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*