I thought about the above phrase these last couple of days while I was rehearsing with actors, musicians and singers for my next play black/white. At one point during the rehearsals this week, I stopped a scene several times and I apologized immediately. But then just as quick, I took that apology back and told the […]
Teachers
March 31, 2014 by 1 Comment
In less than two weeks, black/white will be presented to an audience. I am deep in rehearsals now and by the end of the week we will be heading into tech. It has been a bit of a whirlwind putting this play together, but as the days pass, the pieces are beginning to fall into […]
The Mind of a Writer
March 10, 2014 by 3 Comments
At the recent Academy Awards, actor Robert De Niro gave out the awards for Best Adapted Screenplay (to John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave) and Best Original Screenplay (to Spike Jonze for Her). Before he gave out the awards, De Niro spoke about writers. His words (or more specifically, the words he was reading), made me laugh […]
Goals
February 11, 2014 by 7 Comments
Goals – they’re important to have. Goals give you vision, a pathway and something to strive for. If the thought in your head today is, “I’m not where I want to be”, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in this thinking. But don’t get too comfortable. I love comfort but challenge […]
It’s Like Renovating a House
January 18, 2014 by 3 Comments
For anyone who has ever renovated a house, there really is no such thing as an easy or simple renovation. When you start tinkering with a house – tearing down walls, or ripping up floors – you often discover structural problems that you did not foresee. The little reno job that you swore up and […]
A Look Back
December 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A few quotes from writers: “The biggest thing that separates novice writers from professional writers is that professional writers have learned to forgo the illusion that they’re going to produce imperfect work.” — Larry Gross “There are a million things that are distracting you and a million excuses and if you want an excuse not […]
The Porch
December 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
Heaven & Earth had its final performance on Dec 1 and I really enjoyed the process of getting this play on the stage. It had its challenges – that’s for sure – but the reward is seeing the cast and crew rise to the occasion and deliver to an audience, who I felt were right […]
Meet the Cast
November 25, 2013 by 3 Comments
I’ve been working with this group of actors the last couple months and this weekend after many hours of rehearsal, Heaven & Earth opens. One of the things I like most about directing a show is seeing people learn something new. This entire cast (along with a group of singers) are made up of volunteers, […]
Blood, Sweat & Tears
November 21, 2013 by 1 Comment
I get a lot of emails telling me how to be a better screenwriter. And for anyone who has ever tried to write a script, and has done some research on screenwriting, you have no doubt come across some of the more famous teachers out there: Robert McKee, Blake Snyder, Christopher Vogler. These men have […]
Juggling Act
October 22, 2013 by 1 Comment
Heaven & Earth is deep into rehearsals. I have just finished blocking the play and now move onto acting. We are just about at the half-way point of this production which is a challenge for the actors as we begin to take away the safety of their scripts and work more specifically on acting choices. […]