This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:18] David Rigano: Hello, welcome to The Drama Book Show!

[0:20] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Welcome back to another episode.

[0:22] David Rigano: Our second one.

[0:23] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Episode two.

[0:24] David Rigano: Capitulo 2.

[0:25] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Episodio the UE.

[0:26] David Rigano: Yay, we're both bilateral.

[0:28] David Rigano: I am David Rigano.

[0:29] Mark-Eugene Garcia: I am Mark-Eugene Garcia.

[0:30] David Rigano: And this week brings us a conversation with a good friend of the bookshop.

[0:34] Mark-Eugene Garcia: A great friend of the bookshop.

[0:36] David Rigano: And just a good friend.

[0:37] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Today we'll be shining a spotlight on the incredible talent of Matthew McLachlan.

[0:41] David Rigano: Matthew, born in Scotland, raised in the sunshine state of Florida, and now navigating the hustle and bustle of the big apple in New York City.

[0:49] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Matthew is not just any playwright.

[0:51] David Rigano: He is a Dramatists Guild member, two-time Screencraft Stage Play finalist, and a Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival finalist.

[0:59] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Talk about an impressive resume.

[1:01] David Rigano: With a list of plays like This Goddamn House.

[1:04] Mark-Eugene Garcia: I saw that one.

[1:05] David Rigano: Afterwards, I ran into him, dropped some profanity, then asked, "Are you okay?"

[1:10] Mark-Eugene Garcia: It was so good.

[1:11] David Rigano: His other plays include Jack and Melissa, Comic Shop, The Demand of Avarice, The Place We Are Meant to Be, and of course, Orion.

[1:19] Mark-Eugene Garcia: A very popular play for people looking for scenes here at the bookshop.

[1:24] David Rigano: Damn it, Mark.

[1:25] Mark-Eugene Garcia: His plays have been performed all over the place, from the stages of Abingdon Theatre Company and Nylon Fusion to performances in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, New Jersey, West Virginia, and even his home state of Florida.

[1:40] David Rigano: And if that's not enough, he also dipped his toes into the world of web series, earning himself a nomination for Best Writer of a Web Series with Adultish.

[1:49] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Plus, he's been the head writer for The Roast of Michael Musto.

[1:53] David Rigano: But what we're really here to celebrate is his newest publication.

[1:57] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Now, we have and love his first collection of short plays.

[2:01] David Rigano: A Collection of One Acts and Other Things You May or May Not Enjoy.

[2:04] Mark-Eugene Garcia: But now he has another collection of one acts and other things you may or may not enjoy.

[2:09] David Rigano: But I'll tell you something, David.

[2:10] Mark-Eugene Garcia: What's that, Mark?

[2:11] David Rigano: We enjoyed them.

[2:12] Mark-Eugene Garcia: We did.

[2:13] David Rigano: Now I have a chance to speak with Matthew about this collection.

[2:16] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Well, he did more than speak.

[2:17] David Rigano: He brought actors.

[2:18] Mark-Eugene Garcia: He brought performances.

[2:20] David Rigano: He brought drama to the Drama Bookshop.

[2:22] Mark-Eugene Garcia: And as a constant visitor and friend of the bookshop, doesn't he always? Let's take a listen.

[2:28] Mark-Eugene Garcia: We are gonna start off this evening with Elizabeth Bays performing Reflections on a Reflection.

[2:43] Elizabeth Bays: Seeing results so freaking hard to ask for.

[2:46] Elizabeth Bays: I mean, seriously.

[2:47] Elizabeth Bays: I'm not asking for a whole row of ads here.

[2:50] Elizabeth Bays: I'll take one ad.

[2:51] Elizabeth Bays: A shadow of an ad.

[2:53] Elizabeth Bays: But what do I get instead?

[2:55] Elizabeth Bays: Every muscle in my entire body feels like they're giving birth.

[3:00] Elizabeth Bays: Seriously.

[3:03] Elizabeth Bays: Crazy people is the answer to that.

[3:05] Elizabeth Bays: Nascets.

[3:06] Elizabeth Bays: I mean, I can understand if working out for hours on end led to a burnt shower and orgasm, but as far as I know, it just seems to sore muscles and bitchy attitude.

[3:15] Elizabeth Bays: I end up feeling I put in so much work and have nothing positive to show for it.

[3:33] Elizabeth Bays: I blame God, really.

[3:36] Elizabeth Bays: Yeah, God.

[3:37] Elizabeth Bays: It's because God's psych help if you taste.

[3:39] Elizabeth Bays: And yes, what?

[3:40] Elizabeth Bays: Turns out that God, he's kind of an asshole.

[3:42] Elizabeth Bays: I mean, who makes the most delicious food the worst for you?

[3:44] Elizabeth Bays: Then turns it around and makes all the healthy food boring.

[3:47] Elizabeth Bays: Seriously, there's not one healthy food out there that is truly exciting.

[3:51] Elizabeth Bays: No one's walking around going, "Fuck yeah, carrots."

[3:58] Elizabeth Bays: How do I eat healthy when all the health every healthy food out there can be turned into some form of dessert?

[4:03] Elizabeth Bays: But each other on purpose, didn't we?

[4:10] Elizabeth Bays: Something that makes food taste disgusting unless it's healthy.

[4:14] Elizabeth Bays: Like that stuff you put on your nails to stop me from biting that.

[4:17] Elizabeth Bays: I wish we'd had that, but that's good.

[4:21] Elizabeth Bays: Oh, I need to stop my biting my nails too.

[4:24] Elizabeth Bays: Oh, oh, or you know what?

[4:27] Elizabeth Bays: Uh, screw that.

[4:28] Elizabeth Bays: There should be some invention that makes you burn more fat the more calories you consume.

[4:33] Elizabeth Bays: Like calling a fire.

[4:35] Elizabeth Bays: You get to shove burgers and pie in your face all the live long day, and eventually you get ripped.

[4:41] Elizabeth Bays: Holy shit.

[4:42] Elizabeth Bays: Yeah.

[4:42] Elizabeth Bays: Oh man, if I had that thing, I'd have the flattest stomach ever.

[4:46] Elizabeth Bays: Like, with five rows of abs, washboard abs.

[4:50] Elizabeth Bays: I'd be able to break cheese on that damn thing.

[4:52] Elizabeth Bays: Everyone would be like, "Oh man, I'm abs like step."

[4:56] Elizabeth Bays: Yeah, that would be awesome.

[4:59] Elizabeth Bays: Thank you.

[5:02] David Goforth: Next up, Charles Goforth performing Manifestation.

[5:19] Charles Goforth: Oh.

[5:31] Charles Goforth: Just manifest it, okay.

[5:35] Charles Goforth: Here I was busting my ass when what I should have been doing was squeezing my eyes real tight, just wanting it real bad.

[5:43] Charles Goforth: But who would ever think that sending out positive energy and vibrations to make my very real thing happen was complete bullshit?

[5:50] Charles Goforth: Oh wait!

[5:55] Charles Goforth: I did.

[5:57] Charles Goforth: Because it is.

[6:00] Charles Goforth: It's bullshit.

[6:03] Charles Goforth: Because if you think wishing something into existence, it's better than taking real tangible steps, and you're in for a world of displaying my friend.

[6:10] Charles Goforth: Trust me, I wanted things more than you could possibly imagine.

[6:13] Charles Goforth: I hoped for them, pretended, I already have them, I journaled, I meditated, and whatever the hell else you can think of, and you guess what?

[6:32] Charles Goforth: How do you explain that, huh?

[6:34] Charles Goforth: What?

[6:35] Charles Goforth: Was my oil off?

[6:37] Charles Goforth: Is it because I'm a Pisces?

[6:40] Charles Goforth: Or maybe some planet's moon's tectonic plate was in retrograde or some shit.

[6:47] Charles Goforth: Or none of it is real.

[6:56] Charles Goforth: The next time I ask you for help.

[7:02] Charles Goforth: Give it to me.

[7:05] Charles Goforth: Instead of wasting my time with all this unbox jumbo bullshit.

