'Plaint of the Playwright

[ Wednesday, September 27, 2006 ]

Hey, kids! It's my stupid birthday!

posted by Rob on 4:11 AM | link
(3) comments

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[ Friday, September 22, 2006 ]

posted by Rob on 1:45 AM | link
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[ Wednesday, August 09, 2006 ]

You know you've done something right when someone creates a fan trailer.

posted by Rob on 6:06 PM | link
(1) comments

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[ Tuesday, July 04, 2006 ]

Psst! Buddy.

Wanna buy a t-shirt?

posted by Rob on 3:14 PM | link
(0) comments

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[ Friday, June 30, 2006 ]

Reason number one-hundred and one why living in the future is weird:

I've been a fan of Channel 101 and Channel 102 for almost two years now.

Well, this month, I'm not only in one of the Top Five, but I appear in the #1 show. (SPOILER ALERT! You should watch "Chad Vader" before you read this--it's a five minute short.)

Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan gave me a call some time ago to be in this--they'd seen me in a couple of RASHfilms--and I jumped at the chance. I've actually been fans of theirs for a while (and somehow missed that they live in Madison until about a month after having discovered them), and was shocked when Matt actually knew who I was (he saw my production of Neil LaBute's "Bash.").

I was the last actor they shot with--or at least, the last actor who wasn't Matt or Aaron--and my call was near the end of the last night.

It was actually a near-profesional shoot. I've worked crew on one or two professional shoots (both as an extra and as a crew intern), and this seemed as tightly run as any of them.

The first question Sam (another Yonda/Sloan fan) asken me was, "Who's playing Chad? Matt or Aaron?"

The answer, appropriately, is "yes."

Aaron's doing the body, and Matt's doing the voice.

What's also funny to me is that Aaron is much taller than he seems in his films. And when he walked in, in full Vader getup, cape and all, with Courtney Collins (producer of the shoot) trailing close behind, I instinctively quickly got out of his way. That sort of sense-memory is hard-wired into my system from my nerdy childhood.

Acting for video and film is actually very intimidating--when I initially read my lines as the character of "Lloyd," I had done them one way, and Matt and Aaron told me to play with it before the shoot. When I did it for them at the shoot, Matt said, "Good--I like the changes."

I was so nervous, actually, that I honestly couldn't remember how I'd done it the first time.

The first take, Matt mentioned that I was clearly smiling a little bit. I laughed, because all I could think was, "I'm in a food co-op and Aaron Yonda's dressed like Darth Vader!!!"

Then Aaron gave me a big hug. Awwww.

Chad, being watched over by Courtney...is she really pulling the strings? Hmmm.

But it's different acting in front of a camera when it's not your own shoot--I think everyone who directs should do it, just to get a sense of what it's like. I hung out a little bit when I was done, just to watch.

Tona Williams, shooting over my shoulder as I try to remember how I did the last take.

So, now it's number one on 101--which, in case you're not familiar with 101, isn't easy. Everything is voted on at a screening in L.A., so Matt and Aaron are not on their home turf. They're well-liked over there, but they don't have home-court advantage (meaning that they can't really pack the screening with buddies)--and as a result, whatever they send has got to be the best they can do.

It's also fun, getting to talk to Aaron and Matt about how they do things--there's just as much done that's meticulously planned out as there is organic improvisation, usually, but this one was a very tight shoot. Not in a bad way, but, again, it felt like a professional shoot.

According to an email we all got from Courtney, she got to hear audience reaction over her cell phone, and the crowd apparently loved it.

From Matt Sloan himself, I was happy to read this (SPOLIER ALERT!):

There were also a lot of comments about Rob's performance as Lloyd. I believe Dan Harmon himself mentioned how good of an actor Rob was and everyone seemed to think he was a professional actor. His line "Jesus, what's your problem!" always got a big laugh -- even more than when he was lifted off of the ground.

Hee hee!

I tend to think that the reason the reaction is so strong is because by the time my character shows up, you're totally sympathetic to Chad, and you finally see him triumph over something--anything.

