In 1964 Kitty Genovese, a 28-year-old woman, was raped and murdered in Queens, New York. A New York Times reporter, using police interviews, wrote that 37 people witnessed the attack and refused to call the police or intervene in any way. Thus the “bystander effect” became popular in pop culture, even making its way into social psychology. The New York …
My latest play, Bystanders, takes place in the aftermath of a horrific act of gun violence. It’s a two-hander exploring an intimate story dealing with guns in America. This is a tough topic that was not consciously on my radar. The play presented itself to me almost completely fully-formed, with a number of clear reversals inside its tight, 75-minute, real-time …
After a bunch of years, I’ve updated my playwriting website: the site you’re reading right now. I primarily redesigned to make the blog less central, especially on mobile devices. I don’t blog that much, and I wanted to feature my plays front and center. I also added review snippets to the front page, since I’ve gotten some good ones. Another …
I’ve been refining my Artistic Statement as I prepare to apply for residencies for Summer 2020. Here’s a draft: While the truth is often elusive and difficult to uncover, I have found the theatre to be an ideal place to explore truth’s various facets, layers, and its terrible implications. I have so many questions! I know that stories wield immense …
This year, I’ve been trying to make the move from being deadline-driven to being self-disciplined. My nature is to rely on external cues, like deadlines, for accountability. So my three-year play commission, which I believe I could have written in a year, is taking the entire three years. Why? The (outer, external) deadline hasn’t arrived. Here’s another example: I work …
On Memorial Day, Marilynn Fowler of KPOO Radio in San Francisco interviewed Chelsea Bearce and me about “The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective.” We had a lot of fun! Find out which of us worked in an office with a serial killer, and which of us has been doing theatre since she was eleven. Listen Here:
The reviews are in for “Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective” at Central Works, and they are terrific! With this cast and creative team, I would be shocked if it went any other way. (Still, you never know.) Sold-out houses also are finding the play hilarious, relevant, and emotionally satisfying. A woman approached me last night to say, “I was very moved.” …
BroadwayWorld has announced the upcoming production of The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective at Central Works. Central Works season of new plays continues this spring with a “cheeky” thriller written by the local award-winning playwright Patricia Milton, The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective, opening May 4 running through June 2 (previews 5/2 & 3); world-premiere # 63, from the Central Works Writers …
For most of my plays, I create a dramaturgical resource site on Tumblr. The site contains links to resources, inspiration, and research that I used in writing the play. For “The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective,” I read a lot of books, so I am providing links to the books and quotes from them. Visit my tumblr site for more.
BAMBOOZLED, nominated for seven 2018 Theatre Bay Area awards, was awarded four: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, and two Outstanding Lead Actor awards, for Chelsea Bearce and Stacy Ross. Not a bad haul for the evening! The New York Times and Pro Publica reported recently on the catastrophic climate effects of palm oil, the subject of my 2016 play, HEARTS OF …