Just Wrought

Recovering playwright, once won a STRANGER Genius Award for theater. Now writing a bloated novel about… G-d help me! Theatre.

  • A Pair of 14/48 Rumors

    A Pair of 14/48 Rumors

    Just heard a delicious brace of rumors about 14/48’s 2012 Summer offerings.  I am solemnly sworn to secrecy, but suffice it to say that the news involves innovation and once again pushing into territory heretofore unexplored.  Doing the undone is what makes Seattle theatre World Class, and 14/48 has consistently shown “go-big-or-go-home” leadership when the putative leaders of Seattle’s Big Houses have shown little.

    Watch this space for more news when I’m allowed to break it, or better yet, “like” 14/48’s Facebook page to get the latest first hand.

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Just Opened My Big Mouth over at HowlRound Again

    Here.

    I guess I can’t help myself.  But also I cannot help believing that unless we speak up– especially when we have this short-lived national spotlight– everyone will assume that it’s all going peachy and in the right direction, when the sweet Lord knows it ain’t.

    So join the fray if you can.  We need intelligent voices to counter the advocates of half-measures, old thinking, and worst of all: “politeness-at-all-costs.” 

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Just Bought My Tix for HOODIES UP!

    Just Bought My Tix for HOODIES UP!

    Took me two minutes tops over at Brown Paper Tickets.  You better do the same soon or you could be wearing your hoodie out in the cold.

    Here’s the all the latest updated information from producer Tyrone Brown.


    HOODIES UP!

    An Awareness and Fundraising Event
    for the Trayvon Martin Foundation

    Seattle, WA – May 11, 2012. Brownbox Theatre presents HOODIES UP! Featuring original short plays written by seven Seattle-based playwrights. The production will be presented for one performance at 7:30pm on Friday, May 18, 2012 at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center in historic Columbia City.

    The playwrights charge for HOODIES UP!? Write a short play “inspired” by the Trayvon Martin tragedy, no more than 10 minutes in length, utilizing any writing style, and include at least one “hooded” character:

    “We Have So Much To Learn” by Kathya Alexander
    “Bottom Line” by Jose’ Amador
    “Is This The Day, Walking While Black?” by Najee Sui-Chang
    “Trees In The Window” by Lois Mackey
    “White Boy Can Take A Punch” by Paul Mullin
    “An/Other” by Nick Stokes
    “End Of The Rainbow” by Sharon N. Williams

    The HOODIES UP! plays feature direction by Jose’ Amador, Maggie Holmes, Pearl Klein, Danny Long, and Andy Jensen. The production will feature the talents of 15-20 local actors, designers, and community members representing a variety of social, political, and cultural backgrounds.

    HOODIES UP! is an “awareness and fundraising” event. All ticket sales and funds collected will be donated to the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation – http://justicetm.org/ – as part the Advocacy Campaign for Truth by Sybrina Fulton & Tracy Martin.

    Performance and Ticket Information

    Date: Friday, May 18, 2012 at 7:30pm

    Venue: Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 South Alaska Street, Seattle, WA 98118

    Web and Phone: www.rainiervalleyculturalcenter.org / (206) 725-7517

    Purchase Tickets: 1(800)838-2006 or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/244954

    Advance Tickets: $15.00 / $5.00 (17 and under)

    At The Door: $20.00 / $7.00 (17 and under)

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Yussef el Guindi’s Interview at HowlRound Gets me Pumped!

    Yussef el Guindi’s Interview at HowlRound Gets me Pumped!

    One of the best things about Seattle as a theatre town is that it’s small enough that you can get your arms around it.  If you care to, you can get to know pretty much everyone who is active here as an artist.  For instance, I have met Yussef el Guindi, chatted and corresponded with him, and very much enjoyed the interaction.  But thanks to Vincent Delaney’s interview of Yussef over at HowlRound, I feel like I know him so much better, and admire him all the more for it.  His thoughts on the new works scene in Seattle are fervent and hopeful without indulging in the “best-of-all-possible-cities” Pollyannaism that some successful playwrights and artistic administrators like to espouse publically here.*

    I . . . wish artistic directors were as brave as their audiences. I think audiences are much more adventurous than some artistic directors imagine. . . .

