Rando Calrissian #31

A long time ago, on stages far, far away

In my other life, I write plays. So, if you’ll indulge me, I’m going to let you, friends, know about two things I have coming up. And hey, if you’re like “unsubscribe if this dude is going to use my precious inbox space to promote his plays, please kill me,” hold that thought! I promise to bring it back around to Star Wars at the end! And that I will not do this all the time!

I’m co-writer and director of Steve Burns Alive. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember Steve Burns as “Steve” from the children’s television show Blue’s Clues. (The show art is by Lara Antal.)

We’re developing this piece as a way to explore what it feels like to be an urban legend; how rumors of his death and addiction, which were so persistent in the early days of the internet, affected him; and what that might say about the nature of the connections we make through screens. Steve’s an exceptional storyteller (he’s done “The Moth” quite a few times) and he’s a great friend. It’s been a joy to work on and we’re excited to see how it sounds in this first experiment/iteration.

The show’s happening next week in Beacon, New York at Howland Cultural Center. Yes, there are tickets you can get here.

I’ve also got a play of mine coming up in September in downtown Manhattan. This play, called The Ask, has the following tagline:

What does it cost to get what we need? With comedic precision, THE ASK dissects a tense visit between a struggling young fundraiser and an affluent liberal donor, as they navigate the treacherous power dynamics at the heart of charitable giving.   

I work as an ACLU fundraiser, so this play draws heavily on my experience doing that kind of work. It explores the complicated generational divide I see playing out on the left. I know “charitable giving” doesn’t make people think “well this will be hilarious!” but I promise, it’s going to leave audiences with a lot to talk about.

If you want to see the play itself, we have early-bird tickets on sale for just $35. That price will last for maybe another week or so, until we officially announce our (very exciting!) casting, but if you were coming to NYC, and you like what I do, let me know you’re coming and we can give each other a May The Force Be With You in the East Village.

It also costs a lot to produce a play like this. I’m still fundraising to get this thing over the finish line. So if you have a Euro or a Peso or a Dollar or a Yen to toss into my coffers, I would be eternally grateful. No gift will go unspent to bring this thing to life.

You can support the play here, through my fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas.

If you’d like to know more about all my various things, my company is called Theater Accident and it does, indeed, have a website.

See! I told you I’d bring it back around to Star Wars in the end.

None other than Leslye Headland, showrunner for The Acolyte, and massive Star Wars nerd, has a play coming to Broadway. Here’s the description:

It’s the holiday season for the Dahl family! The four adult children return to their childhood home with partners in tow. The Dahl traditions include singing carols in harmony at the drop of a hat, but the gathering is anything but harmonious. Old conflicts resurface, new issues battled, and dinner is taking absolutely forever to be served. Will the love the Dahls have for each other be enough to get them through, or will this be their last Christmas together? 

Emmy® Award nominee Leslye Headland (Bachelorette, “Star Wars: The Acolyte,”) has written an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking new play about the things that bind families together... or tear them apart.  

Sounds like my cup of tea. I love a family having a difficult time at Christmas moment! And let’s not forget that co-writer for last week’s steamy and compelling episode of The Acolyte, Jocelyn Bioh, has had her own success on the New York Stage. Playwrights abound in the Star Wars galaxy.

Maybe one of the reasons I respond to The Acolyte so well is because structure-first, clear and clean writing is the show’s prime-mover.

Anyway, that’s the stage! Across the stars, a new episode of The Acolyte is tonight! I’m anxious to find out what terrible secret Sol’s been trying to contain all this time. See you back here tomorrow with my response!