When Bill Watterson, the mad genius who gave birth to Calvin & Hobbes, claimed that his artistic standards were so grueling that he had to take two 9-month vacations within three years just to alleviate the stress, I laughed and dismissed him as a kook. Now that I’ve had my first taste of success-overload panic, I at least know where he was coming from. Not that I am comparing myself to Mr. Watterson – his creation is magnificent and enduring, even if he proved to be the highest-maintenance cartoonist ever. And I certainly don’t ever plan to take a 9-month sabbatical from theatre, let alone two. But when the overload hits, it definitely leaves a mark.
It’s good to take a breath now and then. That’s all I’m saying. And I’m grateful for the breaths I’m taking right now.
So what’s happened since July? Well, the City Theater produced its 10-Minute Play Festival. I was an active participant – they produced two of my plays, “The Boy Who Was Born With a Tail” and “The Plunge,” I acted in three plays, and I even provided pre-show entertainment on two nights. As usual, it was a blast. I even got some press. Here, read this and get back to me. I’ll be right here.
Yep. All press is good press, and it was a nice surprise to get the center-spread in Spark, the new City Paper of Delaware. But after a 45-minute interview, I dunno, I was hoping for a little more than the “naked” angle, I guess. But if you wanna know…yep. I went commando. As did Carol and Georgie. Naked bits on stage – a first for City Theater, and certainly a first for the three of us! And let me say, and I don’t mean to sound defensive, but nerves are like ice water on the loins. But I don’t care. That day I had the biggest stugots of any guy in the room.
Shortly after my streak, Carol gave the crowd a thrill with a glimpse of her perfect backside as she did her starkers sprint offstage. But the bravest among us was the truly lovely and talented Georgie, who, putting all her faith in Todd, the lighting guy, gave the crowd a full-monty view they won’t forget. In fact, out of solidarity, I had let my robe drop a few steps earlier than I had planned that night. So the “Naked Joy of Theater,” indeed. Feedback on the play itself was great – is there an encore in the cards? Anyway, it was a wonderfully memorable night.
After City Theater, it was time to bring “The Boy” to New York. Armed with the perfect cast – Kathy Buterbaugh, Karen McCaffrey, Georgiana Staley, and Christopher M. Turner, and guided by the direction of Greg Robleto (say it to the tune of “In the Ghetto”), we revised and reprised the play for a 5-night run at The Strawberry One-Act Festival. It was a crazy and fabulous time – I love spending time with these folks anywhere, so throw in the bonus of being onstage in New York, and I’m a happy boy! We won the first round and advanced to the semi-finals, but our run stopped there. Still, it was a joyful occasion, and an absolute pleasure to see these performances again – Kathy presented a gorgeous, heartbreaking portrayal of Cindy, Karen found new levels of comedy and depth as Emily, and Chris and Georgie turned their multiple roles into brilliant tour-de-forces. It was a long and exhausting week, and I wouldn’t have traded it for a damn thing. Thanks everybody. Love you.
Then there’s Joe Trainor’s production of “The Wall.” Damn. Damn, damn, damn, did that rock. It was my pleasure to join his mad crew of musicians on Friday the 13th (I played sax on “Money,” the encore), since he and his ensemble just blew the place away. It was a truly awesome show, and I hope he can put it together again.
A couple days ago, Carol and I returned from Maine, where we saw “Job Strikes Back” in the 15Minute Play Festival in Belfast. What a beautiful town – and wonderful people! While the production values for the whole festival were top-notch (I especially liked the “live mannequins,” who sported outrageous and fascinating dresses), I have to say I disagreed with some of the choices made in the production of “Job.” Still, theatre is a collaborative art form, which is what I love about it – if I didn’t want other people to interpret my words, I’d write stories. Anyway, there was some excellent theatre on display, particularly Ry Herman and Kolby Granville’s “Child’s Play” and Tim Collins’ brilliant solo piece “Power Play.” I also got to see the wonderful Aoise Stratford’s play “Elephants and Coffee” again, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see Aoise – she had last minute auto-issues and couldn’t make it. Someday, my friend, we shall meet face to face, and together we shall rule the world!!! Or, like, have a few beers or something. Either way.
So up next for me is a reading of “Eddie,” my first good full-length play. After that, Chicago’s Brown Couch Theatre will be debuting “The Key to the Mystic Halls of Time.” It’s part of their “Last Call” series of 10-Minute Plays – if the mood strikes me, I might even fly over there for a night and check it out. After that, I’ll be settling into “Bat Boy” rehearsals at City Theater, watching football, and hopefully relaxing for a spell. Maybe I’ll go look up Mr. Watterson, so I can decide whether he or David Mamet is my favorite megalomaniac.
Till next time – treat each other right!!
Love,
Matt