Neil Fleming is a multi-talented, award winning Calgary designer, playwright and television producer. In our hour and a half chat last Friday Neil and I talked about all kinds of things including playwriting, depression, Chuck Wendig, poltergeists and ADHD.
The Blog
Playwright Wendy Froberg: A Woman of a Certain Age
A Woman of A Certain Age is an entertaining and insightful play about six women who are trying to cope with the demands of family and career as they struggle with the physical and emotional challenges of growing older in a culture obsessed with youth and beauty. I sat down with Wendy to talk with her about her play and how she got into playwriting.
An Interview with Playwright Dale Lee Kwong: Ai Yah! Sweet and Sour Secrets
“It’s been my goal to have a play at Lunchbox Theatre since 1978. I was in grade twelve when the Stage One program first started, and I don’t even know how I ended up going to all the Stage One readings but I did, and I made a mental note to myself that someday I would like to have a play at Lunchbox.”
A Stephen King Christmas: On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft
You learn by doing but you also learn by reading the work of others and by reading books about the craft. And if you’re a writer then a good book to read because it’s fun and it has some great advice about the writing process is Stephen King’s On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft.
A Christmas Carol by James Hutchison premieres at the Carriage House Theatre
A Christmas Carol by James Hutchison at the Carriage House Theatre
An Interview With Playwright Maria Crooks: The Mary Mink Story
An interview with playwright Maria Crooks about her new play: The Mary Mink Story.
An Interview with Playwright Meredith Taylor-Parry: Book Club II
“I enjoy writing humour and I like the challenge. At the same time, if the story doesn’t have heart, if nothing serious is going on underneath the humour….what’s the point really? I want my plays to address some aspect of the human struggle that hopefully people can relate to. That’s what I want to see when I go to a play so naturally I aspire to that in my writing.”
Montparnasse with Kathy Zaborksy and Carolyn Ruether is Must See Theatre
We go to the theatre to experience something about the complexity, beauty, heartache, joy and tragedy of life. So when you see a play that delivers…that has a wonderful script, mesmerizing performances and takes you along for a ride, where you completely forget about the time, you have to tell others. You have to share the news. You have to let people know they need to go and see this show before it closes.
QUOTA Gets a London Production in the British Theatre Challenge
I wrote QUOTA while I was doing a little research for another play about the internment camps that the Canadian government ran during World War One and World War Two.* It’s always bothered me that we were fighting dictatorships that put people in camps while we were doing the same thing. Of course our camps weren’t concentration camps but once you have a different set of laws and rules applied to one group in your society – how do you keep it from going to the extreme?
6 Guitars by Chase Padgett is a Fun and Uplifting Tribute to Music
6 Guitars is a one man, six character, tribute to music, with plenty of laughs and lots of heart.
The one man standing on stage playing six characters and six different styles of music is Chase Padgett. Chase is a multi-talented musician, actor and story teller who switches effortlessly between this cast of diverse characters as they tell their stories and play their kind of music.
Everyone’s a Critic
When we read a book, watch a movie, go out for a meal we judge it. We either like it or we don’t. We all have opinions and we generally share those opinions with our friends and family. Word of mouth is still the best way to spread the news. Why? Because usually word of mouth means people are talking with people they know. They have a relationship and that means they’re better able to judge the recommendation and they know from experience whether or not what their friend likes will be something they like.
Twelve Thumbs Up – It’s a Wonderful Life at Lunchbox Theatre
The Lunchbox Theatre production of It’s a Wonderful Life features an outstanding cast, brilliant direction, a beautiful set and an amazing mix of sound – both recorded and created live – to bring the story of George Bailey and the town of Bedford Falls to life.
Recommended Reading – Olive Kitteridge, the Pulitzer Prize, and Doughnuts
Olive Kitteridge is a hard woman to love. But she’s one of the most interesting and complex characters you’re ever going to see or read.
Theatre: The Original Social Media – World Theatre Day
One of the ways we reflect on who we are as humans is through story and one of the ways we present story is on stage. And that’s why we still gather in groups to experience the comedy and tragedy of life. Theatre has a place in society. It always will. It will not die. We are social creatures and theatre is one of the original social medias.
An Interview with Playwright Meredith Taylor-Parry – Part Two: Book Club
“The pattern is clear, women are drinking more. And not just in my circles. I think it’s a phenomenon in stay at home moms. It’s a way to get through the witching hour. It’s a way to relieve the anxiety and the pressure of information overload that moms now have because we’re trying to make the right choices. But there are so many choices laid out for us, with so many different arguments for which one is the right one, that we’re walking around with this mind boggling anxiety all the time that we’re making the wrong ones.”
Interview Playwright Meredith Taylor-Parry – Part One: Survival Skills
“You want to write the kind of play where people are going to go home and talk about it, and think about it, and talk about themselves a little bit. You know, my God, if it got people to think about their own mortality a little bit, how could that be a bad thing? We all run around scared to talk about it, but we’re fascinated by it at the same time. The idea that we’re mortal. Just to have that discussion opened up wouldn’t hurt.”
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – Full Text of the Classic Poem. Print or download for free.
Who needs the Waltons? Thoughts about August: Osage County
So, last year around the holidays I decided to watch the movie August: Osage County. Maybe I’d had enough of It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street and was in need of something a little darker. After all you need to balance the sweet with the sour – don’t you?
Recommended Reading: The Holy Man by Susan Trott
If you’re in need of some inspiration or just a fun and delightful read check out The Holy Man by Susan Trott.
Creative Process – Playwrights – Actors – Directors
Even before launching my website, I’ve always enjoyed talking to playwrights, actors, and directors about their work and creative process.