Last night Masquers Playhouse presented staged readings of four of my short plays for their Off The Page series. It was a great delight to hear my plays read by the talented group actors that Tracy Held Potter, my director, put together. My actors were, Jan Carty Marsh, Allison Page, Abigail Edber, Beth Chastain, Elgin Jackson and Tavis Kammet.

I loved sitting in the back watching the audience crack during the reading. My husband could barely breath because he was laughing so hard while Allison and Tavis read Nap Time. But, more important than enjoying my work, I got the chance to improve my work. I tightened up both Nap Time and Horny Like The Wolf, and I rewrote Baby Pie. I alsoIthink I finally understand the problems within Terrible People after hearing it last night.

Overall, it was a great experience, I highly recommend submitting for Off The Page, the folks at Masquers Playhouse are really great to work with.

Yesterday we had a fabulous rehearsal (photos on the way) and tonight is going to be incredibly funny. I know that the theatre isn’t the easiest places to get to, but you will not be disappointed if you come!

Make a night out of it, there are plenty of cute restaurants in the area!

We have rehearsal tomorrow and I just can’t wait! This Sunday night at 7pm, you don’t want to miss The Weirdness of Rachel Bublitz, Four, Vile, Grim, Hilarious Plays!

There will be some hilarious plays, I promise. Here’s more info, or click the link above to get to the facebook page.

Masquers Playhouse in Pt. Richmond will be presenting four of my one act plays for their Off The Page staged reading series!

A grandmother tries to reconnect with her estranged granddaughter in hopes to bring her into the cut throat family business while a wife rejoices over the sudden and unexpected death of her husband. Elsewhere, a baby helps a mother realize all that is terrible about parenting and yet another mother eats a pie made out of people in hopes that she’ll be able to re-birth her missing daughter. Yeah, they’re pretty much all rotten, ugly, disgusting people. Let’s laugh at them together.

Terrible People

Horny Like The Wolf

Nap Time

Baby Pie

Featuring the acting talent of:

Jan Carty Marsh

Allison Page

Abigail Edber

Beth Chastain

Elgin Jackson

and

Tavis Kammet

I have been so sick. Since last Saturday I’ve had a fever on and off and constant aches and pains, it’s been no fun. Needless to say, my house is a mess and I haven’t gotten a lot of writing done. Today I felt much better and so I edited my draft of my play about Achilles. It’s three acts, 127 pages, and finally in a place where I’m not embarrassed to let people read it. I’m feeling really great about it, which means it’s time for new eyes to look it over and tell me everything that’s wrong with it. Want to help? You have two choices, join me on March 3rd for the living room read with Pacifica Table Readers! It’s a Sunday, and bring a friend that likes to read…. My cast is HUGE (7 m, 8-10 f).

Your other option would be to email me and tell me you’re wanting to read it. I need feedback from people who know nothing about Greek mythology AND people who know a ton, and everyone in between.

And no, it doesn’t have a title yet. I don’t want to talk about that.

Mondays are usually slow night on the theatre scene, tomorrow that is not the case. I know of three super fun indie theatre events going down, where will you be at?

First up, put on your most comfortable pajamas and head on down to Cafe Royale for SF Theatre Pub’s show Pajanuary!.

Pa-January! – A Night of Bedtime Stories

The holidays are over but 2013 is now here with a New Year of Theater Pub!

With winter still ahead of us, we’re inviting everyone to cozy up in Café Royale for a Pajama Party and a night of Bedtime Stories. We’re talking grade-A comfort theater, with stories old and new, a lullaby or two, crayons and coloring and of course booze – just like elementary school!

This Theater Pub will be brought to you by the Letter T for Talent, including Stuart Bousel, Megan Cohen, Jeremy Cole, Ashley Cowan, Jaime Lee Currier, Sang S. Kim, Dan Kurtz, William Leschber, Carl Luciana, Brian Markley, Jan Marsh, Karen Offereins, Sunil Patel and Marissa Skudlarek.

Pajamas are optional but whimsy is not. That said, if you come in your pajamas, we’ll totally enter you in a raffle to win a prize!

It all happens on January 21st, 2013 at the Cafe Royale in San Francisco! The show starts at 8, but get there early to support our friends the Hide-Away BBQ, who will be bringing pop-up deliciousness! Admission is, as always, free, with a suggested donation at the door!

And I will tell you from experience, the pop up BBQ is delicious.

Next, Southern Railroad Theatre Company presents, RESOLUTIONS: I Do Declare; staged readings of new short plays by local playwrights.

You are invited to the Southern Railroad Theatre Company’s 2013 New Year’s Open House.

We are proud to present staged readings of new short plays from some of our favorite fellow theatre companies, performed by members of the Southern Railroad Theatre Company and invited guests!

Join us for a night of New Years Resolutions, with just a little taste-of-the-South.

