Inflexible DynamoMar 17, 20213 minHow It All BeganSo the first play I wrote was Headstrong (“Romance, Sex, Murder, Middle English”). I wasn't planning to write a play. Actually I had...
Inflexible DynamoJun 6, 20203 min#THEATREWILLSURVIVECOVID-19 and social distancing requirements have closed most theatres. Tragically, some will stay closed permanently. Some theatres will...
Inflexible DynamoApr 24, 20201 min#GOTEEMThere are millions of words teeming around in my nether-wherevers, all jockeying for position to get onto the next page. They don't...
Inflexible DynamoMar 3, 20202 minNot for Nothing, But ......You will fail. You will fail a thousand times. Some of these failures will be astonishingly acute. You'll watch your colleagues...
Inflexible DynamoSep 16, 20195 minAsking for 10-page samplesHaving had to negotiate reading 50+ submissions at a time (on more than a few occasions), I favor asking for 10-page samples. This is not...
Inflexible DynamoJun 9, 20198 minHamlet's HamartiaSo—theoretically—if somebody whacked my beloved old man then proceeded to wed and bed my mom I'd resolutely be set on the path to...
Inflexible DynamoMar 29, 20193 minDevelopment, Part XVIIIn my endless quest for places to send my scintillating scribblings, I routinely come across opportunities for play development. Most of...
Inflexible DynamoMar 20, 20194 minDe-confusing “Cast Appropriately"Casting Call BEN: Male, 35-40, large-boned, seems dangerous but really a pussycat. Dark blond hair. ALVY: cast appropriately. The above...
Inflexible DynamoFeb 23, 20192 minGiving Yourself Every Advantage, or Shameless Book PlugWe all have different ideas about playwriting and development, and that's great. I've fielded more than a few questions about the...
Inflexible DynamoDec 7, 20184 minWhere does a playwright’s responsibility to the audience’s emotional health begin and end?We like to proclaim proudly that “the best plays are the ones that move the audience, challenge the intellect, and serve as a catalyst...
Inflexible DynamoNov 19, 20183 minTrigger WarningsA colleague recently posted a New York Times article about trigger warnings with the comment “Nothing ruins a magic trick more than...
Inflexible DynamoSep 28, 20182 minBad Decisions Make Great Drama.It's a truth. Look at any great play and see what the bad decision was. Someone fucked up hugely. Someone got badly burned. Someone got...
Inflexible DynamoSep 12, 20185 minHow much control is too much? How much control is not enough?There's an ongoing discussion (started around Euripides' time, I think) about how far playwrights should go to protect the intent, the...
Inflexible DynamoJul 8, 20186 min“Ehhhh, Mr. Sapio...this is Harlan Ellison. We need to talk.”With I heard these words on my answering machine* I knew I was pipik-deep in serious shit. For those of you unacquainted with the legend...
Inflexible DynamoJul 3, 20183 minObstacles. Those bits in the middle.We've all had issues with obstacles--those pesky road blocks that all protagonists have to navigate successfully in order to achieve...
Inflexible DynamoJun 15, 20185 minThe Best of Us (3)The call came in the early afternoon. That very morning I had seen three—count 'em—three rejection slips. This was the fifth year of my...
Inflexible DynamoMay 9, 20183 minNotes from "The Viking Suicides" Workshop, Part 2In Part I of this post I promised to address why I encourage everyone at the table to speak their minds freely and openly. Here’s why. I...
Inflexible DynamoMay 5, 20184 minNotes from the "Viking Suicides" Workshop, Part 1We’re having the first workshop rehearsal for my new play, The Viking Suicides. Two of the cast members have been through this process...
Inflexible DynamoMar 29, 20183 minJust Mull. And Enjoy It.It's called Writer's Block, that agonizing period fraught with insecurity when the creative river dries up. Writer's Block: when you need...
Inflexible DynamoFeb 23, 20183 minBest Advice I Ever Received About Playwriting: Learn How to Do EverythingSeems like a simple concept, and yet many playwrights continue to keep themselves away from the rest of the profession. I've heard them...