MIDSUMMER

I have to say, I was fairly disappointed by Scott's response to my points from last night, particularly from a writer who can really nail the dismount when he's properly inspired. That said, a guy doesn't get very many 12th anniversary weekends (and my envy that he'll spend part of it in Chapel Hill - the actual greatest city on Earth - knows no bounds), so I'm inclined to hold my response until he's back in the swing.

You'd never guess it, but I'm having a nice time. When you have the sort of week where an acting nomination is the second-best thing happening to you, you know you're in a good patch. The response to Universal Robots is the best I've ever had to any play I've written in the whole thirteen years I've been writing them. I'm realizing how James must've felt lwith Nervous-Boy: You plug along, you write 'em, you stage 'em, you love 'em all the same, but then suddenly one of them hits the sweet spot and people's reactions go from "Hey, nice job! I liked more things than I disliked!" to "You HAVE to find some way to keep doing this play."

It' a great feeling. Universal Robots was a crazy dream in my head for a long time. It's a lovely feeling to see it out in the world, making the artists in the production and the people in the audience happy. The two assistant directors, the ten actors, and the people of Manhattantheatresource and Gideon Productions are the ones who made it happen. I sort of pleasantly administrated. I'm enjoying it while I can, 'cause who knows? It might be another ten or fifteen plays before it happens again.

I hope we'll get to do it some more. They play does seem custom-designed to be unproduceable, given economic realities, (10 actors, 2 h 45 min running time), but I don't give up easy.

Up next, in just a couple weeks... THAT'S RIGHT, SON!

--SlowLearner

Comments

[Buddha Cowboy]

Mac,

Congrats on your work. I had two questions that I hope you might be able to answer ?

Did you get paid for the Robots piece ?

Also - what is Gideon Productions ?

I am trying to learn more about this theatre scene and just curious about the players.

Again, congratulations !

[melissa]

Hey Mac -
Tried to see robots three times..sold out all across the board... congratulations.
The buzzz is big in the Source that Universal Robots is the best play people have ever seen (Drew said "It's about Everything")

with this kind of response it must be produceable. Right?
Take care, hope to see you soon...

[Mac]

Thanks Melissa! Guys, I got to see Melissa Riker dance at Theatresource last night, and she is awesome. I'm going to see her show Gull(Ability) this week, if anybody else wants to go:

http://theatresource.org/ue07302007.htm

Buddha Cowboy, I sadly did not get paid for the Robot piece - in fact I paid for a good portion of it myself! That's Off-Off Broadway for you.

Gideon Productions is the theater production company with which I am most closely aligned, and through which I (and my colleages Jordana and Sean Williams) I produce most of my shows.

[Scott Walters]

I;'m back -- let me have it! ;-)

[BC]

Hey maybe Scott Walters needs to read this !

http://www.observer.com/2007/our-kind-town-chicago