This isn’t about the obvious parallels between the glorious human endeavors of theatre and football. Each demands training and dedication. Incandescense in each is often ignited by shockingly creative improvisation. Each demands an audience for completion.

No. This isn’t even about the fact that for a brief moment each makes us think we’re not so pathetic.

This site frames my theatrical pedigree. I'm proud of every script and production I've ever done - despite the fact that everything could have been better (of course).

Until now, however, this site hasn't mentioned an achievement of which I am nearly as proud: I (and Donna - but in this single enclave in our life, my opinion's paramount) am the League Champion of the LIC FFL. The Long Island City Fantasy Football League was started in 2002 by a bunch of very smart guys from Citibank and The Planning Group (a marketing agency that's now part of a larger corporation - Sapient).

Donna's from Pittsburgh - so her blood runs Stiller gold and black. "Stiller" is the correct "Yinzer" pronunciation of what others call the Steelers. The term Yinzer comes from the Orthodox Pittsburgh: "Yinz gawn dahn tahn?" ("Are you going downtown?) Because I love Pittsburgh - which gave me my beloved wife and many wonderful relatives - I will in the future re-visit Yinzerhood and its cultural implication.

Donna and I try to synthesize our passion for sports and for theatre. For example: when World Champion Boston (oy) Celtics (veh) shooting guard Ray Allen's name was announced on a broadcast, we would sing 8 off-pitch bars of "Shoeless Joe." Get it? It's homage to Rae Allen, who sang that boffo number in both Broadway and film productions of DAMN YANKEES.

I've been writing a new, one-act that has been dragging me along. Nevertheless, there's always a little part of my mind wondering how Marvin Harrison's injury is or how many games they'll make Brandon Marshall sit for being, well, a bad boy.

Otherwise, it's been a great summer in NYC. A little hot, but it's summer! I complain when it's too cold, so I do have to allow myself a no-complaint period (other than a few weeks in September and May).

Meanwhile, I know my fellow-owners are out there. Plotting. Trying to figure a way to get that trophy (which, by-the-way, is a bloody eyesore) from us. Well, they won't. That ostentatious piece of crap will stay on the piano. They'll have to pry it from my bloody hand!

Ahhhh. Now, back to my play.

Yesterday in Prague, the venerable International Punctuation Organization (I.P.O) bestowed its highest and rarest honor on playwright Bruce J. Robinson. He was named a "Master of the Modern Semi-Colon." Robinson has been anointed as before him was the blind genius John Milton, the magnificent myth-spinner Joseph Campbell, and THE LOVE BOAT's Fred Grandy.

The first part of the ceremony is secret - though its rumored that a primary ingredient is polenta. Addressing a crowd that numbered in the tens, Robinson was deeply moved. He said that he'd always revered the semi-colon.

"Punctuation is one way that the playwright communicates to the performers. Of course, they rarely listen. After all, they are actors."

He extolled the semi-colon as a way to arbitrate lists that included subjects that demanded commas (i.e. That's my brother, with the pig under his arm; my old wife, with the smile; and my new one, with the angry sneer). He further aggrandized the punctuation mark's capacity to balance two independent clauses that demanded commas (i.e. I went to Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster; and I studied with Roger Rollin, a great man).

"Do not fear the semi-colon!" he invoked in a stentorian voice that sent shivers down the backbones of the crowd - that had, by this time, swollen to thirteen. He acknowledged that the mighty colon is always thought of as the most-powerful mark within the sentence, and that's rightly so.

Nevertheless; he asserted that if the colon is the "Babe Ruth of punctuation," then the semi-colon is a proud "Lou Gehrig." There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Robinson, capturing the enigmatic essence of the semi-colon in his body language, intoned: "I consider myself the luckiest punctuation mark... ark... ark... on the face of the Earth... Earth... Earth..."

Under the magnificent guidance of the infinitely patient Dave Wooldridge (unpaid ad), I've finally managed to put together this site. WELCOME!

Naturally, part of my objective is commercial. I need more productions of my work. Fortunately; when my things get appropriate attention, they progress. To get that notice in an area in which there are infinite little airplanes trying to land on a razor-thin runway demands effort.

I also intend to use this as a place to record my experiences, thoughts, and feelings (though the hardest felt of these I need to reserve for my plays). I'll talk about some of the theatre that we see (and by "we," I include beloved wife Donna).

If my dream comes true, this blog could serve as a forum for reasonable people to exchange ideas on theatre. It could serve as a meeting place for those who battle to create thrilling and relevant art.

And speaking of thrilling, we saw a screening of MAMA MIA! Let me admit that I'm not an ABBA fan. In fact, ABBA is one of the groups that makes me embarrassed at my rampant Caucasianism.

MAMA MIA! = oy vey. It was Scandinavian Bollywood. And the shockingly handsome Pierce Brosnan (never more than servicable) has an atrocious voice. In terms of Meryl Streep, she's game. But the voice was not very good. I saw her years ago on BDWY in HAPPY END (famous for Christopher Lloyd playing the lead for many weeks while wearing a cast on his leg) and thought her voice was fine. Here, not so much.

Carolee Carmello (who you can hear on this site under BEYOND THE SEA) is playing the role on BDWY. Listen to her singing here compared to Meryl's, and the difference is patent. Moreover, I'm not a huge Meryl Streep fan. I think she burns with an onanistic intensity - and (much like Kobe Bryant) doesn't make the other players around look good. Shoot me. I know the infinitely more-talented playwright Tony Kushner calls her "Streep-god." Taste is a beautiful thing, no?

At the screening, ran into Miles Chapin (excellent actor I've known for years) and Ted Chapin (head of Rodgers & Hammerstein and the League, I think). Miles invoked Bette Midler's quip when asked her reaction to LOST HORIZONS: "I never miss a Liv Ullman musical."

My first blog. Whew! That didn't hurt. In fact, I'm moderately encouraged. Look forward to the days and words to come. If I get bolder, I'll probably share what I look for when I choose a topic and what elements I try to include.

It's a hot day. New York in the summer is great. Everyone else is in the Hamptons. This leaves this remarkable city for the stalwart and the poor. Stay cool, all.

Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Bruce J. Robinson launched an official web site dedicated to his plays and other stage, film and TV ventures. For the latest news, information, script excerpts and more, please visit: http://www.brucejrobinson.com/