"Would you just do my damn play, already?"

I have had a long history of chaos trying to get my work done here and there throughout my writing career. Back in the day, in New York, it was much easier. When I first moved there, in May of 85. I got hooked up with a crew of very good actors and directors. Quite by accident.

We formed a little ragamuffin band of roving artists and ended up doing a gaggle of my plays: Changing it to Brando, Eulogy, Golden Eggs, DAD/SONS, Our Generation, Death in Des Moines and Farley and Daisy. I was very lucky to have fallen in with that dedicated group of artists, most of which have gone on to be people you would recognize immediately from film and television work.

But now, it's a little different.

I blogged earlier about how Praying Small was first discovered in a small, storefront theatre in Chicago. That, too, was a stroke of luck. From there it played all across the country and, I think. will play next at NoHo Arts. Although recent developments, which I am not at liberty to go into at this time, may put that on hold for awhile. Distressing, but out of my hands.

From the East to the West is being shopped around now. There is a very prestigious theatre here in L.A. that wants to do it. Problem is, it won't be till 2011. Naturally, I'm impatient and want it done now. Not sure I have the clout to get that done, however.

I'm sending the DVD and the final draft of the script to a theatre in Chicago tomorrow. That may come to something, but again, who knows. My old buddy, Bob Koch, is AD with Writer's Theatre in NYC in the East Village. He'll get the DVD and the script next week. They have long been supporters of my work and every time I talk to Bob his first question is, "What have you got for me?"

Moriarty wants to produce it in Vancouver. So he'll get the same package next week, too.

And I think there's a better than average chance Steppenwolf will wanna take a swing at it, too. We'll see.

Despite some recent artistic setbacks, I am convinced it is a wonderful play, multi-leveled, honestly written and engaging. A lot of people agree with me. But a couple, just my luck the "deciders," in George W.'s words, did not. I don't mind people not liking my work. It comes with the territory. They have the right to not to like my work.

So today is all about getting EAST/WEST into the hands it needs to be. People with the authority to "greenlight" it, in Hollywood terms.

Meanwhile, I continue to write the screenplay to Praying Small. And that, strangely, is turning out to be more fun than I ever thought possible.

See you tomorrow.