Tickets Now on Sale- Click on Ed White!

Coming this June to the Papermill Theater

Omar Khayyam- Against Astrology (via Dr. juan Cole)

The good and bad
that are in human nature,
the joy and grief
that are in fate and destiny–
do not attribute them to
the movement
of heavenly bodies;
for according to the path of science,
the stars are a thousand times
more helpless than you.

you should too

Talk to your freshman year roommate on the phone.

Or the your version of that.

Last Monday In February

Last February in Monday.

The last nine I have been nervous. The next nine, same same.  No matter what, I will be. The last Monday in February is my anniversary with Yael, my ladyfriend.

This last Monday in February marks the ninth anniversary of our last monday in febraury.  

I am nervous because it is my anniversary. Not cuz i forgot or freak out about relationships, i just get nervous cuz it is the most special day of the year.


Yael, how i remember 2011

garbage and rats
demerit!
zoo riot zoo riot zoo riot
what what what
goes the baboon

thank you for letting me sleep next to you.

i love you with all my hart. my sweethart. my McShane Wulfhart.

War Porn

Article on front page of NYT a few days ago discussing Israel's capabilities to strike Iran's nuclear processing plants. 

dude, Pure war porn page one. Wasn't about the politics or debate or nothing.

How many planes it would take, the hurdles with flying over sovereign countries airspace to reach the targets, possibility of using a nuclear weapon to strike the underground targets, if Israel couldn't finish the job then America would have to step in.

great article whoever. Be proud.

Chink In The Armor

The television is crazy and I am crazy and i love the television and and and

I have been a sports fan for probably around two decades.

My first sports memory is television watching a dodgers expos game in the early 80s It was at expo stadium in montreal, an afternoon game, i rmemeber the sunlight falling on the outfield.

I do have a flight memory of tigers royals and the grandstand of tiger stadium in the 84? world series. 

But for me my sports life is 88 dodgers and lakers on. Kings for a hot minute. Hooray later rangers in 94 and larry johnson and latrell sprewell on the knicks in 99.

but my sports life is 88 dodgers and lakers on.

I love the typeset of the la times because i saw my dad read it. When i was a young man there or in bay area there was a peace i felt reading the la times sports page. Now it is, or was latimes.com/sports with simers and plashke freaking out about everything. And of course espn and simmons everyday.

But the fucking thing is, which i know and you know and maybe we talked about talked about and bitched about and kept reading voraciously for the past whatever is sports writing is some mean-spirited exhaled coke smoked shit.

I am done.

Except fruithoopz.blogspot.com

J Dilla is kaboom Kaboom KAboom KABoom KABOom KABOOm KABOOM

From XXL Magazine with Questlove talking about J Dilla

It was six years ago today (February 10) that J Dilla lost his fight with lupus and TTP. The Detroit native had already left a lasting mark on music, but seemed to only be scratching the surface of what he was capable of. Dilla lent his touch to tracks for A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Common, Mos Def,  Slum Village, The Pharcyde, and, of course, The Roots, among others. The Philadelphia-based band’s drummer, Questlove, was a good friend of Dilla’s. He also happens to be one of the most knowledgeable, talented and celebrated musicians that hip-hop has to offer, having worked with everyone from hip-hop icons like Jay-Z to mainstream darlings like John Mayer and Christina Aguilera. He also thinks that his friend was the greatest rap producer of all time. Here, he helps celebrate Dilla’s legacy, as he tells XXL what it was about Jay Dee’s sound, style and approach that was so amazing. —As Told to Adam Fleischer (@adamXXL)

As far as our definition of hip-hop production is concerned—as far as making beats—[Dilla] is absolutely without peer. Many will come after him and surpass him and do even crazier tricks, but for what my eyes have seen in those short nine years that I’ve known him, that’s going to be a very tall order to live up to. It’s [been]…God, six years since he passed [and] I still use his beats as the energy power pellets to my Pacmanology, if you will.
[Why? Because] I like his kick patches better than anyone; I love his snare patches better than anyone; I love his sample chops better than anyone; I like his ability to flip samples better than anyone; I like his engineering better than anyone; I love his chord structure better than anyone; I love his bass tones better than anyone. It really just starts there. And having listened to all of his beat creations, and over-analyzed them over a hundred times each, there’s just an extreme pristine presentation. Even the stuff that you’re lukewarm on as an average listener, you can’t deny.
You also gotta think about his range. His range is bar none. He’s gone through [four] production phases in his professional career. He didn’t stick to one. That’s the thing that really separates him from everyone in hip-hop. He started off with that post-Tribe, boom bap with [the] loud kushy drums and a bouncy bassline—[which] especially did well for The Pharcyde album and Tribe records. But then in a snap, he went to—once he started working with us, with the Soulquarians—he started playing the stuff live. The most hilarious thing of it all was that he was not technically a musician. But he was able to get the sound that he heard in his head, not only executed onto tape, but he did it in such an original way that it actually started to change our view of how we made music.
The day after he recorded “Think Twice,” for Welcome to Detroit, I look at the drum set, and I was like, “Wait, you recorded that on this?” And it was the most dingiest, dirtiest, not even second-hand. [It] looked like the Fat Albert junkyard gang drum set. Screws were missing; some of the heads were broken. Matter of fact, he didn’t even use real drumsticks on “Think Twice.” He used a vibraphone mallet, and he had a broken drumstick that he got some toilet paper from the bathroom, and some rubber bands. I was like, “You would rather go through this MacGuyver shit than buy new drumsticks?” He’s like, “I didn’t know where to get ’em this late at night; I had to make due.” I was like, “Well, why did you hit the drums with the mallet?” He was like, “I didn’t want the dynamic to be too aggressive. I wanted to sound muted, so I decided to play the drums with the soft cotton mallet.” It looked like putting a marshmallow at the end of a toothpick [Laughs]. Next thing I know, I’m now flying to Philadelphia—I think the next week, [to work on] The Roots’ Phrenology record [and] I tracked both “Quills” and “Pussy Galore” the same way. I went and got some orchestra mallets, and then I too started, just ’cause I seen how he got that sound.


