Playwright Portrait, Young Jean Lee, Excerpt from Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals

The Playwright Young Jean Lee 2007
copyright Peter Bellamy 2010

from the Play: GROUNDWORK OF THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS:

FAH LO SEE:

Everything is fairly clear and straightforward, like on a balcony in bare feet with the stone of the balcony against your face, shot in the back, fallen to the ground with an arrow sticking out of your head.

And I’m sorry to have been such a disappointment to you. I mean that sincerely. But I also feel kind of like, fuck you.

Playwright Portrait, Eric Bogosian, Excerpt from Talk Radio

The Playwright Eric Bogosian 2008
copyright Peter Bellamy 2010

From Talk Radio

Barry: (Into in-studio mike): Kill it, Spike. (0n the air) I’m here. I’m here every night, I come up here every night. This is my job, this is what I do for a living. I come up here and I do the best I can. I give you the best I can. I can’t do better than this. I can’t. I’m only a human being up here. I’m not God. Ummm. A lot of you out there are not…I may not be the most popular guy in the world. That’s not the point. I really don’t care what you think of me. I mean who the hell are you anyways? (Beat)You—audience—you call me up and you try to tell me things about myself. You don’t know me. You don’t know anything about me. You’ve never seen me. You don’t know what I look like, You know who I am. What I want. What I like, what I don’t like in this world. I’m just a voice. A voice crying in the wilderness. And you like a pack of baying wolves, descend on me, because you can’t stand facing what it is you are and what you’ve made. Yes the world is a terrible place. Yes cancer and garbage disposals will get you! Yes, war is coming. Yes the world is shot to hell and you’re all goners. Everything’s screwed up and you like it that way, don’t you? You’re fascinated by the gory details. You’re mesmerized by your own fear! You revel in the floods and car accidents and terrorist attacks and unstoppable diseases. You’re happiest when others are in pain. And that’s where I come in, isn’t it? I’m here to lead you though the dark forest of your own hatred and anger and humiliation. I’m providing a public service. You’re so scared. You’re like little children under the covers afraid of the bogeyman, but you can’t live with out him. Your fear, your own lives have become entertainment. (Beat) Monday night, millions of people are going to be listening to this show. AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT. Marvelous technology is at you disposal and instead of reaching up for new heights, we try to see how far down we can go. How deep in the muck we can immerse ourselves, What do we want to talk about? Baseball scores? Your pets? Orgasms? You’re pathetic. I despise each and every one of you. You’ve got nothing. Nothing, absolutely nothing. No brains. No power. No future. No hope. No God (Beat)The only thing you believe in is me, is me. What are you if you don’t’ have me?
Because I’m not afraid, see. I come up here every night. And I make my case. I make my point. I say what I believe in. I have to. I have no choice. You frighten me. So I come u p here and I try to tell you the truth. I tear into you. I abuse you, I Insult you. And you just keep calling. Why do you keep coming back? What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to hear anymore. Go away. Bunch of Yellow-bellied, spineless. Bigoted, quivering, drunken, isomniatic, paranoid, disgusting, perverted, voyeuristic, little obscene phone callers. That’s what you are. (beat) Well to hell with ya… I don’t need your fear and your stupidity. You don’t get it. It,s wasted on you. Pearls before swine! (Beat) If just one person out there had any idea what I’m talking about!… Fred you’re on.

Playwright Portrait, Craig Lucas, Excerpt from Prayer For My Enemy

The Playwright Craig Lucas 2009
copyright Peter Bellamy 2010

from Prayer For My Enemy:


Billy. (unfolds a piece of paper) This was in Dad’s—we found this in his things. He would write these out; I walked in on him once by mistake and saw him on his knees, head bowed, reading from a slip of paper. This is … (reads) “God. Love, guide and protect those who would seem to harm me … To the Iraqi – citizen, soldier and insurgent – grant peace of mind, long life, prosperity; anything and everything I would wish for myself, give to him. Or her. A sense of purpose, of fit. May he wake up to life’s bounty and know he does your bidding. Give him passion, delight, worthy challenges, wisdom and surprise. May he never come to make or inhabit a land so indecent as the one that lives in me. May he bask … ” You know he had his thesaurus for that. “May he bask in your perfection and be complete in all ways, to your design. Amen.”

The Playwright Portrait Project

Tarell Alvin McCraney 2009
Peter Bellamy copyright 2010

Exhibition

14 playwrights
14 excerpts
14 days
Starting April 5

day one: Craig Lucas
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-craig-lucas.html
day two: Sarah Ruhl
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-sarah-ruhl.html
day three: Eric Bogosian
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/barry-into-in-studio-mike-kill-it-spike.html
day four: Young Jean Lee
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-young-jean-lee.html
day five: John Guare
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-john-guare.htmlday six: Sheila Callaghan 2007http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-sheila-callaghan.html
day seven: Richard Foreman
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-play-zamboid-1-deep-voice.htmlday eight: Sally Oswald
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-sally-oswald.html
day nine: Edward Albee
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-edward-albee.html
day ten: Thomas Bradshaw
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwriight-thomas-bradshaw.htmlday eleven: Lenora Champagne
spot.com/2010/04/playwright-lenora-champagne.html
day twelve: David Lindsay-Abaire
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-david-lindsay-abaire.html
day thirteen: Elizabeth Swados
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-elizabeth-swados.htmlday fourteen: Tarell Alvin McCraney
http://pswbportaiture.blogspot.com/2010/04/playwright-tarell-alvin-mccraney.html

Easter, My Own Personal Jesus

Willmore Wilderness, Alberta, Canada, 2002
Peter Bellamy Copyright 2010

My own personal Jesus is married to Mary Magdalene. Much like the first time he is betrayed by a kiss and when he dies, he is released to the earth and his passing is barely noticed.  His teachings continue to sustain us for they are the teachings of love.  Not much has changed.

Sant Mary's Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana, 1999

Saint Mary's Pass 1999, Glacier Park, Montana
copyright Peter Bellamy 2010

On the fourth day the rain stopped and I climbed out of the valley up to the pass, where earlier in the spring a grizzly sow with two cubs had attacked and eaten a man from Colorado.  From the height of the sun I could tell it was about 10:00.  From the heat and vibrancy it felt like a direct communication with a higher power.

Good Friday Portrait, South Brooklyn, 1976

South Brooklyn 1976

peter bellamy copyright 2010