Why this play, now?

Over the weekend, I completed a draft of a new play, or rather I have generated enough of a draft that it is completed enough for me to say it will be complete. Meaning I could hand it to actors, designers, and a director and feel as though we all have something to work on. In theatre, there is never really completion until opening night and even then it's questionable. But the work I've done I think is significant enough for me to pause and perhaps reflect on it.

Riding into work this morning on the subway, I was doing that and one of the big "art questions" hit me... Why this play, now?

The question is designed to show immediacy and to describe the audience it is impacting. It's a really important question in theatre because you are choosing to share something in the moment to only a select number of people, really. It's perhaps the first question every production needs to grapple with. As a playwright, I am often gripped with this question myself. I complete something and I suddenly ask myself, "But why would anyone else care?" This question is one of my vampires.

Today on the subway, I was able to shine some light on that vampire. Now, vampires never really die, but at least I know I can make it retreat. Why this play, now? I don't know. This isn't me being coy or clever, really. I'm one artist and here's what's been broiling in my brain, here's what my life has incubated, here's what I think is interesting for me right now. In sharing my work, I'm actually asking, "This play, now?" to the world at large, but mostly to other artists who wear the hat of producer or director. It's not that I shouldn't grapple with the question, but to do that alone is at best egotistical.

Instead, I choose to collaborate. I choose to fight this vampire with fellow -as my friends at BRAT would say- art-warriors. Let the fight be good and the answer be even better.

-BGD

Where did I go?

Remember when I was posting here a lot? I do too. I remember that it was important to me and I felt better the days I did post than the days I did not. I remember enjoying tracking to see if folks read this and hoping I could have more views than the last day.

Then I stopped.

Oh sure, the reason I stopped was freight train of art that ran over my entire life. And it was an awesome, awesome time. And that train continues to roll on in new and interesting ways. But that's also an excuse and it's time to start making thoughts public again. To start being afraid of the messy internal things that I share with the world.

Because that's an art too...

writer's lament

The worst part of finishing a draft is not being able to work on that draft. You've just fallen in love with the script and now there's nothing to do with it.

It's the little things....

So I haven't done this in awhile. Because... life, I guess. It's been weird, rough and wonderful. And it's been keeping me from this, or I've been ignoring it. Bad blogger.

The update is that things are moving along. I'll do a proper update later but this isn't the moment for that. What I really wanted to do was take a moment to praise a designer that I love... Jamie, my wife. (I also love her as a person, just to be clear, but this is about her design life and growth.) For awhile she's been locked in what I think of as an artist's death spiral. It's when doubt and longing of producing art becomes the center of your creative process. Maybe I'm being too dramatic about it and she doesn't feel that way, but I AM a playwright, so... I am prone to fits of drama.

Today, she seems to have taken the first steps out of the spiral. And I am very proud of her. I think it's an important job of any artist to praise others successes. So... today is about jumping for joy with her.

Want more details on what she's up to? Visit her blog and let her tell you herself.  http://jgraceduff.blogspot.com/2013/01/baby-baby-steps.html