"Is that my squirrel..."
darthcynthia and I went to see A Doll's House at SMU today. It's been a very long time since I've seen a play. I don't know why; I love plays, and I'd only read Ibsen's famous play a few times in college, but had never seen it live. Had a blast.
I've always enjoyed writing things. I've completed four screenplays, piles of comic book scripts and short stories, a handful of poems, and now a couple novels. But I've never written a play.
I've given it a go, though...
The first time I sat down with the intent to write a play was shortly after one of my oldest friends was murdered--tacked to a wall with a crossbow bolt by two "friends" who said the crossbow was sitting on the coffee table and just went off (by itself, hitting my old friend directly in the heart). At nineteen, it was more a coming to terms with a tragedy kind of thing--not a very good play, which is why I only wrote a little bit.
I've never collaborated on any completed writing projects, but my only attempt at collaboration was a play mfelps and I started years ago, but never finished. It was fun writing with a good friend and a totally new way of doing things. I look back and we had some good times, and there are even some good moments in the play, but it's a 20-something, slacker-y thing that's probably better off tucked away in a file, than actually finished, and showing onstage.
The only other play I started is something I think would be the kind of thing people would like, something that really relies on the medium and could only be done as a play. In looking around this last week, deciding what play Cynthia and I should go see, I was amazed how many plays sounded like they were done by someone who loves Tarantino movies; someone who wants to make one of their own, but had to settle for a play instead. So many new plays I read about sounded interesting at best, but only a few things sounded like actual plays...the rest sounded more like movies.
I used to think writing a novel would be the toughest thing I'd ever do. A play, after all, should be easy because I've written several screenplays that have even opened some doors for me. But a play is so much different, and while I know what I've started would make a good play--relying on the medium more than anything I've ever attempted--it definitely takes a special kind of writer to pull it off.
Maybe after I rewrite the latest novel, I'll see if I can finally finish a play...
I've always enjoyed writing things. I've completed four screenplays, piles of comic book scripts and short stories, a handful of poems, and now a couple novels. But I've never written a play.
I've given it a go, though...
The first time I sat down with the intent to write a play was shortly after one of my oldest friends was murdered--tacked to a wall with a crossbow bolt by two "friends" who said the crossbow was sitting on the coffee table and just went off (by itself, hitting my old friend directly in the heart). At nineteen, it was more a coming to terms with a tragedy kind of thing--not a very good play, which is why I only wrote a little bit.
I've never collaborated on any completed writing projects, but my only attempt at collaboration was a play mfelps and I started years ago, but never finished. It was fun writing with a good friend and a totally new way of doing things. I look back and we had some good times, and there are even some good moments in the play, but it's a 20-something, slacker-y thing that's probably better off tucked away in a file, than actually finished, and showing onstage.
The only other play I started is something I think would be the kind of thing people would like, something that really relies on the medium and could only be done as a play. In looking around this last week, deciding what play Cynthia and I should go see, I was amazed how many plays sounded like they were done by someone who loves Tarantino movies; someone who wants to make one of their own, but had to settle for a play instead. So many new plays I read about sounded interesting at best, but only a few things sounded like actual plays...the rest sounded more like movies.
I used to think writing a novel would be the toughest thing I'd ever do. A play, after all, should be easy because I've written several screenplays that have even opened some doors for me. But a play is so much different, and while I know what I've started would make a good play--relying on the medium more than anything I've ever attempted--it definitely takes a special kind of writer to pull it off.
Maybe after I rewrite the latest novel, I'll see if I can finally finish a play...