Once again Guest Starring: Patrick Gabridge as The Blogger

We had a great rehearsal for my T play this afternoon. The actresses, Ally and Jen, were zeroed in on their roles, and Barlow Adamson, my director (who is actually co-directing with John ), seemed to completely understand these two characters I'd created. It was a pretty inspired rehearsal, actually. Intense time pressure can truly focus the mind.


We had a read through of all the plays last night, and the other plays were so funny and got great response, and of course, I had to go and write a drama, and so I felt like the guy who brings a cat to an all-dog party. I was a little concerned I hadn't managed to write what I'd intended (in terms of quality, at least. Playwrights can be so damn insecure.). But today set my mind at ease and got me very excited about this play. The evening is going to be a lot of fun to watch

The WBUR reporter was there again briefly. I wonder what she thought of the piece. This was a rare instance where we were actually chatting about the idea I had for this script, almost exactly as it was still gestating in my mind but before I'd written a word yet.

I'll miss tomorrow's rehearsal/tech, but hope to see a run through on Tuesday before the show opens on Wednesday.

Guest Starring: Patrick Gabridge as The Blogger (part 2)

I turned the first draft of my T Play, "Escape to Wonderland," in with a whole 25 minutes to spare. Whew.


I had a good time riding the Blue Line with WBUR reporter Jessica Alpert for a while this morning--mostly taking notes and getting a sense for the line and trying to think about how my actresses could fit best into something on this line. She left after an hour or so, and then I wrote for a few more hours, back and forth from Wonderland to Maverick (and sometimes Govt. Center).

In the end, I wrote about 9 handwritten pages (some of it in a burrito place in Maverick Square, rather than on the T, because I was dying from hunger). Basically, I rode the T from about 10:30 to 4pm (green and blue lines). Then I hurried home and typed it all up--it comes to about 11 pages. I think it'll run closer to 12-14 minutes, but we'll see. I like the characters a lot and think they'll suit the actresses very well. Our talk at Doyle's last night gave me a lot to think about when trying to write roles for them.

I'd hoped for a comedy, but it just didn't turn out that way (I put my back out this morning, and I might be less inclined towards comedy with a bad back...). Everyone was pretty well behaved and quiet on the Blue Line today, so they weren't especially inspirational. (Come on people, let's get rowdy.)

Now I'm off to the read through at Suffolk University. Can't wait to see what everyone has written. (It's easy to have a lot of doubts about my stuff, but I have hopes it'll turn out all right. I'm positive Rick Park will have written something positively hilarious again.)

All Matched Up

So here are the Match ups for The T Plays 2010

The Red Line
Writer: Rick Park
Director: Dawn Simmons
Cast: Adam Kassim and Jason Myatt

The Blue Line
Writer: Patrick Gabridge
Director: Barlow Adamson
Cast: Jen O'Connor and Ally Tully

The Orange Line
Writer: Terry Byrne
Director: Kristin Baker
Cast: Melissa Barker, Casey Preston and Greer Rooney

The Green Line
Writer: John J King
Director: John Edward O'Brien
Cast: Nate Gundy and Forrest Walter

The Silver Line
Writer: Bill Doncaster
Director: Mikkel Raahede
Cast: Sasha Castroverde, Juliet Gowing McGinnis and Marie Polizzano

The # 1 Bus
Writer: Sean Michael Welch
Director: Meg Taintor
Cast: Jim Barton and Jason Lambert

The # 39 Bus
Writer: Melanie Garber
Director: Antoine Gagnon
Cast: Anthony Dangerfield and Kevin LaVelle

There you have it.  More to come later on...

