M. Stefan Strozier

wa-interview

I’m trying to upload a video interview of me with my new President of World Audience, Inc. Besa. It’s too big.

This is the artwork of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, from his book GlimmerIQs, which I am publishing in a matter of days with my press, World Audience. This is titled “Nearer My God To Thee”. Oh! I am trying not to cry. Dr. Kevorkian is an amazing artist! This artwork, along with music in the same book I am publishing, will be featured in movie starring Al Pacino due out in January. And World Audience will be publishing a second book by Dr. Jack Kevorkian in conjunction with that movie. Back to work….

My peeps, Dr. Jack Kevorkian has some wicked paintings, like nothing I’ve ever seen before! I may post a couple of them here. They are so dark.

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The first time I ever had one of my plays on stage was Guns, Shackles & Winter Coats at the Producers’ Club. The thing almost fell apart, I had no idea what I was doing as a director but then another director, Alan Kanevsky, came on board and saved it. In the lead up, word must have gotten out, because something that is “new” is always like that, right? There was a new play in town, by an interesting playwright. The place was packed. The big room holds at least 120 people and it was full, that’s no lie. The cast held it together for the most part and the production was weak. For a gunshot, I went to that magic store in the 20s on the East side and bought these little caps that I fired from the back of the room, where I was running the lights. LOL. We had no set at all. It was hot as the dickens. But they loved it. It’s the words that make it or not. That is all that matters.

Here’s just one more story, then I gotta get going. By the time I produced my Lincoln play, we were a little better and Alan directed it. Still, there was zero set and the room was tiny. That’s with a cast of about 30. But the place was packed every single night, every single seat was full. I played General Sheridan in that play. I felt bad that the audience had to endure these hardships. It was hot, hot, hot—no A/C. But no one left! At one point, we had the windows open, and there was a tracked tank going by on the street because there was a water main break on 36th St (Where Eagles Dare Theatre) and the actors had to shout their lines. So at intermission, I walked out on stage and said to the audience that I was the playwright and that I appreciated their patience I wish there was something I could do about the heat and noise. They looked at me like they were going to throw me out the window!!

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I’m working hard on getting the much larger color book with CHYNA in a couple of months. It’s going to be all about New York, a new city for a new her. I am going to make this a top notch book, brother, focusing my art like a laser beam, editing and coming up with shoots in the City.

In closing, the oft-quoted, iconic lines of poetry:

Rock and roll,

cuchie coo

We have lift off with this blog. Can you see the camera shaking? I now have more readers than I know what to do with. I want to thank…no one! And all the little people. Okay, I’ll tell you something. What makes this nice is I did it all “my way” as Frankie says. Like what am I saying here? Hardly anything but you love it! I suppose I am going to have to go back to blogging every day I can, maybe twice a day. That’ll fix me. ‘Cause right now, I need fixing.

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I am working on Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s jailhouse memoir, nearly finished with it. I should be publishing it this coming week. Check out www.worldaudience.org for details. Played some mean pool last night, Jack. Slamming them in there. Running the tables until I got bored and decided to try losing.

Prowling the City this week too.

www.marykay.com/mikestrozier

Wow, hits to this blog are through the roof, I guess I better post something. Right now, I got a big, fat, laptop computer staring me the face, it’s like about 20 inches, yeah baby!!

I’ve also met the nicest girl in the world who sells Mary Kay products, so I bought some cologne. But now she’s got me selling Mary Kay products, as an independent CEO on the side. I sell them to actors or anyone. I’ve been a salesman before too; I was very good at it, in fact. You would not believe how many women I meet! And I get their numbers! Then they call me back for more (…products)!! Finally, life is good. I am liking my 40s, baby!

What’s up with all this talk of recession? I’m busy casting 2 major plays, selling books out the wazoo, and more. Get your lazy hinny out there and mow the yard or something!

Look at this Web site, Zappos. You do all your clothes shopping right there, and never have to leave the comfort of your home! What’s amazing is they want me to write this advert and I got a raise—and a big one! And they wanted me, specifically. What’s going on here? I’m not used to this kind of success. When things actually work the way they are supposed to work, that’s crazy! So check out Zappos! Check out this hat. You know, I think I need a suit and a hat, spice things up a bit, eh? Like get some style. I’ve decided to stop resisting and embrace the future. Aw, doen’t that sound special?

