Consultations & Training with
Mark W. Travis
Director Mark Travis and actor Chazz Palminteri 1990
From a 3-Minute Monologue to a Broadway Musical
It is 1989 and Chazz Palminteri and I are working on a short monologue that he wants to use for future theater auditions. It is a story from his life as a young boy growing up in the Bronx, New York – an afternoon when he witnessed a murder. Weeks after developing this monologue, Chazz tells me another childhood story about growing up in the Bronx.
“Write that story down,” I tell him, “and I’ll show you how they go together.”
“They don’t go together.”
“Trust me, they do. I’ll show you.”
And that was the beginning. You never know what one small story will bring you.
“Without Mark Travis, there would have been no Bronx Tale.”
—CHAZZ PALMINTERI
Script Consultation
- Reading of the script (English only) and writing notes.
- Two hours in consultation to discuss all details of the script: Where it is strong, weak, needs work; the characters, their relationships, etc. What is your vision for the film? What are your reasons for telling this story? The goal is to get inside your mind to see the film that you see.
If you are a writer and you want to ensure that your script is compelling enough to attract the best directors, actors, and producers you MUST consult with Mark. He brought my script to an entirely new level.
Scene by Scene Analysis and Breakdown
Includes a detailed analysis and breakdown of every scene and every character. This is the crucial first step to prepare for Workshopping.
“I made a common mistake thinking I knew my own script simply because I wrote it. Working with Mark forces you to go much deeper than the simple text on the page. Without this sort of work, you’re winging it without even knowing it.”
Workshopping
Is the most powerful and efficient way to prepare for pre-production and production. With the help of professional actors (not those that are to be cast) and using The Travis Technique of Interrogation and Staging, every scene and every character will be examined in great depth and detail, so that in the end you’re so familiar with every aspect of your film that you know exactly how to proceed into preproduction and production. It’s the most effective and efficient use of your time and money.
“I have been working with Mark for well over 10 years across all projects — from diligent interrogation to sometimes painful, but always rewarding, script analysis to inspiring workshops. I love preparation and being challenged — and Mark offers this in spades — providing a strong foundation that allows the confidence and freedom to fly when the camera rolls. Mark is a priceless treasure trove of wisdom and kindness. I wouldn’t dive into any production without him.”
A BRONX TALE:
From a 3-Minute Monologue to a Broadway Musical
Developed and directed by Mark W. Travis, A BRONX TALE premiered at Theatre West in Los Angeles, achieving great critical success and attracting Hollywood interest.
‘Every director, every studio head wanted to make the movie,’ Palminteri said. ‘They offered $250,000, $500,000.’
Travis and Palminteri took the play to Off-Broadway at Playhouse 91 from October 10, 1989 to December 24, 1989. The play had a sold-out run and Palminteri received a 1989–1990 Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle.
Robert De Niro, who first viewed the play in Los Angeles in 1990, acquired the rights from Palminteri, intent on making the play his directorial debut.
A Bronx Tale premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 1993, and released in the United States on September 29, 1993. The film achieved limited commercial success, grossing over $17 million domestically, but it launched Palminteri’s acting career, while also helping De Niro gain acceptance as a director.
The original one man show was adapted into a musical and premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey on February 4, 2016 before opening on Broadway December 1 later that year.
Your story is a seed with its own life force.
It has a personality with needs and desires and intentions.
Nurture it and bring it to fruition.
Locations
Honolulu, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
Prague, Czech Republic
Cologne, Germany
Auckland, New Zealand