So to go from doing live stuff, to go to this electro phase—and even I was reluctant to do that. When we started to do Common’s Electric Circus, he was like, “Nah, man. I’m putting the drums away. I’m putting all that African sound away, and I’m going straight Kraftwerk; you coming with me?” And I was like, “Huh?” And he just brought all this prog rock stuff, and all these synthesizer records, and Thomas Dolby and Gary Numan stuff. He was like, “Nah man, let’s go straight electro stuff. Let’s do it. He just told me, “It’s 2002, let’s go somewhere else.” It was almost like Jerry Maguire: Who’s coming with me? It was really weird. What that required me to do—I thought I had established my sound, which was tight snare, tight, high pitched piccolo snare. I had really just gotten in my stride with the D’Angelo record. At that point, it had taken me six years to establish a trademark sound, which everyone now instantly knew. “Oh my god, that’s Questlove drums.” So I was kind of proud of that: Let me get my moment. But he was like, “Nah, man. Let’s go the opposite. Go the complete opposite of what you would do.” And I was just like, “Why?” He was like, “’Cause, man, this is what you gotta do. Everyone has now caught up to what you’re doing, and for you to stay ahead of the pack, you’re going to have to get uncomfortable and just go there.”
And then to his last stage, which really amazes me, because that was really him at his MacGuyver stage, which was a box of 45s by his bedside, a very cheap turntable and Pro Tools on his computer, flipping beats back and forth. The last stage of this period, that to me was more exciting, because he really wasn’t able to communicate. Which really makes Donuts that much creepier for me to hear because all of those [samples], I’m now certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, were actual messages from him. Not just him randomly choosing stuff. If you analyze everything that’s said on Donuts—from “Workinonit,” (where the sample says I’m still working—’cause that’s the thing, he was confined to a wheelchair, he really couldn’t talk, he was half his weight. To see him would freak you out and frighten you. And then he’d press play and you’re like, “Wait a minute!” And that’s when it hits you, like, “Oh, OK, the brain and the creativity inside him are still the same even though the physicality is different.”
“[Don’t Cry],” definitely [was] for his mother. My favorite one, of course, was “Waves,” which he morphed a 10cc sample from Johnny C “Don’t Do it,” to “John Do It, John Do It,” which, of course, is his little brother, Illa J. The way he found to have messages in all the songs—even the nihilistic nature of him flipping “I Don’t Really Care,” [on “Airworks”] nothing in there was [an] accident, at all. [And] that even displayed his genius more, that he communicated via sample.

DUDE

Whitney Houston.

dude

Patrice O'Neal.

you knew

Joni Mitchell.

god fucking jesus damned fucking hell yes.

bang out blue tonight on your speakers.

i write better plays than this shit here.

The first time i heard criminal minded...(i will write this more and better)

I know what I want to say about this but it isn't there yet but hooray...

I don't know if I have ever heard Criminal Minded. I do remember I think the first time I heard Stakes is High.

It was in my girlfriend at the time's car on the way to a rave east of Oakland during the summer of 1996. GF at the time was a huge raver. She had blonde hair and loved glitter. But don't think she was super. She had a honda something with a car phone. She was a huge fan of DJ Dutch who was a trance dj.

Heehaw.

She was damaged goods. I hate to say it (not really) but damaged goods is how I remember and refer to her.

On the way to rave east of Oakland, damaged goods ejected the Stakes is High cd halfway through and put on some trance music. At the rave they didn't play hip-hop music.  At the rave we did see the space shuttle re-enter the atmosphere. I think. I should have known when she ejected the del la album for some trance music i was not in the right place.

Actually, I should have known when she told me her dad used to get drunk and high on pills and fucked her for a long period of time. She cried as she confided an earlier boyfriend called her damaged goods. This was all part of our first time hanging out.

Be sure to know she later dumped me Valentines Day 1997 on acid. I think. I told my family she killed herself.

I hope she also refers to me as damage goods

Of course at the time I was shocked that anyone so pretty (nope) could be called damaged goods.

Around this time I was basically homeless, the start of a common theme for the next number of years and it made perfect sense for me to move in with her before I found a place to live for the summer.

I found the co-ops through damaged goods. Thanks, damaged goods. For reals.

Oh yeah, her mom fucked Charles Schultz. Her mom had a cartoon of Snoopy in bed smiling contentedly saying something to the effect that he fucked her.

Our first real date was a rave in San Francisco and the first time I did ecstasy. Yowzers. I saw two girls I went to high school with. They were both sober and told me they were high on the music.

the rave was on wetmore.
That reminds me!

The last song I heard before first going to a rave was get money by biggie smalls and those strange people he hung out with.

I was quite smitten with damaged goods and after doing ecstacy with her for the first time...i was in love.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I forget now, but kinda my real introduction to drugs was Elizabeth during the summer of 1996.

i also rmeember being terrified before I first snorted something. I knew I was going to die. Hooray drug abuse resistance education and televison and miami vice. It didn't happen and it is quite a rush not to die plus the rush of snorting whatever the fuck you snorted. Double whammy.

