I am excited to announce that after the success of Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow last fall, Street Theatre Company (STC) has invited me back to write an adaptation of the adventures of the world's most famous outlaw, Robin Hood. 

This new script, which will be developed for their ClassAct Dramatics youth program, will be produced in November 2014 at their Nashville, Tennessee, playhouse.

I had an absolute blast last year, writing a new take on Washington Irving's classic story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so I'm thrilled to have the chance to tackle another legend of the literary world. Robin Hood's been written about for hundreds of years, some of the earliest ballads of this folk hero dating back to the 15th century. There have been many versions of Robin Hood penned by many a talented writer. I'm humbled to follow in their footsteps and continue the tradition. Plus, I mean, it's Robin Hood, and I've loved these stories since I was a boy. This will be fun!

Lastly, I want to thank Chris Bosen, Nate Eppler, and everyone at Playhouse Nashville for introducing me to Cathy Street and ClassAct Dramatics. I love writing for Nashville.

The artistic staff at STC, including Artistic Director Cathy Street and director Elaina McKnight Shaver, are amazing and I'm running out of synonyms for "happy" to express how much I'm looking forward to working with them again. The wickedly talented youth actors of ClassAct Dramatics absolutely rocked Ichabod last Fall. I can't wait to see what they do with Robin Hood!

It's here! Tonight's the night --- the curtain rises on the premiere of my new play ICHABOD: MISSING IN SLEEPY HOLLOW at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. While The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is considered one of early America's most enduring fictions (remember, it was published before the United States turned 50), the way that it has endured has evolved over the years. Washington Irving attributed the story to the papers of (fictional) historian Diedrich Knickerbocker, and I have to wonder what he would think of all the adaptations that have befallen his work over the last 193 years. And I kind of have to think that, because I took I upon myself to create one of those adaptations. Why did I decide to do that? Well...

That's me, in the photo to the left, headless at eight years old. It's one of my favorite Halloween costumes (and yes, I could totally see where I was going). Clearly, even in the late 1980s, I was already enamored by the spooky tale.

Twenty-six years after that photo was taken, 2013 is fast becoming the year of the headless horseman. At least, it is in my experience. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been around in print since 1820, but the the legends that inspired Irving to craft the tale of lonely school teacher Ichabod Crane are far older.

Whether in Ireland (where the fairie dullahan marked people for death), or in Germany, tales of headless riders existed in Europe long before Sleepy Hollow. In fact, it's said that it was on a trip across the globe that Mr. Irving was inspired to write one of his most long-standing stories. Since the Knickerbocker account is basically an adaptation, he's probably okay with creative liberty.

Right now, they're airing a Snickers commercial featuring both the Headless Horseman and maybe my new favorite Halloween costume ever, the Horseless Headsman. And even the Smurfs are getting in on the action this year, releasing their own take with The Legend of Smurfy Hollow. 

Smurfs. Candy bars. Cartoons. It doesn't stop there. And the thing is, everyone tells it a little differently. Disney was pretty faithful to the original (you know, except for turning it into a Bing Crosby sing-a-long) and if you'd only seen Tim Burton's version and picked up the Irving tale on your e-reader, you'd be pretty surprised. And yet, even with these (and many) versions still in pop culture, there seems to be a renewal of interest in this old story. 

If you follow me on twitter or Like my Facebook page, then you know that as much as I have been touting my own version of Sleepy Hollow, I have been gushing over the new FOX drama of the same name. There's something oddly affirming to be working on a project that pulls its inspiration from the same source as a big budget TV drama that, yesterday, got a pick-up for a second season. Hearing that stories set in Sleepy Hollow can pull ratings warms my heart a bit (and reassures this artist that his version could find its own life beyond this initial stage run). What is awesome to me is that while my play "Ichabod" might be cut from the same cloth as "Sleepy Hollow", we cut from wildly different sides of that cloth. Both are re-imaginings, both have an Ichabod, and both have a female lead (with a strikingly similar name by pure coincidence). Otherwise, the team at Fox and myself have written completely different stories. Mine's a lot less apocalyptic. And while I cannot speak for those writers, the fact that we came up with incredibly differing stories speaks to one of the main reasons I decided to write this play. There was a story in the story that I thought hadn't been told yet.

