EXTRA CRITICUM

In Praise of Francis Ford Coppola

The ways in which this country is fucked up are too manifold to go in to in this humble little blog. But I would like to take up, for a moment, the issue of this country’s relationship to art and artists.

“Uh oh. Another plaintive whine from an artist who feels he’s unappreciated. THIS is gonna be fun to read!”

Fear not. I’ve always felt that though a life in the arts is difficult, it is also a choice. No one put a gun to my head to make me a playwright. When I decided to do this, I knew more or less (well, actually less – but that’s another story) what I was in for. I don’t want to talk not about myself here. I want to talk about Francis Ford Coppola.

Can stripping away government funding actually erode patron loyalty?

It's that time of the year. When end-of-year appeals from all the non-profits come crashing into our mailboxes and INBoxes. I opened one such letter from Channel Thirteen, our locate PBS affiliate and my reaction was surprising.

I was annoyed. And I didn't feel remotely like pulling out my checkbook. Why?

I am blogging regularly as part of a commission from the Blue Coyote Theatre Group

One of the Artistic Directors, Kyle Ancowitz, wrote a post about Todd London’s book Outrageous Fortune and asked us to respond. This was my response.

“Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is 3,720 to 1!”
“Never tell me the odds.”
– C3PO and Han Solo, Star Wars

Brazil Butt Lift: A Tongue-in-Cheek Infomercial

"Are you ready to get the best booty of your life?"

What more could anyone want? At last! An infomercial that doesn't take itself seriously. Any infomercial that uses the word "bootylicious" at least once every 90 sec. gets my vote!

Enjoy!

Quotables: Jerry Stahl

From time to time, Extra Criticum authors will post a quote from something that has stuck with us over the years and is, as they say, quotable. The following is from Jerry Stahl's memoir PERMANENT MIDNIGHT. Here he sums up Hollywood beautifully.

Street Theatre: Talking to the Elderly Like Children

So, I've been visiting a loved one in a nursing home recently. And I find myself fascinated by the way the staff -- doctors, nurses, social workers, etc. etc. -- speak to old people.

It's a lot like the way adults who have never had children of their own can sometimes be heard addressing toddlers.

The pitch of the voice rises to a new register, I suppose in an attempt to match the register of the little person they are addressing. Of course with old folks, that doesn't really apply.

Street Theatre: Protest at 43rd and Eighth Avenue

I am SOOO mean to myself

I had a little bit of a meltdown yesterday. It started at the computer. And grew from there. We’re talking stomping around the house, hiding in the bed sort of melt down. Eventually, I was able to crawl out of my own wreckage, but there were bruises. And some bleeding. I think I broke a bone. Because I was being mean to myself.

I don’t hate myself. I really don’t. But, I was being mean. Because, yesterday morning, at the computer, I didn’t think I had what it takes to work on a project. My mind was flooded with confusion, indecision, and a total lack of motivation. And that’s when the self hate started. Why DON’T you know what you’re doing? Why DON’T you want to write? Just CHOOSE something and get on with it.

Putting the Hurt on Beckett

John Hurt, the superb British actor, gave an entertaining and enlightening interview this week on the “Charlie Rose Show.”  Hurt is currently appearing in Samuel Beckett’s play Krapp’s Last Tape at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  For a taste of his performance see this 90-second New York Times video.  The Times review was a rave.

This production comes from Britain’s Gate Theater and is directed by Michael Colgan.  Hard to believe but this is Hurt’s debut on a New York stage.  He also stars in a movie just coming out, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. 

Up on our feet: the value of workshop vs. reading a new play

I recently completed a three-day workshop of my latest play. And it got me thinking about the usual developmental path new work takes in this country. Outside the sphere of developmental gatherings such as Seven Devils, Bay Area Playwrights, O’Neill and PlayPenn (to name just 4), most plays simply get a series of public or semi-public readings by professional actors until there’s an actual production and rehearsals begin. Once rehearsals begin with a first performance end date in place, there really isn’t the time for the sort of work we spent the last three days doing.

Screenwriting Seminar in NYC Starts Jan. 12th

I'm offering an expanded version of the class i taught at Harvard earlier this year. This will be a 6-wk. course offered in Manhattan. Enrollment limited to 8. Application deadline: this Saturday December 31, 2011.
See below for details:

Moral Quandary: Is it wrong to vote if you haven't seen everything?

It's awards season. And as a PGA member, for me specifically that means voting for the PGA Awards. Screeners are flooding my mailbox. And for the first time, family commitments leave me wondering if I'll find time to watch them all. So my question is this: Is it unethical to vote for such things if one hasn't seen absolutely every nominated title? What do you think? Do I have a moral obligation to sit this year out?

Shame: Haiku Review

A movie called Shame

Surface skimmed by director

He has no idea

What would be a reasonable star to seating capacity ratio for theatre?

Saw The Cherry Orchard at Classic Stage Co. the other night. The production is a lot of fun. Most of the performances are stellar. Especially outstanding (no big surprise) is Alvin Epstein in his third turn as Firs, the loyal elder servant who ends the play by falling asleep in the abandoned house he has called home for most of his life. There aren't too many seats in this Off-Broadway house. It's a great venue. The three-quarter thrust makes for intimate theatre. I was seated in the back row of the center section which is Row F. That should tell you all you need to know about just how intimate this space is. Sam Waterston was seated directly in front of me -- his daughters are in the cast. The cast features a lot of star power and it got me thinking.

If producers pack casts with famous names to sell tickets, perhaps there ought to be an agreed-upon star to seating capacity ratio. For example, if, say, Dianne Wiest can by herself fill a 500-seat house to capacity, maybe the rest of the cast should be peopled with the un-famous. Otherwise what we have is a waste of a valuable asset: star box office power. Let's do the math.

A Gleeful Return to Rehearsal

Today I had my first rehearsal pretty much for anything (except maybe a board meeting) since 2002. It is for the first play in which I have been cast since 2002.

And I am thrilled.