I'm raising children. I'm writing plays. I don't have the luxury of making the two mutually exclusive. Toss in a husband and this is my life. And oh, yeah, there's also that 9 to 5 I took on in October '08...
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The Pulitzer prizes will be announced tomorrow afternoon at Columbia University. Which play will be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama? Word has it that Lynn Nottage’s RUINED may take home the honor. Read the rest of this entry »
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This past Wednesday I got together with director Sheri Mann Stewart and actors Joan Q. Scott, Ivy C. Purdy and Gordon Danniels (all fine folks) for a first table read and rehearsal of my short play, SAVED IN 17 SYLLABLES. It was a surreal but gratifying experience, hearing the words and characters once in my head and on my page now interpreted and personified by others.
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This entry’s inspiration is provided by a mom playwright I actually know personally and think is fabulous!
A hearty, “Congratulations!” to Vynnie Meli, whose play, JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS, has been selected as the winner of the 2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition. A story centered around the members of an all-female, “mixed-race” jazz band touring through the Deep South during World War II, JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS will be produced as a part of the Essential Theatre’s 2009 Power Plays Festival this summer at Actor’s Express.
Check out the video below to hear from Essential Theatre artist director Peter Hardy, the play’s director Betty Hart and Vynnie herself at 2:15 into the clip. If you’re in or plan to be in Atlanta July 5-August 2, put this on your summer must-see list.
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“I write for as many hours as I can carve out of a day, or until my sense of humor has utterly abandoned me. These days, since I’m currently on leave from my day job, that means I write during regular working hours, and then if I feel there’s something I didn’t get to that I don’t want to lose the thread of, I’ll work some more after my kids are asleep. I don’t make hard and fast rules, but the one thing I don’t like is to go for a couple of days without writing at all–it makes me unsettled.”
–Melissa James Gibson, award-winning mom playwright, quoted in “The Craft” Front Matter of the March/April 2009 issue of The Dramatist
Thanks, Melissa. I needed to hear that.
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Poet, Momplaywright
Today is a historic day in the United States and for that matter, the world. On this inauguration day of President-elect Barack Obama, after he takes his oath of office, after he gives his highly anticipated speech, the world will hear from Elizabeth Alexander— poet, essayist and momplaywright (Diva Studies). In these weeks since being selected by Obama to compose and read a poem for the occasion, this mom of a nine year-old and ten year-old (boys) has been, in her spare time, crafting her words and preparing to share her gift that will unveiled today.
So when you tune in for the amazing and historic inaugural event at noon, be sure to hang around to hear from and salute a momplaywright. There’s so much of significance today worth noting.
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A funny thing happened on the way to doing research for a play idea I had. I was serendipitously granted an interview for and offered a full-time position I couldn’t refuse. Know what’s wonderful about it? I’m still writing, it’s an extremely family-friendly office (wow! they DO really exist!) and I’ll be earning more disposal income that I can pour back into supporting theatre by seeing more plays! 
So I’ve been making the transition to now working-out-of-the-home Mom. Playwright. Thanks to author and fellow Mom Playwright Amy Hillgren Peterson for turning me on to Who Does She Think She Is? News of this documentary on defying-the-odds, working women artists with families has come at a perfect time. I want to believe that I still, with this newly added dimension to my life, can and will write. I have no choice. It’s just in me. I’m sure it’s in you too. That’s why you’re here, right?
The dust is settling and balance is emerging. Blog posts will resume. Thanks for your continued support. Now, I’ve got to sign off, if I don’t want to be late for work!
One thing already taken off my list, my American friends: Voting. If it’s still one of your to-do’s just do it–and be a part of history!
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Amy Wilson. Photo Credit: Sue Barr
“The response has been remarkable. I thought I was the only one who ran myself ragged and still had a house that looked like the town dump. I thought I was the only one with a voice in my head saying ‘Don’t be happy! Worry!’ But the audiences who have seen this show — women and men, parents, and not, perfectionists all — said they were a lot like me: racked with guilt over all the things we won’t, in a million years, have time to do anything about, except feel bad.” –Amy Wilson
I’ve been a little under the gun lately at home. My husband has been in New York since… what seems like a long time now. So I’ve been consumed with double-duty parenting (my hat’s off to single moms), trying to find a gas station that still has gas to keep my car running and oh, did I mention the show I have to go review tonight, my 10-minute play reading this weekend and my daughter likely coming down with something as she now lies drowsily draped over my shoulder?
Talking with Hubby yesterday, he asked, “Hey, are you blogging? I haven’t seen any entries from you lately…” All I could do was laugh.
So here you are, Love. Enter this brief post mentioning actress and mom playwright Amy Wilson’s play, Mother Load, about the so-crazy-it’s-comedic realm of competitive parenting.
