THE ALBATROSS Reading Monday May 19 in Portland

Next Monday night please join me in Portland at the Portland Theatre Works as they present a reading of my newest full-length play THE ALBATROSS.


By the way, that is what an albatross looks like (Photo courtesy of National Geographic, of course!)


If you’re in the area, check it out. It starts at 7 pm in the Theatre Noir at Theatre! Theatre! The reading should last about an hour and half and there will be a brief discussion with me afterwards. As this is the first public reading of this play (in fact, the first reading ever) I am going to be very curious as to everyone’s thoughts and opinions.

What is this new play THE ALBATROSS?

Here’s the synopsis:

David is an award-winning poet and teacher at a small private university. He has a great academic job and a golfing buddy in his colleague Mark, a recent divorcee. But underneath his polished lectures about “life as an artist”, he hides a secret pain, the suicide of his wife five years ago, a pain which is numbed through alcohol. He is violently shaken out of this numbness by Sofia, one of his eccentric students. A reactionary response to one of her poems begins a chain of events that will eventually cause David to drown under the watery weight of the past. He becomes a mentor to Sofia, recognizing her amazing talent yet also wary of it. There’s something else about her that he won’t talk about it, can’t talk about, and it’s this denial that will eventually cause his downfall.

In short:

It’s the anti-Oleanna.

Hope to see some of you there!

OPEN BOX: Open Mic for playwrights (this Saturday)

Got a ten-minute play? Got a scene from a full-length? Bring it down to the Rendezvous in Belltown, but get there early. Slots fill up fast.

Don't got a play to read? Just come down and have a beer and watch the magic of instant playmaking.

OPEN MIC: hosted by Becky Hellyer

Saturday May 17 at 4:30PM


Rendezvous' Jewelbox Theater (2nd Ave in Belltown between Bell and Battery)



If you are a playwright, simply bring enough copies of your 10 minute

script or excerpt to read, and seasoned actors will perform the

hell out of your script.

Thank You!

Big thank you to all who came out to the events this past weekend at Seattle University. Also, big thanks to NPA, Seattle U., Ki Gottberg, Bryan Willis, and of course, Steven Dietz.

I've got some photos that I will post and stay tuned to the DG website for the uploaded video of the "In Conversation With...Steven Deitz".

Keep writin'!

Drinks Friday Night

Just a reminder to please come out to the events lined up for this weekend at Seattle University.

We’ve got workshops and forums and Ki Gottberg’s world premiere of HAIRY BABY. And don’t forget the Town Hall Meeting at 6:00 pm in the Lee Theater on Monday night, followed by the Forum on Playwriting at 7:30.

Also, please come out for a drink on Friday night, May 9th, from 6 – 8 pm. We’ll be chillin’ at Barca in Capitol Hill. It’s only a few short blocks from Seattle University at 1510 11th Avenue and they’ve got happy hour going till 7 pm.

No reservations needed and no pressure. Let’s hang out in the main room (closer to the bar the better). Just come by and say hi.

For more info, check their site: http://www.barcaseattle.com/

Hope to see you all there!

Cheers,
Dennis

Town Hall Mtg Monday May 12 @ 6 pm (Lee Theater)

For those of you who might've missed the email I sent:
Hello everyone,

I hope you're all having a great Spring so far!

I have important news about the upcoming Town Hall Meeting. As you know, Gary Garrison will be visiting for the weekend of May 10-12 for the Playwriting Forum being held at Seattle University. I know some of you are already signed up for the Dietz workshop on Saturday and I hope that some others are planning on attending the workshop led by Gary on Sunday afternoon or the "In Conversation With...Steven Dietz" later that day. Then please stick around to see the world premiere of Ki Gottberg's play THE HAIRY BABY.

Most importantly, we hope to see many of you for the Town Hall Meeting, which will be at 6:00 pm on Monday, May 12th in the Lee Theater, just before the 7:30 Forum. (The Lee Center for the Arts is located on the Seattle University campus at 12th and Marion St in Capital Hill. For tickets and information, call 206.296.2244) This is your chance to meet with Gary and talk with him about the current status of the Guild, the changes in store of us, and anything else on your mind.

My apologies go out to the Portland members but due to space issues, the Town Hall had to be done on Monday night. I know that will prevent many of you from being able to attend. But we do hope you will be able to make it up for the Sunday events, especially if you can meet Gary and talk with him then. (I know we've been promising you a Regional Rep and the possibility of doing a Town Hall in Portland later this year is certainly not out of the question. By the way, I will be visiting the Portland area next month for a reading of my play THE ALBATROSS at Portland Theatreworks as part of their FreshWorks series. The reading is scheduled for Monday, May 19th, so hopefully I can meet some of you when I come down.)

Also, I'd like us to mingle and have some fun by extending an offer for Friday night, May 9th, between 6 and 8 pm to come out and get a drink. If I haven't met you, its about time I did. Come on out and play. Celebrate your first draft completed or kvetch about that fifteenth rewrite. Or just tell me what you're working on. I'll have more information on which bar in a bit but it will be in Capitol Hill, most likely not too far from Seattle University.

Thanks and hope to see you all at the Town Hall Meeting on Monday, May 12th at 6 pm, if not earlier. It's going to be an exciting weekend!

Cheers,

Dennis

Oh, and please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested--most of these events are FREE and open to all!

---------------------------

Here's the full agenda:
Agenda for the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. and Northwest Playwrights Playwriting Forum hosted by Seattle University

Saturday May 10th
2:00-5:00pm Playwriting Workshop with Steven Dietz Vachon Room, Fine Arts Bldg 208
Acclaimed American playwright Steven Dietz (Lonely Planet, God’s Country) will lead a three-hour writing workshop for playwrights. Attendance requires advance payment of $75; send check payable to “NPA” to Bryan Willis, P.O. Box 1088,McCleary, WA 98557. SOLD OUT!

7:30pm The Hairy Baby Lee Center for the Arts


Sunday May 11th

11:00am-2:00pm Essential Truths of Playwriting (in Craft and Career) Lee Center for the Arts
Gary Garrison, Executive Director of Creative Affairs for Dramatists Guild of America leads a workshop exploring the rights of dramatists in any creative collaboration as well as the fundamental truths of dramatic writing any dramatist must embrace while refining their craft. FREE and open to the public, no ticket required.

3:30pm Treats with Dietz (coffee, tea & sweets) Lee Center for the Arts

4:00-6:00pm A Conversation with Steven Dietz Lee Center for the Arts
Sheila Daniels, Associate Director and Literary Manager for Intiman, leads a candid interview with Steven Dietz followed by audience Q & A. FREE and open to the public, no ticket required.

7:30pm The Hairy Baby Lee Center for the Arts

Monday May 12th

6:00 pm Dramatists Guild of America Town Hall Meeting, Lee Center for the Arts
Gary Garrison, Executive Director of Creative Affairs for Dramatists Guild of America will lead a discussion and meeting on the changes and status of The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. including a Q&A. Open to members and non-members. Please come learn about the oldest advocacy organization in the nation devoted to the rights of dramatists and librettists. FREE and open to the public, no ticket required.
7:30pm Forum for Northwest Playwrights & Directors Lee Center for the Arts
Gary Garrison joins local artists for a panel discussion, asking where have we been, where are we going, and how can we make it better? Panelists include Ki Gottberg (playwright, Seattle University), Elena Hartwell (playwright, NorthwestPlaywrights Alliance, Iron Pig Productions), Elizabeth Heffron (playwright), Glenn Hergenhahn (playwright, A.D., iDiOM Theatre), John Kazanjian (director, New City Theatre), John Longenbaugh (playwright, critic, director), Jerry Manning (director, Casting Director, Seattle Repertory Theatre), Allison Narver (former Empty Space Artistic Director), and Geoff Proehl (director and professor, University of Puget Sound). Moderated by Charlotte Tiencken (Managing Director, Book-It). FREE Admission and open to the public, no ticket required.

