I heart creative collaboration (aka Mankind's Last Hope -- starts next Friday!)

Perhaps I've already mentioned that my pal Jeff Green and I co-wrote a post-apocalyptic workplace comedy called Mankind's Last Hope that's being staged and filmed in the SF East Bay (by Virago Theatre Group) starting a week from Friday -- October 26 (with tickets available now)?

When Jeff and I handed the script over, I told the director (Robert Lundy-Paine) that I was hoping to try and stay out of his/their way -- I wanted to let them take it from there.

(1) I'd recently started a new job and knew I wouldn't have much time to help, much less meddle, (2) I really trust the director and Virago, and (3) as a bunch of us saw with the Monkey Vortex experience, there's just something really really really fun and interesting about giving people the freedom to take something you started and make it their own.

Everything about the process so far has really proven that point out. As previously blogged, the director got sometimes Stryper keyboardist Brent Jeffers to produce a beautiful theme song for us. He brought in a choreographer and they collectively reworked a smallish song in the second act into a potentially show-stopping musical number. A great graphic artist pulled together a beautiful poster (see below). Every cast member has added something lovely to their character that I hadn't anticipated. One of them even created a rockin' mini-movie providing a suspenseful slice of backstory for the oft-befuddled "Hank." (also also see below) And there's so much I haven't even seen yet -- the sound/lighting set up, the set, the costumes and makeup, the way they're going film the show with 3 (three!) cameras.

And that's why I'm here to say: I heart creative collaboration.

Something like 30 people have been working away, and I'm really excited to see the results. So let me exhort you to come on out. There -- I exhort you!

(As an added bonus, if you know me well enough for us to engage in financial transactions, drop me an email so I can tell you how I can get you 2 (two!) bucks off the already low regular ticket price of $17....)

-Cecil

The beautiful poster:

A suspenseful backstory movie for (and by) the oft-befuddled Hank: