Nytheatre i / Derivations

Thanks to Martin Denton for linking to this blog on the nytheatre i. Not sure if this needs to be restated, but Martin is one of the founders of the Off-Off Broadway feast in the modern era, and one of the few places where an organized discussion goes on about New York theatre as a whole.

Had an e-mail chat with my pal Kyle and was reminded of an important fact of playwrighting: do stuff. Seems simple, no?

Fact is, as I'm adding to the initial motivations of some of the ancillary characters, it occurred to me that they shouldn't be ancillary. Characters for "color" or to serve simply as foils are often just failures of craft.

Also, the more specific the motivation, the more involving the play becomes. I had a few characters straddled with motivations like "She is envious" (which isn't a motivation at all) and "He wants to save her soul" which is deadly dull and broad. It's more interesting to watch someone try to get a cookie he or she can't have than watch someone save a soul.

I'm not saying that things that are immaterial aren't important in plays, I'm of the mind that those things find their way onto the stage without so much expression. It's best to incorporate broader themes into specific actions than it is the ascribe broad themes AS actions.

A playwrighting teacher might say: "But Matthew, Action is different from Motivation." That's why I never took a playwrighting class. Who likes to chatter about definitions? Leave that to the theorists.

I used to date a girl who was an academic through and through and she told me that I was hostile towards academia. She might be right. Probably just envious of people that can decipher Descartes. Nonetheless, theory is valuable to those who are analyzing artwork; making it is a different matter. The minute theory gets in the way of your craft, throw it out. It wasn't made FOR artists, it was made for those who like to read about art. I can be useful like any tool, but it's just one more wrench in the toolbox. (And here, I cease this ugly metaphor...)

Most theory is assigned after the fact anyhow. The term "Theatre of the Absurd" was coined by Martin Esslin, in his book of the same name, to categorize some artists who were working independently of one another. Ionesco and Beckett and Albee, for example, were all called "Absurdists." But let's face it: Ioneseco is a screaming banshee of lunacy, a priest of nonsense. Beckett is the only writer that I can think of that was able to make a mess of language sound like silence. And Albee is their American grandchild. His best play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" isn't absurd at all. It's startlingly hyper-real.

Almost all my plays are incredibly derivative: I make no bones about it. The Death of King Arthur is Shakespeare-lite, written by a 24 year old, just following the rules and applying them to an old story. After that came plays that are derivative of Albee, and like him, wish they were Beckett. But hey, at least I'm shooting as high as I can. Hopefully, in the midst of it, is my voice. And I'm sure that's what Beckett said about Dante and James Joyce.

Or at least, I hope so.

Writing a Play 2

So I haven't gotten all that much accomplished on "Divorce in Love," what with Labor Day weekend and the news being what it is. Our worst and least effective President in the History of the entire country will be graced with two Supreme Court appointees. To put it another way: we just gave him a big gun with two big bullets.

As the play is going, I'm wondering now how I'll be able to keep myself from mentioning at least some sort of disaster, Hurriance or otherwise. Right now the play has a sort of rambling, sort of light language, into which I drop in references to the current conservative discourse. So it might wind up in there.

I was speaking to Kyle about a week ago regarding the sort of "side" characters and how they needed something more specific to "do." I'm still working that out. But I did, I feel, fold in an effective moment for Grace, Mother's nearly deformed, stuttering sister. She now tells the story of being bumped into at the grocery store, and upon being bumped she thinks: "Finally a husband!"

It made me laugh. She's so utterly depressing.

I'm thinking of lifting the entire Gentlemen Caller scene from The Glass Menagerie and just screwing it all up and putting it into the second act, with Grace playing Laura. I just want to tear her little heart out.

That's one thing (at least one) that seperates my cruelty from Neil LaBute...I'm not trying to chastize anyone. I just think it's funny when things get awful.

Does anyone know what I mean?

Onwards.

Katrina, the new least popular baby name

Behind Adolph.

Hope everyone had a fine Labor Day weekend. I enjoyed a little time in mid-to-southern New Jersey with Pammy. Was on my best behavior all weekend. Now I'm back at the day job. As usual, I'm not busy. Will I be fired again?

