Playwright Bingeing concludes
Today is the last day of the playwrights binge. I can't thank Pat Gabridge and cohorts enough for the opportunity to have been involved with this effort. I'm not sure if I had 30 submissions, but if you count up all the plays sent out and the places they were sent to, on an individual basis, I'm waaaaay past 30. Yay! This 30-day event inspired me to submit, write, edit existing pieces, and network with others. It was quite an experience. I have every intention of keeping up with this process, although it really helps to have a target and to be engaged with others. I even sent off my one-act, "Uncharted Territory," to two companies today that I don't think will be interested (I think they want full-length scripts only) but can only say no if that's the case. I wouldn't have even known about them without this listserv. I still have to send two 10-minute plays to Boston Theatre Marathon, the BIGGIE, and since the limit is two plays per playwright, I'm still deciding which two to send. When A. gets back from her trip to Reno, she will read "Peanut Butter Sandwiches," revised, and give me her thoughts. I have until November 15th postmarked, so a little, though not a lot of time. I know one of the plays I'm sending, but am not certain of the other. It's fun to have that to look forward to, however!
I am trying not to get hopeful, b/c it's such a competitive festival (only 50 plays chosen, and some are commissioned in advance, so it's probably more like 40, at most) and quite prestigious for New England playwrights, so it means a lot. I really have to steer myself for the rejection that has yet to occur (no one has said no--yet--but many deadlines haven't even occurred). The nice thing is that they aren't rejecting me based on ME, but on the work and their needs, and as I've mentioned in the past, this is much different than auditioning, when you can sometimes tell on the spot if they are interested or not, and when it IS based on you (or what they want, but they are looking at you, hearing and seeing you, and you can't say that it's not personal in any way, because of course it is). Writing is different--it's typically far more objective, in the sense that you aren't in the room, they've probably never seen or heard of you (at least when you're starting out), and it's based on the script, their needs, and their feelings about same. Of course, it helps to have an in, but I think many festivals read blind, and even if they don't, they are often willing to give new playwrights a chance, and that's not something that can be said of acting companies.
In any event, I've really started the writing process again and feel GOOD about it. My play "Accept This!" was one of seven plays read at the Write-On writers group on Monday, and the response was quite favorable (more than I thought it would be; much more, in fact). When I first brought "Peanut Butter Sandwiches" to the group in June, I think, it was met with lukewarm reactions (including my own), and I went back and made some significant revisions, with D.'s help. But this play seemed done to the group, after I removed one superfluous character (and took out a couple of lines), and so it seems like it's done (as much as a play is ever done). The plays were quite good on Monday (some were great), and it was nice to be part of such company. The listserv has given me a community of playwrights to connect with, and along with Write-On, I have a network, and I think that's really important (people share successes and rejections, make referrals, provide opportunities, and are just THERE for you). It's hard to think that the binge is ending--I think there will be another in the spring--but now I can focus on writing and know places to look for other writing opportunities. It's nice to tell students and co-workers that I'm writing and submitting; now I just need some theatres to express interest! :-)
I saw a new play last night. I don't want to get into specifics, as the playwright is local, but I will say that it was an interesting experience. I really watched it as a playwright, not as an actor or just an audience-goer, and that was a bit different and kind of nice. It's a fairly new piece, so I could focus on what worked in the text and what didn't (to the extent that you can do that when watching, not reading the script). I wished I had the script in hand, in fact! :-) I love reading and commenting, as I always have (my favorite part of grad school). I thought the play was good, but not fully realized. It's hard to tell, though, if that's because it was the first night or because it's still being reworked. There were times when the play seemed to say "LOOK AT ME! I'M A PLAY!" and other times when I was REALLY really drawn in (and the ending is quite touching). I would love to go again at the end of the run (can't afford it, though--I only paid $5, and it's normally $15) to see how things had changed, but I'll just have to imagine. ;-) I am seeing "Proof," the play, not the movie, for free tonight with a friend (thank goodness for stagesource and free/discounted offers), and then "Theatre District," a new play that has already had a two-week run, on Sunday (I'm ushering at the Boston Center for the Arts). I think the latter will be particularly interesting (I have to find a synonym for interesting!), b/c it's already played for a while and b/c the playwright has written for TV and the cast is Equity (or some are, anyway).
The thing that was especially cool about last night's play is that the writer is young and not yet seasoned, and so I could relate, in a way I can't to, say, Mamet or Pinter (who just received the Nobel Prize) or Shepard or Albee or any other established writer. I could imagine this playwright's thinking process (apparently, the play had been three hours last week, and was trimmed to two hours for production--amazing!!!), although I've yet to write a full-length play (my one-act is only about 20 pages, although the monologue brings it closer to a 25-30 minute play, I imagine, when staged). I do have a specific idea in mind, one I've been ruminating on for 11 years (I kid you not), and feel ready to tackle. I may not begin it til December vacation, however, b/c once I start writing it, I may want to keep going, and I don't have time now. I'm just lucky to have Fridays off!!! :) I really want to write a holiday play today, but I don't have any ideas! :-( There is one festival (I missed the deadline for the other) that is seeking holiday plays, and D. wrote one, as did M. in LA, and I would like to contribute one as well (a funny one, if possible; it's good to write comic as well as dramtic pieces).
