chicago, so it must be legit. Or carry more weight. Or be "right". Right? I don't think so.
I'm all right with people not enjoying this show. You can't please all the people all the time, or something like that. What I can't seem to wrap my mind around is why the critics seem so hard on it, yet the majority of paying customers seem to enjoy it and even relate to it. I mean, I have my theories, which is what one does to occupy the mind so it doesn't dwell on all the negatives.
Like the theory that the reviewers are just bitter writers who felt the show hit a little too close to home for their liking. I mean, Ms. Daly holds a PhD in English Lit, yet she's reviewing storefront theater for a living. And then she has to sit through a show about a writer who never seems to write anything. Ouch. And Mr. Williams, who's grandmother took him to see a touring production of Peter Pan when he was a little boy, I'm sure he didn't identify with anything in the show either.
But that sort of talk is just my knee-jerk reaction to reading what these people have written. I want to defend myself. I want to defend the show. Come on Ms. Daly, Nathan doesn't quote Shakespeare "a lot". He does it once. Maureen, on the other hand seems to using the Bard's lines every time she opens her mouth. And it isn't done in an effort to come off as "deep", but rather to rekindle a connection that she shared with Nathan. But to understand that you would have to, well, pay attention to the show.
What's funny is that as I was reading this review, my friend Katie called to tell me how much she and her companion "loved the show" on Sunday. Now, I know that friends are often times not the best critics, but I also trust my friends to tell me the truth about how they feel about something. Katie is a writer herself and understands that empty compliments don't help anyone. Of course, she's also an actress, so maybe she was playing the part of someone who loved a show, but I doubt it. She had brought a friend with her who isn't necessarily a frequent theater-goer, and he too enjoyed himself quite a bit. He even mentioned that the show seemed to really capture what "being a guy" is like.
This is where I think people start to part ways when it comes to liking this show. Nathan isn't the most flattering of characters. He's afraid of just about everything in his life and is afraid to do anything to change it. He's someone who just goes with the flow and hopes not to rock the boat. I have a sneaking suspicion that there are a lot of Nathans in this world. So people who see themselves in Nathan begin to feel uncomfortable. And not being used to dealing with their feelings, they supress them and get mad at the show for not providing an escape from their lives, but rather reminding them of their own shortcomings.
Now, are there aspects of the show that I will change once it closes? Yes. This is the first production and you are always going to see things on the stage that don't work that weren't visible on the page. But it will mainly be cutting lines and making the show tighter. I won't be changing the tone or revamping any of the characters. Nathan isn't likable and he isn't supposed to be. He's a douchebag. But guess what, we all are at different times in our lives. This just happens to be a moment in his that we all get to witness. Does that mean it's bad theater? Just the opposite. It's theater that asks you to feel something, even if you don't like that feeling, and see where it takes you. It's the kind of theater that, as an audience memeber, I am drawn to more and more. Something that's going to make me squirm in my seat. Something that's going to make me think. Am I saying that this show will change your life and make you a better person? Maybe, just maybe, it will.
But then again, what do I know? I only have a Minor in English Lit.
The show has been opened for a week now. Five shows. And we've had a few "reviews".
Tom Williams chimed in with his two cents and then asked for change. And Don Hall, who claimed to have liked it, had this to say. There were other critics who've seen it, but none of posted their reviews yet.
I'm always torn when it comes to reading reviews. As an actor I never pay them much mind, because, after all, it's just one person's opinion. True, that person is a professional critic and supposedly they know what they're talking about, but you only have to scan the reviews in The Reader to realize that most of the time they're just giving you a run-down of what happens in the show and there's very little critical analysis.
As a writer, I'm a little more curious. I mean, this whole show exists because I put down some words on a piece of paper. So there's a certain sense of responsibility here. Responsibility to the actors to give them a decent product to work with. Responsibility to the audience to give them a show worthy of their twenty bucks. I want people to like it. I want reviewers to love it and tell everyone to come check it out. That doesn't seem to be happening at the moment.