New Focus - Writing A Play

I've decided to use this "blogspace" to jot down notes and thoughts about my process of writing my latest play. It will probably help to organize my thoughts, but I also think it might make for an interesting read for anyone who cares to pay much attention.

As I've taken up this blog, it's been focused essentially as a sort of "online diary" with links to articles and what-not, and random thoughts about whatever crosses my desk. I think maybe a little focus will help bleed some usefulness out of this bizarre medium for me.

So for the next month (or however long it takes) I'll be writing about writing. Hopefully, some of you will check it out and leave me comments.

For starters, my latest play currently says "Divorce in Love" at the top of the page. It's a working title, and may well wind up as the true title. I started writing it just as an exercise, just to try something "fun" with characters that speak in a way I find entertaining. Then, as characters are wont to do, they started looking for something to do. And I've been trying to provide them with one.

As it currently stands, the characters include "Mother" and "Father," a middle-aged couple; their 11-year old daughter Lill, their grown up daugher Jessica, Mother's sister Grace; and Father Comeuppance, the local minister. The major action of the play is this: Mother and Father are getting divorced, and despite what appears to be their absolute devotion to each other. In commemoration for this, Mother has planned an elaborate "Unwedding" to officially, and in the eyes of God, show wifely obedience to this parting.

I've gotten a little feedback from my friend Matt, David and my girlfriend Pam. I've also gotten some solid playwrighting advice from my friend Kyle, who directed one of my scripts "The Great Escape" and was featured as an actor alongside me in my play "The Americans." He's becoming a very solid partner in my process.

That's the setup. Off we go.

"The Expanding Economy"

In the linked article from the New York Times, it's noted that energy bills are doubling and tripling this year, such that Americans are going to have to cut back on some of their basics, like heat, in the upcoming winter.

Then the article refers to an "expanding economy" and some experts seem to place the blame on "inefficient consumers."

It's like there's only one version of "economic crisis" or "economic depression" and someone's got this secret math equation for it. If the number of the equation doesn't say 5% or something like that, the entire media is clammed up.

In the meantime, the rest of Americans are dealing with a 40% uninsured rate, gas prices at over three dollars a gallon, wages that are not competing with inflation...you know what? Why bother. You know this. The only people missing it are the press and the President.

Salon's Essential Coverage of Iraq

Link the above title (you may need to obtain a Salon Day Pass if you're not a subscriber) and take a look at a gallery of images, and a corresponding story, that will make your hair stand on end.

In all the politics and wasted air that surrounds this war, what about the true pain of war? These photos don't tell the whole story, but they add a huge missing piece.

Republicans on War (In Bosnia)

Ok, first of all...this is a link to Rosie O'Donnell's blog. It's awful, hilarious, and worth reading because of it. Pam turned me onto it, and she is a lovely girl. Pam describes Rosie as trying to be e.e. cummings and ntozake shonge.

But this post is...well...pretty darn worth a look. Because it says just how much politics plays into positioning. And what hypocrites these guys truly are.

Pat Robertson - Christian Assassin

I'm not saint, but then, I don't pretend to be. This guy is supposed to live by the Ten Commandments.

Oh Pat Robertson, I sing your praises on Bended Knee.

What do you have to do in order for someone to take away your Christ Card?

A Book Review for Book Fans

This review is good just a piece of writing. Love it. Holden Kakutani. I like the sound of that.

Oh Glorious News

Check out the latest poll from the American Research Group concerning Bush falling long and hard to the earth, like Icarus.

So many glorious factors. Like Cindy Sheehan (do I really need to mention her to anyone?); the blasted price of gasoline; and the continuing story of Iraq, a cat who has gone to the dogs.

What a mess he's made. And he is showing no signs of being remotely interested in changing course. In fact, he thinks we're all just whiners for not smiling at him about it. That's why his polls are coming in at 20% lower than Clinton's second year polls, and that's AFTER he got himself blown by whatshername.

I guess what we've been screaming all along is true: lying about war is far worse than lying about sex.

Fringe Reviews

As the Fringe moves forward, I'm reviewing three shows for nytheatre.com's comprehensive coverage. My first is up "Lynndie England followed by No Space." "Shutter" and "Pipe Dreams" should be up today and tomorrow.

Two of these shows were at PS122 upstairs and one was the new Collective Unconscious Caberet Space. One positive: air conditioning.

