RIDDLE'S IN THE DARK

Jefferson Davis Riddle wasn't always Jefferson Davis Riddle. Until he was about ten years old, he was a boy named Charka, which meant handsome youth in the language of his mother's people. He came from the Lost River. His mother was a Modoc, his father a white settler. He was born during the Civil War, and died as World War II was beginning. I don't know why, but the guy haunts me. So I wrote a play about him, and the events that twisted him into a riddle.

Well, that's not entirely true- but then again, what is?

I set out initially to write a play about the Modoc War of 1872-1873 that happened in Northern California and Oregon, which is mainly a story about Captain Jack, a Modoc chief whose story is Shakespearean in scope. His story is one of heroism and betrayal on a massive scale- and I do include that in my play.

But once I began writing, the play quickly became about Riddle himself, and what it means to be a mix of good and bad- to not really know what your roots are, where you come from, and where you're going. I think most of us here in America can relate to that. Seems like most of us have family trees that get lost in the mists of time. We all come from the displaced, the lost, the removed ones- and our family histories are mixed up collages of myth and mystery.



As I wrote the play, more and more characters who are lost, twisted, and/or crazy started showing up. First came Hel- Norse goddess of death who is half beautiful enchantress, half dead thing whose father is Loki- god of chaos, thieves, and madness and whose mother is an ice giantess named Angrboda. Clearly, she has some family issues of her own. (I also have a one act about her going speed-dating called Hela and Troy) Then along came Raven- trickster god of the Pacific Northwest who sometimes is his own grandpa- just like that stupid song. Raven was my own father's favorite mythological character- and as such, he carries a lot of weight.  Then there's Mimir, a chopped off head of a wise man that's still alive. In the play, I've made Mimir be a wise-woman whose sex has been misrepresented in the stories to both illustrate how stories change with time, and also to make the show have more female roles.  And then there's ghost of Pocahantas- after they changed her name to Lady Rolfe and shipped her off to England, where she died of a broken heart. She shows up in the third act, and I find her hysterical and really sad.

The play is just full of happy folk.

And it's got a lot of humor. Sounds weird, I know- but let's face it, we turn to humor most when things are going particularly bad- and it's been that way from Aristophanes to SNL. I think the reason the Irish and Russians have such dark senses of humor is because if they didn't, they'd go mad.

Anyhow, I'm telling you all this because this August 24, there's going to be a free staged reading of the play- which is called RIDDLE LOST, presented by 2X4 BASH at The Western Stage, directed by Skot Davis. That's in Salinas, CA. A beautiful place to spend a day in August.

I want you all to come see it. All of you. Now go.

NARNIAN DWARVES FREAK ME OUT

When I was in elementary- long ago and far away in a kingdom by the sea- I read The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. They were a great set of books- fun, exciting, full of unexpected creatures, spooky bad guys, and all those sorts of things. I think I must have been in fourth grade when I read them. They fall, in my memory's time line- which is admittedly questionable- between reading the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. (on a side note, I always thought it rather presumptuous of old J.R.R. to have 3 initials before his last name)

Anyway, in The Last Battle, which is the last book of the Narnia series, there's this scene that freaked me out when I first read it, and still gives me the creeps now. Towards the end of the story, all the heroes are holed up in this cabin. The heroes are humans and magic creatures, including a group of dwarves who are sitting in a circle with their eyes closed, terrified and not in a very good mood. Outside, the forces of evil are closing in for the kill. All looks hopeless, but at the last minute Aslan, the lion appears and magically saves the day, transporting everyone to this really nice, safe place. Hooray. But then, the heroes notice that the dwarves are still sitting in a circle with their eyes closed, terrified. See, in their minds, they're still sitting in the cabin, which has been set on fire, and they are about to die horrible awful deaths. And nothing anyone says can convince them otherwise. One of the heroes even picks up one of the dwarves, pleading with him to open his eyes and realize that all is well. But to no avail.

