Lust4Life76

Hi Dylan I am so honored, thank you...we even have a character with the same name as yours... I have included an attachment of the first trailer we ever did... And also, I have the podcast and it's free: http://bartelltheatre.org/2020/lust-for-life/ The episodes run an hour and twenty minutes, BUT each ACT/Part, was written and separated by commercials so to run the length of a daily installment as I had observed when I listened to the radio version of "Guiding Light" and a more esoteric radio soap "Hearts in Harmony". Thank you again! Erik

That was a delightful improvement. I personally enjoy it when Casey narrates his work for the simple reason as creator he has such a personal connection when telling his story. I wish they would stick with one narrator vs. going back and forth between, for the sake of continuity!

Shamelessly asking...but would anyone reading be interested in listening to my podcast of my soap opera that I wrote? I am always up for constructive criticism...

Oh my God, this is an awesome post and your kick off story has to be similar to many of our writing journeys, starting with the desire to create something when we were so young... For me...I remember it was the summer of 1990, Paul Rauch's last year on "One Life to Live", and his final summer story was that the cast of the mock soap "Fraternity Row" went on a location shoot at an island resort called "Badderly". At the same time their was a mafioso convention and the cast had to 'pretend' they were mafia as well. Long story short, it kicked off the romance of Jake Harrison and Megan Gordon, and ultimately their was a twist where Jake had dishonored crime lord Carlo Hesser's daughter Charlotte (Audrey Landers) and there needed to be satisfaction, so Jake was going to get shot. Just before Jake's shooting, for luck, Megan gave him a pin (a souvenir from the soap's infamous underground city story line). When Jake was shot, the bullet ricocheted off the pin, as he wore around his neck, and Jake was miraculously spared. At age 13 I cried "bologna!" because this was a show I remembered had a celebrated history; that had light skinned black Carla Gray pass for white; Karen Wolek testify she was a common hooker on the witness stand; and had Victoria Lord splinter off into an alter-ego that hung up her marriage to dashing cowboy Clint Buchanan for the better part of a year and a half! And then it dawned on me...as it seems to have dawned for many others posting here, that if I was having issues with the writing of my favorite soap, than I should just create my own. Though I wasn't initially inspired by the movie "Delirious" (by the way original poster, have you ever caught John Candy's work in the SCTV soap send up "The Days of the Week"?); the movie that inspired me was "Soapdish", in addition to the satire publication MAD Magazine's irrational send up of a soap opera update. I will attach a file to this post to show you, but I was inspired in creating my characters based on the magazine's caricature art of some of the genre's most distinguished personages (Linda Dano, Stephen Nichols, A Martinez, Jackie Zeman, Arlene Sorkin, MacDonald Carey, Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Tristan Rogers and Marcy Walker). I didn't necessarily aspire to write satire (which I did with my current creation "Lust for Life") but I definitely aspired for campy. I had a fashionista/bitch named Tabitha plotting against her elderly father with his doctor and her lover Dr. Marc DeForest; a renegade/anti-hero named Eric hating on his do-right brother-in-law Colin for being sexually compromised by a nympho nurse, Lindsay at St. Clare Hospital...Theirs would be stories of lust, betrayal and the occasional abduction or bomb scare to heighten the stakes. I think I called it "Worlds Apart" only to learn a variation of that title had already been used ("A World Apart"), so I switched it to "To the Ends of the Earth"... Even though I initiated my creation, for decades I stayed paralyzed in that pre-planning stage of my saga. What prevented me was a sense of direction, good direction that I could trust from a professional, because there really weren't many books, aside from Harding Lemay's and that was a rare find. Resources I could personally refer to that had been written by somebody in the genre like Bill Bell or Claire Labine that took the genre seriously to comment on what was needed to tell a soap of our own. So I had to listen carefully, that's all I could do before the internet boomed, but to listen to the creators in interviews, like Douglas Marland, who laid down the law of great soap writing. Soap Digest was a favorite resource, as was Soap Opera Weekly, expertly written in their constructive criticisms and observations gave me some great takeaways... ...Eventually, I was given an opportunity and therefore gave myself permission to see a creation (the aforementioned "Lust for Life") to fruition because I felt learned enough. My personal experience in keeping focus was I was treating the creation as to how I would perceive the actual profession itself. I took it seriously, but I had fun. I would compare any theater producer or director's demands of me akin to a network's, night and day of course BUT I could only wonder and sympathize about the demand, the pressure the paid writers experience day to day at their network jobs. The frustration they feel when they work on a story wanting to tell it in full only for an exec to put the kibosh on it because nobody is interested in that specific piece, and that 'whatever' that overrides it is more in vogue. Some of my favorite learning moments, was in asking (per Douglas Marland) the cast about their characters to write for that actor; just hearing that voice and making creative decisions. Continuity is another, which is an undertaking in itself. I can see how easy it is to make mistakes. And it is those mistakes, as I would confide with my director about, are what makes you think differently of some of the stories and the writers I, or you, might have criticized. Even though I feel I have a handle on writing a soap opera...I so wish I could take a class from a master, whom I consider to be Kay Alden, or Lorraine Broderick. Erik