I'm really happy that it's picked up--I can't wait to come back!

What a weird feeling. I'm actually having a good week.

posted by Rob on 12:19 PM | link
(7) comments

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[ Tuesday, June 06, 2006 ]

Woo hoo!

The Action Comedy video podcast is up!

For those of you who just want to see the thing I wrote (as performed by Tyler Yoder), you can right-click and download it here.

Thanks again to all those who put this together, especially Michelle Milne, who, luckily, thought to call me, and Daniel Palmer, who put the cast up.

posted by Rob on 11:01 AM | link
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[ Wednesday, May 24, 2006 ]

Mercury Rising closed last week. I saw about half of the show's run. It's always fun to see what gets a laugh, what doesn't. Who gets what, who doesn't.

One friend of mine told me that he totally didn't get mine at all. Like, he didn't get what my point was.

Wow. It's, like, the simplest show I've ever written.

Oh, well.

After, I helped out during strike--something I always do, mainly because if people are going to spend time and money to put something of mine up, I feel like I should.

(Did I help strike Lil' Pervs? I don't think I did. I did stick around for pictures, though.)

In other news...

Well, the crap that you find doing research, huh?

I was looking up stuff on Winchester Silvertip Hollow Point ammo when I found these guys:

Goddammo.

The concept:

Say your relationship goes wrong.

These guys will melt your wedding band into a 9mm bullet.

Yeah.

Not making it up.

Oh, yeah, and it's NSFW. For some reason, every gun-related search leads you to a naked teenage girl.

No idea why.

Okay, gotta go. Must weep bitter tears for America, now.

posted by Rob on 2:47 PM | link
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[ Thursday, May 18, 2006 ]

Just a quick reminder that this is closing weekend for Mercury Rising.

I've kinda gotten to meet a few people who I really didn't know before, just hanging out at the theater.

It's weird being the writer. I feel kinda like I'm still the nerd trying to hang out with the cool kids, sometimes. Everyone seems to like what I wrote, and people seem really nice to me, though. I kinda miss the acting thing, as well as the actually being a part of a show, other than providing a gun or something.

I remember when I first started getting involved here, and being very much of a wallflower, hoping for approval, or being part of the group. I actually kinda feel like I might be one of the group, now--not always, but more than usual. People say they like me, or they've heard of me, and I still can't accept it. My mind won't let me take a compliment.

Last week, at one of the cast parties, one of the actors said, "You know what, Rob? You're a nice guy."

I said, "Don't jump to that conclusion before all the facts have been made apparent. I am not that nice a guy."

Everyone kinda looked at me like I was a psycho--but maybe because that's because I was only half-kidding.

Okay. Sometimes I don't like myself much.

I have a hair-trigger mouth, I've done things I'm not proud of, I've lied, I've stolen, I've hurt people, I've aggrandized myself and torn down others, and been witness to it all.

But, hey, who of us hasn't?

Those of you who've seen my other work, the serious stuff, well, you probably know that much of it comes from a core of anger.

This show that I wrote for Mercury? It's actually kind of sweet, and hopeful, and optimistically ambiguous.

It's actually inspired me to kinda keep going down this path, and this week, for no reason other than I couldn't stop myself, I started writing another full-length. I'm about half-done.

Get ready, because here's the big suprise:

No guns.

No violence.

No one gets killed.

And it's a love story.

I'm just as shocked as you.

In a way, I have Mercury Rising to thank for it. A little play I wrote at the last minute, just to make the deadline has made me look at what I want to do in a new light.

Oh, sure, I'll do more stuff with guns and blood and killing. I mean, that stuff's my bread, butter and jam.

But maybe I realized that it was time to try something different.

Thanks again to everyone involved with Mercury for choosing my play.

And now, here's a teaser poster I made last night for the next full-length, to be done, I know not where.

Tickets for Mercury Rising can be purchased here.

posted by Rob on 12:35 AM | link
(2) comments

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[ Thursday, May 11, 2006 ]

And here's another thing I totally forgot to mention:

I wrote something that got performed someplace else last weekend.