Eventually, they leave the dwarves behind.

That little bit haunts me to this very day. The idea of people who are so sad, so sure that everything is terrible that they can't accept anything other than misery was all too plausible. I mean, yeah, there are lots of terrible things out there, and yes, we all are doomed to one day shuffle off this mortal coil, and the sun will one day explode, and the economy sucks- I get all that. Which to me seems like an even great incentive to try and see the light where ever we can, to hear music when it plays, soak up smiles when they come our way.

That's about all for now. And if you haven't done so, please check out my plays at INDIE THEATER NOW and PLAYSCRIPTS, INC. You can download one for just $1.29. See, things are getting better already.

LOVERS, LUNATICS, AND POETS

So, awhile back, I entered a contest via Twitter. I know, it sounds kind of goofy, but I figured why not? It was called Pitch-n-Play, and was being put on by Playscripts, inc. - a group that has the good taste to publish Hela and Troy, a one act of mine. The concept was simple- write a pitch for a play based on the quote "the course of true love never did run smooth". The pitch had to fit into one tweet. That was it. I wrote about ten pitches, and tweeted them all with the appropriate hash tag. Or is it hashtag? Syntax in this electronic age is liquid, shifting between parallel universes at the speed of light. Anyway, back in early March it was announced that one of my pitches, from the thousands entered, had been chosen as one of three winners. Hooray. Here's the winning pitch in its entirety: The real Puck messes with hearts of teens during high school prod of A Midsummer Nights Dream. 


That was part one of the contest. Next, people from all over the world were invited to write a short play based on any of the three winning pitches. Which meant people I had never met were going to write plays based on my idea. Which I found cool. It is thrilling to think of strangers reading my stuff. Well, thrilling and weird, and maybe a little scary. But mostly thrilling.


Anyway, in about a month, in between all the classes I teach and shows was directing, I managed to write a play based on my pitch. I decided to have Puck come upon the fairy Peaseblossom, who has forsaken being a fairy because she's fallen in love with a young actor. Puck decides to help her, and hilarity ensues. There's lots of mistakes, parallels to the real Midsummer Night's Dream, and plenty of jokes aimed at the theatre itself. And a baby pygmy hippo. 




Here's a small sample, where Peaseblossom, now going by the name Peabo, tries to explain everything to Maggie, a normal high school student.

MAGGIE

Uh, what are you talking about?

PEABO

Isn’t it obvious? Robyn here has been possessed by the real Puck. Puck, feeling sorry for me because I used to be a fairy but fell in love with Tim and became mortal, has taken the magic flower called love-in-idleness and tried to use it to make Tim love me back, but messed things up in classic Puck-like fashion!

MAGGIE

Wait- you love Tim?

PEABO

Yes!

MAGGIE

And you’re saying fairies, like the ones in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are real?

PEABO

Hello! What, did you think Shakespeare made all that up?

MAGGIE

Well, yeah.

You get the idea. So, I wrote it, sent it in, and then today I got notice that my play was one of three finalists, and while it didn't win the grand prize, the decided to publish it anyway, just 'cause they liked it so much. Like I said, Playscripts is known for their excellent literary taste.

So, when it becomes available, I'll post information here. In the meantime, you can get info and/or buy my others plays at both Playscripts, Inc. and Indie Theatre Now.

Now go out there and GET YOUR THEATRE ON.

MEANWHILE

So I'm waiting on things. Contests, projects, the proverbial ship to come in and all that. And while I do, the wheels of the world keep turning at great speed, as if all motion is perpetual, all moments continual, all threads connected somehow, in a way that I always understand in my dreams but can't quite remember when I wake up.

Guess Lennon was right- Life is what happens while you're making plans.

I got a reading of Riddle Lost coming up out in Salinas, California at the Western Stage- one of the many incubators of my artistic soul. I spent many summers there as an actor, working on some pretty amazing projects, including a nine hour, three part adaptation of East of Eden which was one of the seminal experiences of my life. It's run by Jon Selover, who I went to college and who taught me a lot about theatre.

