First off, the cast and crew did a sensational job. So I didn’t have to worry about them. It was just me and whether my script was working -- that was my main focus. (Note: Thanks again to JJ. David, and all concerned.)
I belong to the EST Playwrights Unit. Every week twenty or so playwrights meet in a living room and members bring in material they’re working on. People weigh in with suggestions. And it’s not like network notes – you don’t have to do all of them. You can pick and choose the ones you want. (If networks had that policy their shows would be considerably better.)
A few months ago I brought in OUR TIME and received some terrific feedback (pro and con). I then went home and did a big rewrite. I threw out the entire last scene, cut a middle scene in half, strengthened motivations, replaced jokes, made trims, sharpened certain story points, brought out the theme more, and just generally made it better. When I have a new play in production in LA I’m there for rehearsals and can make other changes along the way. For OUR TIME in Saratoga I was 3,000 miles away so my first viewing was the performance. Yes, that’s a little scary.
But as I was watching it I was thinking “Ooooh, I’m glad I changed that,” “Yep, didn’t need that Johnny Carson run,” “that scene moves along now,” “the ending is sooooo much better,” etc. Thank God I had that reading. The play is way farther along as a result.
I also made note of other things to tweak and fix. It’s always a work-in-progress. But I felt a big relief that I had done most of the heavy lifting before the actors had to stage it and learn it and perform it and a paying audience was subjected to it. Okay, it was also fun to hear all the laughter and just enjoy the performances. Once I had determined that the play essentially “worked” I had a great time.
And I owe a lot of that to the reading. Trust me, it’s worth the time and effort. Even if it just means gathering a few of your friends over to your house to read and discuss, it could mean the difference between good and sneaking out of the theatre while the lights are still down.
What's a "Johnny Carson run"? Just a stream of riffing, monologue-style?
ReplyDeleteI agree. I belong to a writing workshop as a writer and performer and I workshopped 3 screenplays and one play there. It's also essential that the work be read by ACTORS. They give a flavor to the material - and insights - that non-actors aren't always able to give.
ReplyDeleteEach Sunday night, I attend and participate in table reads of scripts (sometimes my own) in Santa Monica and West Hills, and it's always proven helpful. Though last night, we began after the Dodgers scored three in the first with Kershaw on the mound -- piece of cake, right? I flip on Charley Steiner once we finished to discover it's now 7-7 in the sixth, and the fun had yet to begin. An instant classic, although since the Red Sox weren't involved, Ken Burns and the PBS yuppie crowd won't think much of it.
ReplyDeleteI assume this was written a few days ago and posted automatically. Surely you are in Cedars Sinai recovering from last night's World Series game. Get well by Tuesday. O why did Vinny retire one year too soon?
ReplyDeleteDoes the Houston logo look like it belongs to the old minor league Hollywood Stars?
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This also goes for Essays, Emails and Presentations in the Business world!
ReplyDeleteI have the same question as Bill Jones, "What's a Johnny Carson run?"
ReplyDelete"...From people you trust..." is the key phrase here. My ego is not so large that I can't take suggestions, yet who (whom?) gives those suggestions is of the utmost relevance. I've had some very bad feedback. Hackneyed, not germane, not any funnier than what I already had. Plus, I think every writer has said this to himself or even OUT LOUD when someone suggests, "maybe you should make it this, instead." "If that's what I wanted it to be, I would have written that in the first place!" This isn't a "Friday Question, however, it should be asked, When do you say, "Enough with the feedback." "I'm NOT changing that!"
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing a "Johnny Carson run" is something that happens after you cut off his Slauson.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed it. I had a conflict. (I live 30 minutes from Saratoga.)
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, mathematics graduate students do the same thing with their seminar presentations and job talks: give practice talks to the group and get feedback. It's very effective.
ReplyDeleteThere are some services who record professional actors reading your screenplay, for distribution to studio people. The theory being, when they're stuck on their daily commute, they can listen to it through their car audio system. Helps cut down the submission pile.
ReplyDeleteHow do actors feel about being asked to do a table read? Do they view it as a chance for increased recognition of their talents (and perhaps a chance to land a part) or is it one of those duties forced upon you that you really can't turn down without seeming difficult?
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