    What’s surprising to me is that you’d think the Seattle theater scene would be more open to riskier choices, in terms of choosing plays that are a little edgier, even more political. Seattle being, for the most part, a liberal city, you’d think that would be reflected in the plays selected. But perhaps more than being liberal or progressive, Seattle is also known for being very civil. We are a polite town. That politeness gene, I sense, seems to influence the selection of plays, as much as anything else. But then I’ve always felt theaters in general are inherently conservative, especially the big LORT houses. . . .

    Thanks, Yussef, for energizing and inspiring me to keep working for world class.  You being here gets us so much closer.

    * Note to said colleagues: singing desperate paeans to perfection is a particularly pernicious form of despair.  We can only have hope when it’s possible for things to get better.

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Sh%t’s Finally Gettin’ Real over at HowlRound

    Sh%t’s Finally Gettin’ Real over at HowlRound

    After dispensing with the obligatory, “gee, ain’t-Seattle-swell?” lovey-dovey lip service, we are finally getting to some questions in the comments on Vincent Delaney’s kick-off essay that point to ways in which we can truly progress towards being a world class theatre town.

    Here’s playwright and novelist Nick Stokes:

    Not that I’m not up for drinking beer and listening to our plays, but . . . I’d also venture to say that without original work being produced on some scale, we don’t have a unique Seattle Theater scene. We just have the same theatre as everyone else and nothing to claim as our own. Which doesn’t necessarily hurt actor careers, though it does stunt those of writers and directors and perpetuates everyone’s obscurity.

    Do we as writers have a bad self-image locally? I don’t think so. I think the confidence problem is higher up the production chain. That said, the best we as artists can do to create a scene is create engaging, unique, provocative work and get it up however we can (Eclectic, West of Lenin, Fringe, self-production, etc.) … and that said, the scene will remain pretty small without some serious institutional support and a belief among those in positions of influence that we have a scene worthy of discussion and capable of national relevance.

    And here’s playwright Keri Healey (who just gave us the world class play Torso):

    Can someone in-the-know provide us with a compare/contrast look at which services are provided through all the existing new play development programs in Seattle? What does “play development” mean to each of these programs — and what are their goals with the plays/playwrights once the “development” portion of the program is over? Writers, are you getting your scripts produced at these theaters or getting help from them in securing productions at other theaters once you have gone through this process? I find that in Seattle, it’s a fairly easy process to pull a few public readings of a new script together (gathering actors and a director and getting feedback). I’ve even found producing (at a small level) to be accessible to many folks. What is most difficult, for me, are those next steps…of getting the play beyond the public readings/first production stage and onto a broader platform. I’d love to hear about the other features that are available through the various programs, if any current/past participants can chime in on those.

    Perhaps some of Seattle’s customarily silent Big House artistic administrators would finally care to weigh in during this nationally broadcast discussion of Seattle as a theatre town?  It really ain’t too late for them to join the fray.

    Or for you! 

    I know my buddy Vince would love to hear from you.

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Seattle Week at HowlRound

    Seattle Week at HowlRound

    Keep your eyes on HowlRound.  According to Seattle Playwright Vincent Delaney, “The national journal based at Arena Stage, is featuring Seattle for the entire week.  We’ve got blog posts by playwright Stephanie Timm, Allen Fitzpatrick of Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, Kathy Hsieh of Sex In Seattle, dramaturg Liz Engelman, and a culminating interview with our own Yussef El Guindi.”

    Vince has already posted his kick-off essay and it’s a clarion call.   

    Local actors rule the Equity stages here, and no one expects that to change. They’re just too good, and everyone knows it.

    So, Playwrights?

    Raising the profile of Seattle writing is really a matter of changing our own self-image. Yes it’s frustrating to see season selections that reflect some other city’s priorities (curse you, Wichita)—but what are we going to do about it? Sit and complain? Threaten to leave? Spend all our energies on angry blog posts?

    (Uh-oh.  I think I know who that last shot might be aimed at.)

