Bad Morning: Bobby Keniston Talks More About Rejection

Greetings, and welcome to Theater is a Sport.  I am your host, Bobby Keniston, and I keep this little part of the internet to write about theater.  As always, feel free to comment below if you agree with me, or think I'm full of poo.

Today's post is a bit more personal than usual--- I tend to like to act like an instructor of sorts, give out tips and advice, but, today, well, I've had the wind knocked out of my sails for a little bit.  I'll be fine, of course, I'm used to it, but, for the moment, I'd rather just write and see what happens.

I've talked about rejection before, but it bears repeating for anyone who is interested in pursuing theater, acting, and writing as a livelihood, or even just as a hobby.  You are going to face a great deal of rejection, and you have to learn to deal with that and not let it knock you all over the place.  At least, don't let it knock you all over the place for too long.

So this morning, I check my email, and, lo and behold, there is a nice rejection note from a nice company for a play I recently submitted.  It is a company I have other plays published with, and a good relationship with--- I like them a whole lot, love how they handle my plays, and am grateful for the work they do getting my plays productions all around the country.  I like the company so much, I gave them an exclusive first look at this new play, when, usually, I submit to a few companies at the same time.

Okay, so I should be used to rejection by now, shouldn't I?  I've been in the business long enough, and have certainly been rejected plenty of times.  Yet this rejection has hit me harder than many others, and I am trying to figure out why.

You see, usually, the second I get a rejection notice, the first thing I do is submit the play to another company.  It's good for the soul.  So I did that very thing this morning.  I went to another company I love, who have an online submission form.  I uploaded the play, filled in all the information, revised my synopsis to make sure it was as good as could be, spent a good half hour making sure everything was as it should be, and when I pressed the button to submit, and error occurred, telling me to try again later.  So, I don't really have that feeling of satisfaction yet, the feeling of moving on and trying again after my rejection.  I'm not going to let a computer error keep me from submitting to this second company, of course, but I just can't fill it all out again at this moment.  I don't have the energy.

So here I am, thinking about my rejection.

It's natural, and, indeed okay to feel bad about being rejected.  In fact, it's not easy to feel good about it.  It's all right to think, but not to wallow, and so, hopefully, this blog post will help me move things in the right direction.

So why is this one bothering me so much?  Here are some thoughts:

1.  I haven't had a play rejected in a while.  My submission numbers have been down this year, and every play I have submitted has been accepted.

2.  I really thought this company was going to accept this play.  Which, I guess goes to show, you shouldn't be overconfident about such things.  I just thought this particular company would think itself a good home for this particular script.  Alas, that is not my decision to make, and, nor should it be.  This is a fine company that knows what it is doing, and, if they don't think they can sell this particular script, then they made the right decision.  Again, their rejection letter was kind, and very mindful of the fact that I am currently one of their writers.  I shouldn't have assumed they would like this one as much as some of the others I have with them already.  (Of course, it's not necessarily a matter of "liking" the script, but whether they feel its right for their catalog--- two very different things)

3.  Many of the plays I write are accepted without a prior production, so I've never really seen them on their feet.  This show, however, I produced with my hometown theater as part of an evening of one acts.  I directed the play, had a great cast, and I saw fist hand how well audiences responded to the play.  So much laughter and cheering!  People loved it!  I've never had such positive feedback for a play I've written and directed!  And my hometown doesn't necessarily get excited about theater all that often.  I know the script is easy to produce, has witty dialogue, but is also poignant--- I've heard the laughs and seen the other emotional impacts of it--- so, I guess, what I'm saying is, I know that the play PLAYS and PLAYS WELL.

4.  Because it was so successful in production, perhaps I was riding high on the script as a surefire win.  It's easy to do so when you see how much an audience loves it.  It's like you've got proof that it should be a "hit", because your individual production was a hit.  But the page and the stage are two different things.

So, yeah, I'll get over this, and fairly quickly, but I am going to allow myself to feel upset about it for a while.

Perhaps that will make it all the more sweeter when the script does find a home.