My interpretation of the narrator when I listened to the radio version of "Guiding Light" and the more esoteric "Hearts in Harmony", is a narrator who is omniscient enough, and who asks questions of the audience in order to help the listeners identify the story and most of all the character's mental headspace...also, narrators tend to be more teasing as to stimulate the listener over the variables of where the story could go? I think if the closing credits were centric to the characters that appeared in any one given episode, you'd be able to identify them. Because I won't lie, the Emma character, to me sounded just like Beth Ehlers, I had to look up and see if this was whom "our Harley" was playing. As far as the material, I think Beth has shown a lot of grace and humility in the sense that given her experience she has encouraged Casey, and I think overall, she'll take to it like a mermaid to water. I suspect Casey knows the value of who he is working with so it will be fun to see if maybe she gives him more insights to compliment his story. I think if the episodes were shorter, people would check in daily, follow the story because it's a quick 15 minutes and then you can go about your day. Radio soaps were only 15 minutes at best in their day, with commercials/sponsors. The hook for, as far as I perceive - is the wealthy Harper family, are an up and coming political dynasty, whose work in public affairs are about to be challenged by their personal ones. I also hope, after chatting with Casey about Augustus, as the town itself as a character, we learn more about this relatable backdrop for human drama.

Oh my GOD, this Brad Carlton in a cage ordeal is SURREAL!

I wish somebody had a copy of ONE LIFE TO LIVE's masquerade ball in 1981. First of all, you had Asa Buchanan dressed as Robert E. Lee...but yet, Sadie Gray was in attendance, and she went as the Statue of Liberty to counter him.

So, at the time of this posting, I have listened to all four out of four “Forever and A Day” episodes offered… I would like to give “Forever’s” creator Casey Hutchison credit. Not everyone can follow in the footsteps of our revered storytellers like Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon, Bill Bell, and the list goes on and on and on… The art of creation is intensive work. Creating the right alchemy of diverse characters to populate your Anytown, USA. Upon creating those characters, driving a contemporary story while keeping track of continuity yet keeping an eye on detail. Again, intensive work. And that’s only the tip of the ice burg of what storytellers and creators do, in my opinion… “Forever and A Day”, makes it evident, Casey’s passion is to create soap opera, and that he has written a valentine for a genre he personally believes in, as do we. I feel, Casey’s “Forever and A Day”, offers a serial that helps us as listeners forget about the current pandemic, because in Augustus, Illinois, Covid-19 has yet to be mentioned. In that, it seems Casey has mastered a cornerstone of soap opera – "escapism". Also, “Forever” offers diversity, not for the sake of having it and bragging about it, but because, I believe, Casey seriously believes diversity is very much a part of the world, he/we live in. “Forever”’s team of writers create very truthful moments in their character's exchanges while trying to acknowledge political differences, sexual identities, and exploring the way people relate to one another... It’s a challenge to write for radio/podcasts. Where most mediums “show” character, radio is about “telling”. All in all, “Forever” is created to tell with the best of intentions…and there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from; that just because it’s different to what we’re all accustomed to doesn’t mean to dismiss it completely. However… ...with all that said, given some of the previous comments, and as someone else who has created, ironically a serialized podcast, I want to offer Casey, albeit unsolicited but respectful, the following creative suggestions: I don’t feel the general public's attention span can sit through an episode that runs 30 minutes at a time, especially those times the podcast/episode is currently being released on every Monday and Friday. That’s too long a listen, and too long a wait for a new episode. Try the idea of breaking the episodes down to 12 minutes, daily, and then… …Add three more minutes of sponsors at some point in the podcast. If I seem to recall, this brainchild was created in the wake of a pandemic, borrowing from radio, because entertainment options being what they are...But businesses are challenged as well. There must be a local business Casey favors that would allow themselves to be used for the sake of publicity, and in return offer a small donation to “Forever and A Day” for the national exposure…A few "words from our sponsor" might help break things up vs. a narrator solemnly stating “Act I, II, III…” Which brings me to… “The Narrator” role, which is problematic for me (and a few others). Essentially, to me, because it’s the reading of stage directions and it comes off static at best. If at all possible, could a brunt of the narration be incorporated into the lines of the characters? “The Narrator” can still be in it maybe with more of a purpose in emphasizing character through insight? Also, are there sound effects on the horizon? We heard a *slap* last episode, but what about doors slamming, glass breaking, footsteps, a character's personal ringtone, etc.,? These would be effective conventions in the midst of a ubiquitous voice saying - "Leslie enters the apartment brushing past Stephanie. Stephanie turns around shutting the door." Sometimes, as the listener, the staging can be left up to our own imagination. Lastly, another positive in this creation is the use of music. One way it is effective is how it is used to underscore the dramatic situation. There even seems to be a 10 second theme song/bumper to bridge the opening teaser scenes into the first act. Is there a slightly longer version of that piece? And in addition, could the audience have a prologue giving us a little bit more depth as to why the title "Forever and A Day" was chosen? For example, "Like Sands Through the Hourglass...so our the the Days of our Lives..." gives the audience something epic to remember and in turn will make them realize, okay, this is not a send up. Also...though I don't feel there are too many characters, I feel there are too many character credits that are being given at the end of each episode. Just only mention the voices used for that specific episode and that will help people remember who characters are and who are the voices. Whether such suggested changes need to be made, “Forever” might already be aware or it might not be any issue. Ultimately, it's their call. Again, there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from...so we'll see where that goes under his creative helm. Good Luck 🍀

I remember Sharon Wyatt (ex-Tiffany, GH) had experienced some unpleasantness regarding the weakening of her jawbone that it had to be operated on. This was back in 2011, 2012...does anyone know how things are going for her? Also, speaking of 'General Hospital'. I been watching some of the classic Ice Princess storyline, and I like the character of Alexandria Quartermaine, played by Renee Anderson. Whatever became of Renee Anderson? She had some decent acting chops that she could have continued her work on soaps after GH. Thanks! Erik