New Words, Same Guy

Well, I started the rewrites on The Poptimists this afternoon. I always carry a binder with my current work in it, and whenever I eat out I get out the binder and do more work at one sitting in the restaurant than I do in four days at home.

So I'm reading through the book and I'm thinking: "Hey! This is funnier than I remember it."

Always a good way to start.

I read some of my previous notes and notations and agreed with all of them. I love it when I'm right.

So halfway through my soft bread sticks, I realize I'm really going to have to bulk up the book to get the flavor of the satire I'm going for. As it is, it's a good 60-minute show. But since we're expanding it to two acts, the book's got to do most of it.

Because of the great cast I have so far, I'm already getting ideas on how to better use and exploit them for the show's benefit. I'm a user and proud of it! (But in a good way).

And I find myself working the basic staging into the actual stage directions, which makes it easier since I'm getting senile. Also, while not as retentive as the guy who wrote Forever Plaid, if my show ever becomes available for other productions, my stamp and concept will be left on it. As well as the concept which will make the show work. Satire is tricky. If you try to do too much with the production, you can kill it daid.

I saw a production of one of my plays once, Golden Gates, with which I had no contact until opening night. The director had done almost everything wrong. He had actors stepping on punchlines, doing stage business which detracted from the comedic set-ups, it was painful.

[Insert cricket sounds]

Yeah. That's what it was like. Or at least what it seemed like.

It's very hard to hand one of my babies over to someone else when I have the sensibility of how it was created and could be best presented. Objectivity? With one of my scripts?

So now I write it into the script but do it in such a manner that it doesn't look like I'm trying to direct the show in absentia.

Then again, there are Award-winning playwrights who put NO stage directions in their plays. Like David Mamet. But Mamet directs his plays, too, so it doesn't count. Nyah!

So I'm off and rewriting. What I absolutely love to do. [Said through clenched teeth]

But The Poptimists seems to be going more smoothly than past rewriting, so I'm hopeful.

I just may never go see it if someone else directs it someday.

Next: Not sure. Gotta make it through Wednesday first.