Hi folks
I was so focused yesterday (11/15) on the fact that we’d reached the halfway point in the November playwriting challenge that I almost forgot that - whoops! - the 15th of the month is also the day I need to pay bills *and* also the day I need to put in my availability for hours for the upcoming month at the second day job.
There are things other than playwriting, sadly. Not more interesting things, but often necessary ones :)
So, while I’m checking off the mundane daily details…
Let’s get you that writing prompt…
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Challenge #17 - Writing For Someone Else
Due: Friday, November 18th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
As part of the recent fundraiser for Threshold Theater, I auctioned off my writing skills.
The three highest bidders in one category got a ten minute play.
The highest bidder in another category got a one act play.
I’ve begun discussions with these people but we’re in the very early stages.
One was a co-worker who thought it would be fund if her two daughters (one who’s just learned to read, the other of whom is still a toddler) were both characters in the ten minute play somehow, and then they could read and perform it. We’re supposed to have coffee this week to talk more about it because she wants it as a Christmas present.
Another ten minute play bidder is an actor friend who initially was just bidding to support the theater, but now that I sent some prompting questions, they realize it could potentially be a little showcase for them - a way to show off their talents, get to to something on stage that they don’t normally get to do, help people see them in a new way maybe.
The third ten minute play bidder is a good friend who again just wanted to be supportive of the theater and had no idea what they wanted at first, but then they came to a little meeting about it with a bunch of potential random plot threads and character ideas. And then they set me loose to just do whatever with it, see what I could come up with as a first draft.
The one act play bidder was another co-worker and we really need to sit down, and they need to think about it a bit. The only thing that immediately came to mind was that they thought it might be nice to include their wife’s name in the play somehow.
A scene from an earlier draft of my play “TV Boyfriend” was part of a new play showcase a few years back, and the actor who played the role of Jake kind of blew me away by coming to the first rehearsal with a journal full of notes about both the scene and the larger play. He brought all his serious actor training to this one scene in a way that was honestly humbling for me as a writer. Part of me shouldn’t have been so surprised. That’s how actors are supposed to approach any play, whether it’s new or not. But I was touched that he went to all that trouble, before we’d even had one rehearsal, before he’d met me or the director or the other actor in the scene. He just really connected to the play and was excited to put this one scene on its feet for other people to see.
After the scene was performed, because of seeing it, a friend quite unexpectedly came out to me as queer. I hadn’t the slightest clue. But they saw themselves in that one scene from the play. And in the scene, Ken urges Jake to come out to just one person, to lift the burden they’d been carrying alone of being in the closet and feeling no one understands or see them. Just tell one person you trust. “It’s scary, but you will feel lighter. I promise.” And so this person I thought I knew in one way, revealed themselves to me in a whole different light, just because of that scene and all the work the actors and director did to bring it to life. Phew.
Now, whenever I’m doing rewrites on the play, I think of that actor, Will - what would Will find challenging? Is this interesting or complex enough that an actor like Will would think it’s worth their time to work on? We recently did a reading of the most recent version, and did it on Zoom so we could record it, and so we could have Will, who’s now based out of New York, read with us. And he was just so excited and pleased to read the role again, and flattered that we still thought of him, that it really boosted my spirits. And even though there’s a long way to go, I can now refer to the scenes as I wrestle with them and have a couple of actors as my reference points, watch them do the scenes, be reminded again of how few words good actors really need to get your point across.
Do you have a favorite actor you’d like to write something for?
Do you have a person in your life you’d like to dedicate a play to?
Try keeping someone else in mind, in some way, as you write something.
Or, as usual, ignore all this and just do whatever you want.
Just write something.
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If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can try 2021’s challenge #17:
Holidays
Or, you know, just ignore the prompts altogether and write whatever you want - as long as you’re writing and turning it in by the deadline, that’s all that matters for the challenge :)
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Friendly Reminders - Answers To Common Questions:
(Follow the links to read me expounding on these items :)
Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play
Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
No. Really. I Mean It. Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
Don’t Stress About Finishing An Idea (You Can Add Later)
Don’t Stress About Thanksgiving
Don’t Stress About “Succeeding” or “Failing”
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How to submit your work for Challenge #17
You have options. They are:
Save your script as a PDF or Word Doc and send as an attachment to an email sent to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Copy and paste your script in the body of an email and send it to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Post your script online (as a Google doc, or in a blog post, on your own personal website, etc.) - email a link to this script to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
(If you’re going to Google doc route, just make sure to have the document public, or give permissions to our email address to open it)
When emailing us, make the subject line of your email - Challenge #17
(That just helps us sort through the email more quickly)
(Or, you know, just reply to this email if you want :)
OR
Post the link for the online document option above in the comments
section on this very blog post for this very challenge on the writing
challenge blog below
Again, this is: Due: Friday, November 18th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
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And, just to reassure you, no, we are not going to be sticklers about you following these directions down to the minutest detail - the important thing is that you write, and then that you share it with us, so we can keep track of who’s writing every day.
Also, no, there is no penalty for finishing and submitting early - but it also isn’t a race, so give yourself all the time up til 12 noon Central Time on Friday to write if you need it. When you’re done, you’re done.
Again, remember, it doesn’t need to be great, it doesn’t even need to be responding to this prompt (the prompt is just there so you’re not staring at a blank screen to start with no idea what to write about :)
Doesn't even need to be complete - you could have the beginning or the middle or the end of an idea, maybe two out of three but not all, that's still fine. This is all about getting things started, you can write more later. You have 13 more days to build on whatever you come up with today, if you want. Just get anything on the page, even if won't make sense to anyone else, as long as it make sense to you.
It just needs to be something.
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And that something can be:
Lights up.
A person returns home to find that the red flag on the side of their mailbox is up.
But they didn’t put anything in the mailbox when they left.
And when the postal worker drops off mail, they’re supposed to put the flag down anyway, not up.
They open the mailbox.
There’s an envelope, addressed to them.
Inside the envelope is a note that just says, “Let go.”
Lights down.
The End
(Plot points courtesy of one of my ten minute play bidders)
That’s always your escape hatch, every day.
That’s your base line.
Build on it.
Have fun.
Don’t stress.
Make an impulsive decision and run with it.
Breathe.
You’ve got the day.
Just write.
Matthew A. Everett
Literary Director
Threshold Theater
(he/him/his)
Coming Up:
Threshold Theater’s New Play Reading Series
A reading of “Leviathan” by Bethany Dickens Assaf
Saturday, November 19, 2022 - 7pm
The Black Hart of Saint Paul - 1415 University Avenue West in St. Paul
Our video recording of our third live play reading in the New Play Reading series, Sam Walsh's "The Visible," is up on our YouTube channel (available to stream through the end of November) -
Support Threshold Theater on Give to the Max Day, November 17th
(Or feel free to give early, any time between November 1st through 16th)
Here's the link: https://www.givemn.org/story/Kssucf
"Write. Find a way to keep alive and write. There is nothing else to say."
- James Baldwin
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