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Matthew Freeman is a Brooklyn based playwright with a BFA from Emerson College. His plays include THE DEATH OF KING ARTHUR, REASONS FOR MOVING, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANS, THE WHITE SWALLOW, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, THE MOST WONDERFUL LOVE, WHEN IS A CLOCK, GLEE CLUB, THAT OLD SOFT SHOE and BRANDYWINE DISTILLERY FIRE. He served as Assistant Producer and Senior Writer for the live webcast from Times Square on New Year's Eve 2010-2012. As a freelance writer, he has contributed to Gamespy, Premiere, Complex Magazine, Maxim Online, and MTV Magazine. His plays have been published by Playscripts, Inc., New York Theatre Experience, and Samuel French.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The end of the Bush Era

Now, I know it's obvious that as progressives, we're going to treat Obama like evangelicals treat protestants. But no matter. Things are still looking up.

It's a time for reflection. The last eight years were humiliating, brutal, painful. Bush did terrible things, and our society was complicit in those things. Obama becomes president of a country at war and in the mist of an economic paradigm shift (to put it diplomatically).

But you know what? From 2000 - 2008, I cannot tell you nothing good happened to me personally. In fact, quite the opposite. My entire writing career to date spans the Bush years. I met my girlfriend over the Kerry-Bush debates.

Today, I feel like hearing about good things. So let me ask you this: What is one really fantastic thing that happened to you while Bush was in office? I'm just curious. Did you get married? Did you get a play published? Did you get a great review? Did you move into the world's best apartment? Did you get a new cat? Did you lose your virginity?

What happened besides the end of the world, in your world?

6 comments:

Jigsaw said...

I got the hell away from the West Coast.

I owned a couple businesses, a wonderful learning experience.

I found an artistic venue combining most of my interests and abilities.

I drove cross country with a good friend. I drove back alone in a snowstorm.

I played some pretty good video games. Didn't really start buying consoles until the Bush era.

Met some amazing women. Still talk to most of them. Another first.

Overall, I'm a much better person than I was nine years ago. I'd like to think I would have grown and improved with any administration, but then again, ideological frustration can certainly be a motivational factor. Selah.

Tara Dairman said...

Did you get married? Got engaged...though we met during the Clinton admin and will get married under Obama!

Did you get a play published? Yes.

Did you get a great review? Yes.

Did you move into the world's best apartment? Yes.

Did you get a new cat? Yes.

Did you lose your virginity? Yes.

It's like you wrote the list with me in mind! =)

Zack Calhoon said...

I got engaged.

I started writing plays (Three were produced and a fourth was shot as a short film).

I got my SAG, AEA, AFTRA cards and joined the Dramatist Guild.

I was the General Manager of a theatre company for three years.

I got to play a lot great roles in some really wonderful plays.

Thanks, Freeman. This makes me feel a lot better.

Jamespeak said...

Yeah, some pretty good things happened in my world.

Nosedive got started (although our preliminary meetings took place in late '99, our first play went up a few weeks after Bush was inaugurated).

I didn't get married or engaged, but I've written and staged several shows and received some nice reviews.

I got published a few times.

I performed with my college sketch comedy group twice (once in Seattle, once in New York).

There are a few other things of note that happened here and there as well.

Anonymous said...

Matthew Freeman, I do say, you are a good man, Charlie Brown. And I got to know you during that god awful administration as well, thanks to the fact that you and my little sister could talk about the Kerry-Bush debates. So, God Bless George Bush for being so infuriating that he gave you and my sister enough to talk about to get to know each other so that I could get to know you, too.

RVCBard said...

I moved to New York and met you and some other cool people. Though I think I may have blown it from time to time. So, that's kind of a good thing, right?