Weekend Catch-Up... plus, HOW HEFNERIAN, reviewed by DCist!

[thehefner]

Hey. How y'all been?

Me, I'm still recovering from the weekend. Besides the first three performances of THE HEFNER MONOLOGUES: HOW HEFNERIAN, I also cameo'd as Elvis (long story) for CORIOLANUS, and saw two shows: HOLD ME, DRILL ME, KISS ME, a solo show about love and dentistry, and BARGAIN BASEMENT GAME SHOW, which was tons of fun, and I didn't suck as much as I thought I would!

Saturday was particularly busy but particularly eventful, and I actually had a hard time deciding which was the highlight between:

A.) Pimping my show to Matthew fucking Lesko*.

B.) Having just four seats short of a sold-out house for HOW HEFNERIAN.

C.) Catching a TV trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT that ended with the first-ever (as far as I've seen) shot of the coin. Most of you cannot honestly imagine the sounds I produced for the next ten seconds.

... can I go back to writing my Harvey Dent novel now? Please oh please oh please?

Anyway, it's been a hell of a weekend. I'm still recovering, and this weather ain't helping.



Oh, by the way:

EGADS. The DCist reviews THE HEFNER MONOLOGUES: HOW HEFNERIAN.

Wow. Now that is what I call a good review. Not just because it's positive, but because it's thoughtful, analytical, and even critical, giving me much to consider as I revise this show over the coming months. And believe me, revision is gonna be key; I need to shave fifteen minutes off, for one thing, if I wanna take it to places like Orlando Fringe, festivals that wince at anything above 60 minutes.

But back to the review, it's also wonderful in the sense that... damn, he really paid attention to what I said and did! Lots of details, right down to the stuff that I thought for sure was gonna fly over everybody's heads so I'd need to plow ahead and get to the "interesting" stuff! Maybe that's my doing as a storyteller, or maybe it's his attention span, but either way, it's amazing. He gets it. And more importantly, he gets what I'm going for, and his thoughts about what works and what doesn't carries far, far more weight with me than your average theatre reviewer.

I'm gonna need to send him a card pronto. Not just to thank him, but also inform him that, 1.) I have been to the Playboy Mansion, but that's a whole story/show unto itself, and 2.) yes, the "Homer Simpsons-esque fey hand-spasms and tip-toe dances that express delight and anticipation," are indeed deliberate. Um... well, exaggerated, anyway. A bit. *cough*

While the Orlando experience has made me very critic-phobic, I am very, very glad to have read this. Second time I've been called "promising" as well. It's a good thing I'm young, as I very much do hope to make good on those promises one of these days.



*For an intensely happy-making experience, check out the DANGERDOOM!!! commercials. Especially the 15 and 60 second ones.

Comments

[tonks07.livejournal.com]

I think the shot of the coin was from a while ago.I remember seeing a screen cap of Dent just holding it up from a tv spot maybe.
4 days left!! You have your ticket yet? I'm getting my midnight show ticket tomorrow.

And what kind of novel are you writing about Dent?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I made a similar sound when I saw that photo of Harvey holding the coin, but this was a clip of the coin spinning on a tabletop. A teeny, inconsequential thing for 99.999999999% of humanity. Utter geek freakout for me.

I absolutely do! Not seeing the midnight show on Thursday because I have to pick up a friend at the airport for utter awesomeness on Friday (beyond just the movie itself, as you'll find out).

The novel is my take on the character and his origin, taking place around in the first three years of Batman's career. It's a character-based first-person narrative, focusing especially on his relationships with Gilda and his father, all done in a manner that slowly, deliberately, tears down his mental state in a manner that's not just plausible, but tragically resonant.

My aforementioned friend and I were sick of seeing the character mishandled and underwritten, as well as seeing great aspects be ignored without getting fleshed out, and for the past two years--between actual work--I've been working on this book. I'm now on my second draft, and I'm super-proud of how it is and where it's going.

Heh, are you familiar with Don Rosa and what he did with THE LIFE AND TIMES OF $CROOGE MCDUCK? That's pretty much what I'm doing here.

The goal is to get DC to publish it, but as chances are super-slim, I'll happily publish it online as a mixture of prose, illustration, and comic. But before that, I'm planning to revise it for at least another year, as long as it takes before I'm finally satisfied. The progress has been great so far (and with my trusty stable of editors, I am proud to report that wank has been kept to a minimum!)

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

Yay Hef! I read it this afternoon and was so happy for you :)

Psst ... if you come to one of our shows, I'll introduce you to him afterwards.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I think I know him, actually! I think we did Kate Debelack's class together. Cool guy, but as with pretty much everyone else there, I never had much extended contact outside of class. I remember seeing him at your show last year as well. I just had no idea he was a reviewer, and such a good one, too!

I was planning on coming anyway, of course, but now I have added incentive! I think I'm currently planning for one of the last ones, as per my packed schedule.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

"Hefner has some of the physicality of one Homer Simpson..."

If you like, I can arrange for him to be visited alone on the street by Maggie. Perhaps she could be holding a deliciously tempting piece of candy (in *one* hand).

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ooh, piece of candy!

Crap, wrong animated family show! (I'm ashamed of myself for this one)

Honestly, I never thought to compare myself with Homer's physicality. But it's pretty dead-on.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, I never thought to compare myself with Homer's physicality. But it's pretty dead-on."

That's a disturbing reply/icon combo. Or is this a whole new side of our Hef?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Hm, considering it was you, I had thought it perfect, but alas, my judgment was off. Perhaps this is more apt.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

You'd kiss Flanders just for me?

I... I had no idea we'd reached this stage. And you haven't even met my goldfish!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Kiss Flanders, let you poke me in the eye, even desecrate the final resting place of a beloved poet. All for youuuuuu.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. But I'd vote for Yeats. Ireland's nice this time of year. Plus after Maud Gonne it's not like he could pretend to be all shocked, shocked I say, that someone would do something for a chick.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

By the way, I found something you may find truly scary.

And, yes, when you click you'll know why.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

The link does not work. In that, there is no link. But if it's really scary in the actual scary sense rather than the "Jim Cramer sex video" kind of scary, I may not want to look. If this is one of those "boo!" scare things, I will NOT be amused.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

Grr. Argh. I'm but a humble suburban-Cleveland cavewoman. I don't understand your modern HTML tag ways.

Il est ici.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh lordy, girl. :)

Aye, I've seen it. It's been making the rounds. One of my browncoat ladyfriends was so excited, she simply had to foist it upon me, knowing how I feel, just because she needed to geek out with SOMEone. Heh heh heh.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

Nah, that was just a tall tale she was feedin' ya. Truth is there's an office pool on your conversion. It's a hot topic at all the meetings.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I actually just referenced that icon in conversation with a ladyfriend of mine, who's about to teach a seminar on sexy stuff. The combination sent me in a fit of giggles.

I'd really have to wonder what it would take for Joss to win me over. I'll think about it and let you know. I know what I'd want him not to do, but I hate that kind of direction. Not very constructive feedback.

[chickenhat.livejournal.com]

DUDE!!!

He compared you to Henry-fuckin'-ROLLINS!!!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I *KNOW*, RIGHT?!?!

[katenesswac.livejournal.com]

I was just about to say the same thing! That is AWESOME. Now when I go see Henry Rollins do his spoken word gig at the Edinburgh Fringe (hooray! I got tickets!) all I'll be able to think about is John Hefner. Look at you go.

I'm really sorry I'm having to miss all your performances. Damn. What a nice review.

[disc-sophist.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie. That's just excellent. That's a review that, while I'm sure it will be followed by many others, is one to cherish and remember.

Miss you, m'dear. I'll be there the 24th! <3

[charisma18.livejournal.com]

Congratulations, man. :) Glad to hear the project's going so well.

[tompurdue.livejournal.com]

That may be the best review I've ever read. Not just because it's positive, but because it's clear that they were paying fucking attention, and knew enough about something to have some context to put it in. And it's got some fantastic pull quotes for the next round.

[reazik.livejournal.com]

That is an AMAZING review! Congrats!!

[spacechild.livejournal.com]

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd post a response to the article saying that I am your best friend and the fey hand-spasms and tip-toe dances that express delight and anticipation are only partially deliberate. ;)