The Rewrite King Strikes Again!

Last year, one of the graduate actors told me that I was the Rewrite King because I could slash and reorganize a play without thinking twice. I could make the second act the first act and not bat an eye. Hack and slash. And now, well, I've gotten over my post-workshop depression of "Holy Schmidt!" It usually only takes me a week to get over it and I start a new draft the Monday after my reading is finished. For some reason, this took longer. Three weeks. Wow. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been thinking about "Schmidt" and all the changes I want to make, some are really out there, some are necessary in terms of rounding out the characters, and some are just for fun. A giant inspiration hit me yesterday while searchin on iTunes of all things. iTunes, my wonderful muse. While looking up classical music, I ran across the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." I can't believe I didn't think of it before! Jeez! It's everything that "Schmidt" is about, the glory of God starting a war, the Lord is coming to strike down evil. Now, I have ideas that are exciting me once again and I feel that the play is going in a completely different direction in terms of what I'm angry at and who the antagonists are. For example, I laid it on pretty hard on the Pope. I actually have a lot of respect for the Pope and his work, so I've given things a lot of thought. If I handle the Pope slightly more realistically, (not much), and really make him a center of reason for the play, then it gives the American Evangelist a chance to shine in his villainy and warped sense of Christ's teachings. i'm upping the ante, all bets are off, all the cards are on the table, and I'm going to double up.

So, in looking at "Schmidt," I had to break it down into all of its tiny parts. Where there used to be about 5 "scenes" in the play, I had to chop it into characters' entrances and exits, main plot points, and main events. Now, the play is thoroughly divided so that I can take each moment, bit by bit, and craft each scene the way I want it. It gives me the opportunity to move things around more freely. Yes, the revisions are on their way. I'm scared. I have all these ideas, but I see how much of the play needs to change in order to achieve the moments I would like to portray. As much as I enjoy cutting and making changes, there is a bit of fear in me about changing so much of a play: What if I accidently excise the core of the play? It has happened once or twice already to other plays. In my excitement for new ideas, I make some cuts only to realize that the play isn't about what I wanted it to be about anymore and has lost the focus. I always save previous versions of all my plays, daily versions actually, just in case I do cut something that should stay in the play. So many files! But, anyway, here's to "Schmidt" and revisions! May the rewrites be kind and revitalizing.