Curse You, Mad Men!

Much as I love this series, and much as I would have been thrilled if this had happened a year ago, when things were cranking on my script, I was totally freaked out this past Sunday night by the sudden reference to the demolition of Penn Station. Anyone who actually reads this blog (both of you) has probably already figured out that that was the super top-secret subject of the show under discussion here, but unfortunately, just as things were starting to take off this past winter, all hell broke loose in my daily work life and everything personal (e.g., this project) had to be put on hold for a while.

Then a couple of other shows took precedence due to submission deadlines for the Fringe, for a writers group I've applied to at the Public, etc. etc.

So. Here I am just barely getting started on the show again, and what happens but Matthew Weiner goes ahead and suddenly re-introduces this subject matter into the pop-cultural zeitgeist. I can't help but think that somewhere out there are at least fifty people going, "hmm. Penn Station, eh? That sounds like a really dramatic story. I should write about that."

I had thought that danger was past, because my understanding of the Mad Men timeline was that each new season would begin two years after the end of the previous, so: 1960, 1962, 1964, and so on. The demolition began in October of '63, and I assumed we would pick up some months later when Season 3 began. Hah! And again I say: Hah!!

So, to the extent possible, I want people to know that a Penn Station Musical currently exists, and that they should probably not even bother to write one, thanks so much. Toward that end, I will be taking various steps over the next few days to make sure that anyone Googling the phrase "Penn Station musical" will be led here, and then hopefully led to some other, potentially greener creative pastures.

Seriously, folks. I've been working on this thing for nearly two years. It's seventy percent done. I have such a head start on you it's not even worth it, really. I love you, I want the best for you. Don't go and get your heart broken like I did (see my earlier post on the subject of getting gazumped on a story idea).

More on this when it's not nearly an hour past time for me to go home and I'm not completely besieged by other things.

Meanwhile, Penn Station Musical! Penn Station Musical! Penn Station Musical! Penn Station Musical! Penn Station Musical!

That's it for now.

Toodles.

Good News/Bad News

The problem with a project like this is that the deeper in you go, the more likely you are to have little disappointments. Sadly, the director I was so enthusiastic about, who had earlier agreed to do the show, is now beginning to have second thoughts about her ability to follow through with the commitment. I can’t say I’m surprised — she’s in another state, starting a new and fairly risky business, and the economy just collapsed in a dusty heap. Even before the financial picture became quite so scary, I was actually very pleasantly surprised when she agreed to do it in the first place, given the logistics of the thing. She hasn’t completely bowed out, and I’m hoping by the time she would really be needed here in NYC — which probably won’t be until the end of February — that things will have stabilized enough for her that she’ll be able to go ahead with it, but for right now I have to at least consider the possibility that I’ll be looking for a new director. She actually mentioned knowing someone who might be well-suited; we’ll have to see where that goes.

Meanwhile, on the brighter side, the way in which all of this came to light was that we were discussing the first reading! Which, as it looks now, will happen the Thursday after Election Day. I was hoping to do it before the end of October, but because of the scramble to find someone else to at least temporarily step in and direct, it just seemed like a little less pressure on everyone — actors, director and myself — to be flexible on the time. The stand-in (stand up!) guy directed a reading of my last straight play at Blue Coyote last year. A really nice young guy, bright, even-tempered and (and this is why I thought he might be a good fit for this show despite his not having any real background in musical theater), when he read Moonchild , he said that he liked it’s “sweetness.” Now, anyone who actually saw that show might not have associated “sweetness” with it, but the funny thing is, it TOTALLY IS SWEET! in places. I wrote it that way on purpose; unfortunately, in that particular production the sweetness didn’t come across, which is kind of understandable since it’s not exactly all right on the surface. But it is there, and he saw it, and that gives me hope. So anyway, fingers crossed, the script alone (no songs yet), will be seen by its first audience in about three weeks. Fingers crossed even tighter, I will have purchased a video camera by then, and since I just discovered that it is (apparently) pretty easy to upload video to this site, I'm kind of excited about the possibility of being able to start actually discussing the show here in some kind of meaningful way.

