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!

TIPS FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ON WRITING A PLAY FOR COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTIONS

Lakewood Theater, my summer home, initially designed as a Broadway-style theater in Maine, is now kept alive by hard-working community theater folks called Curtain Up Enterprises.  Who says Community Theater has to be little?

Yesterday, I gave some valuable tips about Writing for the school theater market in a way that will help you get published (to read that article, click here).   This was a lesson for the business side of playwriting, after having done so many posts on the craft of playwriting. 

Today, I'm going to do the same thing for playwrights interested in writing plays for the community theater market.  This is a wide and deep market to tap into, just like school theater.

I want to take a brief moment to say that there is no shame in being a playwright who focuses their energy on writing for these so-called "amateur" markets.  Yes, it would be nice for everyone if their plays could have successful runs at a Regional Theater, or, dare you even hope?, an Off-Broadway or Broadway Theater!  Truth is, I know many playwrights who write for the school and community theater markets, who still have professional productions of other plays quite often.  We must remember that if you want playwriting to be your career, it is also your job, and also your business.  As Tim Kelly, one of the most prolific and vastly-published playwrights in American history once said, "On Broadway you can make a killing, but you can't make a living".  This is true.  Either you're a smash on Broadway or a failure.  There isn't much room for in-between.  (Yes, I am somewhat generalizing here, but please stay with me)  Mr. Kelly had over 350 plays published for the amateur markets, and, at the height of his career, had over 6,000 performances of his plays a YEAR.  All over the world (his plays were translated into dozens of languages).  Now, while this might not garner a playwright the same respect as a Tom Stoppard or Harold Pinter (two writers I greatly admire), it will allow you to write for a living, and a six-figure living at that. 

And the truth is, it is difficult for any playwright to make a living from actually writing plays, so Mr. Kelly's advice has grown much more fascinating to me over the years. 

Let's get down to the tips.  You will notice that some of them are similar to the tips for the school theater market, but there are some important differences. 

TIP #1:  Statistically speaking, more females audition for community theater than males (why do you think Steel Magnolias is so popular in the community theater circuit?)  If possible, write more parts for females than for males.  Or, gender-flexible roles.  It has been an ongoing joke at many community theaters that I have worked at that if you're a male and come to an audition, you're most likely in. 

TIP #2:  Here are some of the popular genres for community theater, in, what I believe to be most popular to least popular:  musical, farce, comedy, mystery, "dramedy" (a comedy with some serious, poignant overtones), and drama.  There is also the ever-popular "Musical Revue" (see something like Ted Swindley's Always, Patsy Cline or Honky Tonk Angels, which are, honestly as they are billed, recession-proof).  As you can see, in my opinion, dramas are a harder sell, but, most respectable community theaters will do at least one of them per season, so they are worth writing.  Of course, I love writing dramas.

TIP #3:  While I do believe far more full-lengths are written for the community theater markets, there are community theater festivals that put on one-acts, so there is a market for one acts in community theater.  I have had two plays of mine attend festivals put on by the AACT (American Association of Community Theaters), and it is very exciting and a great way to network with other hard-working community theaters (who, by the way, put on some pretty professional-looking productions sometimes).  In fact, my play The Girl I'm Gonna Marry (read more about it by clicking here), did very well by attending one of these festivals. 

TIP #4:  Cast size is different for community theater than for school theater.  Unless a show is a musical or an adaptation of a classic (like A Christmas Carol), I don't recommend writing for a huge cast.  The reason is simple:  many people don't audition for community theater because they have jobs and kids and can't make a ton of time for other things.  It can be very difficult to cast a large play. (Obviously, there are exceptions, like Our Town or something, but it is also easier to cast a show most people have heard of than a new one).  I would not exceed 10 characters for a standard community theater straight play, and I actually try to keep it between 7 and 9, again, more females than males.  A farce in particular should be kept between 7 and 9.  Not a steadfast rule, some might disagree, but I'm talking in generalizations for this post.

TIP #5:  Community theater shows can be a bit more "racy" than high school theater shows, maybe a little bad language here and there, but I still would recommend, for community theater in-general, to keep it somewhat cleaner than an NYC theater district production.  No Mamet-like "F-Bombs" every other line.  You might get some productions, but you are shutting yourself off from a great many more.  In a sense, you should remember that you're writing for Middle America, or the grange houses and town halls as well as the Little Theaters.  Besides, the cleaner you keep it, the more likely you are to achieve...

TIP #6:  ... THE CROSSOVER PLAY.  A crossover play is a play that is not only done at community theaters, but also at high schools.  If you can keep it clean enough, and interesting enough, you may find yourself with a play that works in both markets, and increase your productions and royalties quite nicely.  The aforementioned Tim Kelly had a large number of crossover plays, as does Pat Cook, who I interviewed for this blog a while back.  (You can read that interview by clicking here--- trust me, it's worth a read if you're interested in this business)

TIP #7:  Keep the sets SIMPLE.  A unit set (one set for the entire show) or a representational set that can be moved quickly and easily to keep things flowing.  Community theaters by and large do not have huge budgets.

One last note that I think is very important.  AMATEUR THEATER (schools, community) is VITAL for our culture.  People who will never have the opportunity to see a show on Broadway or the West End, or even a Regional Theater with ticket prices of up to $50, will still be able to see their friends and family in a community theater production for $10-15.  I do not feel I am overstating when I say that COMMUNITY THEATER HELPS KEEP THE TRADITION OF THEATER ALIVE.  It is important, just as important as writing an in-depth piece of art for the more theater-going elite crowd.  You don't have to win a Pulitzer to make a difference in the field of playwriting.  Remember, Shakespeare wrote to please everyone, from the groundlings to the Queen. 

