The Last Supper
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Personal, Uncategorized on April 22, 2014
I don’t claim to be an actor, but that didn’t stop me from getting “volunteered” for a role in the Fincastle United Methodist Church’s presentation of “The Last Supper,” a piece by Ernest K. Emurian that brings to life the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Written in the 1950s, the piece calls for the actors to assume the pose in the painting — for quite a long time actually! Then, over the course the evening, each one delivers a monologue about their thoughts on that fateful night.
Here I am in 2010, when I portrayed Peter (that’s me on the left, in the back, in the tan robe, leaning over to talk to “John” in blue):
“The Last Supper” at Fincastle United Methodist Church, Fincastle, Virginia, in 2010.
And here I am in 2014, when I portrayed Simon the Zealot, on the far right:
“The Last Supper” at Fincastle United Methodist Church, 2014.
Thanks to Marsha Campbell and Cathy Benson for the photos.
If you’re curious, I’ve written a few religious-themed plays. “Jose and Maria: An Old Story for New Times” is a full-length Christmas play, that adapts the Christmas story to modern times. It’s been produced. I also have several five-minute pieces suitable for churches (and which have been produced in churches.) Most of those deal with either Christmas or Easter.
Another photo below: Read the rest of this entry »
“God and the Devil Meet for a Business Lunch” by the Lake Players
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on March 31, 2014
Blake Lipscomb as the devil and Mary Anne Leslie as God. Photo by Heather Yvonne Brush. Note the Sopranos hat.
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I have a series of short pieces involving God and the Devil, which always end the same way, with the angelic Almighty getting the better of the harried Prince of Darkness. The Lake Players, at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, included the 10-minute “God and the Devil Meet for a Business Lunch” as part of their reading series on March 28.
Here are some photos from the evening, or you find the entire set here.
A full house! The show was in the social hall of Resurrection Catholic Church in Moneta, Virginia.
The devil (Blake Lipscomb) shows up at an out-of-the-way diner, hoping to make a business proposition to the Almighty. Marlene Truesdell is the sassy waitress.
Guess what’s on the menu. Loaves and fishes.
Want to see more?
* Here’s video of a group in Sacramento, California doing the same piece in 2005.
* Here’s audio from when Falcon Radio Theatre in Seattle did the script in 2013.
* Video: “God and the Devil Settle a Contract Dispute”
* Video: “God and the Devil Debate The Issues”
Behind-the-scenes photos from the short film “Unwanted”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Uncategorized, Video on March 20, 2014
Hank Ebert (left) with Gary Reid (the police officer) and Kelly Anglim (the evidence tech) with Charlie and Martha Boswell somewhere under the sheets.
I’m a stage guy, not a film guy. But once a year, Salem filmmaker Hank Ebert and I wind up collaborating on a short film for various local competitions.
In the past, we’ve done:
* “My Kid Could Paint That” for a festival at the Grandin Theatre in 2009
* “Back to the Future” for a Sweded film festival in the 2012 Marginal Arts Festival.
* “The Secret Lives of Goldfish” for the 2013 Bike Shorts Festival (behind-the-scenes photos here.)
This year, Hank and I once again have teamed up to produce a short film for the Bike Shorts Festival, which, as the name implies, is seeking short films about bicycles.
Since the entry deadline hasn’t passed yet, and the film showing isn’t until early May, I won’t give away TOO many details, but below are some photos from our two film shoots on March 1 and March 8. You can find the entire set here.
“Revenge Is Sweet . . . ” to be produced at British festival this summer
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on March 13, 2014
Just got the word that my one-act “Revenge Is Sweet With a Slight Aftertaste of Irony” will be one of four one-acts produced this summer at a festival in Great Britain. Specifically, by the Congleton Players in Congleton, England in July.
More than 200 scripts were entered.
Here’s the synopsis:
REVENGE IS SWEET WITH A SLIGHT AFTERTASTE OF IRONY
A famous food critic visits a restaurant. The manager wants desperately to please him; the chef wants revenge. Dark comedy and slapstick ensues. Cast: Six — four male, two female. Running time: Fifteen minutes.
Video: “A Spork in the Road” at the Liminal gallery
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized, Video on March 10, 2014
The February reading at the Liminal gallery in Roanoke dealt with “intersections.”
For me, that meant my short piece, “A Spork in the Road.”
