Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Karen Zacharias: I went from policy wonk to playwright. After college, I worked as an assistant Program Officer for Latin America for The National Endowment for Democracy across the street from the Washington Post. It was an amazing job focusing on giving disenfranchised populations tools to find their voice through the political process. At the same time, I missed creative writing, so I took a night class on playwriting at Georgetown University taught by Ernie Joselovitz…who encouraged me to keep at it. I took his advice to heart and did a Masters in Playwriting at BU. I returned to DC to start Young Playwrights’ Theater an organization which combines all my interests: playwriting, education, and battling disenfranchisement: by giving kids the tools to find their own creative voice. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? KZ: I loved being a part of The Playwrights’ Forum. Ernie Joselovitz has done so much for so many DC area playwrights. I strongly recommend being part of a group that encourages and understands you and your plays. The friends I made at Playwrights Forum have been invaluable to me. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KZ: I’ve been part of Kennedy’s Center Page-to-Stage, The Source Theatre Festival, and most recently the Intersections Festival (run by the amazing playwright Mary Hall Surface); I think any event that allows playwrights to share and vibe together is very vital in reminding DC we are here…and in reminding our peers that we are here for each other. I find these festivals renew bonds and inspire new, deeper art. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? KZ: I’ve been lucky that every pay check I have gotten in since 1995 is related to playwriting. I am founder and was Artistic Director of Young Playwrights’ Theater for ten years…(which involved all the rewards and challenges of running and fundraising for an arts education non-profit). I teach Playwriting at Georgetown University…I have commissions and royalties for and from several plays. I am the playwright in residence at Arena Stage…which miraculously provides a solid salary for the time being. I find that like every other playwright I know…we are doing a million things at once…and always trying to carve out time to write. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? KZ: Blue Buick in Mt Driveway (Source Festival, 1994), The Sins of Sor Juana (Theater of the First Amendment, 1999), The Magical Birthday Pinata (Imagination Stage, 1999), Ferdinand The Bull (Imagination Stage, 2000 & 2010), The 13th Summer of William and Pilar (ACTCO/Gala Hispanic Theater/YPT, 1998), The Invisible City with Robert Alexander (Woolly Mammoth Theatre. 2001), Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans (Imagination Stage, 2003), Choices: Reflections on the Holocaust (YPT/Theater J/Holocaust Museum, 2004), Retratos (Discovery Theater Company/YPT, 2005), The Other River: Ripples and Vibes from DC’s Southside with Patrick Crowley (Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 2006), Los Pecados de Sor Juana (Gala Hispanic Theater, 2006), African Roots/Latino Soul (Discovery Theater/YPT, 2007), The Book Club Play (Round House, 2008 and Arena Stage, 2011), Chasing George Washington (The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, 2008), Looking for Roberto Clemente (Imagination Stage, 2008), Mariela in the Desert (TFA, 2008), How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Round House Theater- 2008) Maria La O (In Series, 2011), and Legacy of Light (Arena Stage, 2009) JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KZ: I love being a repeat offender at Arena Stage, Round House Theater, Imagination Stage, and The Kennedy Center…those theaters all feel like home to me. I was very saddened by the closing of Theater of the First Amendment…that theater that instrumental to my birth and growth as a playwright. I would love an opportunity to work with Studio Theater…I love the intimacy of their space. I love Forum Theater. I find Theater J to be a real home for playwrights. I would like to write a Woolly Play. I would like to write a full length musical and have it come to life in DC. JL: DC audiences are ... KZ: ... very smart, very attentive, very loyal. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ... KZ: …world class. JL: DC critics are ... KZ: ...here! And there are many! And there is something to be said about that. I may disagree at time with some of them, but I do recognize that having as many critics and reviews as we do is a vital sign of our thriving Theater scene. Let’s get some more! JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? KZ: All of my work has a feminist edge (Female protagonist…women in power etc) …and much of it also reflects my Latino background. Almost all of my plays (some which have premiered else where) have found a home in DC which is not something I expected when I first started writing here. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? KZ: See lots of plays. Attend the festivals. Try to be part of a slam. Support other playwrights. Find different ways use your skills to be part of the community…of your neighborhood. Create genuine good will. And then write. write. And re-write. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? KZ: I am writing a 15-actor piece entitled JUST LIKE US based on the non-fiction book by the current political climate of immigration for the Denver. I am collaboration with Septime Webber and the Washington National Ballet on a Libretto for “THE SUN ALSO RISES.” I am doing an adaptation of THE AGE OF INNOCENCE as part of my residency at Arena. I am working on projects for the Kennedy Center and Imagination Stage. And I am on a steering committee to help organize an unprecedented national convening of Latino Theater artists that addresses the issues of being us in the U.S.
