This BLOG is ending...

Because, well, soon, my website should be up and ready to go. And it will have a blog on it.
And it's not like I've been putting a lot of entries HERE.

SO. Follow me on LPONTIUS.COM, the day after tomorrow....

Gr. (Please, help me help you, give me a synopsis...)

So, I'm reading scripts for a competition. The competition requires a twenty page sample.

They don't say WHAT twenty pages, true. And that's cool. Any twenty pages from a play, I'm cool with that.

Now, personally, I would do the FIRST twenty pages. These are the pages that introduce the audience to the world of the play, the style, the language, and most likely the major need/conflict of the play. To me: it's perfect for a submission of twenty pages.

Now, some people are submitting the LAST twenty pages... Ok. They feel this is the most exciting part of their play (which if it is...what does that mean for the first 80 pages?) Fine, I'll read the last twenty pages.

BUT GIVE ME A SYNOPSIS. SOMETHING so I understand WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. Help me help you. I want to like this play, I, in fact want to LOVE the play that I'm reading. But, if I'm struggling to figure out why people are yelling and screaming, punching, crying then I'll have a harder time loving the play.

A synopsis. A few sentences ANYTHING. Not just a character list or a location, what has HAPPENED.

You wouldn't just show the last twenty minutes of a play to an audience so why are you making me read the last twenty pages?

Even a play that begins in Media Res STILL functions like the beginning of a play, we get information about who, what, where and why.

But the LAST twenty pages are designed to be the LAST pages, things are coming to a close, conflicts are settled, characters lives are moving on, but without context I don't CARE, I don't UNDERSTAND.

So, if you have decided that the first twenty pages aren't the best or the most exciting (which then, you should really look at those pages again, who wants to sit through something boring to get to the exciting bits) and you are going to submit something from the middle or the end: take a few sentences and set up the scenes. Provide context.

Help me love your play.

Well. I'm moving.

It's been decided and it's been put into affect.

I'm moving.

To Los Angeles.

The movers today took all of our furniture and so I'm sitting in a bare apartment. I'm hunched in a corner typing on a milk crate, sitting on the floor. So, it's really hit me: I'm moving.

We didn't make this decision lightly, but, we didn't make it with our heads. Certainly the idea of quitting a job that was pretty good, working with people that I liked, meeting astounding people (I'm looking at you Edward Albee), leaving a place I like to live for...well, let's just say, we have a good feeling about it.

We're moving to Los Angeles because I want to write for TV. And that's just insane.

Now, I think I'm talented, I have some friends, I have a manager, but to chuck a job, a home aside for an incredibly tough field to get into? That's the insane part.

Like I said, we didn't think we our heads, but with our passions.

I'm passionate about writing, I'm passionate about creating, and so...

We're moving.

(I promise to do a better job at blogging. It should be a pretty exciting summer... We're driving across the country, moving and making a six week trip to India and Singapore, all in the next three months. So, it should be good.)

Playwrights, stop hurting theater....

There’s a trend lately. Well, maybe it’s just the shows that I’ve seen, so maybe it’s a trend that’s unique to my theater going experience. But, it’s beginning to make me mad.

Playwrights aren’t writing plays anymore. They are writing collections of scenes. These collections of scenes run for about 90 minutes and then there’s either a quick resolution or simply a strange image, followed by a black out.

Over the course of those 90 minutes there will be some good scenes, maybe some interesting observations of humanity, but the scenes aren’t connected to each other, it’s almost like each scene is happening in isolation. I find more and more often I’m watching a series of ten minute plays with the same characters, sometimes in the same situation, just behaving slightly differently. It’s fucking boring.

It’s because the scenes aren’t adding up. Aren’t building on top of each. Aren’t moving us forward to a climax.

They just exist.

Let’s be blunt: how often have to seen plays lately, written by people in their 20 or 30s (hey, maybe even one of mine), where you kept saying to yourself, oh, they didn’t need this scene, they could have started the play at the second scene….no, I mean, the third scene…well, alright the fourth scene. It’s because the material is all compartmentalized. Segments. Bits. Each containing their own, and perhaps even, unnecessary exposition.

I want to see a play with drive. I want to see a play that what happened in one scene EFFECTS what happens in the next. I want to see a play the moves towards a climax.

Maybe it’s a new dramaturgy, I don’t know. But I find that it’s boring, flat, generally striving towards irony with passive characters.

Though, maybe, it’s not the fault of the playwrights. Maybe it’s the fault of how we teach and develop work in this country.

When I was a student and when I taught, because of time constraints, we can only really bring in a scene or two at a time to read and to talk about. And that’s no way to write a play. Sure, I can bring in a scene into a classroom—and I’m going to do my best and write a really great scene that’s interesting, because, let’s be honest, I want to impress—and then we’ll talk about that scene, what questions we have, for that scene, what we liked, in that scene, and what we didn’t…in that scene. The scene becomes the focus.