There have also been plenty of people who have come up to me, and others, and said how much they enjoyed it. Just your average, everyday theater-goer. Also interesting, is that it's more women than men who like the show. It seems to be something of a chick-flick. (I have a theory on that which I'll talk about later.) I even have a friend who is interested in joining the theater company's board of directors after seeing the show. And here's someone named Jenny H. who seemed to enjoy herself. I don't know who she is, but I'm glad she took the time to jot down how she felt about the show.
So who do you believe? The critics or the public? In this case, I'll take a serving of each. Because I think there is something in this show for everyone. I think it's fun, funny and well acted. I also think it's a touch too long, Nathan's maybe a bit too mopey and the ending needs a little work. But it's a new show. You're going to have that. I mean, I didn't expect to open my mouth and have Shakespeare fall out.
Well, all right, maybe just a little.
I took the day off yesterday. From everything. Work. Showering. Walking. I just sat on my couch and flipped through the channels. It was divine.
The show opened on Tuesday night and went off without a hitch. We had a nice house that wasn't all made up designers and technicians, which I'm sure the actors appreciated. The majority of them stuck around afterwards for the free food and booze that was donated to us from places like RJ Grunts and Cru Wine Bar. Plus, Zoe, the Assistant Director, had taken some of the photos we took of Nathan with each girlfriend and created a couple of posters of what the photos might look like after the break up. It was fun stuff.
It was a pretty fun day, all in all. There were lots of well-wishing phone calls and emails and text messages. My friend Brendan even sent flowers to the theater. Of course, there was no message of any kind from the very vocal "Maureen". But I'm sure she'll have a good excuse. It did my ego good.
After the show, the cast presented me with a telescope so I could "see the stars in the city". It was a very sweet gift and as soon as the skies clear up here, I'll be testing it out. We made some toasts to everyone then we got down to the eating and the drinking.
After we'd gorged ourself on pasta salad and wine and cheese and chocolate covered everything, I broke open a box of cigars I had purchased for the occassion and a few of us stepped outside to light 'em up. I'm not a smoker. Never have been and most of the time I think cigars smell like a dead skunk's stink-star, but it just seemed like the thing to do.
It was great opening night. The kind every writer should get to experience at least once in their careers. Hopefully, it won't be the last one I attend as playwright. I'll keep you posted.
P.S. Many thanks to Amy and Emily who jumped in as guest photographers so I didn't have to spend the whole time behind a camera.
Well, here we are. Opening night.
At the moment it doesn't feel that different from any other night. I've been in lots of shows and had lots of opening nights. I know how they work. But at the same time, this is the first time that I am responsible for the content of the evening. I'm sure when I get to the theater and see the hordes of people clamoring for a seat I'll start to sweat. Hopefully I won't get that nervous-stomach-flatulence and drive everyone away. Then again, that might be a good defense if I feel the crowd turning on me at any point.
This show has been a long time coming to this night. Almost four years ago I wrote the first scenes that would eventually become the play we present tonight. A lot has changed in that time. But the essence of the story has remained the same; A man learning to live his life for himself.
It's not been an easy process. But it has been a rewarding one. It seems kind of funny to me that it's over. And maybe a little sad. But I'll save the sappy speeches for later. Right now I have to make sure I've got all the cat hair off my pants. I'm sure Arthur Miller never showed up to an opening night with cat hair on his pants.
Unless you count Marylin Monroe's...nevermind.
Just a little over 24 hours until the lights go up on opening night for The Past's Present. (Cue sphincter pucker.)
Over the weekend we had two preview nights, where people could pay five bucks and check out the show. These are basically glorified dress rehersals. We were still taking notes and still tinkering with sound cues. At least I hope there was a little tinkering with sound cues. Or a cue. Just one. You know who you are.
But everything looked good. I think the only thing we need now is a sold-out house full of buzzing energy for the cast to feed off of. Hopefully, we'll have that for tomorrow night. I mean, we're giving away food and booze after the show. What more of an incentive to people need?
