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Home , Christopher Hampton, David Auburn, John Guare, Paul Zindel, Richard Greenberg, The Weir

representing the american theatre byy DRAMATISTS publishing and licensing the workss PLAY SERVICE, INC. of new and established playwrights.. a tribute to gilbert parker a tpIssue 6, Falll 2000 ay Introducing

The Play Service’s relationship with began DAVID after his play Skyscraper premiered at ’s Green- wich House Theatre in 1998. David’s next play, , AUBURN opened to rave reviews this past spring at Theatre Club and, as of this writing, is transferring with much anticipation to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre, directed by Daniel Sullivan and starring Mary-Louise “When we think of the great American Parker. Our Director of Professional Rights, Robert Lewis playwrights, we Vaughan recently spoke with David Auburn: think of and Eugene ROBERT: How many interviews have you done so far? O’Neill and Lillian DAVID: I suppose ten or twelve by now. Hellman, in earlier ROBERT: As of the transfer? Or beginning with the MTC production? generations; Wendy DAVID: From the beginning. Wasserstein and ROBERT: Are you from ? , Jon DAVID: I was born there, then moved when I was two. I moved Robin Baitz and back to go to the . ROBERT: Cool, cool. Chicago’s a baseball town. I have to ask: Did today: They are you watch the game [the Mets clinching the pennant] last night? always writing DAVID: No, I had to go to this symposium on the show, at New about big ideas York University, and there was a dinner afterwards, so I missed the and wrapping ball game. I heard about it. It was great. It was a shutout. them in family ROBERT: Yeah. A big one. When you were in Chicago, were you squabbles that a Cubs fan? get us where DAVID: I guess I went to more Sox games. we live. Wel- ROBERT: So you’re an American League kind of guy. come David DAVID: Yeah. Auburn to the ROBERT: We do need a Subway Series, I think. club. ‘Proof’ is DAVID: I think it’s going to happen. the one you ROBERT: How long were you in Chicago? Just for school? You won’t want to said you left when you were two? miss this fall.” DAVID: I lived there as an adult for about five years. —New York ROBERT: Where else have you lived? Magazine DAVID: In Columbus, ; Jonesboro and Little Rock, ; I lived in L.A. for a year, and here. ROBERT: You moved around a lot. Joan Marcus continued next page newplays david auburn DAVID: Well, my dad was a university administra- in it. You must be so happy. AVOW tor, so we moved around a little bit when he was DAVID: Yeah, absolutely. She was a pleasure to work by Bill C. Davis moving up in his profession. with, from the beginning, worked incredibly hard on Two young gay men want the cool new ROBERT: So your years in Chicago inspired you to the play. It was just, you know, a total pleasure. priest to marry them. You should hear set Skyscraper and Proof there? ROBERT: You said last week that you had lots of what one of their mothers has to say DAVID: Well, I guess the first play, I really had — I family coming into town. Who’s here? about this. A smashing new comedy by really had only — Chicago. I’d lived there longer DAVID: It’s funny. My immediate family, obviously. the author of Mass Appeal. than anywhere, I mean, as an adult. But this one, I Also, relatives I’ve never met, who have heard about needed a campus setting, so I picked the campus I the play, are in New York and want to see it. So it’s THE CHERRY knew the best. been a good way to connect with some people. A ORCHARD ROBERT: Well, that works. You mentioned last cousin of mine brought some other cousins to the by Anton Chekhov week that you weren’t going to write any more show, so I got to meet them, and we tried to figure adapted by Chicago plays. out how we were related. And my wife grew up A masterful new adaptation of Chekhov’s DAVID: (laughs) Well, that’s not, uh, firm, but I here, so — timeless, bittersweet comedy- that don’t have any plays there right now. ROBERT: Oh really? reincorporates a little-known scene that ROBERT: Where did Proof come from? DAVID: She’s got a big extended family here. Stanislavski, in spite of Chekhov’s wishes, DAVID: I had the idea to write about two sisters ROBERT: There’s one thing I was going to ask cut from the original Russian production. who were fighting over something that had been you, going back to the play itself. Something left behind by their dad. I also had a situation in my that strikes me about your writing. There seems THE CHOSEN head, which I thought was a dramatic one, where to be a mystical quality in it. I mean, looking at by Aaron Posner they were also going to inherit their parent’s men- Skyscraper and then Proof, without giving any- and Chaim Potok tal illness, especially, I think, at the age when the thing away. Is it something you’re drawn to, or Two boys, two fathers, and two very mental illness struck their parent. They were terri- does it just happen? different Jewish communities — fied it would happen to them. That seemed like a DAVID: Um … Skyscraper does have more supernat- “five blocks and a world apart” — in dramatic situation, so I was trying to — I didn’t ural elements. I didn’t mean to do that with Proof, Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, in the 1940s know if those two ideas belonged in the same play but it just happened as a consequence of trying to travel the path to understanding, respect or different plays, but I was reading about mathe- get the dad on stage as much as possible. The fact and reconciliation. maticians and learned that some well-known that he’s dead obviously made that tough. So the mathematicians were affected with mental illness. flashbacks and the other devices are just an attempt That gave me the bridge between the two ideas. to put you inside Catherine’s head as much as pos- by And I wrote the play from that. I mean, I had sible, ’cause I knew I was going to have to worry adapted by Doug Hughes those three elements, I wrote it pretty quickly. An amazingly contemporary new version ROBERT: They seem to have melded well together. I was reading ... and of Ibsen’s masterpiece. DAVID: Yeah. All those things seemed to fit. ROBERT: I read Proof awhile ago. It seems that learned that some well- THE HOLOGRAM you went into production at MTC with virtually known mathematicians THEORY no changes from what I had originally read. were affected with mental by Jessica Goldberg DAVID: Yeah, it’s almost the same. We made a few A beautiful, young Trinidadian artist is changes for technical reasons, and I made a few illness. That gave me the awakened one night to a vision of her more changes ’cause it sounded good, and I guess bridge between the two club-kid twin brother, who has been I fooled with the ending a tiny bit, but basically murdered and whose restless ghost what went to stage is the same. ideas. And I wrote the summons her to unravel the mystery of ROBERT: Amazing, amazing. Are you in another play from that. his life and death. world right now? It’s happening so quickly. DAVID: Well, I mean, yeah, it happened very fast, INSURRECTION: but the kind of it attracted was just HOLDING HISTORY stunning to me. You always hope that everything about whether or not she was going crazy, but you by Robert O’Hara will come together for you, but it doesn’t happen had to identify with her as closely as possible. A young African-American graduate stu- often. So it’s really lucky that we got Dan Sullivan, ROBERT: Yeah, it’s handled so beautifully. dent, with the help of his 189-year-old Mary-Louise Parker, and the rest of the cast, and DAVID: I was anxious not to overplay that, not to great-great-grandfather, is transported John Lee Beatty — all these people doing amazing have a ghost walking all over during the play. It’s back to the time of Nat Turner’s infamous work on the play. not actually something I thought about particu- slave rebellion. ROBERT: I just can’t imagine anyone else playing larly. It’s sort of an accident that it happened in that role other than Mary-Louise Parker at this these two plays. Although I don’t know if I’d ever THE LARAMIE point in time. do that again. PROJECT DAVID: I can’t imagine it either now, but I didn’t ROBERT: I guess if you write something that’s by Moisés Kaufman have her in mind when I wrote it. I didn’t know not set in Chicago, it won’t happen again. (they A breathtaking theatrical collage that who could play it, basically. I knew I had this big, laugh) Yeah, it’s Chicago’s fault. How often were explores the 1998 murder of a twenty- difficult role for a young actor, and I thought it you there at MTC? one-year-old student at the University of would be tough to cast and MTC said, right away, DAVID: It wasn’t every rehearsal … probably two- Wyoming, who was severely beaten and “What about Mary-Louise Parker?” It was a great thirds of the rehearsals. I didn’t go the whole time left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of idea. And it did click immediately. Dan was blocking the play. I wandered in occasion- the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. ROBERT: Yeah, I think I’ve seen just about every- ally, but mostly stayed away. Also, they just had to thing she’s ever done. And this? She’s just stunning wrestle with problems that I can’t really contribute

