Mom. Playwright.

“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.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

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.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

(AP Photo)

“Children see things very well sometimes – and idealists even better.”

I’ve spent this week seeing those who’ve been hidden in plain view. Their stories will appear in my writing. More to come…

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

I was feeling stuck last week. It happens.

But last night I was determined to get “unstuck” and back to writing in the wee hours of the a.m., when I can claim the morning as mine.

I was stirred by a memoir writing exercise link found in my inbox last Wednesday by way of Oprah’s Book Club. Written by Abigail Thomas, the text came from Thinking About Memoir and included a challenge to Begin With Two Pages…

Two pages of 10 exercises such as, “Write two pages of something you can’t deny,” and “Write two pages of what you have too much of.” I started this morning with, “Write two pages of when you knew you were in trouble.” Whoa! Can’t you just see that in your mind’s eye on stage? An opening line of, “I knew I was in trouble when…”

I don’t have any intentions (at this point) of writing my memoir, but I find these exercises as fertile ground for mining play dialogue and premise. I maintain, inspiration can come from anywhere. Thanks, Abigail and Oprah.

Check out the How to Write Your Own Memoir excerpt and exercises. Will you take the challenge? It’s just two pages. Even a Mom Playwright can handle that!

And while you’re at it, check out these tips for making reading fun for kids.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

(photo credit: Julio Grinblatt)

I happened upon this archived pearl. It’s from a 2006 interview by Theatermania with mom playwright Diana Son, as she discussed the world premiere of her play, Satellites.

“My early plays were much more fantastical and adhered more closely to ideas that I developed when I was a young dramatic literature student at NYU. I was very heavily influenced by Brecht and other European writers — but, at some point, I began to feel that I was spending too much time trying not to tell the story I was telling. So I just decided to tell the story.”

Just tell the story. I appreciate this, as I sometimes struggle with writing the story that I think wants to be heard as opposed to the one that needs to be told.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.