Chained to a desk and made to produce copy.
My managing editor has returned from France, sans active cigarette habit and maiden name. Other than that, things are more or less the same around work today. The book is gone, although truth be told, I feel a bit better about it now that I’m not knee-deep in it. I appreciate what was tried. And I rather wish that the co-author had been my contact for most of it, I found her to be most pleasant and much on the same page as I with the book.
I’m noticing a possible trend with our 2001 book list, namely that we’ve done books for teams that ended up not being the champs in their sport for this season. We did a book on the Washington Redskins, who are currently languishing at 0 and 5. We’re producing a book on the Oakland A’s, whose sloppy defending cost them their World Series shot last night. We also have a book on the history of the New York Yankees out right now, so my instinct would be to bet on the Mariners in the Series.
My Neo-Futurist audition last Saturday went smashingly. I was called back on Sunday night for an extensive callback session next Wednesday, which requires me to produce four more really short plays, one of which is a solo to be performed by me (and must be in contrast to the funny monologue of my first audition, in that it must be more serious and must get me moving more…this piece is already written, and I will send it to some friends at some point for critique.) Another must be a group piece, and will be put on its feet in a table reading with other Neo-Futurists (this I have also finished). The last two will be added to my writing sample, leading me to believe that what they will want from me if they choose me is to have five plays ready to work into the show immediately. Of these last two, one is done, and one needs to be written.
My graduation show is at the end of this week, and I’m already a bit frustrated with it, mostly because it is impossible to make sixteen people agree on an opener for the show, despite the myriad of ones we have written, two of which are mine and which I’m fairly proud of. Tonight is our second-to-last rehearsal, and we get one shot to do the show right. I’m relying almost entirely on the phenomenon that will make everything fall into place the second there’s an actual audience.
And now, back to nailing my second audition. Gots plays to write.
Creative Control 