My summer of 1996 is Elizabeth, getting high with Elizabeth, listening to trance music with Elizabeth, being very insecure at raves with Elizabeth,  feeling suicidal Monday morning spun out, having a job cleaning chemistry labs with my main man Regis, waking and baking every day, ecstasy LSD marijuana and speed and dating damaged goods and going to raves with her friends who were all rich Oakland kids.

Mom and Dad, Stakes is High, is a hip-hop album by de la soul. The first track of stakes is high asks when was the first time you heard criminal minded, which is not a De La Soul album. A bunch of people say the first time they heard it. I still don't know if, wait, I totally have heard Criminal Minded, just have no idea when or where. but I do think I remember the first time I heard Stakes is High.

Eugene Sledge

What you were spared greatly exceeded what you missed

fugitive's from chance's strange arithmetic

This is more for me than anything, I paid off my library fines and blew through a book by euegene sledge, who was an infantryman with the us marines corps on peliliu and okinawa. i dog-earred the pages with these quotes but realized i got to return the book.

But since we are together...

This was from China Marine, his experiences in china after the end of world war 2. I still haven't read with the old breed, considered the finest account of experiences by an enlisted man in the pacific in ww2. His experiences were part of the basis of the pacific, the hbo mini-series.

When i was a youngster I was super into world war 2. I was not into ww1 or korea.

Reading about vietnam was my puberty.

I knew we won the vietnam war and tried debating my father, who chose not to fight but instead be a teacher in a blighted part of los angeles. It must be funny, strange and finally exhausting  to listen to a little version of you spout jingoistic ill-informed thoughts, your son the secretary of defense arguing for conflict, defender of body counts and hatred of hippies.

My act of protest of him not serving was putting a marine corps sticker on his nissan stanza.

Thanks for not beating me or the non-violent equivalent, dad. I don't think I could be as understanding if my kid went on about wmds in iraq over space malts in 2032.

Thanks for not serving, dad.

Thank you I never learned what I had to dog-ear.

My father enjoying retirement

This is not a photo of my father. That is his dog.

type typoe typew

I don't read books telling me how to write plays
I don't do it
You don't read books telling you how to write plays
You don't do it

Unless you do
then it is hooray!

there is no right way to approach it
there is no wrong way

do outlines
or see the thing before
or don't
or start with just that thing
or whatever

 yours is the right way
don't ever get in your own way
do what your feel is right
choose the right you consistently

for me it a lot of times is putting together a puzzle

no one else cares
and that is hooray
hahahahahahahahahahaha

know how your masters do it

kaboom and awe what they do
they will die just like you

mymomtelevisiondavidsimonjohncassavettesjdillajonimitchelldukeellingtoncharlesbukowskiaugust wilsonarthurmiller and other masters i forgot and will add

go see shit

other stuff teaches me about theater more than theater sometimes


we make fake shit
but when you go kaboom
truth makes me cry
 
exposition is condoms
you don't have to
but
it feels safe with each new one at first
but get rid of that shit before you can

most of the time
writing
i like
watching television on mute
music playing

i wish
I know when my shit sucks
i wish
I don't ask for opinion
unless for sympathy
i wish
ask what they don't like
but don't show work otherwise

however
I do
carry my work with me
when working on it
it feels nice
I buy a composition book for each one
usually take notes
check books out of the library
even if i dont use it
give it a home

placeholders in scripts are great
love what sucks

I walk a lot and think
I move a lot
give my body something to do
usually find something not to do when walking
that is when i find happiness
take a walk

usually what doesn't work
the negative is strength.

no idea what that means
that is bad writing about writing

true, however
each play you write is different
each is a different relationship
some are clear
some not
each is special
I don't think I can ever do it again

I will never figure out everything in a story

in case you were wondering...
I write by a window
i don't have a desk
i do write while drinking
i do write when not drinking
white wine
beer
mixed vodka drinks
lemonade
iced tea at the end
chain smoke

i copy my masters
edit heavily
but it is good
brain is off
I don't write everyday
writing is hard
(writing this is heehaw)

drinking and writing is tenuous
eating and drinking and writing is hard
drinking writing and eating is okie doke
but short

my life is
i am happiest when walking and thinking for real
music is fantastic
being in love
it really helps
i never before Yael
buzzed and typing
she smiles
goodnight
never
come to bed

responsibility is
write a play and produce it

it will never be done till performed
do it yourself
unless you have it like that

shit is
nothing without actors


trust you actors


it isn't yours anymore
make it theirs


but
heehaw.

DSM IV
the motherfuckers

you never know
until the show

i direct not knowing anything
i only know what doesn't work

take notes during rehearsals
i always forget
when i finish a show and have a tagged up script
people ask for a copy and i dont have one
keep an updated clean copy

fuck praise
it will never be enough
i only believe negative reviews

be nice
don't be dick
you aren't a gangster
you write plays

Don Cornelius

Did what he did earlier this morning in Los Angeles.

Amidst bullshit thoughts about soul train and the rush to find a personal connection to soul train, it made me think of JJ johnson who was a jazz great who shot himself. i think JJ was in his 80s. I think he did (JJ) did it with a shotgun.

(i can call him JJ because I saw him in concert once with Gregory at the old Yoshis in Oakland circa 1995. We chainsmoked Gregory's filterless cigarettes in the balcony and didn't drink alcohol)

Peace or an overwhelming torrent of pain, loss and love leading to that drastic point.  

fuck
or
hooray
or
fuck hooray
or
hooray fuck
or

or
fuck and hooray

crickets rubbing their legs

I download lots and lots and lots and lots of music without paying for it.

