Play Time

RoboWriter's Assignment

In 2002-03, playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote a "play" a day. In 2007, theater companies all across America produced them seven at a time throughout the year in what was labeled an International Theater Festival. I saw an evening produced here by Collaboraction. Don Hall saw an evening produced at The Peter Jones Gallery. Another friend, known as Old Ned to the blog world, participated in an evening as an actor - sorry, I don't remember the company. The "plays" she wrote were all very short. Just a few lines of dialogue. What I do remember is that while the stunt was impressive, all the work I saw and have heard about was crap. Basically, it was much a doo-doo about nothing (sorry, couldn't resist). I think you can do better. I know you can.

The assignment for this week is to write a play a day for five days. A play, as defined by the Neo-Futurists, is anything having a beginning, a middle, and an end. Limit each play to one page. As you write new ones, take time to look at the previous ones and polish them up. Make them all distinct and stand on their own. If any of them demand more attention and need to expand, do it next week.



ONE MESSAGE. LOUD AND CLEAR

SOunds like the snowball is rolling on this. I have had people who are fans of this blog tell me they are going to do this and are spreading the word. Good job, everyone! On Tuesday, March 4th bloggers and fans of bloggers around the world are invited to do a Cyber Shout - "Impeach Bush Now!" Join us, won't you?



THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

On Friday, I asked...

"Sign language interpreters in Thailand are getting into trouble for referring to the new prime minister by doing what?"

33% said "Pointing at their behinds"
- That's more a reference to how he gets to and from parliament. Old school. Rides a mule.

16% said "Rolling their eyes"
- I'm sure that's more to emphasize what foresight and vision the man has.

No one fell for "Picking their ears"

51% got it right with "Holding their noses"

According to the AP, Thai sign language interpreters often indicate prominent facial features as shorthand for dignitaries, and during a live broadcast of last Monday's parliamentary session, they held their noses between two fingers numerous times to refer to Samak. Samak Sundaravej, chosen in parliament last week as the first elected prime minister since a Sept. 2006 coup, has been nicknamed "Mr. Rose Apple Nose" because many claim his nose resembles the fruit. One interpreter, Kanittha Rattanasin, said this gesture has long been used for Samak but is drawing wide notice only now. "It is not meant as a nose joke," she said. "We have touched our noses for years to refer to Samak but people noticed this time because we had to repeat the movement over 300 times."

Anyone want to take a bite out this...

Saturday Morning Cartoons!

"Lulu's Birthday Party" (1944)



Tomorrow is the Angry White Guy's birthday, so this rare vintage clip is for him. And I think he'll get a kick out of the audacity of the wildly inappropriate black stereotype. The maid sounds familiar. I think she's voiced by the same man - that's right, MAN - who played the maid on radio's Fibber McGee and Molly. The clip's a little beat up and faded, but still fun. Love the frog.

ROBOWRITERS STARTS TODAY!

Back and ready for action. New place, new time. Gorilla Tango, 1919 North Milwaukee (near Western) from 1pm to 3pm. $5. Bring in scenes. Have them read. Have some fun.


ONE MESSAGE. LOUD AND CLEAR

On Tuesday, March 4th bloggers and fans of bloggers around the world are invited to do a Cyber Shout - "Impeach Bush Now!" Join us, won't you?

Snow Day

I love it when winter acts like winter. It snowed most of yesterday, all night, and is still snowing. After unearthing most of my fiancee's car, I convinced her not to go to work. I actually used the words "I forbid you," but that was more for macho effect. It wasn't hard to convince her. The roads are in horrible shape, she works out in the 'burbs, it's warm in here and cold out there. She might trek out later once the snow stops, but I'm hoping we get to hole up here all day and make cookies. And by making cookies I mean (wink-wink) making cookies. We have this great macademia nut/white chocolate batter in the freezer.


ROBOWRITERS

Back and ready for action. New place, new time. Gorilla Tango, 1919 North Milwaukee (near Western) from 1pm to 3pm. $5. Bring in scenes. Have them read. fetal position optional.


ONE MESSAGE. LOUD AND CLEAR

Tuesday, March 4th - get your voice heard by creating a worldwide Cyber Shout. Post on your blog, where ever you can, "Impeach Bush Now!"

Of course, I'm already getting feedback from folks who think this is a waste of time. For the record, I do not think this one single act will get George W. Bush the impeachment he so rightly deserves. That's going to take a groundswell of getting the knuckleheads in Washington to pay attention to the will of the people. I consider this a part of what needs to be done. And it's a big challenge. Most of America is content living in a somnabulistic state when it comes to government. "Assholes are in charge, they'll always be in charge, there are countries that have worse leaders, it'll be over soon, let's focus on getting a new one in office." The problem with that line of thinking is that it doesn't change the system. I love this country. I believe in the principles it was founded on. There's no room in my America to let a liar, thief and murderer off the hook.

Now, I will chop my soapbox up for kindling and go make some cookies.


THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I asked...

"A controversial new art exhibit in Liverpool showcases sculptures made of what?"

