becoming a playwright

becoming a playwright has been 13 years in the making for me. i started writing in 1994 when i wrote a script for the filipino club i was associated with. "ang palengke" started out of a very visual dream i had. i saw all these characters who worked in a marketplace in the philippines and the story was about all of their dreams. i remember physically in the garage of my parents house writing the first draft. what started out as basically writing down everything that exactly happened in the dream, turned into a story that added onto itself. a very weird feeling came over me and something very unexplainable until i recently talked to others who felt the same way i did. nonetheless, i finished the script, had the pcn coordinator and others read it, and on mother's day 1994 had my script produced. what's running through my head was the production process. that was the first time i directed anything as well. and mind you this was BEFORE joining Sinag-tala, so I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE what i was doing. and if you read the script, which is odd, cuz i haven't read the script in a couple of years (it was just by happenstance that i saw the word file on my other harddrive) you'll see how novice i was as a writer. back to the production stuff, i was 22 at the time and i think that was the first time i really stepped into a leadership role. it was then when i also found out what kind of producer/director i know myself to be. i casted about everyone who asked me for a part. BJ was introduced to me by some other folks and I casted him for a part i don't think i even wrote yet. i had to tell a person, actually a key character, that she was out of the pcn because she missed rehearsals and never really felt like she wanted to be with us. then i cast a person who i was a little iffy on about but she did REALLY well. there was A LOT of things that changed between when i first thought of the story to what became on stage, but going through all of that... i found my purpose in life.

i already went through 4 years of college and here i was just FINALLY realizing what i wanted to do with my life, which kind of shows how (in)valuable college can be for some of us. and I'm talking about this now because it's been 13 years later, and i'm finally realizing this "calling." in a month, i'll have a public reading of my first full one act play. "ang palengke" was 17 pages long... "Garden of Dreams" is 55.

Finally FINISHING "Garden of Dreams" has been a long road. i had just finished having my first 10-minute play "BORDERS" produced by Bindlestiff, but it was still after the death of my dad and one of my best friends. The combination of writing and these events shaped this script, so the story just means so much to me. I started the play as a tribute to my friends, and this will remain at it's core. But, this play also signifies the beginning of a solid foot forward on my path. Just in the last month, I've been blessed to have taken some classes by AMAZING and established playwrights in Jeannie Barroga and Philip Kan Gotanda. In total 4 sessions with them. And I've learned so much from their techniques, advice, and experience.

I'm proud to say that "Garden of Dreams" is my first official play. It took me a year-in-a-half to write, but this play was truly 13 years in the making.

theater...

the more and more i'm getting into this journey and realization that i need to be a playwright, the more and more i'm falling in love with the theater. i just love to be around it and thinking about it. i love watching plays and musicals. i love being around other people who love theater. i'm actually reading more books on how to be a playwright as well as listening and watching podcasts produced by the American Theater Wing on playwrights and their views on being a playwright. it's like a course in it, i'm like diving into it head first.

i'm still up re-writing my script, Garden of Dreams. Yup, i've shortened the title once again, and maybe 85% sure that this title will stick. I have a writing workshop with PKG tomorrow at his place in berkeley, where i am more than ready to be torn to shreds! i have a couple of things that STILL doesn't make sense to me that i need to iron out before sending this script to my cast. a couple of questions:

- why doesn't DOC want to help R.J. right away? Actually, I kinda have this answered. It sucks cuz i had to cut out one of my lines that I really loved, but it needed to be done :(
- i want to build more of Jasen's character. It started out that he's fine without having any direction in life while R.J. is the complete opposite, yet they are still best of friends. urgh, this isn't making sense, but it's something i want to explore.
- i hope that the new scene between DOC and R.J. will work without it being to cliche. we'll just have to see.
- build R.J.'s arc. that's a little harder to grasp, but it's definitely rollin' around in my noggin.

yun lang. that's it.

i started this idea from my "writer's matchbook". it's a book FULL of really short phrases or plots that will start a fire of imagination for a writers next work. anyways, here's the idea that's sticking and burning to be read... "a man and a women find a bloody knife underneath their staircase" that's it, but i have an awesome story for it... START WRITING! :)

oh.... i'm gonna see avenue q with a good friend next week :) love the show and i hope she likes it too! night, inkernet!

Take Me Or Leave Me... Scene

This is a exercise on taking a monologue from a musical and remixing it as dialogue between two people.

===================

Take Me Or Leave Me
Adaptation from Jonathan Larson’s RENT


MAUREEN
Joanne, what’s wrong? I didn't stay and dance at the Clit Club last night, 'cause you wanted to go home...

JOANNE
You were flirting with the woman in rubber!

MAUREEN
That's what this is about!? There will always be women in rubber, flirting with me... Gimme a break.

JOANNE
Maureen, I’m asking you to remember that you’re with me.

MAUREEN
There is only you.

JOANNE
Then don’t flirt.

MAUREEN
What? That’s a part of who I am.

JOANNE
A skank?

MAUREEN
But I’m your skank.

JOANNE
That’s exactly what I mean. Can’t you take yourself seriously? Can’t you take US seriously?

MAUREEN
I am serious… just not all the time like you. Pookie, can’t we just have just have fun?

JOANNE
Don’t call me Pookie!

MAUREEN
What?

JOANNE
All I’m saying is that I want to be yours, and not some nickname that you call all your other skanks.

MAUREEN
Where’d you hear that from?

JOANNE
From Mark. Your ex-boyfriend told me that you called him, and apparently all the other people you slept with, Pookie.

MAUREEN
Fine. I won’t call you Pookie anymore!

