Writing Crass

Okay, so I'm taking this play writing class down in Roanoke two times a week. The class culminates in a 20-35 minute play that is suitable to be submitted to Mill Mountain Theater's Centerpieces series, which is this lunchtime reading series. That is to say, they do a staged reading of a play during lunchtime for people to see. And the pays have to be "family friendly" or "for general audiences" out whatever your euphemism is for "No 'fucks', no 'shits', no 'fags', no 'dykes'. Don't knock God, and don't rock the boat." So last Tuesday the dude teaching it basically says to us that we can "take more dramatic risks" with the pieces we're working on, that he feels that we're "restraining" ourselves.

And we're like, "Uh ... yeah we're restraining ourselves." Actually ... I understand what he's saying about not bringing the self-editor in too early into the process, about exploring ideas and then scaling them back. But I don't know how practical it is if we're submitting pieces to a conservative theater that's looking for pleasantly diverting fare to hook new audience into paying to see their full productions.

Also it's hard to hear this dude basically say that our initial stabs are uninteresting, pedestrian, and/or cliche. He didn't use those words ... but he was trying not to, you know?

Plus, I look at the pieces that he's assigned us so far to read and discuss in class -- Albee's Zoo Story, Mamet's American Buffalo, Durang's Actor's Nightmare -- none of them are basic Realism and, I think, none of them would be accepted for Centerpieces were they the right length.

Anyway, I'm gonna meet with this guy today to talk about what I've written so far.