Let's keep that going, shall we?

Thanks for reading this article.  Feel free to comment below, or subscribe to my blog.  And if you want, you can even drop me a line at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com

Until next time, remember that theater is not only a craft, or an art form, or a business--- it is also a sport.

 

                   The Center Theatre, My Home Town Community Theater in Dover-Foxcroft, ME

A SELF-PUBLISHING STORY AND SALE: Bobby Talks About His Experience Self-Publishing AND Tries To Sell Some Books!

Front Cover of a self-published collection of plays

Greetings ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Theater is a Sport, where I talk about all things theater!

Over a year ago, I decided to self-publish a VERY limited edition of a collection of some of my plays.  I did this for a number of reasons:

1.  I wanted to stick my toe into the world of self-publishing and print on demand.  It is a huge market for writers now who have not exactly had success through traditional publishing means.  And, while I have been fortunate to be published by a few different play houses, and am very grateful for that, I wanted to just check it out in a small way, to see if it would be something I would like to dive into head-on into the future.

2.  I wanted to have a book of my own plays to make available to friends, family, and anyone who might be interested.

3.   I thought this would be a good opportunity to check out the quality of a print-on-demand publisher.

4.  While I write a great deal of plays for children and high school students, I do still write a good number of plays that are geared toward a more "grown-up" market.  The three plays in this collection are a good example.  I am proud of each of these plays (I will discuss them more a bit later on), and wanted to see if it were possible to reach a wider audience.

So, with these very modest goals, I explored.  I chose to use lulu.com, because it required absolutely no upfront costs just to prepare the manuscript and have them sell it on their website.  The website is very simple to navigate, and I give them full props for the ease in actually creating a book to be printed.  Now, there are some services to help with your book and its marketing, getting it on Amazon, etc., for a fee, but, again, since my goals were modest, I did not explore any of that, so I can't comment one way or another for you folks looking to try it.  What I can tell you is that the website is easy, making the book was easy, and their is a huge forum on their website where you can find an answer to any technical problem you might have.  I literally started the process and had my book advertised on their site within a couple of days... (granted, I had already proofed everything and one all of my re-writes, etc.)  It is even simple to have a print version and an e-book of what you're looking for.  I will tell you, that it is best to have a PayPal account to receive your royalties, and you will get your money every month instead of waiting for a check that will come every quarter (unless they've changed this).  

I was happy with the printed product from Lulu.  My own personal photos were used to make a cover.  Lulu provides many different templates to choose from, so, again, simple. 

Based on what your goals are, I do recommend Lulu from my (admittedly) limited experience.  If you are looking to make a decent-looking paperback book, they did the job for me.  And, if you invest more time and energy than I did in making the product, I'm sure you can make something even better than mine.  So, yeah, if you're interested (and I am in no way a spokesperson and am in no way affiliated with them), check out www.lulu.com.  Of course, there are a ton of other ones, so, please, don't take my word as gospel, I just had a positive experience with them.

Okay, onto my product:

Here's the deal... I printed up some copies and sold some around.  The manufacturing costs vary, and Lulu did seem to have a number of promotions to save money on getting your own book printed. 

Now, one of the plays (I can't say which one, as all of this is forthcoming), has landed a deal with a traditional publisher, and, even has some people interested in making an independent film from it.  For this reason, I had to take my self-published book off the market.  Thus, there are a VERY LIMITED number of the books in print in existence.  (If I ever am famous, this will be a very rare thing to own... I am saying this with a smile, because, although I would love to achieve some fame, who knows?  It's not impossible, but I'm not necessarily holding my breath, either). 

So, right now, there under 50 copies of my book in existence, and it is already off of Lulu.  I have, in my possession, the last 15 copies.  Now, I never really worked all that hard at trying to promote the book or sell it, so, there you go.

However...

I would love to sell these last 15 copies or so.  Any money I get from it would go right into helping me produce and promote my own work. 

Let me tell you a little about the plays.  Here's the back cover synopsis:

"A grown-up fairytale about a Mother risking her own life to save her son from Death's grasp.  Two old fishermen, talking about life, sex, nature and their own relevance as the Lady of the Lake steers them toward tolerance.  Family and friends remember Jeremy, a gay teen who took his own life because he was bullied constantly at school and learned to hate who he was.  The three plays in this volume cover a vast arena, from fairy tales to comedy to tragedy.  Award-winning playwright Bobby Keniston presents three of his most powerful plays in this limited edition paperback."

The three plays:

A MOTHER'S WISH:  I originally wrote this long one-act when I was at Bennington College, where it was kind of a hit when I did a reading of it.  A few years back, still proud of the concept, I re-wrote it, making it a bit more theatrical and accessible.  It is a play that I am very proud of.

THE LADY OF THE LAKE PRESENTS:  THE F-G VARIATIONS:  Another play I wrote originally in college.  I am a big believer in tolerance.  I hate the word "f-g" or "fa--ot" or any other awful name used for homosexuals.  This play is about two old Maine fisherman, who, over a course of small vignette scenes, are steered toward tolerance by the Lady of the Lake, who they never see.  This play was taken to the MEAct festival, where it did very well.  It was directed by the brilliant Tracy Michaud-Stutzman (who also played the Lady of the Lake).  A year later, it was invited to represent the state of Maine in the New England Regional Festival.  It was well-received by the judges, and I won an award for Best Emerging Playwright.

