Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “playwriting”
One of my favorite inspirational sayings is: “You don’t have to go fast. You just have to go.” I recently read that poet William Wordsworth composed most of his poems while walking through meadows, moors, and mountains. He rambled in every kind of weather and all over Europe. In fact, a friend calculated that he had walked 180,000 miles in …
Sometimes there are time sucks that get in the way of my playwriting. When this occurs, I feel frustrated at my own lack of productivity. I may sometimes go down the rabbit hole into Twitter (I have quit Facebook), especially on a big news day. Other times, I’m surfing the internet, telling myself I’m doing research. HA! Freedom is a …
A truism we writers already know! Much research has been completed that demonstrates the link between an active mind and an active body. The simplest effect is that during exercise, blood flow increases to the brain. But according to an in-depth article from Ferris Jabr in The New Yorker, there’s much more going on when we’re walking. “Walking on a regular …
Here’s a little nudge from Noel Coward (Private Lives, Blithe Spirit) to encourage you to keep writing. “Work hard, do the best you can, don’t ever lose faith in yourself and take no notice of what other people say about you … Work is much more fun than fun.” (Photo: Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward in the Broadway production of …
Have you ever had an idea for a play (or any fictional story) that seemed workable, with a lot of promise … but you just couldn’t keep it going past the first two-dozen pages? I have. But I don’t like to get stuck in that situation, losing days or weeks writing something that doesn’t pan out. I’ve learned that I …
My family drama, “Without Mercy” will premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in San Francisco, February 24 – March 25, 2017. It is being presented by the award-winning Off Broadway West Theatre Company. Directed by Richard Harder Performed by Sylvia Kratins (Joanna), Niki Yapo-Held (Bethany), and Ian Walker (Sam), with David Skillman (Sam/alternate) Learning that her missing daughter has been murdered, …
My inspirations for plays come from many places … the news is a big source for me. I got interested in the issue of conflict palm oil a couple of years ago, when two Girl Scouts staged an activist campaign to get palm oil out of their cookies. These girls’ letter-writing campaign is mentioned in Act I, Scene I of …
because counter-terrorism begins at home… Enemies: Foreign and Domestic is a darkly comic intersection of foreign “black ops” and family politics. Meg Mahoney arrives at her mother’s home smoldering with resentments, ready to have her pain acknowledged at last. But her family won’t recognize her grievances. What’s more, her mother’s Muslim caregiver activates Meg’s fear and hostility. The prodigal daughter’s …
We’re in the final throes of rehearsal for Enemies: Foreign and Domestic at Central Works in Berkeley, CA. So much gratitude for the amazing creative team, including Director Gary Graves, and our outstanding cast and crew. I can’t wait for opening! Here’s my program note: “The philosopher John Stuart Mill, arguing in 1869 against The Subjection of Women, wrote that …
My short play “Stuck in the Middle With You” will be produced as part of the 2015 Women in Playwriting Festival at Two Muses Theatre in West Bloomfield, Michigan (near Detroit). In this two-woman play, Amy may (or may not) have an imaginary friend — who is having an impact on her relationship with Erin. It will be directed by …