Seattle University
Fine Arts Department
Lee Center for the Arts
Media Contact: Steve Galatro
galatros@seattleu.edu
206.296.5360

RELATED INFO:
NW Playwrights Alliance
The Northwest Playwrights Alliance (formerly known as the New Plays Workshop) provides the performing arts community with the opportunity to listen to and/or participate in the readings of new plays. Under the guidance of actor/director Brian Tyrrell and playwright Bryan Willis, the Northwest Playwrights Alliance provides an outlet for playwrights and actors to present informed readings of new plays.
NPA also publishes an annual anthology of short plays, NorthNorthwest, co-sponsors the annual Double Shot Festival of overnight plays with the University of Puget Sound, as well as an annual tour to England (co-sponsored by the Kennedy
Center) featuring short plays by Northwest playwrights. Last Feb/March NPA sponsored the Festival of Northwest Plays (with The Broadway Center and UPS), in Tacoma at Theater on the Square. The festival featured three fully-produced, royalty-paying, full-length plays and over 30 ten-minute plays. NPA will celebrate its 4 1/2 year anniversary this fall bymoving its monthly reading series to Seattle Rep.

Dramatist Guild of America
The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. is the advocacy organization of professional playwrights and theatrical composers and lyricists in the United States. The mission of the Guild is to focus and articulate the common interests of all dramatic writers. This mission includes not only the representation of those interests which arise directly in connection with theatrical production, but also those broader concerns which affect directly or indirectly the role of the theatre in society. In the effort to extend into other parts of the country, and to unite members from state to state, the Guild visits Seattle as part of its exciting new program, “DG on the Road”.
For more information about the Guild events in your area, please contact Dennis Schebetta, Regional Representative at dschebetta@dramatistsguild.com.

Seattle University Fine Arts Department
The Playwrights’ Summit exemplifies the department’s commitment to connecting a liberal arts education with the vibrant cultural and artistic resources of Seattle; the interdisciplinary learning environment encourages collaboration as part of a diverse community of students and faculty.
The Fine Arts Department provides students with excellent training and experience in the arts that is deepened and focused by Seattle University’s rich Jesuit core education; opens meaningful connections between our students and the Seattle arts community; and nurtures our students’ growth as independent, self-reliant arts professionals.

The Hairy Baby
An adventure yarn and comic fable, The Hairy Baby spins the tale of Claire and Michael. When a somewhat mysteriouschild emerges in their young marriage, everything they both hold dear is called into question, including their love for each other. Traveling individually through fantastical realms peopled with clowns, artists and other strange types, the couple seeks the truth of their love. Highly theatrical and full of surprises, The Hairy Baby will enchant the most weary of hearts with her shenanigans.

World Premiere Production May 8-18, 2008
Thursdays and Fridays @ 7:30pm
Saturdays @ 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Sunday 5/11 @ 7:30pm, Sunday 5/18 @ 2:30pm
Tickets are $6 for students or $10 for general admission.
Jeanne and Marie Rhoady Lee, Jr. Center for the Arts
The Lee Center for the Arts is located on the Seattle University campus at 12th and Marion St in Capital Hill. For tickets and information, call 206.296.2244.

A Letter to Someone Who Thinks Making Script Changes Without Permission is Okay

Dear Someone Who Thinks Making Script Changes Without Permission is Okay,

In regards to your email that "it's okay to make changes in a script as long as you don't get caught". Or as you said, "Do it a Re-bar where they can't get you."

To make changes in a script without the playwright's permission is not just unethical and immoral but it is also ILLEGAL.

Period.

It's part of the contract that producers sign when they pay for the rights.

This is not quibbling over semantics or points of view. And while many out there bend and/or break the rules, it does not justify the action.

For instance, there are also many theater companies who don't even bother to pay royalties and/or even ask permission to perform the play. Is that permissible, as well? As long as they don't get caught?

By the way, doing a new play without telling the playwright or licensing company is also illegal and unethical, as well.

Should plays be cut? Probably. Anything "can" be cut, and might be better served for it. But that decision is always the writer's, not some director or producer who is leasing the rights.