New World Arts put together a Blitz-like event called The Action Comedy. Basically, it's like if I asked God for a play festival, it'd be this show.

Anyway, I just went to their site, and, apparently, my short monolouge "Four Things In No Particular Order" (which can be read in its entirety here) opened the night.

From reading the blog, it sounds awesome.

Incidentally, this also represents my personal best in getting a script in in a crunch.

See, Michelle Milne called me at work at 11:00 am, the day of the show, and asked if I was planning on sending a script, or what.

D'ohh! I hadn't gotten a confirmation email from them, and assumed I wasn't in.

"No, no," she said, "We saw your blog--which is awesome--and we knew right away we wanted you to be a part of it!"

It turns out they'd been sending me assignments all week, only they were going to my spam folder for some reason.

So at 11:10, she re-sends me my assignment, which I read on my cell phone.

I work for a while and think of a story.

At 11:50, I take lunch.

At 12:45, I had a readable copy.

At 1:15, I jack into my job's internet with the remaining seconds of power I have on my laptop and send in my script.

At 1:30, I get ahold of them, confirming that it's in the show.

God, sometimes I love being a writer.

posted by Rob on 7:48 PM | link
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[ Tuesday, May 09, 2006 ]

Fun stuff I Learned Last Weekend At The Opening Weekend Of Mercury Rising.

1. Almost all of the scripts were written very quickly, and last minute.

At least, it seemed that way to hear the writers tell it. Doug Reed told me he wrote his very quickly, and I wrote mine on the day of the deadline.

That said, Karen McCall's was her first play, and came from a very personal place--which is where all good writing comes from, I think.

2. For reasons unknown, mine's the only one without sex, nudity, death, or depression in it.

That's right. It's a love story. More than one person said to me, "The weird thing is, it's actually very sweet." Considering a gun gets pointed at a baby at one point, and a teenage girl is pretty clearly marked for a date rape, that's saying something.

3. I have something in common with one of the directors, Kelly Kreisel.

And that's that both of our passive faces give people the impression that we don't like them. Before the open, we all revealed how nobody thought we liked anyone. Hey, I though she didn't like me at all, but nope.

We just have passive face that seem angry or exasperated.

So, yes. It's altogether possible that we like you. We really like you.

Oh, also, she's a big comic book geek.

OWNED.

4. Doug Reed now likes writing dark violent material.

It's true. He told me that once he started doing it, he totally sees the appeal.

The funny thing is, after my show got a group reaction of "AWWWWW" from the audience, I have to admit, I want me some more of that.

Will this mean I'll be writing more love stories in the future?

Time may tell.

5. Okay, so maybe things weren't as awkward as I thought they'd be between Gwen Quirk and me.

I walked over and extended my hand, starting to say, "I am officially extending the olive branch," but I only got as far as "I am offic--" before we got interupted.

Anyway, I told her that I actually did like her play, and added, "And I would tell you if I didn't."

She smiled and said, "Yeah. I know."

6. So what did you think of how Tony Trout directed your show?

I loved what they did, and there were many things about the performances that I just thought they nailed.

In particular, I loved Bill Bolz as Connor, the burnt-out professional sniper. He has that great laid-back delivery, and that's the only way you can play Connor for it to work. There's a line he has where he says to Megan "The Gun" DuCott (who returns again for this show), "Cool. I have an 'in.' Wanna go to the prom?"

Now, that's an easy line to screw up, in context--it not only has to be deadpan, but have just enough sincerity for you to wonder.

Then there's Emily Mills, the third person to play Megan "The Gun" DuCott (Amy Sawyers is on deck to play Megan--the early years--in the internet version I'm working on, by the way).

Damn. I mean, DAMN.

Sequentially, as far as the character goes, this is the last Megan "The Gun" DuCott play (at least, until I write another one), and "Death And The City" will actually be the first adventures. It's cool to think that Emily's version is where the character will end up at.

I've already asked Emily if she'll show up on "Death And The City" as Megan's sister, just for the geeky reference.

7. How are the other shows?

Quite good, actually. Seriously, go see it.

