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Friday, June 24, 2016

Horror Stories About Prop People.

I'm not referring to the prop people who are working on the play I'm currently rehearsing.
They are beyond reproach.
But I have dealt with some lulus in my time.
When I directed my first play, I requested that the prop man create a travel bag that had a soccer ball as it's logo. 
It is a major plot point.
It indicates how far its owner has fallen.
He used to be a major league baseball broadcaster.
Now he is reduced to being a soccer broadcaster.
He has expressed fears that this would be his fate.
Worse, it's indoor soccer---the low end.
So the prop man comes back with a bag that has a pattern like the stars-and-bars of the Confederate Flag.
And there are little soccer balls placed where the stars would be.
Now what's wrong with this picture?
This is supposed to be a sight gag.
The character doesn't even refer to it.
Theoretically, it should get a big laugh.
So what's the problem, class?
That's right.
Even in the first row, you can't see that they are soccer balls.
I actually had to say to the prop man "No, it has to be one big soccer ball.  The audience has to be able to see from the back of the house that it is in fact, a soccer ball.
You see, all he had to do was read the script.
He hadn't.
To call him a moron would be flattering.
He came back with a soccer bag that had one big soccer ball.
And the gag always got a big laugh.
It merely required thought.
As we continue, I will provide several more examples of idiot prop people.

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.
The phone number for tickets for my play, "Who Wants Fame?" beginning July 30th in Detroit, is 248-579-3365.  If you're in the area, you'll have a great time.
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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."