I need a nice watch too, check out this watch. Nothing says style like a watch for a man. I see there isan Andy Worhol collection. I never did like Worhol too much. Overrated. And a hippy, of course. He just doesn’t spell “artist” for me; but hey what do I know?

So check out Zappos today!

Alan Baxter, the director/actor, etc. who read my play loved it and now it’s being read by the artistic director of Teatro La Tea. Hey, I don’t know, this might be something here…sweetness abounds. If they were to produce La Revolucion, I think I would fall off my rocker. The hard part for me is always getting my foot in the door. Once I’m in, it’s all over. I’m like a vampire. I’ll suck you dry, take your soul and leave you hollow. I know I’m good. And not just that, but extremely good. And it’s just me and the audience, ya dig? They know I’m good too. So once I’m there, they’ll want more and more. Forget about it. I’ve got the Dr. Kevorkian books for World Audience. Soon is the 5th Avenue office. I just got a spanking new computer. I’m producing two plays shortly.

Victory!

I’m on the radio here, talking about literature, theatre, CHYNA. I’m thinking of starting a support group: “Men who were in love with Chyna (and who she loved).” Right now, I am the only member. Whoever the next fool is, I wish you luck, pal. Sincerely. Call me.

You people don’t understand. You just don’t understand this woman. She is the “9th Wonder”. It’s not a joke. Be warned. You know that slogan, “Don’t mess with Texas.” Right now, don’t mess with M. Stefan Strozier! I feel like I’ve been branded with a big phat C on my behind…sssssssssssssss HA!

It’s a done deal. World Audience is publishing “glimmerIQs”, Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s jailhouse memoir, and “When the People-Bubble POPs: Man’s Evil and Deadly Overpopulation”. The memoir alone sells thousands at his readings/signings. And given how publishing has changed and our business model, we just need one book to sell a few thousand are we’re way, way into profits. Dr. Jack Kevorkian has just freed one more soul—along with the staff of an entire press!! I’m on fi-ya, fi-ya. Say it one time with me, child: FI-YA!!

‘Squze me just a minute, while I get up and dance!!!!

A couple of good, fun, new things in the life of M. Stefan Strozier:

First of all, the way to get over ending a play is to start another one, right? That’s what I’ve done, after some searching.

Oh, by the way, Professor Farrell, who wrote that wonderful review below, has revised it and I’ll post it tomorrow. And, now he’s ordered every single play or book I’ve ever written (paying for them), which is quite a few of them now, and he is going to write a 10-page essay on M. Stefan Strozier over 4^th of July weekend, which I’ll post here. I didn’t realize I could take up so much space. He claims to have wanted to write much more; but I thought we should keep things somewhat respectable. So that’s nice. Hugh Fox, who is a pretty accomplished professor and more, is another fan of mine. Hey, I got 2 fans (not to be confused with readers).

Anyway, what’s taken me away again, it’s almost too special to talk about…is my next play, which right now I am calling Conquest. This is another 5-act play about the first half of Mexican history, leading up and tying into La Revolucion. European explorers, Spanish searching for gold, exploitation, raping and pillaging of native cultures, myths, Gods, diseases, and the list of potential themes is endless. It’s fun. But something different is happening this time. And it’s called Character. I return to Aristotle’s 6-point plan in Poetics, in order: Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Song, and Spectacle. Incidentally, I have seen Thought and Diction reversed in order; it does not matter, they are the weak links. Personally, I place Diction before Thought. The bottom line is Aristotle cared about plot. You better get your plot right. He saw that character was important as second, but all else minor, relatively. Plot I got now; but I’m not going to go into that now; I haven’t reached that stage yet, though I do have ideas. But back to Character. In writing La Revolucion, I have been able to master plot. But character was not…perhaps…surmounted yet. Which is okay, according to Aristotle, if you have a solid plot, because the plot defines the character, you see? People act the way they do according to actions they face—it does not matter who they are, unless they are unstable, in which case they don’t belong in a play. Stick to the straight and narrow—and believe me, I can do that—and your characters will do fine. And La Revolucion has a non-stop, rapid-fire plot.

