Thursday, July 28, 2005

 

Great Works of Captioning

Inspired by Jason and George's respective series, here's mine.



"Oh for crying out...you see these hands?! They are washed
of your sins, people! Clean up your own freakin' mess!
Me-on-a-cross, I have had it with you animals..."

posted by Dan 11:47 AM
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Once Staged, Twice Shy

While cruising the scenic coastal information highway, I came across this essay by Bill Taylor, Artistic Director of Theatre Conspiracy, a company devoted to new American playwrights. Bravos just for that, but he also offers insight into the job challenges of producer. A nice change, since around here it's mostly directors, actors and writers bitching.

I contacted one of the playwrights about producing his show. His play, a very good one in fact, is being given a developmental staged reading by a theatre and if the show does well in the reading the theatre might want to produce it. As per the contract, that theatre has the rights to the world premiere production IF it decides it wants to produce it. The playwrights agent contacted me and explained that if I wanted to do a reading or staged reading or public presentation that is not a production or premiere of any kind it would be OK. I can just see the advertising: ON STAGE NOW!! THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION STAGED READING THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT A PRODUCTION OF...

A new script is largely unmarketable after its premiere, if it goes unpublished and its premiere is at anything less than a major venue (in which case, it probably received publication). This is because grants tend to go for World Premieres, and grants are the precious fluid of new-works venues. So, if a Large Theatre has a script under consideration, that script is stuck there. It doesn't matter that a production at a small venue in Peoria has little-to-no effect on the marketability of the play at the Large Theatre. It must have the World Premiere. Once that script is produced, it's poison, in a sense. And God forbid Peoria already produced the play, before it landed on the desk of the literary department of the Large Theatre. They won't touch it.

Taylor's solution? American Theatre Connection, a blog-like catalogue and newsletter for small companies that produce new plays, that also commit to second, third and even fourth productions of these scripts. Here's hoping that happens.

posted by Dan 11:38 AM
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Monday, July 25, 2005

 

Trujillo Dictionary of Dramatists Terminology

You know what the playwrights need? More jargon. I've been doing small taks for my father-in-law as he builds a third floor on to his house. While listening to him chat with contractors, I realized that every profession needs liberal swaths of jargon, because it sounds impressive, and because it keeps the hoi-polloi from thinking they can manage the job themselves. Let's face it, there's too many writers out there, and jargon would be a great way to seperate the pros from the ams.

Thus, I am beginning an on-line terminology dictionary for Very Much Professional Playwrights. I am Big Chief Editor-in-the-Chief. You other very much professional playwrights are encouraged to add entries on your own sites which I will link to, or drop them in the comments. Remember: only very much professional playwrights are allowed to contribute.

Today's term, which stems from my own experience this weekend:

COBBLOAF
('käb-lOf)

1. (transitive verb) to reverse the order of two scenes or script elements, to the vast improvement of a draft;
2. to discover the benefits of a scene oe element order reversal, esp. after hours of pacing and hairpulling

(derived from when my wife and I ordered a Cobb salad and a meatloaf platter, respectively, and the waiter gave me her Cobb salad, and her my meatloaf platter, and we didn't realize this until halfway through the disappointing meal.)

ex:

MAC: Since we've already opened, the director won't let me cobbloaf scenes three and four.

GEORGE: Lorca!*


*LORCA
('lor-k&)

1. (noun) An unpleasent experience;
2. (exclamation) A recognition of an unpleasent experience

(derived from playwright Fredrico Garcia Lorca, who was shot in the head by Fascists and dropped into an unmarked grave, an experience I think we can all agree is totally habsjjy**)


**habsjjy is not a word, it is a failure of imagination

posted by Dan 1:00 PM
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More Members

Please welcome Adam Szymkowicz and Joshua James to the 40 ft. mudpit that is the Playwright Monster Blog Pull. Eventually I'll post something that proves me a worthy member of the club.

posted by Dan 12:48 PM
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