[7:11] Charles Goforth: Because it's exactly what it is.

[7:16] Charles Goforth: It's bullshit.

[7:31] Marc Reign: Next up, we have Marc Reign and Anamari Mesa performing What the Psychic Said.

[7:37] Marc Reign: Alright.

[7:44] Anamari Mesa: Are you high?

[7:45] Marc Reign: No, I'm not.

[7:46] Anamari Mesa: Because it sounds like something people say when they're high.

[7:49] Marc Reign: I know it does, but I promise you I'm not.

[7:51] Anamari Mesa: Okay, well, if this is some kind of joke, I guess I just don't really get it.

[7:56] Marc Reign: It's not a joke, I swear.

[7:58] Anamari Mesa: Oh god.

[7:59] Marc Reign: What?

[8:00] Anamari Mesa: Are you what?

[8:01] Marc Reign: Are you like hitting on me or something?

[8:04] Anamari Mesa: What?

[8:04] Marc Reign: Because like if this is some new avant-garde way guys trying to pick up women these days, I'm not.

[8:10] Anamari Mesa: I'm not hitting on you.

[8:12] Marc Reign: Alright.

[8:13] Anamari Mesa: I'm telling you right now it's not working, dude.

[8:15] Marc Reign: I'm not hitting on you.

[8:17] Anamari Mesa: I swear.

[8:19] Marc Reign: You serious?

[8:20] Anamari Mesa: Yes.

[8:22] Marc Reign: Okay, so just so we're you're saying you saw me sitting here, and you're convinced that we're gonna spend the rest of our lives together just because the part I really want to get right.

[8:35] Anamari Mesa: A psychic told you this would happen?

[8:37] Marc Reign: Mm-hmm.

[8:38] Anamari Mesa: Pretty much.

[8:39] Marc Reign: Yeah.

[8:40] Anamari Mesa: And you're sure you're not high?

[8:41] Marc Reign: Look, I know this sounds kind of crazy.

[8:44] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, it sounds bad shit bonkers, is what it sounds.

[8:47] David Zayas: Right, yes, but if you just let me explain, I promise it won't sound so crazy.

[8:51] Matthew McLachlan: I doubt that.

[8:52] David Zayas: Hey, I never believed in this stuff either, okay.

[8:55] Matthew McLachlan: But things she predicted have happened.

[8:58] David Zayas: I mean, very specific things, and I know some random guy coming up to you and saying all this is super weird and kind of creepy.

[9:04] Matthew McLachlan: But I just I saw you, and I I needed to.

[9:08] David Zayas: Look, if if you just let me explain, please.

[9:11] Matthew McLachlan: If you let me explain by the end of this, if you still think, what do you say, bench batch it bonker or something.

[9:15] David Zayas: Right, then I'll leave you alone and you'll never see me again, okay?

[9:22] Matthew McLachlan: Fine.

[9:23] David Zayas: But if this turns out that you're just hitting on me, I'm stabbing you with my fork.

[9:27] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, sure.

[9:28] David Zayas: Totally.

[9:30] Matthew McLachlan: Okay.

[9:30] David Zayas: Okay.

[9:31] Matthew McLachlan: So, yeah, uh, like I said, I never really believed in this stuff, right? But all my friends and family started seeing psychics for some reason.

[9:38] David Zayas: Like, that's the new thing, I guess.

[9:40] Matthew McLachlan: It's all they ever talk about.

[9:42] David Zayas: So I figured, why the hell not.

[9:43] Marc Reign: You know, let me just do it so I can say I did it.

[9:43] Anamari Mesa: Yeah, it sounds batshit bonkers, is what it sounds.

[9:46] Marc Reign: So I go, and I'm waiting for this person to be like all kooky with sage and crystals and stuff.

[9:46] Marc Reign: Right, yes, but if you just let me explain, I promise it won't sound so crazy.

[9:50] Marc Reign: But she was actually kind of normal.

[9:50] Anamari Mesa: I doubt that.

[9:50] Marc Reign: Hey, I never believed in this stuff either, okay?

[9:53] Marc Reign: For the first 15 minutes, we just talked about life and stuff, and before I knew it, she was saying things about me that I haven't even mentioned yet.

[9:53] Anamari Mesa: So I figured, why the hell not?

[10:00] Anamari Mesa: Like about my job and where I live and stuff.

[10:02] Marc Reign: How do you know she didn't just like look you up on Facebook or LinkedIn or something?

[10:05] Anamari Mesa: What about that?

[10:07] Marc Reign: But I was a walking.

[10:09] Anamari Mesa: She couldn't have done all that while we were talking the whole time.

[10:14] Marc Reign: So, we're talking for a bit, and then she gets very serious and says, "Now, there are a few big things that are gonna happen to you this year that are really gonna bring you down."

[10:23] Anamari Mesa: Something in March and something in June.

[10:26] Marc Reign: And I'm thinking, okay, that's pretty specific, right?

[10:28] Anamari Mesa: Like if these things don't happen, then I know she's full of it, but then let me guess something happened in March.

[10:28] Marc Reign: Yeah!

[10:36] Anamari Mesa: Okay, see, I already have a problem with this.

[10:36] Marc Reign: What?

[10:36] Anamari Mesa: Why?

[10:39] Marc Reign: Because what you're doing is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[10:43] Anamari Mesa: What do you mean?

[10:43] Marc Reign: If she told you something was gonna happen, you're either gonna make it happen by obsessing too much or blow some little thing out of proportion that you wouldn't usually thought was a big thing.

[10:52] Anamari Mesa: My appendix burst.

[10:55] Marc Reign: Oh yeah.

[10:58] Anamari Mesa: Okay, well, that's kind of a big thing.

[11:01] Marc Reign: Yes, that yeah.

[11:04] Anamari Mesa: Exactly.

[11:06] Marc Reign: So once that happened, I was like, but what the hell's not happening in June, right?

[11:11] Anamari Mesa: I'm telling you, I made more doctors' appointments in those next few months than I ever had in my life.

[11:16] Marc Reign: That way, when June rolled around, I was like, ready, you know?

[11:20] Anamari Mesa: If something big was gonna happen, I was ready.

[11:24] Marc Reign: And then on the very last day in June, I lost my job.

[11:29] Anamari Mesa: I mean, how do you explain that?

[11:31] Marc Reign: Maybe you made too many doctors' appointments.

[11:33] Anamari Mesa: Our company was acquired and they laid off half the staff.

[11:38] Marc Reign: Whoa.

[11:39] Anamari Mesa: See, these are things I couldn't make happen.

[11:43] Marc Reign: Okay, yes, those are very, very strange coincidences.

[11:47] Anamari Mesa: I'll give you that.

[11:48] Marc Reign: Thank you.

[11:50] Anamari Mesa: But where exactly do I come in here?

[11:52] Marc Reign: Right, yes.

[11:53] Marc Reign: Well, after she told me things would happen in March and June, she told me that sometime after that, I'd meet the woman I spend the rest of my life.

[12:04] Anamari Mesa: Did she say how it would actually, you know, happen, how you would know this?

[12:08] Marc Reign: She said that I'd be in a place I go to all the time.

[12:13] Anamari Mesa: Which I do.

[12:14] Marc Reign: And I'd see you.

[12:16] Anamari Mesa: That's it?

[12:17] Marc Reign: Yeah.

[12:18] Anamari Mesa: I mean, no.

[12:20] Marc Reign: She described you like exactly what you look like.

[12:24] Anamari Mesa: I mean, wow.

[12:26] Marc Reign: A lot of people look like me, alright?

[12:27] Anamari Mesa: I'm not exactly uncommon looking.

[12:29] Marc Reign: Right, but it's like you were pulled straight from my head.

[12:33] Anamari Mesa: I mean, you're exactly what I pictured when she described you.

[12:36] Marc Reign: It's crazy.

[12:37] Anamari Mesa: I don't know.

[12:38] Marc Reign: Seems like a bit of a stretch.

