The Playwright's Nightmare with a Happy Ending

On the eve of Thanksgiving I received word that my baseball/kiss play Angel Kisses in Back of Left Field would be included in an evening of "kiss" plays. This was especially sweet for me as this is the play I withdrew from the "baseball" evening of plays in the Twin Cities. It pays to be protective of your plays.

Even if the play never did get approval anywhere else, it is important to me to have my name on the play I wrote as opposed to the play the producer changed. If a play I wrote doesn't work, I make notes, live and learn. If a play with my name on it is out there - but makes me cringe because I allowed someone else to edit my work, shame on me. I've learned nothing.

The playwright's nightmare story is here.
My article on why Urinetown is a good choice for a high schoolmusical is here.

My Playwright's Nightmare

I just had a deja vu where a play I wrote two years ago has taken on its own life.

In 2007 I wrote a little play called The Playwright's Nightmare. It was widely produced and later published. Done deal. The beginning dialogue has:

ROB: (wheeling-dealing producer): "You're okay with the changes right? I never heard back from you so I figured they would be okay ...... I e-mailed you some of the things we had to fix. It's a new play so I knew it wasn't perfect ...."

And so the fictional playwright's nightmare begins...

In 2009, I wrote a little baseball play where a manic sports fan quotes Yeats. It's sort of important. Things are not always what they seem. And it stops my play from being a silly sit-com and predictable.

The little baseball play was accepted into this baseball-themed evening of ten-minute plays - to coincide with the new Twins Stadium opening. Could be fun?

Changes? Well, of course I make changes - for clarification, simplicity, tightening of script, character arc.

In real life, I receive a phone call from the wheeling-dealing producer. Who is named Rob.

ROB: The readers really liked your play. They loved everything - you're really very funny. The only thing they were concerned about was the poetry. Can you take that out?

ME: No.

ROB: Why not?

ME: I think it's integral to the play.

ROB: Oh, okay - it's really a good play, if you think the poetry is necessary - but I must tell you that the readers - well - it sort of lost them. But they liked the rest of the play.

ME: I think it's necessary.

ROB: Okay.

And we talked about this, that and the other thing and I thought it was a done deal. The play stays as is.

E-mail received, November 2nd

ROB: Would you be available tomorrow to have a conversation about your work? I want to go over some evaluator comments.

ME: Yes, I'm available Thursday afternoon. But I'm not changing the play.

ROB: We'll talk.

We didn't"talk." I withdrew the play.

Auditions for Stuart Little

Last night I had my first eve of auditions for Joseph Robinette's Stuart Little at Lakeshore Players. The play is told simply and with great charm - through story theatre. Costumes are suggested, the props are mostly outsized (in relationship to a mouse!) and it is just theatre at its simplest and loveliest. I expected two adults and got ten. I expected kids - and yes - did get them.

And the things is - as of last night - everyone who showed up (including the three wonderful young ones who cannot read yet) are capable of doing the show. I could have cast it twice. I'm not good at saying "no." And it's going to happen. Part of the pleasures of being a playwright - is you can write in wonderful roles for all those that audition and are up to the task. The hardship of the director - is you will of course respect the script and there will not be room to use all the talent that came yesterday.

Part of me wishes no one comes tonight! Of course I want to the best possible production for the audiences. I just don't want to turn anyone else down.

The Haunting of Will Shakespeare

It's always fun to receive publicity for a show that walked out your door a few years ago. Published by Eldridge Publishing, the show has a lovely production history.

The Manchester Journal
Friday, October 2, 2009

ARLINGTON — It's Shakespeare like you've never seen before, as Arlington Memorial High School's Varsity Theater Players present the comedy, "The Haunting of Will Shakespeare."

Written by Claudia Haas and first place winner of the 2001 Jackie White Memorial Play Writing Contest, "The Haunting of Will Shakespeare" tells the story of young Will Shakespeare who, on his way to London, finds himself chased by a young maiden, haunted by witches and spirits and enchanted by a group of rag-tag actors. In turn, these many spirits including Hamlet, Juliet, Ophelia, Bottom and Petruchio involve Will in their own stories in hopes that he will write about them.

"This plays exposes students to Shakespeare in a contemporary way," English said. "The student-actors who want to perform Shakespeare love it, and those who are more leery of the Bard discover his charm."

More at: http://www.manchesterjournal.com/ci_13516132

Life - oh my!

I have been writing as an examiner for the Performing Arts in Minneapolis. Check it out and let me know what you think. Is there something local you would like me to report? It has kept me busy as I learn the ins and outs of writing an article that is:

a. not a play
b. not a blog

I'm not there yet - but will be and my focus is on youth theatre. To be sure, there are other things to report about and I do - but I do like to keep youth theatre in the news and show its value. Meanwhile, I sprained my right ankle (read: cannot drive), wrenched my back in the process and came down with a nasty cold. All of this to say - I've had time to write.
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Betwixt and Betweened has been edited and tweaked and the students have been a grand help. Of course, we lost the two male leads the first day of rehearsal, two others the following week. Then there was the student who broke both arms ... but the show moves on and it is happening.
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I finished my "little kid classes." The presentation for the parents had the requisite forgotten props (or use of wrongs ones or misuse of the correct ones), missed entrances, students staring blankly into thin air while all eyes from the cast focus on one student who announces, "Oh yeah" and the show goes on. But my favorite moment came from Grades 1-3. It was a story theatre presentation (so I as the leader could save them - if they needed saving). The students were allowed to choose their character's name. One student changed her character's name about every 7-1/2 minutes. When I introduced her character, of course she didn't come on. And she had confused her cast members with her different names - they had no idea who I was introducing. So I finally said, "And the soft-rock-music-star/model named Stephanie played by Claire entered." And she did. All in a day's work.

Betwixt and Betweened in rehearsal

Betwixt and Betweened is starting its second week of rehearsal. I have been thinking of the kids all week. I pulled up lame exactly one week ago and haven't been able to drive and am wracked with curiosity. Do they read a scene and look at each other in bewilderment? Do they have ideas as to how to streamline it better with middle-school-speak.

What is helpful is to have a director who sees what I write. Indeed sometimes see more than what I write. And can come back with a suggestion to make the scenes more visual, more imminent, more happening in front of you (rather than talking about something that happened).

I am working on the tarred-and-feathered-scene. Still not done to my liking - but I know where it should go. rather than speak of the tar-and-feathers and gradually see the poor kid who got himself into the mess, the director wants him to emerge from behind a chicken coop - newly feathered and newly astounding his friend. Much better. Much funnier. (I am not above a sight gag!) And more reason for the poor kid in the predicament to be very upset! because it's happening now!

In a sense it's just a little thing but in a great sense it is the details that make the play immediate. I can't wait to get it right. And I can't wait to see the kids up on their feet helping to bring my words alive.

Betwixt and Betweened

Betwixt and Betweened starts production on Tuesday, September 15. I have been furiously writing the ending and just was not satisfied with it sounding sappy or too "pat." When you are writing for middle school performers, there is a desire for the neat little bow at the end and I'm not against that. I just want the "neat little bow" to reflect a savvy, and somewhat irreverent age group - the tweens and young teens. One foot in teen-hood and the other foot holding on with their toes to childhood. On FACEBOOK - of all places - a wonderful playwright (E.M. Lewis) posted this quote:

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it is going to be a butterfly." - Richard Buckminster Fuller.

And there it was - my ending. For what is a middle school child - but an emerging butterfly.