Salinas is also where my first play, Last Call takes places.

The reading is part of 2x4 Bash, a project run by another old friend and fellow lunatic Mark Englehorn that also includes a reading of the play 8 by Dustin Lance Black- the guy who won the Oscar for writing Milk, and who was in a production of Peter Pan with me at Western Stage. So that's pretty friggin' sweet.

Riddle Lost is about a real life guy from the Old West named Jeff Riddle who's mother was a Modoc Indian and father was a settler and who lived through a really nasty war. It takes place in the after-life, and has a cast of characters that includes Norse death god Hel, a cigar store Indian named Ziggy, and Raven- the trickster god of the Pacific-Northwest. It's weird and funny and sad and I like to think kicks it in the ass. If you're near on Salinas on August 24, go check it out.

I'm also doing a lot of children's theatre this summer. A lot. Tomorrow I audition 52 kids for a musical I'm directing up in Boulder in July, and on Monday I start a production of Lightning Thief here in Denver. And while it may be tiring as all hell, it's also really invigorating to do theatre with young folks. They still understand the power of the imagination, and there isn't much they can't do.

On top of that, I am super close to finishing my first flick, Strong Tea. Like probably a week. Then I leap into the land of submitting to film festivals- where I will live for the next year.

And on top of all that, I have two other screenplays I'm figuring out.

I think I need to take the wife and drive up to the mountains and watch a river splash along for a few hours, sing to the trees, and search for Bigfoot.

YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT

I love theatre. Have I mentioned that? Well, I do. I friggin' adore it. Especially when done by seemingly like-minded lunatics who somehow manage to capture a little bit of the effervescent magic of what it means to be a human being; who reach out into the soul of the audience and say "it's okay, we get it, now let's sing and dance a little"; who kick it in the ass.

That's what's going on down at the Colorado Fine Arts Center with their current production of Hairspray. This is a  funny, smart, and sexy show that starts with a bang and keeps getting better, scene by scene and number by number. Hairspray (based on the 1988 film by John Waters) follows the adventures of Tracy Turnblad in 1962 Baltimore. Tracy is a teen-ager who loves to dance more than anything in the world, and dreams of being a regular on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV show where teens dance and sing to the latest tunes. Corny Collins is Baltimore's version of Dick Clark, and Max Ferguson is hilarious in the role. The show is produced by Velma Von Tussle, local villaness and former Miss Baltimore Crabs- played with nasty gusto by Alannah Moore. The show within the show epitomizes rock-n-roll in the early sixties- white bred and watered down. Even so, Tracy loves it- and especially local teen star Link Larkin. Link, as played by Marco Robinson, is hilarious- a kind of bumbling young leading man who reminded me of James Franco- if Franco could sing and dance. Link's girlfriend, another member of the Corny Collins Show, is mean girl Amber Van Tussle- daughter of Velma. As Amber, Lacey Connell gives us a great meanie who is both entrancing in looks and style, but appalling in manner and heart.