However, context matters. A scene isn’t a single entity of a play. No more than characters. Scenes, characters, action, every component has to work in concert with the rest so the entirety works. Not singular moments. The play.

All that said: Playwrights, stop hurting theater. Please stop writing ten minutes collections and go back to writing plays...

Things you need for a trip like this

Basically I'm out here doing a fact finding mission and to meet people- to throw myself out into the universe and see who catches me.

These are some of the things you need:

Friends...or friends of friends (so stay in touch)

Facebook (in order T0 stay in touch)

A smart phone-one that does texts, email, internet AND has a GPS (so you can stay in touch, and figure out where things are in relationship to you)

A car with a GPS (so you can get around, not get lost, and get to places on time)

A place to stay (that's where friends come in real handy)

A calender (so you can organize)

A willingness to be flexible (because things happen)

And a desire to just talk to strangers (because meeting new people is how things happen to you)

More later...

The end of a good day...

I'm doing something that isn't done in LA, something that might be considered...well of less import.

I'm seeing a play.

I don't know for certain which, a friend invited me, but it will be nice to see something where someone else does the talking.

It's been a great week, lots of chatting, coffee/tea. People have been extremely generous with their time and their stories.

More thoughts later...

How many days have I been here?

I think it's day three.

I'm on the second meeting o the day, with one more to go before I meet a friend for dinner.

It's 'like' a vacation, but not as I'm not doing anything but having meetings...

Weird.

Finally...he updates...

It's been a while I know. No excuses....welll good ones anyway.

I've been writing. I am now a Dramatists Guild Fellow, which means I get to develop a work with some fantastic playwrights.

And right now I'm in LA. I'm here to meet people (old friends, new friends, new contacts) and get my toe into the door.

At the airport the car rental place gave me a Mustang convertible...which is cool, and a GPS which is necessary. And it was hot...that doesn't seem right to me, not in november.

But I do have to say this, waking up to sunshine and perfect weather is awesome.

Off to breakfast, more later.

It's been awhile...

...and it might be an even longer while before I put up a substantial post.

I've been working on a few things lately and they've consumed my time, even making me wake up early!

Warner Brothers has a TV Writers Workshop that I'm applying for. I'm very excited by it. It's nuts and bolts, it's in LA, and...yep...I want to move into TV.

Jury Duty....#4

Below is the document that proves that I helped deliever Justice...well...at least that's what they said I did...




...now, when I read the last sentence...I felt a little guilty about getting out of the trial.

*sigh*

Jury Duty #3

Caught and released! Right after lunch...they dismissed me! I guess it pays to be thoughtful and and judgmental in your answers during jury selection.

I'm back in the pool.

We'll see what happens next.

It's funny one of the things I'm most worried about: my writing schedule. I'm doing a show that is going to go up shortly and so soon things were supposed to return to normal, work during the day and write in the morning and evening. But it's a pattern I'm used to.

Having to sit all day in a jury box would be a brand knew boredom. The lack of activity would drive me batty.

If I'm not working my survival job, I would rather be writing. If I have to sit and listen, I would keep thinking: this is time that I could be working.

Sure: it's my civic duty...but, as an artist, isn't it my duty to create work?

(Ok, that last sentence, that's just to make me feel better. I don't know if it's a greater duty than jury duty, or if it's even a duty to create art...that's a subject for a different blog.)

Jury Duty #2

Shit.

I might be on a case. ARGH.

It's a case against the city, some guy who worked for the city tripped over something, or...whatever...who knows yet...and now he's suing. Suing for, probably, a life time of money.

We got called up from a central room to a smaller room and they drew names. And then they started eliminating people. "Have you ever worked for the city?" A few raise their hands. Dismissed. "Anyone been involved in a case like this or maybe know someone that has?" Dismissed.

One woman said that she's unemployed and through a long trial she would only be thinking about not having a job. Dismissed.

Sonofabitch.

Why didn't I think of a great excuse?

I'm giving truthful answers...which maybe the problem...but I'm also being grumpy--again, truthful--and I'm sorta staring down the Attorney representing the plaintiff. I'm hoping he thinks, "This guy doesn't like me..." Which is rapidly becoming the truth. He's droning on and on.

We haven't even gotten questioned by the City's Attorney...we're on a lunch break now.

I have got to figure out a way to make him think I dislike him too...

Then, I bet I'll be off the case.

Jury Duty...part 1

**the below, and following posts, were written in real time--the court house blocked access to the blog site...jerks***

The civic duty of everyone...I suppose. But, now that I'm sitting here, having to get up early, trudge to a not particularly pretty part of Queens, after listening to a court officer at the end of his rope, and a Judge, who recounted his resume from 1948 on, who talked about each court in Queens, and the movies that are based on real court cases from Queens--riveting--and now we get to watch Mrs. Doubtfire as we await our name being called...I really question whether or not civilization is worth it.

