94 Scripts Later..

The Last Play Standing 1
85% of 100 Yawn 1.4* Safety Date, Tim Burns (Chicago)
76% of 100 Yawn 2.2 Onto Infinity, David Alex (Chicago)

The Last Play Standing 2
90% of 100 Yawn 1.2 Low Down Lies, Jeff Kramer (Syracuse, N.Y.)
87% of 100 Yawn 1.9 Boys of Winter, Dean B. Kaner, Eric Small and Jeffrey Vlaming (CA., MA.,TX.)

The Last Play Standing 3
60% of 100 Yawn 3.5 Happy Talk, Annette Lee, (California)
38% of 100 Yawn 4.6 The Trouble With Dopplegangers, William Campbell (Chicago)

Yawn
1 = Wide Awake
7 = Fast Asleep

Directors Notes: The Last Play Standing 2008 (LPS3)

The Last Play Standing 2008 is .... Happy Talk by Annette Lee!

The competition was fantastic. The audience talk backs extremely fascinating and in the end Happy Talk prevailed.

About the scoring, I am sure your looking and going huh? The metric measurement takes into account all audience members if one script has larger houses for the performances both audiences must score similarly to ensure victory.

Thank you Chicago for embracing the Last Play Standing. We had several sold out houses because of your patronage.

Redtwist Theatre a thousand thank yous!
(SEE TRUE WEST! SEE GLEN GARY! AT REDTWIST!)
a true ICON of what theatrical collaboration in this town is all about.

a.c.t. Company your faith in this work is special beyond words.

To the fans of the Last Play Standing as long as Playwrights continue to write new plays we will continue to provide fish to be tossed!

2008 Last Play Standing 3 The Trouble With Dopplegangers by William Campbell

Q #	Questions	Action	Goal = 7.0	% of 100
1	The Plot is	Developed	4.39	63.00%
2	" " "	Orig./Vibe /Riveting	5.43	78.00%
3	Major plot lines are	Clear	4.3	61.00%
4	The subplots	Clear	4	57.00%
5	Plots & Subsplots	Resolved	3.78	54.00%
6	The play is	Enjoyable	4.74	68.00%
7	The Dialogue	Works	4.74	68.00%
8	" "	Orig./Vibe /Riveting	4.91	70.00%
9	" "	Memorable	3.39	48.00%
10	Rentable	Repeatable	3.96	57.00%
11	Characters	Believable	4.74	68.00%
12	"	Orginal	5.13	73.00%
13	"	Developed	4.26	61.00%
14	"	Strengths & Weakness	4.22	60.00%
	Totals		2.7	63%
Q #	Questions	Action	Goal = 1.0
15	I was bored with this play	Yawn!	4.61

WINNER! 2008 The Last Play Standing 3 Happy Talk

Q #	Questions	Action	Goal = 7.0	% of 100
1	The Plot is	Developed	4.50	64.0%
2	The Plot is	Orig./Vibe /Rivet	4.29	61.0%
3	Major plot lines are	Clear	5.00	71.0%
4	The subplots	Clear	4.36	62.0%
5	Plots & Subsplots	Resolved	4.07	58.0%
6	The play is	Enjoyable	4.64	66.0%
7	The Dialogue	Works	4.07	58.0%
8	"	Orig./Vibe /Rivet	4.14	59.0%
9	"	Memorable	4.57	65.0%
10	Rentable	Repeatable	3.36	48.0%
11	Characters	Believable	4.64	66.0%
12	"	Orginal	4.21	60.0%
13	"	Developed	3.64	52.0%
14	"	Clear Strengths & Weakness	4.36	62.0%
	Totals		4.28	61%
Q #	Questions	Action	Goal = 1.0
15	I was bored with this play	Yawn!	3.50

Round 3 - Play-Offs!

