July 2004 Archives

I'm getting excited about the Fringe; it's only two weeks away and things are looking very good. I haven't seen a run yet, but the cast did a snippet for the Fringe media conference and I was impressed with what they did. I was even more impressed by the quality of the reproductions of Manet's paintings. The crew had asked a very kind instructor at Grant MacEwan to paint the reproductions. He agreed and did an amazing job in just two days.

I think that the quality of the paintings will help lend some authenticity to the play. If the actors are to play Edouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, then if their "work" is displayed, they had look authentic or else the audience won't be willing to suspect their disbelief. The irony will be that we'll put in all this hard work and the audience will be thinking the play is about Claude Monet.

It's already started. At the media conference, people kept thinking the play was about Monet. It got a little frustrating; imagine what it would have been like to be Manet. I guess he got very upset when people continually confused him with his peer. This frustration, plus the savage reviews of his work compared to the glowing comments about Monet, might have contributed to Manet's ultra-thin skin. Hmm, I wonder if I should have worked that into the play. Too late for this production, but I'll file it away as part of my rewrite notes.

I didn't get much work done on Forbidden Phoenix today, but I have a good excuse. The Fringe media conference happened this morning and I had to be there to talk up Repose. Then I went to Taste of Edmonton because I had to sample some of the restaurant fare. And then I had to nap because I was too full.

Okay, okay, lame excuses, I know. I don't seem to be able to sit down and write after I've been out. That's why I generally set my meetings in the afternoon, so that I can write in the morning. Unfortunately, the conference was at 10:30 am, so I had to sacrifice my writing time. I guess I could have gotten up earlier, but lately I've been been sleeping in. I think it's the summer heat that's worn me out.

Since I'm not doing any work anyway, I thought I'd talk about a grilling recipe I discovered last night - Palomilla (I hope that's the right spelling). It's really simple. An Adobo of crushed garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, lime juice, and oil is used as a marinade for round steaks. The taste is awesome and the prep time is minimal. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who wants to find a way to grill cheaper cut (ie. tougher) steaks.

I had another good day today on the revisions to The Forbidden Phoenix. I'm almost halfway through the first act. I feel like there's some serious momentum in the story. This draft seems to be a little bit about story, but a lot about character development. These characters are really starting to take shape. I've introduced three characters already, and now I'm about to introduce the Phoenix character. She's the one that is the most tricky, because in the allegory, she is not a person, but a concept.

As happy as I am about the progress, I have to be cautious. There's always the potential for the play to crumble in my hands, and that usually happens when I get too cocky. The best thing to do is progress bit by bit and not think too far ahead. That seems to help with the writing and with the stress levels. Now that I look at the script in little bits, I feel like I accomplish something every day, rather than look at what I haven't done.

If I have enough energy tomorrow, I might even pull double duty and start working the first draft of my kids book. We'll see how it goes. One step at a time.

It's official now. I just saw the Playbill.com posting of Pan Asian Repertory Theater's season launch, which kicks off with my play. I can't believe that my play is going to be produced in New York; I owe Artistic Producer Tisa Chang my first born child.

I know some people have been coming here because of the article, so thanks for checking out my site. I'll post some reviews of the Canadian productions in a couple of weeks.

If you want more info now, here's a summary. The answer to your first question is yes... the play is based on my real-life experience of moving in with my girlfriend Michelle. I was so afraid of telling my parents that I didn't tell them. Michelle and I got call display installed on our phone so that we could screen calls, and her clothes were stored in boxes so that at a moment's notice we could shove the boxes into closets and hide all traces of her existence. Four months later, I told my parents and the sparks flew, but they eventually accepted Michelle (9 years later when we got married).

The four months of hiding provided the inspiration for the play, but the story is a fictionalized version of the events. There are significant differences between the play and my real life (I mean who really wants to see my boring life on stage). So much of real-life conflict with my parents was done in private and as innuendo as opposed to full-blown arguments. I wanted to capture this subtext somehow, and I came up with the Yellow Claw fantasy sequences. The characters double up their roles, as they play their alter-egos in a film-noir satire about a Chinese dragon lady who wants to take over the world; what the characters say in Yellow Claw scenes are what they wish they could say in the real-time scenes. Eventually, the two worlds merge into one as Mark has to decide between his girlfriend and his parents.

