Diamond Dead Play: How A Small Company In DC Went National

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When I first found out that we were toying with the idea of doing Diamond Dead as a stage show, I was ecstatic. I had heard about the film from a friend of mine, and kept up on the site to see what new things popped up. Our artistic director, Andrew Baughman had contacted the filmâ€™s producer on a long shot to see if we could actually obtain the rights to the show. Within a day or so, the two were talking and making plans.

We had about a month to put the whole thing together, and make it a pretty package for audiences to enjoy. The stage version and the screenplay are leaps and bounds different, but still keep to the main theme. A new song was written specifically for this show, thanks to Richard Hartley, and a new character was added â€“ mine. Now as far as accomplishing the main goal of making it a fun, interactive experience, youâ€™d have to ask some of the folks who came to see the show. My overall impression is that we are doing it justice, but still keeping it very real for audiences to relate to. Well, as much as one can relate to undead rock stars.

We had the pleasure of meeting the three creators of Diamond Dead, on opening weekend. For those not in the know, that would be Brian Cooper (writer/creator), Andrew Gaty (producer), and Richard Hartley (composer). They flew in from all over to see us, which of course was (and still is) a HUGE honor. They seemed pleased with what weâ€™ve done to their baby, and offered us all the luck and best wishes we needed to continue on. The show is still very much a work in progress, and continues to grow and change every day.

Every show has its bumps, and our bump just happened to be Scott Morrison. A devout Christian from Scotland, Scott has been very adamant about getting the film banned, and when he caught wind of our humble company doing it as a stage show, he was all over that like white on rice. Scottâ€™s whole argument is that the script portrays Jesus Christ as a pot-smoker, and that itâ€™s offensive to Christians all over.

While that may be true for some people, weâ€™ve received e-mails and posts to our message board from other devout Christians who think Scott is attempting to ban our right to free speech. The short of it is that the debate between Landless and Scott has gone in circles over and over again. Itâ€™s very clear that heâ€™s not giving up his cause, but weâ€™re not stopping the ROCK for one religious fanatic! If you donâ€™t like what we do, you donâ€™t have to come, but we encourage people who are against us to come see the show anyhow.

The cast and crew of the Diamond Dead stage play are amazing, and should be commended for their hard work. I can honestly say that everyone has put in one hundred and ten percent to make this the best show that it possibly can be. We hope that everyone who comes to see the show is disgusted, turned on, amused, surprised, and a few other adjectives I couldnâ€™t say on a kid-friendly website.

Landless has embarked on an incredible journey, and I for one am very thankful to be a part of it. Kisses, hugs, and BRAINS!

Contributed by Jen Tonon
Role in Diamond Dead Play: Nancy Spungen (lead guitar).