My tale is closer to the original, in that it's set in 1790 Sleepy Hollow, though I still like to call mine a "re-imagining" of Washington Irving's classic tale because it's not a play-by-play of the original. Sure, the traditional characters are there: Katrina, Brom, Baltus, Van Ripper, the Hessian, and of course ol' Ichabod; but there are also several NEW characters and a new adventure waiting to be had in that sleepy little hollow north of Tarry Town. Here's the run-down on my play:

When Street Theatre Company and Playhouse Nashville announced they were looking for a new adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I knew right away that I didn't want to write a direct page to stage version. Many people have done that and they've done it well. However, I also didn't want to negate the original legend; so Ichabod would remain a school teacher. It would take place in 1790. The original characters would be left intact. And I asked myself, why do I like this story? The parts of the original tale that intrigued me the most centered around what really happened to Ichabod. Irving's tale is more about life in the Dutch communities in the countryside of 1790s New York more than scary tales. The horseman story pops up throughout, but mainly is only featured in the last few pages of the story. Ichabod's life in Sleepy Hollow is the predominant part of the tale, and yet what has endured is the mystery of his disappearance. Anyone who knows the story knows that it was never quite clear if the horseman took him, or if he simply ran away. There was also the matter of what he and Katrina spoke about at the Van Tassel party just before he took off into the night never to be seen again. Those two things tugged at me. So I thought, why start at the beginning when I'm so enamored with the end.

That's why I decided to write this story. We are intrigued by the unknown. Those things that haunt the woods and create the basis for our nightmares. We like to tell each other stories about these mysteries. We like to explore. We like to imagine. Sometimes we write books, sometimes we write plays or make films or TV shows. Sometimes we still sit around in the dark and share legends with strangers. To the left there, that's a picture a a headless rider who will be featured at the South Jersey Pumpkin Show this year. My aunt runs that show and they're doing a reading of the classic tale with the rider slated to appear at the appropriate scary moment. We were delighted when we discovered we were working on separate Sleepy Hollow projects. So if you're in Nashville, you can see my tale. If you're in New Jersey, check out hers. That's why I love storytelling; there are so many ways to go about it and so much fun to be had with it. And while we're only two of many people tackling tales of the headless horseman this Halloween, it's clear we won't be the last.

At some point long before me or my aunt or those guys from Star Trek or the Smurfs or Washington Irving (and his various pseudonyms) told this story, people talked about headless specters wandering the woods. Over campfires. Around the dinner table. In countries all over the world. Irving simply wrote down his version of the tale, adapted from the legends and stories he was told. He figured out what about that tale intrigued him and wrote a story about a man named Ichabod. I did the same thing. And I wrote about Ichabod too, and a woman named Abigail, and a girl named Hanna. And one day, two hundred years from now, if I'm very lucky, someone will build from my story and make it their own. In two hundred years... you know, far from now, after my version has been seen and enjoyed by generations. After all, that's why we tell stories... so people will hear them and share them. 

I'm glad to have the opportunity to share this one with you.

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

I posted this on Facebook and Twitter the other day, but it should be added here because of how awesome it is. A teaser trailer for the my play, Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow! The young lady in the video is Quinn Cooke, who plays Abigail Seymour, Sleepy Hollow school's new Headmistress, who arrives shortly after the strange disappearance of Ichabod Crane. She's quick to dismiss talk of the Headless Horseman as stories, but soon discovers that the Horseman isn't done claiming heads, and her's might be next! 

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

The poster is here! Earlier today, STC posted the Facebook event for the show and released the AMAZING poster that I absolutely love in every way. I get more excited about this show every single day.

