Simon's Process
According to the reading, Simon does NOT do this before writing - most playwrights do.
What is make an outline? (He "just plunges in" and starts from page one)
This famous playwright warned Simon: "You do not mix comedy with drama."
Who is Lillian Hellman?
Simon says it's always this (not a situation) that drives his plays.
What is a dilemma?
The name of Simon's teenage protagonist in the Brighton Beach trilogy.
Who is Eugene Jerome?
Simon says he doesn't know this about the play until he's written it "and the critics tell me."
What is the theme?
Simon says he doesn't know he has a play until he reaches this many pages.
What is 30-35 pages?
Simon's response to being told not to mix comedy and drama: "If it's mixed in" this, "why can't you do it in a play?"
What is life?
In Broadway Bound, Simon's character Stan teaches that somebody has to do this "and want it bad."
What is want something?
Simon calls the Brighton Beach trilogy this type of autobiographical.
What is semi-autobiographical
Simon purposely won't think about this part of the play because he's afraid it will "sneak into the script."
What is the ending?
When Simon gets stuck in Act 2, he does this with Act 1.
What is goes back to Act 1? (He looks for setups and plays back on things he established)
Simon says humor might be to cover this up, or to share the experience with someone.
What is pain?
According to Simon, conflict happens when somebody wants something and this happens.
What is somebody else/another person/an obstacle?
Simon says if he meant it to be fully autobiographical, he would have used this name instead of Eugene Jerome.
What is Neil Simon?
After writing Broadway Bound, Simon realized the mother had never been shown this way, so he created the George Raft scene.
What is happy?
Brighton Beach Memoirs sat in a drawer for this many years before Simon finished it.
What is 9 years?
Simon's success comes from showing "between, in, and around the funny lines" these three things about characters.
What is the pain, aspiration, and sheer panic?
Simon says the conflict must be this strong - characters can't say "Forget about this!" and do this.
What is walk out/leave? (They must stay and "fight it out to the end")
Simon compares using fiction in autobiography to this type of painting: "You see your own truth in it but" this "is the art."
What is abstract painting/abstraction?
Simon believes "in the back of your mind there's" this kind of person "who writes while you're doing other things."
What is a little writer?
Simon uses this metaphor to describe his writing process: "You walk into a forest without" these two tools.
What is a knife and a compass?
Simon sometimes does this while writing - both laughing AND this emotional response.
What is crying/bursting into tears?
Simon compares creating conflict to this circus performer keeping multiple plates spinning.
What is a juggler?
This play in the trilogy is the MOST autobiographical - Simon says "I didn't pull any punches" and it's a "love letter" to his mother.
What is Broadway Bound?
The famous George Raft dancing scene - people thought Simon planned it all along, but he says he did NOT know this when he sat down to write.
What is he didn't know it would happen/he discovered it while writing?