maurice martin : : freelance journalist & playwright

Michael Merino

Last year’s Play in a Day did not go well for Team Woolly Mammoth. For some reason, Lisa, Michael, and I thought we should split the playwriting duties. But rather than building on each other’s talents, we quickly sank to our least common denominators.

The result was “Cooking with Lesbians.” If you saw the performance, I apologize. Actually, I should apologize just for the title. I’m sorry. Really. To make amends, here’s a picture of Michael in his playwriting togs.

Tonight, I report to something called “Laugh Riot” in the Bethesda Hilton, where I’ll be given a line of dialog and a prop that have to be incorporated into my script. That name reminds me of comedy clubs back in the 1980s, except that it would have been called “Laff Riot.” Like “Funny Bonez.” Back then, misspellings were supposed to be funny, not emblems of bogus street cred.

Of course, they are neither. It was a simpler time, that’s all I’m saying.

Last night, I finished watching season 3 of Red vs. Blue. So if my play comes out sounding like a cross between “Catch 22″ and “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” that’s why.