Theatre Bloggers

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Marisela Orta - Wed, 04/17/2013 - 2:30pm

AlterLab Retreat Recap
So much to process...
In a good way.
I spent the majority of my Saturday and Sunday up in San Rafael at the home of Ann Brebner. Ann is one of the AlterLab playwrights who, like me, participated in the residency last year. Ann's play The Dead Girl, which she wrote during last year's residency, is currently in rehearsals and will open later this month at AlterTheater.
Ann lives in this lovely home with a fire she can turn on by remote control and a wonderful backyard garden filled with all sorts of flora.
Saturday

My local coffee house.
Saturday began with me heading to The Blue Danube to pick up tea bags (for tea I made once I got to Ann's house) and coffee. The coffee was for Denmo, one of the other playwrights in the AlterLab residency who was kind enough to pick me up both days and drive me to San Rafael. 
When Denmo and I arrived at Ann's house we found it filled with people, including the final AlterLab playwright Larissa Fasthorse. The other people were actors that AlterTheater had brought in to read my current draft of Wolf at the Door and two local dramaturgs.
After the read through I took copious notes during a feedback session that I led. I have lots of ideas that I'm excited to incorporate and explore for the next draft--success!

My copious notes.
After the actors departed it was just the AlterLab playwrights and Jeanette who runs AlterLab, though Jeanette would say that we are in charge. ;)
The afternoon was filled with a writing exercise and discussion about the projects we're currently working on.
SundaySunday began with a bit of a late start. Not the retreat, but me and my ride. We did arrive in time to catch the very end of the few pages Larissa had brought in. We quickly caught up (read through the pages) and joined the conversation that the pages had inspired.
I then had the group read my prologue for Alcira so I could get some early feedback as I get ready to start and finish my first draft of the play.
During lunch Larissa and I found a patch of sunshine in the outside garden patio and talked about allergies and napping, among other things. And the weather was perfect over the weekend, blue sky without a hint of cloud.
The afternoon became more targeted as we did a series of writing exercises to help one another explore our respective projects. I asked for my fellow playwrights to contribute four questions for an interview I plan to do with my character Rocio (character interviews as one of my go-to writing exercises). 
We finished the day by stating our goals. That is, the goals we'd like to complete before our next retreat in July. For our next retreat I have to bring in a new draft of Wolf at the Door and a no-matter-how-rough draft of Alcira.
I left with some my thoughts churning. I had all sorts of great notes, feedback and ideas for my next round of rewrites. And I had all sorts of confidence issues that suddenly came swimming to surface which I plan to unpack in another blog post.
More soon,M

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Fewer places to play

Matt Freeman - Wed, 04/17/2013 - 8:51am

Daniel Gallant's piece in the NY Post is good reading and sobering, too.

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Compulsive Love Season Finale!!

Adam Szymkowicz - Wed, 04/17/2013 - 6:12am

Episode 8 is of Compulsive Love is here!  Watch it and previous episodes on Koldcast or Blip or Daily Motion or Boomtrain or Youtube or JTS.

Embedded 8:


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David Mamet is following in my footsteps

Matt Freeman - Wed, 04/17/2013 - 5:29am

I mean, that's how I read this story about self-publishing. 

Speaking of which!

Get Confess Your Bubble, Short Plays for Grown-Ups and/or The Americans as an ebook today!

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We Have Moved Beyond Parody

Parabasis - Wed, 04/17/2013 - 4:32am

By Isaac Butler First it was discovered and announced yesterday that austerity economics is based on an excel spredsheeting error and now Brooks Brothers is introducing a Great Gatsby collection. I pity satirists. Parabasis

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Check out the artwork for our show at the Fringe!

