Ahem...

Guess who's got a play opening in New York next month?

Why, that would be me. And all those other fine folks in the press release above. Yes, my ten minute play, former CHELSEA sketch "Covert Operations" has been revamped and will be performed in the youth festival of Turtle Shell Production's 8 Minute Madness. The script was previously produced in a slightly different form for The Northfield Arts Guild's Very Short Play Festival with the lovely actors pictured above. I actually didn't get a chance to see it, I think I was in another show the one night it performed, and if the stars are right, I may be heading up to that big shiny apple to check it out.

Hmm, every time a script of mine has been produced and I haven't been actively involved in the process, it's performed by kids? But if these New York kids are anywhere as awesome as the Red Bluff kids, this is going to rock.
See! Aren't they awesome? The stage blood and adorable bear nose - all them. It feels good to inspire the youth.

I recently joined The Playwrights Center, partly for access to their kick-ass opportunities list, and partly to keep tabs on my Workhaus Collective buddies, and I'm definitely going to try and submit more scripts around this year. I was particularly inspired by Centenary Stage's Mastodon Challenge and decided to write a short Mastodon play in a month. And open a show. And find a day job. And stop being a hermit in my apartment all the time.

I was actually making really good headway, and I was an interrogation scene and a mystical visitation away from actually finishing my Mastodon Play, when February 27th rolled around, and I had all day rehearsals for one show and performances for another all weekend and a brand new job and Doctor Who to catch up on, and I decided that I loved that Mastodon Play too much to vomit out an ending and let it out into the big wide world.

But next year? Oh, watch out. Here's a little nugget. Clearly I'm on a spy kick. This is the top of the second scene. Jess has recently turned into a Mastodon, and she's coming home to the apartment she shares with her boyfriend who has recently turned into a super-spy.

JESS
I’m home!
SHE NOTICES A LARGE AND PROMINENT BOUQUET
Hey, what’s with the—

CLINT (off)
I don't think I'd touch those if I were you.

JESS
What? The flowers?

CLINT SASHAYS IN WEARING A TUX AND LOOKING DAPPER.

CLINT
Those are no ordinary flowers. See this chrysanthemum? Looks authentic, right? But concealed within the stem is a small caliber poisoned dart invisible to the naked eye—
HE PUTS THE FLOWER TO HIS LIPS AND BLOWS. WE HEAR BROKEN GLASS FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF A CAT BEING SHOT WITH A SMALL CALIBER POISONED DART.
—but lethal at 20 paces. Pretty swell, wouldn’t you say?

JESS
Did you just kill a cat?

CLINT
Don’t worry. The antidote is in this lamp.
HE DROPS THE LAMP OUT THE WINDOW. WE HEAR IT SHATTER.
How was your day?

JESS
Fine. I ate a tree.

CLINT
Good for you.

So, "Dress-Up Trunk" is going on the back burner for a bit, as I get ready for The Annunciation...sort of and, hopefully, a trip up to visit a certain awesome playwright who I have not seen in far, far too long.

And don't worry, no cats are harmed in "Covert Operations."