Tracy's sweet, determined, and a little bigger than the average dancer- but that doesn't slow her down for a minute.  The show lets us know right away that we're in a world that's a little larger than life- but at the same time a little more realistic than your average musical- with the song "Good Morning Baltimore". In it, we meet Tracy, who loves her town, and life itself, unconditionally. In her world, there are flashers, bums and rats, as well as sunshine, magic, and promise. Andrea Rutherford plays Tracy perfectly- she's perky, kind, silly and sexy. The moment the lights come up on her, you love her and want her to win the day. Tracy is a working class girl, and her parents are you average working class folks, with dreams that didn't quite come true. But they are also unique in their optimism and love, which is so sweet and strong you just want to hug them. The mother, Edna, is played with perfect comic timing and gigantic heart by Drew Frady. Edna is a force of nature who has never let herself shine in all her glory at the top of the play- but thanks to her daughters love and the circumstances of the story, by the end of the show Edna is a show-stopping Diva who owns the stage. Michael Augenstein plays Tracy's dad Wilbur, a goofy guy who owns a novelty shop and who encourages his daughter to do what she wants and follow her dreams. Wilbur is charming in the role. One of the many things I love about this show is how these parents, who could be seen as geeky losers, are loving, strong, wonderful people. They don't have a lot of money, or a strong sense of fashion, or any of those shallow things we seem to prize too much- but they have souls the size of the cosmos. And their song You're Timeless to Me is fantastic- one of several show stopping numbers. Tracy and her best friend, Penny Pennington- played by the magnetically charming Carmen Vreeman- watch the Corny Collins show religiously- much to the consternation of their parents, who would like them to spend more time studying. Tracy, in particular, seems to get into trouble a lot at school- and ends up in detention most days. This is actually a good thing, because it is there that she meets Seaweed J. Stubbs and his friends- the black kids in this still segregated time. Seaweed, as played by Tyrell D. Rae, is one cool dude- who can dance and sing and has that kind of ease with himself that makes you want to hang out with him. Tracy and Seaweed hit it off instantly, and before you know it, Seaweed is teaching Tracy all the lastest moves. A spot on the Corny Collins Show opens up when one of the teen dancers gets knocked up, and Tracy's chance to shine finally arrives. What follows is a battle of wills between Tracy- optimistic and accepting- and Amber- snooty and mean. And then there is the eleven o'clock number I Know Where I've Been, sung by Seaweed's mom, Motormouth Maybelle- that brings down the house. Motormouth is played by Lynne Hastings- yet another stand out in this stand out cast.

The show is directed by Scott RC Levy- who became the Artistic Director of the Fine Arts Center this year and has consistently provided vital shows that speak to the heart and mind in equal measure with passion. Here again, he shows off his talent. The show runs at  a perfect pace, never dragging, always engaging, and consistent in mood and energy. He sets the tone from start to finish as one just this side of reality- fantastic, funny, and quirky.

I really can't say enough how much I enjoyed this show. It's life affirming. I hope it sells out the run and extends for a month or two, so that I can see it again.

So, that's what I think of Hairspray. Other than that, don't forget to check out my plays, available at Indie Theatre Now. Also, there's a chance my play Burning the Old Man will be done in Brazil this fall. That would be the fourth continent I've been produced on- which I think is cool. And very soon, my short Strong Tea will be ready for the world. Until then, go out and get your theatre on.

A STAR'S MIGHTY GOOD COMPANY

For the past few months, I've been working on Our Town by Thornton Wilder. You know, that play that every high school does at some time or other, the one with the scene in the soda shop that every young actor or actress has to do in acting class at some point. The one without any scenery. A lot of people think the play is sentimental, or boring, or too old. But then again, a lot of people are morons. This is a funny, dark, sharp edged play that goes for the jugular. It is funky, groovy, and whatever other adjective you'd like to use to mean fantastic.  I think the only possible way you can not find it to be a brilliant, exciting play is to not have seen or read it, and judge the book by it's cover.

Until now, my favorite version of this play was the one that was shown on PBS in the eighties, starring Spalding Gray as the Stage Manager, Eric Stoltz as George, and Penelope Ann Miller as Emily. It was really funny, and sad, and magic. I remember watching it with my mom, long ago and far away in the land of my youth. Mom cried and cried at the end, when Emily bade farewell the world. I, being young and immortal, made fun of Mom for being such a cry-baby. I was fifteen, and such things were part and parcel of my existence back then. Even so, I loved the production- it was dark, and intelligent, and passionate- and made me a life-long fan of the play.