THE RE-PROGRAMMING OF JEREMY: I self-produced this play myself at a few different locations.  It was a huge it and got great press in my home state of Maine.  This is a documentary style play, where characters, though a series of monologues, discuss Jeremy, a gay teen who has ended his own life.  A friend of mine told me, "I don't know how a straight guy can write so well about the gay experience... thank you for writing this."   I can't stand intolerance.  I just can't.  And when I think about all these kids who have killed themselves because of bullying, it breaks my heart.  That's why I was so gung ho to produce this play.  Producing it myself and performing it with so many wonderful and talented people was a tremendous joy for me.

So...

If you're interested in having one of the last copies of this collection in existence, you can e-mail me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com and let me know.  Please put the following in the subject line:  I WANT TO BUY YOUR BOOK.  I am only charging $12 plus shipping and handling fee (if I have to mail it to you) of an extra $4 ($7 if you live out of the US).  Since my book is no longer available, I no longer have a PayPal account, so you'd have to send me a check or money order, and I'd then send you the book. 

I hate doing a commercial for this, but, I really would like to sell these last copies out there, and, if there are people interested who read my blog, why not see if any of you would like one?  Plus, $12 is actually a reduced rate-- they used to $15.  AND, of course I will SIGN your copy, if that's worth anything to you.  :-)

So, yeah, if you like, drop me a line at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com and I will let you know how to pay me and get a book.  Again, whatever I get from this will just help me keep doing what I do.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Hope you all have a wonderful day, and, remember, theater is a sport.

WRITING INSPIRATION: How and Why I Wrote My Play "Citizen's Arrest"

A Production of My Play "Citizen's Arrest" as performed by Hettinger High School

Welcome to Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and today, I'm going to talk a bit about how and why I wrote my play "Citizen's Arrest".  I don't know if you're like me, but, if you are, you are interested in why and how writers write their work, and, even if you haven't read my stuff, I'm hoping that you find my experiences at least someone educational or slightly interesting.  If not, I'll aplogize in advance.  I'm a bit of an apologist.  (And and R.E.M. fan)

Anyway...

Inspiration is a crazy thing.  When you are a writer, you never really know when it is going to strike, so it is best to be aware of everything around you.  There's fodder for plays, stories, articles, and so much more in the simplest of events, occurences, happenings.... hey, even in just a consistent family joke.  So writers, store everything away... you never know when it will come in handy. 

So, let's see... in my life, I had published "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel", "Confession: Kafka in High School", "Death and Pez", and "Sky Baby and the Bedtime Story".  I was feeling pretty good about my growing list of publications.  At about this time, I started reaching out to other playwrights that I had found on Facebook, dropping them messages saying hi, asking for advice, etc.  It turns out, I've met a lot of nice people because of this, a large group of people who write in my market and who I consider wonderful colleagues and pals now.  It's nice to have a group of people to talk shop with, to share success and failure stories with, complain about the market with... and, what's great, is that we have all been there and had the same problems.  It's a nice group of people.

I digress.

In any case, I had reached out to a wonderful playwright in my market named Jerry Rabushka, who was one of the first to really reach back out and offer me encouragement and advice (Jerry has a TON of plays published with Brooklyn Publishers, and is a very talented and nice guy).  He mentioned to me that Brooklyn was always looking for one-act plays with a large cast, even casts of 20 or more. 

A one-act play with 20 characters?!  I didn't really think I could do something like that, unless maybe I made a Shakespeare adaptation.... I mean, how do you fit 20 characters into a play that's only 30 minutes long without making a number of them just walk-ons? 

Nonetheless, I stored this information away in my mind, just in case I ever came across and idea that could accomodate 20 people in a one-act play. 

One day, I was riding in a car with my parents.  I was reminded of road trips with the family when I was a kid, my two older sisters and I crammed in the back seat, my dad driving.  Throughout my life, there have been times when my dad is driving that he'll witness someone making a slight infraction, say, walking just outside of a crosswalk.  When this happens, my dad will say, in a silly voice, "Citizen's Arrest!"  It used to make my sisters and I laugh. 

I'm sort of fascinated by the idea of a "citizen's arrest".  I have never actually performed one, and probably never will, but I find it interesting the idea of an average citizen taking the opportunity to fight crime, brandishing themselves a temporary deputy to enforce the law. 

On this day in the car, I thought of my dad and his "Citizen's Arrest!" joke.  He has since told me he picked this up from an old TV show, either The Andy Griffith Show or Gomer Pyle, I can't remember which.  I was thinking of how silly it was, and I thought to myself, "how could I push something like this to this most ridiculous extreme?" 

That was the seed of the play, Citizen's Arrest.   How to make something ridiculous even more ridiculous.  I pictured someone placing anoher person under a "citizen's arrest", but not stopping there.  I imagined this person stopping passer-bys to form their own "citizen's trial", complete with citizen prosecutors, citizen defense attorney, citizen judge, citizen bailiff... the whole works.  Then, of course, they would need a juy of citizens to make a verdict, wouldn't they?

As soon as I thought of needing the twelve jury members, I knew I had a one-act play that could be 20 characters.  And, indeed, Citizen's Arrest has exactly twenty characters.

