Friday, April 13, 2012

Let's Talk About Meat, Baby!

Do you know what's missing from the play so far? Well, truthfully, several things. Do you know to what specifically I am referring in this post? The obligatory meat conversation.

Yep, if you get more than two men together in a room for more than two minutes, you will hear it - and it could last for hours. It is that bonding agent, that life blood to which men cling like the proverbial lifeboat in the proverbial sea.

Bacon. Steak. Pork chops. Ham. Barbecue. Chicken. How can you prepare it? How hot does the fire have to be? How good will it taste when it's sitting on your plate? How many kinds of smokers/grills/spits/kitchens/ovens do you have at your residence for which to cook said meat? Good golly, it is fascinating and/or mind-numbingly ridiculous to behold.

So, if this play involves three men hanging out, how many meat conversations are needed to ring true?

I guess you might have to invent an over/under bet with your theater-going friends. (Here's a hint: it is at least one.) Try to temper your enthusiasm until September.

Maybe in the meantime, eat a burger and discuss amongst yourselves.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

3rd and Loooooong...

So, the first table read for this sucker is D.U.N. - Done! Britt's writing is fabulous throughout and it is indeed funny. (There is much for which she needs to be commended - so if you see her, pat her a good one on the back!) Smooth sailing, eh?

Wrong. While everything is, on one hand, all good, there are still yards to go before we reach the proverbial end zone. Comments about what works well and what could be better lead to tweaks here and there. There need to be changes to clarify and make the characters more believable. All this and much more awaits. I have a pile of pages before me (also known as a "script") and ideas coming to me at the most random of times. It could be a fast and furious finish, but we will steel ourselves for the battle ahead!

Which is to say, all these final touches will simply make for a better product in the end. And make no mistake about it: this play will be great. And I don't say that simply because I am included in this venture. I say that because it is true. These are interesting ideas and memorable characters in relatable situations.

And it's got some football in it - which makes anything in life better. Think about it: football is to life what bacon is to food. Even though I don't like bacon myself, I can appreciate that those who love bacon firmly believe that bacon makes anything taste better.

Even if you don't love football every day of the year, you must appreciate that those who do love it in that way see its addition to anything as a bonus. (I can't be alone in this: there is an entire NFL channel which runs all year long. It shows endless replays of the scouting combine for crying out loud. My dad has indicated that anyone who watches the scouting combine once may need a head examination...)

You will see - literally. You will see when you come to see "Between the Tackles" in September. Stay tuned...