'Plaint of the Playwright

'Plaint of the Playwright

[ Wednesday, January 09, 2002 ]

So, Joel Gersmann's been calling me all week, leaving messages on my machine about something being "very important."

This is the curse of being a Broom Street Theater director.

We've got some director's meeting coming up--which is a big deal because we normally only have one a year, where we say what show we're doing and what slot we want. The upside is total creative freedom, the down side is that the right hand doesn't know what the left foot is doing.

Hence, the meeting.

So now Joel's been calling me.

If you know Joel, then you usually don't want to talk on the phone with him.

So when I was out the day before yesterday for a Computers In Love rehearsal, he called virtually very half hour (according to my wife) looking for me.

He finally left a pissy message saying "I can only assume you're out of town, but this is very important."

You may wonder why I didn't call back, if you've never talked to Joel. Okay, maybe even if you have.

It's because I know this is probably only a reminder about the meeting.

Never mind that it was a conversation with Scott Feiner (first-time director and long time friend) that inspired this goddamn meeting.

So, anyway, he keeps calling, he keeps calling, so I finally call him up--get the fucking machine (of course)--and mention that I'm only home until seven (it was then six), so he of course calls me at 6:40 and keeps me on until 7:10.

So.

What's the big important thing?

What did he have to ask me?

What was so important he couldn't leave the subject on my machine?

"Uh, are you going to bring any food to the meeting?"

I would be pissed if I hadn't lied about having to be somewhere by seven.

Anyway.

Last night, after watching 24, my wife, Betsy, says to me: "I read your script."

I cringed a bit--Betsy's taste is different than mine (duh) and so frequently she'll take the diplomatic way out and point out that we "just have different tastes."

But she did say that she liked it, that it was "very powerful," but she agreed with Casey about "too much exposition, too fast."

Yeah, that's a no-brainer.

But she did say that considering I pounded it out in less than two weeks, it's pretty amazing. (This sounds backhanded, I know, but she meant it in a good way...)

I know what you're thinking: "She's your wife. What else is she gonna say?"

Believe me, she'd say if she hated it, trust me.

Meanwhile, my friend Jesse had this to say about it:

"Good stuff. Seems less 'cool line' packed or refined then other stuff i've read from you, but that's for the rewrites i guess. I really don't like the name..."

Jesse was never a big Public Enemy fan.

At any rate, I'm not gonna change it unless Chuck D asks me to. I love that sound of it too much.

Oh, for the love of all that's good and pure, click here.



posted by Rob on 9:42 AM | link

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