COMMUNITY/SCHOOL THEATER PLAYWRITING TIP:  Always try to write more female characters than male characters, as, statistically, more females audition for community and school theater than males. 

I had a great deal of fun writing the play, which, if I'm not mistaken, took about a week for the first draft.  Once the basic idea was in place, it kind of just flowed out of me.  Here's the basic story:  a guy named Dennis, walking through an idealized beautiful park, drops a candy bar wrapper on the ground without thinking about it.  Dana, a concerned citizen, places him under citizen's arrest.  Dennis tries to be a good sport about things, but Dana decides to stage a citizen's trial right then and there.  An out-of-work actress becomes the prosecuting attorney, a coffee shop employee becomes the defense attorney, a moody woman on her way to a quilting circle becomes the "sassy judge, like the ones on TV", a construction worker hunk becomes the bailiff, a very slow typist with a laptop becomes the stenographer, and a tour guide and her tour group become the jury.  It's a great deal of fun.

RANDOM FUN FACT:  At the time I wrote Citizen's Arrest, I had recently been in a musical revue of Johnny Cash music called Ring Of Fire.  Four talented ladies named Tracy, Nancy, Mary Kate, and Lisa were all in the musical revue with me, so, in Citizen's Arrest, four of the tour guide jurors are Tracy, Nancy Mary Kate and Lisa, an all-girl Johnny Cash cover band.  They keep coming up with silly song titles throughout the proceedings and wonder out loud "What Would Johnny Cash Do?"

If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Miguel, the coffee shop guy who plays the defense attorney.  He wants very badly to do a good job.  He claims his hero is Atticus Finch, and he always wanted to spak out for justice just like Atticus.  Unfortunately for Miguel, when the time comes to make his big impassioned speeches, he's got nothing, except for a few metaphors about how justice is like a cup of coffee.  It even goes well with cheese danish.

So, I sent the play off to my editor at Brooklyn Publishers, a cool guy named David Burton.

He accepted the play less than a week later.  At the time, that was my fastest acceptance, and, actually is still the second-fastest acceptance I've had.  It makes me happy to report that David really loves this play of mine.  He talked at the time about how it made him laugh out loud, and I think it is still one of his favorites of mine.  I know he has recommended it to many places looking for a large cast one-act.  It always makes a writer feel good to know that their editor is really pleased with the work they are putting out.  To be honest, I think David's reaction to Citizen's Arrest really was the beginning of him thinking of me as a playwright who was going to go the distance, and opened him up to talk to me about different projects to pursue and things like that. 

Citize's Arrest has done pretty well for me since it has been published--- it averages about four productions a year, though David insists it deserves more.   It also seems to have had a good balance of school and community theater, which is nice.

I'm proud of it.  It made my friends laugh, made my ideal reader laugh, and that's what matters most to me. 

I hope you have found this little story interesting and helpful.  If you're looking for a large cast one-act, or would just like to read a sample of Citizen's Arrest, please follow this link:  http://www.brookpub.com/default.aspx?pg=sd&st=CITIZEN'S+ARREST  Just click on script preview to... you guessed it!... read a preview of the script!

If you would like to become a fan of Theater is a Sport on Facebook, please follow this link:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheaterIsASport

Thanks for reading.  I hope you are all well and happy and full of goo theater feelings.  Until next time, please remember that theater is not only a craft and an artform, but also a sport!

How to Write a Play or How to Enjoy Repeatedly Banging Your Head Against the Wall: Lesson Three--- Conflict

Hello everyone and welcome to Theater is a Sport.  It's Tuesday, February 26th, so that means it's time for lesson number three in our playwriting tutorial.  Everyone ready?

The above picture is a public domain image that represents the word conflict.  Conflict, as I have said before, is what makes good drama.  Truly, you cannot write a play without conflict, or, at least you shouldn't.

So where does conflict come from?

Conflict comes from want.  One character wants something, another character wants either the opposite, or, to keep the first character from getting what they want.  And there you have it--- conflict!

Do the characters have to look as upset as they do above?  No, of course not.  Not all conflicts are huge conflicts. 

Kurt Vonnegut once said that every character in a story has to want something... even if it is only a glass of water.  (Vonnegut, aside from being a novelist, short story writer and essayist, also wrote a number of plays). 

To provide an example, let's take a look at an example of conflict based on Mr. Vonnegut's advice.  Take a look:

SETTING:  The kitchen of MARK and KAREN LASSITER.  It is a kitchen of affluent couple--- modern refrigerator, all the best appliances, etc. 

AT RISE:  KAREN LASSITER, a pretty woman in her early 30s stands near the kitchen sink, trying to turn on the faucet.  She stops after a few tries, sighs, and picks up a nearly empty bottle of water and finishes the last swallow.  As she does so, MARK LASSITER, a handsome young man in his early 30s, enters wearing sweaty workout clothes.