That's not to say the production team couldn't have asked for permission to make changes--that happens all the time. And licensing companies and/or the playwright can be pretty accommodating to production needs. (We're not all protective Samuel Beckett tyrants.)

And I know you know there's a difference between Shakespeare that's beyond just the legal aspect of he's dead and his work is in the public domain. Any smart and professional director knows that the playwright is not some control mad tyrant but a valuable resource and respected collaborator. I know many a respected director of classics who would kill for the chance to whisper to Shakespeare in a rehearsal room, "But what the hell is he talking about with this whole 'To be or not to be speech...'"

Playwrights don't write their plays for money. Any money we get is nice but when we do receive any royalties its a pretty paltry sum. If we want money we have to cross over to write TV/film where production companies own the copyright and can change whatever they want. We write for theater because it is more poetic, immediate, more demanding, and ultimately more collaborative than other mediums. So please let's not take artistic participation and control away or you'll find more playwrights jumping ship to other mediums where they can actually feed their kids when others bastardize their work.

My question to you is why do you think it is acceptable for companies to treat another artist with such disrespect for their work? Why would you take away not only their legal right, but also cut them out of the artistic conversation? It's possible that suggesting a cut to a playwright might make them realize that the play is better for it and the change becomes a permanent aspect of the script. In that sense, you might be helping the playwright by asking for permission to make cuts.

So, again, I ask, why wouldn't you want work with the playwright?

Because making selfish choices under the wire hoping not to get caught is making selfish theater. And last I checked, theater was about community and collaboration.

But most importantly, it's the difference between professionals and amateurs. It is not about control. It's not about payment. It is about respect for the work and your fellow artists.

Regards,

A playwright

Upcoming Town Hall Information

Okay, everybody, as you've all seen on the Drama Guild newsletters, our first Northwest Town Hall is coming up next month. In conjunction with Seattle University and the Northwest Playwrights Alliance, below is the schedule of events.

We're still working on the exact date and time of the Town Hall Meeting so stay tuned for that!

Hope to see as many of you there as possible!

All events will be held Seattle University's Lee Theater (former venue for the Empty Space) or Vachon Room.

Seattle University
Fine Arts Building
901 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122-1090




SAT. May 10

Steven Dietz Playwriting Workshop

2-5 p.m.

Vachon Room



SAT May 10

Performance: The Hairy Baby by Ki Gottberg

Lee Theatre

2:30 pm - $6/$10



SAT May 10

Performance: The Hairy Baby by Ki Gottberg

Lee Theatre

7:30 pm - $6/$10



SUN May 11
Essential Truths of Playwriting (in Craft and Career)

11 am -2 pm

Gary Garrison, Executive Director of Creative Affairs, DG. This workshop will explore the rights of dramatists in any creative collaboration as well as the fundamental truths of dramatic writing any dramatist must embrace while refining their craft. Fine Arts Building, Vachon Room. Free event.


SUN May 11

A Conversation With Steven Dietz

4 p.m.

Interview & Q&A led by Sheila Daniels (Assoc. director and Literary Manager at Intiman). Vachon Room. Free event.



SUN May 11

6:30 p.m.

Reception for Steven Dietz in the theater lobby



SUN May 11

Performance: The Hairy Baby by Ki Gottberg

Lee Theatre

7:30 pm - $6/$10



MONDAY May 12
A Forum for Northwest Playwrights

Lee Theater

7:30 p.m

Gary Garrison (Dramatists Guild), Ki Gottberg (playwright, Seattle University), Elena Hartwell (playwright, Northwest Playwrights Alliance, Iron Pig Productions), Elizabeth Heffron (playwright), Glenn Hergenhahn (playwright, A.D., iDiOM Theatre), John Kazanjian (New City Theatre), Charlotte Tiencken (Book-It), John Longenbaugh (playwright, critic, director), Jerry Manning (director, Casting Director, Seattle Rep) and Allison Narver (former Empty Space Artistic Director). Where have we been, where are we going, how can we make it better? Free Event.