(poco) Sforzando, (playwright)

[(poco) Sforzando]

A bit of an update. My little Chinese restaurant farce has concluded its 5-performance run in Queens, NY, and will have another 3 performances at another competition "festival" this weekend in Maplewood, NJ. I hope those performances will go well, though it's also possible the cast has gotten past its initial excitement.

My play did not make it into the "finals" in Queens, but then again neither did any play from the group with which it was performed. The theater's scoring system is frankly ridiculous. There were about 25 plays grouped in four programs labelled A-D, and audience members rank the plays from 0-10. Well, I was in group C, and since obviously audiences won't go to all four groups, which groups are they going to assume are the "best"? Obviously A and B. But I in fact went to see all four groups, and I thought the best single play of the lot was one in group D with some of the lowest scores. It's all nothing but a numbers game: if 10 people see a play and give it all 10s, and 40 people see another play and give it all 3s, who wins? (The concept of weighted averaging is apparently beyond the theater owner.)

Still, I have a video of the play that I'll put in my Dropbox later today or tomorrow.

Tonight I'm off to NYC to hear a reading of my playwright/artist friend Yaakov's latest work, his second large play. I hope he does well. I thought his first play showed promise but also a number of structural deficiencies, and since he has no formal training in playwriting I hope he'll have made some progress on his own. But he also has the advantages of being young, ambitious, and optimistic, while I'm always fearful I'm past my creative prime.

Fact is, at age 68 I'm at the point in my playwriting career where I should have been 45 years ago. I can absorb all the rejections, but with who knows how many good years I have ahead of me, I doubt I'm likely to "break through" in any meaningful way. I'm certainly not going to spend thousands to enroll in an MFA program at this stage, and I'll just have to continue in the hopes of achieving some minor recognition.

We did have a first reading last week of my larger play about the Jewish piano student, and my director says he was "stoked." I think this is a good thing, no?

[Karl Henning]

Aye, as I understand it (in a limited way) "stoked" is the good thing.

Great that you've got a video document!

Brush off the disappointments, and keep at the work.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Aye, as I understand it (in a limited way) "stoked" is the good thing.

Great that you've got a video document!

Brush off the disappointments, and keep at the work.

Urban Dictionary: "stoked" - adjective - to be "stoked" is to be completely and intensely enthusiastic, exhilirated, or excited about something. those who are stoked all of the time know this; being stoked is the epitome of all being. when one is stoked, there is no limit to what one can do.

Still, when you have a personality like mine that is easily prone to depression, it's not always easy to "brush off" or start working again.

[Mirror Image]

Don't get discouraged, Sforzando. Continue pressing forward.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Don't get discouraged, Sforzando. Continue pressing forward.

Thank you for the kind thoughts, John and Karl.

[Florestan]

Carry on, Larry, carry on!

[(poco) Sforzando]

While others are sounding the trumpets, my little band of 3-4 followers can see my latest little play:

https://vimeo.com/201348872

[Karl Henning]

I see 13 peas.

It came out harsher than I wanted.

That was all good fun, thank you.  Glad I don't go to lunch with the guy in the middle   

[Pat B]

I hate Jade Dragon!

[owlice]

I love Jade Dragon; they have the best sauce!

[Karl Henning]

Yoo-hoo, owlice!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[(poco) Sforzando]

Haven't been frequenting these parts of late, but for everyone in the New York area, I would like to extend an invitation to my new play that will premiere at Manhattan Repertory Theatre (W. 45th St.) on March 7 and 12.

We are now deep in rehearsals and response from cast and crew has been highly gratifying. My playwright friend Yaakov Bressler, who also designed my logo, has written, "Aside from being an intellectually stimulating piece with complex characters, A KREUTZER SONATA is a relevant work questioning how all people and specifically Jews balance their beliefs with participating in the modern world." And my director Christopher Erlendson writes, "We don't have many full-length plays with these kinds of characters and this kind of spiritual meaning in NYC."

Last, my lead actor has said the following on his Facebook page: "On March 7th and 12th I'm starring in this lovely play at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre! It's been a wonderful experience in character, religion, and creating new works. I'd love to see some familiar faces come out to support me and Long Island playwright Larry Rinkel. Tickets available at http://manhattanrep.com/a-kreutzer-sonata"

I assure you I have not paid a dime to any of these fine folk for their reviews! But this has been a very personal play for me and I think it perhaps my best to date. And so I hope anyone on the forum who's interested in the problems of maintaining a religious life while living in the contemporary world can come and enjoy the play.

[Karl Henning]

This is terrific news! Mazel tov!

[(poco) Sforzando]

This is terrific news! Mazel tov!

Thank you! (But can you come?)

[Karl Henning]

Thank you! (But can you come?)

Wish I might!  The greatest interference is the day-job, of course, so Tuesday is out (too little lead time for me to jockey for the days off).  If the Sunday performance is matinee-ish, it might be doable, save that the 12th won't be a Sunday which I can take off (we've scheduled the handbell choir for performance in the service).  I am sorry for it, as I should indeed like to be in the audience!

[(poco) Sforzando]

Wish I might!  The greatest interference is the day-job, of course, so Tuesday is out (too little lead time for me to jockey for the days off).  If the Sunday performance is matinee-ish, it might be doable, save that the 12th won't be a Sunday which I can take off (we've scheduled the handbell choir for performance in the service).  I am sorry for it, as I should indeed like to be in the audience!

If it helps, the Tuesday March 7 performance is at 6:30, and the Sunday March 12 date is 3:00 (also Purim Sunday)!

But if you know anyone interested, Karl, please point them my way. Perhaps you can cut and paste my last message and post it at
http://www.classicalmusicguide.com/, since I have been banned from that site by the charming moderator and surely there are many New Yorkers interested in Judaism still active there.

[Karl Henning]

Will be happy to share, Larry!

[(poco) Sforzando]

Will be happy to share, Larry!

Please do at your earliest convenience, Karl. Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

Done!

[Karl Henning]

Good luck Break a leg tomorrow!