Adaptable

Part 1: The trajectory of a career Part 2: Theater v. Hollywood Part 3: On difficult development experiences Part 4: Three suggestions

Adaptable: Part 1 from Minnesota Playlist on Vimeo.

PART 1: THE TRAJECTORY OF A CAREER. “It’s not like I stumbled in to doing adaptations. I actually sought them out. . . It’s always new work but it has the whiff of the old.” . . . “17th century? 18th century? It’s pretty close. Let’s call Hatcher. Wigs, canes, puffy wigs, call him.” . . . “Just when you’re about to say, fine, I’ll go back and take over the construction company, my father will be happy, someone gives you something.” . . . “Jim Lichtsheidl doesn’t give a performance in March and a year later someone reviews that performance he did in March just to piss him off.” . . . “If you only do the sure things, you’re bound to screw up, right?”

Adaptable: Part 2 from Minnesota Playlist on Vimeo.

PART 2: HOW DO THEATER AND FILM COMPARE? “Maybe I’ve never been to that theater, but I kind of know where the bathroom is, I feel like I know where the green room is.” . . . “You can't say, 'Next time we shoot Gone with the Wind, Mammy will be thinner.' ” . . . “In film, you stop working when they tell you you’re done.” . . .“You can’t be as funny on film as you can be on stage.” . . . “Must be said by David Hyde Pierce or no one!” . . .“Hollywood tends to respond to things that they think are already funny.”

Adaptable: Part 3 from Minnesota Playlist on Vimeo.

PART 3: ON DIFFICULT DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES. “I feel like I’ve been reading the same horror story in American Theatre Magazine for the last 25 years.”. . . “Say yes and think to yourself – I’ll deal with this later. Maybe we’ll cut it in previews.” . . . “If you don’t say anything, you think – not only am I spineless but I just fucked up my play.” . . . “I turned down Wit for Playlabs. I’m sorry. I just thought, o my god, cancer and John Dunne.”

Adaptable: Part 4 from Minnesota Playlist on Vimeo.

PART 4: THREE IDEAS FOR THE THEATER AND ITS PLAYWRIGHTS. 1. Playwrights Bill of Rights (“We shall not make them kiss – but we will make them masturbate!”) 2. Previews. 3. Three-year commitments.