[12:39] Anamari Mesa: Oh, I totally forgot the craziest part.

[12:43] Marc Reign: She said she also saw us both partaking in green.

[12:43] Anamari Mesa: Partaking in green.

[12:51] Marc Reign: Green.

[12:53] Anamari Mesa: Hold up the green juice excitedly.

[12:55] Marc Reign: Yeah, most of her both green.

[12:57] Anamari Mesa: This whole place is partaking in green.

[12:59] Marc Reign: They got kale cookies over there.

[13:01] Anamari Mesa: But it's still possible.

[13:03] Marc Reign: I mean, all the pieces fit.

[13:05] Anamari Mesa: Okay, let's just say she really did predict all this, okay?

[13:07] Marc Reign: How do you know coming up to me doesn't undo the whole thing?

[13:10] Anamari Mesa: I thought about that too.

[13:12] Marc Reign: But she said that some things, big things, are written in the stars.

[13:18] Anamari Mesa: The choices we make us there faster.

[13:22] Marc Reign: And I'm written in your stars.

[13:28] Anamari Mesa: I want to speak to this woman.

[13:30] Marc Reign: What?

[13:31] Anamari Mesa: Yeah, face to face.

[13:32] Marc Reign: That way, you know, she can see if she gets any vibes or whatever.

[13:35] Anamari Mesa: I mean, you know, if she's really all powerful and all this kind of stuff, I'm sure she'd be able to confirm whether or not I'm the girl from the prophecy or whatever.

[13:43] Matthew McLachlan: Well, she um she doesn't actually live here.

[13:49] David Zayas: Okay, so where does she live?

[13:51] Matthew McLachlan: Uh Florida.

[13:53] David Zayas: Florida?

[13:54] Matthew McLachlan: You saw a psychic woman in Florida?

[13:56] David Zayas: Yeah, but it's it's it's what the hell made you think that was a good idea.

[14:00] Matthew McLachlan: I I always promised my brother I'd fly down there whenever my nephew was born, and while I was there, my family convinced me to see a psychic.

[14:07] David Zayas: You flew down to Florida to see your nephew being born?

[14:09] Matthew McLachlan: I mean, yeah.

[14:12] David Zayas: Fuck.

[14:14] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah?

[14:15] David Zayas: But still, Florida?

[14:17] Matthew McLachlan: I know.

[14:18] David Zayas: I I know, but she couldn't have been that bad, right?

[14:21] Matthew McLachlan: I mean, everything she said is coming true.

[14:24] David Zayas: Okay, I think you're forgetting a very important factor in all this.

[14:27] Matthew McLachlan: What?

[14:28] David Zayas: What about me?

[14:30] Matthew McLachlan: What do you mean?

[14:32] David Zayas: Don't I have any say in all this?

[14:34] Matthew McLachlan: I mean, you you keep saying this was all predicted and written in the stars and all that crap, but uh, don't I get a choice in the matter?

[14:40] David Zayas: I mean, what if I don't want to be with someone for the rest of my life, hmm?

[14:44] Matthew McLachlan: I mean, what if you're not my type?

[14:46] David Zayas: And let's just say for a second I believe all this stuff.

[14:48] Matthew McLachlan: How do you know my stars don't say something different than yours?

[14:51] David Zayas: You ever think about that?

[14:53] Matthew McLachlan: And I'm sorry, but after this psychic lady told you all this, did you really think going up to the person you thought was the one and steamrolling them with all this information was gonna just sweep them off their feet?

[15:03] David Zayas: Because I'll tell you what, it doesn't, alright?

[15:05] Matthew McLachlan: It actually kind of freaks them out.

[15:07] David Zayas: And uh, for all I know, you could I could be the 15th girl you've walked up to today, partaking in something green who kind of looks like me.

[15:14] Matthew McLachlan: I don't know.

[15:15] David Zayas: But I do know, as cute as all this is in theory, it's just it's a little less for me right now.

[15:22] Matthew McLachlan: And I'm sorry about your job and your appendix, but I I really think it'd be best if you just go and let me finish my lunch in peace.

[15:33] David Zayas: Okay.

[15:34] Matthew McLachlan: I just yeah, I'd really think that'd be best.

[15:46] David Zayas: Well, if I'm being honest, I've spent my whole life trying to get things right.

[15:52] Matthew McLachlan: Maybe it's a fear of failure or something, but whatever I did, I always made sure I did it right.

[15:58] David Zayas: And maybe when she told me all those things, that's exactly what I started doing.

[16:02] Matthew McLachlan: Maybe I just fell right back into that pattern.

[16:04] David Zayas: I don't know.

[16:05] Matthew McLachlan: But as far as meeting the one goes, I've been in a lot of relationships that felt like I had already found that person.

[16:13] David Zayas: They really did.

[16:15] Matthew McLachlan: But they still ended.

[16:17] David Zayas: No matter what I did, right.

[16:19] Matthew McLachlan: So when she told me that I was finally gonna meet the one, like the one, I was over the moon, you know.

[16:28] David Zayas: And even though I do anything to make this all fit in lineup, I can't deny the fact of how I felt when I saw you just now.

[16:36] Matthew McLachlan: I mean, I literally gasped.

[16:38] David Zayas: You know how like people do that in movies and stuff?

[16:41] Matthew McLachlan: Like I did that.

[16:47] David Zayas: So it's not like I saw you and thought of all the details.

[16:50] Matthew McLachlan: She told me and said, yup, this all fits.

[16:53] David Zayas: Not at all.

[16:54] Matthew McLachlan: In fact, I know this is a really heavy thing to say, but I knew I wanted to be with you before I even remembered there was a psychic.

[17:05] David Zayas: Then when I started to realize all the pieces lined up, I just got so damn excited that I needed to come and tell you, but I shouldn't have bombarded you like this.

[17:14] Matthew McLachlan: I just I wish I kept my big mouth shut and just said hi.

[17:21] David Zayas: But hey, at least getting it right wasn't the first thing on my mind, right?

[17:25] Matthew McLachlan: So, Roberts.

[17:28] David Zayas: Uh yeah, anyway, I just want to say you always really nice to meet you.

[17:38] Matthew McLachlan: Enjoy your lunch.

[17:42] David Zayas: You should have led with that.

[17:47] Matthew McLachlan: The whole doing the right thing speech.

[17:49] David Zayas: You should have led with that.

[17:52] Matthew McLachlan: I should have.

[17:53] David Zayas: What you think going up to a girl saying a psychic said you were my soulmate who's better?

[17:59] Matthew McLachlan: No, I guess not.

[18:04] David Zayas: You wanna sit down?

[18:06] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, yeah.

[18:10] David Zayas: Right.

[18:14] Matthew McLachlan: You need any pictures of the nephew?

[18:17] David Zayas: God, so many.

[18:21] Matthew McLachlan: Oh my god.

[18:22] David Zayas: I know, right?

[18:23] Matthew McLachlan: So beautiful.

[18:25] David Zayas: Yeah.

[18:37] Julian Martinez: Next up we have uh Juliette Elijah Martinez performing once.

[18:50] Julian Martinez: Oh it is not about what I want.

[18:55] Julian Martinez: It's what I don't want.

[18:57] Julian Martinez: Because what I don't want is to do this again.

[19:00] Julian Martinez: I don't want to remove someone I love from my life.

[19:03] Julian Martinez: I don't want to try and convince myself that they're not the one for me.

[19:06] Julian Martinez: I don't want to deal with reactions from friends and family.

[19:10] Julian Martinez: And I don't want to skip songs I love because I hurt too much.

[19:13] Julian Martinez: I don't want to do what I usually do, which is stuck my face and fuck anything that moves just so I feel good for a while.

[19:19] Julian Martinez: I don't want to be told that my writing's gonna get better because of this, because I don't want my writing to get better because of this.

[19:27] Julian Martinez: I don't want to awkwardly agree and eat them for coffee and then spend the whole day worrying about my outfit and if I think I in shape or whatever.

[19:36] Julian Martinez: I don't want any of that.