What about Character? Well, back to the magic.

Suddenly, I’ve entered a world with nothing but Character. They flash and dance before my eyes, in all manner. Think about it! Conquistadors! Magical witch doctors, with their spells! Gods! (Speaking of which, I can now include Quetzalcoatl, who appears in La Revolucion.) Myths larger than life, visions, enchantment—it’s all there! Yes, I am now mastering Character. The Plot I have already begun to bend to my will. This is all a good thing.

“M. Stefan Strozier, in my final judgment of his two history plays, The Tragedy of Abraham Lincoln & the Revolution, has graduated to the top of the class. M. Stefan Strozeir is America’s finest playwright of historical drama today. Hell! M. Stefan Strozier is our finest playwright here in the opening years of the 21^st century.”

Fools Seeking For Wisdom In A Revolution

(La Revolucion, a play by M. Stefan Strozier)

Review by Steven Gerard Farrell, Assistant Professor, Greenville Technical College

June 23, 2009

M. Stefan Strozier entered the lists of important contemporary American playwrights who use historical situations for the backdrop of their drama. The Tragedy of Lincoln puts on the boards the key players of the American Civil War. Americans will recall reading inside of their old middle school textbooks as Strozier re-introduces Generals Grant and Lee, as well as Frederick Douglass, America’s greatest African-American intellectual. However, the play’s featured stars, of course, were President Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth, the idealistically-crazed actor and supporter of the southern cause. The ghostly scenes that involve the soon-to-be-murdered Lincoln with the ghost of the soon-to-be-burnt-alive Booth are among the most haunting I have ever encountered in a play before.

M. Stefan Strozier has now moved closer to the very top of the list of American historical playwright with his most recent stage offering, La Revolucion. Unfortunately many American theatre-goers do not share Strozier’s deep knowledge of the Mexican Revolution that tore our neighbors south of the border apart from 1910 to 1920 and cost over a million lives. It would behoove the American school system to delve deeper into this crucial aspect of North American history. The work should also serve as a reminder to our current line-up of politicians and diplomats that only the actors change wardrobes and names while the theme remains the same.

With The Tragedy of Lincoln and La Revolucion, M. Stefan Strozier reveals to the audience his extensive reading in the works of William Shakespeare, and his deep understanding of how the paradoxical emotions of ideology and pettiness can motivate important men during the time of chaos and crisis.

Strozier is quite skillful in introducing the main stars of the Mexican Revolution: Porifirio Diaz (the long-time president of the country and a stooge for American business interests), Francisco “the Little Mad Man” Madero and General Obregon (the last strong man to be standing at the end of the play who is assassinated just before the final curtain is rung down.

American audiences will most enjoy the two top rebels of the revolution: Emilano Zapata and Villa Pancho. Perhaps some Americans will know that Pancho and his bandito army poured across the border and inflicted damage upon our soil years before Bin Laden masterminded the 911 attack upon New York City. Movie fans may also recall that Marlon Brando once depicted Zapata in the movie VIVA LAPATA. Villa was the general of the Mexican revolutionary army in the northern portion of the country; his soldiers were primarily made-up of factory workers and day laborers. Zapata was the leader of the rebellion in the southern part of Mexico; his men were primarily Indians who attempted to tend the barren wastelands of their ancestors.

As I lost myself in Strozier spell-bounding masterpiece, I began to speculate that he was an author who had also studied the other main revolutions that occurred in the 20^th century: Russia, Cuba, Ireland and Viet Nam. An unsettling pattern begins to clearly manifest itself: yesterday’s rebel will be today’s tyrant; today’s tyrant will be assassinated by tomorrow’s rebel. The majority of the people will suffer under any leader, but they will be compelled by the zeitgeist to select the strong man they can tolerate the most. The vicious cycle continues until the revolution collapses only through utter exhaustion. One could argue that revolutions are never truly won or lost but merely passed on to the next generation. At one point a frustrated Madero cries out in anguish, “there is no end to the Revolution!”