I was talking with Yael on the way to work, who found problems with my 8am argument for why it is okay, namely, fuck the music corporation, they should do their shit better. I brought up back in the day the double tape deck and taping cds to tapes.

She was not impressed.

I bring this up not to heehaw light on my shitty rhetorical skills but to say, hooray! i am posting all my plays on the website.

Unfortunately, given the scripts changed hugely during rehearsals for the productions, what you will read is gonna be a shitty version of what was actually performed, namely what I wrote before we started rehearsing. I need an assistant director or need to take better notes.

On a personal note the one I think stand fine on it's own is my favorite and best thingi ever wrote, Golddigers of 2002.

What's the Color of the Boathouse at Hereford?

Watching Ronin two weekends ago before going out for best friend's birthday dinner.

It always made me feel weird Robert DeNiro's character was Mr. Know-It-All and glided through situations.

Except he didn't know the color of the boathouse at hereford, so fuck what i was just saying.

Heehaw

Andrew Cunanan

Dennis Lynn Rader


Colin Ferguson

Richard Allen Davis

Cheap guys to the end.

State of the Union

Arthur Miller had said to the effect that the American president is above all else an actor.

The President the actor of the theater of America.

Watching the State of the Union, it is astounding to know this yet marvel at Obama's ability to create a reality where justice, love and belief alight in the mind and hearts of hundreds of millions.

Totally crying by the end.

(II also didn't eat dinner and drank a big bottle of white wine)

2012 looking ahead

So it is here and yeah.

I want to do what we did but better.

I want to work with actors I trust and build shows around their talent. Got Anna and Sebastian. Check.

I want to get people to come up to Kensington and see the shows. Gonna be driving them to and from the show.

Heehaw.

SFO

I was in San Francisco visiting Scott, Tarak and my Boss after Christmas before New Years.

it was wonderful to be back off Hayes and divisadero. I went to green chile kitchen which was great but got the wrong burrito. Me and tha shah went to the conservatory of Flowers. Scott and his lovely lady Katie had me at their lovely home.

It was sad not to be there with Yael, but that is why we live in philly.

I had a flight out of town at 6am and was still drunk from drinking beer with scott.

I highly recommend the croissant egg and bacon from Max's near gate 25.

2012 Hella Fresh Season

Let's go!

A Thing with Josh and Annie (March 2012)

Automatic Fault Isolation with Anna Flynn-Meketon and Rohn Josenberg (June 2012)

The Gambling Room with I don't know yet (and i don't know when)

A thing about a husband abandoning his wife in a foreign country (I don't know what or who or when yet)

Work By Dudes I Know Volume 2 (October 2012)

Wild Punch 2 (November 2012)

Don't waste my motherfucking time

It is January 2nd, 2012, I am watching Heat, drinking white wine.

I am getting back into shape for the 2012 season of Hella Fresh Theater at the Papermill.

We did okie doke our first full season. Two full lengths by me, a collaboration with Walking Fish Theater and Wild Punch with Josh McIlvain and Annie Wilson.

I want to do what we did last year but way better.

Roger Ebert had this to say about Heat-

It's not just an action picture. Above all, the dialogue is complex enough to allow the characters to say what they're thinking: They are eloquent, insightful, fanciful, poetic when necessary. They're not trapped with cliches. Of the many imprisonments possible in our world, one of the worst must be to be inarticulate - to be unable to tell another person what you really feel. These characters can do that. Not that it saves them.

Now showing at the PApermill and Walking Fish Theatre

Queen of All Weapons Review

http://articles.philly.com/2011-07-11/news/29761527_1_cambodia-apartment-letters

Queen of All Weapons

Running July 9th through July 31st.

http://www.queenofallwepaons.com/

notes for queen of all weapons sunday june 12

Queen of All Weapons

July 9th through July 31st at the Papermill Theater in Philadelphia.


www.queenofallweapons.com

Hi

I missed you, too.

We are back from the winter and are gearing up for a huge summer and fall.

5 shows in 5 months.

First up is Queen of All Weapons, running July 9-31st.

In 1976, a West German terrorist invaded San Francisco, lighting department stores on fire and igniting a new world revolution.

with anna watson, james c. tolbert II and sebastian cummings.

written by john rosenberg 

Konigin Aller Waffen, Coming July 9th to the Papermill

I am Anna, Command of the Red Army Faction. With the tombs closed of Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin, a new generation of the Red Army Faction have now come to the front. Anna, the second-generation command is in the United States to bring terror and destruction to the imperial warlords. It is three versus 250 million even with justice on our side, the war will be a spectacular one. I, Anna ignited the fire in the department store. Let your slaves of capitalism be freed through fire and become brothers and sisters in the afterlife with the victims of your illegal and unjust war in Indochina and together may their ghosts reign fuck hell in you.

whoa

sarah kane...

"theatre has no memory, which makes it the most existential of the arts...I keep coming back in the hope that someone in a darkened room somewhere will show me an image that burns itself into my mind."

Whoa

I finally found the soundtrack to the hustler by Kenyon Hopkins. I have been looking for years and years and years.

http://rapidshare.com/#!download|742tg|211851998|Hustler.rar|71869

Interview with Talkadelphia

Click on link to hear me cuss!

http://talkadelphiaradio.com/2011/01/17/talkadelphia-episode-13-riley-cooper-and-john-rosenberg/

The Philly inquirer review is in...

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/wendy_rosenfield/20110117_Some_strong_performances_in_slacker_drama.html

For Tickets and info on California Redemption Value

Click here!

