Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Coming Soon: An Erstwhile Staged Reading


 When I came back from Dayton in the fall of 2013, it was to recharge, to regroup, and to establish what I actually wanted in life. I'd been spinning my wheels, so to speak, and wasn't happy with what I'd been doing with my life. So began a long course correction/life adjustment/attempt to take control of my life.

It started with taking classes at Second City, working to get better at something I loved doing - writing for the stage. Over the next year, I felt many times like quitting; I could use the money elsewhere, I wasn't getting what I wanted out of classes, I wasn't learning what I wanted, I wasn't applying myself, etc. (Excuses make excuses) I stuck it out, and wound up putting on a show with my classmates that seemed to kick a metric ton of ass.

It didn't stop there - I focused on revitalizing my career. Waiting tables was paying the bills, but it was far from fulfilling. I've learned that I need to make a difference in my life, or at least feel like I was doing something to make the world a better place. In addition, I learned that I needed - craved, really - some sense of stability. So I got a temp job, hoping that it would lead to something stable and fulfilling. And it did. A temp position of 3-4 weeks turned into 3 months turned into a part-time offer turned into a full time job. I've gone from dazed and confused to being in a position where I'm actively helping people throughout the day. I still am adjusting to the rigors and responsibilities of the position, but I'm not stressed out by work like I used to be.

It's not been easy, but I'm feeling as good and confident in what I'm doing as I have ever felt. I've not felt this creatively charged since college - and now I have the benefit of five years of life experiences (good and bad) to fuel what I'm trying to do: tell stories that move people, that speak from experience to experience, that look at how people connect and break apart in this world.

Which is good, because it all comes back to the overall purpose of my goal - to allow me to thrive in my artistic mediums of choice.

Since quitting the restaurant (Day 0 of this real renaissance), I've written a novel, multiple short films, and a screenplay. I've also been hard at work on what I've come to call "my baby" - a full length play. I'm wrapping up a 5th draft of this piece, and have shared it with multiple friends and colleagues. Advice has been taken, and I've forced myself to go deeper on this piece than I have on anything else. It's been trying, but it's been rewarding.

I'm happy to announce that a staged reading of my new play, The Woodsman, will be taking place right here in Chicago, using local Chicago actors. It's going up in a nearby Irish pub - because theatre can and should happen in any location - and will be a one night only affair. It's technically the last step before readying the play to submit to theatres for consideration for full on production, but feels in no small way like an achievement. This is happening. It's humbling and terrifying, and I'm as excited for this as I've been for anything in recent memory.

A summary:

Nick Carpenter, famous rock star and world class screw up, is in trouble. His band has fallen apart. His love life is a joke. And worse, he finds himself unable to play his guitar any longer. On the verge of a total collapse, he retreats to the small town in the woods he ran away from fifteen years ago, seeking solitude as he tries to write his comeback. However, as shadows of his past reemerge, he learns that not only will it be a challenge to start his life over, it might be damn near impossible.
The Woodsman will be performed as a staged reading on June 27th at the Galway Arms at 7:00 pm.

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