Dear Drama Observers, In the stories we tell, there’s just about always a good guy and bad guy, a protagonist and an antagonist, a hero and a villain, a light force in opposition to a dark force. In fact, it’s the competition between these counterparts that makes for a compelling tale and, without such tensions, […]
Dear Drama Observers, In composing this weekly email, I’ve discovered I’m not a speedy writer. I’ll write something down, look at it, change it, think about it, rearrange it, scrap it, start over, etc., etc. (I’m convinced that God created word processing just for people such as me.) After a laborious and time-consuming process, something […]
Dear Drama Observers, “Every generation is invaded by barbarians,” wrote twentieth century philosopher Hannah Arendt. “We call them children.” If you’ve been reading The Drama Review for any length of time, you’re no doubt aware that I really like that quote. We start out in life as little bulls in china shops, knocking things down […]
Dear Drama Observers, I promise I’ll get back to writing new things soon but, this being Christmas week, I thought I’d share something posted during last year’s Christmas week. Here ‘tis (with some important updates): *** This time of year, my wife and I love to watch A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. As you’re […]
Dear Drama Observers, I was doing a seminar out on the road this week, and let’s just say that things didn’t go quite according to plan (weather cancellations, failed book deliveries, etc.). I got about 75% of my letter for this week written but was never able to finish it. So, rather than sending you […]
Dear Drama Observers, How many times have we heard this story? A celebrity gets caught doing something despicable—a reputation-destroying deed. The public is shocked. Shortly thereafter, we hear that the celebrity has entered “rehab” and will be out of public view for awhile. They reemerge at some later point, having “recovered.” Their careers get back […]
Dear Drama Observers, The subject about which I write, Drama People, is not a happy one. For that reason, I often try to introduce some levity into the discussion to lighten it up a just a bit. That’ll be a challenge this week because I’m going to tell you a story about Ted Bundy. Humor […]
Dear Drama Observers, Last week, I posted the first five of ten tips for managing holiday dramas from my ingeniously entitled ebook, “10 Tips for Managing Holiday Dramas.” This week, I’ll give you tips six through ten. In case you missed last week’s letter, you may read here. Holidays are fun occasions for some people […]
Dear Drama Observers, It’s the most (something) time of the year. Holidays are enjoyable for some and miserable for others. I’ve already had several discussions in my office this week with clients who are dreading the next month and a half because their holiday experiences have never been so “wonderful” or “happy.” I’m reposting something […]
Dear Drama Observers, This week, I’d like to tell you the contrasting tales of two individuals. As you know, I’m bound by confidentiality constraints, so I can’t use their actual names nor be too revealing about the details. So, I’ve altered some of the particulars, and I’ll refer to them using made up names, Ben […]