Rehearsal notes 1/4/11

1/4/11

Scene 1- 22 minutes

Nice violence!

Birdie- what am I doing? (rhetorical question of her life)

annie- wonderful entrance

lou- no beat between no he didn't I didn't get it, I didn't go

great waiting ion line to yell at birdie, lou and annie.

Saw birdie really cornered

great tone bird, saw you preoccupied, caught...it was great

annie- don't give back the present. Don't give it to birdie!

Wonderful tone annie, can we talk?

Birdie- how long are you gonna be in there...talk to him like he is a strange homeless man, no respect

birdie- you are so pissed at this moron who is asking if you brought him a coke

birdie- I didn't have a chance today...seething with anger/your harmonies fucking suck

LIE?!?! I LIE?!!? I'M A BITCH?!!?! (rhetorical questions)

annie- great job brushing aside sorry trying to watch tv with you

birdie- all of a sudden religious

I love you...come here...(i know you hate me)

annie- so tired of you right now, mom.

Birdie- IF ONLY YOU COULD ACT SO WELL. Hurt him, woman.

Birdie- slap his hand away!

Birdie- ENRAGED

sean- ohhhhhhhh my god. (love it)

sean- LONG BEAT after story is over. We all know story is over

sean- that was one time...great

great ending...keep it light!

Duck My Sick- 14 minutes

lou- love the sleazy dude on the couch.

Cleaner pulling sean.

Sean- got to cheat for me.

Sean- cut does your sister know you are here?

Be impressed by weed, sean.

Birdie- you came out knowing your son is here

what day is today? Beautiful and perfect. (wretch)

love the family together

it is a wild clubhouse. Great atmosphere

very beautful

annie- nailed tone on oh, you are going with us? LOVE IT

birdie- enraged...no we made you at 10348

birdie- enraged...no! You said you were going with your sioster!

BUMBLE BEE! LOOKING FOR A FIGHT

presents for mike...had them here for you

annie- you can stay on the phone, don't rush off

sean- sotrm down runway. You look good!

Love the bow on the crotch/head, sean

birdie- sit and then tickle them!

NIKE INDEX- 7 minutes

sean- little more space cadet...remeber to get nervous as they continue to ask you quesitons...let me see it in your legs

cut- good for them (rehearsal) CUT

sean- I love it when you run around like a kid on drugs...

annie and mike- it is funny when he says snoopy doesn't have a voice. Laugh at my joke I like.

Sean- who else is here!? I am gonna get you to say it before I die.

APPETITE FOR INSTRUCTION- 7 minutes

birdie- reject the accent with lou

enjoy doing the lesson plans...not negative. She is a horrible teacher if she hates doing the lesson plans. She just doesn't have time

birdie- it was the miracle worker. Why can't you get it through your thick skull, lou?

Such great attitude and tone lou and bird

Birdie- ARE YOU HUNGRY? Anger

escalate the scene birdie

annie- be a parent to these two bozos

let's go to the house of pies...let's talk

\birdie- fed up with him. You are about to kick him out and then he says he fucking sucks.

SCARED! HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO KILL HIMSELF.

Lou- scare her tonight.

First act 50 minutes

Act 2

Suck my dick- 6 minutes

a few hours later... middle of the night, birdie exhausted, lou excited.

Rub your cock, julie. Stroke it. Commit to it

birdie- feel guilt for murdering him. Let audience not know where this is going

you can yawn bird

great lou getting upset

birdie- slow down... all I said was...my god you childish fuck

birdie is never defeated...never going down without a fight

lou- line change take a nap to go to sleep.

Change- 10 minutes

energy up!

Annie and sean- love the bitchiness

annie- are you sure? Love it

Birdie- the only person with a job...quiet anger...love it

don't do drugs? Such power birdie

sean- I loved you staying positive even though you got thrown out. WONDERFUL LINE READING. HOORAY!

annie- birdie pulls rank I'm your mother...give her an ultimatum

kick out the guy who lied about having aids (BEAT) beyond all comprehension

sean goes Igo. Sean...don't both of us get thrown out...

the scene is moving towards savagery...

HOORAY SAVAGERY

the speech is beautiful annie.

96 tears- 9 minutes

great brother and sister

pace pick up

let her block sight of you rolling joint

run lines and hooray!

Yard Sale- 15 minutes

nice opening sean...

annie, join in on campaign for drama free... don't be lisa simpson

you sever your ties with the campagin when you hear it is for the guy sean knows...

annie- cut line...power ranger #4

sean- tell him what? (you were hoping it would just kinda go away)

saying you met a hitman was as good as actually meeting a hitman

ihad sex with lou...i want to see you embarrassed

he said he sounded like a dick...haha?

Annie- stay on the couch...during fuck you sean.

Annie- mike, get it a rest. Who the hell do you think you are saying that to sean. Saying it is as good as doing it.

You can get up on he does pay if you wish.

I like seeing her venom on he does pay.

Mike- go towards door to call your mom...little softer...

lou- remember where'd you park...

birdie- search for words when talking about lou

**********annie- I heard her defending lou to the death, if you hear that when she is talking, cut her off. If she is speaking truthfully and honest, then let her talk.********

birdie- caustioc wit on I know you are smarter than me.

Birdie- dowdy as the nurse/ vixen as kate the cursed

annie- I love you according to my bond...no more nor less

birdie- go back in time. Meet shakespeare. Notice he is gay. Tell your daughter.

Notes 1/3/11

Notes 1/3/11

like sean laughing when mike mentions school

enjoyed annie and sean doing their own thing on couch while mike and birdie talked

Birdie- move when he goes for your uterus!

