Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet – The Juliet Trap
There is a particularly pernicious trap awaiting actresses cast as Juliet. A similar trap awaits Lady Macbeth, though of a different nature, as well as several of the more archetypal male roles. But none of them are as insidious as The Juliet Trap. Here’s how it...
EVE OF IDES: A Play Of Caesar And Brutus – Now Available!
Those who know my work will recognize my constant blending of Shakespeare and history. It entertains me to reconcile gaps in history with the characters and plots of Shakespeare's plays. I often use these to explore various quirks of history, as well as the growth of...
Nellie Bly Interviews Wives Of US Cabinet Secretaries
During the election of 1888, Nellie Bly spent a week interviewing the wives of the various candidates, then followed up by embarking on interviewing all the living former first ladies. This must have been well received, for here she is immediately following the...
Recent Posts
ROGUE SERVER – Chapter 2
It happened fast, so fast that it made Dibs’ head spin. Barely 24 hours after that meeting, the National Security Advisor resigned in a cloud, not of sulpher but of mustard gas, which seemed to leave everyone asked for comment choking down their words. Rumors of...
ROGUE SERVER – Chapter 1
Joe Dibs reported for work feeling ill at ease. Something said to him on the way into the Director's office had his hackles up. “They want an honest assessment,” the assistant had informed him. Oh Christ, no, thought Dibs. An honest assessment was the last...
AMERICA FIRST – My Tom Clancy Novel
I'm a Tom Clancy fan (at least his early stuff, before he disavowed editors). Let me see if I can imitate him. Nick Glenn, a young outsider CIA analyst, sees a troubling pattern. International leaks and campaigns of misinformation are coming at an alarming pace...
Give-Away Contest – Audiobook of STONE & STEEL!
Listen up, Quirites! Sordelet Ink is giving away 20 copies COLOSSUS: SWORD AND STEEL on Audible! Read by the inestimable Brian J Gill! All you have to do to enter is join the Sordelet Ink mailing list! So what are you waiting for? This contest ends in a...
Silence is foo
Hey there. Long time no chat. On my end it's simply a matter of life being lived, theatre being made, kids being played with, and occasionally writing getting done. But as the Michigan Shakespeare Festival once again winds down (one week left to see the...
With A Little Help From Our Friends
I try never to presume on friendship. I don’t spam friends every time I have a new book out, or when I’m involved in a particularly good play (though ‘Dry Land’ at Rivendell is very good). Truth be told, I’m pretty bad at this self-promotion thing. I hate marketing...
The Death of Benvolio
If you wanted to throw my whole theory about the cause of the feud out of whack, you could point out to me that Lady Montague does not, in fact, have the final death in the play. I would answer with a nod, a sigh, a smile, saying, “I know. Benvolio does.” The first...
The Weeping and Wailing Scene, or She’s Not Dead Yet
Ask anyone who has ever played Lord or Lady Capulet, and especially any Nurse, to name their least favorite scene, and they’ll tell you it’s the Weeping and Wailing scene. (Aside – actors almost always use short-hand when referring to a scene. R&J has the...
Tybalt’s Ghost
It amazes me that, of the thirty-odd productions I’ve been a part of and the dozen more I’ve seen, I’m the only director to make use of these lines from Juliet: O, look! methinks I see my cousin’s ghost Seeking out...
The Window Scene, or I Hate Balconies
You know what drives me consistently crazy? The preconceptions people have about Romeo & Juliet. So often after a student matinee a teacher or a parent will complain: “Why did you add all those sex jokes?” When we explain that we did not add...