    Go read Vince’s essay and give him feedback in the comments section.  Then keep your eye on HowlRound and weigh in when Stephanie, Allen, Kathy, Liz and Yussef step to the plate.  This is a great opportunity for Seattle to continue its discussion about mapping its way to World Class as a theatre town, and an even greater way for the whole nation to see how sexy smart and committed we are.

    Go get ‘em, Seattle!

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Bookmark THE SEATTLE STAR

    Bookmark THE SEATTLE STAR

    Here’s the link.  Just go bookmark it.  Then come back and I’ll tell you why, okay?… Okay, go! . . .

    . . . . There.  All bookmarked? 

    Good.

    Living up to the promise publisher Omar Willey made when he kicked it off at the beginning of this year, The Seattle Star has consistently provided cogent, in-depth criticism (no flip, self-regarding drive-bys here) of Seattle’s arts offerings, including but not limited to Cole Hornaday’s piece on Sandbox Radio IV: The Chase which details not only that most recent episode, but also how it fit into the on-going series.  Witness as well, José Amador’s latest critique of Annex Theatre’s Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors, offering a similarly thoughtful big-picture approach.

    What’s more, like icing on an already yummy and healthy cake, The Star also provides unprecedented access to a variety of Seattle’s unsung poets, including some of my all-time favorites like Pamela Hobart Carter and David Penn.  (Full disclosure: they also published one of mine once.  Hey, nobody’s perfect.)

    So now that you’ve bookmarked The Seattle Star, you might also considering liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter.  You won’t be sorry.  Of that I’m sure.

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Hoodies Up! – Theatre for the Right Here / Right Now

    Hoodies Up! – Theatre for the Right Here / Right Now

    Witness if you will the reactions of two anonymous members of the community when The Stranger’s Slog recently publicized the casting call for  Hoodies Up!: The Trayvon Martin Protest Plays:

    1

    I am skeptical there are any new insights on the Trayvon Martin affair left that theater can illuminate

    Posted by Zebes  on April 24, 2012 at 5:49 PM

    2

    It seems premature to go on about making theater about a tragic event that NOBODY in the theater group knows anything about (except for media reports – which are notoriously unreliable).

    Only two people know what happened that night, and one is dead. It seems like they should wait for the outcome of the trial to begin a production on the story… After all, they don’t have the story yet, nobody does.

    Posted by scratchmaster joe on April 24, 2012 at 5:54 PM

    I find these reactions fascinating and telling beyond their surface trollishness.  In fact, they exemplify attitudes shared by artistic administrators at big regional theatres here in Seattle and across the country.  Boiled down, the core ideas shared by these trolls and Big House leaders are:

    • No one has anything new to say in the theatre
      (i.e. anything happening in any 21st century location can be easily addressed with a play from 16th Century England, 19th Century Norway, or 20th Century New York City.
    • If someone does have something new to say, we should wait to say it until it is old.
      (i.e. keep working on that adorable play you’re developing about the culpability of key Seattle executives in the U.S. Mortgage Meltdown. Maybe we’ll take a look at it when enough time has passed to guarantee not upsetting anyone.)

    Thank goodness  that Tyrone Brown, Brownbox Theatre, and the artists working on Hoodies Up! have chosen to ignore this advice when it comes to greeting the Trayvon Martin tragedy with something nobler and stronger than empty-headed posturing and/or meaningless violence. 

    Here’s the press release with all the information you need on this amazing event.  I hope to see you there.

    (more…)

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Radio Reality

    Radio Reality

    One time as a kid I was sick and my dad left me at home by myself with talk radio playing in the kitchen downstairs. (Hey, it was the 70’s.) I was a touch feverish and I started to imagine that the people talking were actually sitting at my kitchen table. This tickled me immensely.