Mike- cut- damn bitch you are strong.

Annie- roll eyes at brother when you say we were just there (dad's house)

great presence julez

it is funny when mike knocks over the tree, you can laugh, julez

I believed you four were a family. Loved it

mike and annie- enjoy power of making someone cry

love you fixing the tree birdie

great when you said you were sure you had rehearsal or something

birdie- embarrassed your emotions got the best of you with the kids

everything does go back to normal around talking about shakespeare

go looking for present to remember elizabeth's name

really nice atmosphere...comfortable together the four of you

birdie- sit down and then tickle your kids at the end.

Address...1875 north edgemont. Apt 2. crossstreet is franklin

notes for second time around...

dropped..mike..does your mom know you are here? No, so shut the fuck up!

When mikme calls attack, all of your tickle her.

Birdie- you think him humping tree is funny also

birdie- what did they teach you to say in your class? (you are busting his balls)

great annie and mike

when birdie hugs son, she is still upset.

Watch your diction on asshole, birdie.

Birdie, kick sean in but to get him away second time cuz of all cologne.

Sean- fuck you bitches, I look (and smell good)!

Birdie- sit down and then tickle your kids.

Birdie- great on oh that motherfucker talking about lou.

Nike Index-

Sean- you are talking too loud cuz ears are busted from the club

nice weird voice, annie

loved you playing with your balls sean...

I want you to lay on ground and have weird voices also , sean

the newspaper is supposed to be your cover? Explain it.

PENIS?!?!?! delicious! I want some!

Haha, I can't read right now. Hahahahahahaha. Usually that would freak someone out but you laugh

SEAN- you drop who is here? In the corner? I want it back in!

Ignore sean at first when he is at tree.

Mike...move...think we can pay in weed to after sean saying I love you and won't let anything happen to you.

Annie, Mike is gonna say think we can pay in weed and then you can direct sean to read stock quotes...

CHANGE-

birdie- let annie answer she doesn't know where her brother is

by the doorway birdie, what? Quit with the fucking headshots.

We will have the scissors live under the couch cushions

nice defending channel 13 sean

sean- fuck you little bitch

where is the change? (no answer) the change we keep...(no answer) get more specific about what you are talking about, birdie but wait for them to know what you are saying.

Birdie- watch out for superhero pose.

Annie- when birdie is yelling at sean, start to move towards him, kinda like a bodyguard anticpating trouble.

Great julie.

Blocking change...

after get out sean...get out of my fucking house...

birdie storm off-stage... annie follow asking where is he supposed to go. Deliver all those lines off-stage. Then annie come out when you usually do.

Birdie- hug annie under her arms. No feet up! This ain't a romance!

Annie- line change to prove that I love her. Bitch and kvetch to sean. I love your monolgoue, it is great.

96 tears

http://hollyhockhouse.net/

annie- beautiful on she cried cuz he didn't come over for xmas...i loved it

annie...who (beat) would fuck him?

Annie- more reaction to him pulling out weed.

Great annie.

Knock weed out of his hand!

Get him to stop smoking weed.

Beautiful overall

Yard sale!

So impressed by itmes for sale, sean!

Birdie, play victorian lady buying everything

annie, mike is purposefully lying to himself. He knows there is no guy. He must be lying.

Mike, you are not lying to yourself. You know there is a guy.

Sean...in your speech...and that night...you dropped it. Must refer to night you went to club, made you guy...you were so happy you were alive so happy about everything, so happy mike thought there was a hitman...it just spun out of control, this lie.

Annie- slow long torture of him sitting in apt never becoming anything

annie- very disappointed when mike takes the money. Very.

Second time around

mike annie great on drama free tomorrow

annie- is mike kidding or not about this shit? Maybe he is kidding

look at script for line refresher

sean, I want to see the stress of having hiv and then joy in finding out you don't have it to back into some bullshit saying you met a hitman.

Mike- let audience think you understand and agree about saying it is as good as doing it.

Birdie- keep your purse on.

Annie- great reactions to mike talking about her being dead to awesome reaction relaizing your mom knows he made it up

birdie- lou can never hurt me. Never hurt us again.

Really nice softness and explanation first half of her monologue

wistful and truthful

birdie- cut in monlogue...lose you and mike. That is what is suppsoed to happen. Lose that.

Annie- line...i love you according to my bond, no more, nor less.

Birdie- great on gayer than gay.

Great job tonight, guys!

Rehearsal Notes 1/2/11

Notes 1/2/11

birdie- the oh shit on headshots is more murphy's law than really upset.

Birdie- give annie your attention answering her question of why did you get out of the car

when lou asks if you brought him a coke, too much dead space, need to ask him if he rescheduled the audition

birdie's arm around daughter can annoy annie

birdie- please don't hate me

great energy sean

annie- have a seat after letting birdie in

story of your fucking life- great

where did she park? I DON'T KNOW. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY. Have it come out from a place of power and indignation

julez- when saying fuck you, seethe with anger, let him hear you breathing

defend yourself after hitting him

are you happy? Nice lou

oh my god- nice

annie- cut is this pepsi I wanted coke. Hooray!

Birdie- hand annie a present after who is elizabeth?

Nice laugh sean about birdie getting out of the car

nice sean

guess where I was guess what he doesn't have was weak

bite the licorice to end the story sean

btw I knocked over the tree...i love it when it is breathless and can't wait to tell him

lighter at the end.