M. Stefan Strozier is enough of a romantic to have the foresight to humanize his plays with a love story. The Tragedy of Lincoln showcased the touching affection between Abe and his wife, the tortured and twisted Mary Todd Lincoln. Throughout the squabbling and bickering of a middle-aged couple, the Lincolns shared an undying love for one another. Perhaps their shared bereavement over the loss of their sons, as well as the costliness of the War Between The States, bonded the couple together even tighter.

The torch of love in Strozier’s second work is carried on by Martin Guzman, a secretary for Villa, and Susanna Brier, a member of the Diaz camp. To complicate matters even further, Martin is a poet whose deep love for his country overrides his physical lust while Susanna is a rather selfish beauty who could possibly be a German spy. As Abe and Mary’s love is turn asunder forever by violence and the murder of the president, Martin and Susanna’s love is ripped to shreds by Martin’s continued commitment to the revolution after the deaths of Villa and Zapata. Martin is also the person who spoke the most words in the play. He referred to all of the participants in the plays as being “fools searching for wisdom.” Are all men and women fools searching for wisdom in a time and place that appears to be so unwise.

In the background looms Mexico’s majestic and mighty neighbors to the north. President-elect Woodrow Wilson, General “Blackjack” Pershing and Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson represent imperialistic America and its determination to interfere in the jangled disputes of other nations. American political rhetoric flourish is used to proclaim the support the will of the Mexican people while American real-politics is really interested in the advancement of American business interests. The Mexican Revolution heralds America’s poker hand in Korea, Cuba, Viet Nam and Iraq. Even today as I type this piece of criticism, yet another president is spouting grandiose accolades about the protection of the people while perhaps, American oil wildcats lick their lips at the thought of getting their paws on all of their refineries in Iran. Things haven’t changed so radically since 1910.

As a final note this critic would like to commend the use the playwright makes of the musical chorus on the stage to assist the plot and to carry the action. Lyrical words in Spanish narrate the various waves that crash and swirl throughout the play. M. Stefan Strozier is once again displaying his vast knowledge of world drama that dates back to the classical Greeks.

M. Stefan Strozier, in my final judgment of his two play, The Tragedy of Lincoln & the Revolution, has graduated to the top of the class. M. Stefan Strozeir is America’s finest playwright of historical drama today. Hell! M. Stefan Strozier is our finest playwright here in the opening years of the 21^st century period.

The End

Steven Gerard Farrell is an Assistant Professor in the Speech Communication Department at Greenville Technical College, South Carolina, where his expertise is in Irish-American cultural topics. His wanderlust has led him all over the world, including long stays in Japan, Saudi Arabia and Ireland. He is currently preparing his next novel, Liverpool Roared, for publication. Steven Gerard Farrell is originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin.

It looks like that book I mentioned by Dr. Kevorkian in an earlier post is likely to be published by World Audience, Inc. I should know shortly. But you read right, there is a 2nd book! The first one is a non-fiction book and there is a movie coming out in August starring Al Pacino as Dr. Kevorkian, 40-million-dollar budget, along with a documentary that will be at the Sundace film festival, several million-dollar budget.

The second book is a quirky memoir that he put together in jail, with poems, photographs, songs that will be in that movie, and more. Now look, people. Some things are kind of cool, you know, like I say, “Hey, that was pretty neat.” But having my publishing house publish a quirky jailhouse memoir of Dr. Kevorkian, with songs that will be played in a movie starring Al Pacino—that’s cool!

World Audience, Inc. (a la, moi) has several other big irons in the fire just now. Business has really picked up lately. And there is even another big book that is nearly ready. Several of our interns are joining us full-time, check out World Audience, Inc. for more info and videos (that one of me will be here too), Twitter, and more. It’s all working, finally. You know, when that scale tips for real, it’s all over, people. I’m like McGiver (I’ve been told I look like him too), give me a bolt, an empty toothpaste tube, and a penny and I will build an atom bomb and it will work, baby! But there’s another aspect to that TV show that never got told. It’s what happens when you give McGiver everything he wants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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These adverts that I am inserting are working beautifully, and paying. I guess it’s not luck, I’ve only been blogging over 5 years. And loving every minute of it. Half the time, I feel like I am holding back.

My essay is here.

