November 28th Minutes

No need for an external link to these minutes. They are short and to the point. This meeting was all about reading sides. We read side for "Shot in the Dark", "Relatively Speaking", and "I Take This Man". Copies of the full plays were distributed to the attendees. Everyone's focus should now be on reading the plays on the ballot and on circulating the link so we can get as widespread a response as possible. I would like each committee member to email me with a list of which plays they have and have not read from the ballot. I'll send out an email with the schedule for the next meeting. Keep checking my inbox for the plays!

Shows We Are Considering

This survey is your chance to help us select which plays we will present next year. Musicals will be discussed separately. Below are a list of some of the plays we are considering for next season. Vote for any or all of these plays in the sidebar. Have an idea that is not listed? Feel free to add it in the comments.

Bus Stop by William Inge (Comedy)
In the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus out of Kansas City pulls up at a cheerful roadside diner. All roads are blocked, and four or five weary travelers are going to have to hole up until morning.

I Take This Man by Jack Sharkey (Farce)
When Giddy spots an unconscious man in a tank top and shorts lying in Copley Square just after all other Boston Marathon racers have crossed the finish line, she reasons that since nice guys finish last, this must be Mr. Right! So, she abducts him!

Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan (Comedy/Drama)
A luckless young security guard trying to get his life together after being thrown out of the navy is drawn into a local murder investigation involving his supervisor and an overzealous rookie policewoman who is in over her head with her unscrupulous hero-cop partner.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Drama)
Shakespeare’s classic tale of destiny, power, and betrayal. Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, but when three witches fill his head with visions of his destiny, his desires outstrip his loyalties as he seeks to claim that which he had been promised, while prevented that which he fears.

Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad by Arthur Kopit (Comedy)
A controlling mother brings her son and husband to a tropical vacation spot for a little rest and relaxation. Of course, the husband has been dead for quite some time, and she brings him with her on her travels.

On the Verge by Eric Overmyer (Comedy)
Three prototypical Victorian lady explorers thwack their machetes through the wilderness while telling tales of past jaunts among the natives. The weaker sex? I think not!

Reckless by Craig Lucas (Comedy)
At home on Christmas Eve, Rachel is informed by her guilty husband that he has hired a hit man to kill her. She must flee for her life. She is launched on a hilariously improbable journey through game shows, a career as a therapist, and an ill-fated reunion with her husband.

Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn (Comedy)
Greg met Ginny only a month ago but wants to marry her; She won’t accept until she has persuaded her former lover to stop harassing her with chocolates and flowers. The two converge on the home of her ex and his wife with very different notions of who they are.

Shot in the Dark by Harry Kurnitz (Comedy/Drama)
A woman is hauled before the magistrate on a charge of murder, having been found unconscious, nude, and clutching a gun, with her lover dead beside her. But all is not what it seems.

The Foreigner by Larry Shue (Comedy)
When a timid editor from overseas is brought to a Georgia fishing lodge for some rest, he overhears some things he is not supposed to. He is forced to pretend he is from an exotic land and that he speaks no English. Throw in the Ku Klux Klan and much hilarity ensues.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two men. One imaginary relation named Ernest. Two women, both of whom believe they are engaged to Ernest. This all adds up to one weekend in the country full of mistaken identities and mounting frustration as told through Wilde’s superb dialogue.

The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash (Drama)
A plain young woman lives on a drought stricken farm with her father and two brothers, who have been trying to marry her off for ages. One day an exciting man comes to the farm claiming to be a rainmaker. For a fee he will get it to rain. He also begins making romantic moves on Lizzie, who after some hesitation falls under his spell. Despite the fact that he is a con man he manages to make her see herself in a new light.

Overdue Meeting Minutes

We have had a couple of meetings since October 15th, but I have been remiss in posting the minutes. Over the last couple of meetings we have continued reading sides and discussing shows. We have decided to restrict ourselves to shows that have passionate directors. So, if you have a show, but no director, you should pitch it to a director and get her to submit it. Here is a link to the latest minutes. As always, send corrections via email. Our next meeting is Wednesday, November 28 at 7 p.m. at Patio. We will be reading sides from the shows on the ballot. At present, I am planning on "A Shot in the Dark", "I Take This Man", and "Relatively Speaking". So, if you have one of these, please let me know so we can make sides.

Second Meeting Minutes

We had another excellent meeting. We kept it to about an hour once we started. I think we ought to continue that trend as much as possible. Here is a link to the minutes. Please e-mail any corrections you may have. Remember to check the minutes to see if there are any tasks you can help with. See you October 15th at Gretchen's! Bring some sides.

Meeting II Agenda

We will be meeting at the Weissman household on Tuesday, September 18th at 7 p.m. The agenda will be much shorter this time:

1. Old business - wherein we look at action items from the last meeting
2. New business - if anyone has any to propose
3. Read sides - If you want us to read from a play, please bring enough copies of the scenes you would like to see for each of the characters. Since this is short notice, I'll try to have a few we can act out.

Open Letter to Directors

Dear Prospective Director,

The Playreading Committee of Patio Playhouse Community Theater in Escondido is in search of a few good directors for its 2008-2009 season. If you are interested in directing a show at Patio Playhouse during that timeframe, please send us a list of up to 3 plays you are passionate about directing and a brief resume of your theatrical background, including your contact information.

You may e-mail these items directly to me or mail to: Patio Playhouse, P.O. Box 300450, Escondido, Ca 92030-0450, Attention: Brian Weissman, Artistic Director.

Only proposals received by November 8, 2007 will be considered. I may contact you with further questions if deemed necessary. In any case the final decision will be made by February 24, 2008.

Thank you for your interest. With your help, Patio Playhouse will continue to raise the bar theatrically and artistically.

Sincerely,

Brian Weissman, Artistic Director

First Meeting Minutes

Thank you all for a great meeting! Everyone worked really hard and we built a lot of energy and momentum. I feel that we are going to build on the good work Kevin has done and keep this theater growing! Here is a link to the meeting minutes. You should just be able to click on it and the minutes will open in Google Documents. Feel free to email me corrections. I didn't post them directly to the site because there were five pages of minutes. Spread the site around!

First Meeting - Monday, August 27th at 7 p.m.

Our first meeting will be at my house on Monday night at 7 p.m. Here is the meeting agenda.

1. Welcome and overview.
2. Discuss our calendar and deadlines.
3. Discuss our approach for selecting a season.
4. Five shows or six?
5. How does youth theater fit?
6. The play reading web site.
7. New program ideas?

Welcome to the Playreading Committee

Welcome to the 2007-2008 Patio Playhouse Playreading Committee. On this site, you will find discussions related to choosing the next Patio season. I'll be posting meeting minutes to this site and we will be able to have open discussions here. I'll also try to post a calendar and our upcoming meeting agenda as well. Feel free to spread the link around. While the selection is ultimately the responsibility of the committee, we can certainly benefit from outside opinions.