Try being schocked sean. Blown away. Biggest gossip ever

be happy when you saw birdie said she is changing the locks

this is all leading to a brighter day annie and sean

appetite-

I know you don't care about them. Great lou, feeling sorry for himself

birdie- drop grades

niuce first what julie

what your diction

annie- original lines, believe her lies, she believed yours

I fucking suck- great lou

birdie- put a big beat after he says he sucks

kill myself- don't saunter over

lou- don't have legs corssed too comfortable after saying he kill himself

SUCK MY DICK

lou- when you decide to blow her, give a sigh

kill him julie and after he falls dead, then regret it, how about a million hugs

birdie- great pained expression on him adding another scene

great julie struggling

don't pick it up whenb he tears it up...more disappointed your grown kids piss themselves

CHANGE

great energy coming in birdie

annie- me so horny

reaction she she sits on you, sean

sean, excited for xmas eve

sean- it is nearly empty.

Annie- okay.

Birdie- not okay, we don't have any money. (birdie you can add not okay)

buy drugs? Great

remember new blocking for sean and annie. Sean walks to door to leave she stops him, violently pulls him back

don't parallel park to the couch birdie

birdie- nice on is your dad coming to pick you up?

Hug her for the last time ever

Benny's in Heaven

Was listening to KCSM Jazz 91 this morning (hello bay area ) and I heard that James Moody passed away earlier this month.

Rehearsal Notes 12/29/10

California redemption value rehearsal 12/29/10

we open in 17 days

Really nice opening lou and birdie

it is so weird...great

birdie- surprised they want lou for the lead. Shocked. Hit the lottery.

When he says he didn't get the part...dont get so upset easily...maybe you didn't hear him...maybe this just want to audition him one more time...

if you are gonna touch the tree, you got to touch the tree. Don't take your clothes off and not fuck me.

Annie, let birdie hand you the present. What's in this one?

Quick birdie, on handing her a present. It is to appease her, to keep from talking of lou. And then you open the box and it is the topic of lou in your face, his headshots.

Did you bring e a coke? Are you fucking kidding me, (birdie)

birdie- hey moron, did you reschedule the audition?

Birdie- mr worlds greatest actor can't go ten blocks for an audition.

Birdie- what are you watching? I like hearing you protecting lou and changing subject.

I want to see birdie act. I want to see her contrite, to try to punish herself for her sins.

Nice floundering near tree birdie with the headshot on the tree

mystery of the tree falling over, be blown away.

Cue pick up annie birdie

let's talk about last night- birdie- great!

Hot him then wince. Sloppy, will work it some more.

Lou knock over the tree, what do you want from me, crazy woman?

Sean- great energy coming in.

stay scared asean, stay guilty. She knows you did it. She knows. Until she says lou. WHEW

so releived. Birdie- remember to perform for sean. Queen and her loyal knight.

Birdie- you do hear annie come in.

so slow on presents...cue pick up.

Birdie, try sitting cross legged near presents, that might help you.

Cue and pacing was slow through anne and sean section. But the emotion and connection was real and truthful. Hooray!

Sean- cut let me get to the thing.

Hit on some straight white men. Maybe change boys to men.

Sean has no shame. He doesn't care.

The punchline is do you know where you are...failed. So make up new punchline.

Sean- laugh on family when talking about what lou doesn't have

cute with the twizzlers...keep having fun. Steal from each other, use as a microphone, etc

of course he made up having hiv! Haha!

APPETITE

lou- can you move...great.

Birdie, stand your ground, stay in front of tv.

Did you like the harmonies? Yes. Stay looking at tv. Not looking at him makes it clear you are lying.

Birdie- this guy lou is an idiot. Waste of time. You don't understand what he is blabbering on about. With the blocking and the scenes. What? Shut-up.

Cheat for me julez, so I can see your beautiful face.

Great energy both of you

I fucking suck.

He is putting his self-worth in your hands. Cradle it and treat it softly julez

he needs you right now, birdie! Hooray!

SUCK MY DICK

julez sit on couch. Really will free you in start of the scene.

Really great work lou in the scene

gonna add another scene. Julez, how can he add another scene? He just died.

I don't want you to waste this...you are protecting him from embarrassing himself in this class

lou- no I am listening...not listening at all

lou- great on good for him.

Birdie- frustrated when he tears up his paper...one step forward and then five steps back with him shutting down

hold onto the ripped up pieces, bird

nice work in the scene

CHANGE

birdie- great on where is your brother. You want to see him, not this little bitch.

Birdie- you can be more short tempered in the scene.

WE DON;T HAVE ANY FUCKING MONEY. I AM AT MY WIT'S END.

Really nice job sean. When she tells you to get out. But don't talk, ad-libbing at this moment. Let the silence overwhelm you. Then guess I can live on the bus...

so sick of both of them sean.

Great birdie- I can't carry everyone

blocking is off for bird. Maybe her standing where tree was before. Great so hurt on do you want me to take you to your fathers or...

commit to real hug. You broke my heart.

Beautiful monologue anna. Nuanced, etc.

hooray your work tonight!

We open in 17 days.

Notes December 28th

Notes December 28^th

We open in 18 days.

Scene 1

Birdie- knock over the tree and just stand there. Let your actions betray your words.

Nice wake up lou (judge birdie, how dumb do you have to be to knock over a christmas tree?)

Lou, go back to sleep.

Birdie, if you see Annie come in, you can smile at her and go back to being excited for lou.

He got the part! Lou, kill the dead space...no I didn't right away.

When lou yells about not getting sleep cuz up all night with those harmonies, Birdie let your apology be a bit more shocked and surprised. You have a different memory of what happened last night.

When annie pulls out headshots, you can put them back in box, looking at headshots, etc on hello everything is wonderful)

Birdie- nice dear fucking god.

