We're firing up for another round of playgoing as I await word on a variety of play projects out there in the world, just awaiting a status report.
Recently, we took in "Virtue of Fools," presented as part of the Greensboro Fringe Festival at Open Space, and including Neil Shepherd, Ken Ashford and Cheryl Ann Roberts in the cast. We thought it was quite a mature script for a young woman recently graduated from college, and very much enjoyed the performances even if the audience was, well, compact. In discussion on the way home, we found what we considered to be some holes in the storytelling, but still, it was an interesting night of theater that held our attention. Can't say that about everything I see!
We also took in "Black Pearl Sings!" at Triad Stage Saturday night, and found that to be well-written and performed as well, taking one to a place one did not know particularly well. The point of it was: it had GOOD performances, if one stronger than the other in our opinion. Yet, the vast majority of a fairly large audience stood at the end for an ovation. See diatribe below about standing ovations.
Next on the slate: the short plays at City Stage, also part of the Fringe Festival.
Monday, February 2, 2009
On the standing ovation
I do not claim any kind of originality or claim to premiering this thought. I believe, for instance, that the New York Times has written on the subject in recent years. But having once again recently been at a show where it occurred, I am reminded of the temptation to vent some frustration.
If you are a theater-goer or attend other performing arts activities: a standing ovation is SUPPOSED to be reserved for a truly outstanding individual or group performance, particularly in the live theater. And believe me, those opportunities DO occur, and they deserve to be rewarded by a portion or the entire audience rising to their feet and clapping/cheering/dancing or whatever.
Nowadays, that doesn't happen so much. Sadly.
If EVERYONE stands up for EVERY event they attend in the theater, the whole risk/reward system of the potential standing ovation becomes so watered down that performers basically have to show up and not fall off the stage (unless the script requires it) to get the S.O. And that's just not the same. If ANYONE gets a standing ovation, how do performers know if they are truly special?
I encourage you to consider that next time you're in the theater and deciding whether or not to stand up with the rest of 'em. If it was not a truly outstanding collection of performances, don't do it. Just say no. Resist the temptation, even if you're surrounded by standers. Somehow people have to learn that standing ovations are selective, not for every single show. Really! I kid you not.
If you are a theater-goer or attend other performing arts activities: a standing ovation is SUPPOSED to be reserved for a truly outstanding individual or group performance, particularly in the live theater. And believe me, those opportunities DO occur, and they deserve to be rewarded by a portion or the entire audience rising to their feet and clapping/cheering/dancing or whatever.
Nowadays, that doesn't happen so much. Sadly.
If EVERYONE stands up for EVERY event they attend in the theater, the whole risk/reward system of the potential standing ovation becomes so watered down that performers basically have to show up and not fall off the stage (unless the script requires it) to get the S.O. And that's just not the same. If ANYONE gets a standing ovation, how do performers know if they are truly special?
I encourage you to consider that next time you're in the theater and deciding whether or not to stand up with the rest of 'em. If it was not a truly outstanding collection of performances, don't do it. Just say no. Resist the temptation, even if you're surrounded by standers. Somehow people have to learn that standing ovations are selective, not for every single show. Really! I kid you not.
Monday, January 19, 2009
"Good LIfe" hits the road
As I mentioned in the last post, my actor friends gave "The Good Life" a great reading a week ago, and pummeled/pestered/passed along -- I'm looking for the right verb -- "shared" a number of thoughts about the play's logic and ending. I took some time to assimilate those ideas, then went after the script to see what I could do.
I'm pleased to announce that I think the rework was successful. The last two scenes have undergone a fairly major change, but, I think, for the better. And then after all the touch-ups throughout, I printed it out again, let it sit for two days, then looked it over again last night. All those facelifts have now been incorporated -- and the script is in the e-mail ozone. A good friend of ours has a place she'd like to share it, in case that arts center might want to make it part of their upcoming season. Wow. That would be something.
Anyway, it's back to her for her own review, then we'll push it on to her contact.
In short, more waiting to come!
And I do love waiting. Especially as other places I have scripts, some of which were supposed to have made their selections by now, haven't. Or perhaps they have and simply haven't told those who did NOT get selected. But they haven't posted their choices on their websites, either, durn 'em. And so, as usual ... we wait. Maybe something will surface this week!
If nothing else, another script is "done" and the Steelers won. Things could be worse.
