[windscreen]

Although I've had enormous interest in my latest musical "A song for Europe" (13,000 site hits in 2 months) nobody seems brave enough to take it on. This we have to do something that everybody knows mentality does nothing to encourage new works. My local amdram has recently had to cancel We will rock you as they couldnt interest enough people to act in it. Although I offered my musical for free they still prefer to go for song cycles that ultimately fail. Guess I'll have to put my money where my mouth is and do a proffesional production.

[Jim_L]

Hello fellow musican turned playwright. I wish you luck with your production! If you don't direct it, keep a close eye on the one who does, they love to change things... ;>)
-Jim

[Salome]

you should never direct your own work. you need a creative eye in teh director's chair. an author is too close to his work to see it objectively.

[Jim_L]

This is true, but don't let a director turn your script into something it's not either... if a director changes things too much then he should stop being a director and become a writer because he knows better than you do...

I've learned a lot with my first production (like I should've directed) and the main thing was that i realized i wrote the script from a camera eye view when i should have been sitting in the audience instead. I've seen & heard the lines spoken by real people rather than the preconceived characters in my head and that put a new 'spin' and sometimes a new meaning to the words. Some lines didn't work (especially the ones the director put in) and many little things like who enters/exits with simple props (mugs in this case) became a concern worth noting.

I've only worked on the script for 3 years and am still finding things that need tweaking. Have you done a reading with others? That's a great way to start seeing things from a different point of view - don't be a reader yourself tho'... and maybe record the reading and play it back later on...

Just my $0.02

[windscreen]

Thanks every one for your two cents worth. As for directing...always had the idea to share the job with a fresh mind, I'm much too attached to the characters to be objective. What is nice is to know I'm not alone out here...here being amongst the great unwashed (new writers) it sometimes feels like we are some alien life force, threatening to force people away from the predictable ALW format. I'll battle on and hopefully soon will be able to announce my show dates.

Cheers everyone,