    Last night I had an opposite but even more delightful experience at Sandbox Radio Live’s Episode 4: The Chase! The venue, West of Lenin, was completely sold out— beautiful living butts in every seat.  So I had to stand in the back behind the risers, along with fellow writers Scot Auguston and Elizabeth Heffron.  I couldn’t see the actors or the Foley artists as they worked their magic, but the performances were so rich, the sound effects so convincing, the music so utterly compelling that I began to float freely in an alternate ocean of radio reality.  Because I couldn’t see Richard Ziman playing the Nazi interrogator, he became the Nazi interrogator.  When he popped a bottle of bubbly and poured it, it actually happened even though 25 feet away from me a Foley artist was faking it all with a table full of clever sound props.  I will admit that at one point I had to move forward to see with my own eyes Charles Leggett blowing his harmonica because I simply refused to believe the outrageous amazement my ears were trying to convince me of.

    Sandbox Radio is magic.  And the world class artists that generate it are led by a genius, Leslie Law, who in four episodes has managed to accomplish the most difficult task there is in show business: producing consistent excellence, over and over, and getting better each and every time.

    I don’t need you to believe me because the proof is in the Podcast coming soon!

    (You can go here for podcasts of our first three episodes.)

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

  • Rain City Projects Rocks It World Class with Vol. 3 of Manifesto Series

    Rain City Projects Rocks It World Class with Vol. 3 of Manifesto Series

    So I know you are going to find this hard to believe, but I was recently getting into it with a fellow playwright about the failures of the New York-centric hub-and-spoke model of new play development.  His argument was the tired old saw: “If you want the best product, you have to get it from the where all the best gather to produce it.”  If I recall correctly, he gave as an example: “If you’re were looking for a new sensei for your martial arts dojo, you would to look to Okinawa.”  I really have no idea what that means.  I did, however, offer the counter that if I want the best cheese, beer, wine, meats, fish, fruit and vegetables, I don’t really need to look beyond the Pacific Northwest.  Then I posted a helpful link on his Facebook wall to my essay “Theatre Takes Place: Why Locally Grown Plays Matter.”

    The link disappeared within an hour.  So much for the free exchange of ideas.  I suppose when it comes to thoughts on theatre, the proper direction of flow is one-way from New York City to everywhere else.  

    But honestly, I don’t even need to argue when amazing Seattle institutions like Rain City Projects regularly put world class money where my big mouth is.  Case in point, their upcoming release of Volume 3 of their Manifesto Series, a regularly published anthology of great Northwest Plays.

    Can I even express to you how honored I was to be included with the likes of Yussef El Guindi recent winner of The Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, or my personal heroine Elizabeth Heffron, or Stranger Genius Award winner Chris Jeffries or the fiercely incomparable Bret Fetzer and Stephen McCandless, all hand-selected by the nationally renowned playwright and playwriting teacher Naomi Iizuka?

    Nope. I don’t believe I can, but— dammit!— I can try.

    This coming Sunday we will be celebrating Volume 3’s release with free readings from several of the collected plays.  I’ll be there.  Yussef and Elizabeth mentioned they might be, too. So why don’t you come on down so we can sign your copy, hot, fresh, and locally sourced, right off the presses!?

    Here are all the crucial details from Rain City Projects:

    Rain City Projects is releasing the third book in its Manifesto series – anthologies of plays by Northwest playwrights. We’re very excited this time to have an anthology of seven plays selected by Naomi Iizuka who started by writing a manifesto of what theater should be and then chose plays she felt exemplified her vision. Please join us for a reading of short excerpts from Ms. Iizuka’s delightful manifesto and from the plays she chose including:

    Language Rooms by Yussef El Guindi

    Clubfoot by Bret Fetzer & Stephen McCandless

    Mitzi’s Abortion by Elizabeth Heffron

    Vera Wilde by Chris Jeffries

    An American Book of the Dead by Paul Mullin

    Live! From the Last Night of My Life by Wayne Rawley

    and Wizzer Pizzer by Amy Wheeler

    Sunday, April 15th at 2:00pm

    The reading is FREE and will be held at Elliott Bay Book Company 1521 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

    Manifesto v. 3 will be available for purchase along with Manifesto v. 2 (edited by Steven Dietz) and Manifesto v. 1 (edited by Erik Ehn).

    Posted at 8:40 AM in 14/48, Seattle, Theatre, Theatre News, Towards a World Class Theatre | Comments (2)

    Tags: 14/48, Seattle Theatre, Summer theatre festival, theatre rumors, Towards a World Class Theatre

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