Where Has Mark Been? Chapter 2:

July 24, 2009: Script Outline #3 Approved

To see Chapter 1: either click on "Client: The Writing Project" or http://mgauerbach.blogspot.com/2009/06/where-has-mark-been.html

All of us Yankees know that 2009 has not been the summer for natural tan-enhancement, as my somewhat pale body attests. (Take my word for it, don't investigate. The Michael Phelps' swimmer's body of years ago has morphed into more Shelley Winters as Belle Rosen look). So, being indoors working on this writing project has not been too difficult. No pool distractions. No lazy summer days beckoning through the windows. From so much rain, my patio looks like "Grey Gardens". Weeds and grasses are growing fast and furiously from the sand spaces between the bricks. I'm torn between letting nature take its course and modern technology: Green vs. Round-Up! I imagine myself garbed as Little Edie, repeating the words "honestly" and "staunch" while furiously spraying every weed and grass blade within view. Another personality takes over as Big Edie, the matronly environmental activist pleading "Stop, Edie. Stop!" I put the Round-Up down (cussing "Honestly, Mother darling" under my breath) and remove the weeds the old-fashioned way, bending over and uprooting them one weed at a time. Ah, the somewhat idle brain is the devil's playground here on the condo flood plains in River City.

When I last did a project update on June 29, the research had been about 75% completed, and I had drafted Outline #1. Outline #1 was critiqued by multiple parties and revised into Outline #2 , which was again critiqued by the same multiple parties and revised into Outline #3, which was submitted on July 17. There are more revisions to come. I know it.

Some of the scenes outlined play over and over in my head. I'm personally attached to some of them. It won't be difficult to lay them out on the page when it comes time to write the actual script, but I don't know how I'll react if my favorites are rejected or revised to the point that they're completely different than they are at present.

The waiting game has been tough. Thank god for simple distractions.

Distraction #1: Johnny Depp announced that he'd like to play Carol Channing in his next movie. I imagine my writing project transformed. In my project, one setting is New Orleans. Now, I imagine Johnny Depp sitting there as a club patron. A sudden shower hits the French Quarter and Carol Channing darts in to dodge the rain. The rest is history. He sings "I'm Just a Little Girl from Little Rock" from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". She swoons. She responds with a medley from "Sweeney Todd". They encore together with something from "Hello, Dolly!". He now wants to play Patti LuPone and rushes to find a script to "Evita". Curtain.

Distraction #2: The Long Island Lolita, Amy Fisher, provided headlines as she announced her two-performance only run at The Mardi Gras, my hometown's famous strip club (now turned "cultural center" for one night). Now, I imagine her starring in my project, which is now set on Long Island (change at Jamaica). She does her pole dance to the music of "The Five-Fifteen" from "Grey Gardens" (the only showtune to mention the Long Island Railroad's Montauk Line). My project now plays strip clubs from Times Square to the Tenderloin to the Chicken Ranch. Amy, who doesn't do matinees, relinquishes the role to Varla Jean Merman (one of my favorite impressionists), who forges a new career as a plus-size pole dancer. Curtain.

Distraction #3: When I'm not being script-writer, I'm still PR dude. There is client work to be done. My clients need the same attention and dedication that the script is getting. The curtain doesn't fall.

I fast learn that the art of making art is not a solo gig. Besides the producers to answer to, there is the subject of the theatre piece, who will also perform it. The subject has final approval. We get along well, so there have been little difficulties in communicating. Soon, there will be a director and a designer (s), musicians, perhaps a choreographer, and management, publicists, etc. etc. I like the collaboration and the feedback.

Nonetheless, this part of the writing is the lonely part. I'm not at liberty as yet to discuss the initimate details of the project, so I have to be careful as to what I divulge--and to whom.

I share my project challenges with my first professional mentor, an international arts administrator who has worked globally with some of the finest performing and visual arts festivals. I was a young marketing guy at Wolf Trap, when he discovered my abilities and forced me to exceed other people's expectations. He, as he always does, provides encouragement, unconditional support, and sound advice.

I share some details with the "boys", (two colleagues from my WFCR days, one of them's partner, and a mutual friend of the group). Over regular lunches they keep me laughing and grounded. I won't be able to get too carried away with them around--on the other hand, smash hit or infamous flop, they'll be there for me. One, a theatre dude, will be my sounding board. He used to work directly with me, so he knows how to phrase his criticisms and commentaries so I react positively. (He also knows how to push my buttons, which he might do for the amusement of the other boys). Another, who's a PR and marketing guy, will take on some of my client work, when I need an extra hand.

And, there's my pool buddy of many years, a neighbor, with whom I'm close. Theatre is quite the unknown to him. He's been to live theatre once--an outdoor Shakespeare performance which left him preferring a root canal without anesthetic to another theatre trip. (In fairness, he's a Red Sox junkie, and I can hardly sit through a game). He checks in with me constantly to make sure I'm OK. I couldn't ask for more from someone who will likely only attend my opening night under extreme duress (provided that the performance doesn't conflict with a regular Red Sox game, playoff, World Series, spring training game, or someone's DVD of Red Sox highlights).

Then, there are the unknowns: 1) an unknown 12 year old kid, who taught me how to text message on a layover in the Atlanta airport. I wish I'd known his name; and 2) an unknown kid of the same vintage, who taught me some computer skills at the local library when some research put the filters into use. He showed me how to over-ride the filters. Thanks, guys.

Fast forward: Friday afternoon, July 24--we're on !!! I get the encouraging e-mail from the lead producer. The third outline has been approved by both producers and the subject of the musical! No more outline revisions!!! The next step is 1) producers pulling together a funding prospectus and a production budget -- thankfully, not my job and 2) the script coming together in time for a rehearsal and backer's audition to be held on October 1--my job under extreme pressure.

Friday night, the lead producer (the guy who got me into the project) calls. He updates me on the meeting the two producers had with the subject of the project. Producer #2 will give me guidelines on the next part of the process. I also hear from the subject; we'll be chatting on Tuesday.

The next chapter begins....