Friday, February 22, 2013

SCRIPT SWAP at KALEIDOSCOPE ’13 - an Unky Sean Ideer

There comes a time in the life of every great person where they just have to take stock of what they have, assess that stock, keep what they want, and get what they can for the rest.  And that time is now.

As dyed-in-the-previously-worn-by-other-actors wool as we theater folks can be, we ALL OF US amass buttloads of scripts, sometimes in multiple quantities.  And still, we want more. 
So why don’t you bring your extra copies of something and I bring my extra copies of something and, uh, swap ‘em? 

I know – it’s just crazy enough to work.  That’s I got baseball cards of athletes who weren’t fortunate enough to arrive at random with my bubble gum purchase, and gosh-darn-it, why can’t we do that with scripts?  Because this extra copy of The Sisters Rosenzweig I got is not gonna suddenly become a two-person production with puppets and shadow voices.  Right?  And I’m sure that three of those things you really really meant to send back to MTI are just burning a hole in your metaphorical pockets. 
So let’s get together, around the WSCTA table on Friday March 1st, from 2pm ‘til we get bored socializing and swapping, and see what kinda new libraries we can build. 

Some simple guidelines, since swapping is sorta below “rules”:
- Don’t bring more books than you can carry.  That’s how many you’re leaving with, remember?

- Single editions for single editions; anthologies for anthologies.  “An anthology equals five scripts” is the kind of math that starts haggling, and let’s not be those people, all right?
- No money – just swapping.  And no judgments either.  Sure, Tams-Witmark probably wanted that piano score to No No Nannette returned thrity years ago, but that fine has been paid, and as long as you’re not selling it . . . let’s just say what happens at Script Swap goes home with someone who can keep a secret.

- Nobody has to take your Friedrich Hebbel plays (although Maria Magdalena rocks! . . . jes’ sayin’ . . .), so if you go home with what you already had, that’s fine, dig?
- Bring stuff to share, not just get rid of.  If you were in a totally amazing play you have three copies of, share THAT, not the extra copy of Timon of Athens your aunt got you cuz “yer so dramatic.”  If we all bring enough cool stuff, we get cool stuff when we trade.

Now maybe you won’t be there on Friday afternoon.  Who knows, maybe it’s only me at the WSCTA table swapping stories to passing strangers about all the great scripts nobody brought.  Well, during the festival, while I’m at the WSCTA table, I’ll always have my box of scripts.  So check in and maybe some Friday night or Saturday-between-show-swapping will happen. 

Either way, Rana said we could, we’re doin’ it on Friday at 2 pm in the lobby of the Bremerton Community Theater around the WSCTA table.  It’ll be nice to see y’all, and your scripts, and hang for a bit.

Unky Sean Walbeck
2/20/2013

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