Evil Is As Evil Does
My play “Dying Like Ignacio” may not have gone on so well with the cast.
Scene from “Dying Like Ignacio”
A few years ago I wrote a play on commission, Dying Like Ignacio.
My super-good friend Tommy Ranizewski, who had seen my first play “The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant,” liked the way I wrote dialogue and asked me if I would be interested in writing a play based on an event that personally happened to him.
He and his friend Nathan Garcia would produce it, through their company Willow Mill Productions, and we would stage it as an Equity Showcase production for 14 performances in New York City at the Workshop Theater's main stage at 312 W. 36th Street.
Who was I to say no? I was very excited about it.
The plot was based on an encounter he had with a very frightening man who threatened him to the point where he thought he might be injured, so it was going to be a pretty dark story. We went to work on hammering out the plot.
I did the writing and the Director Karen Case Cook joined in with Tommy and Nathan to help develop the plot. It was a pretty difficult process. We’d come up with a story line, and I’d get to work writing it. I would take it back to them for review and we’d revised from there.
It was a great collaborative process, and I really enjoyed it. It didn’t take long to finish, a few months. Then we had a table reading, and revised the play from notes we received from some friends we invited to listen and comment.
Scott Sickles, who is a long time writer for Days of Our Lives, was a tremendous help with the dramaturg. Everyone was very impressed at how quickly we completed it and scheduled it for production.
Here's how the story goes. On the surface, it’s a cautionary tale about going home with the very wrong stranger. Below the surface, however, it is a drama about the depth of relationships and genuine love between friends.
It’s set in modern-day New York, and is a psychological drama that explores the evolving relationships between two life-long friends; one an actor, Michael, the other a NYC police detective, Carlos.
When the detective marries a sexy and caring wife, Maureen, she is included in their circle of friendhip. A friendship that is undermined by the actor's new boyfriend, John, who seduces him pulls him into a dark world of S&M.
Michael meets the handsome stranger one night outside a theater. He accepts the stranger’s invitation to go to his apartment for a drink, which winds up being much more than a drink. It’s the beginning of a very sick relationship.
John takes control, and Michael falls under the spell of his sinister machinations. Becoming obsessed with his new friend,Michael moves in with him, which begins both a physical and spiritual seduction that ushers the young actor into a nightmare.
Michael falls under the spell of John’s sinister machinations
Meanwhile, Carlos and Maureen become increasingly concerned with the relationship, and delve into the background of Michael's new lover. They find out he has a shady past and attempt to separate them to no avail.
The tension builds as we, along with the detective, come to the horrible suspicion that he is possibly a serial killer. In the meantime Michael is unwittingly enlisted to find victims for his ritual killings.
Maureen finally confronts him, and he violently turns on her, rapes her with plans to kill both her and her Carlos. Michael shows up just in time to save the day. Pretty dark.
The rehearsals really affected the Director and cast. Karen is a classy, educated woman with an artist’s sensibility, and I guess it was too much because when it was over, she told me she’d never direct such a dark play again. It wore on her and the cast.
I wasn’t there on a daily basis. I just popped in from time to time to see how it was going and make changes. As rehearsals progressed I noticed a cold attitude toward me growing from the cast. I didn’t think I was there around often enough to offend anyone. By the time the show ended, I felt like they were looking at me like I was Charlie Manson.
The play was too dark apparently, and I guess they felt I was evil for creating such a story. Writing, directing a play usually results in everyone growing closer and developing friendships, if not long term, at least for the brief period or so that the production runs. Not this time.
It was a solid play, and the actors did a good job. I thought it was a successful production, but once the show was over, everyone sort of slinked out. I haven’t been in touch with any of the except Tommy Ranizewski.
It could be that I’m make it all up about how they felt about me, but I think not. I think they decided that for me to write such dark and violent script, there must some kind of evil in me.
If so, Hollywood is full of psychopathic screen writers. Look at Stephen King, a novelist and a screen writer. He is creepy looking guy, but as far as I have heard, pretty normal. Not killing anyone. Or Quentin Tarantino. How many characters has he killed in the most awful ways? I’m not comparing my talent to theirs, but I wonder if they get the same kind of shade thrown at them. I think not.
When you produce a creative work, you are sensitive to people’s reaction or non-reaction to it. You put yourself out there to be judged, which is why I suppose most people don’t try. Tough biz, that show biz.
But an enormous thank you to Tommy, Karen, Nate and the cast for plugging through it. We put together a play that ran in the Big Apple. Quite a personal and group accomplishment.
Cast, director & writer (back l to r) Michael Basile, Thomas Raniszewki, Jeff Hathcoat, Louis Mascolo (front) Meredith Lark, Karen Case Cook, , Director
It’s available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle if you’re interested , Dying Like Ignacio.
From our review by Raymond Helkio. Read the entire review here: Dying Like Ignacio -As Moving As It Is Disturbing
Mascolo weaves a tale of passion and suspense in which the limits of friendship are challenged, the consequences of sacrifice are questioned and the line between of obsession abuse are drawn.