Happy Talk
Dopplegangers

Last Play Standing Results 2008

Title		NAMASTE		Campaign Strategy		Doppel Gangers		Happy Talk
Perf. Date		4/19		4/25		4/17		5/3
Score		33.4		31.9		31.5		30.8
ORIGINAL		77%		68%		87%		82%
TRUTHFUL		82%		80%		71%		75%
DIALOGUE		83%		83%		69%		77%
CONTENT		84%		79%		73%		78%
RIVETING		73%		71%		72%		71%
READ IT?		78%		75%		77%		78%
Title		Gerard The Giant		Desert Rain		For Some Reason		Equilibrium
Perf. Date		4/19		4/25		5/2		5/4
Score		30.3		28.8		27.8		26.8
ORIGINAL		86%		81%		71%		68%
TRUTHFUL		66%		68%		65%		63%
DIALOGUE		75%		70%		73%		68%
CONTENT		74%		70%		68%		69%
RIVETING		62%		57%		56%		55%
READ IT?		69%		66%		65%		61%
Title		The Next Man Up		Eastland		Duplex		Jews In a Basement
Perf. Date		5/3		4/18		5/3		4/18
Score		26.7		26.5		26.2		25.1
ORIGINAL		71%		67%		65%		63%
TRUTHFUL		65%		70%		65%		60%
DIALOGUE		73%		63%		67%		68%
CONTENT		68%		64%		67%		56%
RIVETING		56%		58%		51%		54%
READ IT?		65%		57%		59%		58%
Title		Bender		Murder With Grace		Since Wednesday		(Gable) Frankly My Dear
Perf. Date		4/19		5/2		4/18		4/26
Score		24.8		24.1		24		23.8
ORIGINAL		68%		58%		54%		64%
TRUTHFUL		61%		52%		58%		56%
DIALOGUE		64%		49%		56%		63%
CONTENT		60%		55%		62%		57%
RIVETING		55%		49%		58%		49%
READ IT?		48%		52%		55%		51%
Title		Candy Cane Job		Oaken Rush Scott		Lonely In Love		Under the Refridge
Perf. Date		4/18		4/17		4/26		4/26
Score		23.5		23.1		22.3		22
ORIGINAL		67%		55%		60%		55%
TRUTHFUL		56%		61%		55%		65%
DIALOGUE		58%		57%		49%		51%
CONTENT		52%		59%		52%		52%
RIVETING		51%		47%		50%		42%
READ IT?		51%		51%		53%		48%
Title		American Standard		Barclays Arena		The Impeach-ment trial of George Bush		Generation z
Perf. Date		4/17		5/3		4/26		5/3
Score		20.9		17.8		15.2		14.7
ORIGINAL		44%		45%		49%		45%
TRUTHFUL		53%		45%		61%		45%
DIALOGUE		50%		45%		27%		45%
CONTENT		47%		42%		34%		42%
RIVETING		36%		39%		31%		39%
READ IT?		38%		39%		33%		39%
Title		Cold Dark Hard Love
Perf. Date		4/18
Score		13.5
ORIGINAL		38%
TRUTHFUL		35%
DIALOGUE		31%
CONTENT		30%
RIVETING		30%
READ IT?		29%

The Last Play Standing - Round 1 Recap

Round 1 is in the can!
This is the third time we have produced the LPS and its just a kick when fantastic amazing theater is created in seconds! "Reality Theater rocks!" Just an quick over-view on the highlights. We sold out on the last nite standing room only it was nuts! Alot of energy and anticipation. We have people flying in from out of state even!