I'm here from 9 to 5...no matter what, and I may have to come back on Monday.

And the best thing: it's civil court...so, it's going to be about dogs biting neighbors and car crashes.

This is karmic payback for my love of the People's Court.

More as it comes in...

Hey! Theatre People! Stop HURTING THEATER!

On Saturday my wife and I went to see a site specific piece about the environment. We went because my sister in law in the video installation had a short movie. Now, until we got there I didn't realize it was going to be one of those site specific pieces which drags the audience from site to site. Generally, I hate that kind of work. Rarely does it work, does moving the audience from place to place actually ADD to the story. I feel more like a child being ushered around a museum where I am talked down to by the guide.

And much to my surprise...I wasn't surprised. It was EXACTLY as I expected.

A piece about the environment where they dragged us around and told us how polluting is bad...

WOW. Shocked! Shocked I am. Polluting bad?! Really!? Holy CRAP, we should do something about that. Really. We should get on that, right now. With the polluting stuff...we should, like, you know...start recycling and using less...

It was bad theater. It talked down to the audience (it was a New York theater going audience, I have a feeling they know pollution is bad and recycling is a good idea), wasn't funny when it needed to be, and was awfully, awfully singular in it's dimension.

Why is it when we're doing outdoor theater we suddenly have to simplify? Why do we have to make it like a political rally organized by 8th graders? Why do we need the silly dance with garbage? Why do we need the conceit that an actor is "late" so the other actors have to "improvise?"

What about this? Let's talk about the real world challenges about moving from a nation that consumes a treMENDOUS amount of oil to one that uses less? If you're going to tell me to eat organic food because it's good for the environment, can we talk about how EXPENSIVE it is?

Let's stop preaching to our audience. Let's actually talk about how complicated things can be.

Oversimplifying and preaching to the choir isn't going to get us anywhere. We need theater to be dynamic, challenging in both substance and style. We need to defy the expectations of our audience, we need to excite their imaginations--not meet them.

Because if we don't...why do we need theater when we have so many other things that surprise us, engage us, and challenge us?

And, oh, and one final thing: can we ban the phrase "it's a complicated time" from our work? Like things weren't complicated previously... Yes, they were. It's a sort of temporal selfishness to assume NOW is more complicated than THEN... Get over it.

So.

The performance went well.

It would have been even better if the audience hadn't gotten slowly more and more impatient with the host all night.

She couldn't remember what was next, she interfered with the acts, and worst of all: she wasn't funny.

waiting...

as a part of the clown show i'm in, which be perfoming at a festival in booklyn, we're doing a cabaret...bits and pieces of the shows...

i'm waiting right now to go on...well the whole show is waiting...rain and fires down in the subway.

i'm suppose to come the audience...but I can't sit in the audience...I would be to nevous, but backsage or where the ticket booth is, I can at least move and stretch.

a wee nervous, let's see how it goes!

in a lunch line...

...at chipole...

how about that for a self indulgent blog post?

wurd.

now, I suppose, I should go back to work.

It's happening again...but isn't that a good thing in this economy?

It looks like I will be writing another Pakistani TV serial. I know you are all fans of my TV work in Pakistan and follow it closely...er, um, yeah.

I just met with someone yesterday and he wants me to do another one. 10 to 15 episodes and based on some English language novel. Something before copyright laws. Something that has romance, a good story, wholesome--did they write unwholesome stories in the 19th Century? Probably, but they don't teach those in English class.

I have to admit though, I'm a little nervous taking on such a project. I have a few other things that I'm working on AND a full time job. I have two spec scripts I'm working on, a show, and a play I'm hoping to return to.

That's the thing with the TV serial job...it's a LOT of work in a very short amount of time, basically 4 months to write a 700 page script by myself. And it's not just sitting down and going, it does require a wee bit of planning.

And it's hard to turn down the job...I would be paid to write. And that's a hell of a lot of fun. It's more fun when it's ALL that I'm doing, but I currently have a day job I like doing to, so I'm not willing to throw it over board yet.

The first thing to do: what story do we look at. And it's funny, the other day I was saying I wanted to read all of Charles Dickens...

...I shouldn't complain...and I AM going to take it...but holy crap I'm going to be busy...how am I going to find the time to watch TV?

Finally.

I have cracked the egg. well, proverbial egg.

I finaly figured out how to blog with my phone. This website isn't as compatable with my phone as I would like.

Now keep in mind...i'm doing this on my phone so typos WILL abound.

It's been a while, hasn't it? yep.

the show went we'll, but it certainly made me reaize how hard this business is. it is tremendously difficult. harder than one would think. and it's all so intangible...there's no clear path other than keep doing it. keep running into the wal over and over agin.

and while I'm not old, it gets harder to do this as I'm getting older.

But still, I'm not sure what else to do.

so what else? I got a new show coming up...a clown show! I'll be in it. two nights only!

more details to come!

now, i'm gonna go buy some pens.