[19:38] Julian Martinez: Because what I do want is for this work for them to believe that this can work.

[19:44] Julian Martinez: I want to be happy, to somehow have the courage to be by myself, to not need to be in a relationship with someone.

[19:52] Julian Martinez: I want to do all the awesome things I've always dreamt of doing.

[19:55] Julian Martinez: I want to travel, I want to make friends with strangers, I want to sit alone without feeling uncomfortable in my skin.

[20:06] Julian Martinez: I want all this to be worth it.

[20:09] Julian Martinez: I want to be happy this happened somehow.

[20:15] Julian Martinez: I want to look back on all this and be happy this happened.

[20:20] Julian Martinez: To see that it made me stronger, better, closer to the person I really want to be.

[20:29] Julian Martinez: That's what I want.

[20:59] Anamari Mesa: A cemetery, a gate that leads to a family plot.

[21:03] Anamari Mesa: Marv enters, walks to the gate.

[21:05] Anamari Mesa: He looks from one unseen grave to another.

[21:08] Anamari Mesa: He enters the plot, closes the gate and gently behind.

[21:16] Anamari Mesa: God, you have no idea how happy I am to see you alongside my family.

[21:24] Anamari Mesa: It meant the world to me that they saw how happy you made me before they pass.

[21:31] Anamari Mesa: They knew our special.

[21:34] Anamari Mesa: And I know they'd be proud to have you here alongside them.

[21:45] Anamari Mesa: They didn't want you anywhere near this place.

[21:48] Anamari Mesa: Said that this was a family only, and our relationship was unnatural.

[21:54] Anamari Mesa: But I did it in one.

[22:24] Anamari Mesa: And I know.

[22:26] Anamari Mesa: I know.

[22:28] Anamari Mesa: I know you don't like it when I compare you to others from my past.

[22:33] Anamari Mesa: I didn't love them too.

[22:35] Anamari Mesa: Darwin, Jazzbook, film bonus, Copernicus, Rupert, and even little three-legged honey songs.

[22:45] Anamari Mesa: But I only say that because none of them compared to the connection I had with you.

[22:57] Anamari Mesa: Bob and work.

[23:04] Anamari Mesa: It's been hard.

[23:07] Anamari Mesa: Trying to adjust without you here.

[23:10] Anamari Mesa: Right because it'sn't the same about you in your high chair.

[23:15] Anamari Mesa: I even miss hearing you snore on your little silk pillow.

[23:19] Anamari Mesa: Less than mine.

[23:22] Anamari Mesa: I even have to take the iguana seat in my bike bass in here.

[23:26] Anamari Mesa: Because you weren't here for our Sunday evening bike rides.

[23:33] Anamari Mesa: I try not to beat myself off over what I told myself every day that it wasn't my fault.

[23:41] Anamari Mesa: That Amazon should have clearly stated that the iguana parachute was just a gag gift.

[23:49] Anamari Mesa: But I still should have double-checked.

[23:52] Anamari Mesa: And even though it took me all night to find every piece of you in that skydiving landfield, I wasn't gonna stop until I found every piece so I could bury you where you belong.

[24:05] Anamari Mesa: Here I know that if you were here right now, you could see that I was sad and crawlings in my chest comfort me.

[24:20] Anamari Mesa: Always love that.

[24:22] Anamari Mesa: People say that iguanos only do that to absorb our body, but I knew the truth.

[24:28] Anamari Mesa: You are hugging me.

[24:31] Anamari Mesa: He pulls out a tiny little bike helmet for my glass.

[24:36] Anamari Mesa: Like what is you?

[24:38] Anamari Mesa: So your little green model will always be safe on all your bike rides in iguanahead.

[24:43] Anamari Mesa: Oh night, my sweet lord.

[24:49] Anamari Mesa: May you always absorb the heat on my heart.

[24:54] Anamari Mesa: Even in death.

[25:10] Kirk Koczanowski: Finally, we have Antobel, Kurt Sakanowski, and Alex Staub performing Toxic Norse culinity.

[25:25] Kirk Koczanowski: High up on the plains of the mountainside, marsh lands, rocks, howling winds, ravings swap in the distance.

[25:33] Kirk Koczanowski: A hut sits stage left.

[25:35] Kirk Koczanowski: Sven, a large viking cloaked in furs, heavy goods, and a small axe on his bows, enters stage right.

[25:42] Kirk Koczanowski: He stops when he sees the hut.

[25:59] Kirk Koczanowski: By the gods, I thought I'd wasted a journey.

[26:02] Kirk Koczanowski: It's been a long time.

[26:06] Kirk Koczanowski: Would you not agree?

[26:12] Kirk Koczanowski: Bretol disappears into the hut and comes back moments later with an axe ready to use it.

[26:17] Kirk Koczanowski: Oh, so this is how you still friend then, then is it?

[26:21] Kirk Koczanowski: Friend Pow!

[26:23] Kirk Koczanowski: You've got some large balls to come here and call yourself a friend.

[26:27] Alex Staub: Why, yes, I do have large balls, thank you for saying so.

[26:31] Kirk Koczanowski: Do not!

[26:32] Kirk Koczanowski: You have tiny balls.

[26:33] Kirk Koczanowski: You are a coward and have cowards' balls.

[26:35] Alex Staub: I have enormous balls, bigger than Thorps!

[26:38] Kirk Koczanowski: Unlike your balls.

[26:40] Alex Staub: What was that?

[26:42] Kirk Koczanowski: Did you insult my balls, coward?

[26:44] Alex Staub: Perhaps.

[26:45] Kirk Koczanowski: But I am not a coward, and you know that.

[26:47] Alex Staub: What I know is that I told you the next time I laid my eyes upon you, I would bury my axe in your skull.

[26:53] Kirk Koczanowski: Well, go on then.

[26:54] Kirk Koczanowski: Try by the gods of my dare ya!

[27:02] Alex Staub: You are not worth a blow of my axe.

[27:04] Alex Staub: Now get out of my sight before I change my mind.

[27:08] Kirk Koczanowski: I do not suppose you want to hear the raids on the new lands we discovered then.

[27:15] Alex Staub: Eat a raven's arc, then I will not do it.

[27:18] Matthew McLachlan: I will not!

[27:23] David Zayas: Then I guess you don't want to hear about the treasure we found.

[27:26] David Zayas: Treasure enough to fill the great hall of Asgard.

[27:33] Matthew McLachlan: You lie.

[27:36] David Zayas: And to Odin.

[27:37] Matthew McLachlan: Stop up.

[27:38] David Zayas: Your words are meaningless, and I do not believe them for a second.

[27:42] Matthew McLachlan: You do not have to believe because then it's true. Besides, the treasure and riches weren't even our greatest prize.

[27:49] David Zayas: Are you drunk?

[27:51] Matthew McLachlan: What could possibly be better than treasure?

[27:53] David Zayas: Not what, Bretzel?

[27:55] Matthew McLachlan: Who?

[27:57] David Zayas: Kevin enters in torn jeans, a dirty yet modern t-shirt, and filthy sneakers.

[28:02] David Zayas: Are you guys seeing this freaking view right now? It's beautiful.

[28:09] David Zayas: Oh man. It's like one of those pictures.

[28:11] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, it's a desktop background.

[28:13] David Zayas: Or those fancy brain balls from Ikea.

[28:15] Matthew McLachlan: You know, that don't look like it.

[28:19] David Zayas: There he is!

[28:22] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, hey man!

[28:24] David Zayas: What's up?

[28:26] Matthew McLachlan: Are you doing okay over here?

[28:29] David Zayas: I've heard a lot of yellow about balls and stuff.

[28:33] Matthew McLachlan: This is what is better than treasure. Someone who speaks in riddles and is soft.

[28:40] David Zayas: Like a child.

[28:42] Matthew McLachlan: Oh he is not strong now, but he's filled with the knowledge.

[28:47] David Zayas: Infinite was wise.

[28:54] Matthew McLachlan: That our village seer does not. It is not the future he speaks of, it is the present of who we are now and how to better ourselves.