38% said "Human Excrement"
- This could be more like a found art exhibit...(plop!)..Oh, look! Elvis!

37% said "Animal Fat"
- Sir, please don't suck on the bacon madonna.

12% said "Toe Nails"
- Not much different than sculpting with elbow macaroni.

13% got it right with "Skin"

According to the BBC, a controversial new exhibition on display in Liverpool showcases real skin tissue in sculptures. Sk-interfaces at FACT includes a tiny coat made of human and rodent skin cultures, a brain with glowing moss and a jacket made of synthetic skin. The ideas behind the unusual exhibits came from artists but was created by a group of scientists from the University of Liverpool. The exhibition explores the concept of skin's place in art.

Here's one of the artists at work...

Not as Good or Bad as You Think

On Wednesday nights, I am teaching a Writing I class and we had our fourth class last night. There are eight classes a term, so this was smack dab in the middle. This is where you really start to find out who's committed and who's not so sure about this "writing" thing. We had a few absences, which may mean these folks are subcumbing to the pressure they put on themselves to deliver a "good" scene on a weekly basis. Even though it's a class - clearly labeled as such, too - students still feel they need to come in with the perfect sketch. The one where everyone laughs at every golden line of dialogue and where the teacher breaks down in tears of joy at witnessing such blessed talent. If that should ever happen, believe me, you'll be the first to hear about my rapture.

If you are in a class, it's a good idea to keep reminding yourself that it's a class. No one expects you to bring in the perfect sketch. More importantly, you shouldn't expect YOU to bring in the perfect sketch. Give yourself a break. Whether it's Writing I or Writing 4, you should be a little forgiving of yourself. It's the first draft. And whether you think it's a steamy pile of pooh or a shimmering work of brilliance, you're just not the best judge of your own work. You really don't know what you have on your hands until you hear it read back to you. One student remarked last night that stuff he thought was going to be funny was so-so and stuff he didn't intend to be funny got a laugh. Yep. That's the way it goes. Get used it and understand that the feedback you receive is about what worked and what didn't work and ways you can improve upon your ideas. It's not a personal attack. Many students, regardless of experience level, hear it as what they did wrong and get defensive, which doesn't help them move the scene forward in a rewrite.

Having someone read your work out loud can be rough. I'm still not used to it and do what I can to keep from curling up in the fetal position on the floor. But it's one of the best ways to run a diagnostic on your scene and get direction for rewriting it to give it that rapture-like sheen.


ROBOWRITERS

Back and ready for action. New place, new time. Gorilla Tango, 1919 North Milwaukee (near Western) from 1pm to 3pm. $5. Bring in scenes. Have them read. fetal position optional.


ONE MESSAGE. LOUD AND CLEAR

Another good idea from a friend for supportive readers who don't have blogs. On Tuesday, March 4th, visit a message board and leave your "Impeach Bush Now!" message there.


YEP. IT WAS COLD YESTERDAY

Even the yetis were out. My friend Kate snapped this picture of someone - or some thing - on the bus.




THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I asked...

"In Los Angeles, controversial new vending machines have begun showing up that dispense what?"

13% said "DIY Botox Injections"
- I see this more as an arcade game instead of a vending machine.

12% said "Bullets"
- I'd hate to be around the guy getting pissed at the machine when it won't take his dollar.

No one went for "Puppies"
- Really, is that any weirder than "Live Bait" vending machines?

75% got it right with "Medical Marijuana"

According to the AP, the city that popularized the fast food drive-thru has a new innovation: 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines. At least three dispensaries in the city, have installed vending machines to distribute the drug to people who carry cards authorizing marijuana use. Well, it's about time! And I bet the snack food industry is swinging some big deals to make sure one of these is installed next to each one...

The Process of Process

For the better part of 2005, I participated in a weekly Sunday morning workshop at Second City (9am on Sundays, my friends, a true sign of commitment) led by Micheal Gellman. The plan was to work with Micheal on his theories of scenario one-act improvisation and put them into a show. All the while, our rehearsals and shows were documented and then shaped into a book by Mary Scruggs. The book is modeled after Stanislavsky's An Actor Prepares where all the characters in the book are fictionalized, but based on real events in classes and rehearsals. I don't expect to pick up Micheal's book and be able to recognize myself in it.

As an improviser, this experience was very beneficial. Even after all the training I have had, and after a decade of teaching improvisation, I still had a thing or two I could learn. One of the most important things I learned was what it really meant to explore the silence. Not just silence, "the" silence. I used to think it meant to keep your mouth shut until you think of the next thing to say. With Micheal, I learned it's about leaning into the moment and the emotional life of your character. It's an opportunity to forward the scene without words, purely through emotion and interaction. Pretty cool.

Also through this workshop I met Blaine Swen, which led to my all too in-frequent performances with The Improvised Shakespeare Company and through the stage manager, I met my fiancee, Julie. Needless to say, I hold my experience with this workshop in high regard.

The book is out and there will be a book signing today.

"Process: An Improvisers Journey", - today - Wednesday January 30 - from 5:30pm - 7:00pm at the Second City ETC. Theater in Chicago, IL.