Speaking of M., the listserv introduced us to one another, and it's become a nice cyberspace relationship. He is a writer on the West Coast, is gay, and very personable. I am on the East Coast, straight, and hopefully personable as well. ;-) Tomorrow we are planning our first telephone conversation (a big step! j/k), and it's nice to have a friend with similar interests. D. and I are both writers, of course, but it's great to have a male perspective (and we know how well I do with men...er...okay, let's not go there). I still feel, honestly, inadequate, as if I were 10 years old and were constantly being judged by what I'm wearing, how unattractive I am, etc. In my mind, I still have giant orange glasses (mine are tiny wireframe ones), braces (nope), kinky hair (nope), acne (very little, if any), am chubby (normal, but fit and not chubby, though I still see myself that way), and socially inept. I think I'm still surprised when people talk to me and want to be my friend unless I'm HELPING them, and yet I know that's not the case, b/c former students, male and female, often come by to just to say hi and catch up on stuff. They wouldn't do that if they found me undesirable, of course. It's...well...it's something I need to get over, that's all. (Thank you, cognitive behavioral therapist! ;-))
So, I've mostly focused on writing, as usual, and that's because it's where my head is at. I still long to be part of a theatrical production as an actor, but I'm trying to reconcile the fact that it might not happen again, or not for a long time. I do have the Arlington Players production coming up in March or June, in Boston (yay!), and I am still a candidate for a role in Monica Raymond's one-act "Toast," but can't get my hopes up. (At least my play is included!) We had our first production meeting with Rich on Wednesday night. Alas, only D. and I showed up, but it was nice to talk to him and discuss forthcoming plays. It's going to happen, and I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I just want each of my plays to get one production (for now--I'm trying to not be too greedy ;-)), and that would make me feel supremely satisfied. Some people on the listserv have been steadily writing for eight or more years, and I've only been doing so for a year, really, so I need to be patient. Happily, I have a lot of material, including my master's thesis and my own life-experience (it really is easier to write at 42 than 22). I have to get past feeling old, and I do feel old far too much of the time (can't explain why; I thought once I hit 41 that feeling would dissipate, but it hasn't, and yes, my CBT and I can discuss this at the next meeting :-)). But the important thing is that I'm writing, exercising, and am doing well at work (just got a very nice raise, 13.6 percent, which was unexpected and extremely timely), so things are ticking along. If acting roles are meant to happen, they will, but writing is something within my control, so I will continue to explore that side. I'll keep you posted if/when I get any acceptances. :-)
I am trying not to get hopeful, b/c it's such a competitive festival (only 50 plays chosen, and some are commissioned in advance, so it's probably more like 40, at most) and quite prestigious for New England playwrights, so it means a lot. I really have to steer myself for the rejection that has yet to occur (no one has said no--yet--but many deadlines haven't even occurred). The nice thing is that they aren't rejecting me based on ME, but on the work and their needs, and as I've mentioned in the past, this is much different than auditioning, when you can sometimes tell on the spot if they are interested or not, and when it IS based on you (or what they want, but they are looking at you, hearing and seeing you, and you can't say that it's not personal in any way, because of course it is). Writing is different--it's typically far more objective, in the sense that you aren't in the room, they've probably never seen or heard of you (at least when you're starting out), and it's based on the script, their needs, and their feelings about same. Of course, it helps to have an in, but I think many festivals read blind, and even if they don't, they are often willing to give new playwrights a chance, and that's not something that can be said of acting companies.
