The MAT is always a crazy place, what with classes and rehearsals and shows going on seemingly round the clock. But next week will be even crazier than usual because the MAT will be rehearsing not one but six casts for the upcoming Six Women Playwriting Festival.
For this reason, Jim has asked that we move our meeting to the third Monday of the month, April 16. This works out better anyway because it means we'll get to use the stage.
So I hope everyone can make it on the 16th. And believe me, we'll need you! We've got a record five pieces scheduled to be read.
Our May meeting will return to the second Monday of the month, May 14.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
And the results are in
For our April meeting, Jim has informed me that we'll need to use the back room as the stage will be needed for the Six Women Playwriting Festival rehearsals. We met in the back room for our November meeting, when we were bumped by the FourPlay rehearsals.
Now the back room is a perfectly serviceable area, and I don't mind using it when we need to. But I think a large part of the appeal of the MAT is having a stage to perform on. It just feels more--I don't know--theatrical.
It's possible that we could get the stage if we're flexible about our meeting day. But don't worry. I would never move it from Monday. That just seems to work so well for everyone.
But what if we moved it to the third Monday? Or even the first or fourth Monday?
The only problem there is that I've posted our meetings on several web sites, such as PeakRadar and I've always stated that our meetings are the second Monday of the month. So there's always a risk that we might miss out on new members.
On the other hand, I'm not aware of a single member who first learned of our group from one of those sites. It's all been from this blog or word-of-mouth.
So I sent a quick survey question to our members asking what they'd like to do.
And now, the votes are in. Four people preferred the stage. Two people preferred staying with the second Monday.
But, as usual, numbers don't tell the whole story. The people who preferred the stage tended to be passionate about it. The people who preferred the second Monday were willing to go with the crowd. (I'm mildly pro-stage but did not include my vote in the total.)
So I think we'll try experimenting with moving the meeting, at least for a month or two.
Of course, I'll have to talk to Jim first as it's his and Birgitta's theater and they've been more than generous in letting us use the space for free. So until I hear back from him, we're still on for April 9.
But I'll let you know through this blog, Facebook and email as soon as I get the okay to change it (if I get the okay to change it).
Now the back room is a perfectly serviceable area, and I don't mind using it when we need to. But I think a large part of the appeal of the MAT is having a stage to perform on. It just feels more--I don't know--theatrical.
It's possible that we could get the stage if we're flexible about our meeting day. But don't worry. I would never move it from Monday. That just seems to work so well for everyone.
But what if we moved it to the third Monday? Or even the first or fourth Monday?
The only problem there is that I've posted our meetings on several web sites, such as PeakRadar and I've always stated that our meetings are the second Monday of the month. So there's always a risk that we might miss out on new members.
On the other hand, I'm not aware of a single member who first learned of our group from one of those sites. It's all been from this blog or word-of-mouth.
So I sent a quick survey question to our members asking what they'd like to do.
And now, the votes are in. Four people preferred the stage. Two people preferred staying with the second Monday.
But, as usual, numbers don't tell the whole story. The people who preferred the stage tended to be passionate about it. The people who preferred the second Monday were willing to go with the crowd. (I'm mildly pro-stage but did not include my vote in the total.)
So I think we'll try experimenting with moving the meeting, at least for a month or two.
Of course, I'll have to talk to Jim first as it's his and Birgitta's theater and they've been more than generous in letting us use the space for free. So until I hear back from him, we're still on for April 9.
But I'll let you know through this blog, Facebook and email as soon as I get the okay to change it (if I get the okay to change it).
Thursday, March 15, 2012
How the experiment worked
Last night, we had one of our best meetings yet. We had an enthusiastic fourteen participants, including one new writer and three new actors. And the newbies hit the ground running, with each of them taking part in at least one of the readings.
And talk about an inclusive group. We had people from their teens to their 50's.
We read three pieces: part 3 of my full-length mystery-comedy, "The Butler Did It!", a rewrite of Tim Phillips' short comedy "King Solomon Gets Horny" and Paula Buist's short comedy "Cherry Blossoms in the Rain".
