tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post791176336005651175..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The making of SURF'S UPBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44426096505957067692017-09-08T16:51:06.985-07:002017-09-08T16:51:06.985-07:00Jed and Dan
Wanting to see a great 10 minute play ...Jed and Dan<br />Wanting to see a great 10 minute play turned into a full length play or movie takes nothing away from how great it is. I would think the contrary would be true. It does stand very well on its own, but it still feels like a wonderful scene from a longer work, to me anyway. Diane Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60629853017396762762017-09-08T10:21:16.205-07:002017-09-08T10:21:16.205-07:00I'm with JED. Every time somebody suggests a ...I'm with JED. Every time somebody suggests a continuation, I think they're not giving credit for how well it stands on its own and how great the ending is.Dan in WNYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18895239728755350872017-09-07T21:09:50.482-07:002017-09-07T21:09:50.482-07:00Did you take notes as to what really played? Or di...Did you take notes as to what really played? Or did it all really play?DGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12682791053731440168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40582707245508345252017-09-07T19:47:21.521-07:002017-09-07T19:47:21.521-07:00Wow, your thought process is fascinating, and you ...Wow, your thought process is fascinating, and you make it sound so easy, which it must have been or you couldn't have done it so quickly. I wonder if you know how hard that process would be for a less talented person. I loved everything about it, especially the characters, and I agree with all those who want you to do something more with it. What a great story! Diane Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90831918197669745252017-09-06T13:20:28.952-07:002017-09-06T13:20:28.952-07:00I, for one, like the play just the way it is. I en...I, for one, like the play just the way it is. I enjoy a good short story as a separate pleasure from reading a novel. Yes, part of me wants to know more about these people and what happens to them but sometimes the wondering stays with you longer than having your questions resolved.<br />JEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07538398157297345338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52661416230004499222017-09-06T13:09:36.874-07:002017-09-06T13:09:36.874-07:00Ok, I get most of the credits (and I even understa...Ok, I get most of the credits (and I even understand why Flipper might need a trainer), but I'm not sure what Mike Myers is doing there. Catering? Choreography? Technical Consultant for the surfing bits? Doing research to play Alexander Throttlebottom at the Met?Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43468633957699449682017-09-06T12:11:02.915-07:002017-09-06T12:11:02.915-07:00One advantage of your opening is that it gives the...One advantage of your opening is that it gives the actors some <br />really fun physical comedy right off the bat, so they are improvising<br />stuff right away and building the character. The better the actors, <br />the more they add here to what you already have.DaveMBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00779581893863396042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74867674758449326782017-09-06T11:59:55.033-07:002017-09-06T11:59:55.033-07:00I'm not gonna hint. I think you should turn th...I'm not gonna hint. I think you should turn this into a sitcom pilot! You've got a great premise and fun likeable characters. Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49110815757592116742017-09-06T11:40:33.542-07:002017-09-06T11:40:33.542-07:00While you were dealing with the loss of your dad, ...While you were dealing with the loss of your dad, two significant cultural figures also died, Walter Becker and Shelley Berman. Any comments?Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6963684798538785812017-09-06T10:15:13.250-07:002017-09-06T10:15:13.250-07:00Very interesting how the stress of extreme time pr...Very interesting how the stress of extreme time pressure pulls out such a nice first act (hint hint). <br /><br />Damn "hinting" - why not write, produce, and direct another play based on this one? It's fairly clear that you like the characters and their relationship. <br /><br />And why not do your outline in close concert with adjusting that first act? Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91392235751388093792017-09-06T09:09:23.085-07:002017-09-06T09:09:23.085-07:00As I said yesterday, Julia is a real cutie.As I said yesterday, Julia is a real cutie.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46099729835125657682017-09-06T08:34:50.921-07:002017-09-06T08:34:50.921-07:00I just want to comment on Jack Mendoza's t-shi...I just want to comment on Jack Mendoza's t-shirt, which I also happen to own.<br /><br />First, it does in fact say This Was A Sussess (not success) and that's not exactly a mistake. It's taken from an audio drop used on the Kevin and Bean Show on 106.7 KROQ here in L.A. It's from a news report where the reporter pronounced the hard C in "success" so softly that it's virtually nonexistent, hence "Sussess".<br /><br />The shirts were for Kevin's charity, Friends and Helpers (he's the one on our left on the shirt under the caption).<br />Thomas Mossmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00678349322403895276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90008157297069403422017-09-06T08:17:10.843-07:002017-09-06T08:17:10.843-07:00Steve,
Good question. In this case it was the ag...Steve,<br /><br />Good question. In this case it was the age difference. But in my plays there's always a power imbalance, and often times that switches between them. One of my plays, A OR B? was pretty much all about that as a young couple jockeyed for the power position. By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54216483877872983732017-09-06T07:50:49.727-07:002017-09-06T07:50:49.727-07:00The play was lovely, and the "build log"...The play was lovely, and the "build log" was fascinating.Earl Boeberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07300222007927549893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35860090920706221502017-09-06T07:49:55.994-07:002017-09-06T07:49:55.994-07:00Hi Ken, I love how you shared your thoughts behind...Hi Ken, I love how you shared your thoughts behind writing the play. I noted at the start that all of the relationships you considered for the two actors had a power imbalance - father/daughter, boss/employee, etc. Was that conscious? Do you think that imbalance brings a tension? Or was it more driven by the actors themselves and their age difference?Steve Boykohttp://www.traingeek.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63742781869986983542017-09-06T06:55:13.013-07:002017-09-06T06:55:13.013-07:00I still think it is Excellent.
If I HAD TO pick a...I still think it is Excellent.<br /><br />If I HAD TO pick at one thing, it seems a bit neat and formulaic (even though you flipped the two characters). But I also realize that is a limitation of the form. Not much room for Beckettian discomfort in ten minutes with two characters. But still very enjoyable, and is that not the intent of this type of exercise? It is about entertaining an audience.<br /><br />Otherwise stated, if the father was more like Andy Kaufman, most people would react by saying, WTF was that? <br /><br />Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2337354452569757762017-09-06T06:23:00.032-07:002017-09-06T06:23:00.032-07:00Off topic, I suppose, but I read the book Never A ...Off topic, I suppose, but I read the book <a href="http://www.rogerogreen.com/2017/02/05/book-review-never-dull-moment/" rel="nofollow">Never A Dull Moment</a> last year about the music of 1971. The October chapter is about, among other things, the Beach Boys' album Surf's Up. You might enjoy it.Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.com