JOANNE
And no more flirting with women in rubber.

MAUREEN
Again with the rubber women! Joanne, I walk down the street and men, and women too, yell out, “Hey baby! You lookin’ sweet!” I can’t help that.

JOANNE
Well, you don’t have to acknowledge them.

MAUREEN
What would you have me do just walk on by?

JOANNE
Yes.

MAUREEN
Just in case you didn’t hear me the first time (Pantomimes sign language and speaks) “This is who I am!” I will stop and say hi and let them know me, something that you just don’t get.

JOANNE
I know who you are because that’s what attracted me to you in the first place when I saw you on stage. But do you ALWAYS have to be in the spotlight?

MAUREEN
And be a droll, yet lovable, geek like you? Jesus, why do you have to be so anal?!

JOANNE
Well, this is who I am. I make lists in my sleep. I follow through on my promises. And also unlike you, I need to see what I’m leaping into instead of just putting on a blindfold, wear a stupid smile and just jump.

MAUREEN
You didn’t mind the blindfold the other night. (pause) My point is that every night I’m in bed with you and that should at least count for something. Don’t you see how lucky you are?

JOANNE
Lucky I am?! Me? Lucky? With a mess you?

MAUREEN
Alright, that’s it! I quit! (gathers some of her stuff) All I was asking was for you to take me for who I am… and you couldn’t even do that. I’m leaving.

JOANNE
Fine!

MAUREEN
I’m gone!

MAUREEN exits.

52 Cents

52 Cents
by conrad panganiban

Raining. Market and 6th Street in San Francisco. THEOLONIUS is on the street corner with a box of broken umbrellas.

THEOLONIUS
52 cents. 52 cents! Stay dry for 52 cents!

Enter MAXIM as he tries to take cover from the rain holding a Wall Street Journal over his head, talking on his cell phone and trying to hail for a taxi.

THEOLONIUS
52 cents, Mister?

MAXIM
(on phone) Brigid, can you tell the candidate that I’m running late to start her interview? (pause) I’ll be there in 10. Okay. Thanks. Bye.

THEOLONIUS
52 cents, Mister?

MAXIM
Sorry not today.

THEOLONIUS
I’m sellin’ not beggin’. 52 cents for an umbrella?

MAXIM
52 cents?

THEOLONIUS
That’s including tax.

MAXIM Picks up one of the umbrellas. Opens it to find that 2 of the brackets are bent broken.

MAXIM
This is shit.

THEOLONIUS
That’s what you call it. I call it a cover for the top half of your body against the elements, otherwise known as an umbrella. And despite some of it’s flaws, it’s worth 52 cents.

MAXIM
It’s worth almost nothing because it’s broken.

THEOLONIUS
It ain’t broke. It still opens up and happily functions to the will of it’s owner… like protecting that finely gelled quaff of yours. It might not be much but it will have a purpose and I’d have to admit that that purpose is worth 52 cents.

MAXIM
What’s with the 52 cents?!

THEOLONIUS
The cost is a penny for each year I’ve been alive, which I’d have to say is more than nothing.

MAXIM
Look, I’m just trying to catch a cab.

THEOLONIUS
No, you’ll be catching a cold if you don’t buy one of these here umbrellas for only…

MAXIM
52 cents. I get it. If anything, I’d have to admit that you’re persistent.

THEOLONIUS
This is my job. One of the only things I have left in this world since I’ve been living out here for the last five years.

MAXIM
You mean here in San Francisco.

THEOLONIUS
And meaning here on a bench in Golden Gate park, a doorway on Geary, or under a tree near the 80 on Howard.

MAXIM
Sorry, man.

THEOLONIUS
Sorry for what? You didn’t force whiskey down my throat when I did have a home, a family, and a job.

MAXIM
What’d you do?

THEOLONIUS
I was in Realty. How’s that for irony? A homeless man who used to sell homes. And I was damn good at it too. So, I guess that’s where my persistence comes in… speaking of which, that paper of yours is starting to leak.

MAXIM
52 cents?

THEOLONIUS
You know the price.

MAXIM takes out his wallet and pulls out a couple of dollar bills and a business card.

MAXIM
Here’s a couple of dollars and here’s my card. I could really use a persistent sales person.

While THEOLONIUS looks at the business card MAXINE hails and gets a taxi to pull up.

MAXIM
I better get going, Mr...?

THEOLONIUS
Macabenta. Theolonius Macabenta.

They shake hands

MAXIM
Nice to meet you Mr. Macabenta. I’m Maxim. Give me a call.

As MAXIM enters the taxi, THEOLONIUS grabs an umbrella and gives it to MAXIM.

THEOLONIUS
Almost forgot to take your umbrella.

MAXIM
Thanks. Hey, I was wondering, what do you do when it’s not raining?

THEOLONIUS opens up his jacket to reveal a collection of sunglasses.

THEOLONIUS
Can I interest you in some sunglasses? Only 52 cents.

THE END

Workshop

Well I just got back from the workshop with the playwright above - Philip Kan Gotanda. This was one of the best workshops I've had and this is without any writing! We got to basically pick his brain about how to write a play.

One homework assignment was to write a 30-page play and we'll break it down for our next meeting. Luckily, I had "A Dance..." with me, so I turned it in. And for the first time, i'm confident with it. I'm not saying that it's good, or that this particular play is something that is a masterpiece, but you know what? it's mine. it's the story that i wanted to write and it's done... for the most part. there's still more i need to work on, but it won't matter how much he tears it apart - i don't really care cuz the way i look at it, i did it. i wrote a play. and it's just the beginning!