MARK:  Morning, sweetie.
KAREN:  Good workout?
MARK:  (Playfully)  Definitely got my sweat on. 
KAREN:  I can smell it from here.
MARK:  You love it!  Can you pass me a bottle of water?
KAREN:  (moving away from the sink)  Sorry, babe, just drank the last one.
MARK:  No problem.  (he grabs a glass from the cupboard and crosses to the sink.  He tries to turn on the faucet.  Nothing happens)  What's wrong with the sink?
KAREN:  Huh?
MARK:  Why isn't any water coming out?
KAREN:  (innocently)  Oh, is there something wrong with the sink?
MARK:  You didn't know?
KAREN:  No... I mean, I haven't really used the sink yet this morning. 
MARK:  Can I have a sip of your water?
KAREN:  I just drank the last swallow before you came in.  Sorry. 
MARK:  I need to hydrate.  I just did five miles on the elliptical. 
KAREN:  I don't know what to tell you. 
(MARK thinks, then opens the freezer)
MARK:  We must have some ice.  (retrieves an empty ice cube tray)  Why is there any empty ice cube tray in the freezer?
KAREN:  I like ice.
MARK:  Well so do I.  That's why I like to fill the tray when it is empty, so we can have a continuous supply of ice in our house. 
KAREN:  Mark, you stink.  Give me the ice tray and go take a shower.
MARK:  I'm thirsty!
KAREN:  Then lean your head back and open your mouth while you're in there.  Just try not to drown.
MARK:  I don't find that funny.

Okay, you get the idea.  And yes, this may not be the best play in the world so far (although I would argue that we are beginning to learn something about who these people really are and what their relationship is like, all because of water), but it is an example of conflict and how it can escalate.  Beforre long, in a real play, we would have to see some sese of stakes emerge, and, perhaps, a greater conflict be revealed. 

What are some good examples of conflict?  The examples are endless.  Human beings are good at conflict, large and small.  The world is full of people not getting what they want.  The world is also full of people who work hard to overcome obstacles in order to achieve what they want.  Some people never achieve what they truly desire, no matter how hard they work toward it.  It's all drama.  It's all part of the human experience.  From wanting a glass of water to preventing a nuclear apocalypse, conflict equals drama, so long as the stakes keep moving and the characters stay true. 

Those of you lovely readers who have been tuning in every Tuesday--- I'm sure you have been reading plays, thinking about structure, and have all written your very first monologues.  Good for you!  Your assignment for this week is as follows:
-Write a two-person scene dealing with conflict
-Make the conflict obvious (make it clear what each character wants)
-Try to think of this scene as its very own self-contained play with a beginning, middle and end.
-When you've finished writing your scene, find someone to read it out loud with.  Does the dialogue ring true?  Does the conflict feel honest? 

Length, genre, situation, and characters are all up to you.  Just remember:  "want" and "conflict".  Don't worry too much right now about sloppy dialogue or other mechanics--- this week is about focusing on want and conflict (though it is never a bad thing to pay attention to how the dialogue sounds, even at this stage). 

If you have any other questions about conflict, feel free to e-mail me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com  If you would like to become a fan of Theater is a Sport on Facebook, follow this link:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheaterIsASport

Thanks you for checking out playwriting lesson number 3 at Theater is a Sport.

To go directly to LESSON NUMBER 4, simply click HERE

Until next time, remember:  theater is, in fact, a sport, and conflict doesn't always need resolution. 

INTERVIEW WITH PROLIFIC PLAYWRIGHT PAT COOK, and TALKING ABOUT HIS TREMENDOUS CAREER IN THE COMMUNITY THEATER MARKET

PLAYWRIGHT PAT COOK, photo courtesy of his website

Today at Theater is a Sport, I am pleased to announce the very first interview for my little blog, and I couldn’t be happier that the subject of this interview is none other than Mr. Pat Cook, who, in my mind, has carved out an amazing career writing plays for the Community Theater and School markets.  With over 150 plays in print (several of them translated into German and Dutch), Pat Cook has delighted audiences with his plays since 1976, the year his first published play, Rest in Peace, was released by Dramatic Publishing. 

I can’t imagine there are too many directors for community theatres across the country who have never heard the name Pat Cook.  His plays range from comedies to mysteries, adaptations to dramas, and several holiday plays for every season.  Flip through a good number of play catalogues, and you are bound to see one or, most likely, more titles by this talented and prolific playwright.

On a personal note, when I received my first play publications, I decided to reach out to established playwrights and ask for advice.  I remember e-mailing Mr. Cook, telling him about my two plays which had been published back-to-back, and asking him a variety of questions.  When I hit the “send” button, I truly thought I would never get a response--- I mean, he’s Pat Cook!  He’s produced everywhere!  He’s probably way too busy to answer my e-mail, full of such naïve questions about a market he pretty near sits on top of. 

I received a response the very next day.  And what a generous, encouraging response it was!  Right away, Mr. Cook (I do call him Pat, but some habits are hard to break) treated me as a colleague, answered all of my questions, and asked me to keep in touch, that he loved hearing from others “in the trenches”.  I will never forget this kind gesture, and, indeed, over the last few  years I have had a nice e-mail correspondence with a writer whose career is a true inspiration to me. 

I’m very pleased he agreed to answer some questions for my blog, and feel I have waited long enough to share the humor and wisdom from this playwright I so admire with all of you reading.

BOBBY:  First of all, thank you for agreeing to answer some of my questions.   According to your website, you've published over 150  plays! Is that number still current?

PAT COOK:  That was my total at the end of last year and it still holds true. I do have two more under consideration.
 

BOBBY:   Did you grow up in a "theatrical" household? Was your family interested in the theater?

PAT COOK:  Outside of my Mother and Aunt playing piano I'm the only one in any way associated with theater.
 

BOBBY: What was the first play that you saw that made you think,  "I'd like to write a play"?

PAT COOK:  When I saw the movie version of "The Odd Couple" I remember thinking that that's the kind of stuff I wanted to write.
 