Some rather unhappy news, otherwise: My cat is missing and has been for nearly a week. He got out of the house Tuesday night and I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since. I love this cat. Joe is his name.

He's sitting there next to a stuffed animal. If you see him, tell him I miss him.

The glorious Frank Rich, Roger Ebert Whips it Out, Someone Out There Liked Me

A few notable little links today. Just for me.

I'm going to keep sending people to Frank Rich until everyone becomes a funny, informed, genius.

Go, you beautiful bastard. Go!

Roger Ebert brought the pain to Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo. Sometimes the old man seems like he's out of juice, and then he whips out the big guns. This is one of those reviews you wish that someday you will have the authority to write.

Finally, I found this on technorati.com...just sort of trying to find out if anyone doesn't like me, I found some young lady that posted something I wrote to friends on the evening of the Bush re-election. Sort of touching to see it on some's Blog, so I'll link to it as a sort of "Thank you."

The New York International Fringe Festival - The Mainstream Fights Back

While this year's NY "International" Fringe Festival is smaller on paper (180 shows? Pish-posh!) it is featuring an infusion of accomplished, established performers who can barely be categorized as "fringe." Take "Bridezilla Strikes Back!" a show featuring a young woman who appeared on Reality-TV; or "Silence! The Musical" which features a cast of veterans ad naseum. Take a look at the NY Times article which cherry picks a few of the bigger numbers.

As usual, the Times is forced to speak out of both sides of its rather large mouth. (I mean this all with the greatest respect, oh ye powerful Times.) It notes that the fringe is featuring a more mainstream line-up, but then highlights only exactly these performers and shows.

This is not to say that these performers don't deserve to have their day on the stage. This may well speak simply to the fact that it's so difficult to find a home for new work, that even the clunky, overworked and under-air-conditioned fringe has started to appeal to just about anyone with a goofy idea they can't sell a producer on.

The problem, of course, is that the festival is still too big to be covered, not selective enough to be taken seriously, and too addicted to the politics of shock-value. "Fringe" has become in our era what "Alternative" became to the music scene: a genre that is sold, regardless of budget or artistic merit. It was about five years after Nirvana that it became clear that all you had to do was wear the flannel and not shave and you were "grunge," no matter how much your father paid for your SUV. The Fringe Festival has a similar take: If you are a satire with an exclamation point, feature a celebrity in your title, or can add "The Musical" to the end of something that seemingly resists songs, you are Fringe materal. If your choreographer recently worked on Broadway, it's not big deal. He's just slumming it.

Fringe musical titles of the future will clearly be: "Cancer! The Musical," "Iraq! The Musical" and "Sling Blade! The Musical." Our straight plays will feature such titles as "Scientology is a Sex Cult," "Morgan Freeman is My Baby Daddy" and "Spadling Grey Lives!"

None of this honestly will make stars or feature the next Beckett, the new sensiblity of young writers (at least not those whelped on something besides South Park), or will draw us to new conclusions about the world. They will, instead, sell to their market and happily call it "art." Increasing numbers of agents will direct their quarries to this easy publicity mark, looking for the ever present "street cred" for performers who would much rather be doing commercials.

I'm certain that in this festival, like all of them, there are going to be 50 or 30 or, heck, 10, unheralded and beautiful productions. The Widow of Abraham is a brilliant play, and is by a Humana Festival participant, for example. Let's just hope the Fringe sees the merit of dumping the little money they have into fewer shows of higher quality, and stop wasting time and space on the mess of publicity stunts.

A new job

Strangely enough, I find myself employed in a business that buys life insurance policies. The short version of this is, the company pays someone cash to become the owner of their life insurance. When that person dies, the company reaps the rewards of the policy.

Yes, the company I work for makes money when people drop dead. Plus, they try to figure out just how sooooon they're going to drop dead...the sooner the better for a better "investment."

Odd.

But rife with comic possibilities.

Tally ho.

Karl Rove AND New Methods of World Domination

Well, it appears despite all protests by the increasingly desperate and pathetic (as if they were ever impressive) Bush administration, Karl Rove looks like he's going up the river. Or at least, going to be mildly scrutinized behind closed doors. There's a nice article in the New York Times, which recounts all of Scott McClellan's denials past, and just how much of a patsy his is.