To Learn More about my published plays, CLICK HERE, OR HERE, OR HERE, OR HERE!

I've started a new blog where I am writing a short story every day for a whole year!  Each story will be between 100-250 words.  Please check it out!  (I've had too much rejection for one day).  
CLICK HERE to read my new blog!

The Writing Process

Greetings all, and welcome to Theater is a Sport. 

Amazing playwright and buddy Bradley Hayward invited me to take part in in a #bloghop that asks writers about their writing process.  (To learn more about Bradley's many wonderful plays, click on his name above.  To read his answers to the questions, click HERE)

I rarely get invited to things, so I figured, what the heck?  I'll give it a shot.  I'm passing this along to playwright buddy Wade Bradford, so stay tuned for info about where to read his responses!

So, without further meandering....

THE WRITING PROCESS

1.  WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?
I have recently finished a batch of ten minute fractured fairy tales for a possible anthology at some point.  I have had a great deal of fun working in the ten minute form.  I am also working on a sixty minute play that I was commissioned to write by Lakewood Theater for their fall production for kids.

In other news, I'm also finishing up my first YA novel, and hope to be able to find a home for it someday. 

In a grander scale look at the question, I'm ALWAYS working on trying to become a better writer.  It's on of those goals that never has an end.  Thankfully.

2.  HOW DOES YOUR WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN YOUR FIELD?

Interesting question.  I write for the youth and high school markets for the most part (though I still do write plays for adults as well), and I have nothing but respect for all of the fine ladies and gentlemen I have had the pleasure to meet and stay in touch with who also write for this market. 

I don't mean to cop out with this answer, but I believe EVERY writer brings something different to their work just by being themselves.  I admit, when growing up, I would find that a good number of the plays one found in high school catalogues seemed a bit formulaic, and those types of plays still exist, although I must say that the climate has changed. 

What I try to bring to my writing, is a base for younger people to grow from.  When I was writing my play Confession: Kafka in High School, I was truly hoping that my play might encouraged a student to seek out other absurdist works.  Kind of like a gateway play to some of the great writers.  I had a similar hope with my play The Dark Tower, which was based on the Browning poem.

One thing I've noticed about my writing lately is that I tend to write from a very "once upon a time" place and feeling, even my darker pieces.  This isn't true for all of my plays, but I think there's a part of me that is very much about fairy tales, and I don't just mean Cinderella.  I mean plays that have a feeling of myth and lore to them, even if they are set in modern day times.  Frankie and the Gingerbread Boy is a good example of what I mean.

3.  WHY DO YOU WRITE WHAT YOU DO?

The simple answers to this question are A. Because I think I'm pretty good at it, and B. Because I enjoy it. 

To elaborate a little, I believe that good plays for high school students and younger are VITAL for the future of Theater, not only in America, but all around the world.  Maybe if a student is in one of my comedies, they'll be inspired to read a comedy by Neil Simon or Moss and Hart.  If they read one of my absurdist plays, perhaps they'll be eager to devour the works of Pinter, Beckett and Ionesco.

I know that my love of acting and writing came to me while I was a young student, and wouldn't have happened without good, solid plays written for my age group.  Being in The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang changed my whole impression of what plays could be.  To this day, I'm still a huge fan of Durang and all of his more adult-themed works as well. 

I like to imagine (particularly after receiving a royalty check that was smaller than I'd hoped), that some student, somewhere out there, got their first taste of theater by being in one of my plays, and have since grown a love for it that will stay with them forever, no matter what career path they may choose.

It's a nice thought that I hope is true. 

4.  HOW DOES YOUR WRITING PROCESS WORK?

It differs from play to play. 

For the most part, I like to write very quickly.  With a ten minute piece, I like to write it all in one setting, and then work on revision later.  With my longer one acts, I generally get a draft out in 2 to 3 days (although, I have written a few of them in a day).  Remember--- these are drafts.  Some rougher than others. 

I like to write in silence, and, to be honest, it is almost like having a conversation with myself, where I am playing all of the different characters in my head (I was an actor before I became a writer). 

