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In: Dramaturgy, Family, Plays, Playwriting, Politics, Theatre, Writing

It’s Modern Family’s Jay Pritchett.  It’s Star Trek’s Doctor McCoy.  It’s Orange Is The New Black’s Galina “Red” Reznikov.  It’s a Hollywood (and small screen) staple, and some might conclude a complete cliche. Yet the ‘crusty but benign’ character, forever firing off conflicting messages of love and disdain, has something to tell us writers.Read More →

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In: Dramaturgy, Playwriting, Writing

Full disclosure: I’m beginning this post with absolutely no idea of what I’m going to be writing about. This breaks the rules of blogging and I should be ashamed of myself! Apparently, all the best writers have writing schedules in which the author will slate a whole week or month of topics which they intend to write about. Not saying this is a bad idea at all, just saying it’s all a bit serious.Read More →

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In: Dramaturgy, Plays, Playwriting, Theatre, Uncategorized, Writing

Next time you’re at some fancy-schmancy dinner party and someone asks you what you do for a living, just for laughs, say that you are a dramaturg.  The more socially adept in your company will nod their heads politely and feign the appearance of a passing knowledge of such a profession. They will pause for a sip of wine to give them a moment to think of something to say, then come up with a conversation-stopper comment like “Wow. That’s terrific.”Read More →

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In: Dramaturgy, Family, Plays, Playwriting, Theatre, Uncategorized, Writing

September last year I went to my childhood home, packed up the stuff my sisters had put to one side for me and I shipped them home in three cardboard “tea chests”. Only yesterday did I finally get sick of these overstuffed tea-chests making it impossible for anyone to actually walk into our “walk-in robe”. They had to go. But go where?Read More →