Of course, his job is "White House Spokesman" which means "The Mouth of Sauron." So what can you expect? His job is to lie, over and over, until you say "Hey, we'll never get him to stop lying. Write down whatever he says." When he doesn't lie, he just fails to say anything at ALL of substance.

Noted in the Times is now the legal parsing of just how "illegal" it was for Rove to name a covert CIA operative to reporters. When that's where your headed in your arguements, even if some court says "Ok not technically illegal" that means it was unethical, evil, false, treasonous and above all, wrong. Just not, according to every dotted eye and verb in the incredibly dense law, deserving of jail time.

I don't care if Rove goes to jail. I want him to resign. And I want everyone to start naming names. Because who exactly told Rove what he knew? And if it was classified, and he released it, to get back at someone for attacking Bush, then Rove deserves the political chair. As he always has.

On another note...I just discovered a new method of World Domination. It's getting increasingly hard NOT to feel like you can do ANYTHING the CIA can do with the internet. We should all just start keeping Dossiers on each other for fun.

earth.google.com

Oh my Lord, that's my house. And your house! And look at you in the window! Why are you wearing a bow-tie?

Orgasms! No thanks.

My review of Orgasms: The Play is up on NYtheatre.com. I'd like to say that it is awful, awful, awful also. And spit on the ground.

Hey there Ben Jones...sorry I've been a bad friend. Will remedy. I can be that way. But I am sort of bungling lots of things lately.

For those that don't know...go here.

-Matt

John Conyers

Take a look and get a little energized. This House Member is not only fighting the good fight, it may well have led to something great. Let's see how he works the media tomorrow.

Huge day. Tune in. And since tomorrow will be a day that the media has its eyes and ears tuned in, make a lot of noise.

Were you aware of this?

Seems like somebody doesn't like PBS. Funny, aren't they at least TRYING to be an independent media?

Must cut their funding. We need more bombs.

Downing Street Rally - Tommorrow

Make sure you clock in on this website, which is a fantastic hub for the goings on behind the Downing Street Memo. Representative Coyners is a real hero for taking this as seriously as he is, and I'm glad to see that on Thursday, there will be some public demands for giving this the attention it deserves.

the Great Moral Values Debate

A fine time was had by all last night at the "Great Moral Values Debate" at the Brick Theater in good old Billyburg. Martin Denton referred to the participants (myself included) as "ten luminaries of the off-off broadway theatre scene." It's a kind turn of phrase, and we lived up to it: we glimmered with sweat in the only marginally air-conditioned space.

That aside, though, it was fun and we did our best to keep it lively. We struggled, a bit, to make it a true "debate" as most of us were in agreement: theatre is hard, we all have trouble finding an audience, and we all struggle with how best to affect that audience.

I tend to err on the side of the art as its own valueable goal, and the message as a side-effect. I often try very hard NOT to write a message into my plays. I'm no expert on how to live or what to believe.

There was one person in the audience that made what I felt was a rather telling statement: that if theater is "good" it will find an audience. It implied, of course, that if a play doesn't find an audience it is the fault of the play alone. That the work of the company and the performers and the writer haven't "earned" the praise they crave.

I would pose that this is wrong-headed: in a world with so much competition for eyeballs and so much marketing money behind some shows as opposed to others, there are many factors in how to find an audience. And being "good" is not as high on the list as any of us would like.

Of course, the quality of anything is subjective. But it also has to do with what your audience understands to be good. Some people are affected by Hallmark cards and scratch their heads reading T.S. Eliot. Does that mean, could it possibly mean, that the poetry on Hallmark cards is superior to that of T.S. Eliot? Of course not.

The truth is, audiences are just as much a part of what makes something "good" or "bad" as the artists themselves. And where the audiences are going to find "entertainment" (if it is not Off-Off Broadway) DOES have a great deal to do with money, advertising and their own understanding of what they want to see, based on a variety of market factors. Very little of the buying dollar of the average theater-goer has to do with seeking out challenging, brilliant, irreverent plays.

I would like to send a quick hello to John Devore, who I met at the debate, and who is a loud, brash, smart fellow. One I share some mutal friends with, a New York inevitablity. One who noted that he'd read this blog and I should probably keep at it. Here you go John.