Playwright | Joshua James

For the longest time, while living in New York City, I didn’t even have a phone. It’s true, ask anyone who’s known me a long time. I had a voicemail service number, and that’s how anyone got in touch with me. I lived a pretty bohemian life in a way, just me, my Macintosh computer, a few books and that was that. I even slept on a mattress on the floor. In late 2000 my roommate and best buddy Gerry moved back to Ireland and he bequeathed to me his cell phone, which he had no use for any longer.

It was at that point I took my first tentative steps into the modern technical age. Soon after I was inducted into the world of the internet and email. As Neo said, “Whoa.”

I have strong memories of growing up in rural Iowa before cable television hit, how many of you remember that time? There were three main stations, ABC, NBC and CBS (four if you count PBS, but most people didn’t) and they also went off the air about three or so in the morning. So for a few hours each morning there was nothing but a pattern on the screen.

This was before VCR’s and remote controls, too, we didn’t have any of that. Actually, the kids of the house served as the remote controls. I can remember my old man calling me all the way in from the other room just to change the channel (“Hold it, wait ‘til this commercial is over, I don’t know if I want to watch this yet) from the comfort of his recliner.

Cable television came and instantly changed the outlook of my small town substantially. Through cable and MTV, we were able to see larger portions of the rest of the world (and am I the only one who weeps at how drastically MTV has lost its way from it’s once all video format? Maybe I am) and it altered our perception not only of the town we lived in, but ourselves. It was totally cool. More than that, in the words of Robert Thurman, it was a “cool revolution.”

I think the internet cyber world was another totally “cool revolution” in our lifetimes. There’s something fascinating about the ability to punch in words and find out anything you need to know about anything, to be able to send out one message to hundreds of your friends, to hang your hat at one place in the cyber world and it will be yours forever.

I have almost every program from any show of mine produced, but the first half of my career I had no pictures or notes, nothing but the programs to show that they even existed. Five years, twenty or so shows, not even counting readings. It was in keeping with my fluid lifestyle at that time, but I do wish I’d kept a more complete record, as I try to do now, of what’s going on and the really great people I’ve been able to work with on my theatre travels.

As a result I decided to hang my hat in World Wide Web and record my adventures as a playwright, scribe and whatever else happens to me along the way. A big thanks to Kevin at Bayt & Takl Design, who is responsible for much of the coolness of this site and whom I couldn’t have done it without.

So welcome to the Daily Dojo, where I’ll rant, reason and rave about what’s going on, what’s right or what’s wrong in the headlines and anything else that catches my fancy. Please feel free to visit the Dojo every day, and I welcome feedback on my site or anything else within.

That being said, I do have some recommendations for you, my kind guest. Here you go.

BOOK OF THE WEEK
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Truly fantastic, I highly recommend it. I ain’t gonna tell you anything other than that, I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

RENTAL OF THE WEEK
Assault on Precinct 13
The original film, written and directed by John Carpenter, before he made Halloween. This was back when he was in killer form, as in Escape From New York form, and you should check this film out now, because someone is remaking it and we know how well that generally works out, don’t we? It’s a spare, lean thriller and very violent, one that cannot help but stay with you after being viewed.

PLAY REVIVAL NOT TO BE MISSED
Danny & The Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley
It’s running at SecondStageTheatre and I just saw it. Now admittedly, I’m already prejudiced to like this play because a good friend of mine, Adam Rothenberg, is performing in it. However, this play is a personal favorite (and influence) and I’ve seen many bad productions of this play in the past. It’s two actors alone onstage in two very complex roles full of traps and the actors either get it or they don’t. Most of the time they don’t. Not so in this case, Adam rocks the house in the part and his counterpart, Rosemarie DeWitt is his equal in every way. Shanley is the king. Check the show out while you have the chance.

NBA TEAM OF THE WEEK
The Indiana Pacers. They lost half their roster and yet, they’re still winning and winning well. This could be the best thing that happened to them, as that it’s giving bench-warmers a chance to grow confident and blossom in their game on the world stage. Once they get their best players back, an already deep team just got deeper and more dangerous. And on a personal note, I hate hearing the party line from the NBA that no matter what happens, players should never go into the stands. Bull-hockey. I’m of the position that no matter who you are, spectator, player or referee, if you are physically attacked you have the right to defend yourself, no matter where you are.

TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Okay, this recommendation is not likely to change from week to week, mainly because Jon Stewart is just that damn smart, funny and entertaining. Best fake news show ever. Watch it. Watch it. You should not miss. Coolest ever.

BAND OF THE WEEK
Again, this is not likely to change for quite some time, as that I am an admittedly fanatic for the music of Cecilia (www.ceciliatheband.com) so run, don’t walk, to their next show. They play Fridays at the Alphabet Lounge in NYC and catch them now before they start headlining in stadiums.

That’s it, welcome to the Daily Dojo and talk to you again soon!

Yours truly,