TICKETS

The Plays:

RAZING IN MISSOURI By Susan Jackson

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SANTA; A MINOR HORROR STORY By Douglass Rees

FAMILY BUSINESS By Lee Brady

RE-RESOLUTE By Ann Thomas

BILL ROLL By Patricia Milton

ONWARD AND OUTWARD By Laylah Muran deAssereto

COAT OF GOLD by Susan Jackson

HOLD PLEASE by Mercedes Segesvary

Finally, but certainly not least, and where you’ll find me… Monday Night Playground’s Musical Theatre Night. Tracy Held Potter’s musical will join tomorrow night’s line up, and even thought I’m not the biggest fan of musicals, I am really excited to see what the writers came up with in such a short time! If you didn’t know, SF Playground selects a group of up and coming local playwrights each year, and the writers have about a weekend to write a new play after they are handed the topic. Here’s some more info:

January 21, 2013

Monday Night PlayGround 4th Annual “Musical Theatre Night” presented in association with TheatreWorks’ New Works Initiative performing at Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison Street, Berkeley

Topic: I HAVE A DREAM…

The Slow Waking by Garret Jon Groenveld, music by Don Seaver, directed by Tom Bruett

Actual Value by Leah Halper, music by Ben Prince, directed by Jim Kleinmann

And the Chorus Sings On by Sang Kim, music by Ben Prince, directed by Evren Odcikin

A Mother’s Seduction by Tracy Held Potter, music by Don Seaver, directed by Tracy Ward

In Holding by Joshua Williams, music by Ben Prince, directed by Barbara Oliver

A Matter of Taste by Ignacio Zulueta, music by Don Seaver, directed by Jon Tracy

Where will you be?

I have a spare ticket for Trouble Maker at Berkeley Rep tomorrow at 2pm! Want to be my date? Email me!

It’s true. I’ve had a crazy couple of days… I’ve had this manic energy while reworking my play about Achilles, and because of that I’ve ignored the outside world considerably. Yesterday I finished a new draft (it’s a beast with three acts and 127 pages) and I practically collapsed. I finished early in the day and couldn’t think straight after. Anyway… This post is not about theatre, so why don’t we get right down to it.

This post is about guns, everyone’s favorite topic right now. But it has nothing to do with the way I feel about them, or what I think should or shouldn’t be done in regards to gun laws. This post is about the way that we are all acting. Don’t get me wrong, practically every hot button issue there is brings this out, but to me it seems even more prevalent with the issue of gun control. I think we should stop treating one another like idiots. I’m guilty of this to, and I’ll admit it. But let’s be honest, people’s minds are not changed when the conversation starts, “Your ideas are stupid, listen to me because mine are better.”

Everyone sees the toxic political scene that is covered around the clock, people on both sides of the isle are playing the politics of everything instead of trying to make our country a better place, and we’re sick of it right? I’m sick of it, I know that. But we’re doing the same thing. When you post on facebook a picture calling all people who carry guns morons, or a picture saying that people who want less or no guns morons, we’re doing nothing but making it harder to have an actual debate about gun control.

If we want to talk about gun control in a way that people who think differently than us will listen, we need to come to the conversation with an open mind. Listen to other people’s point of view, and actually hear them. Think about what their lives are like, and what makes them believe the way that they do. Gather real information, and don’t dismiss facts that don’t align with your beliefs.

Like I said, I’ve done this all before, I’m as guilty as anyone. I know this. But I am making the choice to now be the change I want to see. I want the people in charge of the country to stop taking cheap shots at one another and I want them to stop showing up for debate knowing that their position will not change regardless of what the other side has to say. Let’s listen to one another, you may be surprised at what you hear.

Okay, that’s my two cents. Tomorrow it’ll be back to business as usual, I promise.

I’ve been talking a lot about the play I’m working on about Achilles. I’m having a blast right now in rewrites, I feel so pumped up and excited about it, there are some nights I wish I had a punching bag so that I get all my excitement out after I write. No joke. But I’m coming up against a problem, and I think I know the answer to it already, but I think it’s something worth talking about.

My play is in an imagined world that combines modern day Texas and ancient Troy/Greek times. I wanted to explore the comparison between war and football, but also the role of women, and the treatment of homosexuals. In my play Achilles and Patroclus are lovers… Basically I want to look at the other players react to that fact, and my problem is a word. It starts with a f and rhymes with “tag.” I really dislike this word, or more I suppose the sentiment surrounding the word, and the all so often negative implications it carries. When I write I try to live in my characters, and I dislike the idea of living in someone who says that. I also think that me saying it in my play is just another form that it’s out there in the world… Isn’t there enough negativity without me adding to it? Well yes, that’s obvious. But… It is a part of our society, and something that I think is wrong with our society. I think some of the job of the artist is to point out the things in society that is wrong. How can I do that without that word? I can to a degree, I could create a new word, or use a similar word, because let’s face it… There are far too many synonyms for it. But I think that it would ultimately my message.

Conclusion? Time for me to buck up and take the bullet. At least that’s how I feel… I’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on the subject.

Here’s the artwork for La Petite Morgue’s upcoming showcase of woman’s works; BLOODY GORGEOUS MONOLOGUES. A monologue from my one act play Ghost Story will be featured! If you’re in New York on February 2nd, be sure to check it out!

Coming up on Sunday January 27th at 7pm four of my short plays will be read for Masquers Playhouse’s Off The Page staged reading series. You remember right? Excellent. We’re ready to announce the cast! The evening’s work will be read by the talents of….

Jan Carty Marsh

Allison Page

Abigail Edber

Beth Chastain

Elgin Jackson

and

Tavis Kammet

I’m so honored to have such great actors reading my work. This is shaping up to be a fantastic evening! You remember that Tracy Held Potter is directing, don’t you? Oh yeah, it’s going to be gooooooood!

Catch all the details and RSVP on the FB event! The Weirdness of Rachel Bublitz, Four Grim, Vile, Horrid, and Hilarious Plays.

Or email me with any questions!