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Everything Happened Last Night

10 Monday Jun 2013

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I’m not kidding. Everything happened last night (June 9th), if you’re a writer named Courtney Meaker, which, hey I am.

BUCKSHOT workshop reading at Seattle Creative Art Space

First and foremost my play BUCKSHOT had its second public reading. The reading was directed by Peggy Gannon and featured an amazing cast: Katie Driscoll, Allison Strickland, Pilar O’Connell, Sarah Rose Nottingham, Carter Rodriguez, Daniel Wood, and Santino Garcia. The public reading was the necessary next step in the workshop process. The feedback I received was not only incredibly helpful, but picked out things that I hadn’t realized were in the play, which is always exciting. Working with Peggy Gannon and this cast also provided a very teasing glimmer of what the full production might look like. In short, I think the production will be fantastic, but I’m biased. Back to rewriting and nailing down a space for the fall!

BUCKSHOT will be produced by Macha Monkey this fall. 

Chaos Theory a play seeking order announced as part of Annex Theatre‘s 2014 season

Because I was at the reading for BUCKSHOT, I was not able to attend Annex Theatre’s season announcement party (which was zoo burlesque themed, because they are awesome folks). I pitched my play Chaos Theory, a play seeking order to them for next season back in May. Pamala Mijatov, Artistic Director of Annex, will be directing. To describe the dancing that occurred after I heard this news would teeter between 80s dance and strip club, so let’s just say that I’m really excited to work with Pamala, and that I need to take a dance class to learn some new moves.

The official announcement will come out this fall, but after the season preview party, we were allowed to tell folks publicly.

Chaos Theory will be produced at Annex Theatre in April of 2014. 

WRECKED Season Two, Episode Five “Kitchen Sink”

And lastly, the episode that I wrote for WRECKED Season Two premiered at midnight last night. “Kitchen Sink” has been titled many different things since I wrote it in December. The first name I gave the episode was “Sexy Fun Times” because the episode is about the sexy night of our heroes. On set, shorthand for the episode was “Sexisode.” But then Liz Ellis, the creator of WRECKED, asked me a few weeks ago what I wanted to call the episode now. “Kitchen Sink” is a reference to a cut line. I had written Maggie or Ted saying something sad about how kitchen sink sex probably wasn’t the answer to their issue. It was the final nail in the coffin – realizing that they probably aren’t right for each other any more. The episode is hysterical and sad, if I do say so myself, and can be watched as a standalone.

New projects: Slip and WRECKED

07 Friday Dec 2012

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I’ve been asked to write a few episodes of the next season of WRECKED, a Seattle-based webseries created by Honey Toad Studios. Their first season is available to watch here. The series is a sex-positive romp through mid-twenty existence in Seattle and is highly entertaining for its frank conversations about sex and generous application of lube. I’m honored they’ve asked me to write. I’ll be locking myself away with the director and creator, Liz Ellis, this weekend to discuss arc and story. Production begins in late February (I believe) and features many talented Seattle faces including Ricky Coates and Jessica Martin. Check it out. And then check out season two when you can see my name splash across the screen.

Secondly, my play “Slip” (working title) has been chosen as the workshop production of Macha Monkey Productions next season. Over the next year I’ll have public readings, and workshops, leading up to its premiere in either the Fall of 2013 or the early Winter of 2014. Here’s a brief excerpt:

ALANA
Shouldn’t you be taller?

UNCLE HAL
Should I? How’s that?

ALANA
And balding?

UNCLE HAL
God, I hope not. Better?

ALANA
With a beer belly.

UNCLE HAL
Yes, this is incredibly attractive.

ALANA
Sorry. No beer belly.

UNCLE HAL
Can I have some of my hair back?

ALANA
Yes. A little.

UNCLE HAL
How’s that?

ALANA
Better. You look like someone Aunt Lucille would have loved.

UNCLE HAL
And you? You loved me very much.

ALANA
Yes. You look like my favorite uncle.

UNCLE HAL
Your only

ALANA
But favorite.

UNCLE HAL
Now what do I do?

ALANA
I don’t know.

UNCLE HAL
Should I

ALANA
I’m not sure what to do with you.

UNCLE HAL
Oh. I see.

ALANA
Go sit over there. I’ll figure it out later.

UNCLE HAL
Gonna try to find where I fit.

ALANA
Exactly. Now go over there and stop bothering me.

UNCLE HAL
So bossy in your old age.

ALANA
I’m not bossy.

UNCLE HAL
When you were little, well, now look at you. You’re a Viking.

ALANA
Amazon.

UNCLE HAL
No. I think Viking. You’re a conqueror.

The first public reading will likely be some time in January or February, and I couldn’t be happier that Macha Monkey presented this opportunity to me.

Free & Cheap this Month in Theatre

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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First post is up at The SunBreak. Here’s a little excerpt. 

April looks like a good month for Free and Cheap theatre. There’s a mix of things–readings, dogs, Judas, superheroes, Chay Yew, and women. Lots of women. Here’s a culled list of Pay What You Can, $12 and under, or free performances and readings happening in April.

Read the rest behind the jump.

Apocalypse Soon opens tomorrow at Ghost Light Theatricals

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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Tomorrow night by show, Apocalypse Soon opens at Ghost Light Theatricals as part of Battle of the Bards. In short, the show is about the end of the world. Here’s the full blurb:

Religious figures throughout a variety of texts and oral traditions come together for a three day reunion to plan the apocalypse and decide who’s saved. Surfacing issues like hope, salvation, choice, whiskey, and acoustic music the characters try to resolve their angst before destroying the world.

Featuring Eve, The Serpent, Lucifer, Jesus, Pele, Mother, Anansi, Buddha, and Orpheus and clocking in at around 25 minutes, there’s a whole lot of awesome crammed into a tiny play.

Here’s a wee excerpt from the text:

EVE
Do you remember the beginning?
THE SERPENT
Yes.
EVE
You’re sitting in the tree. And you say-
THE SERPENT
“I’d tap that fruit.”

Apocalypse Soon is a part of Ghost Light Theatricals Battle of the Bards VI and will  perform alongside new works Mack the Knife and Paper Bullets, which are adaptations of Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing, respectively. Battle of the Bards is a fundraiser for Ghost Light Theatricals which is how they finance a lot of their budget for the next season. The audience (or, anyone really) will vote for the show of their choice with their money ($1 per vote) and the winner will be able to put on a full-length production of that work in the next season.

If you’re interested in seeing it, there will be a few tickets available at the door if you get there when the box office opens around 6:30.

If you can’t make it though, you can vote for the show of your choice here. Support local theatre in Seattle, and hell, support me! Apocalypse Soon is a ridiculous romp through the minds of religious characters trying to figure out who deserves salvation.

And if you’re truly desperate for news about who’s winning, Ghost Light’s Managing Director will be blogging the whole thing.

Etymology Naked Girls Reading finalist

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

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I received an email today announcing my short story Etymology is a finalist for the Naked Girls Reading writing contest. Describing my joy at this announcement would fall short, so I’ll be brief: There has been dancing, singing, and later this evening there will be beer.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

When she is submerged in words, late into the evening, I walk to the desk, rub her shoulders, whisper an invitation to bed, and say even early man took a break from hunting to mate.  She tries to explain the limited linguistics of early man that led to the naming of mountains and gods as I kiss her ears, unbutton our shirts, massage her wrists away from books.  She says that language led to everything we name now, to our apartment, our mismatched breasts, our pillows, our bed.  The headboard in our neighbor’s apartment we try to overpower.

 

The reading will happen in Chicago on November 18th after naked girls read each submission. So, in my mind, if a naked woman reads my work aloud, I’m already winning. Now I just need to scrounge up the money to buy a plane ticket.