Thursday, September 04, 2014

Judge Nancy

I was asked to judge some plays for a local theater organization and to my surprise and dismay the second play to be performed for us judges was by the college guy who trashed my play JULIA & BUDDY. (The other two reviews were swell, thanks for asking.)

I immediately informed the guy running the judging event about my past with the playwright, but he insisted I watch the play anyway. I assume he will not ask me to rate the college guy's play during tomorrow night's evaluation session, and even if he does I will refuse. There is just no way I can be objective about somebody who was apparently, albeit inexplicably, enraged by my play. I haven't seen such an enraged review since the infamous Butterfly Collection incident.

Although the college guy did generously allow that I could have a role in the theater - serving playwrights through posting submission opportunities on NYCPlaywrights.org. He would probably be fine with me making him a sandwich, too.

I was glad I did sit through his play, even though it was glacially paced and had an incoherent plotline. Prior to seeing his play I assumed he hated my play so much because he doesn't get romantic comedies (which he does not) - but really that is beside the point - the guy doesn't know shit from Shinola.

Sure, I can't be objective, but for the first twenty minutes I thought his play could turn out to be OK - I certainly liked it more than the first play we saw that evening. I originally thought it was somewhat like an Afterschool Special, but really, that would be an improvement. An Afterschool Special would have a much tighter and more coherent plot. This play had all the maudlin sentimentality of an Afterschool Special, but none of the commercial TV form discipline.

And then there was the obligatory wallowing in squalor.