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Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Nicole Jost: I’m a DC native. I grew up in Tenleytown, went to DC public schools, and came back to live here after going away for college. I love this city. It has everything that New York has, but less of it. I’ll gladly take fewer restaurants, theaters and museums for less trash, noise and over-crowding. (Plus, more trees!) I’ve haven’t been focused on writing plays for that long though, maybe five or six years. I consider myself an early career playwright. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? NJ: I belong to the DC-Area Playwrights group on Facebook, but I’ve never joined a group that meets face to face. Like a lot of others, I find the Facebook group very helpful. I prefer a loose association of virtual colleagues to something more formal, for now. I would strongly recommend that any DC-based playwright join the group. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? NJ: I have never participated in any of those festivals as an individual playwright. I did serve as a “scripterer” in an ensemble-created performance with dog & pony dc called Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting, which was part of Fringe in 2009. I also participated in the DC Queer Theatre Festival in May. It was great to be featured alongside other local writers, and to be exposed to their work. I met some fantastic artists that I might not have run into otherwise, which is so important. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? NJ: I’m one of the lucky theater artists whose “day job” is actually in the field of theater. I’m the Associate Artistic Director of Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT). We use playwriting as a tool to help students improve their literacy skills and self-confidence. It’s very rewarding work. It’s important to me to dedicate my time to making a positive impact in the community, and even better that I get to use my art to do that. The nature of my work helps keep my writing muscles in shape. Creating curricula, working with a student on her play, reading a pile of scripts, these are all things that stimulate my creativity. It feeds my writing. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? NJ: I have never enjoyed a full production of one of my plays. In addition to my experience with the DC Queer Theatre Festival (which was a reading), I also participated in The Inkwell’s “Evening of Inklings” this spring. I learned a lot from The Inkwell’s process. They’re a company that I really admire. We had a very limited amount of rehearsal time, but they still gave space for each playwright to talk about their work and for each dramaturge to ask questions of the playwright. That’s so important for a new play, and I love that they understand that. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? NJ: That’s a tough question! There are so many amazing people and companies I’d love to work with – Rorschach and Forum come to mind for sure. But if I had to pick only one theater, I’d pick Woolly. I’ve been an audience member since I was a teenager, and I’ve come to associate their productions with the kind of risk-taking that I strive for in my writing. Plus, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Kimberly Gilbert groupie, and she’s a company member… JL: DC audiences are ... NJ: I don’t know if I can generalize! There are so many different kinds of theater to see here, I feel like each style has its own group of devotees, which is pretty cool. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are .. NJ: Dedicated. Adventurous. JL: DC critics are ... NJ: Savvy. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? NJ: I know a lot of very intelligent artists have put a lot of time and effort into this issue. I do see progress when you compare what’s onstage these days versus a few years ago. I can’t really think about this issue without thinking about who gets to be in the audience. Access to the work is so important. Theater-going shouldn’t be a privilege reserved only for the elite. I think what’s onstage and who’s watching are two issues that feed into one another, because both issues have to do with what communities are being represented (and who’s left out). In terms of my own work, I see the underrepresentation of the LGBT community onstage as a big challenge. The protagonist of my play The Terror Fantastic is a butch lesbian, and it has been difficult to find an actress who understands the nuance of butch gender expression. There’s a preference for femme women onstage that needs to be confronted. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? NJ: Participate in local theater in whatever way you can. I can’t tell you how many awesome people I met volunteering, directing, doing outreach. Find a company you like and ask how you can help. And see a lot of shows. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? NJ: I’m building a play using memories from the dream world. I have a site set up where anyone can submit a dream to me. It’s been truly amazing what people have shared, which I’m sure is due in part to the anonymity of the internet. You can learn more and Donate a Dream as well! I’m on Facebook and Twitter (walkunafraiddc). You can learn more about Young Playwrights' Theater’s work (we have an awesome season of always-free shows this year!) at www.yptdc.org. JL: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
PH: I've been a performing artist in this area since the late nineties. I came here for college (UMD-GO TERPS) and fell in love with the DMV area. I’m also able to make a solid living in DC, doing what I love with nearby family and artistic support. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? PH: I am not a member of any playwright’s group, but I think that their presence is important. It’s nice to know that there’s a network of people who can offer advice, resources and support. Although I wear the “playwright” hat, I don’t rock it with swagger. My strengths are really performance and choreography, but playwriting is a skill that I developed in Arena Stage’s Student Playwrights Program. Through many years of workshops, master classes and teaching, I began to apply the skill to my own work. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? PH: I’m thrilled that I’ve been a part of each of these festivals and the Mead Lab. As a playwright, I’ve had works in the Intersections Festival, Hip Hop Theatre Festival, Mead Lab and the Page-to Stage festival. Each of them is great for various reasons, but I learned that it’s important to know who your audience is and how to adapt your piece to maximize the experience. I am most grateful to the Mead Theatre Lab and to the Intersections Festival. The Mead Lab helped theHegira Theatre Company to develop my first piece with ample artistic resources. Creating my show (PAIGE IN FULL) at the Mead Lab was really the launching pad into coming into my own as an independent artist. I consider the Intersections Festival (and the Atlas) my artistic home. The Atlas allows me to continue work with my company (B-FLY ENTERTAINMENT) with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary arts for the hip-hop generation. I’ve produced all of my original works there including PAIGE IN FULL (PIF), Havana Hop (HH), Liner Notes and the Nayika Project (Spring 2013). JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? PH: For the first time ever, I’m able to pay the bills solely with the work that I created! I tour two of my shows nationally and that’s been able to sustain me. Even still, I almost always make time to work as a performer, teaching artist, producer and choreographer. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? PH: I’ve self-produced three and I'm working on a fourth. As an artist, I’ve learned to appreciate and respect the development process. Rewrites, feedback and audience input are all very important parts of the whole. I’ve also learned to trust my artistic team. I try to align myself with artists who have same work ethic, aesthetic and who can genuinely see the goals and potential of the given project. As a producer, planning, timing and meticulousness is everything. I’m an uber-organized perfectionist, which is both a curse and a blessing. Nothing pleases me more than to be prepared for every need, want or outcome. I also take pride in budgeting, taxes and tax deductions. From the beginning, I wanted to run my LLC clean and balanced. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? PH: My own. Once I get my space, I’ll be in touch with all the women playwrights of DC! Holla! JL: DC audiences are ... PH: ... Either old and dying or young and starving. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are .. PH: ... Some of the most generous, supportive and talented people I know. JL: DC critics are ... PH: ... A vital part of the equation. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? PH: This ishh gets me heated. I can give you the full version over happy hour but in general, the entire theatre community could take more risks and bold stances on race and gender. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? PH: Explore the different types of DC audiences by going to different shows at different theaters. I think it’s easy to oversaturate the market with same mainstream trendy ish. As a writer, I represent an underserved audience who are more than willing to buy tickets to see their stories on stage. Find your audience and become their voice. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? PH: As a playwright I’m working with classical Indian dancer Chitra Kalyandurg to write the Nayika Project. The Nayika Project will fuse dance, theatre and spoken word to give a contemporary spin to tales of resilient, relatable heroines from Indian myth. It premieres March 1st at the Intersections festival. As the year comes to a close, I’m fortunate to be busy!