 BOBBY: I know that you have had a variety of jobs throughout your life, including acting in local commercials, playing piano, performing on stage, etc. How would you say this has impacted your work as a playwright?

PAT COOK:  You never really know at the time (at least, I didn't) what will come in handy later. Playing piano, by its very nature, ingrains in someone a sense of timing and, of course performing on stage gives someone a very good idea about what works on stage. When I was in college, majoring in Drama, I, like all majoring in the Arts, had to work backstage, do lights, costumes, build sets, etc. And to this day,  when I write a play I wonder if this set changes is really needed and, if so, do they stage hands have time to make the change. The same is true of costumes - I try to make sure the actors have time for a costume change and write the entrances and exits accordingly.

(INTERVIEWER’S NOTE:  It is this kind of consideration to the technical side of his plays that make them so attractive for theaters looking for simple-to-stage plays.  Aspiring playwrights, take note!)
 
BOBBY: When you sit down to write a new script, do you like to start with a character, a scenario, or just a scrap of an image or piece of dialogue? Do you like to know the end before you write the beginning?

PAT COOK:  It's never the same way each time. Sometimes I begin with a type of show (Christmas, Halloween, mystery, etc.), sometimes just an opening. In fact, I've started with just a title and went on from there. Oh sure, I have a notepad next to my keyboard and, whenever I get an idea for a line I jot it down, hoping to work it in later. And I NEVER know how a play will end when I begin one.
 

BOBBY: Part of what I would like to achieve with my blog is to stress the importance of school and community theaters (the "amateur" markets) to our overall culture. Do you believe that the amateur markets are necessary, not only for individual communities, but for the world of professional theater as well?

PAT COOK: I have no idea how amateur or community theaters affect professional theaters other than as a springboard for budding talents. I remember hearing years ago that comics would work the Catskills to hone their craft before hitting the big time. I suppose, in many ways, this is true of the amateur theaters as well.
 
BOBBY: In looking at your "Monday" murder mysteries, I can't help  but imagine it must be fun to write a series of plays with the same  protagonist. With this series, did you find it easy or difficult to
keep the character growing from play to play, yet still have each individual play work as a standalone piece?

PAT COOK:  Actually, when I wrote the first "Harry Monday" play I had no idea there would be sequels. However, when I got an idea for a new mystery he just seemed to fit the scheme of things. The easy part is knowing your main character before you start, without having to invent him all over again. After that, just coming up with other characters to react to him becomes slightly easier as well, since I know him so well. As far as each piece standing alone, here I try to make sure the story and dialogue are intriguing enough, even in Harry wasn't involved, to hold an audience's interest.
 
BOBBY: Here comes an "advice" question: What advice would you give to a playwright who would like to focus on the school and community theater publishing market? Do you find it challenging to write within the guidelines of what is considered publishable for this  market?

PAT COOK:  First, write the play - that should, by its nature, dictate which market you think best suited to it. Then go online and look up publishers web pages - they usually have submission guidelines along with the kinds of plays they publish and what they're looking for. It's actually much easier these days to find this kind of info, what with the World Wide Web and so on. I remember, when I started out, I found a book called "the Writer's Market", which listed hundreds of publishers, play publishers as well, and how to submit. They may still be putting that book out, in fact. If so, I'd heartily recommend any playwrights look into it.

(INTERVIEWER’S NOTE:  The book is still in existence, and is highly recommended, along with the Dramatists Sourcebook, for aspiring writers)
 
BOBBY: You have plays published with nine different publishers. Do you find the editorial process fairly similar with each of them, or do they differ quite a bit (you needn't mention favorites or least  favorites)?

PAT COOK:  This seems to have changed a bit over the years. Not mentioning any particular publishers, I know one (at least one, anyway) which listed in their contract that they may change any lines or characters they deemed necessary. Some will send you the 'galleys' for your to proofread while others simply take care of that themselves and you find out later what changes they made AFTER you get your complimentary copies. For what it's worth I'd recommend that when a publisher offers to publish your play you ask about their editorial process. This can save a world of heartaches later.
 
BOBBY: Aside from a few here in Maine, I have yet to travel to see too many of the productions that are done of my plays... they're so far away. Do you like to go see productions of plays that you have written?

PAT COOK:  Like you, I rarely go very far to see any productions, especially these days. Again, a great thing about the age we live in is they can send you a DVD, if they've received permission to record the production. One note here about seeing one of you shows - always wait until you're invited. I can't tell you how many times I saw one of my plays advertised and went to see it, only to wince constantly at the changes made to the script. It's only when they do the play according to the script do they feel comfortable inviting the author.
 
BOBBY: If you could have coffee and talk shop with any playwright, alive or dead, who would it be and why? What would you like to talk about with him/her?

PAT COOK:  First, George S. Kaufman, then Neil Simon. Simon's work inspired me to write plays, as mentioned above, but I really learned about comedy characters, structure and diversity. What would I talk about? Nothing. I'd let them do all the talking, with a possible question or two from me.
 
BOBBY: What finally prompted you to decide to write full-time? Was this a scary endeavor, or were you at point where you knew things would probably work out?

PAT COOK: Actually, I had a few plays published by the time I met my wife, Rose Ann. After we got married she taught me how to use a computer (this was around 1990.) Then after she had nailed down a good job, we agreed that I would just write play after play and see where it went. Not just occasionally but making it a full time job. Up until that time I would normally write 1 or 2 plays a year. That year I wrote 7. I suppose it was a bit scary but now that I look back at it I don't believe I worried about it at that time. Fortunately, after I was making a living as a playwright, Rose Ann wanted to get out of her then job (computer engineer) and buy a quilt shop. I told her to go ahead now that I would support us both. By the grace of God we are both now doing something we love.
 