[29:02] David Zayas: After our raids, we took him captive, thinking he would work the land to the stables, you know, the normal slave duties.

[29:09] Matthew McLachlan: But on the journey back, we began talking to the men about their lives, their ambitions, their what was the word you used?

[29:18] David Zayas: Feelings.

[29:18] Matthew McLachlan: Feelings! Yes! At first you thought it was madness, but some men took an interest to begin doing what he suggested.

[29:26] Matthew McLachlan: Eventually the whole ship started listening. And ever since we've arrived back, I have seen it spread throughout the entire village.

[29:34] Matthew McLachlan: And have watched the men change. They have become better.

[29:38] David Zayas: Better, the better how.

[29:41] Matthew McLachlan: Just better.

[29:45] David Zayas: At fighting?

[29:46] Matthew McLachlan: Sailing ships. In a way, yes, but all of those things happened because he showed us how to be better men.

[29:48] David Zayas: Better men!

[29:55] Matthew McLachlan: Well, what is this talk? We fight, we raid, and we drink. How else seems to be a better man than that?

[30:04] David Zayas: Well.

[30:06] Matthew McLachlan: I got this. Hi, uh, Brettle, right?

[30:10] David Zayas: Yeah, hi.

[30:10] Matthew McLachlan: Hi, Kevin. Nice to meet you.

[30:12] David Zayas: No? Okay, all good. Uh look, I don't mean to interrupt or anything, but I've been copying for a few weeks now.

[30:18] Matthew McLachlan: Kind of kind of know you guys really well over that time. And yeah, those three things you just mentioned. The fighting, raiding, and drinking, well, let me assure you, you are all very good at that.

[30:29] David Zayas: Top now, show down, really. But uh, what Stanley here is saying is that what I'm doing is showing these guys that those three things don't necessarily define who you are as a man.

[30:44] David Zayas: Of course they do.

[30:46] Matthew McLachlan: Right, okay. Well, uh, what I'm saying is maybe they know, I know. Maybe you can do whatever you want to do, as long as it makes you happy.

[30:59] David Zayas: Maybe there are other things besides your stream that you want to do that might not be considered manly. That's okay.

[31:08] Matthew McLachlan: Other things?

[31:09] David Zayas: What other things?

[31:10] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, like I don't know, uh weaving fabrics, picking flowers, spending time at home with the kids, stuff like that.

[31:19] David Zayas: Woman things?

[31:21] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, let's see. Okay, uh, let's let's talk about that comment for a second. Those baby things that are typically done by women, right? But what if I were to tell you that there's nothing wrong with a man doing that?

[31:35] David Zayas: I would say you are mad.

[31:38] Matthew McLachlan: Interesting, because I see women doing all the things you say make a man.

[31:43] David Zayas: What?

[31:44] Matthew McLachlan: He speaks of our shield maidens.

[31:45] David Zayas: What shield maidens, right? Also frightening.

[31:50] Matthew McLachlan: You want them do man things, but is that okay for men to do what you call women things?

[31:58] David Zayas: Guys. What's wrong with men getting up to nothing?

[32:10] Matthew McLachlan: Exactly!

[32:11] David Zayas: Nothing!

[32:12] Matthew McLachlan: Nothing! You both can do any of those things as long as it makes you happy, and it doesn't make you any less of a man!

[32:19] David Zayas: Whoa, look at you, big job, man!

[32:24] Matthew McLachlan: Enough of this! I will hear no more of this childish talk!

[32:28] David Zayas: It is not childish talk, it is wise. It has made the men become less cruel and more understanding.

[32:34] Matthew McLachlan: It is truly a side rather. We are Vikings, you dumb beetle! We are supposed to be cruel!

[32:41] David Zayas: But here you stand telling me this this slave has changed our people's very nature, and that does not bother you.

[32:49] Matthew McLachlan: Sounds to me like he is a trickster in disguise. Perhaps he is even Loki in disguise, tricking your hearts and minds to make the men of Odin soft and weak.

[33:01] David Zayas: Did you not think of that?

[33:04] Matthew McLachlan: He is not Loki! He's Kevin. And he has helped the entire village grow work together.

[33:12] David Zayas: But you would not know that because you I don't want you hit the fountain.

[33:15] Matthew McLachlan: I never come down to the village.

[33:18] David Zayas: Why would I come to the village when you are then? Hmm? And I swore never to see your pig face ever again.

[33:22] Matthew McLachlan: Pig face!

[33:26] David Zayas: You have a pig face.

[33:27] Matthew McLachlan: I do not, you have a big face.

[33:29] David Zayas: Well, at least I'm not a goat kisser.

[33:33] Matthew McLachlan: That was only once!

[33:37] David Zayas: Hey guys! Chill for a second, okay?

[33:43] Matthew McLachlan: Jeez, you people go from zero to murder like a second around here.

[33:48] David Zayas: I'm confused. I thought you were such friends.

[33:51] Matthew McLachlan: Apparently I was mistaken.

[33:52] David Zayas: Oh, you know that you were.

[33:54] Matthew McLachlan: You were mistaken after what you pulled.

[33:56] David Zayas: Come now, this again.

[33:57] Matthew McLachlan: Yes, this again!

[34:00] David Zayas: What did nothing?

[34:01] Matthew McLachlan: Sorry about that.

[34:02] David Zayas: Nothing?

[34:03] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, I really should bury my axe ignore score!

[34:06] David Zayas: Go ahead and try!

[34:07] Matthew McLachlan: Hey guys! Come on! Let's just put this out, okay? Can we do that?

[34:14] David Zayas: Doctor?

[34:19] Matthew McLachlan: Okay. Good.

[34:23] David Zayas: Now, Breton. You're clearly very upset with Santa on something, right?

[34:39] Matthew McLachlan: He betrayed me.

[34:40] David Zayas: Oh, I did not betray you did.

[34:45] Matthew McLachlan: Okay, I don't like this. Paul's like me at birthday crop.

[34:49] David Zayas: Okay.

[34:51] Matthew McLachlan: We're pause.

[35:03] David Zayas: Wait, stop, man. Don't come up here.

[35:07] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, wait, he's like a second. You get up here, you start acting like the old you!

[35:11] David Zayas: Oh, stay, stall stands, staff! There are so many balls! Send Come on! You don't want to go backwards now, do you?

[35:20] Matthew McLachlan: Maybe not.

[35:21] David Zayas: Okay, good. That's what I want to hear. Now I want you to say the motto that I thought.

[35:28] Matthew McLachlan: Do I want to?

[35:29] David Zayas: Come on! You said you want to be here because you might need my helping guidance. So here it is. Come on. I want to hear it.

[35:40] Matthew McLachlan: Well, respect others is what they have to say. And I will not allow shout out if I do not like your words.

[35:51] David Zayas: That's right, see? Do not all dance. So let's go back there and make some real problems, okay?

[35:59] Matthew McLachlan: Okay.

[36:00] David Zayas: Great. And remember, you don't strike.

[36:07] Matthew McLachlan: Alright. Now, uh Bradle here, see you betrayed him in some way or another. Is there any reason he might think that?

[36:22] David Zayas: Meg.

[36:26] Matthew McLachlan: Perhaps. Our village hosts a large festival to the gods.

[36:33] David Zayas: Every hundred moon cycle. Only a select few are chosen by the village elders to attend.

[36:39] Matthew McLachlan: It is a great honor to be chosen, and I had the honor of being picked.

[36:43] David Zayas: What?

[36:44] Matthew McLachlan: Hey, that is great!

[36:46] David Zayas: Yes, I agree.

[36:48] Matthew McLachlan: Thank you.

[36:51] David Zayas: So, after all the participants were chosen, the elders told us we were allowed to bring one guest with us to the festival, and I asked Bretell if he would be my guest.

[37:01] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, that's so nice. But wasn't really bringing him as a guest.

[37:06] David Zayas: I was bringing him uh more as uh as a what?