Sometimes I outline (especially if I'm stuck), but most of the time, I don't.  Although, I do like to know how the story will end in my mind before I start writing. 

I like to think of "writing" as he term that also encapsulates all the time spent thinking about a project in my head.  Rolling it around back and forth, imagining all the sights, smells, sounds.  Envisioning a character's quirks.  When I'm actually sitting at the keyboard, I call that "typing" or "transcribing".  That's not to say that new and exciting things don't hit me while I'm doing the typing--- they certainly do.  But even the thinking is part of the "writing", whether you're making notes or not.

Speaking of making notes, if I get an idea that might be promising, I do keep a notebook where I'll write down possible titles and synopses.  To be honest though, the REALLY good ideas are the ones that I don't forget.  The ones that keep demanding attention in my head.  In a sense, they are demanding me to write them. 

I don't know if you'll find this interesting, but I do sometimes like to write longhand first, and I use white legal pads and different color pens when I do.  Writing this way sometimes forces me to think a bit more when I need to.  Other projects, the ones that are bursting to fly out of me, go write to the computer, however. 

Okay!  I guess that will just about wrap this up.  I'm passing along to extraordinary playwright, Wade Bradford.  Stay tuned and I'll link you in to his responses!  In the meantime, do check out Bradley Hayward's answers to these questions, and, while you're at it, check out some of his plays, too. 

But most of all, please remember--- theater is a sport. 

Theatre Educators--- Help Create Actors, Not Parrots!

Greetings, and welcome to Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and I am an actor, director, playwright, and theater educator.   I feel lucky to be all of these things.

There are a great many misconceptions when it comes to the idea of theater education, particularly at a high school level. While many people would recognize that it is not a visual arts teacher's job to tell a child, "This is how you draw a sun, and this is the only way to draw a sun," these same people may expect that when directing students in a play, or teaching a high school acting class, that you tell the students how to act. "Read the lines this way, with a big smile on your face, then when he yells at you, act sad by sticking your lower lip out and lowering your head. Listen to how I say the line and then do it like that." This is simply not true. Or, at least, I believe it goes against every little thing theater education should be about.

As a director, I try to NEVER give line readings (having people imitate how I would say a line). To me, that is akin to a visual arts teacher saying, "You can only draw that this way." The only time I will do this, the only, only time, is if I have a really little kid who cannot think critically about what they are doing, and, only then will I do that in a production that people are paying money to see. I don't even like to do it then. Even when directing "Annie, Jr." and "Anne of Green Gables" at the Center Theatre, I didn't do this unless absolutely necessary, and never with anyone over the age of five. Why, Bobby, you may ask.  The answer is simple.  I feel my primary role as an educator is to create actors and not parrots. It is my job to teach young people about MAKING CHOICES. That is perhaps the number one job of an actor--- it is what they bring to the table as an artist.

I do my best to give all cast members or students tools toward building a character, understanding a script, and discussing with them how they help to tell the overall story. From time to time, I will have a students ask me in a rehearsal or class, "How should I say that line?" I always answer that question with another question: "Where is your character at?" or "What are they thinking?" or, most often, "What does your character want?  What is their objective for speaking this line?"

In this way, I am helping to create actors, and actors who can analyze a script critically.  If I tell them exactly how to do something, I cease being an educator or a director, and I become a pirate trying to train his parrots.

A director's job is to put everything together to create an experience that is magical coming from the work of many, and not just myself. 

My job with high school students or even younger actors is to facilitate them finding the answers for themselves, guiding them to create something which comes from their unique perspective, and discussing changes if I don't agree with their interpretations, or don't believe it fits within the world of the play.  This is an important job. 

You see, this is what happens in real life, in the real world of theatre. Actors make choices. They are not told exactly how to say a line. And I will not condescend to my students by expecting less of them than I would of adult actors.

 

If  a student registers for my class, or signs up for my plays, regardless of talent, I do my best to bring the best out of them.  This, of course, has varying results.  But by doing so, I am providing a richer experience for this student, and giving them a richer education. 