I know I've said this before, but it's amazing to me that I wrote neither the most depressing, weirdest, or most violent one.

Wacky, huh?

Okay.

I am ready to ferment now.

posted by Rob on 10:45 PM | link
(2) comments

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[ Thursday, May 04, 2006 ]

Hey.

Did you know that Mercury Rising opens tomorrow?

Well, now you do.

Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.

Now, I haven't seen any of the shows at all, I've only seen the set and a little of a Que-To-Que rehearsal, so opening night, I'll be just as suprised as anyone.

However, Colm McCarthy saw a rehearsal, and I asked him how mine looked. He said to me, "You sappy bastard."

That's a first for me.

Here's the rundown on the shows:

Mercury Rising includes six 15-minute plays by Wisconsin authors. All six plays are performed in the following order each night:

Crowded House
In this screwball comedy, a young man goes to ridiculous lengths to hide his unusual love life from Grandma. Written by Douglas Holtz and directed by Kelly Kriesel.

March, April, June, July; May Be Not
A May-September romance between two covert agents with a hidden agenda. Written by Kurt McGinnis Brown and directed by Tony Trout.

The End of the World
A woman, who has discovered that the world is about to end, struggles to keep her knowledge secret. Written by Karen McCall and directed by Kelly Kriesel.

Lucky Numbers
An actuary and his wife, who are expecting their first child, may fall victim to statistical probability. Written by Gwendolyn Quirk and directed by Tony Trout.

The Maibock Seduction
A corporate raider learns the naked truth about the microbrew business. Written by Doug Reed and directed by Kelly Kriesel.

May Is a Special Time of Year
Two professional snipers, on two different rooftops, talk about every subject except being in love with each other. Written by Rob Matsushita and directed by Tony Trout.

This show is for mature audiences only, and for once, that's not my fault. (Doug Reed, I'm looking in your direction.)

After the Saturday, May 6th performance, there's supposed to be a "playwright's reception."

Now, those of you who read this site regularly (all seven of you) probably remember that I wrote some fairly harsh words about one of the playwrights a few months ago.

So, I'm predicting chilly with a 70% chance of awkward.

posted by Rob on 6:07 PM | link
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[ Tuesday, April 04, 2006 ]

Plug time, kids:

As you can see by the wonderful poster by Hannah Sandvold (and colorized by me--so if the color sucks, I'm to blame), Wishful Thinking opens this week.

Here's the press release info:

Wishful ThinkingBy Terese Kattner, Philip Heckman, Rob Matsushita, Doug Reed, Greg Lawless, Debra Neff Nathans and Aaron Nathans
Directed by Deanna Reed
Young actors perform a series of new shorts.

The Whale Play by Terese Kattner, a wacky farce about a crusty sea cap'n and the whale that ruined her life;

Bully of Band Camp by Philip Heckman, tells the tale of two bullies;

Joey Space by Rob Matsushita, is a TV episode satirizing the space shows of the seventies;

Bird's Opening by Doug Reed, a love story played out on a chess board;

A Vice-Presidential Opportunity by Greg Lawless, a civil war within the Civil War featuring ladies of Janesville;

The Mingler, a musical, by Debra Neff Nathans and her husband, composer Aaron Nathans, is the story of a superhero who saves the party.

Smart and action packed. Will appeal to audiences of all ages!
Produced by Actor's Factory at Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main St., Stoughton WI
Performances: April 7, 8, & 9, 2006
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday Matinee at 2:30 pm
Ticket Prices: Free - Donations accepted
Call 608-877-4400 for reservations or more information.

Be there, or be, as they say, square.

posted by Rob on 3:49 PM | link
(0) comments

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[ Thursday, March 23, 2006 ]

Colm McCarthy took the best picture of me ever:

You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize.

We actually tried to get the gun to seem like it was smoking, but we couldn't get it quite right. What's really funny is that just under me while taking this shot, Kelly Kreisel's lying on the floor blowing smoke up at me.

This, by the way, is my lobby card for the upcoming anthology show Mercury Rising, produced by, you guessed it, Mercury Players.