Thank you for the blogging nudge. As a result of my day’s research, I see a road trip to North Carolina in our future. Mother Load will be running in Charlotte September 30-October 26. For the rest of you, details, additional cities and dates can be found here, and you can share with the group and unload your “Mother Load” story here.
“I can’t wait to meet audiences all over this country and spread the message: lose the Mother Load, and remember how to enjoy your kids.”
I can’t wait either, Amy. Thanks for the reminder, and see you soon.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I just caught snot that flew out of my daughter’s nose mid-sneeze. I think I should go tend to that. It was a good catch, though, if I do say so myself. Her pitiful smile indicates that she too was impressed.
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Busy, busy, busy. Running, running, running. Writing, writing, writing.
This past weekend, en route to the Alliance Theatre to see and review Gem of the Ocean, I talked with my friend Theresa about how quickly it seems 2008 has flown by. We agreed how much we’d love to find the time for a brief Mommy respite–a chance to inhale and exhale before being steamrolled into the it’ll-be-here-before-we-know-it holiday season.
I’m still in that mode of thinking, which may be why I was led to discover this online piece written by Sue Frause for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog about Hedgebrook.
Hedgebrook is a 48-acre writers’ retreat for women nestled on Whidbey Island, found thirty-five miles northwest of Seattle, Washington, facing Puget Sound. For the last 20 years, women writers the world over of diverse ages, ethnicities, levels of experience and genre interests have spent time at Hedgebrook to relax, relate and release their writing out into the world–or at the very least onto the page.
I devoured the information on their website, and learned that among other activities and programs, they’ve held an annual Women Playwrights Festival. Hmm…
See the details for yourself. If you dream of even just 2 weeks away from your life as you know it, why not complete an application to be competitively considered for a residency at Hedgebrook in 2009. Mark your calendar–the postmark deadline is September 25, 2008.
And even if travel to Hedgebrook isn’t in the cards for you right now, you can see about sampling where their custom Yakima Valley red wine, Hedgebrook Cedar Deep, can take you. Produced by Whidbey Island Vineyards and Winery, a glass of this vino and a bubble bath may be all that’s needed to induce, “Ahhh….”. Sue says the label on the bottle reads it’s a place “where a writer can go to be still, draw from the creative force of nature and let her thoughts loosen and take flight.”
Cheers, Hedgebrook!
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Like many Americans, I have been seeking information and reactions about the Republican party pick for U.S. Vice President, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. As a matter of fact, it has scarily become a little obsessive.
So while I try to extract myself from the fray, check out these non-partisan details about the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, a gathering of playwrights, actors, directors and theatre enthusiasts from the world over that takes places annually in Palin’s fair state–specifically in the city of Valdez. The 17th Annual Conference is scheduled for June 13-20, 2009.
By all accounts, the Conference’s approval rating among past attendees is high, what with all its fabled master classes, panel discussions, evening shows and post-show receptions.
Like the fate of Palin’s VP quest, how the Last Frontier Theatre Conference 2009 will shake out remains to be seen, as the conference schedule is still in the planning stages. Hence registration links aren’t yet live, nor are the Play Lab selections and featured artists yet named.
But the LFTC website suggests that playwrights get on Gary Garrison’s mailing list to stay in The Loop. I did some months ago, and unlike what’s playing out in this U.S. presidential election year, the decision that it was a good choice is uncontested.
Have any of you readers been to the Last Frontier Theatre Conference? Does it get your vote? Leave a comment below.
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Hello Mom Playwright friends. Here’s an opportunity that was shared with me, and I am happy to pass the word along to you:
The International Centre for Women Playwrights is looking for volunteer readers for an anthology of monologues on the Mother/ Daughter experience.
Each reader is requested to view at least 12 monologues and rate them on the following criteria:
* Cleanliness/Presentation of the Monologue (no typos, missing words, etc) (1-5)
* Relative Completeness of the Monologue (does it feel like a whole and complete theatrical unit?) (1-5)
* Adherence to the theme of Mother/Daughter Experience (1-5)
* Reflection of overall ICWP Mission available at http:// www.netspace.org/~icwp/about.html (1-5)
(possible score of 20 * 5 = % out of 100)
Additional dramaturgical comments on the material for the editors are welcome, but not required. All playwrights will be given the opportunity to review comments and revise the work prior to publication.
The monologues and the review process will be entirely online. A private, free Google account will be required. Some training and support will be provided. You cannot be a reader if you have submitted a monologue to the project: both ICWP members and non-members are encouraged to review. All proceeds of the publication will benefit ICWP. Reviewers will be thanked by name in the manuscript and on the ICWP website unless they wish to remain anonymous.
The review period will end on or around September 15, 2008.
If you are interested, please email icwpmotherdaughter@gmail.com with your name, city, and country ASAP.
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