Wazzup, Baby... Playing God

Got a job as God recently...

Actually, a friend was having a reading of Bruce Jay Friedman's Steambath, funny and dated play from the 70s.

Tried out for a part in it as a hoot - since I saw the play on PBS in the early 70s, always had a fantasy to play the part of God, a Puerto Rican steambath attendant. Don't audition much and don't think I looked that impressive. Weeks went by during which I didn't think much about the audition - at that point was sure I wasn't cast.

Then the director (Eric) contacted me to tell me I didn't get my coveted part, but I had a part - Bieberman, the least attractive guy in the cast. Was game to do it anyway.

Just before the first rehearsal, got an email that God had quit (and why wouldn't he) as He was moving to Burlington VT (and why wouldn't He), offering me the part. So now am playing God, unmetaphorically speaking.

Rehearsals went well... we had a surprising number for a script-in-hand reading. End result I felt like I was the biggest liability in the cast. Sure that a playwright shouldn't mix in and try to perform (example, wasn't very impressed with my work on the show we did in the Spring either).

However, when the audience was there, they laughed with us a lot and all had a splantasmic time. It all stunned me, suddenly I was playing a lead role in something that people liked. Gotta tell you, now I understand why actors stick with this business... if you can finally get a chance to reach any kind of audience, it's an amazing experience. Nothing like it.

So if you're in the Brattleboro VT/Chesterfield NH area tonight (Aug 23 2008) come see the show. Sure, it's quite sexist in its portrayal of its only female character, but it does have a raft of big laughs - with me as God.

New Works of Merit / Sade

So I get, again, after asking to be removed from their email list 3 years running, yet another email about the "New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest." This is a particularly egregious example of a writer rip-off, for reasons far too numerous to list in full, but let's begin with their "$25 entrance fee." Yea, the O'Neill has been charging an entrance fee for uninvited writers (a group to which I still belong), but at least they bothered to develop a reputation before skimming lunch money off said writers.

This contest is run by 13th Street Rep, a company that certainly have "established" a "reputation" for themselves (their last produced original work of merit being the play "Line" by Israel Horovitz back in the 70s - or was it the 60s?). Which I believe is still running there??

I checked on the Web to see how many others have been warning against entering this contest... OK, perhaps they actually do offer the winner of this contest a reading at their theatre. They probably even fund that $300 check the winner receives... note that I didn't bother to fact check this by contacting those winners, but let's give them the benefit of doubt.

Then I noticed this additional note on their entry page:

TO RECEIVE EVALUATIONS OF YOUR SCRIPT: One Evaluation .... $25 + $25 submission fee Two Evaluations ... $50 + $25 submission fee

$75 for "evaluation" services. These must be highly qualifed dramaturgs, folks. And what a refreshingly original way to offer this dramaturgy service.

The best moment reading their website was the statement that the moderator, who is also the "executive producer" at 13th St. Rep, is a member of the DG.

Note she's still a member - they don't return her check. Perhaps it is funded at least in part by this contest?

After reading this blog post, playwrights, if you still feel the need to send out a check for $75 because you wrote a play, what the hell, send it to me. I'll write you a better critique, I bet, and would use the money toward a real play production, not to fund my rent, liquor bill, or membership in the DG.

Videos of Sweet Cantatas now up on YouTube

These are from the Sunday 2PM matinee on the last day of performance. The performances are mostly solid (though there's some "rule-breaking" on the Mot Juste piece - an actress making extra sounds). The usual caveats about video'd live performance - though I boosted the sound, it's slightly blurry at points. And the video can get blocky or fuzzy.

But it's cool nonetheless. Have a look!

http://www.youtube.com/user/bobjudeferrante

Great night

Saturday May 3 was a fantastic performance of the show (called Sweet Cantatas). We had a big turnout for Brat (almost 100 people, I know, nothing for NYC but a lot for up there). And they were enthusiastic, laughing, clapping. Great support, great turnout, great night.

Rehearsals

What have I gotten into? Originally I booked the NEYT theatre space with the intention of presenting an evening of my own work. Sort of an intro to the work to my hometown. Seemed like a nice thing to do.

Between the date the show was booked and the date it was to go up, I began a project with NEYT called the Performance Writers Lab. It's similar to the labwork I've already talked about here, done in Brattleboro not NYC, that's really the only difference. Otherwise the usual drill - a chance to foment new projects, hear new work, give writers a chance to bring in fresh pages and hear them for their music; chance for performers to practice their cold reading chops and maybe, just maybe get a line on a new part in a new project. And of course, all done at no charge to anyone, and with respect for the playwright and performer always paramount.

Then figured, well, jeez, since I have this project date all set up, why not make it about the lab work, rather than just an evening of my work. So it went from doing a full-length of mine to doing shorts (again, with the shorts) of my own and the work of other writers.

Then I had trouble getting a director who'd do the project so decided to direct the pieces.

So here I am now, in typical all-hectic mode, scheduling, directing, and even performing in several short pieces. All going up May 1-4 here in Brattleboro.

Hooboy.