I'm pleased to announce that I think the rework was successful. The last two scenes have undergone a fairly major change, but, I think, for the better. And then after all the touch-ups throughout, I printed it out again, let it sit for two days, then looked it over again last night. All those facelifts have now been incorporated -- and the script is in the e-mail ozone. A good friend of ours has a place she'd like to share it, in case that arts center might want to make it part of their upcoming season. Wow. That would be something.
Anyway, it's back to her for her own review, then we'll push it on to her contact.
In short, more waiting to come!
And I do love waiting. Especially as other places I have scripts, some of which were supposed to have made their selections by now, haven't. Or perhaps they have and simply haven't told those who did NOT get selected. But they haven't posted their choices on their websites, either, durn 'em. And so, as usual ... we wait. Maybe something will surface this week!
If nothing else, another script is "done" and the Steelers won. Things could be worse.
Monday, January 12, 2009
It was a great reading!
I have to say that it is such a pleasure to bask in the post-experience bliss of having hosted, along with my lovely wife, a reading of a new script by actor friends and acquaintances. There was also a lively and informative discussion of the play itself afterwards ("The Good Life," full-length play #3) that offered some great ideas and adjustments that I will make to the script before it gets sent out.
Cheryl, Lee, Ken, Myla, Macon and Tana -- plus my live-in actor, Kathy -- you know who you are, and please know that you're appreciated. It may take me a little while to beat it into submission, but your reading and your reactions will help me to formulate some new thoughts on the fine tuning of the script and, I feel quite certain, make it a better play in the end. Thank you!
And as we are nearing the mid-point of January, I feel reasonably certain that some kind of news, pro or con, from several of the submissions are bound to break just about any time. Fingers are crossed, except, of course, when keyboarding, like right now.
I continue to think (or is it dream?) that 2009 is going to be the year when some of my words are going to spew forth on a stage, here there or somewhere. And I hope that's a good thing!
Cheryl, Lee, Ken, Myla, Macon and Tana -- plus my live-in actor, Kathy -- you know who you are, and please know that you're appreciated. It may take me a little while to beat it into submission, but your reading and your reactions will help me to formulate some new thoughts on the fine tuning of the script and, I feel quite certain, make it a better play in the end. Thank you!
And as we are nearing the mid-point of January, I feel reasonably certain that some kind of news, pro or con, from several of the submissions are bound to break just about any time. Fingers are crossed, except, of course, when keyboarding, like right now.
I continue to think (or is it dream?) that 2009 is going to be the year when some of my words are going to spew forth on a stage, here there or somewhere. And I hope that's a good thing!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Excited about the new year
We have, fairly peacefully, slipped from 2008 -- which I think most folks won't miss -- into 2009. For Kathy and me, it included a first: attending a theatrical performance timed and specifically meant to include a welcoming of the New Year. It was apparently Open Space Cafe Theatre's second year to do so. It was a premiere production of "Miss Gulch Returns," which will return itself for a regular run at the Theatre from January 8-24. Along with a piano player, it stars Macon Shirley in a one-man musical that studies the post-"Wizard of Oz" life of the ornery Miss Gulch of the movie. Fun, cute lyrics, not the easiest music in the world to sing -- we had fun, and they simply stopped the second act for about ten minutes to ring in the year.
For me, now that we've made it to 2009, there should be some information forthcoming over the next few months about the various shows I've written and put out there, starting - hopefully - soon. Further, a group of hardy and hearty friends will be at the house on Jan. 11th to read through "The Good Life" for me. Immediately thereafter, or as soon as I can make final brush-up changes, I have a place to send it for a possible review/possible production, which even if it doesn't pan out, is exciting.
Then some fine day, I need to get back to work on the started-but-a-long-way-from-done full-length and 10-minute play ideas I have floating around. Though I have some paying non-fiction work I must get completed before much will progress on those projects!
Looking forward to a good 2009 of playgoing!
For me, now that we've made it to 2009, there should be some information forthcoming over the next few months about the various shows I've written and put out there, starting - hopefully - soon. Further, a group of hardy and hearty friends will be at the house on Jan. 11th to read through "The Good Life" for me. Immediately thereafter, or as soon as I can make final brush-up changes, I have a place to send it for a possible review/possible production, which even if it doesn't pan out, is exciting.
Then some fine day, I need to get back to work on the started-but-a-long-way-from-done full-length and 10-minute play ideas I have floating around. Though I have some paying non-fiction work I must get completed before much will progress on those projects!
