Move Over Neil Simon, There is a New "Doc" on the Block

It probably won't have Neil Simon quaking in his boots with fear of being unseated as champion of Broadway comedy, but Stafford "Doc" Williamson's new play has all the earmarks of a Simon hit. The banter and wit are likely to extend into a long "afterlife" in community theatre because like Simon's "Star Spangled Girl", the three character comedy with minimal set, "Minyan by Proxy" will be embraced by theatres everywhere as laughs that pay off with enthusiastic audience appreciation as well as on the theatre's "bottom line." Neil "Doc" Simon's "Star Spangled Girl" has long been a popular, practical choice of budget conscious theatres around the world. Laced with Simonesque verbal humor, plus some physical comedy harking back to vaudeville, Stafford "Doc" Williamson's "Minyan by Proxy" promises laughs almost every minute, in spite of slices of provocatively controversial issues.

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Headline - Move Over Neil Simon, There's a New "Doc" on the Block

Phoenix, Arizona, USA (PRWEB) October 12, 2003 - They could hardly be more different, the eclectic Canadian writer and the king of Broadway comedy, but they have two things in common. The nickname "Doc" and an uncanny knack for side-splitting comic dialog. Stafford "Doc" Williamson's new play, "Minyan by Proxy" has just recently been published on the internet, but it is expected that the similarity of big city Jewish community experiences related in this play will be seen as coming from common roots. In one sense that it true, in another nothing could be further from the truth. Doc Williamson, in contrast to Simon's New York upbringing, was born into a gentle and gentile family in Canada, but claims that since marrying into a Jewish family some twenty years ago, that he hasn't suffered a moment of sanity since. Sharing some of Doc's love of that Jewish experience and humor from a newcomer's perspective may be what gives a fresh voice to Doc Williamson's writing, while at the same time, echoing the greatness of Doc Simon's phenomenal successes.

Publishing a script on the internet is nothing new, certainly, but the maturity of the internet is now making possible the direct participation of the creative community without regard to distances. Doc Williamson's new play will be seen, within days, by hundreds, if not thousands of producers through the participation in www.jewish-theatre.com web community. Make no mistake, Doc Williamson set out to write a play in the style of Doc Simon's smash hits on Broadway. The critics and audiences will determine the degree of success of that effort, but the chances are extremely good. Why? Because when Doc Williamson set out to write "a Pinter play" many years ago, even the renowned critic Richard Hornby thought he had seen a production of a similarly titled but obscure script by acclaimed British playwright, Harold Pinter. Pinter was one of the most prominent successes in the theatre of the absurd genre so popular in the 1960's and 1970's. Doc could not have been more flattered or pleased with that reaction at the time.

In what may be merely an amusing coincidence, or perhaps an omen of impending ascendancy of Doc Williamson's literary star, Doc used to work occasionally with Canada's premier playwright, Sharon Pollock. Sharon is also, coincidentally, now well known as "Doc", herself. Indeed one of her most popular plays is an autobiographical work called "Doc". Sharon had become friendly with Doc Williamson while he was attending the University of Calgary Drama Department. Shortly thereafter she invited him to be a guest at her playwrighting workshop at the Banff School of Fine Arts. There they both worked with now very prominent director Des McAnuff, of La Jolla Playhouse and Broadway's "Big River" fame, whom Sharon "Doc" Pollock had also taken under her wing at that formative time in his career. (Des was unbeatable at table-top shuffleboard, recalls Doc Williamson.)

"Of course I would love it if Sharon or Des took an interest in this script," Doc says dreamily, "but with the small cast, and minimal set, I think that community theatres, and regional professional companies are the most likely beneficiaries." Artistic directors are constantly struggling to balance impossibly small budgets, and, "this [play] is a form of budget relief, spelled M, I, N, Y, A, N," quips Doc.

"I have been fortunate to have been involved with many world-class talents over the years," says Doc, "Some of the most talented are raising pigs and children ... umm, that didn't sound quite right, maybe I meant 'pigs or children'. Come to think of it, some of
them are raising pigs as children, but the point is that not everyone even with something extraordinary to contribute always makes it to the world stage." Who knows why? Maybe it is something in the water. Whatever the cause there do seem to be a lot of prominent playwrights named "Doc" these days. Doc Simon has more important things to worry about than an upstart scribbler. Still, this new play, "Minyan by Proxy" has the potential to bring one more "Doc" into the world spotlight. Watch for it in a theatre near you.

About Winfotech

Winfotech is a division of Williamson Information Technologies Corp, an Arizona
company, that does consulting, marketing and manufacturing. Stafford "Doc" Williamson is
the President and principal shareholder of the company. Mr. Williamson has spent the
last 30 years in a peripatetic pursuit of living up to the title bestowed by friends
that he was, "the Renaissance Man from Calgary." Writer, producer, film and theatre
executive, actor, cowboy and harpsichord mover, dancer and lighting designer, computer
technical guru and corporate executive, the complex mosaic of his life and career is rich
and full, thanks in no small part to his spouse and partner, Maggie.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Stafford "Doc" Williamson
Winfotech Corp.
623-566-5917
http://winfotech.com/scripts/