News and Updates

We were in Pittsburgh this week and I got to see an impressive production of August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING at the indomitable Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre . The production featured Sala Udin, a personal friend of Wilson's, and I get the feeling that this is August as he should be - first-hand, focused, intimate, relaxed. His griot roots were given ample room to stretch throughout the evening, laying an intricate groundwork of language and images that brings the audience into a deeper understanding of the characters and themselves.

I have decided to treat myself to some focused time and attention for my writing. Earning an MFA degree seems to be the way to go. And by the hand of God, it looks like I'm going with Carnegie Mellon and their well-respected dramatic writing program. I got the chance to talk with quite a few students during the decision process, and I feel like I got their honest, critical assessment of the program. (Highly recommended for you kids thinking about grad school.) I'm sure there's a lot to write about getting a degree in writing, but I'll skip that for now. I'm busy enjoying the excitement / anxiety / anticipation...

OK, I'm not writing a 24-hour long play (it's more like 10 minutes), rather I have only 24 hours in which to write it. Less than that, really, because the director and actors will have to use half that time to rehearse, memorize, and produce it. I'll probably only get a few hours of writing, max, but I think it will be good to not edit too much. There's no way to prepare (at least I don't want to plan stuff out before hand) so I'm looking forward to it, but I'm a little nervous, too. Check out the Free Times article or go to the Trustus Theatre web site for more details.

So this tax day, having already filed and e-deposited our little return, I'm going to spend some time with friends at Trustus Theatre doing a reading of a new work in progress. This one is a comedy (hopefully) about death, family and gardening in the nude.

I had a great time in Texas last week, reading LOSING SLEEP at the Texas Repertory Theatre . It was really good to see them (including Wilbur the pug dog) and I was happy with the way the reading turned out. I always learn something new - something that I want to rewrite, something that I like now for different reasons - and it's great to have the validation that people who don't know me at all can somehow catch the vibe. On a selfish note, I got an "Economy Plus" seat on the plane coming home, and had no one sitting next to me, so I had some time to make play edits while they were fresh in my mind.

So next week I'm heading out to Houston, TX for a reading of LOSING SLEEP with the Texas Repertory Theatre Company . I wrote the main role, John, with my friend Steve Fenley in mind. Steve is a remarkable performer and the company's Associate Artistic Director, so I'll be doubly glad to see old friends, and hear the play from their perspective.

How fun is this. Check out this nice little interview with Martin McDonough on NPR.org talking about his new film "In Bruges". They say he wrote his 7 plays during a 9 month period of unemployment in 1994, and then spent the next decade getting them produced. After expending that much energy (smartly, I might add), now he wants to go back to his desk and "tell stories for the sake of telling stories" again.