And I’ll continue to tour PIF AND HH throughout the end of the year to NY, ND, FL and MD. You can stay updated at: www.paigehernandez.com, www.paigeinfull.com, www.bflyentertainment.com, Thank you Jacqueline Lawton! This series has been inspiring, insightful and very necessary. Can’t wait to support you and all the lovely playwrights soon! JL: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
MHS: I first starting writing plays for the Kennedy Center's Theatre for Young Audiences in 1986. (I'm old.) While still living in California in the early 80s, my theatre there had been presented by the Kennedy Center for several seasons and then I had been invited to guest direct/write plays for the Kennedy Center's new series for young audiences. On my "guest" times here, I'd become aware of the growing/vibrant theatre scene (and that was the 80s.) So when looking for an east coast town to relocate to, DC won. I've stayed because of the immense diversity of opportunities for me as a playwright (as well as director/producer/teaching artist). JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? MHS: Playwright's Forum was extremely valuable to me as a playwright (and director) when I first came to town. It was a wonderful forum for trying out new work as a playwright and for sharpening my skills as a director of new work. Most importantly, I made a group of friends among other writers that gave me a sense of belonging when I first arrived. I would recommend Playwright's Forum for new writers to the area, especially. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-StageFestival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? MHS: Well... I'm the artistic director of INTERSECTIONS: A New America Arts Festival, so I hope other playwrights have positive things to say about it :) I've had work (for several years running) in the Page-to-Stage Festival and found the development opportunity extremely helpful. I've also participated in the First Light Festival at Theatre of the First Amendment and the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices program. Both provided local and national input at important stages of the writing process. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? MHS: I am thankful that I have always supported myself through the theatre, through a diverse approach of writing, directing, producing and teaching. I do find it hard to keep up the daily writing practice that I love when involved in other aspects of my work. But I choose not to see them as competitions to the writing, but all part of one big approach to how I live and work in the world. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? MHS: I had a long and productive relationship with Theatre of the First Amendment, which commissioned me (and my composer/Collaborator) David Maddox to write six musicals that they produced over eight years. This is a playwright's dream, I know. I learned that having an artistic home gave me both the support and the space to realize work that I hold up as some of my best ever. (We won Helen Hayes Awards, produced national-award winning cast albums.) I've also been commissioned by the Round House Theatre to adapt/direct "Alice", an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, by the Folger Theatre to adapt/direct "The Second Shepherd's Play", and by the National Gallery of Art to write/direct two projects inspired by visual art -- Edward Hoppers (in 2007) and Roy Lichtenstein's (in 2012.) I've also written plays produced by Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre and over 15 plays produced at the Kennedy Center. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? MHS: Of course, I would love it if some of the larger institutions (Arena, Shakespeare Theatre Company) took a genuine interest in theatre for families (my speciality). But I am happy with the forums I have, and of course, am always eager for more. I take special delight in working with "non-theatres", like the National Gallery and the National Symphony Orchestra. JL: DC audiences are ... MHS: ... adventurous to a point. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ... MHS: ... among the best I've worked with. I have a twelve year relationship with my set and lighting designer. Nothing better. JL: DC critics are ... MHS: ... to be believed when they say you are wonderful and to be ignored when they say you are not. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? MHS: With my festival, INTERSECTIONS, I am making big efforts to create equal room at the table. Personally, I've not felt kept out of the pool by being a woman. More for being an artist who creates intergenerational work. But I don't carry that chip on my shoulder. I soldier-on and do the work. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? MHS: Join a playwright's group. Go see lots of theatre. Self-produce. Meet people. Write, Write, write. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? MHS: My latest play, FRAMED!, inspired by the work of Roy Lichtenstein, will open at the National Gallery of Art on Nov 3. My musical, Sing Down the Moon, one of the pieces commissioned by Theatre of the First Amendment, will be produced under my direction at INTERSECTIONS in Feb/March 2013. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Kristy Simmons: I’ve worked as a playwright in DC for three years. I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and came back in 1994 after graduating from UC-Santa Cruz. When I landed a job painting trade show sets for BET and MTV, I decided to stay because it was a well paying job in my (also) visual arts field. Over the years, I’ve found the arts communities in DC to be overflowing with rich talent from dedicated, savvy individuals. They are no strangers to what’s going on in the world at large. In both theatre and visual/performance art, DC is teeming with talent showcased by projects that stand on par with art conversations happening across the world. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? KS: I have been a member of several writing groups. Ernie Joselovitz’s Playwright’s Forum has been indispensable, and Marc Lapadula’s Screenwriter’s Group -- not for the faint of heart -- critiques stage plays as well. Both provide quality, professional feedback, and I recommend them frequently. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KS: I’ve participated in the 2012 Source Theatre Festival. As part of the Artist Blind Date Series, I worked with artists Jimmy Garver and Sarah Ewing on FILTER, a multimedia project that combined street theatre, dance, and a voyeuristic experience. My experience was fantastic. Jenny McConnell Frederick and Patrick Magill (Producers) and the staff at Source were terrific, supportive forces of our work. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? KS: I pay the bills with a day job, which happily is copyediting and graphic art. I balance this with writing by prioritizing daily goals. If there’s a deadline, I’ll write during lunch, and, while it may look funny, will scribble on paper while working out on the treadmill. I have no time for the small annoyances of life, and any setbacks in terms of overwhelm can’t happen because my dreams are at stake. Late in the evening I’ll work on visual art as a balance to the writing. I should write a book like that best seller DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF and call it: DO SUCH BIG STUFF THAT YOU SIMPLY DON’T HAVE TIME TO SWEAT ANYTHING. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? KS: As an emerging playwright, my production history so far has been with Source. I’ve considered self-producing and would like to. I’ve talked with members of NAKED LADIES LUNCH, a professional networking organization of women artists in the Washington metro area, about producing member’s plays. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KS: This town is full of great theatres. As one who’s a budding playwright in the spectrum, I’d be psyched to work with Theatre J, Forum, or Spooky Action. JL: DC audiences are ... KS: AMAZING. Their engagement astonishes. As a playwright, I relish the opportunity to talk to them. As an usher for Theatre J, Studio Theatre, and the Folger, I talk to many of them in the lobby. They will drop your jaw with knowledge of local productions, the history of theatre, and what’s going on in New York. Each should be handed an honorary degree, pronto. FOOTLIGHTS DC is a Yahoo group of theatregoers who meet for dinner after performances to discuss plays with playwrights. Recently they invited Rachel Grossman to talk about her devised play BEERTOWN. If that’s not an engaged, artist-supportive audience, I don’t know what is! JL: DC actors, designers and directors are .. KS: THE COOLEST PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET. They are immensely talented. IMMENSELY. Underscore. And also authentic, honest, and will engage with you. Several of DC’s actors and directors gave me indelible support in my early development. Jessica Leftow (Director and Actor), Richard Washer (Playwright and Director), Rick Foucheux (Actor), Catherine Aselford (Director and Organizer of DC SWAN Day), and Richard Heinrich (Artistic Director) all gave their amazing feedback and encouragement, and several gave me opportunities to direct or assistant direct their readings or productions. JL: DC critics are ... KS: DC critics are supportive of local talent. Peter Mark’s recent article “Fringe Births Talent; Now D.C. Theaters Have to Help Raise It” is good evidence. Here is the link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/fringe-births-talent-now-dcs-theaters-have-to-help-raise-it/2012/07/29/gJQA5XWOJX_story.html He talks about how DC theatres have no mechanism for accommodating local talent, yet notes a few of the theatres that have produced them. DC Theatre Scene, an online journal, features informed criticism as well. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? KS: In terms of race and gender parity, Forum Theatre’s panel this year addressed the disparity nationwide between the production of men and women playwrights. Here is the link about it. http://artsamerica.org/blog/uncategorized/dcs-forum-theatre-tackles-the-question-of-gender-bias/ Theatre J explores this issue as part of their current production of Annie Baker’s BODY AWARENESS. On their Facebook page, they feature a call for submissions to answer the question: Why are women’s voices important in art? Here is the link to participate. http://washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j/on-stage/12-13-season/body-awareness/body-awareness-women.html. Also, Strand Theatre Company and Pinky Swear Productions have missions to include more female voices, artists, and strong, engaging roles. Another important player for gender parity is Catherine Aselford. She’s the producer of DC SWAN Day. This is part of a national event called Support Women in the Arts Day (SWAN Day). DC SWAN Day is now in its sixth year and last year Catherine raised funds and awareness with a successful Kickstarter campaign. This event featured 13 women playwrights as well as women-authored performance art at several venues. In an event at The National Museum for Women in the Arts, I was fortunate to lead a panel featuring Eleanor Holdridge (Director), Jenny McConnell Frederick (Artistic Director), and Mary Resing (Artistic Director and Playwright). JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? KS: My advice is to join the DC Playwrights Facebook group. Here you’ll find calls for submissions, online articles, and camaraderie with some really awesome writers. I’d also recommend acquainting yourself with the aesthetics of local theatres to get a feel for the ones that are best suited to your work. The best part of being a playwright here is that our vibrant community embraces the committed playwright at any level of writing ability. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? KS: What’s next for me is to polish my current outlines and then get ready for what I often refer to as “the fall writing season”. I'll also be assistant directing Spooky Action Theatre's production of RECKLESS, come out and see it! You can keep up with me at www.kristysimmonsart.com. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Kitty Felde: I moved to DC from LA in March of 2009 and immediately set out to find Washington's theatre and playwriting community. Step one was becomming a Helen Hayes judge and seeing every theatre in town. Step two was finding a writing group. I came to DC to create the Washington bureau (me) for public radio station KPCC, Southern California Public Radio, based in Pasadena. I cover Capitol Hill for them. I stay because my day job work is still here and because my husband is a policy wonk with an expertise in nuclear disarmament and because DC is a great theatre town! JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? KF: I miss several things about LA: better summer weather, the beach, fresh produce in winter, and my playwrights lab at Ensemble Studio Theatre Los Angeles. Couldn't do much about the first three, but I was lucky to discover the Playwrights Gymnasium, headed by DW Gregory. It only meets monthly, but provides me with feedback, encouragement, criticism, and a community of writers. Not everyone needs this, but it's invaluable to me. I also have a weekly writing session with a playwright buddy I met at the Great Plains Theatre Conference several years ago, Omaha writer Ellen Struve. We meet on skype to share about 15 pages and kick each others' butts about submitting. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KF: I've applied for both Source and Mead Lab and made the finals, but no go. However, last summer I plunged in and put up a show for Fringe - my one-woman show with a ghost ALICE, an evening with the tart-tongued daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. It was the perfect show for DC: hometown girl, political sniping, very funny. I hate producing. I co-founded Theatre of NOTE in LA and served as Managing Director for six years. I should have remembered that I hate producing. But I do know how to do it. And ALICE was quite the hit: we played to sold-out houses (there was even a fight in the lobby the last performance; I told a few folks they could stand in the back if they promised to help strike the set!) and the Washington Post made us a "critic's pick." We even made a bit of money. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? KF: My day job is as a public radio reporter, covering California issues and people, mostly on Capitol Hill. It's stressful, and because my station is three hours later, my days can stretch into the evening. Finding writing time has been a challenge. I should get up in the morning and write. But instead, I feel the need to read the paper, Politico, The Hill, tweets, blogs, etc. and my brain gets stuck in day job mode. When I'm cooking on a play, I'll write at dusk, sometimes in the windowed stairwell of my high rise, watching the sky turn dark. But it's tough. And this year's been tough. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? KF: My only full DC production was ALICE. But I've had readings of other plays as well - THE LUCKIEST GIRL at MetroStage and Baltimore Playwrights Festival; TOP OF THE HOUR at Baltimore Playwrights Festival, A PATCH OF EARTH at Busboys and Poets as part of the Beltway Drama Series, and most recently, LAKE TITICACA as part of Theater J's 5 by 5 Festival. