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  • I’m Back…Finally

    Where was I and what was with the radio silence? Well, I was in Texas spending Christmas with my family and taking a bit of a media fast, ergo the radio silence. But I got sick right before Christmas and am just getting better. 

    It feels like ages since I’ve posted a blog post. In fact it’s been almost a month which is like an ice age in social media time.

    Well, it’s 2013 and I am feeling very positive about this new year. There’s a lot of work to do and I’m trying to get a handle on all of it. 

    Where to start…where to start…

    Well, first if you haven’t seen the San Francisco One Minute Play Festival, check out the video that’s archived courtesy of New Play TV. This year they were able to label each play so you can find mine in the mix. 

    Watch the festival below:
    Watch live streaming video from newplay at livestream.com

    Second, if you’re in NYC on January 25th you can catch a reading of my play Braided Sorrow which is in Poetic Theater Productions‘ 2013 Poetic License festival. More on all this in my next post. 

    Third, I’m working on my 2013 playwriting work plan and hope to have it up here on my blog soon. 

    Fourth, I’m working to complete some of the first items on aforementioned work plan as their deadlines were early/mid January. Seriously, January is hitting the floor running.

    Fifth, AlterTheater‘s AlterLab retreat is coming up. This year I’m going to work on rewrites for Wolf at the Door and writing Alcira. It’s a lot of work to do, but I really want to finish my grimm Latino fairy tale cycle this year.

    And well, there’s more on the work plan. But overall, I’m ready to get back into my writing work. My creative batteries are seriously charged and ready to be tapped.

    So welcome back, readers. Here’s to a brand new year!

    -M

  • Another NYC Reading


    That’s right. On Friday I was invited to have Braided Sorrow included in Poetic Theater Productions’ 2nd annual Poetic License festival of new poetic theatre that will take place January 21-27 next year.

    Hooray!

    And I’d like to take a moment to point out this is the second opportunity that has arisen of late that came about because I’m on Twitter. Seriously.

    I met Alex Mallory, Co-Artistic Director of Poetic Theater Productions, online during a #NewPlay twitter conversation about political theatre. Side note: the Center for the Theatre Commons hosts weekly twitter conversations on Thursday at 11 PST using their hashtag #NewPlay.

    Anyway, Alex and I found that when it comes to political theatre, she and I agree on lots of issues. So we exchanged an email or two and I was asked to share my work. Since Poetic Theater Productions is interested in poetic theatre (and in providing a space for both playwrights and poets) I sent her my two plays where my poetry comes across the most: Braided Sorrow (my first play) and The River Bride (my latest play).

    I’m excited to have Braided Sorrow in a festival. Since its production in 2008 at Su Teatro in Denver, the play has had a life in academia thanks to many professions (Christina, Ashley and Esther to name a few) who’ve included Braided Sorrow in their syllabuses. And I’m glad to have another reading in New York so quickly on the heels of my November American Triage reading at Repertorio Español.

    I don’t know any specific details about when my reading will happen. So more on that as all this develops. And I’m looking forward to connecting with the artistic team that Poetic Theater assembles. 

    I have to say, this a great way to end 2012 and begin 2013.

    -M

  • Taking Stock


    Even though there is still one more month left in this year, I think it’s time for me to reflect on all I’ve accomplished with regards to my playwriting. Why? Because I often don’t see the forest for the trees, because I often move from deadline to deadline without celebrating the good that’s happened. And because I need to remind myself that my year wasn’t stagnant, that in fact I did move projects forward and did have personal successes which should be celebrated, no matter how small. 

    So here is my list.

    What I Accomplished in 2012 as a Playwright:
    • Finished The River Bride. A record for me, in that I finished it in less than a year.
    • My AlterLab residency was a great experience.
    • Had a play fragment selected and performed by Unscripted Theater.
    • Went to Chicago for a reading of Woman on Fire at Teatro Luna–great experience. Saw lots of awesome shows, got to meet lots of great artists.
    • Wrote a study guide essay for my play Braided Sorrow which is taught at a few universities. I quite like that essay.
    • Was invited to write a short play about a doll exhibit. Play was one of many performed at a limited engagement event.
    • Had a breakthrough with the plot of Alcira, that is figuring out what the play is really about.
    • Applied to New Dramatists for the first time.
    • Connected with some amazing playwrights.
    • Joined a local feminist theatre salon that started this fall here in the Bay Area.
    • American Triage is a finalist in the 2012 MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition and was read at Repertorio Español–my first NYC playwriting anything.
    • Heart Shaped Nebula is gaining a lot of fans.
    • In talks to take Heart Shaped Nebula to Chicago. 
    See, a lot of good things did happen this year. For which I am very grateful.

    -M

  • Break A Leg!


    This is it. At 3:30pm PST/6:30pm EST the reading of my play American Triage starts at Repertorio Español. A big thank you to Allison at Repertorio Español, she coordinates the Met Life Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition reading series. And a big thank you to my director Tlaloc Rivas who flew into NYC yesterday to direct. 

    Don’t think I’m forgetting about the cast and Tlaloc’s assistant who are lending their talents to tonight’s reading. 

    ¡Much mierda!

    -M

  • This Is It: American Triage Final Countdown


    This is it. The day before American Triage is read at Repertorio Español as part of their Met Life Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition. I really wish I was able to be there myself. It’s too bad that fate and my limited vacation days conspired to keep me here on the West Coast. Never fear, my director Tlaloc Rivas will take photos and report back to me on the entire event.

