Edward A.
Thursday, June 24
! ! ! ! ! ! !
Missed the morning plays today, I just couldn't get going. I took my time, and treated myself to a real breakfast at the Sea Moor Landing, with an omlette, hash browns. Decided to be brave and had some reindeer sausage. If they hadn't told me it was reindeer I wouldn't have known, it tasted like regular smoked sausage. But, at least I can say I had some.
Got to the convention center for the master classes starting at 11:00. Acting with Marian Seldes, Playwrighting with Edward Albee. I picked Albee of course. So what does he open with? "It's 1961, the first day of the the first rehearsal of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, and ...'" Surreal. Just surreal. The story is that he walks into the hall and thinks there will be the cast, director, TD, and himself there, and he's shocked to discover 75 people sitting around waiting for him. All of those people were there for only one reason; he wrote a play. Playwrights are NOT small cogs in the wheel. 75 people are working because of something he did. It's a huge responsibility and we'd better live up to it.
Other notes:
Times have changed. Original production of Virgina Woolfe cost $40,000. The revival planned for next year will cost over $1.5 million.
Dramatists Guild. Join, Join, Join. They are our protection (he's on the guild board so...)
Don't give in to pressure of a theatre just because you want a production. If they are not serving the play, pull it. Period. And no one can change a word of your play without your consent. Not one.
There are normally only 3 1/2 to 4 weeks from 1st rehearsal to 1st audience; plays must be performance ready. Don't come expecting to iron out during rehearsal process. All re-writes that take place during rehearsals are usually destructive to the play.
Plays must exist on the page as completely as they do on the stage. You must be able to "see it" without the intrusion of a director/actors. It should read as wonderfully as the production you want to see.
You must ask yourself, "am I really a playwright?" Not a novelist or poet or short story writer who thinks writing a play would be a good idea. But really a playwright. We are always better at one of them, the others suffer. (Don't know if I buy that one, I know of a few hyphens who are good at everything... BLUE!)
He mentioned that while he loves "The Glass Menagerie" it would be a much better play without Tom. Wow, I never thought of that. It's been a while since I read it, so I'll have to dig it out.
Any play that is good needs to be challenging, to change people. You are there to make them different than when they came in the theatre.
We are not writing to be approved of.
Every play you write should be as if it's the first play you've ever written. You never lose the magic that way. And, Every Play should be as if it's the first PLAY that's ever been written anywhere. Make each one a brand new invention.
Inevitability. Do whatever you want in a play as long as the end is inevitable.
Read, Read, Read, Read. It's your responsibility to know as much as posslbe. See plays, study, educate yourself. Spontaniety comes from knowledge, not ignorance.
Any play that can't be performed with just 2 chairs and a light bulb on an empty stage shouldn't be done. Understand and use technology if you want, but your play should not rely on it to complete it or make it's point.
Conclusion of class.
So I sit there, and a few people go up to get an autograph. I refuse to just go up and say, "duh, sign my book" so I always have a question for the person I'm getting a signature from. Suddenly, I have my thought and take a deep breath and approach. "Hello Mr. Albee, I'm Adrienne from North Carolina, blah, blah... You mentioned that No one can change a word of a play without consent yet you also said you would cut Tom completely out of Glass Menagerie. Isn't that a contradiction?" Clever. Tee hee.... :) So he says if he were directing he couldn't cut Tom and wouldn't, he just wishes he could. So then I mentioned the contract issue, and told him the story of how TIP initially didn't want to pay me because I was a local playwright. I told them no, that they would pay any other playwright and they should pay me, too. Albee: And did you get the production? Me: Yes, sir. Albee: And did they pay you? Me: Yes, Sir! Albee: Excellent! He signes my copy of his play, 3 Tall Women. He shakes my hand and walks away.
Relax, Relate, Release.
More happened today, but it'll have to be in a separate post. My brain is full.
! ! ! ! ! ! !
Missed the morning plays today, I just couldn't get going. I took my time, and treated myself to a real breakfast at the Sea Moor Landing, with an omlette, hash browns. Decided to be brave and had some reindeer sausage. If they hadn't told me it was reindeer I wouldn't have known, it tasted like regular smoked sausage. But, at least I can say I had some.
Got to the convention center for the master classes starting at 11:00. Acting with Marian Seldes, Playwrighting with Edward Albee. I picked Albee of course. So what does he open with? "It's 1961, the first day of the the first rehearsal of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, and ...'" Surreal. Just surreal. The story is that he walks into the hall and thinks there will be the cast, director, TD, and himself there, and he's shocked to discover 75 people sitting around waiting for him. All of those people were there for only one reason; he wrote a play. Playwrights are NOT small cogs in the wheel. 75 people are working because of something he did. It's a huge responsibility and we'd better live up to it.
Other notes:
Times have changed. Original production of Virgina Woolfe cost $40,000. The revival planned for next year will cost over $1.5 million.
Dramatists Guild. Join, Join, Join. They are our protection (he's on the guild board so...)
Don't give in to pressure of a theatre just because you want a production. If they are not serving the play, pull it. Period. And no one can change a word of your play without your consent. Not one.
There are normally only 3 1/2 to 4 weeks from 1st rehearsal to 1st audience; plays must be performance ready. Don't come expecting to iron out during rehearsal process. All re-writes that take place during rehearsals are usually destructive to the play.
Plays must exist on the page as completely as they do on the stage. You must be able to "see it" without the intrusion of a director/actors. It should read as wonderfully as the production you want to see.
You must ask yourself, "am I really a playwright?" Not a novelist or poet or short story writer who thinks writing a play would be a good idea. But really a playwright. We are always better at one of them, the others suffer. (Don't know if I buy that one, I know of a few hyphens who are good at everything... BLUE!)
He mentioned that while he loves "The Glass Menagerie" it would be a much better play without Tom. Wow, I never thought of that. It's been a while since I read it, so I'll have to dig it out.
Any play that is good needs to be challenging, to change people. You are there to make them different than when they came in the theatre.
We are not writing to be approved of.
Every play you write should be as if it's the first play you've ever written. You never lose the magic that way. And, Every Play should be as if it's the first PLAY that's ever been written anywhere. Make each one a brand new invention.
Inevitability. Do whatever you want in a play as long as the end is inevitable.
Read, Read, Read, Read. It's your responsibility to know as much as posslbe. See plays, study, educate yourself. Spontaniety comes from knowledge, not ignorance.
Any play that can't be performed with just 2 chairs and a light bulb on an empty stage shouldn't be done. Understand and use technology if you want, but your play should not rely on it to complete it or make it's point.
Conclusion of class.
So I sit there, and a few people go up to get an autograph. I refuse to just go up and say, "duh, sign my book" so I always have a question for the person I'm getting a signature from. Suddenly, I have my thought and take a deep breath and approach. "Hello Mr. Albee, I'm Adrienne from North Carolina, blah, blah... You mentioned that No one can change a word of a play without consent yet you also said you would cut Tom completely out of Glass Menagerie. Isn't that a contradiction?" Clever. Tee hee.... :) So he says if he were directing he couldn't cut Tom and wouldn't, he just wishes he could. So then I mentioned the contract issue, and told him the story of how TIP initially didn't want to pay me because I was a local playwright. I told them no, that they would pay any other playwright and they should pay me, too. Albee: And did you get the production? Me: Yes, sir. Albee: And did they pay you? Me: Yes, Sir! Albee: Excellent! He signes my copy of his play, 3 Tall Women. He shakes my hand and walks away.
Relax, Relate, Release.
More happened today, but it'll have to be in a separate post. My brain is full.
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