A blog by John D. Nugent - Composer, Playwright, and Artistic Director of the Tennessee Independent Theatre Company

Wednesday, April 23, 2003

 
Intro to the Blog

Well, here we are. I read once that there was a Commandment against covetuousness, but when I found Charles Deemer's blog I had to have my own. Thank you, Charles for sending the URL to yours.

About me:

I have been in the business of Musical Composition for 23 years, and Operatic Composition for the major part of this. The Opera led me to two of the most unlikely tangents of my career: Playwriting and Poetry.

Granted, I had written plays before. My first was premiered in 1988 to some small success. It is not listed in my resume, and if you ask, I will not send a copy. In short, it is terrible. I like to think I've improved.

But Poetry?

Friends used to tell me that any Composer should be able to write Poetry, because of metre, etc. This was in the days when I was unofficial Composer-in-Residence to a small community theatre back in Charleston. Mostly for Incidental Music, and sometimes my incidental music would receive better reaction than the plays themselves (some of them, this is pretty self-explanatory). One day, I decided to prove them wrong and write a poem.

It was picked up by the first magazine to which I submitted.

Oh well, shows what little I know.

And as for the third in my little blurb:

I formed the Community Theatre of the Tri-Cities with local playwright Roger Ball last year, upon relocating to this place. There was a bit of disagreement upon the nature of the shows performed. Roger wanted to do work which was safer for younger audiences, as well as the classics. I wanted to do classics, yes, but also cutting-edge work, and as many originals as I could find or write or both. So, for this end, I founded the Johnson City Independent Theatre Company. Rog and I are currently writing a small two-acter to open it. When revenue starts coming in, I also want to start commissioning new work - this means YOU Charles, so be ready to come out of retirement. (just kidding - but only on the tone of voice. I will be trying to commission from you).

I have to re-send a Secular Cantata score to Deemer in the morning and then pull out the Dark Mission libretto. I think I have a few more thematic ideas.

Until next time.