    But if you, dear reader, happen to be in NYC tomorrow evening and would like to see my play, by all means head over to Repertorio Espanol for the 6:30pm reading.

    I have been thinking about this play for a few weeks now, not just because I’ve been prepping the script for the reading. You see, American Triage is the 2nd play I ever wrote (technically it ties for 2nd since I was writing it and Woman on Fire simultaneously–side note: there are were some interesting details that due to writing osmosis ended up in both scripts without me realizing it) and it’s been about 4 years since I wrote it. In those 4 years I’ve developed a lot as a playwright, so I’m finding myself a little preoccupied by the fact that this play represents my abilities at an earlier stage in the game.

    Am I making sense?

    I’m still happy with the play I wrote. Lalo (the teenage boy in the play) is one of my favorite characters. Mainly because he just spouts off useless trivia, something I kinda used to do.

    And now, for no reason (actually some of you will know why):

  • American Triage Countdown


    We’re 1 week away from the reading in New York at Repertorio Español. My director Tlaloc Rivas is finishing up with casting and created a Facebook event invite (love the image he found for it). I sent along a staged-reading version of the script last week, but now need to update it as I realized there’s a dated reference in it. You see, I wrote the play in 2007, so when Fatima (who’s 18 in the play) talks about something from her childhood the math needs to hold up today. Meaning, when she talks about being 10 and references her favorite band, it needs to be a band popular in 2002 and not 1997.

    It’s a quick update that I need to make tonight and send along.

    I do wish I could have made it to the reading, but there is just too much going on at my 9 to 5 and no vacation days to spare (let alone air fare), in fact I’m going to have to work through the Thanksgiving holiday (a first for me).

    Such is life. For the moment anyway.

    -M

  • To Do List


    Because a list will always remind of you the stuff you should be doing instead of watching tv.

    1. Finish the staged-reading version of American Triage: MUST do tonight!
    2. Pay bills.
    3. Clean my bathroom and living room.
    4. Start on the NALAC grant application that’s due in a month.
    5. Join NALAC.
    6. Join Dramatists Guild: Yes, I know, it’s long over due.
    7. Shopping for Christmas.
    8. Decide on whether or not you are cooking a Thanksgiving meal.
    9. Yoga: must, must, must get back into routine so I can deal with all the stress.
    10. Possibly shop for Thanksgiving meal this weekend.
    11. Garden: are we doing that this next year, cause you better buy those bulbs and plant them asap.
    12. Finish those puppets for your sobrinos: at least it will be relaxing to sew.
    13. Write: Should be higher on the list, but this isn’t in order of importance.
    14. Find some quiet time to meditate or nap. 
    15. Emails: you have a lot of emails to write and reply to.
    If you find yourself not doing something on this list during your free time. Look at this:



    …and get back to work.

    -M

  • Prepping American Triage

    I’ll you’ll recall I have a reading of American Triage on November 27th (6:30 pm for those of you in NYC and who are interested) at Repertorio Español. It’s the final play to be presented in their 2012 Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition Reading Series.

    Last night I was trying to get a staged-reading version of the play prepped to send along to my director. What’s a “staged-reading version” of a play? Well, essentially I’m highlighting the stage directions I think should be read aloud. The rest are still in the script to inform performance and direction. I tend to highlight stage directions that set location and begin the scene, important action that they will likely not block or mime. Though I do leave in some action that I figure they may be able to get across in their performances. And of course, it’s all up for discussion once my director sees what I’m sending him.

    I was trying to just highlight the script, but realized about 2/3′s way in that I’ll need to do more than that. I’ll have to re-write/adjust some of the stage directions. Which aren’t edits I necessarily want to preserve in my final draft of the script, sooooooo hence having a staged-reading version of the play.

    And my deadline is November 15th so I gotta finish this a.s.a.p.

    -M

  • Three Directors in Three Days Redux

    A phone call.

    Why did I stay up so late Friday night? Why did I schedule this phone call so early? Why did I schedule anything on the day I was celebrating my birthday–I have so much prepping to do.

    The call was short and sweet. We are on the same page about characters. I’m glad to hear the rewrites I did last year appear to have improved the play. More later…I suppose.

    A video chat.

    Why did I schedule a video chat on the night of the election? Though it was nice to take my mind off the sudden nervousness I was experiencing. I took notes. Lots of notes. There will likely be more video chats as the project moves forward. The chat ends and I turn my attention back to the election results which  means I forget to pour myself a drink.

    A coffee date.

    Actually I had hot cocoa. We sit and talk for an hour and a half. It’s great. A getting-to-know-you kind of meeting. We talk theatre. Local. A teeny bit on the national scale. Personal philosophies about collaboration, playwright support. It was great. No. It was fantastic.

    -M

  • Three Directors In Three Days

    Albeit, not back to back. Not quite.

    What’s all this?

    Well, I have a phone call with director Tlaloc Rivas to discuss my upcoming NYC reading of American Triage at Repertorio Español (as far as I know it’s still happening and hasn’t been postponed due to Hurricane Sandy).

    Then I have a video chat lined up with another director (I won’t say who because details are just congealing) but it has to do with a 2013 reading of Heart Shaped Nebula is a certain windy city. I am really looking forward to that reading.

    Lastly I have a chat/coffee/hang out in person with a director who recently friended (yes, Spell Check I know that’s not a real word) me on Facebook just so they could tell me how much they “LOVED” Nebula–which was very nice to hear and the kind of shot in the arm this playwright needed to keep forging ahead.

    Forge on, playwright. Forge on.

    -M