I'll save all the mushy blubbering for after opening night. But I would like to express my deepest gratitude to The Cast and Crew of this show. All in all this has been a very painless procedure and it is all thanks to your hard work and dedication. Perhaps in the coming weeks I'll do a little one-on-one interviewing with all of them so you can get to know them better. They deserve all the recognition they can get.
Everyone has tonight off to get a little rest. Or to work at their other job. Me? I'll be trying not to obsess about tomorrow night too much. My new apartment still needs a little TLC, so perhaps I throw myself into some furniture re-arranging or shelf building. Or maybe I'll just head over to my local watering hole and distract myself with a nice, cold beverage or seven.
Here are some pics I snapped last night that we're hoping the local press will be using when they sing their praises of us.
All right, let's try this again.
I just finished writing a long-ass post about our tech rehearsal last night and my Windows Explorer decided to crap out on me and I lost everything. I am not a happy camper. But somehow, it seems fitting, since the theme here is tech week. Where nothing ever goes as smoothly as you want it to.
So last night we had our first technical rehearsal. To keep myself entertained while I sat and watched the actors move furniture around, I decided to a little running commentary. Enjoy.
7:00pm – April 10th: It’s our first night in the space. The actual four walls that will hold the show for the next five weeks. There is a couch and a bed and a desk and paint on the walls. Red paint. Lots of red paint. It’s starting to look like an actual show. We’ll have to wait until the actors take the stage to see if it’s the same show I’ve been bragging about as of late.
Tech week is usually the most frustrating part of the whole process. It’s where all the magical elements come together. Lights and sound and scenery. But they don't just appear, oh no, you have to go through every cue to get the timing right. The first night is the night when everyone holds their breath and hope it all goes off without a hitch. So far we’ve been lucky. Load in was super easy. But then, that was just the techies doing their thing without a bunch of actors getting in the way. Tonight will be a whole different story. If we’re out of here before midnight I’ll be impressed.
7:15pm: We get things started. Everyone is here and the Stage Manager is giving us the rules of the space. One of the fun aspects of being an itinerant theater company is that we have to respect whatever space we find ourselves in. This is our first time in National Pastime Theater, so we don’t want to do anything that would make the owners think twice about having us back. However, one of the rules is “no food in the theater”. Tough one. Especially during tech week.
Tonight will be all about cues. Sound cues and scene transitions. Tomorrow night will be lights. We have a couple of large set pieces that need to move around during the show and it’s the actors that have to move them. We want it to look as smooth as possible, so everyone will be hating this by the end of the night.
We’ve also discovered that the couch and bed that we borrowed is covered in cat hair and two of our actors have severe allergies. So we’ll either be covering them or steam cleaning them or both. The Stage Manager steps up to the shopvac and gets to work removing what he can. Everyone takes ten.
8:00pm: Ten turns into forty-five and we are ready to begin. There’s a lot of down time for actors during tech week. For a play that wouldn’t exist without them, they have to take a back seat until the final dress rehearsal. Even then it’s about making sure all the cues work properly. So they just say their lines and stand where they’re supposed to. Reduced to fleshy furniture. Such is the life of an actor.
We set up the first scene to prepare for the first major transition. It’s like planning a football route. A table and backdrop have to leave the stage, while three chairs get shifted around. As a writer I didn’t even think about the logistics of all of this. Of course, I didn’t envision ten foot rolling flats either, but that’s part of the beauty of producing a play. And I have to admit, they're pretty damn cool.
But we’re moving right along. Mainly because the actors are pros and are staying focused. They've danced this dance before and they don't want to be here any later than is necessary. But it’s early. The punch-drunkness and boredom will slowly eat at them and I’m sure The Stage Manager will have to raise his voice before the night is over.
8:30pm: We learn that the bed needs support on both sides. We learn this as everyone gets off the bed, leaving Sean on one side to roll off. If only it fit in the show, it would be a very funny bit.