[37:13] Matthew McLachlan: Uh a sacrifice! He was bringing to the festival as a sacrifice without telling me.

[37:21] David Zayas: I know, I know that's not something we do. Sorry, boys. I admit I should not have been deceptive.

[37:30] Matthew McLachlan: I did not mean to be cruel, I swear it.

[37:33] David Zayas: How is sacrificing me to the gods without my knowledge not cruel?

[37:38] Matthew McLachlan: Oh nay, nay, nay, nay, nay. I want you to tell him I want you to tell me right here and now what on Midgard made you believe that doing that was anything other than low, cruel, and hella unworthy betrayal, Sven.

[37:55] David Zayas: Go on! I want you to finally tell me after all this time.

[38:05] Matthew McLachlan: You are a coward and a betrayer. You have wasted enough of my time. Now take your useless slave and get out of my sight.

[38:17] David Zayas: I never want to see your face here ever again.

[38:23] Matthew McLachlan: You were the only one that was worthy.

[38:25] David Zayas: What?

[38:27] Matthew McLachlan: You were the only one that was worthy. I I did not want anyone else.

[38:31] David Zayas: I I I didn't understand.

[38:35] Matthew McLachlan: Me either. When I was chosen for the festival, the elders told us of all the wonderful things the festival would hold for us, all the pleasures and joys we would experience.

[38:46] David Zayas: But they told us that the greatest reward was not for us, but for someone else.

[38:51] Matthew McLachlan: For the person we cared about most deeply. The elders were to perform a ritual.

[38:57] David Zayas: That would be open.

[39:01] Matthew McLachlan: It would open one of the many doors to Valha itself. And whomever we brought would be sacrificed and given the gift of endless riches and forever dining with the gods.

[39:17] David Zayas: They gave us one hour to decide, but I knew immediately it was you.

[39:21] Matthew McLachlan: I said, Gretel's been my best friend since we were boys. He did my greatest ally on the battlefield. There is no person who I would want to have this reward than my best friend, Bret.

[39:32] David Zayas: But every time I went to tell you, I felt uncertain.

[39:35] Matthew McLachlan: Uncertain that you didn't feel the same way about our friendship. I worried you just thought it was another man in the shield wall.

[39:43] David Zayas: And so the moons came and went, and before I could tell you, we were standing there at the festival, and you were looking at me with all of Helheim in your eyes and starting to fight your way out, and I never forgave myself.

[39:56] Matthew McLachlan: Now, was it honorable to bring you as a sacrifice without your knowledge? Nay.

[40:18] Matthew McLachlan: But I will tell you this, my friend. If I could go back, I'd go back a thousand times and always choose you.

[40:26] Matthew McLachlan: Because you are the greatest thing in my life. That I am sure.

[40:31] David Zayas: Oh.

[40:35] Matthew McLachlan: Ah. What is this feeling? It's like it's like warm ale coursing through my body on a winter's day.

[40:42] David Zayas: That's love.

[40:46] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. Right alone, I'm sorry for betraying you and offering you as a sacrifice without your knowledge. My intentions were pure, but I was a fool in my actions.

[40:55] Matthew McLachlan: I hope one day you can forgive me.

[40:59] David Zayas: I uh I don't do I do forgive you.

[41:13] Matthew McLachlan: Yay, and perhaps it is I'm sorry, you know. I was often angry and distant and I should have shown you, but I always thought of you as a true friend.

[41:25] David Zayas: Nay.

[41:26] Matthew McLachlan: A brother.

[41:32] David Zayas: I'm brother.

[41:34] Matthew McLachlan: Will you forgive me?

[41:36] David Zayas: I do I do forgive you.

[41:47] Matthew McLachlan: Okay.

[41:53] David Zayas: That's a beautiful view.

[41:57] Matthew McLachlan: Hey, you two take your time.

[42:00] David Zayas: Okay, I'll I'll just be over here if you need me.

[42:11] Matthew McLachlan: You will write about that one. He truly is remarkable.

[42:16] David Zayas: That's yes.

[42:17] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, what was the land you raided called?

[42:19] David Zayas: Ah, Brooklyn.

[42:21] Matthew McLachlan: Ah Brooklyn.

[42:38] David Zayas: All of these pieces are directed today by David Zayas.

[42:48] Matthew McLachlan: So come on up here.

[42:57] David Zayas: Yeah.

[42:57] Matthew McLachlan: Hey.

[43:01] David Zayas: Okay. So thank you for sharing those with us.

[43:04] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. Today. Do you mind if I go ahead and call you one sit Mike?

[43:09] David Zayas: Yeah.

[43:10] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. Thanks, Dad. Uh yeah, I'd like to think so. So yeah, these are fantastic. You had you had mentioned to me that these were sort of like you had you had written your first collection, and then this is sort of the stuff that you've amassed since then. So can you talk to me about what the process was on the first collection and then how this selection came together?

[43:33] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, so I kind of stumbled into writing in the first place. Acting first. Took a class to just generate my own material. And I realized in the class I wanted to write more than perform the material that I wrote. And from there I had this one act, couple one acts that were not very good, but one that felt personal. And I wrote some monologues based off those characters, and that became my play Orion. And in that theater company that was helping me produce that, they're like, Great. So other actors have auditions or they want more material. Can you write for this person? Or this person's very specific. So I was like, well, instead of just generating this one one act in these monologues that were about to break up and not the most jovial of things.

So I thought, eh, I'll write something silly, like someone confronting their boss about making fun of them farting when it was actually the seat cushion squeaking. And uh I was like, well, okay, change of pace. This is funny. This guy Scott will write it, it'd be really great. And we're um the theater company were all gathered together, and this girl Molly says, Can I read that? I was like, Oh, yeah, absolutely. And so then she we started like passing it around to see who could do that. And from there, I just went, I wanted to write for everyone. I started amassing these monologues, and then they're like, Well, I have a character idea. Can we put them? So then I just started making one acts.

So in between each one act or or in between each play or project, I would write some one acts and monologues, and then it just became, well, I have a whole bunch just sitting on my laptop. I don't know what to do with it. And um someone mentioned self-publishing, and I just was like, Well, how do you do that? And I did. So I just found out how to do it. And so now I started planning all of these collections of one acts and other things you may or may not enjoy. And uh I figured every like six years, I'll have enough material to put out a new book for a while.

[45:47] David Zayas: Yeah. And you you mentioned we had talked about this upstairs a bit as well, that you wrote the monologue for your friend Scott to perform. And then Molly comes along and says, That's funny, can I do it? And a number of these, and even as I'm sitting over here to do stage directions, I'm seeing that the character listed is person. And then you've you've got a one act that is character one, character two, character three. Right. Uh so I wanted to talk about because as we mentioned, like I'm trying to do this, and I see more writers trying to do this, writing gender neutral characters.

[46:21] Matthew McLachlan: Sure. Yeah. So what's what's your process? Like how much is it intentional and how much is it you just realize that the gender doesn't matter to a certain character that you're writing?

[46:32] Matthew McLachlan: Well, I would say with full plays, there's still some fluidity with that, but I want to be specific with who this person dive into the deep end of who this person is. But when it comes to one acts and monologues, I just want to write from a place of what I want to talk about, if it's something painful about having all these wants or not wants or it's whatever, anyone anyone can do it. Honestly, the murph was only because I thought Murf and Marv. But I just found tapping into the universality of things, like the embarrassment of someone making you feel like embarrassed for everyone for farting or not farting, or or hurt or shame or whatever. So I'm just tapping into what that feeling is, and everyone goes through that.

[47:26] David Zayas: Yeah, you know, so as far as making it gender specific, I feel like that's a layer on top. And for longer pieces, it's like that that person can round that out, but for the most part, I don't think it's that important sometimes.

[47:41] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. I don’t think so. And I don't I don't I don't think so. And I don't make a I don't ever want to make a big deal of it. I'd love that I can hand most of these pieces to literally everyone here, and they could do them. You have handled these pieces. I hear they have to buy it on the end.

