Every Little Step

I just recently saw the documentary Every Little Step, which follows the audition process for the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. Years ago I used to be an actor on the stage, but watching this movie I realized I could never ever go back to that again! I felt such a sick feeling in my stomach for the poor actors, going through absolute hell in order to achieve their dreams. I am far more comfortable writing in the solace of my own home, rather than putting my heart and soul on the line in front of a director.

Once I received an email from a student who unfortunately did not get cast in one of my plays at their school. Usually the emails I receive are very nice and quite flattering, but this girl was just plain mad...at me. She was upset that I had not written at least one more role so that she could have been in the play. Instead, she had to join "stupid volleyball" as her extra-curricular. And it was all my fault. I suppose when I was writing this play, very likely at 4am in my pajamas, I should have had this girl in mind. A few extra keystrokes from me and she could have been spared the humiliation of volleyball. It sounds silly, but now whenever I conceive a new character, her email comes to mind. I wonder, if I add an extra person to this scene, who might I be saving from sports? For as much as the thought of acting gives me butterfies in my stomach, team sports makes me just as nervous.

So for anyone who has courage to audition for a play, I have such respect for you. It's certainly not easy, and anyone who says otherwise is probably playing volleyball.

The Waking Moment

I have a couple of plays that rarely get produced, even though they receive the same amount of exposure as my other plays with the same publishers. I don't think it's because they are lesser in quality. In fact, one of them I consider among my best work, and that would be The Waking Moment. It's one of very few dramas I have written, and I am extremely proud of the story and how it is told.

To date, it has only been produced twice. Both were before it was even published. Perhaps that's because it deals with sexual abuse. I'm sure that scares off a few teachers and discourages them from even reading the play. I hadn't looked at the play in a couple of years, so I thought I would revisit the script and see if it's too didactic...or preachy...and, thus, the reason it's not been produced in years. I was pleased to discover that it commits neither of those playwrighting sins. In fact (if I do say so myself), I believe it's rather subtle and even sweet at times.

I don't know where I am going with this post, other than to remind myself that while I am primarily a comedic writer, there is something to be said for great drama. Some of my favorite plays are dramas: Rabbit Hole, Stroke Static, Off the Map, Inside Al, Moon People, The Glass Menagerie, and many others. So if a school ever decides to produce The Waking Moment, I just might hop on a plane and check it out...wherever that may be.

Hair's the Thing

I just posted a new one-act comedy to my website, Hair's the Thing. It's listed under "Ten Minute Plays."

SYNOPSIS: A woman untangles her life, and her hair, thanks to a strange man she meets while dining all alone.

Smarty Pants

I am just the luckiest guy in the world these days. I recently received the excellent news that Theatrefolk has accepted Smarty Pants (formerly known as Kindergarten High) for publication! Theatrefolk has been very good to me over the years, and I am honored to have another play alongside the wonderful material they already have to offer. I will keep you posted in the coming months, when scripts become available and all that jazz. In the meantime, you can check them out by clicking here.