2 AT PLAY I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones. –John Cage to, but I did go to a lot of rehearsals, and I went to unhappy couple in the Depression. American playwrights. I’ve been very lucky. all of the previews while we were still tinkering. ROBERT: Is this from your Columbus days? ROBERT: Yeah, exactly, exactly. I think you should ROBERT: Dave, the audience reaction to the father DAVID: It’s actually … I’m trying to think how to be proud if they make you the poster boy. Every- is kind of stunning. People might have read arti- describe it. It’s almost like a short story. A kind of — a body’s complaining — people are still complain- cles or pieces on the play, and they might have scary thing happens. I don’t want to give anything — ing, where are the new American plays? And if read that there are audible gasps at the end of the ROBERT: No, don’t say any more. Keep us in suspense. first act. But they don’t seem prepared — even if How did you hook up with (agent) Bill Craver? When nonprofits take the they’ve heard things. How did that make you feel? DAVID: I was at Julliard, but New York Stage and time and the risk to nurture DAVID: Well, it’s great that people react strongly to Film did a one act of mine, and the producer put the surprises in the story. What you don’t want me in touch with Craver. American playwrights, it people to think is that the whole play revolves on ROBERT: How did MTC find Proof ? Was it through makes all the difference. some hidden plot twist that if they hear about, it Craver, or had they seen Skyscraper? blows the play, because I don’t think that’s true. DAVID: Yeah. In fact, they — after Skyscraper, I ROBERT: This isn’t The Crying Game. went in, they had a little meeting. They said basi- DAVID: Exactly. And if you know there are twists in cally, keep us in mind the next time you write a MTC didn’t take the chance on this and do it, the plot, I hope the play’s still enjoyable. I hope play, send it to us … so the next play was Proof. people would probably still be asking that ques- people don’t think it depends on surprises, but I ROBERT: And you said you wrote it pretty quickly. tion. There are plays out there, there are writers love to hear that gasp, or the sounds of the audi- How long did it take? out there, just take a look at them. ences getting involved in the story. DAVID: Well, I wrote the first draft very quickly for DAVID: Yeah, there are a lot of great writers out ROBERT: In the human emotion of it. me, in about three weeks. This was a pretty sketchy there. I mean Stephen Belber is a fantastic writer. DAVID: When you hear that, you know that they’re draft, and then I spent about six months going back Julia Jordan is a fantastic writer. I think we have — engaged, and that they’re not going to leave before and really reworking it. I guess the whole process — it’s tough for America. The British have the system of the second half. to get a draft that they were ready to produce was subsidized theatre that, I mean, every ROBERT: After Chicago, you went to Julliard. about six or seven months. play has been done at the National Theatre, so when Who did you work with? Was it ? ROBERT: That isn’t very long, actually. one of his hits comes over and is on Broadway, it DAVID: Yeah. . DAVID: No, it was — it happened surprisingly started in a subsidized environment. We don’t have ROBERT: Who were you there with? quickly. I mean, the great, the fun thing about exact equivalents of that because we have nonprofits, DAVID: People in my class were Stephen Belber, working on it was that I had the plot, and the so when nonprofits take the time and the risk to Kira Obolensky, and Julia Jordan. structure, and the ending going into it. I knew just nurture American playwrights, it makes all the dif- ROBERT: Stephen was there as a writer? what was gonna happen in each scene, and who ference. And I think they are doing that. DAVID: Yeah. the characters were. ROBERT: Yeah. When you were starting out, who ROBERT: Okay, I know a couple of his plays, but I ROBERT: When is the official opening? did you look up to? mostly know him as an actor. DAVID: October 24th. DAVID: really meant a lot to me. I saw The DAVID: Great actor, but he’s also a terrific writer. It ROBERT: The 24th? Wow. I haven’t seen it again since House of Blue Leaves on TV when I was sixteen, and it was fun to be in that group, because everyone liked you’ve been in previews. Have you been going a lot? really got me excited about what contemporary plays everyone’s work, and they were all really good writers. DAVID: I’ve seen it a couple of times. I went to it could be. Tom Stoppard is someone I admire a lot. ROBERT: There’s a striking difference between four times last week, and um I don’t think I’ll go I admire a lot. I learned a lot from Mar- you and a good number of writers these days. very much this week. sha Norman and Chris Durang. I also always like to You seem very in tune with human emotion. You ROBERT: No? discuss Samson Raphaelson, who’s a great American seem able to make it almost palpable on stage. DAVID: Because they’re in good shape. Plus, it’s press playwright. He’s probably most famous for writing The You seem more in tune than just about anybody week, and I usually try to stay away during that. Jazz Singer. He also wrote a lot of the Ernst Lubitsch else lately. Do you feel that about yourself? ROBERT: Ah. Yeah. Well, the reviews that you got movies. He was a great theatrical craftsman. DAVID: No, not really. I just try to tell the story and from MTC were pretty amazing. ROBERT: Are you going to have some vacation after try and present it as clearly as I can. Anything that DAVID: Yeah, the press did well by us. this is over? I don’t envy your schedule right now. comes out of that is a bonus. ROBERT: Are you worried that people are going to DAVID: I hope so. I mean, my wife is working right ROBERT: What I mean is, the humanity on stage be afraid of it because it’s supposedly about math? now, so it might be tough for us to get away until in Skyscraper when I saw it, it was just — you DAVID: Oh, you mean audiences? I don’t know. I’ve a little bit later. could just feel it washing over the audience. really tried to say, when I’ve done any press, I’ve ROBERT: So do you have any final thoughts? DAVID: Oh, that’s great. tried to emphasize that it’s a play about this family DAVID: Yeah, I mean, no. What do I want to say? I ROBERT: And the same thing happens in Proof. that happens to be set in the world of math. mean, it’s always lucky when, I don’t know — this The audience just falls in love with Catherine. ROBERT: Right. has been a really lucky experience, basically, and uh, DAVID: Yeah. Well, I think deserve a lot DAVID: So I haven’t been too worried. I think audiences it’s been — of credit for that. come to it with an open mind. It’s not a math lecture. ROBERT: Are you pinching yourself? ROBERT: Where are you going next? ROBERT: Yeah. I’ve read a couple of things in which DAVID: Yeah I am, I mean, I never thought I’d get a DAVID: With my work? people are using you as an example: It’s about time chance to work with somebody like Dan Sullivan, you ROBERT: Yeah. Is there something new that we somebody produces new young writers on Broadway. know, Mary-Louise Parker. You know, these are the kind can expect? DAVID: Ah. Well, I think, my sense of it is, for a cou- of people that you wanna be working with, because DAVID: Well, I have a new script that I’m kind of at ple years it seemed like every play was a British they make you look good. So, I’ve been really lucky. the end of finishing, and I’m gonna try to start import. People at MTC made a concerted effort to ROBERT: Excellent. Good for you. So I know you working on it more after Proof opens. produce some young American writers, and they have an appointment. ROBERT: Where’s it set? took a risk to do that. MTC, this year, put me up, DAVID: Is this all right, did you get enough stuff? DAVID: It’s set in Ohio in the 1930s. and they put David Lindsay-Abaire up, and people ROBERT: Yeah, perfect. Thanks a lot, Dave. ROBERT: Oh, yeah? like that. So, I think some theatres are definitely DAVID: Yeah. It’s different than Proof. It’s about an going out on a limb to nurture a new generation of The acting edition of Proof is forthcoming from the Play Service.

A work of is above all an adventure of the mind. –Eugène Ionesco 3 AT PLAY Deborah Lopez Deborah A Fuddy are cur- , which will Mario’s House of Ital- Mario’s Fuddy Meers —Michael Q. Fellmeth ” and to , ,” he confesses. “I wrote some Wonder of the World Wonder David described and Museum Fuddy Meers A Devil Inside Times Abaire myself. Fuddy Meers , opened at the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, the opened at the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, Lindsay- did not exist before Julliard. It began and was finished te plays l “I really In the theatre of David Lindsay- In the theatre of David is an everyday Abaire total amnesia like long- event, sock puppets swear literature shoremen, and Russian students take their courses seriously enough to plan murders à la Dos- terrific With last season’s toyevsky. Off-Broadway success as “dark, sweet and thoroughly engaging,” two premieres in the off- ing this season, and the support of Mammoth, theatres like Woolly Lindsay- Club, and Manhattan Theatre superstardom. Abaire seems poised on the brink of playwriting been writing plays since bet. After all, he’s And is he ready? You he was a sophomore in high school when prep school where Lindsay-Abaire was a scholarship student. “It prep school where Lindsay-Abaire was a scholarship rip-off of had thirty characters, and the idea was a not-so-great wonderful Tina Howe’s Meers Tina Club in May, debut at Manhattan Theatre have its New York influence remains discernible, as does another of his Howe’s delight, case, to Lindsay-Abaire’s heroes, John Guare. In Guare’s the admiration is reciprocated. During a recent conversation, name came up, Guare enthused, “Ooh, when Lindsay-Abaire’s voice is yes, I like him.” But make no mistake, Lindsay-Abaire’s uniquely his own. “I really write plays to entertain myself,” he he is entertaining the rest of us along the way. says. Marvelously, The acting editions of which the New York which the New York during my two years there.” As he’s matured as a playwright, during my two years there.” As he’s Lindsay-Abaire may have learned to tell his stories without requiring an entire sophomore class to mount them. But in the manic energy and quirky characters of his current works, like rently available from the Play Service. Devil Inside terrible terrible plays back then.” After Milton, he attended Sarah terrible terrible plays back then.” After Milton, write plays and Lawrence College where he continued to a You’re said, ‘Yes! received several productions, but “nobody And then came two years of graduate Come with me.’” writer. study in playwriting at Julliard where he studied alongside Jes- sica Goldberg and received tutelage from one of our most influ- ential comedic playwrights, Christopher Durang. Lindsay-Abaire credits his time at Julliard as being one of real growth. “ ian Cuisine wr entertain , The , one of the are forthcoming , Amy, the twenty- , Amy,

The Hunger Education Refuge Refuge workshopped at the O’Neill National Playwrights Con- ference and the in London. She has also begun to emerge as one of the most vibrant voices of judges of which was , the Helen Merrill Award, a LeCompte du Nuoy stipend as well as having her latest play, for became has generated in New York,

The Hologram Theory Refuge ght con- l

for my voice.” , and Benson Caswell

r t Stuck observes. As demonstrated by the critical and l ,

Refuge du just the “Playwriting in acting editions from the Play Service. In one scene in Jessica Goldberg’s in Jessica Goldberg’s In one scene Village Voice her generation, finding humor, depth, and drama in the lives of her generation, finding humor, video-store clerks, club kids, and unemployed construction workers. “Her ability to craft honest, engaging, unapologetic portraits of young adult life sets her apart as a playwright,” audience acclaim that Chicago, and Houston, Goldberg is striking chords that resonate not just with young adults, however,all of theatregoers with but ages. Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman, one of Goldberg’s mentors at Julliard, has this to say about her former student: “I one of the most extraordinary writers I have ever think she’s seen.” something surrogate mother of her damaged and troubled sib- damaged and troubled surrogate mother of her something life has by the responsibilities down, overwhelmed lings, breaks there,” offers Becca, one of us should go in “Maybe dealt her. originally But Sam, the drifter Amy sister. younger raver Amy’s stand, and the obvious choice to brought home for a one-night her steady instead sits paralyzed in the kitchen as comfort her, one the- an affecting moment and It’s sobbing fills the room. in work: young people seeking fulfillment matic of Goldberg’s to forge new working definitions for their lives as they struggle tend to be and marriage. “My characters relationships, family, for meaning,” Goldberg says, “trying to young people looking in a world that has few role models.” She figure out how to live had York, New in post-Sixties Woodstock, adds that being raised feeling “There was this strange a real impact on her worldview. the kids of my generation all had a lot of of something lost, and of all that ide- work to do to define themselves in the shadow discovered as alism.” Goldberg, who started out writing fiction, University that “Playwriting an undergraduate at New York She went on to became just the right conduit for my voice.” to study playwriting at the from NYU and then earn a master’s she has collected an armful of Julliard School. Along the way, Blackburn Prize awards, including the prestigious Susan Smith

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BuyBroadwayhasbroughttheshopping Through themagicofsynergy, eachhasimproved two websites,BuyBroadwayandNow. content, itcan’t bebeat.Theatre.comusedto takes alongtimetoload,butforNewYork-specific connection,it it anyfashionawards,andwitha56K gaudy purpleandyellowcolorsprobablywon’t win Theatre.com (www.theatre.com): rather prettyandisworthkeepinganeyeon. skimpy oncontentrightnow, butitdoeslook The siteispretty spareatpresent,butittakesthe that offerssupport fornonprofittheatrecompanies. dent Theatres/New York, a nonprofitorganization (my name,nottheirs)isrunbythe AllianceofResi- theatre inNewYork, thisistheplace.OBOforshort information andcontentaboutevery non-Broadway line.com): Offbroadwayonline.com (www.offbroadwayon- candy: It’s goodnowandthenforaquickfix. mation onthecontest.Broadway.com isalotlike time, Ifounditdifficulttolocateanypreviousinfor- the revivalof mentary” ontwocontestantswhowonauditionsfor some funcontenttoo,includingarecent“docu- it alsoincludesshoppinganddiscountlinks.There’s feeds, sothefasteryourconnection,better, and Broadway plays.It’s heavyongraphicsandvideo it is,thesitepresentsslickcontentforcurrent Broadway.com stickstobeingthestockbrokerthat baggy jeanssaying,“Yo, yo,yo.”However, when which isnotunlikeastockbrokerdressingupin by reviewingNewYork’s annualfringefestival, Broadway.com tryingtogetallhipanddowntown funnier thingsI’vereadrecentlywasthebig,glitzy Broadway.com (www.broadway.com): Broadway.com, whichleadsusinto… “r-e” attheend.“Theater.com” takesyourightto newyork If you’relookingtofindstraightforward alexander The Rocky Horror Show Horror Rocky The zalben theatre, Theatre.com’s . Atthesame One ofthe with an take youronlineorder. a day, seven daysaweek,andwe’realways readyto www.dramatists.com. We’re opentwenty-fourhours want, playsyoumusthave,look nofurtherthan cool theatrewebsitesoutthere.But ifit’s playsyou These arejustafewnotablesof thethousandsof advice column.It’s funny andanicequirkyfeature. reprint oftheSeattleRepnewsletter’s theatre added features.Myfavoriteis“DramaMama,”a nice ideaofwhat’s goingonattheRep,withafew a directapproachwithitssite.Thesitegivesyou a regularWindowsprogram.SeattleRephastaken the menuspopoutfromtop,astheywould frames. Additionally, there’s anicefeaturein which Theatre’s, hasFlashanimationandeasy-to-use season, anditshows.Thenewsite,liketheAlley Seattle Reprecentlyoverhauleditssitefortheirnew Seattle RepertoryTheatre(www.seattlerep.org): happening attheAlleyTheatrerightnow. there too,butthedrivingforceofthissiteiswhat’s looking foranin-depthhistoryofthetheatre,it’s grams, anditdoesafantasticjobofthat.Ifyou’re focuses onitsproductionsandoutreachpro- it’s extremelyeasytonavigate.TheAlley’s site without overwhelmingaslowerconnection,and (Flash animation,frames)managestobeelegant and Spanish.Additionally, itsweb-savvydesign tage rightoff:ThesiteisofferedinbothEnglish Tony Award-winning AlleyTheatrehas oneadvan- The AlleyTheatre(www.alleytheatre.com): you’re consideringhasfaredelsewhere. regional reviews,soyoucanseehowtheshow you’re lookingtoputonashow, ATW hasposted notices andjobs,achatroom.Asbonus,if features, includingacall-boardforlistingcasting by show. Thesitealsohassomemoreinteractive by-region section,aswelltheabilitytosearch suggests, isallofAmerica.Ithasanicesearch- good qualities,isitsfocuswhich,asthename main pointofincludingitonthislist,beyondthose designed, straightforward,andeasytouse.The web.com): American TheaterWeb (www.americantheater- about playsatthesametime. swell organization,sosupportthemandfindout neighborhood, etc.),andhey, A.R.T./New York isa but it’s wellorganized(intocategory, playtitle, Essentially it’s asearchengine/collectionoflinks, companies andideas,ratherthanstarsplays. innovative approachoftryingtointroduceyou regional The AmericanTheaterWeb iswell AT PLAY 5 wwwTexas’ . newplays Who’s Afraid of the PROOF —Copyright in Cyberspace by David Auburn Internet? The most highly acclaimed new play of this by Craig Pospisil season tells the story of a young woman who You’ve probably read something about Napster or music, and copyrighted material of any kind. Instead gave up everything to care for her father and MP3.com or one of the various controversial means of ordering a book or video or CD online and then what it takes to get it back. Currently running of obtaining music over the Internet. These web sites waiting several days for your shipment to arrive in on Broadway, starring Mary-Louise Parker in have software that allows you to convert the music the mail, you will be able to download it directly to the performance of her career. from a CD into a computer file — a file which can your computer and start enjoying it right away. then be downloaded by other visitors to the web REFUGE site. Napster likes to call its music swapping tech- Are e-books the future of publishing? Most publish- by Jessica Goldberg nology “sharing,” but some members of the record- ing houses, Dramatists Play Service included, are A profoundly honest and touching story of a ing industry (artists and record companies alike) call exploring the possibilities. The technology exists for it “stealing.” Napster says it encourages sales by putting any book on the Internet right now, and cer- young woman forced to care for her younger allowing people to preview music first. The Record- tainly one big boon for authors and readers is that brother and sister after her parents have ing Industry Association of America (RIAA) says con- no book ever need go “out of print” again. Sales fig- abandoned the family and fled to Florida for a sumers won’t buy a CD if they can download the ures for a single title become less important if the vacation from which they will never return. music for free. The RIAA and musicians, most visibly publisher doesn’t have to spend $10,000 printing the heavy metal band Metallica, have brought law- books that might not sell. But with e-books, the SCENT OF THE ROSES suits against MP3.com and Napster in an effort to problem is reading them. Who wants to curl up in by Lisette Lecat Ross try and stop the copying and distribution of copy- bed with a good computer? So, a new “delivery sys- Captures the essence of the new and the old righted music and performances. tem” needs to be developed. The Rocket e-Book is South Africa in all its heartbreaking complexity. one such device, a handheld computer whose sole Napster claims their software doesn’t violate copy- purpose is displaying a book’s text. Meanwhile, right because of a provision in the law that allows Microsoft and Adobe have developed new font- SHORT AND SWEET for home audio or videotaping of radio or televi- display typefaces they say make your laptop’s by Willie Reale sion broadcasts for personal use. They argue that screen easier on the eyes. But the price of a Rocket A collection of monologues for young actors this “sharing” is for personal use only and, as there e-Book is still high, and do you trust yourself to take that explores subjects as diverse as bullies, is no financial transaction involved, what they do your laptop to the beach without it being ruined by first kisses, fat camp, and diaries, and even falls within this provision. The RIAA disagrees. The the sand and salt air? Gee, that retro paperback, turns an unblinking eye towards that most vex- potential hole in Napster’s argument is that NBC, retailing for $6.95, is looking good about now. In ing of questions — how you can love cows for example, pays millions of dollars to a movie order to compete against the traditional ink-on- and still eat them. studio (the copyright holder) for the right to broad- paper approach, e-books will have to evolve into cast this year’s hit film. Thus the copyright holder something light, easy, durable, and fairly inexpensive. SILVER DAGGER has been well compensated. In the case of Napster, however, thousands of people could potentially For Dramatists Play Service and other play licensors, by David French download a new Metallica CD that one person pur- the Internet affords another benefit. Last year, as a A mystery writer receives a series of phone chased for maybe $17. lark, I visited the site of one Internet search engine calls and letters that threaten to destroy his and did a search under my own name to see what I marriage as adultery, blackmail, murder, and Who’s right? So far, most of the court decisions have would find. Some of the sites I found were expected: a figure lurking in the rain, all the classic ele- favored the artists and the RIAA in their defense of several web pages from the Play Service’s site, a ments of the writer’s fiction, soon become copyright as we understand it. MP3.com decided to couple of theatre companies that I knew had pro- part of his life. settle out of court and work with most of the RIAA duced my play Somewhere in Between … and a companies on a means of delivering music over the newspaper review of my play by a theatre I had STUCK Internet and collecting money for it. Napster, which never heard of. With a little digging, I found that by Jessica Goldberg was nearly ordered to close over the summer, is fight- the production had been performed illegally the year ing tooth and nail, and the trials — and inevitable before. A little more digging and I found that, unfor- Two twenty-three year olds, best friends since appeals — will likely take years to resolve the issue. tunately, the group had gone out of business about they were five years old, work at a video store six months before I discovered the production. during the day and hang out in the car at night, The ease of distribution of bootleg material is a big “Great,” I thought. “I was cheated out of four hun- longing to find a way out of Middletown, USA. concern for all copyright owners, not just rock stars. dred dollars.” But then I realized I had discovered a The Motion Picture Association of America recently terrific means of, well, spying. THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES won a case against a web site that distributed soft- by Eve Ensler ware designed to break the security codes on DVD I can go on an Internet search engine, like Yahoo or A whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone that movie discs and allow certain computer systems to Excite or Google, enter the title of one of our plays, introduces a wildly divergent gathering of play them. Someone with the right software and and be presented with a list of links to theatre web female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a hardware could scan a play into a computer and put sites and newspaper reviews and calendar listings it on the web. Then anyone could print a copy (or around the country. By checking the information on septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina work- copies) at will, causing a loss of sales, and increasing those sites, we can easily find people who may be shop participant, and a feminist happy to have the likelihood of unauthorized productions and fur- illegally producing our plays and then set about col- found a man who “liked to look at it.” ther loss of revenue for the playwright and produc- lecting the proper royalty fees or taking action to stop ers who share in the royalties. Because of its open the production. YARD GAL and global nature, the Internet has the potential to by Prichard cripple the concept of intellectual property and rob But by far the most disturbing thing I learned via Two teenage girlfriends in inner city London creators of billions of dollars worldwide. the Internet, however, was … there is someone else pass difficult days spliffing, scheming, thieving, out there with my name!! Two “Craig Pospisils”? Are and raving with their gang of girls, but will it But there must be a plus side, right? Absolutely. you kidding me?! And to make matters worse, he’s hold them together or break them apart? With the proper safeguards and a means for collect- already registered “craigpospisil.com” as a domain ing fees in place, the Internet could allow for an name! Just when I was about to start my own web explosion in the ability to distribute plays, books, site and promote myself shamelessly.

6 AT PLAY I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste. –Marcel Duchamp Dramatists Play Service licenses hundreds of professional productions each year. For your convenience, here’s a schedule of some of them. You can access an even more comprehensive list of professional and select non- page to stage professional productions by visiting www.dramatists.com and viewing PAGETOSTAGE. NOVEMBER 2000 – FEBRUARY 2001

ALABAMA IT’S ONLY A PLAY by Terrence McNally. KRC MISSOURI WIT by . Pittsburgh Public BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY by Pearl Productions. Boca Raton. November. ‘ART’ by , translated by Theater. Pittsburgh. November. Cleage. Alabama Shakespeare Festival. THE RIDE DOWN MT. MORGAN by Arthur Miller. . Repertory Theatre of Montgomery. January. Red Barn Actors Studio. Key West. January. St. Louis. St. Louis. November. SOUTH CAROLINA SHAKESPEARE’S R&J by Joe Calarco. City THE EXACT CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE by ARIZONA Theatre. Coral Gables. February. NORTH CAROLINA Joan Vail Thorne. Warehouse Theatre. STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling. SPUNK by George C. Wolfe. American Stage A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Christopher Schario. Greenville. February. Phoenix Theatre. Phoenix. February. . St. Petersburg. January. Temple Theatre Company. Sanford. December. FUDDY MEERS by David Lindsay-Abaire. TALLEY’S FOLLY by . Arizona VISITING MR. GREEN by Jeff Baron. Florida THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN by Martin Centre Stage. Greenville. November. Jewish Theatre. Phoenix. February. Repertory Company. Ft. Myers. November. McDonagh. Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte. WIT by Margaret Edson. Arizona Theatre WIT by Margaret Edson. Jacksonville Stage Charlotte. January. TENNESSEE Company, Tucson. Tucson/Phoenix. January. Co. Jacksonville. February. FUDDY MEERS by David Lindsay-Abaire. HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE by . WIT by Margaret Edson. Orlando Theatre Manbites Dog Theater Company. Durham. Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Nashville. CALIFORNIA Project. Sanford. November. December. February. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by WIT by Margaret Edson. Tampa Bay Perform- THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO by Alfred THE SANTALAND DIARIES by David Sedaris, Christopher Hampton. Ensemble Theatre ing Arts Center. Tampa. November. Uhry. Broach Theatre. Greensboro. December. adapted by Joe Mantello. Tennessee Reper- Project. Santa Barbara. December. SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. PlayMakers tory Theatre. Nashville. December. THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin GEORGIA Repertory Company. Chapel Hill. January. McDonagh. San Diego Repertory Theatre. THE AMERICA PLAY by Suzan-Lori Parks. TEXAS San Diego. February. Actor’s Express. Atlanta. January. NEW JERSEY OLD WICKED SONGS by Jon Marans. Stages by Patrick Marber. San Diego Reper- FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS by A DOLL’S HOUSE adapted by Frank McGuin- Repertory Theatre. Houston. January. tory Theatre. San Diego. February. . Theatre in the Square. Marietta. ness. 12 Miles West Theatre Company. THE SANTALAND DIARIES by David Sedaris, A DOLL’S HOUSE adapted by Frank McGuin- January. Montclair. February. adapted by Joe Mantello. Theatre for a New ness. Ensemble Theatre Project. Santa Barbara. ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION by Day. Dallas. November. February. HAWAII Shanley. 12 Miles West Theatre WIT by Margaret Edson. Dallas Theatre Cen- THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO by Alfred THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO by . Company. Montclair. January. ter. Dallas. January. Uhry. TheatreWorks. Palo Alto. January. Manoa Valley Theatre. Honolulu. January. THE NOTEBOOK OF TRIGORIN by Tennessee SNAKEBIT by David Marshall Grant. New Con- Williams. 12 Miles West Theatre Company. UTAH servatory Theatre. San Francisco. January. IOWA Montclair. January. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by STOP KISS by Diana Son. Brava! For Women in ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by THREE DAYS OF RAIN by . Christopher Hampton. Pioneer Theatre Com- the Arts. San Francisco. February. Christopher Hampton. Riverside Theatre. Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre. Bloomfield. pany. Salt Lake City. January. SWINGING ON A STAR The Johnny Burke Iowa City. November. January. Musical by Michael Leeds. International City WIT by Margaret Edson. Riverside Theatre VIRGINIA Theatre. Long Beach. February. Iowa City. January. NEW MEXICO ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by THE WEIR by Conor McPherson. Aurora The- THE WEIR by Conor McPherson. Theatre Christopher Hampton. TheatreVirginia. Rich- atre Company. Berkeley. November. ILLINOIS Improviso. Albuquerque. November. mond. January. THE WEIR by Conor McPherson. Geffen Play- BREAKING LEGS by Tom Dulack. Drury Lane COMING OF THE HURRICANE by Keith Glover. house. Los Angeles. January. Theatre. Evergreen Park. January. NEVADA Barksdale Theatre. Richmond. February. WIT by Margaret Edson. San Jose Stage COYOTE ON A FENCE by Bruce Graham. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by A WALK IN THE WOODS by Lee Blessing. Company. San Jose. January. Shattered Globe Theatre. Chicago. January. Christopher Hampton. Actors Repertory Barter Theatre. Abingdon. February. A DOLL’S HOUSE adapted by Frank McGuinness. Theatre of Nevada. Las Vegas. January. WIT by Margaret Edson. Mill Mountain The- COLORADO Next Theatre Company. Evanston. February. atre. Roanoke. February. CLOSER by Patrick Marber. Curious Theatre. FLYIN’ WEST by Pearl Cleage. Illinois Theatre NEW YORK Denver. January. Center. Park Forest. February. BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY by Pearl VERMONT TRAVELER IN THE DARK by Marsha Norman. Cleage. Syracuse Stage. Syracuse. January. WIT by Margaret Edson. Center Stage Theatre Illinois Theatre Center. Park Forest. January. BREAKING LEGS by Tom Dulack. Studio Company. Montpelier. January. OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS Arena Theatre. Buffalo. January. by Joe DiPietro. 7 Angels Theatre. Waterbury. INDIANA HAVING OUR SAY by Emily Mann. Capital WASHINGTON November. CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY by Lynn Repertory Company. Albany. February. THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS Nottage. Indiana Repertory Theatre. Indi- THE HERBAL BED by Peter Whelan. Kavinoky McDonagh. Tacoma Actors Guild. Tacoma. by Joe DiPietro. Polka Dot Playhouse. Bridge- anapolis. November. Theatre. Buffalo. January. February. port. January. THE SANTALAND DIARIES by David Sedaris, THE STY OF THE BLIND PIG by Philip Hayes SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. Spokane Inter- SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. Stamford The- adapted by Joe Mantello. Phoenix Theatre. Dean. Ujima Theatre. Buffalo. February. players Ensemble. Spokane. January. atre Works. Stamford. November. Indianapolis. November. TERRA NOVA by . Capital Repertory Company. Albany. January. WISCONSIN WASHINGTON, D.C. MASSACHUSETTS WIT by Margaret Edson. Stageworks New ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by IN THE BLOOD by Suzan-Lori Parks. Woolly THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin York. Hudson. November. Christopher Hampton. Milwaukee Repertory Mammoth Theatre Company. Washington. McDonagh. Sugan Theatre. Cambridge. WIT by Margaret Edson. Syracuse Stage. Theater Company. Milwaukee. November. January. November. Syracuse. February. FULL GALLOP by Mark Hampton and Mary- K2 by Patrick Meyers. Arena Stage. Washing- A SHAYNA MAIDEL by Barbara Lebow. Mer- Louise Wilson. Madison Repertory Theatre. ton. December. rimack Repertory Theatre. Lowell. January. OHIO Madison. January. LES BELLES SOEURS by Michael Tremblay. SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. Theater Project. by . Cincinnati THE MEMORY OF WATER by Shelagh Studio Theatre. Washington. November. West Springfield. January. Shakespeare Festival. Cincinnati. November. Stephenson. Milwaukee Repertory Theater THE MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD by THIS LIME TREE BOWER by Conor McPherson. BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY by Pearl Cleage. Company. Milwaukee. January. Paul Rudnick. Source Theatre Company. Sugan Theatre. Cambridge. February. . Cleveland. February. THREE DAYS OF RAIN by Richard Greenberg. Washington. November. THE WEIR by Conor McPherson. Foxborough FUDDY MEERS by David Lindsay-Abaire. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Milwaukee. Regional Center. Foxborough. February. Dobama. Cleveland. November. January. DELAWARE THE WEIR by Conor McPherson. New Reper- SHAKESPEARE’S R&J by Joe Calarco. Ensem- WIT by Margaret Edson. Milwaukee Repertory THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin tory Theatre. Newton Highlands. January. ble Theatre Ohio. Cleveland Heights. January. Theater Company. Milwaukee. February. McDonagh. Delaware Theatre Company. THREE DAYS OF RAIN by Richard Greenberg. Wilmington. January. MARYLAND ETC Cincinnati. January. CANADA AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN by Douglas Carter WIT by Margaret Edson. Human Race The- ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by FLORIDA Beane. Everyman Theatre. Baltimore. February. atre Company. Dayton. November. Christopher Hampton. Neptune Theatre. THE ACTOR’S NIGHTMARE/SISTER MARY Halifax, Nova Scotia. January. IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU by MAINE OREGON THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN by Martin Christopher Durang. Civic Theatre of Central A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Christopher Schario. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by McDonagh. Arts Club Theatre. Vancouver, Florida. Orlando. February. Public Theatre. Auburn. December. Christopher Hampton. Willamette Repertory BC. February. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Jeffrey Hatcher. Theatre. Eugene. November. THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN by Martin Christopher Hampton. Coconut Grove Play- Penobscot Theatre Company. Bangor. November. CLOSER by Patrick Marber. Portland Center McDonagh. Belfry Theatre BC. Victoria, BC. house. Miami. November. Stage. Portland. January. January. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by MICHIGAN THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN by Martin McDon- DRIVING MISS DAISY by Alfred Uhry. Centaur Christopher Hampton. Florida Repertory THE ACTOR’S NIGHTMARE/SISTER MARY agh. Portland Center Stage. Portland. November. Foundation for the Arts. Montreal, Quebec. Company. Ft. Myers. February. IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU by SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. Artists Reper- January. ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Durang. BoarsHead: Michigan tory Theatre. Portland. January. THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES by Richard Wilbur. Christopher Hampton. Orlando UCF Shake- Public Theater. Lansing. January. National Arts Centre. Ottawa, Ontario. speare Festival. Orlando. January. FUDDY MEERS by David Lindsay-Abaire. Per- PENNSYLVANIA November. THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin formance Network. Ann Arbor. February. CHILDREN by A.R. Gurney. Walnut Street WIT by Margaret Edson. Centaur Foundation McDonagh. Caldwell Theatre Company. Boca VISITING MR. GREEN by Jeff Baron. Theatre. Philadelphia. February. for the Arts. Montreal, Quebec. February. Raton. February. BoarsHead: Michigan Public Theater. Lansing. NIXON’S NIXON by Russell Lees. Act II Play- WIT by Margaret Edson. Citadel Theatre. CLOSER by Patrick Marber. FST Sarasota. January. November. house. Ambler. November. Edmonton, Alberta. January. THE EXACT CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE by Joan SIDE MAN by Warren Leight. City Theatre WIT by Margaret Edson. Globe Theatre. Vail Thorne. Florida Stage. Manalapan. January. MINNESOTA Company. Pittsburgh. November. Regina, Saskatchewan. February. I HATE HAMLET by Paul Rudnick. Asolo The- MASTER CLASS by Terrence McNally. Park TAKING SIDES by . Act II WIT by Margaret Edson. Vancouver Play- atre Company. Sarasota. November. Square Theatre. St. Paul. January. Playhouse. Ambler. January. house. Vancouver, BC. January.

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. –Albert Einstein 7 AT PLAY DRAMATISTS Presorted Standard PLAY SERVICE, INC. U.S. Postage PAID Hackensack, NJ ATPLAY Permit #9 440 Park Avenue South New York, New York 10016

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AT PLAY: MICHAEL Q. FELLMETH, Editor TIMOTHY MUTZEL, Design CRAIG POSPISIL, Contributing Editor ROBERT VAUGHAN, Contributing Editor ALEXANDER ZALBEN, Guest Contributor

© 2000 Dramatists Play Service, Inc. All rights reserved. ATribute to DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC. GILBERT OFFICERS: STEPHEN SULTAN, President GILBERT PARKER, Vice President HOWARD ROSENSTONE, Secretary PARKER DIEP NGUYEN, Assistant Treasurer ilbert Parker’s tranquil “Most of my clients have elegance is punctuated never had another agent.” DIRECTORS: Gby mirth as he recounts Those clients, to name just a William Craver Polly Pen Mary Harden Howard Rosenstone how he got his start in the few, include such theatrical Donald Margulies Paul Rudnick agency business. It was 1951, luminaries as Scott Ellis, Frank Gilbert Parker and he’d come to New York Galati, A.R. Gurney, , Stephen Sultan City, fresh out of Wesleyan Terrence McNally, Mark Medoff, University, to be an actor. A John Tillinger, and . ROBERT VAUGHAN, Professional Rights CRAIG POSPISIL, Nonprofessional Rights girl he knew informed him MICHAEL Q. FELLMETH, Publications that the renowned agent In Ms. Henley’s case, Mr. Parker ALLEN L. HUBBY, Operations Audrey Wood, one of the dis- discovered her prodigious tal- TOM WACLAWIK, Finance coverers of Tennessee ent almost accidentally. He was Williams, was in need of a traveling when he happened to receptionist. His friend run into an actor with whom described one of the benefits he was acquainted. She pro- of the position, “They’re not paying you, so you can walk out anytime.” duced a script, written by a She continued, “The thing is, you’ll have to be a good enough actor to friend of hers, and asked if he convince them you’re very rich, so they won’t feel guilty about not paying would read it. Mr. Parker you.” Why, wondered Mr. Parker, would somebody very rich know how to agreed. That night he called operate a switchboard? “First lesson, darling,” said his friend, “there’s no Ms. Henley in Mississippi. “I’ve logic in show business.” just read your play,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful, and I’d be honored to represent you.” Ms. Henley had no idea who Mr. Parker was, so he sug- The following week Mr. Parker arrived at the tiny office of Liebling Wood gested she ask around about him. The next day he telephoned her again. on Fifth Avenue and met Ms. Wood, a tiny woman, who only “came up to “All she said was yes,” Mr. Parker laughs. “Yes, what?” he asked her. “Yes,” right about here,” his hand at stomach height. He’d barely settled into his replied Ms. Henley. Mr. Parker made a phone call to the Actors Theatre of new position when a great row erupted in Ms. Wood’s office, and Violet, Louisville, and within a few months the play had its premiere there. It her secretary, stormed out of the agency. Ms. Wood emerged from her was subsequently produced Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre office. “Violet’s left me,” she announced. She approached Mr. Parker. Club and then on Broadway. In 1981, Crimes of the Heart won the “Young young young man,” she intoned — “because she couldn’t remember . A framed copy of the award hangs proudly on my name,” he grins — “I’ve always thought of having a man work for me. his office wall. Would you like to do that job?” Mr. Parker expressed that he would, but he confessed, “I don’t type or take shorthand.” Ms. Wood paused, handed him What is Mr. Parker’s advice to young agents in the making? “I was always a legal pad for dictation, and replied, “We must learn to cope.” so surprised when people would say, ‘Thank you for returning my phone call.’ I finally realized that’s because so many agents don’t.” He continues, After paying his dues as Ms. Wood’s assistant, Mr. Parker went on to join “As an agent, you’re a promoter and a protector. At the start of a career, MCA where he became a renowned agent himself. Over the past half you promote. And later, you protect. But you must always let clients make century, he’s also had his own agency, worked with Curtis Brown, and for their own decisions. Even if you feel it’s not right for them, you must say, the last twenty-one years has been with William Morris. He recalls his ‘If that’s what you want, I’ll help you do it.’” first client, a young, athletic poet-professor at a liberal arts college in Massachusetts. “He had this play in verse,” Mr. Parker says with a mild In December the Play Service will bid adieu to Mr. Parker as he retires to grimace. “I thought, ‘Oh, no.’” The play in verse turned out to be The Mis- travel, visit friends, and spend time at his beach house where he’s never anthrope, and the athletic poet, Richard Wilbur, one of the finest transla- had the chance to spend more than two consecutive weeks. “I’ve looked tors of Molière in the English language and former Poet Laureate of the after, laughed with, fought for, learned from, and stood by some extraor- U.S. It was the beginning of an agent-author relationship that has lasted dinarily gifted theatre artists,” he says. “It’s been a wondrous honor to for over forty-five years — extraordinary, to say the least, in an industry have shared their trials and triumphs.” The Play Service wishes to express where many “creatives” change representatives almost as often as most of its deep gratitude to Mr. Parker for the thirty-seven years he’s served as a us change socks. But loyalty is a theme that runs throughout Mr. Parker’s member of our board. We extend the very best to him as he sets off on career. Ask him what he is most proud of and the answer comes readily, his new adventures. —Michael Q. Fellmeth 8 AT PLAY