Frank's Wild Lunch - Mon, 04/15/2013 - 11:37pm

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You are cordialy Invited

Adam Szymkowicz - Mon, 04/15/2013 - 10:43am

to a reading with Primary Stages
April 23 3pm
at 59 E 59 (59 East 59th Street, NYC)
of
Rare Birds by Adam Szymkowicz Directed by Jackson Gay
The worst mistake you can make in high school is admitting you love something.  A new play about adolescent violence and your mother's new boyfriend.
RSVP readings@primarystages.org or Lana at 212 840 9705
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I Interview Playwrights Part 573: James Presson

Adam Szymkowicz - Mon, 04/15/2013 - 5:46am

James Presson

Hometown: Wilton, CT

Current Town: NYC

Q:  Tell me about your upcoming show:

A:  Words, Razors, and the Wounded Heart is a Jacobean Revenge Comedy set in present-day, suburban Connecticut. It’s the story of the impossible romance between a brother and sister running simultaneously with the return of an iconic ‘prodigal son.’ When their friends get involved… well, you know. It’s dirty and sexy and loud and silly and mischievous and horrifically tragic.

Q:  Tell me about Less Than Rent.

A:  Less Than Rent is a theatre company that I started with some of my friends in 2010 while we were doing a punk rock Richard III at FringeNYC. WRWH is our 7th production. Time flies when you’re working yourself into the ground! We aim to contribute to the larger discourse through art that is fresh, adventurous, and thoroughly caffeinated. New work by new artists for new audiences all day every day good to the last drop.

Q:  What else are you working on?

A:  This summer I’m directing Ben Diserens’ Beckett in Benghazi at Under St. Marks with Less Than Rent/Horse Trade. We’re being supported by LMCC, and we’re pretty excited about spending the government’s money. I’m lobbying our production manager for a fly system and live animals. I’ll let you know how it goes. And, of course, I’ve got a couple of my own plays in the works. Similarly to Words, Razors, and the Wounded Heart, they’re comedies about futility, despair, and broken dreams.

Q:  Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person.

A:  My first theatrical experience was playing Fievel in An American Tail when I was four. Legend has it that during the performance, I mouthed everyone else’s lines while they were saying them. Afterwards, I cried for hours. Legend also has it that I was terrific in the role and “was the only one up there who knew a damn thing about acting.” (My grandfather is the official recounter of said ‘legends’)

Q:  If you could change one thing about theater, what would it be?

A:  I want more walkouts (and, by extension, plays that inspire them). I loved The Flick at Playwrights Horizons, but I also loved how much some people hated it. It was exciting. I felt nervous, but it was in the best possible way. A few months ago, I saw Django Unchained in the theater; the whole time everyone was looking around anxious that someone was just going to freak out. That danger… It’s the best.

Q:  Who are or were your theatrical heroes?

A:  I like troublemakers who tripped into the mainstream: John Osborne, Mike Daisey, Clifford Odets. I also like this up-and-coming theatre company, Less Than Rent.

Q:  What kind of theater excites you?

A:  I like the stuff that wears its heart on its sleeve without losing its edge. I’m really into Elevator Repair Service; whoever wrote Gatz is great with language.

Q:  What advice do you have for playwrights just starting out?

A:  Well, since I’ve been at this for over 20 years, I think I’m pretty well qualified to give advice, but just in case you don’t… CS Lewis says “practice,” Saul Bellow says “start anywhere,’ and Billy Collins says “keep your room clean.”

Q:  Plugs, please:

A:  I’ve got WORDS, RAZORS, AND THE WOUNDED HEART opening at Under St. Marks any second! April 11-27, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 PM. Tickets are cheap, and the show is adventurous. And for the latest Less Than Rent gossip, go to www.lessthanrent.org. We have great pictures. Plus, check us out on Facebook (/lessthanrent) and Twitter (@lessthanrent). I’m sure everyone says to do that, but I promise we’re really fun.
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Busy Fell Swoop Day today

Frank's Wild Lunch - Sun, 04/14/2013 - 11:32pm

We're working on our fundraiser (RSVP here) and had a helluva great audition for The Miss Julie Dream Project. The turnout was really exciting and we even got in and out of the space on time!

And then I had a great meeting with director Katie Chidester to talk about all the impressive actors we have to choose from, and then I went home and had to power through and work on rewrites, which are coming along well, I think. And my taxes.

I have this ambition to blog about my producing experience, but between the full time job and all the stuff I have to do as both the primary writer (with eight co-writers having contributed to the script) and the lead producer on the project, my to-do list freaks me out on a regular basis. But I am getting things done. Hopefully I won't neglect FWL too much in the meantime.

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