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Monday, May 4, 2015

Cheep Cheep Blog 1 - Joseph Workman

Cheep, Cheep! is a play I wrote that takes place at a carny fair thing about a kid named Maxwell who hates his job and loves bicycles.  The first draft was started in the early hours of the morning it was due, and completed about a half hour before the deadline. I had spent the night trying to write something serious and dramatic, which is hard to do when one is not in a serious mood. (I get a little loopy without sleep.  Go figure.)  After two failed attempts at ideas I'd brainstormed, I decided to just enjoy myself.  I watched some Cyanide & Happiness animations on YouTube, specifically their "Sad Larry" sketches, and the idea for Maxwell was born.  I'm not really sure where everything else came from, but I am pretty good at entertaining myself...

Since that first draft, the play was completed over the course of several procrastination sessions, each more frantic than the last.  In hindsight, I'd like to think there was something spiritually ritualistic about how the final draft was also completed in the half hour before it was due, instead of me just being afraid, having crappy habits, and sucking at time management.  Indeed, it must have been my intent all along.  New characters materialized while others were wiped from existence, personalities altered, and identities/genders merged.  It was all a bit confusing, and rather painful, but the script is more or less set and I can relax.  Somewhat.

I've fallen behind a bit with this blog, due to pneumonia and wisdom teeth surgery, as well as good ol' negligence.  But everything's going to be okay.  I'll make it up to you, dear reader, by sharing my clever insights and behind-the-scenes looks at the process of transitioning script to stage.  Alex Ries is my partner in this endeavor, and he's a pretty cool guy.  Honest.  Check out his blog.  I'm excited to be working with him.

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