There are No Words… (Play)
So I tried something new this year at the ScriptWorks Fling, writing a play without any words of dialogue. And I ended up really liking it, though I knew it would take a lot to make it work (characters age 60 years over the course of the play and it requires sound effects representing...
Continue readingA Complete Cleanse (essay)
In advance of my Brush with Fame story at Testify later this month, I’m posting the first piece I ever did there from about two years ago. I couldn’t really come up with a single significant story for their Coming Clean theme, so came up with a big old list of stuff. It ended...
Continue readingThe Internet Really is Forever
My kids and I unearthed this game after a completely unrelated discussion about expectations and contractual versus verbal agreements (it’s a long story which stretched the limits of what I know about the law). Anyway, this is my earliest official publication byline (March, 1985). And it was in the NUMBER ONE ATARI COMPUTER MAGAZINE...
Continue readingReturn to Hollywood
So… I get to go back to Testify next month to tell another story (it’ll be my 4th time). This one I’m particularly excited about. As part of their Brush with Fame theme, I’m going to dredge up a story about the time I spent a week-and-a-half working for the son of a Hollywood legend...
Continue readingMarshmallows, Mustard Gas and Historical Roots
My uncle turned 94 the other day and was given a (mostly) clean bill of health from his doctor. He has a little trouble hearing things now and then, and suffers a bit of wheezing when he breathes, but other than that, he shows no signs of slowing down (well, he’s slowed down some...
Continue readingThe Value of Attending Play Readings
I had the opportunity to host this past Sunday night’s monthly ScriptWorks salon where we heard a terrific reading of a new full-length play by Squid Night contributor Raul Garza. The actors were top-notch and maneuvered through Raul’s dialogue like Olympic slalom skiers. I’ve been to a lot of these monthly readings and, frankly,...
Continue readingNapervillains
This is another long-term project I’ve been collaborating on for some time with my friend Jen in L.A. We’ve worked on and off on this family-friendly series about a bunch of monsters who get rounded up internationally and dropped into Naperville, Illinois, where they’re sentenced to doing assorted tasks at a temp agency under the...
Continue readingVocal Tics and Subtle Changes
So I recently noticed that the 10-yo has changed his laugh a little bit, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth and making a “teh” sound when he thinks something is funny. It’s something I do sometimes, and lots of people do, of course. It’s a subtle thing, but another reminder of...
Continue readingThe Fickle Allure of FronteraFest
I wanted to get up a quick post about the short fringe show this past Wednesday. Best of Week is announced late tonight, and I didn’t want the post to seem sad or disappointed in case we don’t get it. I like how familiar the festival feels in some ways (I know the ins and outs...
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