“The Engine of Our Disruption” has won first place in the 2024 Scriptwriters & Co International Festival in Bath, UK. My AI comedy would make a fantastic film, as well.
Into Your Story
“Storytellers sit at the fire and tell an interesting story and then at one unexpected moment, as they tell the story, they look at you and you realize YOU are in the story, the story pertains to you, a light shines on you, something about you, and you are illuminated. Quietly quietly. Not like a hammer but like a glance …
The Engine of Our Disruption
I’ve altered the title of my latest play, and thus its dramaturgy page. If you’re interested in AI ethics and the pickle we’re in because it’s hurtling forward without developers thinking through the ethical concerns, take a look. Kamiri is a tech whiz can’t get hired after blowing the whistle on her former company. She swears to remain loyal to …
The Victorian Ladies Detective Collective
… rides again! The Public Theater in Lewiston, Maine will produce the East Coast premiere in November 2022, Covid-19 willing. I’m excited as they will also film it, and I’ll be able to enjoy it either in person or via streaming. This will be its second production and the first on the East Coast, although it was presented in a …
Escape from The Asylum
… opens March 19! Get tickets. You can read about it here. In 2019, Central Works premiered the Victorian Ladies Detective Collective–three determined “lady” sleuths fight crime and prejudice in Victorian London. Now they’re back at it! A famous female explorer has been committed to Belfry, a notorious asylum for the mentally ill. Has her unscrupulous husband had her falsely …
Oedipus Rex as a Tale of Childhood Trauma
It has always struck me as odd that Oedipus’ traumatic wounding and attempted murder by his parents is practically ignored in the Oedipus myth. By which I mean it is reported on, but the child’s original trauma at the hands of pathological parents/attempted murderers Laius and Jocasta is not explored. I found an article that explores the significance of this …
On Scrupulosity
I’m working on a play about a woman who is challenged by moral scrupulosity OCD, a condition that affects sufferers in a variety of ways. My questions are, how does such a person react when faced with a moral dilemma at work? If the antagonist learns the hero suffers from scrupulosity, how can the antagonist overcome her objections to a …
Don’t Villainize Your Villain
How many times have you watched a show and felt sad when the villain wasn’t onstage? That’s because a good villain is not only watchable, they’re somewhat relatable. Think Aaron Burr. Stanley Kowalski. Goneril and Regan. When writing a villain, make them the hero of their own story and they’ll shine. More than anything, audiences want characters (virtuous and not) …
Endings
I am constantly reminded that endings are hard. Just the other day, as I was walking, I thought of the ending of a play I’ve been kicking around in my head for a few years (yes, years). This makes me very happy. I feel like I can actually start writing the play now. Endings are hard because they must be …
On Coincidences
Coincidences in plays can be problematic. Audiences will only tolerate so much. Once when discussing coincidences in “Oedipus Rex,” an instructor said what I think is a nifty, concise rule: “There should be only one coincidence per play, and it should happen offstage, and in the past.” Scott Myers makes the distinction between Fate coincidences and Writer coincidences. (Fate coincidences …