[47:59] David Zayas: Um speaking of everyone here, I'd like to open this up. I don't know how many of you are here because you know Matthew, you you've read or seen his previous work, or you just came because you were like new place in monologues. I have auditions. And anyone have any questions here for Matthew?

[48:16] Audience Member: Yes.

[48:17] Matthew McLachlan: I don't think you write a great quote of my fruit experience.

[48:22] Audience Member: Well, did I already hear it back?

[48:25] Matthew McLachlan: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's uh I'm like, oh, that's vulnerable as fun. Oh, I you know, and it it feels even hearing it in in succession and a lot of or reading it all because I'm like, oh, I'll read a monologue that I have, it's on my computer, I can open it. But now it's just the next page. I'm like a lot of a lot of stuff about specific things, you know. I mean, lots of therapy, so we're working through it, but it does it, it it also is a great snapshot of where I was when I wrote it. So it's not always gonna be, oh, look at those body issues, or I've worked through that. So even in the old collection of one accent monologues, I go, I'm so glad that's not my feeling anymore, but it is a good little time piece for that.

[49:18] Matthew McLachlan: Oh my, I was thinking about this. All my full lengths are are super personal or have something, pardon me in that, but I think the monologues, there's something about how I feel right now, and I can get it done in that day, and I can create something, and that's how I feel in the moment, and maybe an hour later I don't, but it's this is a true thing that's everyone could probably read and go like I felt that at one point. So and there's a little there's a little less thinking about how page two relates to page 60 and making sure it's oh god, yeah.

[49:50] David Zayas: Yeah, and especially the the chemical release of I wanted to, I did, and it's done. And that's nice, instead of I wanted to, I think I did.

[49:59] Matthew McLachlan: Fuck. Yeah, for eight months. So I wanted to, it stayed in my head for a month, and I said I'm writing this new play. Well, not really writing it yet, I'm thinking about writing this.

[50:09] David Zayas: Yeah, or everyone's like, you said you're starting the next project three months ago.

[50:14] Matthew McLachlan: I gotta do.

[50:16] David Zayas: Yeah, I I played so many of those scenes of dialogue out in the shower.

[50:20] Matthew McLachlan: Yes, yes, yeah.

[50:21] Audience Member: Question here.

[50:22] Audience Member: Uh yeah, I was asked uncle on that break. Which one's the last one you start of all of them?

[50:30] Matthew McLachlan: Of all of the pieces.

[50:33] Matthew McLachlan: Oh god.

[50:35] Matthew McLachlan: Table of content. We got our prop copy. I wrote a book. Um I think the very first was the one act uh guardian.

[50:46] Matthew McLachlan: So I think I started it off with that, and then uh I think the monologue 10 pounds, and then from there it was um one act one after another. So Guardian was um, I just finished the last collection, and then I wrote this. It's like, oh well, that's gonna be an excellent.

[51:12] David Zayas: Yeah, we have in the back series uh about C and you're like, oh, that's pretty cool.

[51:24] Matthew McLachlan: That's someone hard to be like I do, yeah. I have uh uh a boss who's a writer, and he he says the term hard humor and humanity a lot, and I don't always enjoy a lot of the straight comedy shows a lot of times. If I do, it's something that you can relate to, or like, oh wow, what a great moment that was when it's just surface level of comedy the whole time. I'm never that it's like a lot of like too much sweetness to me.

[51:52] Matthew McLachlan: So as far as specific shows, I think he does that really well, just something like a Ted Lasso uh thing track. Oh, I care for these people, and it's funny, and I I uh relate to that a lot. I I think there's a a huge shift in the last 10 to 15 years from death, cancer, and infidelity being the the conflict of every single play or something, or then it's very bigger issues these days, but it's because most people aren't like this will drive 90 minutes of live theater of like, hey, I have this feeling, but there are a lot of playwrights who sprinkle in heart, humor, and humanity, and some fucked up myths. Becca Brunsetter is one of my favorites. She's so great at having grounded human characters. Even uh Brandon Jacobs Jenkins, who writes the most fucked up stuff.

[52:44] Matthew McLachlan: That's so great. But it's it's a couple of weeks ago. He was like, You should read these two plays by Brandon Jacobs Jenkins. Oh, okay. And he came and he was like, Oh, you're reading. I was like, You've ruined my life.

[52:54] David Zayas: Yeah.

[52:55] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. Um, but they are happy. They're happy. And you did that to me.

[53:01] David Zayas: You're welcome.

[53:02] Matthew McLachlan: Thank you. And I'll think of a million things the second I stopped answering English.

[53:07] David Zayas: But anything that I feel I can I can grab onto and get to know the people while also being funny.

[53:14] Audience Member: Even a lot of dramas that I'm like, oh, this is so funny, but you wouldn't know that it keeps it light.

[53:21] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, I am in question.

[53:26] Audience Member: This is my my question, really is you know, you're writing a lot of these monologues, one X. The process of turning it into a book or a collection of these kind of like potentially scattered ideas, or do you, or did you purposely like try and find even like uh some kind of thematic through it? Was that part of your is that part of your thinking? When you do a collection, do you work with someone to put a collection together? Like, what is that process like?

[53:57] Matthew McLachlan: I I think it's I think it's what's great about it is that really all I have at that time. So I I did the first book, and then just for this one, it was okay. Let me see what I have. Okay, I have six, seven, one X. I have all these monologues, maybe two that I currently have didn't make it into this. And I just thought, you know what? Where do they land on the charts? That's who I am in there. So I didn't want to make it about something specific or or or guide it to a specific thing. You go from really heartfelt or really uncomfortable to really funny and Vikings and these things.

[54:41] Matthew McLachlan: So I think I think the lack of that is was my favorite part. It's like this is all of me. It goes from you don't know, you're not going to get the same same thing. I don't like being predictable in that way. Um so I just kind of grabbed what I had. And like this is this is what I got. There's nothing on my laptop that you don't see that isn't in the books yet. So uh for now. And it's all me. I mean, I did I I there are companies that send us the material in a word document, and we can format it like a play and send us pictures and things, and then we'll design the cover if you want. But I just oh, this one should go here, this one should go here. Like, is there a thought probably like like putting an album together?

Totally was there a thought totally because it there were some that are thematically similar, and there's even there are two one acts that one I wrote um for a theater company fundraiser where they got me really drunk and they made me fight it in 10 minutes in there. Don't worry, errors and all. So all of them is five minutes on there. And then that was like that was a decent idea, but I have a better version of that. So both are in there, and you can see how they're similar. So I'm like, oh, that's kind of a cool, interesting thing. But I wanted to see the the order in which that should be in the one acts, like, okay. Someone the because I'm very much the we've talked about this many times, the music lover of okay, we go from this vibe to this, and what can you get out of it?

Well, how do we end on this stuff? And it's art. And and you talked about coming off of that, you talked about how Orion started as a series of monologues that you're playing with for characters, and then that turned into a play.

[56:26] David Rigano: Yeah. Do you ever start a one act and think maybe this could be a full length? Are you holding any but not publishing any because you might expand them or might any in here?

[56:37] Matthew McLachlan: I have a pretty I have a pretty good sense of what I'm uncovering, how how what what's underneath? And there have been a few times where I've been surprised, and I thought there's more here. But for the most part, I know what I'm trying to say or why I'm writing it. Yeah. And I know this almost instinctually, like if I think of an idea, I go, usually it's play, film, or comic book. And like I will almost know immediately which one it will become. And then I get more specific. Oh, it's a play, it what is it? Is that if that that has enough gas to be, you know, I I um I think a good way to answer that is um George R. Martin says, um writers are either gardeners or architects, and gardeners will have an idea, they'll write it and they keep going, and they'll have like 10-15 pages, and then they'll know what they're writing, so then they'll throw those away and then start and then keep going and trim and trim and trim, and then replay it.