“The Ring” to be produced in new works festival in New York
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on March 5, 2014
A few years ago, I attended the state high school basketball championships — a series of games all day long in various size classifications. I was particularly struck by one of the girls’ games, which pitted a team with a star player destined for college hoops against a team with unheralded players. Out of that came “The Ring” — a look into the future in which those two players meet again.
There’s a five-minute version (set in a nursing home) and a 20-25 minute version (in which the unheralded player breaks into the star’s home to steal the ring she felt she deserved.)
I’m thrilled to report today that the five-minute version has been accepted into the 3rd annual NFA New Works Festival at the Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, New York. I’m also excited to hear one of my works is being produced, but this is especially gratifying because in this case it was the students themselves who picked this script to be produced. Mine was one of 14 pieces picked for production out of 100 submitted.
The festival will be May 30.
Lake Players to produce one of my ten-minute plays March 28
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on February 28, 2014
The Lake Players — at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia — will include my script “God and the Devil Meet for a Business Lunch” in a night of ten-minute shows on March 28.
The director sends this word: “We had our first read thru on Monday and it got big laughs all around.”
GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH
God and the devil meet in an out-of-the-way lunch spot to discuss a business proposition: The devil thinks the Almighty should reimburse him for punishing the wicked. Comes in two versions, one 5 minutes, one 10 minutes. Cast: Three — 2 males, 1 female. Running time: Five minutes or ten minutes.
Here’s the audio from when Falcon Radio Theatre in Seattle produced this as a radio play in 2013, and video from when a troupe in Sacramento produced it in 2005.
“Hamlet Goes Hollywood” to be published
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on February 25, 2014
I got word this week that my hour-long one-act “Hamlet Goes Hollywood” will be published later this year by Big Dog Plays.
That’s the same publishing house that has published some of my other scripts, including “Santa Claustrophobia,” which has been produced 17 times. (Others from Big Dog include “Spiders” and “Red, Ripe and Round”; you can find my complete list of 0ne-acts, published and unpublished here, with this explanation of why I don’t charge royalties for unpublished work.)
Here’s the synopsis of “Hamlet Goes Hollywood,” coming soon to a play catalog near you (and, I hope, some high school stages):
HAMLET GOES HOLLYWOOD
Shakespeare himself is on the set of a Hollywood production of “Hamlet” when the director decides a few modest script changes are in order. Shakespeare objects, the director decides to experiment with setting the show in different genres — police show, science fiction, western, and so forth. The costumes keep changing, as do some of the characters. Ophelia clamors for a role with a sword, Laertes wants a bigger part, and Shakespeare himself eventually tries a rap version. Cast: 20 — 8 males, 4 female, 8 non-gender. Running time: One hour.
Video: “Choose Your Companions Carefully” at the Liminal
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized, Video on February 14, 2014
A few years ago, I read a book about Antarctica, which inspired several pieces — a one-act called “Lionized,” and three short pieces called “Countdown to 2041” (when the treaty governing the continent is set to expire), “Fairweather at the Pole” and “Choose Your Companions Carefully.”
Most of those pieces (“Countdown to 2041″ is the exception”) deal with the same uncomfortable topic — explorers forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive.
On January 27, the Liminal gallery had one of its regular readings, with the theme “A Midwinter’s Night Dream.” I didn’t really have any odes to winter, but I did have “Choose Your Companions Carefully.” If Antarctic exploration isn’t winter, what is?
Mike Allen read the piece for me — putting on a full-fledged shivering act. Weeks later, I still have people who were there talking about it. As for the people who were there, you’ll notice an empty auditorium in the video. That’s because the audience was on the stage, and this video was shot from a side view.
Bon apetit.
Video: “Overheard” at the Liminal gallery
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Video on February 11, 2014
Since last summer, I’ve been collecting snatches of conversations that I overhear. On the street. At coffee shops. At the Waffle House.
Last week, I had a chance to make use of some of those. The theme at the regular reading at the Liminal alternative artspace in Roanoke was “found texts.” The idea was for readers to take things not meant as art and turn them into art. Some used old letters. I used 24 lines I had overheard in downtown Roanoke.
Borrowing a technique from the world of comedy improv, I cut them into 24 pieces of paper, put them in a box and then had two people — Ashley Meador and Katerina Yancey — pull out lines and create a dialogue with them.
Here’s the result.
