WAVES Play Reading

I recently held the first reading of my newest play called WAVES.  Reading a play out loud for the first time is very much the same feeling I get when I’m sitting in an audience watching a play of mine on opening night.  I find myself quite nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time.   There was times when I sat through the reading where I thought, “Is this any good?” and other times I thought, “Oh, that was quite clever”.  Your emotions go through a roller coaster and by the end you feel like you’ve lost a couple pounds.  But it’s all good and it’s great to get a group of strangers together and hear their interpretation of your words.

A big THANK YOU to all the actors  – Natalie, Charlotte, Keren, Paul and Kevin!  I’ve been reading all the parts as I was writing and it always sounds different when you hear other voices.   WAVES went through much brainstorming before I sat down with this group.  I’m meticulous when it comes to planning a script.  I don’t commit to a word of dialogue until I know exactly where I’m going.  I looked back at the notes I made for WAVES before I even started writing the actual play.  There were 75 pages covering themes, setting, character descriptions, plot, story, bits of dialogue, etc…  Drafts are made in the brainstorming stage.  And once I review all the notes, I narrow it down and focus in on each individual scene.  It’s all typed out in a road map that describes the opening moments right to the last scene.  When I begin to write a script, it’s practically written for me.  I look at my extensive notes like a GPS – they guide me to my ultimate destination.

Liz and I

Thank you also to my friend Liz who provided her apartment and help me find the readers.  Liz directed the reading of my play ANIMAL at Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival and she was instrumental in getting ANIMAL staged at Alumnae Theatre’s Fireworks Festival. 

Liz and I have had discussions around WAVES and the possibility of staging it.   In the end, ultimately you want to see your work performed in a theatre.   I had the reading recorded as I need to sit alone with it and hear how it sounds and perhaps get another perspective.

After the reading, I enjoyed the discussion I had with the actors and all the myriad of thoughts and ideas that came from that.  I also felt fairly confident that following our discussion, my sense is there isn’t a major re-working I need to do with the script at this time.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear how the humor popped off the page and the potential to push it more.   As well, the theme of grief was prevalent throughout but it did not overwhelm the piece.   One of most satisfying comments I heard was that the 2nd Act really moved along and paid off after the 1st Act set up.  And that the ending of the play felt right and earned.

I’ve yet to listen to the recording of the reading as I’ve been revisiting a screenplay of mine called WHO IS MOLLY STEELE?   I had a deadline to submit the script to the Page International Screenwriting Awards.    It wasn’t so much of a re-write, but in the end, I ended up cutting five pages of the script.  I’m glad I put in the time to do this because the story feels much better, smoother, smarter.    I wrote Molly Steele 10 years ago and over the years, I’ve often gone back to it.  NOTE TO ALL WRITERS:   When you think you haven’t cut enough, keep editing.  To me, that is one of the keys to good writing becoming that much better.   This is particularity true in screenwriting (ie, a script for film) when it is a visual medium you are primarily dealing with.

Molly Steele is a family film, so I’m sending it to competitions who cater to that specific genre.  Once I complete the tweaks for WAVES, I will be sending the play out to various playwriting competitions, fellowships and theatre companies to see how it will be received.   I have high hopes that there will be more news to come regarding WAVES.  Stay tuned.