Jeanine Waits for the Train

Back when I was at La Mama Umbria, Naomi Iizuka gave us an exercise:  to write a scene that was somehow offensive, and somehow to incorporate a story that the person sitting next to us had told us.  I was sitting next to MT Cozzola, and she told me a story about using soapy water as post-coital birth control (that kind of story sticks with you).  

So I came up with a character, Jeanine, who is sure to offend pretty much everyone in some way.  She speaks in appallingly fake British accent, though she's from Rhode Island.  She smokes cigarettes, mocks physically disabled people, developmentally disabled people, physically unattractive people, and threatens to set her pet cat on fire.  

After I got home to New York, I tweaked the monologue a bit.  But it was so harsh, I didn't think of sending it out until a year ago.  This afternoon, I found out it's been selected for Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company's short play festival (Museum of Dysfunction V).   It runs August 9-18 at their space, Studio 101 (1824 Spring Street, Houston, Texas).  From looking at the website, they produce a lot of writers I like:  Mac Wellman, Chris Durang, Will Eno (fellow Albee Fellow), Len Jenkin, Naomi Wallace (fellow Hampshire College grad).  I'm excited!

La Mama Umbria

Here is my friend David Diamond's information about La Mama Umbria this summer. I understand that it's expensive, but it is a magical place. I had an amazing time there a few years ago at the playwrights' intensive.

"La MaMa Umbria Announces Artists for International Theatre Workshops in Italy"

Directors, Actors, Playwrights, Composers and Theatre-Makers from Iraq, Japan, Italy and the United States offer personal insights into theatre-making at La MaMa Umbria in July / August, 2012. This year’s emphasis is on Collaboration amongst artists in the theatre and other disciplines.

Among the renowned theatre practitioners who will participate are: Elizabeth Swados, Neil LaBute, Mac Wellman, Yoji Sakate, Stephan Koplowitz, Kwesi Johnson, Melanie Joseph, John Moran among many others.

Workshops range from Site-Specific Performance, Meyerhold Technique, Using Noh with Modern Texts and The Actor/Playwright Collaboration to Creating Theatre Through Music, Pataphysics of Performance and The Tempest and the Sea.

All participants live and work at La MaMa Umbria International, Founder Ellen Stewart’s 15th century arts complex in the Umbrian hills near Spoleto. La MaMa Umbria includes a rehearsal studio, an outdoor stage, gallery space, a café and other unique spaces. Fresh, delicious food comes from the garden and many meals are cooked in a 500 year-old stone oven.

La MaMa Umbria offers 4 distinct programs in 2012 including International Symposium for Directors/Theatre-makers, Playwright Retreat, Master Acting Workshops and Residencies. Most workshops include visits to areas of local culture including Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto or other ancient towns and performances at summer festivals and community events.

The deadline for Registration/Application for the various programs is May 15, 2012 (except Residencies). Detailed information and Registration/Application Forms can be found at http://lamama.org/programs/la-mama-umbria-international/. For more information, call (212) 620-0703 or (212) 254-6468."

Another Reading Again

There was a nice piece on Playbill.com (link above) about the LaMama readings. My buddy Marco Calvani is on his way home on a plane tonight- he's the last one to go home. Sniff.

More LaMama

My only disappointment was that Ellen Stewart was not present- she was teaching in the townships in South Africa. You can’t really argue with that, can you? But she bought this villa and the land around it with her MacArthur Genius grant. And she created this haven for theatre people. There are individual artist residencies, and a directors’ symposium.

Here are some more photos: the room I shared with another playwright; the view out our window; the view out the refectory window where we ate breakfast; and a fine-looking shaving stand, looking as if it's ready for the first chapter of "Ulysses."

Why, Hound, Why?

How did I wind up in Italy in the first place this month? With outrageous airfares and the lousy euro-dollar exchange rate? Did I win the lottery? Well, kind of. My very generous brother and his wife offered to send me to the Playwrights Retreat at LaMama Umbria in Spoleto. It’s ten days of workshops and writing time with a master playwright- this year’s was Naomi Iisuka, whose “36 Views” I like a lot. She also runs the master’s program at U.C. San Diego. Good group of writers at various levels of experience. Gorgeous setting. Wonderful people run it: David Diamond (who I replaced in a job at USITT many years ago) and Mia Yoo. Fantastic food. Great vibe about the whole place. Can’t say enough good things about it. I got unstuck from a play that hadn’t been going well since last fall, and finished the first draft of the second act.
These photos are the courtyard, where we ate lunch and dinner; the field, which has a platform stage where you can make out the rigging; the olive trees are basically the front yard; and the path up to the field where the laundry hangs.