Jump On It And a Play I Wrote

Greetings all. It's been over a month and a half since I've posted. Sorry. I've started several entries, but as we can see, they didn't work out. But I shall post this one. You'll see! I won't just half-heartedly stop and go do something else. No, not me! I shall POST! And post I shall. yes. just you watch me... I'll do it.

So a few weeks ago, i went to Jump On It! it is this giant warehouse that was converted by some brilliant entrepreneurs into a giant trampoline house of fun! it has trampolines on all the floors and walls and... that's it. Just a lot of trampolines. That's all. Just... yeah. Well. Here's a picture I snuck from inside.
Now doesn't that just look like a hoot! Here's another.
Oh my Land! what fun!

The best part is it cost $8.00. I'm not sure if that is to get in or per hour. regardless. We had to sign a novel-sized batch of paperwork. I didn't read it. I assume I was signing my life away. so that if I broke a limb, or killed myself, they couldn't be held responsible. Kinda like someone giving you a loaded gun and then shoving someone like Paris Hilton or the cast of Deadliest Catch in front of you and then quickly having you sign paperwork that says "even though we gave you all the means and the perfect conditions for death, you can't sue us. We didn't pull the trigger" It was kinds like that. But luckily enough, they don't check the names, so I couldn't have signed Daffy Duck if I wanted to, and then I could have sued... Not like I did that... And speaking of perfect conditions for injury or death, I saw at lest 5 people fall through the springs while I was there. I mean look at this:

These "mats" that look like they are firmly attached to the trampoline to keep anyone from getting their legs caught and broken in the gaps with the springs, are actually just carpet. Gently laid on top. And they bounce away from the springs whenever anyone bounces near them.Which is quite often. And so giant holes get left and peoples legs can slip through. (Like above image, where Angie's leg actually did fall through.) But the above image is just a tiny little taste of the sizes the gaps really were. Like I said, I saw at least 5 people fall through there. it was terribly unsafe. But you know what, that's okay because besides signing our lives and rights away, the brilliant people there at Jump On It did another nice little thing to help us out:They put up tiny little signs. I think I only say three signs the whole time I was there
And two of them were right next to each other. Incase you didn't see one of the small signs, they put another small one at knee hight for you to not see. Thaks for the advice Jump On It! The third sign was at the desk... Money well spent I'd say. Safety first. Oh! and the safety nets! They are loose enough so that if one were to actually fall into it, rather than let you be safe and continue bouncing, One would fall down, wrap around under the trampolines, and be trapped and bounced on. so again, Money well spent. And when I say 'Money Well Spent', I don't mean on the signs or the nets, no that would be stupid, they aren't safe at all. I meant on the papers we have to sign. I mean they are really thick, so alot of printing costs. but you know what, if they didn't have them, maybe they could actually afford to keep things safer: actually protect the giant gaps between the trampolines that kids can break themselves in, get safety nets that work and buy more that three post-it-note sized signs that they put at knee level. But then again, if they did that, and actually made it safer, they would need to have all those papers... hmmm. Catch 22.
But look at how much un-safe fun these kids are having, despite it all.




I got this video from their website. I'm sure the reason it's so short is they had to cut right before that kid in the red fell through a crack and broke his leg. and they had to start the video right after they finished hauling a kid out from the safety netting. But that's just speculation.

Now on to Part 2. My play.

I wrote a play called "The Lexington Street Post Office". It is an expansion of a ten minute play I wrote simply titled "The Post Office" I decided to rename it when i expanded it from ten to forty minutes because, for one, I had the ten-minute play published under the title "The Post Office" and so since that existed now as a separate entity, I needed to distinguish the short from the long. Also it was a new experience. I took the idea from Edward Albee Who wrote the one act "The Zoo Story" his first play. And then decades later went back and wrote a first act to it. and while the second act, the original script for "The Zoo Story" hadn't changed, it was now part of something bigger. Part of a different experience, so he titled the new piece "Peter and Jerry".
Anyhow. this was for a New Script Workshop class. ten kids wrote short parts of plays and then pitched the idea for a forty minute show to the class. the class got to choose who's was performed in a full production. I actually wrote and pitched two plays. I had brought the Post Office in already written in the very beginning of the class because they needed something to read while other students were writing their plays. My original intent was to get a new piece produced. It was a more traditional piece. that's not to say completely traditional, but much more so. I pitched it and i didn't know where it could go. but i did know exactly where and how the Post Office could be expanded. It was mentioned to me that they really liked the Post Office, but no-one knew how it could be expanded, it was so non-traditional and self containing. but i did. and so i got up again and pitched that idea. Later, we all voted on three pieces we wanted to see performed fully. My play the Post Office got 9 out of the ten possible votes. the next highest was 6 out of ten. for a play called "The Tragedy of Leaonard Fisk" a brilliant piece that i think should be baught and professionally produsced. i think it's amazing. it was written by Alex Ungerman.
Anyhow, long story short, we started production and we had to re-cast our lead character with only a week left until perfomace. it was scary. but i think we got the best possible person to replace him. Curtis Cluff.
We performed in an almost unknown, school-owned art gallery off campus. We had a HUGE, overflowing crowd. and before my show went on was easily the most nervous I have ever been, in my life. I've been in lotsa plays and choir and band performances, hosted things, done male beauty pageants and nothing was nearly as nerve-wracking as this... I was terrified. But it went great and fabulously. Anyhow. mi'm just still excited about it. You should have been there.and by the way. you can read any and all the scripts by going to www.zhura.com and logging in / creating an account. it takes less than three minutes and you'll have accesss to all these wonderful, mind-boggling and sometiomes uproarious and thought-provoking scripts. Thanks!