Architects will get an idea, they'll see it and they'll like kind of know the layout, and it might change as they go and are crafting it, but they're like, Oh, okay, then this should go here. So that means this scene would happen if that's here. So whenever I think of an idea, I just kind of see what the size is. And usually I'm like, that's gonna be 15 minutes for sure. Um and you know, if there are ones people want to, if I heard it once or heard a million times, how many sequels people want for toxic North Sculinity? If I could, I would, and we'll see. I I'd watch it. I know I yeah, yeah.

[58:15] David Rigano: And then when you approach it, do you have a different way that you approach a one act versus the way that you approach a full-length play?

[58:25] Matthew McLachlan: I know the full length is gonna be longer. And usually with the idea, and I have like two or three that just kind of sit in my head, and whenever something comes up and I have a notes thing on my phone, and I just have a scroll for literally like 20 times before you get to the bottom. And so I just dump all that there, and so I just constantly so when I'm ready, I will then go through it, and I'll see. So one act, I might have that, but for the most part, I have the idea. I might I might be like, oh, this one act, I have a one act notes thing, my phone, and I might have a really long paragraph about that one thing, but the the full length, I just have something where I just dump all the ideas.

If I think about it, even sometimes I repeat the idea, I forgot I wrote it down, but that's fine. I just have it. So uh it's almost like a cheat sheet for that. So it's not too different, it's the sort of process is always okay, you know, fresh new yellow yellow pad, and and start writing and don't don't think set a timer and go.

[59:28] David Rigano: What what's your out of curiosity? What's your set of time or what's your chunk?

[59:33] Matthew McLachlan: So it depends on what it is. Usually it's whatever I feel comfortable doing, like 20 minutes, I'll make it 25 or 30. Yeah, and that sucks to do, and then I'm about to hit it. I'm like, I should clean my room. And my kitchen is never cleaner than when I have to clean it right, right? Yeah, yeah. I'm like, I should go for a walk and think about it more for two years. I should look into the kitchen. And it's uh it's usually 25 to 30 minutes. 25. 30 is scary. 25 is great. Uh-huh. And what's great is when it's five minutes more. Usually I'm comfortable doing 20. It's 25. I more often than not, the timer will go off and I will hit restart. So I'll go like twice, probably. Because then you're in a float.

[01:00:24] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah. And what I do is I'll get the gill pad, and if I'm starting from scratch, that's great. If not, if I'm starting in the middle of it where like I just got up here and the characters are talking in front of a crowd, and then there's nothing else, then I just sit with the lap read the last couple pages, and then I kind of sit with it for a little bit and then hit start, and then I just go. And I don't think neck down. Just you know, I'm just writing, writing, writing, and don't do not stop. Then I always thought when people said, and then the characters said a thing I didn't expect. I'm like, you're an asshole. Like they didn't, and then I'm like, oh my god, my character said something great.

So um I've had one of those, like one big one that like in school, and I'd come in and they'd be like, Oh, what did Susan say this week? I'm like, you don't need one on a you don't want to know what's Susan's. Yes, she just I'll send you that one. Yeah, but sometimes you'd be like, whoa, okay. Yeah, and it might not be right, whatever, but then you finish, you have pages of stuff to then think of. So then you and you're a you're a buy you're a legal pad.

[01:01:24] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, my handwriting looks like a drunk baby. It's terrible. It's it's awful, but it's you just write that's that's called poor man's copyright. That's yeah, yeah, yeah. No one's gonna so it's it's helpful to there's something about like or heart to hand to page, and you're not thinking, it's like great acting, you're not thinking, you're just going, you know, you have it in your body to it. So then you have the pages to go, okay. This is solid, this can be reworded, and then I just write it on the thick. So then, like sometimes I've written a thing, I'm like, I just transcribed from the page, I'm like, okay, that was the monologue, done. And sometimes like that doesn't work, this whole page is garbage, but at least I have something to pull from.

And I just do that over and over and over to the end of time. Yeah, that's it. That's a little bit more. Yeah, and then you rewrite and then you have the scene, and you might not look at the scene, you just like don't even look at it, and you just start over.

[01:02:20] David Rigano: Well, I think we got time.

[01:02:21] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Yeah, one more right here. Are you guided by like mysticism or spirituality in any way? Because I host a lot of like spirituality things throughout the the little phrase that we got.

[01:02:32] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah, well, for the manifestation, right? Wait till you read the guardian one. Right, really, I was all too. Yeah, guardian angel being fired. And um I have always loved I've always loved those like traditions where I was raised evangelical, so I was baptized in it. So uh, but uh I was always so literal, so I was always like, So where was the war in heaven? What where did so where is that? So everyone's like, stop asking questions. So I just was always fascinated by that. Norse mythology, loved that. And then going into therapy and self-help and hearing these things from all my friends. What you know, you should and then wanting to do those things while being a human and being frustrated. I'm like, if I could manifest it, I would.

And um, so I think the the love for those stories, those wisdom stories from years and years and years, is it's always there. But for me, it's I am in that sense of saying the the term divine timing a lot these days. So yeah, yeah. So I'm just like, whatever that is, and a little just let it happen, be a good person, and um yeah, working yourself. That's fine. Thanks.

[01:03:55] Mark-Eugene Garcia: I saw a question over there a while ago. If we can do one more, boom, boom.

[1:04:09] Matthew McLachlan: It depends on the person.

[01:04:11] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Um that's great because you got like your main collaborator here.

[01:04:14] Matthew McLachlan: I do, he's so lazy, and I do everything. It's um no, it's what's great is we're we're best friends, and with directors, and that will not always be the case, but what's wonderful? I've had a wonderful situation every time where it's someone who's very invested in the work and the words and the play that I did earlier this year off Broadway, deeply deeply personal. And the director, DJ was co-director on that, came in and was was very um understanding with that. So it wasn't I wasn't a precious delicate flower, but they knew that this was a feat for me to even show people, and with material I will come in I will shoot for DJ because he's done my all my work the last two years um very much a trusting of the actors let them do their thing and then guide a little bit and um I'm of the mindset of the school of the director runs the room he he runs the room and so if I say anything their actors say anything I will always go DJ correct me if I'm wrong and so then there's some directors who who will say talk to me first and then on the break and then we can give those notes our relationship is so wonderful and it bleeds over in he's like you just tell them your notes and he will also say you don't need this line think about this and even to the point now where I'm jumping back into writing a lot more one X and monologues I'm like I have this idea he's like oh cool and we just flesh it out so he almost becomes a collaborate collaborator because we we know a lot of times what the other person will will think or say or will riff back and forth but um that's a very fair relationship and I'm very lucky to have him.

[1:04:51] David Rigano: And then you're heading into workshops with with your next plays which is a whole other relationship with the director to the piece don't go in towards the money and sometimes you meet the director after they get hired when you get into Broadway.

[01:06:36] And so since you brought it up, my the very last thing that I'm gonna leave us with is uh any chance that we're gonna see this goddamn house published done on our shelves anytime soon.

[01:06:44] Matthew McLachlan: Yeah.

[01:06:44] Matthew McLachlan: You know, I would love that. Uh I I am over self-publishing for a little while. We'll see. I will say that I have Googled many uh publishing houses to today, and every single one is like, you don't have an agent? Don't you dare! I'm like, okay, well, you know what I'm gonna do? Manifest it.

[01:06:46] David Rigano: Um.

[01:07:14] Mark-Eugene Garcia: So uh, what's next on the podcast, Mark?

[01:07:16] David Rigano: Well, next week on the podcast, we have a very flashy episode.

[01:07:20] Mark-Eugene Garcia: What are you getting at?

[01:07:21] David Rigano: Next week, we have a conversation with the riders of the lightning thief, the Percy Jackson musical. Yes, Joe Trace. And Rob Rikiki. And we had a great audience of Percy Jackson fans. So if you ever want to join us in person, we have events every week.

[01:07:35] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Every week.

[01:07:36] David Rigano: We have a lot of events coming up. You can follow us on social media at drama bookshop. Or you can follow our event page on Eventbrite. If you subscribe there, you'll always know when we have an event coming up. So we are looking forward to seeing you soon.

[01:07:48] Mark-Eugene Garcia: And we will see you at the bookshop.