Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The play's the thing...

The new play, After You Fall, is nearing completion. I finished the first draft and was cruising through rewrites when news of my father's death struck... and then it became very difficult to be funny. But I fully intend to get back at it today at lunch, cutting the unnecessary, purging the unfunny.

Then, on the 30th - just a few weekends from now - the plan is to get some actors together at my house to read it all out loud. Comedy is different when it's spoken than when it's read so you really need to hear it. That's why you get some actors to read it before you know you're done.

... unfortunately, I've been so long from the stage that I know only a few actors and most of them are busy, you know, acting.

Used to be, Clostio and I would sit together for a preliminary read and I'd see if he would laugh. But he hasn't spoken to me in years - YEARS! - so I'm stuck without his help and without enough actors.

Enter Vicky and Jeff. Yep, I'm volunteering them to read with two actors I know. It shouldn't be too hard. A good play should be funny without any help, after all. As long as they can read, which I've been assured they can, we should be fine.

Check these pages for a full update later. Should be fun!

No comments: