The Play's the Thing

So, I finally finished this project. Here's some PR:

The commissioned stage adaptation of Jim Provenzano's acclaimed debut novel, PINS, is available in paperback.

Reviews excerpts for the stage adaptation of PINS:

“Realistic and engaging.”
– SF Weekly

“Perceptive and honest.”
– SF Bay Guardian

“A fast-paced and imaginative production.” – Bay Area Reporter

“Provenzano shows great skill with naturalistic dialogue and a healthy dose of wry humor.”
– San Francisco Examiner

“Provenzano’s script wrestles with his themes thoughtfully and to entertaining effect. The center of the play, though, is a gay coming-of-age story compounded by the homophobia that seems rampant in so many sports, especially those with obvious homoerotic overtones.”  – San Francisco Chronicle

scene from the 2002 premiere production of PINS

“Scenes flow into one another with graceful fluidity, and the wrestling action – choreographed by playwright Provenzano – is visceral and smacks of authenticity.” – Oakland Tribune 

“A fine example of the virtues of compelling drama: spare, incisive writing ... Impressively written, this almost minimalist drama skillfully builds an empathic tension.”  – San Francisco Bay Times

PINS the Stage Adaptation
$12.00. Paperback: 136 pages 

ISBN-10: 1480083569 

ISBN-13: 978-1480083561 

Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches

Buy it on Amazon.com

You might be thinking, why? Why publish the script of a play that was only produced twice? Why does a dog lick his own butt?
Because he can.

scene from the 2002 premiere production of PINS

Seriously, since the 2002 premiere at New Conservatory Theatre Center, I've had several theater companies inquire about producing the stage adaptation of PINS. So why not let people read it on their own, without having to ship off and print a script?

Sure, I could have submitted it to, say, Dramatists Play Service, then waited three to six months to see if they might deign to publish it, only to get another middleman between royalties. And it would have had most probably a boring bland cover, and other restrictions, but be known by a wider audience.

scene from the 2002 premiere of PINS

But the turning point for just cranking it out and getting it done was simply via an email from a Canadian theatre director who wanted to do a staged reading of the play. It's basically impossible to fully produce, what with ten to eleven male actors and one woman needed to play 30 or so roles. 

It's mostly staged with sound and lighting cues, so a technically inefficient company is just not right for it. If only other companies could enjoy the precision of the premiere version's lighting director, Jon Retsky, plus the other cast and crew that made the original production so good, I'd be more comfortable with letting go of the production rights.

But for now, instead of all that hassle, just read it. Buy a few copies. Do a staged reading as a benefit for anti-bullying causes. I won't ask for royalties for such an event, of course. Fully staged productions are not going to happen much, I predict. But if you want to give it a try, let's talk first.

In the meantime, I'm happy to have accomplished this, with the help of some good friends. There are still a few typos, but hey. It's done. I need to move on to other writing projects.