The Sting.v2

The Sting —a 1973 film— was released 50 years ago (it’s based on research presented in The Big Con by Maurer, 1940).

Synopsis: Set in 1936 this intricate caper features an ambitious small-time crook and a veteran con man who seek revenge on a vicious crime lord who murdered one of their gang.

(click here to listen to The Sting soundtrack while reading my play, below)

the gRift - a play for your thoughts

The Synopsis: The gRift—a gift that requests a Response

The gRift (a 3-act play in active development) is a participatory art project where Jenifer Wightman gifts a mud painting to 25 visionary Thinkers in the hopes that she will be able to harvest 25 Responses from these Thinkers.

Invitations to participate will be sent out in 2023.

The Players:

• Party A: The Microbes (The Big Store)

• Party B: Me (The insideman: indentured servant to advance microbial truths)

• Party C: You (The outsideman: the patron saints of the gRift)

• Party D: the other You (The potential marks: 25 unsuspecting Thinkers)

• Party E: Lee Marchalonis (The bookmaker, aka handler who box up the loot)

• Party F: Homo sapiens sapiens (all the other apples and shills).

ACT I: Reflexive Pyramid Scheme Round 1 (the short con)

• Party A (microbes) swindles Party B (me) into conceiving this hare-brained scheme

• Party B (me) swindles Party C (you) into outlaying the Bumblebee$ to build out the joint

• Party B (me) solicits Party D (the 25 Global Thinkers) to visit The Big Store (Party A - by receiving a ‘gift’)

• If Party D (The Thinkers) accepts, well, they get to party with Party A (the microbes) for 2 years.

• Party D (The Thinkers) is on the send!

ACT II: Reflexive Pyramid Scheme Round 2 (the long con, 2 years later)

• Party B (me) kindly asks Party D (The Thinkers) to voluntarily send Party B (me) a Response from living with the mud.

The gift becomes a gRift!

• Party B (me) feels conceptually rich (swoon!) but I quickly pass off the loot to our gang’s handler, Party E (Lee, the bookmaker) who positions (Party D, The Thinkers’) submissions for exhibition!

ACT III: Reflexive Pyramid Scheme Round 3 (the touch! >3 years from now)

• Party B (me) shares the conceptual treasures (conceived by 25 members of Party D) framed up by Party E (Lee) with Party C (you) and Party F (everyone else).

• Together, we cut up the score (a cultural prize for apples and shills around the world: the true grift of living in our finite material world).

• Are you feeling blurry with all the backflips and confidence tricks? If so, just hit the donate button below! You will feel GREAT being party to this grand $windle!