Directing Fun at the Stratford Fast Forward Festival

A few weeks ago, the multi-talented playwright/producer Sib, asked if I would direct a 10 minute play in a festival his town in CT was having. I was excited because while I used to direct a good deal, I haven't much recently, and thought it would be fun. Especially in such a short-term process...which was this:

-Playwrights receive a topic (or in this case, a newspaper headline) Friday night at 8pm. They have 11 hours to write a 10-minute play inspired from that headline.
-At 7am, the next day, directors and actors receive the script and have all day to rehearse the play.
-At 7pm, the plays go up, complete with sound, lights, minimal costuming.

It was a lot of fun! The play I directed was called "20 Million Reasons", written by Tom Rushen. It was a good time, and a nice to meet other thespians outside of NYC (although many came from nyc...).




Photo 1: Actors Amy Henderson and Jeffrey Sherman
Photo 2: Cast Kristin SantaMaria, Amy and Jeffrey with me
Photo 3: Curtain call in the Stratford Theatre

My first music video

So in addition to playwriting, I have a band, Girl Crusade, and have just released my first music video. It was a blast to do! Check it out:

The blog at last...

My husband has been trying to get me to have my own blog for writing for ages! And finally today, I have decided, enough is enough--I shall get my blog going! Of course, I may switch to a wordpress blog, if blogger can't give me enough media features, but we shall see...I have missed the ease of blogger!

The juggling act...

Playwriting is my main passion. I have been writing plays since I was 8 years old, have had many produced, have a sizable student loan from going to grad school for playwriting, and love it. BUT...I also love acting, and directing, I also have a children's novel in the works, a children's book out there, a young adult novel in first draft form, a one-chick band, Girl Crusade (writing songs, recording them, making videos now too)...of course, I also work, socialize, have family and all that on top of it.

Sometimes I wonder if I am keeping it all straight. Am I devoting enough time to any of my artistic pursuits? Or just some time to all of them? There is that awful saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none." I hate that, because I don't feel that needs to be the case at all. I feel my music, plays, stories/books can all have wonderful qualities and be successful in their own rite...or right...My work is also similar, in that it is all writing. Writing is my passion, honestly, and that has been the case since before I could pick up a pencil (dictating stories to my mother to write down). And that may come in many forms, and that is okay with me and it keeps me interested in all avenues.

But...there are only so many hours in one day...and that is why, I suppose, that awful Jack saying has come about. It is up to me to structure my time in a meaningful way, so that I can not only create, but also send my work out there. I have to say NO to the Top Chef marathon on Saturday afternoon and commit the time to creating or marketing.

Anyone else have a similar issue?