Doing the #28playslater challenge from The Space

About a month ago I found an article on ArtsJobs about this a 28-days challenge in which you'd have to write a play each day.
Now, it piqued my interest. However, I don't join things that ask for money. I simply never decided to take step (most of the time because I couldn't afford it, other times it wasn't worth it.)

A day or two before the deadline I went to an improv workshop from IdeasTap, done with David Bottomley from Brockley Jack (lovely improv btw.)
Anyway, after the improv, I was talking to Deborah (a girl that attended the improv) who mentioned this 28 plays challenge, since we were talking about plays. She also mentioned she did a play at Space.
It kinda planted it in my head a bit more.
So, I decided to join. At 10 p.m.. On deadline day. Fortunately, Sebastian replied in about 20 minutes. Yes, I sometimes leave things late (like 8 out of 10 things. Eesh.)

And then the first prompt came. Write something with zombies. Probably the least favorite play I wrote during the whole time.  I simply find them unappealing.
But prompts came and left (sometimes with more than one idea). Write from someone else's POV. So I wrote about an asshole. Not that I could relate with him, but he made some valid points, in his twisted, put-him-in-jail mind.
Then there was the gibberish one that simply killed me.
Yet I had fun adapting a flash fiction story I wrote into a play, and a portion of an episode of Married with Children into a play (Damn bonbons, Peg).
The one that I enjoyed the most was the one where we had to do it according to rules, one of them was to "write every line of dialogue with one of the following: either 5 words, 12 words, 17 words, 33 words or 87 words."

I also rewrote a short play I did and submitted it, and wrote another one for Brockley Jack and one of their contests (here's hoping, right?)

A bit of fun, a bit of torment, and a bit creative thought coming from someone else's brainwaves.
The end result is that I wrote 28 plays, but most of them are 1 or 2 scenes long, simply because I like just one scene/sketch and I think others do, too. That might not be the case yet, though. 

I didn't write many plays prior to the first one, mainly because I don't know other actors, and every play I wrote was with me as the main guy. Funnily, every play I wrote had me as the main guy, or one of them, even if I didn't think it, but, you know, subconsciously, I did. 

And, err, now I have a bunch of stuff that I can work with and send somewhere, or create something with others, I don't know. We'll see. Something has to come out of this. Experiences are nice, but you have to do something with them, not let them wither away to the bottom of your head and have a flashback when you're 65 and go "Oh, I remember I used to write plays. Damn that was nice. Why did I stop?"

So, thank you, Sebastian Rex, for the challenge. 

Part 2 of my debut @ Political Pageantry

Here's part 2, the one with the video.

As I was mentioning, this reminded me of Podul (The Attic) by its lovely setting. 

 vs 

Okay, not very similar, as Podul doesn't have a raised stand like ORLT, but they both have that pleasant and united atmosphere, where you know something good will go down.

Back to the story. When I arrived, I was in high spirits because I knew it was going to be good, although I had some doubts in the back of my head due to not knowing every word. Rewriting the whole thing just minutes prior can do that to you.

The compere, Charles Barrett, was rehearsing a bit. It sounded good. And he encouraged me during the event, telling me how the Brits kinda act like in football, which was on spot (they were cheery at times, but stone-faced at others).

I got acquainted with most of them. Some of them were in their performing mood, some were chilling. 

Time flew by, and before I knew it, people came in. Oh, boy.

I started sweating a bit just by looking at them. So much so that my t-shirt got messed up (hence why I'm with my hands in my back pockets. Never, ever, do that on stage.)

I was supposed to be the last guy in the first act. Thankfully, the guy appeared and gave the best performance of the night.

How the heck do you top that after a 15 minute break, huh?

Regardless, you can watch the (somewhat) cringing video below.

I didn't feel that great after the show, but I felt at ease because I performed for the first time in 2 years and 5 months. With material that I wrote. 

Until the next time.

Adrian N. George - My London debut @ Political Pageantry

I know I haven't written anything, but that will change from now on, as I will focus more on writing about my growing career in London.

Political Pageantry was an event that happened on the 20th of October at the Old Red Lion Theatre. The second edition will happen on the 3rd of November.

I really didn't know what to expect of this, since I had to write about politics, and I get quite vehement about the subject. (who doesn't?)

I submitted an idea, and I ended up doing that idea, but with different words.
Basically, my performance was about 4 colours, 3 of which want to rule a notepad (don't make googly eyes, it makes sense).
I won't detail everything as I'll make a future post with the video.

But let me tell you the happenings. I had written something, but it wasn't that great. That night, suffering through some belly pain, I had an epiphany about the piece, hence the colours.
So I wrote it down and was quite pleased. This was Friday. I didn't touch it in the weekend due to a lack of time.

Monday came. I had plenty of time, yet I didn't know how to get at it and rehearse. Before I knew it, I had to leave for the event.
I grabbed a notepad, a pen, and rewrote the whole thing in the Tube going there (about 20 minutes). With a few more touches in the theatre, I made it quite good. On paper.
I forgot a few key things during my performance, and I was nervous as well. I was about to choke at one point. Good thing it didn't happen. Hopefully never will.

The theatre reminded me of Podul (The Attic) where I had been trained in the performing arts.
It was small, coquetish, but unlike the aforementioned place, there were stands for people, on 3 levels, which reminded me of outside theatre, in parks, where there are those 20 level stands.

I know. I'm quite sketchy.
The other performers were wonderful. The compere was great (with some of the best hair I've seen), and overall, the event was a success.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the name change, it's simple. Catchy, easy to say, as well as an alter ego.

Freedom - For Five Sentence Fiction

Sitting here, on the shore, wondering what it would be like to escape. To go through that hole, or over the fence, and just see the possibilities.
But I don't think I can. My momma says I shouldn't think for myself anymore. If that graffiti caused so many problems, what will my next project do?

For Five Sentence Fiction.

Jelly treats - for Light and Shade Challenge

Picture by ciscopa on rgbstock.com

Teehee. Look at all these sweets. Gummy bears, dinosaurs and worms. At least now I know why dinosaurs are extinct. They’ve been zapped and turned into things my belly will munch later on.

Next we have chocolate beans, some with nuts, some with minty flavor, all tasty. I mash a few and grow me some balls to play with.

Then there are those rings drenched in sugar that give me such a high, they make me think I can fly to the moon.

Yet, those black stuff that look like roaches are last. Yuck. I never understood why people ate those. They make you feel nauseous, they give you headaches. They’re the worst.

Daddy only gave me two dollars, and it’s one dollar for one hundred grams, whatever that is. Maybe I’ll smile at the nice seller lady and she’ll give me more.

For this week's Light and Shade Challenge.

Furball in the Spring - for Five Sentence Fiction

Blue sky. Warm, wet grass. Breeze blowing in my face. This is bliss. Oh, look, a bird.

For Five Sentence Fiction

First day of vacation - for Five Sentence Fiction

"You know what day is it, right?"
"The day when every child starts their summer break."
"How many do you think we can gather this week?"
"If we're lucky, close to fifty."
"No point in wasting time, I'll just go and start the ice-cream van."


Five Sentence Fiction prompt.

Dialogual - A new magazine

Dialogual is a new magazine that publishes dialogue-only prose.
At the moment, it's just getting started, but tomorrow (Thursday, April 3rd, depending on when you read this post) we will have our first Dialogual. Two weeks later our second one.

Feel like you can write quality Dialoguals? Then submit.