More on stuff

I sat down and read The Craftsman yesterday. I think it holds up pretty well . . . but it's still hard to be objective. You get close to these things and sometimes can't see the woods for the trees (last cliche of the day I hope). The proof will be in the pudding of putting it in front of an audience. Folks in the workshop have responded very well over the weeks. But they are hearing scenes out of context. I can't wait to hear it read and see how people like it as a whole.

Maybe this spring?! We'll see.

I did a little poking around at some of the short pieces I worked on before starting on The Craftsman. Bette and I are going to do a reading for the Welsh women's club and I'm going to do a couple of those, and Bette is going to do her most recent piece. Should be a good program.

My scenes are funny and will loosen things up and then Bette's piece will lay them right out.

Two years ago Wallace, Bette and I went and read the first act of Happy Days for them. It was a big hit. We actually went expecting to do the whole play but then found out they wanted an hour max . . . so act one it was. They really got it and we had a great time doing it so when Patience asked us to do it again we jumped all over it.

That is on the 7th of April. We're going to time things out today and get an idea of what we want to do. I went over my short pieces this morning and I think there are two, we'll call them CIA and Audition. Just two people talking, both are short and sweet, and, I think, funny. People in the workshop thought so anyway. They are part of what might eventually be a whole play that is sort of an omnibus of several short pieces. How many and what order . . . the form of the whole thing is yet to be determined . . . but it's something that is out there. Any time I am between projects and feel like writing something I can add to it, and then take the best of the bunch and include them in the piece.

If there is a theme I haven't found it, but it might be something like loneliness or just dealing with other people in the world. Which I suppose every play ever written is about these things at core. Or maybe not.