BOBBY: A good number of writers talk about having a first reader, or even an Ideal Reader. Who is this person for you, and how to they inspire your work and your success?

PAT COOK:  Actually, no one reads my stuff here, although I tell Rose Ann what I'm working on and she give me lots of advice, in some cases even ideas for new plays (my play "Scrambled" was her idea, complete with title.)

(INTERVIEWER’S NOTE:  “Scrambled” is one of my favorites of Mr. Cook’s recent plays.  From the first scene, you can tell it’s a pro writing this script, the way he weaves the subplots into the main plots, and introduces characters so seamlessly.  It is available from Eldridge Publishing, and I highly recommend it for any community theater groups out there)
 
BOBBY: I know this is probably not an easy question, but I'll try it anyway: is there a particular play of yours, or maybe a few, that you feel are special to you but haven't had quite the success you think they deserve?

PAT COOK:  That is a tough one. I really can't think of any offhand. I don't know if this is true with other writers but after I finish a play and submit it I think it over and wonder if it's any good at all, I start
picking it apart and looking for faults. Then, if it DOES get published, I stop all that. Go figure.
 
BOBBY: This isn't really a question so much as a chance for you to acknowledge any special community theater groups that may have a fond place in your heart or that have helped you in your life, past or present.

PAT COOK:  Not any particular theater but a group of guys and gals I used to know both back in college and at Astroworld. I knew SUCH a variety of characters then, full of enthusiasm, idiosyncrasies, adventures and schemes. I now have a wealth of character types to draw from and, to this day, I miss them all.

Again, I would like to thank Pat Cook for taking the time to answer my questions.  If you would like to learn more about him and his plays, I encourage you to visit his official webpage:  www.patcook.org

Thank you all for taking the time to read this interview.  Tomorrow at Theater is a sport, I will be talking about the writing process of my second published play, CONFESSION:  Kafka in High School.  (Click here to read that post!)

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com.  If you would like to become a fan of Theater is a Sport's facebook page, please follow this link:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheaterIsASport

See you tomorrow.  Until then, remember:  theater is not just a craft or an artform.  Theater is a sport.

RUMPLESTILSKIN RAPS and BOBBY BECOMES A PUBLISHED PLAYWRIGHT: How I Got My First Play Published

                   (This photo from a search for "Rumplestilskin in the public domain)

It will be three years in March since my first play was accepted for publication by the good folks at Brooklyn Publishers.  I was twenty-nine years old.  The play, "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel" had been sitting in a drawer (or, more accurately, sitting in a computer file, untouched) for about six years. 

I will admit it--- I didn't know what to do when I graduated from college in the year 2000.  To say I was a bit aimless is an understatement.  It's not that I did not receive a fine education.  I'm thankful for Bennington College, and quite proud to be an alum.  I had several wonderful professors, including Gladden Schrock, who taught me playwriting. 

I think my problem, as I look back on it, was that I didn't believe in myself or my work, though I had received a great deal of praise for it at school.  Perhaps, more accurately, I was afraid of all of the "potential" everyone said I was chock-full of.  What if they were wrong?  Or, what if they were right, but I never lived up to this potential.  As the years go by, potential and a dollar twenty-five will get you a cup of coffee.  And no one wants to leave the world with everyone saying "He had so much potential". 

So yeah, I was worried about living up to my hype, and I submitted nothing to publishers except for a few short stories that were promptly rejected.  Then I did nothing.

Well, that's not entirely true.  I was a bit depressed because I was living back at home in Dover-Foxcroft.  My finances were grim.  A lot of student loans to pay. 

My father was the drama coach at SeDoMoCha Middle School for as long as I could remember.  Back in 2003-2004, when I was living another stint at home, my father asked if I would like to take a crack at directing the middle school play, and I said yes.  As long as I could write it as well.

I had an urge to finish a play, and figured that having this job would force me to finish writing one.  I hadn't had a deadline since I was in college, and, believe or not, I happen to think deadlines can be a great spur for creativity. 

I knew I would probably do something that was kid-friendly enough, like a mash-up of fairytales.  But I didn't want it to be the same bland re-telling of stories we have heard a hundred times. 

I wrote about twenty pages of a play called, at the time, "Rumplestilskin:  Master of Rhymes".  I wish I could tell you how I got the idea for Rumplestilskin to be a rapper, but I don't know for sure.  (I'm sure the dark playfulness of a fella named Eminem, who was so popular at the time on the airways, had something to do with it).  I wrote those first twenty pages to be used for auditions.  You see, I didn't know these kids, really, aside from a few I had directed in a theater camp when I was in college.  I wanted to see how many kids came out for auditions, and then try to tailor the play for the kids and their personalities. 

I held the auditions before the school's February break.  I had twenty-five kids audition, and I was determined to use them all.  The week of February break, I wrote the rest of the play, having let all of the kids know they were cast before their break.