• Sean Harkelrode - Does an amazing Sean Connery! One of the members of the cast said it best "Who would have thought Sean Connery saying "tits" would have been so god Damn funny."
• We added a Dramaturgy and not just any Dramaturgy but a Dramaturgy who has spent a whole lot time working with the Actors Theatre of Louiville! (how lucky are we!) The Bench rock of new play development in the Unitied States! Jamie you rock!
• We added tiny talk backs after each performance, with more meat and substance than I have ever seen in any post show pre-show "talk back" in and out of town and I have seen a ton!
• Courtney cut off all of the fish towel tales and what do you know the audience now throws fish like crazy! Fantastic!
• Eric - You, YOU!! Just a killer! Best Managing director I have ever had the prvillage of working with - Thank You Sir!
• Hanna! A real stage manager, with an eye on organization, and keeping me in line! Outstanding!
• Jade and Revea - You helped run our box, were active audience participants thank you for helping.
• To our Fans! YES We have fans!! Patrons who came to see our work more then once and paid!! YOU ARE THE TRUE ROCK STARS !!
• Madelon, Alley, Liz, Rob, Alejandro, Jessie, Thank you for taking a leap of faith.
• Carlos, Brian, Katie miss you guys.

The Plays / Scripts / Submissions-

1. We had our first play ever with a chorus! Very interesting and it made it to the top 4!
2. One of the playwrights submitted a monologue instead of a scene. (not a good idea)
3. Synopsis means a brief or condensed statement giving a general view of some subject. (does not mean a page of single spaced content)
   

Authors! Playwrights! People!

The LPS is a contest with rules, submitting a monologue instead of a scene what is that! Come on! We don't pre-screen or review what you submit. I get folders from the stage manager with the submissions and we go! Submitting a monologue when we ask for scene I think maybe your have the LPS confused with another Chicago "Reality Theater" competition. (and then we get emails and phone calls asking why their script scores low,) But ya take a big risk sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I was Surprised that the scene submissions didn't have any of the following topics? Stuff?

• No adults over 40
• No women over 40 (Yikes)
  
• No arguments
• Didn't see any minority or gay characters.

70% of the playwrights did not submit the following details ... BIG CLUE ALERT! scenes without any of the items submitted to the LPS tend to score lower.

• Character breakdowns
• Synopsis
• Teaser statement

RedTwist - Your an amazing theater - We thank you for your support and encouragement!

Onward to Round 2 and "May the force be with you"!

The Last Play Standing Round 2

Final 4 participants congratulations and welcome to round 2! Thank you to all of the dedicated playwrights who participated in The Last Play Standing 3 (LPS) the Final 4 are listed below.

LPS Round 2 - Will be closed to the general public, playwrights you will be able to bring one guest with you,

• The cast of the Last Play Standing and a.c.t. company will be in attendance,
  
• The possibility exists that selected artistic directors and producers in the Chicago will acceptance a.c.t. companies exclusive invitation to the LPS round work and may in attendance as well.
• a.c.t. companies dramaturgy will be present
• Final 4 scripts will be read in a traditional table reading format stone-cold.
  
• This stone cold reading will / may be recorded for a possible podcast.

Following the reading you the cast, the company, playwrite and invited guests. will work through a detailed and specific LPS score card combined with a through discussion. Playwrights are strongly encouraged to make notes.

Scoring

Just a quick note on scoring we try to complete accurate tabulations during the performance, mistakes do happen, Once we are able to review the score cards away from the theater some scores change - its no trickery or bribery its just how the numbers fall.

Should you find it in your heart right this wrong a.c.t. company would be more than happy to accept your donation of an instant "I-responder" or "clickers" system. estimated cost approximately $2000.00 and yes! your donation is tax deductible.

The First Dramaturg Standing

Assisting A.C.T. Company in the administration of the Last Play Standing is dramaturg Jamie Bragg. Jamie has worked as an actor and dramaturg in Chicago for the last two years. A company member of InFusion Theatre, she served as dramaturg on InFusion's last two productions, the world premiere of Creole and the Midwest premiere of Intrigue With Faye. Other dramaturgy credits in Chicago include Red Light Winter (Thunder and Lightning Theatre Ensemble) and Ion (Caffeine Theatre, Assistant Dramaturg). Additionally, she held a literary internship at Actors Theatre of Louisville, home of the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

As an actor, Jamie counts among her credits Susannah in A Murder of Crows (GroundUp Theatre), Pythia/Choros in Ion (Caffeine Theatre) and Katrina Van Tassel in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Rogue Theater). Jamie holds two Bachelors of Arts, in English and Drama, from the University of Georgia.

