The Third Draft

Wow. I can hardly believe it's been over a month since the staged reading of my script, Bad Feng Shui, and I still haven't blogged about it! (Thank you, Joanna, for reminding me.) At least I have a good excuse: I've been concentrating all my writing efforts on a new script, and I just finished the first rough draft. I'm very excited about this new story, about which I can't say much yet. I'm one of those superstitious writers—I don't like talking too much about unfinished work lest the talk dilute the writing.

Anyway, back to the screenplay reading. Sitting in the audience and seeing and hearing people respond to my work was an eye-opening experience—and one that every screenwriter should have. Sure, we know intellectually that our work is meant to entertain. Sitting alone at our computers, we use every writerly tool at our  disposal to ensure that our scripts are anything but boring. But how often do we actually get to see our scripts in action? Even produced screenwriters often complain that the final product doesn't resemble their original story. So to actually SEE an audience respond to your work—to have them laughing at the right places, rooting for the hero, and reacting with surprise—is an awesome experience. Seeing my script hold up was supremely gratifying. And at the same time, it became crystal clear that my work was no longer MINE alone. Once in performance, it also belonged to the actors and the audience. It was out of my hands for good (at least until the next revision!).

But a reading isn't about a writer's ego gratification. The point is to look for weaknesses in the script and to elevate the writing. No matter how strong a script is, it can always be better. Bad Feng Shui was no exception. Although I was pleased with the overall pacing of the story, a fast, New York comedy, by seeing the script in action I was able to spot two scenes that desperately needed trimming. The biggest surprise for me was that my antagonist disappears for too long in Act Two, and that his character, when compared to every other character in the script, was lacking depth and subtext. I knew before going into the reading that my protagonist needs a better setup, but the reading helped me see exactly how best to resolve that problem.

This will be my 6th or 7th draft of Bad Feng Shui. Taking it off the page and putting it into performance gave me a fresh perspective on a script I had become tired of revising. Suddenly, I'm full of energy and eager to tackle it again.

I'm curious to hear from other writers about their experiences with screenplay readings. How many of you have had your work read? Was it an informal setting? Or a fully-fledged performance? What was the most surprising aspect of the reading for you? Any advice you would give other writers about screenplay readings? Share your experiences here!

I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I last updated this blog! Between co-producing Théâtre du Monde's screenplay reading series and working on a new script, I simply haven't had the time.

Our second reading went supremely well, and what a relief after a few prior mishaps: computer difficulties, a flooded rehearsal room, a couple of last-minute cast changes. We were in a wonderful space, Studio Dance Théâtre et Musique, in Paris' 11th arrondissement. Susannah Farrow's script, Apocrypha, tells the story of an angel banished to Earth for committing a crime against the Almighty and his struggle to find the key to his salvation. It's an action-packed high concept script with lots of sword fighting, most of which we didn't stage. Nevertheless, director Fawn Wilderson-Legros and our top-notch cast managed to get across some of that energy.

The best part for me as a writer was the discussion afterwards, which ran a full 38 minutes! (I know because I videotaped it). People had strong opinions - both positive and negative - and they voiced them in an impassioned manner. It was the kind of conversation people usually have after seeing a movie, so clearly this story, with its rich subject matter, touched a nerve. People were so into it we had to force them to go home so we could clean up!

Our next reading is on June 29th, featuring a script of mine called Bad Feng Shui. I'm getting both excited and nervous. Rehearsals start next week. I'll let you know how things progress.

Last night was Théâtre du Monde's first staged screenplay reading, featuring His Letters by Robbye Apperson. Lots went well, some things went wonky (a computer crash in the middle of the image projection!), but mostly we had a great time. Audience members seemed quite enthusiastic about sharing their feedback and participating in the creative process. As one audience member put it, experiencing a live reading and then hearing the comments afterwards helped her appreciate the amount of work that goes into writing a script.

We couldn't have done it without our generous team of actors: Joseph Langley, John Gallagher, Joëlle Séchaud, Irina Dorobat, Mark Cafffrey, Lindsay Mitcham, Francesca Hanak, and Erin Perrine. Thanks too to our videographers Robert Enteen and Joanna Margueritte, and to WICE for the loan of their performance space.

It just goes to show what asking will do for you.

For the past 10 days, I've been asking everyone I know if they - perchance - had a video projector Théâtre du Monde could borrow for our screenplay readings. To my amazement, a friend had one sitting in her basement, collecting dust ever since she gave up teaching presentation skills! She was happy to give it to me. Yes, GIVE. (You've gotta love your friends.)

Of course it remains to be seen if we can get it to work with today's computers. Luckily, our team has a crack computer technician on board, and I'm sure he'll figure it out.

Things have been falling into place so relatively effortlessly since the conception of this project that I can't help but think it was meant to be. Rehearsals start on Monday for the first piece, SES LETTRES / HIS LETTERS, by Robbye Apperson. I'll let you know how it goes!

Well, the rehearsal dates for Théâtre du Monde's first three script readings/performances are drawing near, and now we're looking for some terrifically generous production and technical volunteers to help us out. We need:

• Two camera people to film the performances.
  
• One projection person (for the still images that will be projected during the performance).
• One sound person.
• One host/hostess.
• One person to compile a DVD of the performance for the actors and writers.

We're also looking for:

• A projector
• A jazz musician willing to improvise on guitar, cello, sax, or clarinet. 

We can't pay, but we will give you credit and promote you on our website and in any way we can. And of course we'll be eternally grateful.

Performance dates are June 1, June 15, and June 29 in the evening. 

For more information, go to www.theatredumonde.org, or contact me.