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

Had the complete joy to visit Street Theatre Company tonight, meet my director, Elaina McKnight Shaver, and sit in on a rehearsal of ICHABOD. What a treat! While the show is going up in Nashville, I'm from central Ohio. About seven hours and one time-zone away, it's hard for me to get down to Nashville with any frequency. Happily, as you may have read in my August 17, 2013 post, I'm also working with Tennessee Rep this season and that opportunity has provided me with the chance to visit Nashville while ICHABOD is in rehearsals.

Visiting STC tonight, I watched as they worked through the end of Act I and top of Act II. They're still early in the process, but already, these kids are working hard (and props to Elaina for directing such a large cast with finesse and ease). They're asking question about their characters and showing the professionalism one comes to expect from grown actors. 

I'm even more excited to see the show next month than I already was now that I've stepped foot in the space. That whole "putting your trust in a creative team" is paying off. It really is finally setting in that this production is happening. Awesome feeling.

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

The reading went well! STC had an internal read of ICHABOD. They haven't picked a cast yet, this was simply so the creative team could hear the complete script for the first time. 

They're gearing up for auditions on the 24th and then rehearsals to pick up shortly after. This is all moving so excitingly fast, isn't it?

I am doing a few edits based on some notes and reactions from the reading that were incredibly helpful. It's fascinating to do notes and such over email. I've been spoiled these past few years at Ohio University being in the room all the time. 

On the flipside, there's something liberating about putting your trust in a creative team and letting go a bit. 

Not much else to report. Energy is being focused on the rewrites so they have them soon and on the packing that needs done as me and my wife are soon to celebrate our first anniversary this weekend and I hope to be packed for our trip and to have my edits complete by the time we depart.

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

This is going to be a quick post tonight. On Monday, I sent the full script of "Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow" to Elaina and Cathy at Street Theatre Company. For those new to the blog, this play was selected by STC and Playhouse Nashville as the winner in their search for a new adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Now that the script is complete, it's off to the theater where they're having an internal reading tonight there in Nashville. I wish I could attend to hear it out loud! It's weird not to be there, but jetting off to Nashville isn't in the budget right now. 

This is a very different way of operating for me, but I'm going to take a deep breath, pray it goes well, and wait for notes from the director and artistic director. We've never met in person and this play was born via emails and anonymous contest selections (STC received blind script from Playhouse Nashville so that they would choose the script based on the script, not the writer---which is awesome as it challenges a writer to make the script shine on the page and it allows them to find the script that speaks to them). All that being said, from the beginning I have felt a connection to this theater and these artists and I know any notes I get will be smart and worth considering. They know what they're doing.

Break legs to everyone and I cannot wait to hear how it goes!

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow runs October 4-12 at Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN. Directed by Elaina McKnight Shaver. Tickets are $7 and this show is spooky fun for the whole family. You can find more information at STC's website or by calling 615.554.7414.

Thrilled to announce that Street Theatre Company and Playhouse Nashville have commissioned me to write ICHABOD: MISSING IN SLEEPY HOLLOW, an adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for STC's ClassAct Dramatics youth division! Here's the announcement Street Theatre Company put on Facebook today:

Ichabod: Missing in Sleepy Hollow picks up right after the Washington Irving story "ends". Shortly after Ichabod disappears, his students, led by the fearless Hanna, meet their new school teacher, Abigail Seymour. While none of the grown-ups seem concerned about what happened to Ichabod, Hanna is determined to find out the truth and she tries to enlist her new teacher to help solve the mystery. Abigail is more focused on teaching than chasing ghosts---that is until she has her own run-in with the headless horseman! Worried that Abigail might befall the same fate as Ichabod, the students race to retrace Ichabod's final night in Sleepy Hollow before the headless horseman returns! Along with the new characters, we learn some new revelations, gain clues on who the Headless Horseman could be and meet all the original Irving characters. This spooky tale is perfect for the whole family!

Thank you to everyone at Street Theatre Company and Playhouse Nashville. I'm thrilled to be working with ClassAct Dramatics on this adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!