Jamie thanks A.C.T. for this exciting opportunity, and she looks forward to assisting the company and playwrights as they collaborate on The Last Play Standing.

What does The Last Play Standing look to accomplish?

Re-invent the discovery of new plays! - If a play can not entertain in 2 scenes which the Playwrite has offered as the best scenes of the play how can the play entertain anyone for over 90 min. Why would any production company 501c3 invest money, time, effort or energies with no measurement of risk to wait for a preview to see if the critc / reviewer was entertained?

Results The Last Play Standing 2008

Title		NAMASTE		Campaign Strategy		Doppel gangers		Happy Talk
Perf. Date		4/19		4/25		4/17		5/3
Score		33.4		31.9		31.5		30.8
ORIGINAL		77%		68%		87%		82%
TRUTHFUL		82%		80%		71%		75%
DIALOGUE		83%		83%		69%		77%
CONTENT		84%		79%		73%		78%
RIVETING		73%		71%		72%		71%
READ IT?		78%		75%		77%		78%
Title		Gerard The Giant		Desert Rain		For Some Reason		Equilibrium
Perf. Date		4/19		4/25		5/2		5/4
Score		30.3		28.8		27.8		26.8
ORIGINAL		86%		81%		71%		68%
TRUTHFUL		66%		68%		65%		63%
DIALOGUE		75%		70%		73%		68%
CONTENT		74%		70%		68%		69%
RIVETING		62%		57%		56%		55%
READ IT?		69%		66%		65%		61%
Title		The Next Man Up		Eastland		Duplex		Jews In a basement
Perf. Date		5/3		4/18		5/3		4/18
Score		26.7		26.5		26.2		25.1
ORIGINAL		71%		67%		65%		63%
TRUTHFUL		65%		70%		65%		60%
DIALOGUE		73%		63%		67%		68%
CONTENT		68%		64%		67%		56%
RIVETING		56%		58%		51%		54%
READ IT?		65%		57%		59%		58%
Title		Bender		Murder With Grace		Since Wednesday		(Gable) Frankly My Dear
Perf. Date		4/19		5/2		4/18		4/26
Score		24.8		24.1		24		23.8
ORIGINAL		68%		58%		54%		64%
TRUTHFUL		61%		52%		58%		56%
DIALOGUE		64%		49%		56%		63%
CONTENT		60%		55%		62%		57%
RIVETING		55%		49%		58%		49%
READ IT?		48%		52%		55%		51%
Title		Candy Cane Job		Oaken Rush Scott		Lonely In Love		Under the Refridge
Perf. Date		4/18		4/17		4/26		4/26
Score		23.5		23.1		22.3		22
ORIGINAL		67%		55%		60%		55%
TRUTHFUL		56%		61%		55%		65%
DIALOGUE		58%		57%		49%		51%
CONTENT		52%		59%		52%		52%
RIVETING		51%		47%		50%		42%
READ IT?		51%		51%		53%		48%
Title		American Standard		Barclays Arena		The Impeach-ment trial of George Bush		Generation z
Perf. Date		4/17		5/3		4/26		5/3
Score		20.9		17.8		15.2		14.7
ORIGINAL		44%		45%		49%		45%
TRUTHFUL		53%		45%		61%		45%
DIALOGUE		50%		45%		27%		45%
CONTENT		47%		42%		34%		42%
RIVETING		36%		39%		31%		39%
READ IT?		38%		39%		33%		39%
Title		Cold dark hard love
Perf. Date		4/18
Score		13.5
ORIGINAL		38%
TRUTHFUL		35%
DIALOGUE		31%
CONTENT		30%
RIVETING		30%
READ IT?		29%