September 2024
Flipping The Script - Issue 4
HELLO, FRIENDS OF FTSP!
I hope this message finds you well and in good spirits! I’m thrilled to bring you another exciting update on the journey of Flipping the Script Productions. Our ongoing project, Someone Close To You, has truly been a labor of love, and I can’t wait to share more about it with you.
In a recent interview with JMGC, I discussed what makes this show so unique and powerful. I was able to share the challenges that I anticipate in this process, and how I plan to address them.
The more I work on this production, the more I believe in its potential to resonate with audiences far and wide.
I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this project. The rest of the interview can be found in last month’s August Newsletter.
Warm regards,
Stephen Rourke
In a perfect world… This play will become a fixture in both American culture and around the world.
I think that there are a lot of bad reasons for thinking that a particular play, in the parlance of commercial theatre, can be a hit. It's been done before. It's written by so-and-so. It's going to star so-and-so. It's going to be directed by so-and-so. It's even going to have so-and-so fix it out of town. It's going to be in the X Theatre, and shows there are always successful. And absolutely none of this matters.
If your goal in the theatre is commercial success first and foremost, the truth is that there's no better guide than whether you think a particular story needs to be told.
And if you do believe that about a particular theatre work, you've got a much better chance of success than you do if you follow some tired and not-very-reliable formula. And, when you've spent the better part of 60 years seeing and appearing in shows, as I have, there's a lot of value in trusting one's instincts. There's a good reason to believe that a lot of people will share those instincts; and embrace the same work that you do.
I genuinely believe, logically and passionately, that Someone Close To You is a play that can and will be a hit.
Not just because of the reactions to the readings, although that certainly doesn't hurt. It has so much going for it. Its focus is on family dilemmas, which has been the focus of so much great American comedy as well as drama. It has a rare mix of comedy and drama, one that deepens our understanding of the characters while advancing the plot. Perhaps best of all, it has plenty of conflict.
These scenes were filmed in LA by James Goins, the director of the Theatre West readings (different actors).
Click to watch scenes from Someone Close To You.
I remember Yul Brynner once said that the success of "The King and I" was due to its use of different points of conflict: East versus West, man versus woman, king versus commoner. I don't know what Mr. Brynner would have thought about this play…
But I can tell you it has plenty of points of conflict: man versus woman, age versus youth, Wall Street versus the commune life, mother versus son, husband versus wife, in-law versus in-law, East Coast versus West Coast. On top of that, its storyline touches on a lot of hot-button issues: immigration, the environment, and troubled pregnancies. If ever there was a play that has something for everyone, this is it.
It's always a challenge to do any kind of serious work, even if it's done with a light touch. Historically speaking, on Broadway, non-musical plays for the most part have shorter runs, particularly if they are not comedies. And amazingly, given the history of the movement from which they emerged, even major non-profit and regional theaters have become not only presenters of commercial work but originators as well.
So getting Someone Close To You to a Broadway stage will not be an easy challenge. This is why we're planning the road ahead as (pardon the pun) a series of stages. First, a workshop production and then, if all goes well, an Off-Broadway production. After that? We'll see.
One reason I think of this play as being potentially very attractive to investors is that it's simple and relatively less expensive to produce, and that also means that it's easy to imagine it having a long cultural life. Not just in theatre, but also as a film, a TV drama, in stock, in community theater. And too, its issues are universal enough that I could very easily imagine it having a long life in many overseas locations.
One of the reasons I founded Flipping The Script Productions was to offer work with cross-cultural appeal and cross-cultural opportunities for artists and audiences from all backgrounds.
… I can't imagine a better play to start with than this
I hope this interview gives you a glimpse into why Someone Close to You is so close to my heart and the care we’ve put into making it a story that resonates with everyone. Flipping the Script Productions truly embodies my passion, and I’m deeply grateful for your continued support.
Thanks for being with us on this journey!
- Stephen
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
www.flippingthescriptshows.com
CONTACT MR. ROURKE’S PRESS REPRESENTATIVE
Jay Michaels Global Communications, LLC
jay.michaels.theatricals@gmail.com
jaymichaelsarts.com