Oh! I remember what I wanted to say!

So a couple of months ago, I mentioned that I had heard back from my possible director, and that she had said she might be available to work on the show. Since then I have referred to her a couple of times, without ever mentioning that she had, in fact, confirmed that she is interested:

"I have deliberated over this considerably. It has been a hard road these past two years in building this biz and through the course of it, I have become more than grounded. After some serious meditation, I have determined that a project in the artistic world just might do my world worlds of good:) Besides, who could resist your email! I mean, you really know how to write. So, send away--if I am not responding too late!"

And of course, she was not responding too late, because she is the awes and I am so excited about getting to see/work with her again!

And that’s what I wanted to say about that.

Crazy, yes, but also? Awesome.

It's 11 o'clock on a Friday night, and I am still at the office. Why, you ask? Because I have just completed my script.

Because I.

Am.

Awesome.

Okay, that's entirely enough of that. But I did, and I am, so there. And the last fifteen pages or so are a bit raw, but I just e-mailed copies to the director and composer, and hopefully I'll have their input in the next couple of weeks. So, whoot.

And now I'm going to bed. Well, you know. Home and then to bed.

Also? Doesn't Taste as Good

I'm something like twenty lines of dialogue away from being done with the script. It's going to take YEARS! No, it isn't. I really feel like I should be able to finish it up tonight. But of course, that's what I said when I thought it would be done by the end of May, and then again by the end of July, and then again by last Friday (08/08/08! how awesome to finish on such an auspicious day!)

Sigh.

Writing. She is much harder than eating cookies.

Oh, and Yes! I AM insane, thank you for noticing.

So, one of the things that I have completely given up trying to understand or correct about myself is that I have a tendency to get way ahead of myself on things when I'm working on a new show, or at least, on the things that I actually consider interesting and fun. And especially when I consider them more interesting and fun than the actual, you know. Writing.

Which is why I just went on etsy.com and ordered the three dress/costume patterns above, for whatever indefinite future time we may need them.

Slow and steady ...

So a while back I decided to try and get in touch with my director-of-choice for this new project. It wasn't quite so much a matter of putting the cart before the horse as it might sound. For this show, I very much wanted to have a director -- or in this case, a director/choreographer -- involved from the earliest possible stages, for a couple of reasons. First, I'm hoping it will minimize any writer-director friction once the show eventually gets on its feet, by making the director a hands-on collaborator right at the outset. And second, it will enable me to treat the book (before any songs have been written) as a finished play, by having a director on board to suggest revisions, get actors together for a reading or two and possibly even a closed workshop. That way, we know going in that the script is totally working before a single song gets written, which — at least in theory — will save a lot of agonizing over cut songs, songs that wind up not making sense post-re-writes, etc.

Anyway, I e-mailed this woman, and never heard back from her, then tried locating her through a mailing list we're both on, and still nothing, so I was about to give up. Then, this afternoon, I happened to be in the office, I checked my e-mail and there she was! Now, I had known before I even wrote to her that she might not be available, because she was doing this amazing "arts retreat" thing in Vermont, although I wasn't sure how far advanced that was or whether she was still in NY or not. It turns out that the place is actually up and running, and she has moved to Vermont, but ... this is what she had to say:

"Hey there! I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get in touch with you. I have been swamped with my new adventure in Vermont. I haven't been dabbling in theatre much at all but working with you was one of the most rewarding experiences that I had as a director/choreographer. If you are still interested in me taking a look at something, I would be up for it. I am in VT pretty much full time but still come back to the city often to see friends and such."

So, that's not exactly crystal clear, but it does seem to suggest that she might consider it despite the travel issue. I emailed her back and explained exactly what I was hoping to do, and tried to make it seem as attractive as possible (while at the same time not misleading her in any way about the time commitment). So, fingers crossed. I loved working with this woman, but even if she can't do it, maybe she may have a friend who would be similarly compatible who can. She's such a sweetheart, I can't imagine her having friends who aren't just as great to work with.