Not surprisingly, when I wrote the screenplay for Ghostlight, a paranormal thriller about a high school theatrical production that gets haunted by angry spirits, I chose Our Town to be the play-within-the-movie. Hopefully, you will all get a chance to see that little opus on a screen near you in the near future. (that all depends on how Strong Tea gets received when it makes the film festival rounds this coming year. And if you are curious about stuff I wrote, go HERE)

So, when Steve Wilson, Artistic Director of the Wolf Theatre Academy at the JCC in Denver asked me what show I wanted to direct for the spring slot, it seemed like the time had come to direct my own version of the show.

And it has been fantastic. First off, I have the greatest cast a director could ask for- smart, funny, and willing to do whatever it takes to kick it in the ass. We tweaked some of the Stage Manager monologues, dividing them up between the whole cast at some points, and between the Stage Manager and three Assistant Stage Managers (characters we created just for this production) in others. Instead of having recorded sound effects, we are using live gadgets, like they did on old radio shows- which is really fun. We also went with a back drop- against tradition with this show, but really sweet. I told my scenic artist to make a backdrop that looked like an Edward Hopper painting, and he came through in spades. clubs, hearts and diamonds.

So here's the thing. If you are anywhere near Denver between now and Sunday night, get your self to the JCC to see something special, unique, and magic. I promise, you will thank me.

THE UNIVERSE IS COOL

It is. Things happen that make me think there is some sort of purpose, some hand that guides us on our journey from cradle to grave, a kind of fate if you will, that connects us all.

Like the force in Star Wars.

Do you capitalize the Force? Hmmm. Where's Obi Wan when you need him.

Anyway, I went down to Colorado Springs to see the Fine Arts Center's excellent production of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", directed by by Scott RC Levy. The show itself was fantastic- which is no surprise, based on the season so far. On a beautiful set, designed by Chris Sheley inspired by the art of Thomas Hart Benton (read more about it here) Levy tells a story of isolation and friendship that is alternately heart warming and heart breaking. Kent D. Burhnam plays the long suffering George, a farm hand down on his luck traveling with his friend Lennie, a man-child who happens to be very strong, played with the perfect mix of delicacy, innocence, and sadness by Logan Ernstthal. Burhham takes a no nonsense approach to the role of George, giving him a natural ease and making the final scene all the more tragic as a result.  Dean Steffen as Curley- a bully and a dandy with a Napoleon complex, is outstanding. Adrian Egolf, as Curly's lonely, flirtatious wife, takes a role that could easily be played as a stereo-type and makes us feel for her, even though she's trouble through and through. And Chris Devenport, as Crooks, practically steals the show in his scene with Lennie. His ease on stage, coupled with some truly dynamic vocal and physical work, is just excellent. If you are anywhere near Colorado Springs, you should go see this show. It's another gem offered up by Mr. Levy and company that shines.

What does this have to do with the Force and all that? Well, I'll tell you.

First off, Adrian Egolf, who plays Curly's wife, also happens to be starring in STRONG TEA, a short film written and directed by yours truly. I had already been planning on seeing Of Mice and Men before I found out that Adrian was in it. Second, at the show, as I read the program bios of the cast, I saw that Kent Burnham had worked at the Western Stage of Salinas, CA. A place I had worked several seasons as an actor, most notably as Adam/Aron in the world premiere, 9 hour trilogy of Steinbeck's East of Eden in 1992 and again in 1994. Something was trying to click in my little mind as I read that in   his bio. After the show, there was a talkback with the cast and director- and I asked Kent about his work at Western Stage- turns out he did the 2000 production of East of Eden, and played Adam/Aron as well. On top of that, we had hung out together a couple of times on the Lower East Side of NYC long ago. Weird, no? Well, maybe not weird, but cool.

Speaking of cool- please take a moment to check out the first trailer for my film- Adrian is the dark haired beauty. Devon James plays the blonde with the temper. And Tim McCracken, who plays the lead, was in the cast of East of Eden with me in 1992.

That's about it for now. Gotta keep on keeping on.