Looking forward to a good 2009 of playgoing!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Revisions the latest
I'm very pleased to report that I did actually take another reader's comments into consideration and reworked portions of"The Good Life" while I was off at Carolina Beach. The revised version is now prepared for a reading by a group of friend/actors in January -- and then the finished draft will be off to at least one point of review as soon after the read-through as I can complete the brush-up.
Meanwhile, hopefully, some word on a couple of the works out there in contest-land will have been received, and maybe things will move forward an inch or two!
We caught the sweet "Christmas Bus" performance by Kernersville Little Theatre performers on Saturday night. Not overwhelmingly attended, unfortunately. My theory is that the current state of the economy is not going to do any of the arts any big favors over the next year or two. Time to tighten down the hatches and kick into survival mode for a while!
Meanwhile, hopefully, some word on a couple of the works out there in contest-land will have been received, and maybe things will move forward an inch or two!
We caught the sweet "Christmas Bus" performance by Kernersville Little Theatre performers on Saturday night. Not overwhelmingly attended, unfortunately. My theory is that the current state of the economy is not going to do any of the arts any big favors over the next year or two. Time to tighten down the hatches and kick into survival mode for a while!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Hmm. We've slipped into December, always a busy month, and haven't blogged a bit about the progress of the various plays. Would that be because there has not, as yet, been any progress to report? That would be ... accurate.
It's not through any lack of desire or anything, but though I have the beginnings of a new 10-minute play on paper, the concept of another 10-minute play in my head, and I reported earlier that a full-length script had been commenced, nothing further has transpired. Part of that is due to all the other December activities and some play going (we enjoyed "Black Comedy" at Third Stage in Greensboro, and I thought that "Beautiful Star" at Triad Stage was "nice"). Part of it is due to researching and writing for a new paying project. The rest of it is lack of time and, in some cases, desire.
As I was saying to another writer the other day, sometimes when you've put lots of hours into projects and nothing has, yet, borne fruit, it's hard to maintain the desire to write MORE work that isn't going anywhere, yet. I'll get past that at some point, but right now, other than the second, only-in-concept 10-minute play, I don't have any burning desire to move forward with projects in play world until something moves forward on the work already done.
The reason for the one 10-minuter is that there is a program called "The Seven" in New Mexico that, this year, surveyed all its playwrights and others via e-mail, and then conducted an e-mail vote from selected theme ideas to come up with the 2009 final theme. All plays are written about that theme, so if I'm going to submit an entry, I've gotta write a 10-minuter to that theme. So there's actually a target there.
And I got some useful commentary on "The Good Life" the other day, so hope to do some rewriting on that script BEFORE we have a private reading in mid-January.
So while it's not full speed ahead, something is happening while I wait on responses to the various entries floating around out there. By the end of January, I hope to know something about at least one of them. Maybe.
It's not through any lack of desire or anything, but though I have the beginnings of a new 10-minute play on paper, the concept of another 10-minute play in my head, and I reported earlier that a full-length script had been commenced, nothing further has transpired. Part of that is due to all the other December activities and some play going (we enjoyed "Black Comedy" at Third Stage in Greensboro, and I thought that "Beautiful Star" at Triad Stage was "nice"). Part of it is due to researching and writing for a new paying project. The rest of it is lack of time and, in some cases, desire.
As I was saying to another writer the other day, sometimes when you've put lots of hours into projects and nothing has, yet, borne fruit, it's hard to maintain the desire to write MORE work that isn't going anywhere, yet. I'll get past that at some point, but right now, other than the second, only-in-concept 10-minute play, I don't have any burning desire to move forward with projects in play world until something moves forward on the work already done.
The reason for the one 10-minuter is that there is a program called "The Seven" in New Mexico that, this year, surveyed all its playwrights and others via e-mail, and then conducted an e-mail vote from selected theme ideas to come up with the 2009 final theme. All plays are written about that theme, so if I'm going to submit an entry, I've gotta write a 10-minuter to that theme. So there's actually a target there.
And I got some useful commentary on "The Good Life" the other day, so hope to do some rewriting on that script BEFORE we have a private reading in mid-January.
So while it's not full speed ahead, something is happening while I wait on responses to the various entries floating around out there. By the end of January, I hope to know something about at least one of them. Maybe.
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