The first incarnation of the play was a one-act which Cahoots Theatre Projects premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille. From there the play went to Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver for a production and remount. And then nothing happened with the play for two years, until Theatre Network picked up the play and I developed it into the full-length version that is is now.

The play then went on a tour of western Canada with stops in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Nanaimo, Kamloops, and Richmond. The one-act version of the play was published in an anthology called Canadian Mosaics II, while the full length version was published in an anthology called Ethnicities, and then as a stand alone play.

For the New York production, I have made some revisions, but the story is unchanged. I played around with some of the scenes and took out some overt Canadiana references.

The thing I remember the most about the play is the night that my parents came to see the show in Edmonton. I was more nervous that night than at opening. I had to sit four rows back to watch them watch the show. Thankfully, my mom was just tickled to know that the character on stage was supposed to be her, and my dad was pleased to see that the performance was sold out.

The published version of play is available on amazon.ca, and if you want to hear a one hour radio version, Canada's national radio broadcaster (CBC) produced the show two years ago. I think they sell CDs of the broadcast... which reminds me, I have to buy one because I lost my copy.

If you want more info, please send me an e-mail, and I'd be more than happy to answer your questions.

Great news! I just picked up a letter from the 15 Minute Festival in Belfast, Maine, and found out that one of my short plays, Who's There, was a runner up in their competition. The play will receive a staged reading on August 21. I wish I could fly down to see it, but I can't afford to go. I swear my scripts travel to way cooler cities than I do.

I just saw a stumble through of Repose. The story was clear. The actors are finding their legs. I cut a few more lines to get rid of the repetition, and this weekend I'm rewriting a small section of the play. I like the general shape of the play and I can't wait to see what happens when everyone really digs in.

I've deliberately stayed away from rehearsals so that I can catch up on my other work. This week I might try to show up at more rehearsals. It's tough because they rehearse in the morning, which is my prime writing time. I'll figure out something. I really hope the cast doesn't feel like I've abandoned them. I wanted a break this year from producing, and I fear that if I go to too many rehearsals I'll want to put on my producer hat. Better to stay away from temptation I figure.

Still moving forward with the sequel to The Mystery of the Frozen Brains. I think I have something that I can work with. I'm still trying to flesh out the outline to make sure that the story is clear. I'm also concerned about covering the same ground that the first novel did. The first book was about alienation and fitting in. I don't think I can go to that well again.

Plus, I want to show something new about the characters, but not make them entirely different. I'm thinking of introducing Trina as a potential new ally. The theme of this book seems to be dancing around the test of friendship. Trina would certainly put the boys' loyalty to the test. I have to do some more thinking on this.

The Off Broadway opening of my play feels more real today than ever before. I think it's because my director Ron just e-mailed me to say that they shot the PR photos for the show. Actors are cast; crew are contracted; and now all that's left are the rehearsals.

When I get to New York, I have to remember to relax and enjoy the ride. I know that the experience will be over in a blink, and I want to savour every moment, because there is a chance that I'll never be in NYC for this reason ever again.

I'm about to confirm my itinerary and book my flight to the Big Apple. I'm also going to try to line up some readings of Mystery of the Frozen Brains if I can. Okay, just remember to breathe. There's still three months before I go. Geez, I feel like a kid at Christmas right now. I'm so excited!

Yesterday, was an amazing day creatively. I forced myself to sit down at my computer and work on the second novel outline. I still don't have a title, but the general story is taking shape. I think this one will be a lot of fun; maybe a little less earnest than the first. I won't say much about it other than there are ghouls in the graveyard, teen vandals, and a superhero cape. Okay, I have to go back to fleshing out the outline.

The Repose cast is working toward a stumble through of the script on Friday. I've deliberately stayed away from rehearsals so that the actors can have the freedom to play with the text. I spoke briefly with one actor and got an e-mail from the director about one potentially problematic section of the play. To be honest, I'm not even sure if the bit I wrote is going to work. Because the play is about painting, I wanted to find a way to simulate different paint processes in the dialogue. The section in question is one where I try to use dialogue to simulate the process of blending colours. I know this all sounds incredibly artsy and pretentious, but for me it was just a way to experiment. On Friday, I'll see if what I proposed works or not. If it doesn't, I'll just replace the scene.

The fun thing about the Fringe is that you get to experiment. I like to throw things at the wall and see what sticks. I'm hoping this bit sticks, but I have a funny feeling it might end up on the floor.