Perhaps because I was writing so fast, I didn't have to worry and panic about the number of students I had to accomodate.  I just had fun.  Rumplestilskin was the rapper, but I gave him an overbearing mother and a bratty little sister named Rumplina (who I love).  The poor little guy just wanted to narrate the story, but kept getting into trouble.  I added Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk fame, who has lost all of his money on bad investments, but who is working hard to invent the folding chair to impress Stacy, a local storyteller, who also happens to be the daughter of the Miller, who the truly terrible (and Machiavellian) Prince overhears bragging about how his daughter can spin straw into gold.  Of course, I have a middle-aged woman, old before her time, who lives in a shoe named Sherry (well, she's named Sherry, the house doesn't have a name), with her many kids (named Perry, Terry, Scary, Sherry, Barry, and Cherry), and her carpenter husband who is obsessed with making shoe-shaped buildings and other objects.  Throw in an agent named Crazy Miranda (catchphrase:  "I'm Crazy!"), the Miller's neglected son named Jud, and a group of Royal Cheerleaders who announce the Prince (and, truthfully, hate his guts), and I had a big mash-up of stories that I found quite satisfying.  To my relief, the kids loved the script too, and worked very hard to make it a success. 

And it was!  They did such a great job.  It makes me feel old looking back on it, because all of these kids are adults now, I think, or very close.

At the time, I talked about trying to get it published, and was encouraged by so many people to do so. 

But I did not.  I left it alone. 

Why?  I'm not 100% sure, but I think it was partly the old self-doubt, but also this notion of how I had studied to be a "serious" playwright (whatever that means).  Pretty ridiculous when I look back on it, because I think this play has some of my funniest lines of any play I have ever written, including ones for adults. 

Cut to 2008.  I had been living in the Skowhegan area in Maine, but wound up moving back to Dover-Foxcroft.  While I had been gone, a new town community theater had been building called The Center Theatre (the theater camp I had directed while I was in college was the first big project the Center Theatre had done, long before they had renovated the space which is so lovely now--- my kids in that first camp performed on the tiny stage upstairs at the East Sangerville Grange).  I got involved at the Center Theatre, met a whole bunch of people, and, suddenly, it didn't feel like I was "stuck" in Dover-Foxcroft anymore, but was actually happy to be there.

In 2009, I directed a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" (one of my favorite musicals) for the Center Theatre, and, again, made so many wonderful friends who I began to share my writing with.  At this new wave of encouragement, I decided it was time to submit my work. 

I took a look at "Rumplestilskin:  Master of Rhymes", changed the title (which I had never really been happy with) to "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel", added some references to people calling him R-Dawg, made the ending a little less abrupt, and then submitted simultaneously to Playscripts, Inc., and Brooklyn Publishers.  

In March of 2010, I heard from David Burton, editor at Brooklyn Publishers, who accepted the play with the first of many pleasant conversations we have since had.  I had to go through the play, tweak it up some, copyedit it (fix any mistakes or typos--- for example, I had a character saying "hello" without the o on the end of the word), write a synopsis for the catalogue, write out a prop list and costume list, a bio for myself, etc., etc.  My heart was beating so fast, I don't know how much of this first conversation with David was actually heard past the reverberating thump in my ears. 

It was an exciting day (and exciting couple of days, actually--- my second play was accepted for publication the very next day by Playscripts--- that one is called "Confession:  Kafka in High School", which I will talk about next Saturday).  I had flowers sent to me, drank champagne with a dear friend, and received about a thousand congratulations from wonderful people. 

So... why had I waited so long? 

Again, it is hard to say, but I truly believe it had some notion of a fear of failure, perhaps with a new notion of fear of success... indeed, every time I go a stretch without publishing a play, I wonder if I'm all done, if this is it, my career is over!

But it's more than that.  I had to grow up and readjust my notions of  success.  I learned with "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel" that everything I write, whether it be for children or adults, silly or serious, comes from the same creative source.  I finally learned how to be proud of the fact that I was actually GOOD at writing for younger audiences.  So, no, I may not be Pinter or Mamet, but who cares?  I wrote a play that alot of kids enjoy, and, who knows?  Maybe it's the impetus for a kid to fall in love with theater.  And if that's the case, I sure can't ask for any more than that.  In fact, I have to say that's a pretty noble accomplishments.

Okay--- so, for those interested, it took about two months with that first script before a "proof" copy was sent to me via e-mail in PDF.  I went through the script, making sure there were no typos (getting help from my friends), and then sent back a few corrections.  Then I waited.  I believe it was another three months or so before I actually had a script I could hold in my hands.  And that was a sweet feeling. 

(Note:  since then, I have had other scripts that have taken longer, some much shorter... I've learned to expect anything).

Oh, and to date, "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel" has been performed in over ten states and two provinces in Canada. 

And, just for fun, my favorite line in the play:

Sherry, the woman in the shoe, has just been berated by Crazy Miranda, because two of her children were throwing rocks at her.  Crazy Miranda threatens to sue her.  Here's what Sherry says to her kids:

SHERRY:  What have I told you kids?  If you're going to throw rocks at someone, make sure they're not rich enough to be able to afford a lawyer!

Thank you for reading about my first publishing experience.  If you have any questions or comments, you can post them below, or e-mail me at theater.is.a.sport@gmail.com.

Tomorrow, I'll be talking about my feelings on how to become an actor in community theater (auditions, rehearsals, etc.)

Until then, take care, and remember:  Theater is a sport.

To read more about "Rumplestilskin the R-Dawg, Hip-Hop Minstrel", or to read a pretty lengthy script preview, follow this link:  http://www.brookpub.com/default.aspx?pg=sd&st=RUMPLESTILSKIN+THE+R-DAWG%2c+HIP-HOP+MINSTREL&p=1595