Guest Starring: Patrick Gabridge as The Blogger

So, we're off. Or almost. Tonight we had the meet and greet and pairing up session at Doyles, which meant drinking beer and eating French fries, while shouting over the hubbub to meet new actors and catch up with actors, directors, and writers that I already knew. I sat next to Rick Park, whose play stole the show last year. (I was thinking maybe I could do a play about two greyhounds, having a spat on the way to Wonderland...) It was good to find out that I'm not the only one a little nervous about tomorrow--it's hard not to approach the day without a lingering suspicion that I'm going to ride the T and ride the T and ride and come up with a big, fat goose egg. Lots of pleasantly blank paper. But I've done enough of these to know that it'll be fine (not necessarily brilliant, but it could happen). I can't get started riding until after 10am, and really not until closer to 10:30 or 11. We have until 6pm to turn in our final drafts, so that means I need to have a draft by 3:30, so I can get home, type it up, revise it, and turn it in. (Just writing that is making me more nervous than before.)


The fun of the day is seeing what inspiration is lurking out there, but I'm sure I'll be thinking up a few back up ideas, just in case the well suddenly runs dry. It'll probably take an hour or two to get warmed up, and I had better be writing by 12:00 or 1 o'clock.

John and company actually picked all the matches out of a hat tonight (vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter). I've got the Blue Line, Barlow Adamson is directing (he and I have known each other for ages), and my actresses are Jen O'Connor and Ally Tully. The actresses seem great (I'd met Jen before), with a very positive energy. I asked questions about special skills (musical instrument skills, languages, etc.) and just chatted for a while, to get a sense of voice and energy. Getting to know the actors beforehand it critical for this kind of project.

Now I'd better get some sleep, so I'm ready to crank out some pages tomorrow.

Guest Starring: Mikkel Raahede as The Blogger

I’ve been nervous for days. Or maybe excited is a better word. Or nervcited. Is that a word? I don’t know.

What I do know is that my American directing debut is getting closer, and tonight just made all the anxiety vanish completely, leaving only place for joy. Briefly.

Maybe I should back up a bit. I am Danish, and though I currently live in Copenhagen, I jump at every chance I get to work with Mill6. In Denmark I have been directing and acting for years, but somehow it is always new and different here in Boston. All my primal fear of not being understood and being the new kid in the class comes rushing back.

So when I sat in the plane last Monday on my way here, I was convinced that I would not understand the script given to me, and I would not be able to make myself clear to the actors.

This night we all met, and the matches were made by draws from a hat. Getting there made me nervous. Again. Here I was in all my pastel glory, and I had to get past more than a couple of guys in tattoos and leather jackets. With the same drawings on the back.

I made it past them and was greeted by so many familiar faces, and a couple of new ones. All looking very talented. Way more talented than I can ever become. I considered turning around and abandon the whole thing, but that would mean getting past those leather-clad men again. So I stayed.

Boy was I lucky. I was matched up with two girls that I already know are brilliant, plus one more actress that I have all the confidence will shine throughout this experience, and a playwright that realised that none of the thoughts he had going in to this could still could apply. So we really start at a blank page, and we will truly go through this together.

And I can’t wait!

M

Match Ups a'comin'

It's 7 hours or so till the match ups.  Excitement is building.  The hat from which names are drawn is being looked for (Where is it?)  Adventurous theater goers are already staking out seats.  Vegas is weighing odds on this years winner.  The Blue Line (last years winner) is a favorite by almost 2 to 1.  When asked why she placed her rent money on the Blue Line Miss Mildred Sweeney said "Well it ends up in Wonderland and that really sounds wonderful."

Some special guests

The blog is about to become crowded.  Several artists while working on the T Plays 2010 will simultaneously and at the same time blog their thoughts about their experience.  We're hoping to get tidbits from Pat Gabridge who already has a blog of his own  http://writinglife3.blogspot.com/  Pat promised us all new blog entries.  If you find he's just copying older posts from one blog to another be sure to send us a comment.  Also Juliet Gowing McGinnis, star of one of Mill 6's first big hits Cafe Society returns to our acting troupe and our blog, and Mikkel Raahede will share his thoughts on taking an eight hour flight to direct a ten minute play.  And we may even have a few more contribute.  Keep and eye on the blog for these posts and all your T Plays 2010 needs.