Wheels are a-turning fast. I’ve met with Alan Baxter, director, actor, etc., and World Audience is going to publish his book of poems, Shall We Have Magic, which will sell in his university class. And, I sent him a copy of La Revolucion, my 5-act play about the Mexican Revolution because he is in contact with the artistic director or Teatro La Tea, which is a major theater company in New York. They have a lot of actors who can star in my production of La Revolucion. Obviously, if this happens, it is exactly what I could use, because they would have the ability to rehearse and learn the lines, etc. I’ll be looking for a theater in the coming week where La Revolucion is going to be produced. And, I am going to act in a movie that he is directing right now.

Dear whoever keeps rejecting this advert, for the love of God what am I doing wrong?? I’ve tried everything, please don’t do it anymore! Stop rejecting this advert!

Here we have Sears Center Arena Tickets! Look at me writing about tickets on my blog and getting paid for an advert! I am—like—a total media celebrity! See all this power I wield, it’s incredible. What’s funny is I am actually very good at writing copy, I never knew I had this ability. What’s my secret? Be honest. Here at Penn State Football Tickets, you’ve got your event calendar right there on the front page, so click on it, people. You can go to a Broadway show, like Wicked. The options are endless. Someday, when I am a big playwright, I am going to waltz into Broadway and watch my play being performed! Someday is not going to be far away, mark my words. The idea of this ACheapseat.com is you can get your tickets ahead of time and we all like to avoid hassles.

Here is Dora the Explorer Tickets. Where is the Verizon Center? I know I’ve heard of the place somewhere. When I’m in the City I’m there to do work. I have no idea what I am writing here. You know how you write those essays in school and try to fill the page—that’s what I’m donig here. Look, they have a phone number: 708-535-8682. And they are a member of the Better Business Bureau. Great! I was going to go golfing today but it rained. It’s been raining for like 2 weeks here in NY. Later. And, Greek Theatre Tickets.

I’ve been all around this Web site and it’s really neat! Hey now! Some Web sites are just average, this one is superior! Whoever is the Webmaster must be some kind of GOD, surely! One more time, baby: Greek Theatre Tickets.

Oh! The agony! Oh! All I can do now is start my next one, which is going to be a 5-act play about the first half of Mexican history. The search begins for new love. And produce the La Revolucion, which begins presently. I know what you’re thinking; there is no way he can do it. Here are the last lines I wrote, after nearly 3 years of work! It is posted here.

Chorus Leader:

Ah, love, who can describe its ways?

Even the poets forever search for words

Men and women are very different from each other

And yet close and trying to understand

The ways of their mate

Why has God formed lovers like this?

Might he have made things easier for us?

Sadly, even love must someday die

As must the Revolution and all its romance

Fade into memory and history books

The leaders must face their tragic fates

And someday, someone will tell their story again.

I am just finishing up my 5-act, epic play about the Mexican Revolution, called La Revolucion. I will post it tonight here. Look, I have no idea what you are doing tonight but I am writing. Let me try and explain. It’s very hard to finish a play. The very end if very difficult. Because it means it’s over. All the drama and plot and love come to an end. Oh! The only thing that is better is opening night of said play. It’s like giving birth. Yes, us playwrights do have a concept of what that is like. Anyway, I will do it, and post audience and this play on this night. Having done it a number of times, I have been in this situation before. It is so hard to say goodbye……………………

Check out Dr. Frank Romano on TV!Talking about Storm Over Morocco.

This is a new book that is moving to press as we speak: Genesis Rejuvenated by Bill Jemas, former president of Marvel Comics and CEO of 360ep. This book will be a mega-hit.

Here is a great review of Anatomy of an Adult Film. And at Amazon.com that book was ranked #10 in non-fiction/social sciences. It is a critical study of an industry from insider professionals.

Finally, in the final stages is deal to write Dr. Kevorkian’s book—but it’s not a done deal yet. He has a 40-million dollar film coming out this summer starring Al Pacino + a documentary at Toronto and Sundance, and that’s multi-million dollar film too.

So, 2 books about religion, a study of the porn industry and Dr. Death—World Audience, Baby!

Get the car warmed up, daddy’s a-coming!

You people love me, don’t you? You can’t get enough, you get a taste and want more—what is it about the Big Stroz Dog? I am NOT a vain man!