 

I do not, at the high school level, believe in asking the weaker singers to only mouth the words, or the weaker actors to stand in the background like props or furniture.  If I do this, then I fail as a teacher and as a director.  When it comes to theatre education, it is just as much about the journey as the final result. 

 

So I want my final result to be spectacular?  Of course I do.  Is that always going to happen.  Of course it isn't. 

 

But what can always happen, if I do my job, is that students can learn to think differently, use their minds more creatively and critically.  And that is what makes a win in my humble opinion. 

I do not create parrots. I assist young people in realizing they are actors.

 

Thanks for reading theater is a sport.  See you next time. 

Art Vs. Commerce: Is Art Getting Its Butt Kicked?

Welcome to Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston.  It is Wednesday, March 13th in the year of our Lord 2013.  I hope all of you lovely readers are doing well. 

I will try not to go off into a rant, but I cannot promise. 

I would like to begin by saying that I am not convinced there is a major difference in so-called "high art" and so-called "low-art", but I do believe there is a difference between practicing a craft with integrity and practicing a craft without.

I should begin by telling you something my old playwriting professor, Gladden Schrock, always told me:  theater is a vulgar medium.  By vulgar I do not mean crude--- by vulgar, I mean that it is a medium for the people, of the people.  Theater, by its design, is for all people, rich and poor, Queen or groundling.  To me, this is an unshakeable axiom.  If you disagree, perhaps you should stop reading right now. 

I am going to say something shocking here:  theater does not require a great facility.  Art finds a way.  Theater can be performed in church basements, on street corners, in drained swimming pools.... the list goes on and on.  For theater to work and connect, one needs only imagination.  It's true.  I'm not kidding. 

The problem is, well-meaning people develop grandiose ideas that theater must have a building that is a temple, a facility that looks wonderful on paper for their community.  Fancy lights!  Comfy chairs!  This way, people will come!  And yes, I want to stress that a theater should be a temple, but that does not mean the temple must be grandiose.  A grange hall putting on Neil Simon or a church basement putting on Tennessee Williams becomes a temple of the theater, even if for a short time.

So a community of actors, directors, stagehands and amateur designers all get together and find a space.  They decide to put on a season of plays.  They have dramas, comedies, a classic (maybe even Shakespeare), a musical... and, lo and behold,  Mr. Hapgood P. Artssupporter and his lovely wife who just WOULDN'T miss a show, gives a sum of money to this wonderful facility in town because "art is so important to the community".  "The wife and I especially like the comedies and musicals," Mr. Hapgood P. Artsupporter tells them as he hands them the check, "Never did understand that Shakespeare, though."  

Well, money is necessary to keep up a good facility and any organization.  And, Mr. Hapgood has a point:  the Shakespeare classic WAS the lowest attended show of the season.  And, you've got an overhead, and, dammit, this facility is important to the community... I mean, ART is important to the community!  (I am not trying to scold, I'm really not--- a nice facility is great for the community, but shouldn't what is housed in the facility have just as much pull as the building itself?)  But we can't survive on half-empty houses and a handful of advertisers... we need a steady stream of donors, maybe even an underwriter or two for our season at this important non-profit facility. 

So, let's cut the Shakespeare.  Next season, we will do some comedies, a musical or two, a serious drama, and maybe a farce (if people like the comedies, they should love the farces!).  Still a nicely balanced season, something for everyone, which is what theater is all about anyway. 

Mr. Hapgood and his wife brings their good friends, the The-ate-erLovers, who absolutely LOVE the theater, and want to hand over some money as well, because "art is so important for the community".  "Really loved that farce, and all the musicals," Mr. The-ate-erLovers says, "Great for the community.  That production of 'Streetcar Named Desire' was awful heavy, though."

Come to think of it, "Streetcar" was the least attended show.  True, it was the most raved about show of those who attended, but raves don't pay the bills.  And, this facility has become so important to the community over the last few years... we don't want to lose it!  We need to get people out.  We need to justify the ticket prices! 

You see where I'm going with this. 

It is very easy for any theater--- regional, community, what have you--- to ride the slippery slope between art and commerce.  To make allowances for what will sell well, or what you believe will sell well. 

I may be crazy for even saying this, but resist the urge.  Create good theater--- that is the number one goal.  Get people used to Chekhov and Shakespeare.  It doesn't happen overnight.  And, even before you worry about a permanent facility, put on theater wherever you can... get people hungry for it... then worry about a facility, overhead, etc. 

Yes, so often it feels like we are living in a society where people do not wish to be challenged anymore.  Where reality television runs supreme, where we are so scared of making our audiences think, that we'd rather just feed them white bread over and over again, because at least we know they like it. 

Sadly, this is not the purpose of art.  Yes, art should entertain, but it should also inspire.  And yes, money is important to survive, obviously, but what is the point of a theater surviving if it is compromising its very purpose and mission?

There has to be room for everything.  A community theater needs to push itself, needs to allow itself to grow.  It cannot fear a production that doesn't have sold out houses.... hopefully, the big farce at the end of the season will help make up for it. 

And here's the deal:  eventually, audiences will buy their own white bread and eat it at home.  There are so many screens there to occupy their time and help them to keep from thinking for awhile.  Make the live stuff a NECESSITY.  Make the live stuff VITAL.  Inspire, provoke, but, most importantly, CREATE.

Maybe just try putting on a Pinter instead of your tenth Neil Simon.  Maybe try an evening of new voices instead of holding "Little Mary Sunshine" over for another week. 

I'm not going to lie... Art is getting its butt kicked by commerce almost all of the time.  Let's try to give art a fighting chance, particularly in the theater.  Leave commercials to TV and 3D remakes for the cinemas. 

Let theater be about art.  And then, when people who are seeking art open their wallets, it will be in your modest or surpreme facility.  And either way, it will be a temple.

Thanks for reading.  If you want to learn more about me, follow the links at the end of the post.  If you would like to subscribe to my blog, you can enter your e-mail in the space at the top of this page where it says "submit". 

Hope you are well.  And please remember:  Art is permanent, money is temporary, and, yes, theater is a sport.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheaterIsASport
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bobby-Keniston-Playwright-Page/148232788536601

SERVING THE HUMAN RACE or WHY COMMUNITY THEATER?

(Yes, you too can graduate from Community Theatre U!)

(Brief Digression--- whether you spell the word "theater" or "theatre", grammatically speaking, is fine.  Some people make distinctions between the spelling of the words, such as "theater" is a venue and "theatre" is an artform, or sport, but, while it is fine to feel like a smartypants with these distinctions, they don't really come from general vocabulary usage.  I'll write more on this some other time).

Today at Theater is a Sport, I had planned to write some audition tips for people wanting to get involved with community theater. 

I changed my mind. 

I thought to myself, before helping people land parts in their local community theater, perhaps I should write a bit about WHY community theater even exists, and its role in our culture, and, even, the vital role it plays in the very notion of what it means to be a human.  (Don't worry--- lowering the pretentious meter soon... please keep reading).

Community Theater, as a term, literally derived from the concept of theater being designed specifically for a certain community of people.  That makes sense, right?  According to my research, Community Theater in America was a branch of the Little Theater Movement circa 1912 (which merits a blog post of its own).  Nowadays, I think most people identify the term "Community Theater" as being "non-professional" theater, or theater in the "amateur" market.  Please don't be offended by the terms "amateur" or non-professional"--- I have spent a good part of my life being an "amateur" actor, and all I mean by this is that I provide acting services without being given money for my services.  That's all it means.  If you're an amateur actor, it just means you love acting enough to do it for free.

