The problem is, the normal review channels take at least a week from the first night to get going, if then. Press probably aren't invited tonight, and probably not until the 4th show airs so we get that opening night feel. So if it sucks, we will only find out from eye witnesses.
I read the last posts with some sadness. It just reminds me of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. You know, that big wonderful novel that came out a year or so ago? In the beginning, there are these magic clubs all across England and everyone argues about who is the greatest magician and they write scholarly papers about magic but no one actually does any magic. It is all very comfortable and safe.
Then Mr. Norrell makes his presence known, and does a great act of magic and puts all these silly people squabbling over their meager and undeveloped talen to shame. He actually does it, he doesn't just talk about it.
I want to be Mr. Norrell, and so should you. That means you have to learn from these and all proceedings in theatre and in life because it is only by approaching humbly that ego can be set aside and greatness achieved. I thought you guys had learned that your synopses weren't good, didn't make the cut because they weren't properly written, but maybe only I have learned that lesson because you seem to be devoting pages of this forum to denigrating the institution for failing to select you. I do not believe that the fault lies with the institution, I think the fault lies with what we submitted.
And Moonbird, it was me who said you need to go see plays if you want to be a playwright. Quote me on it, honey. Put it on a t-shirt. It's true.
Have you been looking at SF's vblogs (on the web site) i have posted there that i am looking forward to her next one - she will know then what sort of show she has on her hands - so it will be interesting to see how up/downbeat she is.
'All we see and seem is but a dream within a dream' Poe
I thought you guys had learned that your synopses weren't good, didn't make the cut because they weren't properly written
Swanny,
I know my synopsii are right yet... Hence I'm re-doing them... And seek comments on this forum.
But, the selection process wasn't just on the synopsis you sent. It was on the combination of your profile, reason why you wrote it and 15 mins of the play. To say that we 'didn't make the cut' is unfair.
Yes there is bitterness. But it's what you do with that bitterness.
Me, I'm learning other aspects of the craft, as I am determined to gain a series of professional productions.
Anger can work two ways - and I know which way I'm letting mine lead me.
I love forums, I love writing... But unlike my scripts, I'm rush stuff out here.
I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to let my scripts lie for a couple of months before editing them - that way I can take the blinkers off and see the errors. Boy you should take a look at Stage Fright!
I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to let my scripts lie for a couple of months before editing them - that way I can take the blinkers off and see the errors. Boy you should take a look at Stage Fright!
I'd like to, but you still haven't come back to me with your comments on my edit from two months ago!
(For anyone who doesn't know - not that I suppose anyone cares - Stage Fright is a collaboration between me and Jay that we wrote freeform last year. It's about a couple of writers who meet during a playwriting competition - and the second act is eerily prophetic!)
No, no Jesus. But there are two judges of the 'All The World's A Stage' playwriting competition who have a little friction of their own - a famous director called Estelle Fryer and her producer Julian Mills - and there's the competition, and an opening night, and someone wins, and ... oh soddit, wait for the West End previews!
Actually, we had the first draft completed way back last summer - and, of course, it was Jay and I meeting on the forum that gave us an idea. But once you get away from 'two guys that meet because of a competition', the rest of it is unrelated (the forum, for instance, only gets a mention).
But it is really, really spooky how the truth has followed our fiction in some ways!
And we finished it before we even spoke on the telephone, much less met face-to-face!
It was strange - we wrote it totally free-form. We decided that we could have 4 characters each, and that it would be about a competition - but that was all the synopsis we had. I then wrote Act 1 Scene 1, Jay wrote Act 1 Scene 2, and we only swapped by e-mail AFTER that. I then wrote Act 1 Scene 3 (not knowing where Jay was taking his plot), he wrote Act 1 Scene 4 (not knowing where mine was going), we swapped again, and so on. It all came together at the end of Act 1 as we both got a general idea what the other was doing!
Now, after a couple of initial edits, I can't tell who wrote what; and think Jay is of the same mind. we just need a final edit, and it's ready for reading.
It was a brilliantly energetic way to write! Anyone ever tried similar?
I'll be back later (here and in Jay's bar), but three thoughts;
1/ I enjoyed tonights show, and learned a little.
2/ Mr Jeffreys seems like a great bloke!
3/ Iain Weatherby (the ad copywriter) has been among us under a handle; I recall somebody made some comment about having difficulty writing a scene with someone called Asif in it, and NVAJD kicked in because I replied 'As if'.
Iain - where are you?
See you all later.
PS - I called Chichester Uni today; Kate Betts is an 'Associate Lecturer'!
Actually, I'm not; that last post was in her defence, if anything!
And Lewes - yes, I agree she comes across as a cookie who seems to know her business. Which begs the question - how come she read 50 of the put-forwards and chose 30 for the panel, yet still accepted 50 submissions which, seemingly got down to 10 which she said she couldn't produce!
If I had 50 different creative treatments for an ad for something this important, I think I'd be able to sense then whether 10 of them would work up for a campaign - and if I didn't, I'd want to go back to the 1950 others to see if I had anything else!
Maybe I should suggest 'The Ad's The Thing' where I get (say) 3 major UK brands to sponsor a tv slot, give a detailed written brief, and invite the public to write a 20 second commercial to be produced!
