How's this for a blog-moment? A local blogger (me) posting a blog entry (the one you're reading right now) about a show ("Off The Record") put on by some local mainstream media types (the writer's guild and AFTRA) about a (fictional) local blogger.
Before I get into any details, here's the basic set-up for the shows themselves. Each year the writer's guild and the the local AFTRA folks put on a show for the Pittsburgh foodbank. It's a good cause. Perhaps the next "hands across the blogosphere" could point some cash in that direction. There's lotsa singing and dancing and they satirize some local politicians. The local politicians then get a chance to rebut.
Here's the website.
Mark, Bram, and Sue have all blogged on it, wondering about the title. Since I got a chance to see tonight's rehearsal and peruse the script for this year's show, I thought I'd take this opportunity to to clear up a few things.
As it's "off the record" there isn't a lot I can tell you right now - all I can say is, it's gonna be good. If you can scrape together the 20 bucks for the ticket, you'll be more than pleasantly surprised at what these folks can do. I do have to say that I was shocked shocked by something I saw tonight - Dennis Roddy has a beard! He looks like a shorter, younger, thinner, less grey (and certainly less suicidal) Ernest Hemmingway. With glasses. And a laptop.
We've all read by now that the title of this year's show is "Blogged to Death" and this has raised the question as to whether any of us bloggers will be satirized. I can't say much about what's in the show (you'll have to go see it for yourselves to find out) but I probably can say what isn't in it: me or even a fictionalized version of me. Or Maria. Or Bram. Or Sue. Or anyone from The Burgh Report or the Carbolic Smokeball. Neither Tunesmith nor Anthony. Or even Ole Froth. No Agent Ska. Or even Mark Rauterkus (sorry, Mark). And no one at all from the Women's Blogging Society. None of us.
The plot revolves around a guy who comes home from college and is faced with the ghost of his dead father who claims to have been murdered by his own brother, the college kid's uncle, who's since married the kid's mother. This ghost cries out for revenge and then the college guy--
No wait, I said I wasn't going to do that - sorry. Here's what gets satirized: local Pittsburgh politics. The singing is good, the satire is sharp and the story is easy to follow without a scorecard.
The show's next Thursday at 8. I'm gonna be there. We should all try to go. It's a good cause and it'll be a good opportunity to meet some old skool media types - and for them to meet us.
I just hope that if Jack Kelly's there, he won't be armed.
3 comments:
So they backed away from satirizing us only AFTER we exposed what they were up to. Behold the power of the blogosphere! Dave, thanks for scooping the mainstream media by posting this awesome sneak preview.
To be honest, I don't think they EVER were planning on satirizing us. General plan for these things has always been for the local media types to satirize some local political types - the mayor (whoever it is at the time), the county executives, the Hillmans, the Scaifes and so on.
Anyway, the script I saw said it was the version from September 4 - way before anyone blogged on it.
Just so you know, there was a reporter from the P-G there, too. She told me after that her story should be published monday or tuesday.
Well then SURELY they'll be satirizing that guy who spends his precious blogging time obsessing over Mary Worth. Right? RIGHT????
Because that's the sort of hard-hitting blogging action that draws the attention of tens of local readers daily.
Post a Comment