I'd like to spend another second on the initial concept, however:  theater designed specifically for a certain community of people.  What a lovely notion that is!  How it makes my heart glow and lips stretch into a smile!  A community of people putting on a show for a community of people!  What better show of a community's strength is there than gathering together to share a "communal" experience as audience and storytellers, sharing the same energy of the room, giving and taking from one another, and, most of all, simultaneously being part of a moment in time with one another, a special, rare moment in time that can never be repeated?  What better definition of community is there than this group of storytellers and audience becoming a single unit, where every single person's connection to the story enriches and completes the outcome?

Why does community theater exist?  The human race needs stories!

Why does community theater exist when there are so many other ways to find stories (movies, tv, the internet, etc.)?  I'll tell you why--- because not only does the human race need stories, it needs that connection you can only attain when you are part of sharing that distinct moment, live and in person, with no real barrier between you and the storyteller.  We are a world that is becoming obsessed with screens (says the fellow whose words you are reading from a screen), but these screens, while often valuable, create a layer of protection from what can truly be an amazing, cathartic experience (whether through laughter or tears).  Let that layer drop, and trust me, you share a mutual vulnerability with the performers that will touch you in a way that the screens cannot.  And this connection through the removal of layers is a profound and noble experience.  I truly believe this. 

Why should anyone care about "amateur" or Community Theater?  Shouldn't we just save our money for  a Broadway show (or at least an Equity Regional Theater)?
I will always encourage people to attend a Broadway show if they have the means.  I will always recommend people to attend their nearby Regional Theater, or professional summer stock, or touring shows, all of it.  It is a great way to spend your time, broaden your horizons, and be moved by gifted performers, directors, writers, and technicians.

Having said this, I must STRONGLY tell you my firm belief is that without thriving community theaters across the country, and, indeed, the world, professional theater would, and will, starve and ultimately die.

You might think I'm crazy for believing this, which is okay.  I am a little crazy, and am still determining whether it is a character fault or one of my finest graces (feel free to comment below with your opinion).

The reason I strongly believe this, however, is because COMMUNITIES ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF CIVILIZATION.  Before we fix the State, we fix the Town.  Amateur theaters, like school and community theaters, is where a love for the craft (and sport) begins.  It is where a child (like I was once was) watches their parents (like mine) transform into other people.  It is where you see your best friend shine like a star playing Felix in "The Odd Couple".  It is where you see the shy local teenager who works at her father's hardware store become "Thoroughly Modern Millie".  And this is a kind of magic.  To see people you know, people you've grown up with, people who check out your groceries or give you your annual physical cast off their every day lives to tell you a story.  

It is at this level that you become hungry for more stories, it is at this level where you might think, "Huh--- maybe I should save up to take the family to see a Broadway show".  Or, even if you never can afford to do so, you have still enriched your life by experiencing theater at the community level.

That's my answer to "Why community theater?"

And I cannot state strongly enough that whether your community theater performs in a church basement with minimal lights and settings, or is a 300-seat auditorium with nice lights and sound equipment (like my hometown community theater, The Center Theatre, which you will see a picture of below), it is VITAL you remember that your purpose is TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY.  I will spend time on this blog about developing a community theater, attaining non-profit status, building an audience, yada, yada, yada, but I will continue to return to this soapbox:  your first, and most important goal, is TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY, and by proxy, SERVE HUMANITY.  The reason I harp on this is because this intention is what elevates all theater, including Community Theater, to an art.  Because all art serves humanity.  It is what makes it vital and noble.

Later this week, I will write a post about why people should get involved with community theater, and some tips for auditioning.  Tune in tomorrow to read a post about my HERO WORSHIP of a playwright that I believe truly proves that theater is a sport, and, don't miss Tuesday's post where I will begin my online playwriting tutorial.

Until then, please feel free to leave comments or questions in the box below, or e-mail me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com. 

If you would like to see my playwright page on facebook and become a fan, follow, this link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bobby-Keniston-Playwright-Page/148232788536601

If you would like to learn more about Community Theater across the country, I recommend visiting the American Association of Community Theatre's website, which is here:  http://www.aact.org/

Okay, so until next time, please remember:  Theater is a Sport. 


Picture of The Center Theatre, in Dover-Foxcroft, ME, courtesy of their website: