In anticipation of my visit to New York City, I'm preparing a play reading of my new comedy, SOCIAL CLIMBERS AND THE UNDIAGNOSED NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, at La MaMa's rehearsal studios.
Putting on an in-person table reading dares a risk-taker in any environment, but it's a new extreme in a pandemic. First, finishing the draft, which is a beast in itself, then securing a space. There's casting- finding available actors to read around a table, preparing the draft ready for the printing, and finding compassionate spectators to provide constructive feedback. On top of all of that, there are Covid protocols required to keep everyone safe. These necessary precautions are the new normal: proof of vaccination, masks, hand sanitizers, and social distancing. It's not a problem dealing with a problem. Yet, the natural being of the actors, spectators, and myself, the playwright, will be affected, and the process will look and feel different than readings I've done before the pandemic. Now it seems best to plow through it. I've completed casting. I'm back to script editing.