In any event, I've really started the writing process again and feel GOOD about it. My play "Accept This!" was one of seven plays read at the Write-On writers group on Monday, and the response was quite favorable (more than I thought it would be; much more, in fact). When I first brought "Peanut Butter Sandwiches" to the group in June, I think, it was met with lukewarm reactions (including my own), and I went back and made some significant revisions, with D.'s help. But this play seemed done to the group, after I removed one superfluous character (and took out a couple of lines), and so it seems like it's done (as much as a play is ever done). The plays were quite good on Monday (some were great), and it was nice to be part of such company. The listserv has given me a community of playwrights to connect with, and along with Write-On, I have a network, and I think that's really important (people share successes and rejections, make referrals, provide opportunities, and are just THERE for you). It's hard to think that the binge is ending--I think there will be another in the spring--but now I can focus on writing and know places to look for other writing opportunities. It's nice to tell students and co-workers that I'm writing and submitting; now I just need some theatres to express interest! :-)
I saw a new play last night. I don't want to get into specifics, as the playwright is local, but I will say that it was an interesting experience. I really watched it as a playwright, not as an actor or just an audience-goer, and that was a bit different and kind of nice. It's a fairly new piece, so I could focus on what worked in the text and what didn't (to the extent that you can do that when watching, not reading the script). I wished I had the script in hand, in fact! :-) I love reading and commenting, as I always have (my favorite part of grad school). I thought the play was good, but not fully realized. It's hard to tell, though, if that's because it was the first night or because it's still being reworked. There were times when the play seemed to say "LOOK AT ME! I'M A PLAY!" and other times when I was REALLY really drawn in (and the ending is quite touching). I would love to go again at the end of the run (can't afford it, though--I only paid $5, and it's normally $15) to see how things had changed, but I'll just have to imagine. ;-) I am seeing "Proof," the play, not the movie, for free tonight with a friend (thank goodness for stagesource and free/discounted offers), and then "Theatre District," a new play that has already had a two-week run, on Sunday (I'm ushering at the Boston Center for the Arts). I think the latter will be particularly interesting (I have to find a synonym for interesting!), b/c it's already played for a while and b/c the playwright has written for TV and the cast is Equity (or some are, anyway).
The thing that was especially cool about last night's play is that the writer is young and not yet seasoned, and so I could relate, in a way I can't to, say, Mamet or Pinter (who just received the Nobel Prize) or Shepard or Albee or any other established writer. I could imagine this playwright's thinking process (apparently, the play had been three hours last week, and was trimmed to two hours for production--amazing!!!), although I've yet to write a full-length play (my one-act is only about 20 pages, although the monologue brings it closer to a 25-30 minute play, I imagine, when staged). I do have a specific idea in mind, one I've been ruminating on for 11 years (I kid you not), and feel ready to tackle. I may not begin it til December vacation, however, b/c once I start writing it, I may want to keep going, and I don't have time now. I'm just lucky to have Fridays off!!! :) I really want to write a holiday play today, but I don't have any ideas! :-( There is one festival (I missed the deadline for the other) that is seeking holiday plays, and D. wrote one, as did M. in LA, and I would like to contribute one as well (a funny one, if possible; it's good to write comic as well as dramtic pieces).
Speaking of M., the listserv introduced us to one another, and it's become a nice cyberspace relationship. He is a writer on the West Coast, is gay, and very personable. I am on the East Coast, straight, and hopefully personable as well. ;-) Tomorrow we are planning our first telephone conversation (a big step! j/k), and it's nice to have a friend with similar interests. D. and I are both writers, of course, but it's great to have a male perspective (and we know how well I do with men...er...okay, let's not go there). I still feel, honestly, inadequate, as if I were 10 years old and were constantly being judged by what I'm wearing, how unattractive I am, etc. In my mind, I still have giant orange glasses (mine are tiny wireframe ones), braces (nope), kinky hair (nope), acne (very little, if any), am chubby (normal, but fit and not chubby, though I still see myself that way), and socially inept. I think I'm still surprised when people talk to me and want to be my friend unless I'm HELPING them, and yet I know that's not the case, b/c former students, male and female, often come by to just to say hi and catch up on stuff. They wouldn't do that if they found me undesirable, of course. It's...well...it's something I need to get over, that's all. (Thank you, cognitive behavioral therapist! ;-))
So, I've mostly focused on writing, as usual, and that's because it's where my head is at. I still long to be part of a theatrical production as an actor, but I'm trying to reconcile the fact that it might not happen again, or not for a long time. I do have the Arlington Players production coming up in March or June, in Boston (yay!), and I am still a candidate for a role in Monica Raymond's one-act "Toast," but can't get my hopes up. (At least my play is included!) We had our first production meeting with Rich on Wednesday night. Alas, only D. and I showed up, but it was nice to talk to him and discuss forthcoming plays. It's going to happen, and I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I just want each of my plays to get one production (for now--I'm trying to not be too greedy ;-)), and that would make me feel supremely satisfied. Some people on the listserv have been steadily writing for eight or more years, and I've only been doing so for a year, really, so I need to be patient. Happily, I have a lot of material, including my master's thesis and my own life-experience (it really is easier to write at 42 than 22). I have to get past feeling old, and I do feel old far too much of the time (can't explain why; I thought once I hit 41 that feeling would dissipate, but it hasn't, and yes, my CBT and I can discuss this at the next meeting :-)). But the important thing is that I'm writing, exercising, and am doing well at work (just got a very nice raise, 13.6 percent, which was unexpected and extremely timely), so things are ticking along. If acting roles are meant to happen, they will, but writing is something within my control, so I will continue to explore that side. I'll keep you posted if/when I get any acceptances. :-)
posted by Sue B at 7:05 AM
1 Comments:
I'd call you too if I had your number :)
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