Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

“The task of the playwright is to make the audience wonder what is going to happen next…How does one entertain the audience? How does one make it wonder what happens next? How does one accomplish that? Through the structuring of a plot. That is what drama is, and that is the task of the dramatist.Continue reading “What Happens Next”

The Tao can’t be perceived.Smaller than an electron,it contains uncountable galaxies. If powerful men and womencould remain centered in the Tao,all things would be in harmony.The world would become a paradise.All people would be at peace,and the law would be written in their hearts. -Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu (Stephen Mitchell translation) “It’s common toContinue reading “Inner And Outer”

“Every time I go see a play, I’m hoping this will be the best play I’ve ever seen.” That’s what a friend and avid theatre-goer told me recently. While you can’t control whether your production will be judged that way, you can make it your goal. And if it’s not your goal, why exactly areContinue reading ““The Best Play I’ve Ever Seen””

No, you can’t always get what you wantYou can’t always get what you wantYou can’t always get what you wantBut if you try sometime you’ll findYou get what you need Rolling Stones, song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” “If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” –Tao Te Ching byContinue reading “A Reverse Bucket List”

For whatever your passion project, the secret to manifesting it isn’t hoping it gets picked by some outside gatekeeper. The secret is to make it an inevitability. “It’s just happening” must be your mindset at all times. Then, list all the possible things you can do, ala the workplan, starting now and everyday going forward.Continue reading ““It’s Just Happening””

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” – Mark Twain “A [person] who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.” – Seneca “Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” – Soren Kierkegaard “It did what all ads are supposed to do: createContinue reading ““What Is?” Not “What If?””

“We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.” -Herb Kelleher “Stagecraft can be learned only onstage, in front of a paying audience. For as in most things it is the blunt trauma of failure that is the necessary spur to knowledge.” – book, Theatre by David Mamet “The key to happiness is not beingContinue reading “Doing It”

If a country is governed wisely,its inhabitants will be content.They enjoy the labor of their handsand don’t waste time inventinglabor-saving machines.Since they dearly love their homes,they aren’t interested in travel. There may be a few wagons and boats,but these don’t go anywhere.There may be an arsenal of weapons,but nobody ever uses them.People enjoy their food,takeContinue reading “Back From Break”

“There’s nothing to feel guilty about for being idle. It’s not reckless. It’s an investment. There is nourishment in pursuits that have no purpose—that is their purpose.” – Ryan Holiday, Stillness Is The Key “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful… I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful… I feel good,Continue reading “Taking A Break”

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” -Archilochus “Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.” – JamesContinue reading “A Systems Problem”