As I previously posted, my first play “The Painting” is being staged this weekend. However, the theatre company staging it have not invited me to partake in any interviews/ q & a sessions. Which, I must add, I was really looking forward to. So, does anyone here have any questions?
Just to cheer a sad guy up?
Sorry, I haven’t seen your previous post.
Are you the director?
Did the write the play?
Can you give me a quick synopsis?
What was the budget?
How many actors are there?
Where do you aim to go RE your plays?
Did you write the play? Ergh.
No, being a complete novice, they decided to let someone else direct. Which is fair enough. I wrote the play myself, earlier in the year. The first draft took three hours, and was immediatly accepted. So I took it back and scribbled a few extra bits into it.
It was inspired by the Internet urban legend of the e-bay “haunted painting”. Basically a family come into possesion of a creepy painting, and begin to experience disturbing occurences in their house. They seek advice on the matter, with tragic consequences.
Budget? Eh? Honestly, I dont know. Hopefully they splashed out a bit on a nice lighting scheme, as the play calls for some tricky strobing effects.
Five in total, but only four speaking parts. The “ghost” is mute.
Onwards and upwards, hopefully!
Thanks for your questions! This is fun!
How involved have you been in the rehearsal process?
Have you been doing re-writes during the process?
Do you agree with the casting?
Does the play sound ‘right’ now that it’s outside your head and actors are reading/performing it?
How long is the run?
Anything disapoint you during the transition from the page to the stage?
Any truth to the rumor that there is an all-nude version planned for Las Vegas?
Any plans for The Painting - The Musical?
Having now seen it on stage, what worked and didn’t work as you envisioned it?
If it were made into a movie, who would you cast in the main roles?
Are you going to continue to wear that ascot and those spats now that you are famous?
I had no act or part in it. I didnt want to open my presents before Christmas! Besides, I can imagine I would have gotten very angsty if I saw something I didnt agree with, and I think my blood pressure is high enough!
I did a polish on the script when I was told it would be produced.
Yes, its perfect. It’s really uncanny how close the cast is to what I initially imagined.
It is wierd, I’ll say that. Having people speak words that you wrote is a curiously exciting feeling. Or better yet, the knowledge that something you created has gathered these people here, now.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then off to broadway!
probably the painting that they used. I wanted an eerie, unsettling portrait… Lets just say that didnt happen!
So. Is it any good?
No, but I am working on a follow up, “E-Bay auction of Terror”
The lightning storm didnt work. On page, the stage is blacked out during a storm. Thunder can be heard, and as strobe lightning flickers, we see the ghost of a little boy menacing the actors, unaware of his presence. On stage, a blue strobe light was activated, refused to go off, resulting in Katriona-levels of lightning, during which the little boy could be seen running on and off stage. I’ll put it down to first night gremlins, hopefully things will go smoother tonight!
Pretentious? Moi?
Uh, depends on how you define good. The actors are great, the set up is great, the script seems to come across pretty well, people laugh at the funny parts, and are sad at the sad parts. But technical glitches and baffling directorial decisions let it down. Some parts? Some parts downright suck.