Our experiment worked reasonably well. Even though I got the scripts out late (writers never stop tinkering), nearly all of the cast members were able to read them ahead of time. And the reading went much smoother. There was less stumbling over lines and nearly everyone seemed to have a solid grasp of their characters.
The one thing I missed was laughter from the cast. Normally, I know a joke works if the cast cracks up when they first come to it in the script. In this case, the cast was already familiar with the jokes, so there were fewer laughs to begin with.
On the other hand, it could be my script. Maybe it just wasn't that funny.
Anyway, I think the experiment worked well enough that I'd like to try it again. And this time I promise to get the scripts out a full week before.
And talk about an inclusive group. We had people from their teens to their 50's.
We read three pieces: part 3 of my full-length mystery-comedy, "The Butler Did It!", a rewrite of Tim Phillips' short comedy "King Solomon Gets Horny" and Paula Buist's short comedy "Cherry Blossoms in the Rain".
Our experiment worked reasonably well. Even though I got the scripts out late (writers never stop tinkering), nearly all of the cast members were able to read them ahead of time. And the reading went much smoother. There was less stumbling over lines and nearly everyone seemed to have a solid grasp of their characters.
The one thing I missed was laughter from the cast. Normally, I know a joke works if the cast cracks up when they first come to it in the script. In this case, the cast was already familiar with the jokes, so there were fewer laughs to begin with.
On the other hand, it could be my script. Maybe it just wasn't that funny.
Anyway, I think the experiment worked well enough that I'd like to try it again. And this time I promise to get the scripts out a full week before.
Monday, March 5, 2012
An experiment
I'd like to try something new this month. Some of the actors have told me that they'd like to get the scripts ahead of time--maybe around a week--so that they can be better prepared for the reading.
I think this is a good idea. Reading the script at home will help the actors understand where each role fits into the bigger picture, enabling them to figure out how to play their part in the first place. And it'll give the actors more face time with the story, and this should help them uncover more flaws in the plot or inconsistencies in the characters.
Of course, some playwrights may not want their works made so easily available on the Internet. I understand this. No one wants their work stolen.
But one thing I've learned is that you don't want to be overly protective of your work. If you want it to have a life of its own, you've got to send it out into the world. And besides, the risk of having a play ripped off is more remote than people think. Every writer I've ever met wants their own work to succeed, not someone else's.
So let's give it a shot and see how it works.
If you're an actor and you're planning on coming to the next meeting, send me an email. I'll send you a PDF of each script.
If you're a writer and would like to participate, email me the pages you're planning to share (either a Word or PDF file will work) and I'll take care of sending them out to the interested parties.
I think this is a good idea. Reading the script at home will help the actors understand where each role fits into the bigger picture, enabling them to figure out how to play their part in the first place. And it'll give the actors more face time with the story, and this should help them uncover more flaws in the plot or inconsistencies in the characters.
Of course, some playwrights may not want their works made so easily available on the Internet. I understand this. No one wants their work stolen.
But one thing I've learned is that you don't want to be overly protective of your work. If you want it to have a life of its own, you've got to send it out into the world. And besides, the risk of having a play ripped off is more remote than people think. Every writer I've ever met wants their own work to succeed, not someone else's.
So let's give it a shot and see how it works.
If you're an actor and you're planning on coming to the next meeting, send me an email. I'll send you a PDF of each script.
If you're a writer and would like to participate, email me the pages you're planning to share (either a Word or PDF file will work) and I'll take care of sending them out to the interested parties.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Onward and upward
Our cozy little group isn't so little anymore. And I couldn't be happier.
We read a record number of pieces last night: four. They ranged from Barbara Summerville's short, dark piece about two women stuck in a very literal Limbo to Tim Phillips' rewrite of his fairy tale adaptation, "Rose Red and Snow White". We were graced with the presence of our youngest writer yet, an extremely talented 16-year-old named Sean Patrzik, who was seeking some advice about turning his gritty war story, "WWII in Real Time" into a play. And we wound up with the second installment of my full-length mystery-comedy "The Butler Did It!"
We also had lots of new people show up, for a total attendance of fourteen people. Due to a teen improv class that was taking place in the theatre, we were moved in the the back room so I want to thank everyone for going with the flow and making the best of it. It was a little crowded, but that just made it cozier.
