Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

For the playwright… You must have some kinda conflict on every page of your script. Or at the very least, in every beat. When you get to the end of your first draft, break the play down into beats. If any of them don’t have conflict, they gotta go. Excise immediately. Call it character backstoryContinue reading “No Hanging Out”

“Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets.” -Shane Parrish “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” -Warren Buffett “We kept our rep bro.” -Sue in the film, Swingers I know I got a bad reputationAnd it isn’tContinue reading “Reputation”

Agreement between theatre-maker and audience member. I, theatre-maker, agree to… -only produce that play which I am extremely passionate about. -strive for excellence and generosity at all times. Go all out. Leave no stone unturned. I shall give myself, my fellow artists and stage crew a long enough runway to make that happen. -always fosterContinue reading “The Unspoken Agreement”

You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. This is it. Everything you’ve done before, including the failures, the mistakes, is exactly what you were supposed to do and has led you right to this point. Do you truly believe that? Yes?…Good. You should, because it’s the truth. Take a deep breath. Now that we’ve gotContinue reading “Right Place, Right Time”

“The most valuable commodity I know of is information.” -Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street by Oliver Stone “Knowledge is shit, okay? ‘Knowledge for Knowledge’s Sake’ is pure bullshit. All learning ever does is remind you of what you haven’t got. Teaches you about new stuff you’ll never be or have. Because unless youContinue reading “Synthesis”

For the actor… Just like most people don’t know what they want in life, is why it’s often hard to figure out what your character wants. But you must. What does the character want? So much so that they will die (metaphorically and sometimes literally) if they don’t get it? Even Hamlet, the king ofContinue reading “Indecision”

Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really wantSo tell me what you want, what you really, really wantI’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really wantSo tell me what you want, what you really, really wantI wanna (Hey!), I wanna (Hey!), I wanna (Hey!), I wanna (Hey!)I wanna really,Continue reading “What You Want”

“How to write: Butt in chair. Start each day anywhere. Let yourself do it badly. Just take one passage at a time. Get butt back in chair.” -Anne Lamott “Writing is the art of applying the ass to the seat.” -Dorothy Parker “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of theContinue reading “Ass In Chair”

I do not love you except because I love you;I go from loving to not loving you,From waiting to not waiting for youMy heart moves from cold to fire. I love you only because it’s you the one I love;I hate you deeply, and hating youBend to you, and the measure of my changing loveContinue reading “Dying Medium?”

Your favorite food item or household product gets discontinued. Your favorite restaurant or store is about to go out of business. Tension is created. You might suddenly be spurred to buy a whole bunch of the product or visit that restaurant one last time. It’s here today, gone tomorrow. That’s the magic of live theatre.Continue reading “Last Chance”