My Debut as a Playwright

So I've recently started teaching a beginning acting class for the Houghton Movement & Arts Center (http://www.houghtonarts.com/instructors.html). It has been a really interesting experience so far. The students range from roughly 11-14 years old. For the first couple of classes, we discussed theatre and general as well as some of the goals for the class. I've also had them running scenes from shows I've directed. We spent a lot of time on George Batson's House on the Cliff, a show that's near & dear to my heart. We've also used portions from my most recent show Cinderella. It's been a lot of fun so far.
When the class wraps in May there will be a Spring Showcase including dances from some of the classes and a short play starring my class. Find a script for that proved difficult/impossible. I wanted something fresh and age appropriate for the students in my class, but it seemed like everything I found was either really dated or really cornball. I finally decided to sit down and see if I could come up with an original piece. I've wanted to write for a long time, but have never really put any serious thought or effort into it. (Fun fact, my main reason for starting this Blog 5 years ago was to get me in the habit of writing.) Anyway, I was talking about it with one of my student workers (who happens to be a talented actress that I've also directed) and I just typed a quirky little sentence using her name as the main character. It was just a joke. It wasn't a serious attempt to write, but something about that sentence clicked for me. So I wrote a line of dialogue, then another and another and another. An hour and half later I had a funny little 4-character comedy that will work perfectly for my class.
While this may seem like a very minor accomplishment, it actually means something to me. It means that even on a very small scale, I've written something that I'm proud of... something that will be performed on a stage. Obviously this isn't going to win me a Pulitzer, but for better or worse, it's a start. It's exciting.

Gearing up for my next show

     I'm getting ready to start production on my next play, Crimes of the Heart.  This is an interesting one because this would have been a paid gig with the college.  Now that the decision has been made not to continue with college sponsored plays, this has become pro-bono work with the Valley Theatre. While it's disappointing to have lost the job with the college, I do enjoy the freedom that comes with VT.  I'm still working out the kinks with the cast and schedule, but am really looking forward to getting started.
     Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart is a Pulitzer prize winning black comedy.  It's the kind of show I can really sink my teeth in to as a director.  It has a lot of comedic elements, but also some very serious drama.  Pulling off a show like this takes special care.  With the wide range of emotions this show has it can easily become manic and uneven.  Finding the right balance is difficult but when done right offers a real experience for the audience.  The characters in Crimes of the Heart are all very flawed.  It deals with romance, abuse, family issues and personality conflicts.  Heavy stuff.  While I have nothing against doing lighter fare (Father of the Bride & Cinderella to name a few recent shows in this category), I find shows like this much more satisfying. 
More to come.

Book Review: 11/22/63

*****
11/22/63
By Stephen King
    

I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and that earns it 5 stars in my book.  There were times when I couldn't put it down and it's a real testament to the quality of writing when I say I never felt the weight of it's 800+ pages.  At it's core this was a strong character driven story.  Yes there was time travel, yes he was working to save JFK, but mostly it was the story of Jake/George.  In the afterword, King gives a special thanks to my favorite author Jack Finney.  It's very clear from the get-go that this book was fashioned in the Finney style. For me, that just made it that much better.  I loved this.

For more on Stephen King tune into this special episode of my podcast.