Annie- nice not saying there is no god

birdie- kill beat before put me in the trunk

\

Birdie- covering the tree in his headshots is supposed to amuse daughter. She isn't . set the tree on fire is a joke she doesn't laugh at. Bad comedian.

Annie- wait to pick up tree till lou comes in.

General-

commit to your lines. Commit to your truth.

Birdie- fuck you. (point at him!) no one likes to be pointed at when they say fuck you.

Birdie- hit him. Wince expecting him to hit you back.

Lou- see her wince. Shake your head. Go knock over the tree. Don't take your time.

Birdie- great energy!

Sean- I need guilt from you when you walk in! Let audience enjoy knowing you knocked over the tree.

Birdie- line change- Let's open a present. (Cut some)

Annie- great you got a present for dad.

Sean- Give me super energy on don't open any presents. Santa sees them doing it! (sean doesn't believe in santa anymore, he just loves the happiness and innocence of presents on christmas)

Birdie- enjoy sean's talk of santa. It is sweet.

Sean and Annie- guess what he doesn't have!?

It is gossip! We all love gossip!

Sean- guess where I was! Guess what he doesn't have!

SIGH. FINE BITCH. YOU WIN.

Sean- laugh when saying a family.

Sean- when she signs hiv to you, don't understand and flip her off. It can be a funny moment. You don't know what she is about to say.

APPETITE FOR INSTRUCTION

lou- nice nail biting. no ahems. Give her a chance to answer you and she doesn't.

Birdie- this semester, james showed ability to

lou- nobody knows what you went through. She is treating you like a whore. All she is doing is using you. Using all your talent and then throwing it away. You are a whore. No one loves you. You know this is true.

Birdie- told the audience to plug your ears...

birdie- when was I suppsoed to? (are you fucking kidding me, lou? Are you stupid?)

lou- lay down whenever you want. If you find yourself standing arguing with her, give up and go to sleep

enjoy and use the weight of silence. Don't be scared of silence.

Lou- stay on couch for I should just kill myself.

Lou- walk out with headshots.

CHANGE

Sean- I want to see you at home! Happy, having fun! It is christmas eve!

Sean- think of me dancing without a shirt during tom and jerry

sean and annie- great on birdie yelling about the change.

Birdie- We don't have any fucking money. i am at my wit's end.

Use the phone to meet men. Great reaction sean and annie.

Birdie- what don't I do for you? WONDERFUL

all three of you great on this section

sean- I need to see the terror. Glad I don't have hiv but I have no where to stay. You can be pissed at annie when you say you are gonna do what?

Annie- nice reaction to sean has been stealing

Birdie- not lou? (let reaction be let it go)

annie line change- I don't blame dad...(cut for leaving)

biride- is your father? (Wonderful!)

birdie- give her money, hug her and say merry christmas

birdie is offstage sobbing

annie- what the fuck just happened?

SUCK MY DICK

Lou- be a cocktease with birdie

birdie- commit to strangle

Lou- arms out like christ

Lou- die...as you say how about a million dollars for a hug

lou- this is my family history...it is toxic and intense.

Lou- what I want? You think I have a choice?!?!?!

Wild animal

Birdie- at end, he surprise you, smarter than you thought.

Great job you guys. See you tomorrow. We open in 18 days.

Hella Fresh Theater's 2011 Season

California Redemption Value by John Rosenberg, January 15th through February 6th, 2011.

Jericho Road Improvement Association by John Rosenberg, April 23rd to June 5th, 2011.

Königin Aller Waffen (Queen of All Weapons) by John Rosenberg, July 9th to July 31st, 2011.

Cheap Guy HOF, Blaze of Glory by John Rosenberg,  September 3rd to September 18th, 2011.

CRV notes Dec 13th

Crv Notes December 13^th

First scene (california redemption value)

California Redemption Value Rehearsal

Tonight we blocked the last scene with rewrites fueled by insights from the actors.

What I love about working with actors is the new they bring out of whatever was written.

hooray the actors!

Coming January 15th through February 6th

Al Davis, Georgia Frontiere, John Rosenberg

Play about LA? New location.

www.californiaredemptionvalue.blogspot.com

California Redemption Value

eh

your mom is great

but my mom is KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

mike vick after the game

"I can't answer two questions at once."

haha.

truth be told

i reread jericho road tonight and made edits to from script i used for the production.

that shit is good.

If you didn't know

Alec Baldwin is from Massapequa, New York.

Nike index blocking notes pgs 31-35

Blocking notes Scene one Pages 15-18

Blocking notes Scene one Pages11-14

the pogues for subaru

i don't know their body of work well but i saw a subaru commercial with a song by the pogues.

i thought the pogues were drunks singing to drunks when they were drunk and people listening were drunk.

i didn't think lots of drunks drove subarus.

it would make sense to me if it was a commercial for used mercury sedans or some shit.

Fuck war

Was listening to the Classics IV the other night, rock and or roll group from late 60s. they banged out a perfect song called Stormy.

We all know it.

hooray!

I was thinking about how the song Stormy came out in 1968, the year my dad started teaching at a junior high public school in Los Angeles.

when i was a kid, before i knew about women, i was super into war, into the romanticism of the us military. i hated my father didn't go to vietnam and instead was a teacher.

the other night listening to the song, i was feeling maudlin, it was right before my birthday.

i had this image of a picture of my pops at 22, in a flak jacket with the thousand yard stare, mentally broken somewhere in south vietnam, listening to stormy by the classics iv.

i am so fucking very happy by father was smart enough to fight his battles in pacoima, california.