“I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.” ~Ella Fitzgerald “Ever notice ‘What the hell?’ is always the right decision?” ~Marilyn Monroe
Thinking about my next play
So, I’ve been doing research and ruminating on a new play idea, this time about an artist trying to recover from an art controversy. I’ve read up on Robert Mapplethorpe and Sally Mann, and looked at the work of Paulette Phillips: specifically, “The Directed Lie.” Potential titles include: “An Artistic Bent” and “The Comeback,” or “Moments of Truth.” It’s a …
“Not Without Our Women” concert readings
The story of human rights over time has been one of “three steps forward, one step back.” As various disenfranchised groups have sought their places at the table, experience suggests that for each success, there is a failure. Each painful setback is often followed by a breakthrough. The musical play “Not Without Our Women,” by Andrew Black, Caroline Altman, and …
“Reduction in Force” Voted Best Play
UPDATE: “Reduction in Force” has won the 2011 Broadway World Award for “Best Local Play.” Central Works’ premiere production of “Reduction in Force” was nominated for several awards in the 2011 Broadway World San Francisco Theatre Awards. The results have been tabulated and are in! Gary Graves: Best Director, Gregory Scharpen: Best Sound Design, and Jan Zvaifler: Best Featured Actress, …
In Brief
“Drama assumes an order. If only so that it might have — by disrupting that order — a way of surprising.” ~Vaclav Havel
In Brief
“Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. Yes, yes, it’s the most comical thing in the world.” ~Samuel Beckett
I’m in the San Francisco One-Minute Play Festival
It’s known as “theatre boiled down to its essence.” And, to tell you the truth, it seemed to me to be pretty hard to write. Yes, many things can happen in a minute, but they are not necessarily theatrical. And I was somewhat surprised there was not some sort of theme to help us make a unified evening’s entertainment. I’m …
Three Girls Theatre Exceeds Fundraising Goal
As you may know, I am an Associate Playwright with Three Girls Theatre Company in San Francisco. Recently we launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $6,100 for our month-long stint of readings, performances, and special events at Thick House next March. The great news is, we’ve raised over $9,000. Thanks, backers! What’s especially exciting is that Three Girls Theatre has …
“Believers” reading scheduled
I will have a table reading of “Believers” November 19 with the Central Works writing group. The cast will be Chris Morell as Rocky, Gabi Patacsil as Grace, Amy Prosser as April, and Harold Smith as Sam: a fantastic group! In this rewrite I worked to “activate” my protagonist, Rocky, whom I saw as too passive. Because he doesn’t have …
Theatre Out to produce Strange Bedfellows
Strange Bedfellows, which I co-wrote with Andrew Black, will receive its world premiere next August (2012). Appropriately, the venue is Santa Ana (Orange County) CA – our friends at Theatre Out. I’m delighted that Theatre Out is producing this hilarious play. It features a few of my favorite characters, including Fern Mulligan, the escaped husband-murderer. “. . . a wondrous …