Another thing that tends to change during tech week is blocking. In rehearsals they work with stand-in furniture and props and they are never the same size or weight as the actual items. As they work with the rolling flats they are discovering that people are suddenly hidden behind them. Things like “find a reason for your character to move” are said. Which begs the question, how important is the blocking to begin with? Does it need to be set? Should it be fluid and ever-changing? There are many schools of thought on the subject. Or at least two.
I’ve worked with directors who have every step mapped out beforehand. They tell you where to move and when. As an actor is can be very stagnate and really not so much fun. Part of the excitement of doing the same show night after night is the possibility that things might be different from the night before. You can’t do everything like that, obviously. Fight choreography wouldn’t work so well if you didn’t know exactly what was going to happen each night. One time, playing Romeo, I had to actually defend myself against an overly zealous Tybalt. Armed with a real sword. Moving entirely too quickly. Each night differing from the night before as he tried new tactics to beat me. Each night I wanted to stab him in the throat. But I survived. I only got my knuckles busted once.
9:00pm: We’ve almost made it through the end of the first act running transitions. We still have to run everything again with sound cues. Why didn't we do sound first ? Hmmm. The Costume Designer is here to work through some issues as well. People are going to start to get grumpy soon. But it’s something you have to do. They don’t call it “Hell Week” for nothing.
Oh no. The first casualty of the cat-hair-covered-bed is Sean. This sucks. When you're working with a teeny-tiny budget you take props and set pieces where ever you can get them. The cheaper the better. So when people are willing to donate furniture you're always grateful. But it's no good if you have actors that have to avoid those set pieces for fear of breaking out in hives.
That would put a different spin on the show; The Leader covered in a rash, with oozing hives, his eyes swollen shut. I'm not sure what we'd be trying to say there, but it might be a neat look. Maybe next time.
9:37pm: Somehow we blew through Act II. And it’s time for a break. As I’ve been sitting on my ass for the last hour and a half I will be standing and hoping to get some feeling back in my left cheek.
9:55pm: And we’re back. Doing sound. And I was wrong. It was the Sound Designer who was the first to raise his voice. But in his defense, his job is sound, so if there is chatting and “bits” going on it makes it a little hard to hear.
I love the sound for this show. The pre-show music is all 80s music. A lot of the cues are either pieces of 80s songs or the songs outright. These dudes rock. If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick them up. If you can tell me where the score under some of the scenes come from, I’ll buy you a drink.
10:30pm: Still on sound. The punchiness is starting to manifest itself in quirky line readings and silly walks. There is lots of giggling and yawning. I’m beat myself and I’m just sitting here. Not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep my eyes open. I have to give the actors credit, hell everyone really, if they're crabby they aren't being outwardly noticable about it. Me? I'd be looking at my watch and sighing loudly about now. But since I'm just sitting here, snapping the ocassional pictures and "borrowing" someone else's wi-fi, I won't complain.
11:10pm: We've made it through the end of the first act. The powers that be are discussing whether we'd be better served to stop here for the night. Pushing on might cause a revolt. Everyone is dead tired. This is also the week that people almost always get sick during a show. You're dead tired, you're eating crappy food and the viruses love to take advantage of the situation.
It seems like we'll be wrapping up for the night. Good decision. I've never seen a group of people throw on their coats and exit a building so fast in my life. They're probably afraid that someone might change their mind and decide to soldier on through Act II.
I'm happy to go home, myself. Nothing takes it out of you more than spending a full work day sitting at desk, staring at a computer, only to head to the theater for four more hours of the same. But we'll be back tomorrow for more of the same fun. God willing and the creek don't rise.
The fruits of our video shoot have finally bloomed on the internets.
You can feast your eyes on them here, here and here.
The Cast should give themselves a round of applause for their work. Nothing was scripted out. They were asked the questions and then answered them as their character would.
Nice work ladies! (You too Sean.)
And many, many thanks to Dan & Joe for putting all the footage together and making it sound nice.
