Today in her keynote conversation with Gary Garrison, Theresa Rebeck offered her own version of a tune I've been singing ever since I began at the Guild and I felt vindicated. In a big way. Especially in the wake of a particularly rude email I received just moments before departing NYC for this year's conference from a member who characterized my advice as "just plain feeble minded and naive." I had suggested that rather than wallowing for one more minute in his bitterness at a particular theatre having ignored his work, he ought to just take matters into his own hands and put up one of his shows himself.
I sat up straight as I heard Rebeck say that she hopes more playwrights will produce and direct each other's work.
By doing so, she argues, we will take back some of the power that is way too concentrated these days, particularly in the hands of an elite cabal of Broadway calibre directors who convince themselves and everyone around them that when they organize a reading of a new play, they're doing the writer a big fat favor.
Enough of this bullshit, was the message I took away from Rebeck's keynote this afternoon and I have to say, I found it refreshing. To many of us, this notion ain't news, but hearing it come out of the mouth of a Broadway star among 'wrights was thrilling.
I just hope folks sitting in the audience will really take her words to heart and turn them into action. I'll never forget when years ago I moderated one of my first panels for the Guild, a panel of playwrights who had self-produced. After what I thought had been a fascinating discussion of some of the pitfalls and unexpected rewards of doing so, we opened it up to questions from the audience and the first question I heard was this, no joke:
"How do I get an agent to read my script?"
Enough of this bullshit, was the message I took away from Rebeck's keynote this afternoon and I have to say, I found it refreshing. To many of us, this notion ain't news, but hearing it come out of the mouth of a Broadway star among 'wrights was thrilling.
I just hope folks sitting in the audience will really take her words to heart and turn them into action. I'll never forget when years ago I moderated one of my first panels for the Guild, a panel of playwrights who had self-produced. After what I thought had been a fascinating discussion of some of the pitfalls and unexpected rewards of doing so, we opened it up to questions from the audience and the first question I heard was this, no joke:
"How do I get an agent to read my script?"
Really?
Oy.