It's free. I hope you can make it. Mary and Micheal will be there along with several of the workshop participants, like me.

Gellman even has a MySpace page about it! That's like your grandfather wearing an iPod! Please visit him. It's rather sad. His only friend is that Tom guy.



ROBOWRITERS RETURNS

This Saturday, Robowriter fans! 1pm - 3pm at Gorilla Tango, 1919 North Milwaukee. $5. Bring whatever scenes you are working on or show up to laugh and be inspired.


ONE MESSAGE. LOUD AND CLEAR.

An addendum to yesterday's post. On Tuesday, March 4th, if you don't have a blog, but still want to participate, use the comment sections of your favorite blogs to spread the cyber shout - IMPEACH BUSH NOW!

Also, Don Hall and I are working on putting up another edition of The Nod that night to cap off the day.



THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I asked...

"A travel agency in Germany is offering a flight where all the passengers have the option to be what?"

Guess this was an easy one - no one bought into the answers "Drunk out of their minds,""Available for networking," or "A member of the Mile High Club"

100% got it right with "Naked as jay birds"

According to Reuters, German nudists will be able to start their holidays early by stripping off on the plane if they take up a new offer from an eastern German travel firm. Travel agency OssiUrlaub.de said it would start taking bookings for a trial nudist day trip from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom. One thing I have observed about nudists, they are made up of the people you least want to ever see naked. It would be my luck on this flight to be wedged in between two hefty guys whose naked rolls of flab spill over into my space.

The Process of Process

For the better part of 2005, I participated in a weekly Sunday morning workshop (9am, my frioneds

One Message. Loud and Clear.

I hate State of the Union addresses. Even when there's a president in office that I like - which has only happened once in my adult life - I can't stand listening to them. They are nothing but shallow pep rallies for the GOP. The applause breaks are more calculated and stilted than the canned audience of a pre-recorded sitcom. I'll watch some of the post-game antics on the news shows, but even that's mostly prepackaged spin responses that aren't very insightful.

The last State of the Union address I watched in it's entirety was in 2002. The big one after 9/11. At that point, I had some hope for the administration. They had responded to 9/11 by going after the Taliban in Afghanistan, a measured and appropriate response, in my eyes. But in that 2002 speech, Bush laid out the Axis of Evil - Iraq, Iran and North Korea. The bone-headed dickwad actually used the word "evil" making his inferences the seeds of a Holy War. The response to 9/11 was no longer about protecting ourselves, it was about God. Our God over their God. Way to stir the pot, George.

That speech also contained Bush lying to the world about Iraq's attempts to build a nuclear bomb by trying to buy yellow cake (unfrosted) in Africa. Which never happened and most intelligence agencies around the world refuted.

Here's what I am afraid of... It's George W. Bush's last year in office and everyone is focused on the campaign and the future. Understandable, except George is still in office and as much as we'd like to call him a lame duck, he isn't going to act like one. And as much as we want to go to sleep and wake-up to a new president, we, the American people, need to hold him responsible for his high crimes and misdemeanors. We want to brush it under the rug and just get him the hell out of there. But if we allow that, we allow the new president, and future presidents, the options to continue his law-breaking antics. We have set a precedence of non-punishment.

I want my voice to be heard and I want your voice to be heard. Me standing on the street corner shouting looks like a nut with too much time on his hands. Me and a few other people looks less lonely, but our voices aren't going to rise above the traffic sounds.

Here's what I propose...

One Message. Loud and Clear.

On Tuesday, March 4th, I will simply post on my blog

IMPEACH BUSH NOW!

And I want you to join me. If you have a blog and share the same sentiment, post only "IMPEACH BUSH NOW!" on Tuesday, March 4th. If you don't have a blog, start one. If you read other blogs, please share the plan. I want to create a global "cyber shout" that cannot be ignored. I will also send this announcement to every member of congress.

Will it do anything? My jaded side says probably not. But we shouldn't let Bush ride out his last year without a fight. Help me spread the word.



THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I asked...

"A town after my own heart. Battleboro, Vermont residents will vote on an issue that calls for what?"

58% said "That kids must cover their ass cracks"
- I do believe this, but it's more of a safety issue. Small animals, like mice and squirrels, could try to hide in there and get crushed.

14% said "That all restaurants have vegan options"
- True. I do wish there were more vegan options other than salads and fries. Blooming onions don't count.

No one thought it was "That Richard Simmons be forced to wear pants"

28 % got it right with "That Bush and Cheney be arrested"


According to the Rutland Herald, Brattleboro residents will vote on Tuesday, March 4th on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont. The idea is spreading: Activists in Louisville, Ky., are spearheading a similar drive, and he said activists were also working in Montague, Mass.. The article goes on to say the indictments would be the "law of the town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro police ... arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro, if they are not duly impeached ..." Kurt Daims, the organizer of the petition drive, said "If Hitler were still alive and walked through Brattleboro, I think the local police would arrest him for war crimes." I don't think it's fair to compare Bush to Hitler. Hitler was a much better public speaker.

Heil, Bush!