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KF: That's tough because I write different plays that would be appropriate for different theatres. I'd love to see my musical BUM'S RUSH at Signature, THE LUCKIEST GIRL at Imagination Stage, ALICE at Arena. A PATCH OF EARTH should be done at Theater J or Forum or Rorschach. GOGOL PROJECT belongs at Studio. And I'd like to write something on the burning of Washington for Active Cultures. JL: DC audiences are ... KF: Terrific! I love how there's age diversity here. I think the most senior of folks I've seen were at Quotidian, 20-somethings at Taffety Punk, and all mashed up together at Studio. Going to theatre is part of the culture of DC. And becomming subscribers! JL: DC actors, designers and directors are .. KF: First class. But it's a small town in some ways. You can count on seeing the same actors in several shows a season. Good for actors! But the pool seems small. Love the designers and directors! JL: DC critics are ... KF: Actually published in the newspaper! In LA, the theatre section had shrunk to half a page on Fridays with four paragraph reviews. So sad. Here, you can read a review or a feature story almost every day of the week. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? KF: Growing up, I was raised with the belief that women could do anything. My mom had been student body president, so I ran. And lost. It wasn't until years later that I realized Mom had gone to an all-girls college. In my co-ed school, girls were Vice President and Secretary, not President. It still comes as a shock to me that "girl" playwrights aren't produced on a par with their male counterparts in this 21st century. Several of my plays have multi-ethnic casts, which for some reason seems to confound theatres. At the same time, I think there's more of a geographic bias than gender or racial one. If I was an NYC playwright, a graduate of some hot playwriting MFA program, I think I'd have a better shot at a production at a big theatre here in DC. That said, it's a topic that DC theatres are talking about and that's encouraging. Consider the discussions at Theater J and the Roundhouse decision to add one play by a woman. The more attention is paid to the topic, the more the machine will be moved. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? KF: See as much theatre as possible! Stay for talkbacks. Join the Dramatists Guild. Join the DC Area Playwrights group on Facebook. It's an easy town to meet people. And because it's a small theatre town, eventually you seem to run into the same people all the time. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? KF: My GOGOL PROJECT returns to the stage in LA next year. And if a grant can be gotten, THE LUCKIEST GIRL will premiere at Ensemble Studio Theatre Los Angeles this winter. I'm currently at work on a second act to one of my favorite plays MAN WITH NO SHADOW - the story of a 1950's radio cowboy whose show is moving to television, but without him: he doesn't look like his voice. Act two is seven years later as the cast reunites to provide voices for cartoons. You can catch up with me at www.kittyfelde.com. I'm also a regular blogger at LA Female Playwrights Initiative and if you're a public radio junkie, you can hear me at www.kpcc.org. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Kristen LePine: I moved to Northern Virginia in 2001 when my then-husband was transferred here for work. Within a couple of months, I was involved in a writer’s group and meeting other playwrights. Today, I’m a single mom with a 13 and 9 year old, and this area is now home. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? KL: When I first arrived, I joined Ernie Joselovitz’s Playwright’s Forum. Not long after that, I met Robert Alexander at a playwright’s conference at Arena Stage. He told me about a playwright’s group he was running at Woolly Mammoth called PlayGround, and I joined that group, too. PlayGround was very useful for me. We met twice a month to workshop within the group pieces we were writing. The group was filled with abundant talent that was inspirational and motivational. We also produced an annual reading series where I met and worked with many actors and directors whom I continue to work with today. Currently, I am not a part of a formal writing group, but I do feel like I am a part of an artistic community with The Hub Theatre. I am a company member, and the Hub has commissioned 3 plays to date: FOOLISH FIRE, LETO LEGEND, and DIRE WOLVES. With each of these plays, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the artistic director, a director, and actors to help me from first draft to a polished draft ready for audience feedback. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KL: I have participated in the Source Theatre Festival (2003), The Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival (2006, 2009-2012) Inkwell’s Play Lab (2008), and Active Culture’s Diving Board Festival (2009). My experiences have all been positive, and if I had the opportunity to participate in these festivals again, I would. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? KL: I teach Theatre courses at the University of Mary Washington and Theatre and English courses at Lord Fairfax Community College; additionally I run a freelance writing and editing company called Scribeworks. Teaching theatre and writing plays works hand in hand. I know I am a better instructor because of my experiences in the theatre, and teaching dramatic literature specifically has helped me hone my craft. I am happiest when I’m writing and I really enjoy teaching, so I find a way to make it all work together – though I’d be lying if I said it was always balanced and harmonious. It’s not; it takes planning and discipline. But, I am lucky because I get to do daily what I love to do! JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? KL: In DC, I have had loads of readings (like 20!) and one production with the Source Theatre Festival. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KL: Right now I am continuing to work with The Hub Theatre, who commissioned DIRE WOLVES and is producing a 2nd reading of the play at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival. My relationship with The Hub Theatre’s Artistic Director, Helen Pafumi, dates back to my days at Woolly’s PlayGround. While working on LETO LEGEND with The Hub Theatre, I met Toni Rae Brotons of Pinky Swear Productions. Toni Rae brought the script to the attention of the ladies of PSP, and I am excited about the potential to continue the journey, so stay tuned. When I find smart, talented, and generous people to work with, who understand my voice and intention, I want to keep working with them. JL: DC audiences are ... KL: ... hungry for new plays (but that just might be my fantasy…I hope it isn’t.) JL: DC actors, designers and directors are … KL: ... dedicated, talented, and truly generous. JL: DC critics are ... KL: ... theatre lovers themselves, and this comes across when I read their reviews. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? KL: Last season, I saw a number of DC productions; over half of the plays featured female dramatists – and a few were by DC woman! That being said, the statistics circulating that DC theatres produce more male dramatists than female dramatists and the national reports that male roles out number female roles is ironic and alarming when matched against audience data showing that more woman go to the theatre. I want to believe that these female driven audiences support the theatre that they want to see, that speaks to them, and if race and gender parity is important, then it ought to be reflected in what these audiences choose to see. Has this issue impacted me? I think my own self-promotion/circulation efforts impact me more than anything. At the end of the day, when I have an hour or two to myself, I tend to write. Still, I can’t complain because I get to write, find opportunities, work with incredibly talented people, and see my work on its feet. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? KL: When I was a grad student, I took a summer workshop taught by Tina Howe, who stressed the importance of making connections in your own back yard. I took this message to heart, and when I moved to DC, I made a commitment to get involved with the DC theatre community. I would encourage any newly arrived or new playwright to see DC theatre, attend new play readings, join a playwright’s social group like the DC-Area Playwrights, join a writing group like the Playwright’s Forum, and socialize with other playwrights and theatre artist. And, when you find good people to work with, hold onto them. Without a doubt, I owe my success in DC to the connections I have made and maintained. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? KL: The HUB Theatre is producing a reading of my play DIRE WOLVES at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival on 9/3 at 7:30pm. I am also writing a monologue that I will be (gulp) performing at the Intersections Art Festival in March 2012. And, I have (finally!) started a website: www.kristenlepine.com; please visit me there. Jackie – Thanks for including me in your project. I am honored to participate. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Heather McDonald: I moved to D.C. in the late 80s after grad school in New York, traveling for a year through Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a rather young marriage to someone fiercely interested in politics and journalism, and this growing feeling that I just couldn't "be" a writer in New York. It was too damn stimulating, too many of my friends were dying or sick, and I longed for a life that would eventually have room for children, a house, a garden. Washington turned out to be a great creative move for me. In the early 90s I began a long relationship with TFA (Theater of the First Amendment) nurtured by Rick Davis. Not only did TFA produce my work, they gave me incredible opportunities to develop as a director. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? HD: Not officially, but my first job here was with Living Stage at Arena as Bob Alexander's assistant. Jennifer Nelson was one of the marvelous actors. Through a series of synchronicities, I ended up with a commission at Arena Stage (during the times when there was a company and a whole helluva lot more money for such things) and a residency that allowed me to write a big-cast play, "The Rivers and Ravines." It was a chance to create on a large canvas. Oddly, that remains my most produced play. 26 actors, but every community theatre and college theatre department wants that. I've had close to 400 productions and I'm something of a goddess in Texas it's been done there so many times. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? HD: Joy Zinoman directed a short piece of mine for the Source Theatre Festival when Jeremy Skidmore jumpstarted that whole shebang. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? HD: I am full time position as a Professor at George Mason University (GMU). Also, I direct, write in other mediums, like opera libretto and have done film and TV work and I do other kinds of workshops around the country. It's a cobbled-together sort of living. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? HD: As far as theatres in the area, I've worked as a playwright and director at a number of them. Signature, Round House, TFA, Source, Center Stage, Arena and when the Playwriting Intensives were happening at The Kennedy Center, Gregg Henry invited me to that party every summer. Never cracked Studio and almost with Woolly, which leads me to the other theme in my life as a playwright in D.C. I was all set to direct Howard Shalwitz in "The Gigli Concert" at Woolly when my younger daughter, Marilyn Grace, became very ill. I withdrew from all work for about a year to care for her, and I have never been so scared of anything as I was when Marilyn was sick and held on through that year. When I resurfaced, my life was in a bit of a shambles. I couldn't write, my own immune system was a wreck, I had massive medical bills, my marriage had come apart, and I just didn't "feel" like a writer anymore. That began a decade of many selves and writer was just one of them. A long, expensive, violent divorce and two small children to care for shifted my priorities. Stability and earning a steady living with benefits became my focus. I moved out of Arlington and lived for 7 years in Catonsville, MD. Once again, that white knight, Rick Davis, played a significant role. When I began working with TFA, I also began teaching at GMU part-time and maintained that relationship. The realization that, as a single parent, I needed to earn a decent living this year and next and the one after that changed my life. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? HD: If I had my druthers, hmmm ... I'd finish my long overdue commission for Signature, Howard would ask me to direct something at Woolly, somebody in town would commission me to write my musical about painter Artemisia Gentileschi and pair me with a composer, and I'd purchase a fabulous new dress to have dinner with this fierce group of women known as D.C. Women Playwrights. JL: DC audiences are ... HD: ... so smart. The conversations that happen in and around plays I've had produced are some of the most insightful and thought-provoking ones I've experienced. But, like the critical world, I think the audiences are a bit conservative when it comes to form. Traditional linear plays. It's a tough town for interdisciplinary, devised/built, collaborative kinds of work. The reception, I mean. But I think that is most places dominated by a regional/subscription model of making theatre. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ... HD: Through a production of my own play "Dream of a Common Language," a whole slew of marvelous artists came into my life. Naomi Jacobson, Jane Beard, Marty Lodge, Jim Kronzer ... and later Nancy Robinette, Michael Willis, John Lescault, Jimmy Whalen ... All of these people I worked with many times. Naomi the most. She is like a muse for me. If I were an actor, I imagine (hope) I'd be Naomi. She has performed in 4 of my own plays and, I believe, I've directed her 6 times. She's my perfect actor. JL: DC critics are ... HD: I stopped reading all reviews a long time ago. When a play of mine was referred to as the "nadir" of the festival at Humana and another was described as "murkily symbolic," I stopped. I was haunted by those phrases and crippled by the fear that I would maybe one day write again something that was "murkily symbolic." Whatever the hell that was! I also don't want to have someone else define my experience. I get someone to tell me the gist of the review and you can sure tell when it's bad when you come to the theatre the next day, and fourteen people put their hand on yours and look at you with concerned eyes and say, "Are you okay?" I didn't make this up, but my favorite saying about the relationship of critic to artist is: How do you feel about critics? The way a fire hydrant feels about dogs. Or less smartass, Cervantes: The dogs bark but the caravan passes by. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? HD: As far as being a woman, that's annoying too. My play "Dream of a Common Language" is all about that. What it feels like not to be at the table or to be told that your way of seeing the world or telling a story or experiencing life is somehow wrong. It's frustrating to be in 2012 and still so few women who are playwrights and directors are actually working. And I have complicated feelings about the term "woman writer." It takes me back to college when I took courses in "American Literature" or "British Literature" and back in the day there was not a single book by a writer who was female on either of those lists. The message that sent me was that, yeah, you could be a writer, but not a REAL heavy duty writer. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? HD: My advice would be to do lots of things and use those skills in storytelling in a range of ways. I've ended up supporting myself financially and creatively as a playwright but also as a director, adaptor, librettist, teacher, coach, mentor and writing in other mediums like film, television and opera. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? HD: I committed to that work and all that came with a full time position as a Professor at GMU. I still feel I am all those roles - mother, teacher, writer, mentor, director, professor, artist. My youngest daughter is a senior in highschool, and I find myself dreaming of an earlier self and aching for that "life in the studio" an artist needs. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Caleen S. Jennings: I moved to D.C. in 1983. I started working as a playwright here in the mid 80’s. We’d lived in New York City, and then spent a year working in Lagos, Nigeria. We had a four year old son and we had often talked about moving out of the city. We knew if we moved back to NYC from Lagos, we’d never leave. We decided to move to D.C. because it put us closer to my family and closer to better public schools. D.C. has been a wonderful artistic home for me. I was embraced by Black Women Playwrights and Source Theatre Company almost immediately. The artistic community was so non-territorial and open-minded. I can’t imagine living and working anywhere else. I love the interplay between the universities and the professional arts community. I love the ease with which D.C. artists make connections between their “job-jobs” and the arts. I love the variety of kinds of theatres here and the generous spirit of the arts community. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them? CSJ: Yes. Black Women Playwrights was the first organization to embrace me and my work. It has been a major force for nurturing talent in D.C. and it’s great to see them expanding to the national arena. I have been formally and informally affiliated with Playwright’s Forum for many years. Ernie’s done a fabulous job of making this a playwright’s town. There’s a community of very fine writers here – creative, intellectually sharp, driven, generous. The Playwright’s Forum conferences have been pivotal in my development. Washington Women in Theatre has done staged readings of 7 or 8 of my pieces – it’s been a support and inspiration to my work. Definitely. Playwrights tend to be lone wolves but interaction with others who are as insane as you are, and who can exchange ideas and techniques is essential for growth. D.C. organizations are particularly generous about sharing information regarding various kinds of opportunities as well. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? Yes. If so, can you speak about your experience? CJS: I was part of the old Source Theatre gang with Pat Murphy Sheehy, Keith Parker, Joe Banno, Lisa Middleton and crew. They were my first artistic home and Pat’s and Lisa’s efforts helped me receive the Kennedy Center’s Fund for New American Plays Award. I won two awards in Source Festivals in the early 90’s. Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival has done readings of two of my plays and I’m part of this year’s D.C. Playwright’s Slam. I participated this past year in the Intersections Festival and loved it so much that I’m doing a project in next year’s as well. I had a reading this past year in the Black Theatre Festival and I was very impressed by the director’s work on my play. Washington Women in Theatre have done staged readings of 3 of my plays in conjunction with the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theatre. I fear I’m too long in the tooth for the Capital Fringe and Hip Hop Theatre Festivals, but there may be life in the old girl yet. Stay tuned. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? CSJ: I have taught theatre at American University for the past 24 years. Prior to that, I was a freelance focus group moderator and trainer, a children’s theatre teacher, and an ad writer for a suburban newsletter. When I was freelance I was also mother to young children. There was no such thing as “balance”. I wrote in short bursts when I had time. I wrote some of my best children’s plays when I was teaching young people at the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts (which is now Imagination Stage). Bonnie Fogel, Janet Stanford and Kate Breyer encouraged me as a playwright and a teacher. When I transitioned into academia, writing became part of my requisite scholarly/artistic output. I find teaching tremendously stimulating. There’s nothing like teaching playwriting to make you walk your talk. I try to stay in process on a piece while I’m teaching the course. That way I’m writing along with my students – having the same experiences and finding ways to problem solve. I think that this makes me a better teacher and a better playwright. It also makes me constantly read new books on the art of playwriting. Can’t beat that! I have premiered a number of plays at AU. There’s nothing like the intensity of writing, directing, producing your own work in front of and with your students. It holds your feet to the fire. It forces you to create and adhere to best practices. Is there time to do all the writing I want? Of course not. I’m grateful for my sabbatical every seven years but can anyone do everything they want to do? Of course not. But I’ve never felt as if my teaching interfered with my writing process. Would I give up teaching to write full time? Of course not. What I’ve learned over the years is that when a play is burning in your brain and in your gut, you’ll make the time to write it. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? CSJ: Eight. No. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? CJS: Arena Stage because I’d be honored to be in the company of some of the outstanding playwrights they have produced. I must also say Round House Theatre because their artistic staff is outstanding and because Montgomery County is my home. JL: DC audiences are ... CSJ: ... sharp and intellectually curious. You have to come with your A-game as a playwright. Many Washingtonians have seen theatre all over the world so they hold you to high standards. Theatre goers who work here and retire here expect theatre to provoke and provide fresh perspectives. From Woolley to Folger to Studio to Synetic – each has a fiercely passionate audience who expects the best. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ... CSJ: ... Sweethearts! So bright, talented, engaged, daring. The vast majority are here because they LIKE it here. I’ve never encountered one of those “I’d rather be in New York” attitudes. Consequently, they challenge me as a playwright – ask tough questions, broaden my vision. They give 1000% to whatever project they’re engaged in. They are humble and good spirited. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from them. JL: DC critics are ... CSJ: ... Tough. Most are fair. Some don’t know how to be entertaining without being snide or even cruel. The ones I admire are smart about the process of creating art and knowledgeable about theatre and theatre history. Others think they know more than they actually do. I wish they knew that you can write even the most negative review with grace and with constructive criticism that’s well grounded in an understanding of the art form. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? CSJ: Source, Horizons, and Woolly come to mind as having been leaders in providing opportunities to playwrights of color and to women playwrights as part of their seasons. Arena has made concerted efforts, as has Theatre J. In general, I’ve seen an overall improvement in sensitivity to these issues during the past 29 years I’ve lived here. Despite its economic struggles, ACTCO has done a heroic job in making sure that black theatre is seen in D.C. JL: How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? CSJ: I feel I get passed over because I’m local more so than because I’m a woman or a playwright of color. Horizons, Charter and Source have always championed local playwrights. Theatre J, Round House and Arena have also come on strong for local playwrights in recent years, as have Adventure Theatre and Imagination Stage in children’s theatre. I still get the feeling that some D.C. theatres look over the heads of local playwrights in order to get nationally recognized names like Lynn Nottage, Cheryl West and Lydia Diamond. Make no mistake -- it’s splendid to see their work and to have seen Arena do a play like Trouble in Mind. I celebrate the successes of these women playwrights of color as if they are my successes. I also understand that playwrights with this kind of name recognition get butts in the seats. It would be interesting to know if D.C. artistic directors feel that they’re taking a risk by doing local playwrights. As I said above, D.C. audiences are cosmopolitan and could perceive “local playwright” to mean “provincial” or “unsophisticated”. Are D.C. Artistic Directors worried that some critics might feel this way too? In all fairness, however, I need to be more proactive about marketing and promoting myself to D.C. theatres. I may be speaking from an outdated paradigm. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? CSJ: Go to as much theatre and as many talk backs and opening night receptions as you can. Meet local playwrights and talk to them. Usher. Apply to be a Helen Hayes judge. Attend a Playwright’s Forum conference. Most of all, give it time. I think many people arrive from places like New York, Chicago and L.A. and think D.C. is provincial when it comes to theatre. They expect to get produced immediately. D.C.’s way more sophisticated than people expect and each of our many theatres has a specialized mission. Get to know the city, the theatre artists in all disciplines. See at least a season’s worth of work. Get connected to the PEOPLE before you try to promote your work. JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? CSJ: D.C. Playwright’s Slam as part of the 2012 Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival. On Facebook and via e-mail. I don’t have a website -- it’s that long in the tooth thing again. Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Bari Biern: I moved to DC in 1975 after an acting job with an improvisation group in Cambridge MA fell through (they gave my slot to a former company member who had recovered from a nervous breakdown). I picked Washington because I had family here and it was accessible to New York. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the nation’s capital over the years but, ultimately, I was won over by the close-knit theatre community and the ever-expanding range of opportunities available to work in the field I love. JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them BB: Playwrights Forum founder Ernie Joselovitz has been my cherished mentor since I started writing. The Forum has presented excellent readings of four of my plays: Mapp & Lucia, Titus! The Musical!, The Real Thing and The Marriages. I’m also a proud virtual card-carrying member of the Naked Ladies Lunch and DC-Area Playwrights. I highly recommend belonging to a group of like-minded creative spirits. They offer comfort, empathy, good counsel, encouragement and, above all, community. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? BB: I’ve had shows in the Capital Fringe Festival (Arlen & Berlin Occupy the Fringe!), the Intersections Festival (WAM2), the Source Theatre Festival (When You Care Enough with composer Roy Barber, nominee best musical), and the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival (The Real Thing & The Marriages, adapted from Henry James). What I loved most about these experiences was the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best actors and directors in town. Their talent and professional feedback were invaluable. I also appreciated the moderated post-show discussions with the audience. There’s no better way to learn what works and what doesn’t while your play is still in the developmental stage. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing? BB: I’m a fulltime performer with the political satire troupe, the Capitol Steps. Happily, in addition to helping pay the bills, it’s a joyous job in every way. I also occasionally freelance as an off-camera announcer at C-SPAN and voice video game characters for Bethesda Softworks. JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience? BB: I’ve had about a dozen shows produced in this area, including ten-minute plays, musicals, children’s shows and operas. JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? BB: It really depends on the project. I’d love to have my adaptations of Mapp and Lucia, The Marriages and The Real Thing produced by Washington Stage Guild. I’d love to collaborate on a children’s show with Adventure Theatre and Imagination Stage. I’d also like to have the opportunity to work with some of the newer edgier companies in the area, just to force me out of my comfort zone! JL: DC audiences are ... BB: ... sophisticated, adventurous and voracious. JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ... BB: ...the most talented in the business, bar none. JL: DC critics are ... BB: ... people who love theatre, whether you agree with them or not. I particularly appreciate the emergence of of websites like DC Metro Theatre Arts, DC Theatre Scene, Maryland Theatre Guide and the late allartsrevue4u, founded by the late Bob Anthony. These sites make a concerted effort to cover as many productions as possible, not just the larger venues. They help get the word out about smaller theatre companies, who rarely have much in their coffers for marketing. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity ? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages? BB: One look at New York’s current Broadway season can send shivers down your spine--Porgy & Bess, Evita, Chicago, The Best Man, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf--the youngest of these vehicles is over 30 years old and most of them are antiques! Theatre has always been a risky business (hey, Risky Business, the Musical!) but I like to think that, with more than 80 theatre companies of every shape, size and mission statement in the DC area, more diverse voices and, in particular, more local voices will be heard. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.? BB: Market yourself better than I do! JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work? BB: Here's what I have coming up:
Check out my website, www.baribiern.com. Now that I’ve mentioned it, I’d better go update it! |
My BlogI'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
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