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, there are times when the script is such a mess that I can’t even pay attention. I always try to find something redemptive in the writing, but it can be a real slog. I understand why the readings aren’t better attended; you never really know what you’re going to get and how long you’re going to have to endure something unpleasant or tiring.
That said, there can be value in attending even tedious readings because you can see what kind of mistakes are being made, what kind of subject matter is being handled, and get a sense for what other writers are focusing on. Also, it can be interesting to hear what other listeners react to and what might work for one person and not another.
But last night’s reading was an example of something much more valuable: a zippy, well-crafted, time-shifting script with a subject we haven’t really seen before.
The play had a focus on the 1990s and went back and forth between the actions of young adults in that decade and of those same adults in the present day. A sort of Big Chill for Generation X. (but only sort of; it wasn’t derivative in any way)
Raul wrote the play pretty quickly, he told me, and it’s certainly not perfect, but it allowed me to hear fast-paced, smart dialogue, handled deftly by gifted actors; and is the kind of play I might strive to write if I were in the right mindset. Raul handled it more adeptly than I probably would have, with a broader set of characters across a larger set of age ranges.
I really enjoyed it and was inspired by it too.
It’s great to remember that this kind of script pops up in our local arts community, and that as members of a well-connected writers’ group we get a chance to watch and learn as we go.
I’ve been to a number of early readings and workshops from the UT theater grad program in recent years too—and those can also be inspiring; and they’re accessible, low-cost, low-key and often fun.
When I take full advantage of the local writing scene in Austin, I feel like I’m getting a grad-level education at very little cost (have I mentioned how much I love walking around UT when I’m headed for the lab theater?). A really good reminder to keep attending these events and to stay hungry, open-minded and check my writer’s ego at the door.