Oh, and Mary brought some delicious homemade cookies. Thanks, Mary!
I'll keep bringing cookies each month, but if you've got something you'd like to add, go for it! You can never have too many desserts.
See you all at our next reading on Monday, March 12.
We read a record number of pieces last night: four. They ranged from Barbara Summerville's short, dark piece about two women stuck in a very literal Limbo to Tim Phillips' rewrite of his fairy tale adaptation, "Rose Red and Snow White". We were graced with the presence of our youngest writer yet, an extremely talented 16-year-old named Sean Patrzik, who was seeking some advice about turning his gritty war story, "WWII in Real Time" into a play. And we wound up with the second installment of my full-length mystery-comedy "The Butler Did It!"
We also had lots of new people show up, for a total attendance of fourteen people. Due to a teen improv class that was taking place in the theatre, we were moved in the the back room so I want to thank everyone for going with the flow and making the best of it. It was a little crowded, but that just made it cozier.
Oh, and Mary brought some delicious homemade cookies. Thanks, Mary!
I'll keep bringing cookies each month, but if you've got something you'd like to add, go for it! You can never have too many desserts.
See you all at our next reading on Monday, March 12.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A cast of thousands (or at least eight)
We had a great meeting last night with a record number of attendees: fourteen. And man, did we need them! Both plays that we read had big casts and we really worked the actors.
We started the evening with a reading of Tim Phillip's one-act play, "Servants of Death," an innovative play in which figures from various mythologies including Baba Yaga and the Roman god Mars tempt a pair of modern teenage girls.
We finished up with the first 20 pages of my full-length comedy, "The Butler Did It!" This play centers around a very proper English butler who must solve a murder after being falsely accused -- and tied by his accusers to a hardback chair.
The hard-working actors availed themselves well, with lots of lively interaction and laughs all around. I especially appreciate the contribution made by our three new actors who were drafted at the last minute.
Great job, all!
We started the evening with a reading of Tim Phillip's one-act play, "Servants of Death," an innovative play in which figures from various mythologies including Baba Yaga and the Roman god Mars tempt a pair of modern teenage girls.
We finished up with the first 20 pages of my full-length comedy, "The Butler Did It!" This play centers around a very proper English butler who must solve a murder after being falsely accused -- and tied by his accusers to a hardback chair.
The hard-working actors availed themselves well, with lots of lively interaction and laughs all around. I especially appreciate the contribution made by our three new actors who were drafted at the last minute.
Great job, all!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
A full evening
Even with all the holiday festivities this month, we managed to pull together nine people for a full evening of play reading last night.
We started with "King Solomon Gets Horny", Tim Phillips' bawdy comedy about the unique challenges of dealing with 300 wives and some 600 concubines. We followed that with Joye Cook-Levy's thought-provoking dramedy "The Happy Middle", which explores the struggle to find balance in the middle of a busy life. And we finished up with "You're Driving Me Crazy", my short comedy which shows what happens when you get stuck with a driving instructor who doesn't really want to be there.
There were a lot of great comments all around. In fact, this was the first time we ran over our allotted two hours, not that this posed a problem.
And it was really nice to see a core group starting to form. The Drama Lab is always open to new writers, actors and spectators, of course. But I believe that no group can be successful without a handful of regulars to provide continuity.
Hope to see you all back in the New Year!
We started with "King Solomon Gets Horny", Tim Phillips' bawdy comedy about the unique challenges of dealing with 300 wives and some 600 concubines. We followed that with Joye Cook-Levy's thought-provoking dramedy "The Happy Middle", which explores the struggle to find balance in the middle of a busy life. And we finished up with "You're Driving Me Crazy", my short comedy which shows what happens when you get stuck with a driving instructor who doesn't really want to be there.
There were a lot of great comments all around. In fact, this was the first time we ran over our allotted two hours, not that this posed a problem.
And it was really nice to see a core group starting to form. The Drama Lab is always open to new writers, actors and spectators, of course. But I believe that no group can be successful without a handful of regulars to provide continuity.
Hope to see you all back in the New Year!
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