If my play were a sculpture I think it might look something like this:

Light After Death: Mihoko Ogaki’s ‘Milky Way’ Figures Project Stars from Within

See more Light After Death sculptures at This Is Colossal's website.

-M

Not so fast now. Or as my dad would say to us kids, "Hold your horses."

I thought I had finished my Inkwell submission. But no. I haven't.

Why?

The fine print, my dear, that's why. Well, it's not exactly fine, it's very much out in front for all to see.

I should know better. I was planning on sending them The River Bride, but then I re-read their advice to playwrights:

Your play does not need to be in perfect shape. We are a play development organization, so we are not looking for plays that are just about perfect and are ready for production. In fact, you’re unlikely to get a lot out of our development process if your play is at this stage, and our readers are less likely to recommend the play for The Inkwell’s process. We’re looking for plays with potential and ones that need to put up on their feet to evolve. Just try to be as clear as you can be about what you hope to accomplish through a collaboration with The Inkwell around your play when you fill out our submissions form.[emphasis mine]

It's a pretty good idea to heed any advice that tells you exactly what they are not looking for, am I right?

And the fact of the matter is The River Bride is in really good shape. So even though I am eager to share it with lots of people, submitting it to Inkwell would likely not be fruitful. Meaning, it would not likely be chosen.

So. What do I send then?

Well, I thought it over and came to the conclusion that I still have a play that needs work, needs to be up on its feet. I'm going to send them Woman on Fire. This means rewriting some of my responses, which I will work on tonight and finish up tomorrow.

-M

I've been working on my Inkwell submission for a while now. It takes a "a while" because when a submission requires that playwrights write responses to questions I take my time to craft each question, often reviewing them three or four times over the course of three of four nights. And as my dance card has been quite full lately those nights are not often consecutive.

Anyhoo, I actually found myself a bit stumped by one of the questions and it took some time to figure out my response. But I figured it out.

Last night I finished. And tonight I am going to e-submit my application and play. I don't know about you, but I am often working on submissions at the end of a long day (long work day that is) so I like to spread out the process so that fatigue does not lead to mistakes or missteps.

So check Inkwell off the Playwriting Work Plan.

Speaking of, I have two more submissions to crank out this week before I can return to query letters that weren't sent in February and rewrites. Oh yeah...writing.

I have a feeling this weekend will be very productive.

-M

What gives with my calendar lately? I mean, last weekend did a number on me. It was an overly ambitious schedule and I was oh so tired by the end of the weekend.

A Short Recap
Friday I saw Word for Word's You Know When The Men Are Gone. I thought they did a great job and yes, I cried through the entire second act. Afterward I hung out with the cast (I went to see two friends who were in the show) and we stayed at The Rite Spot until the pianist played The Piano Has Been Drinking as a sign off.

Saturday evening I found myself on a very slow moving bus taking me downtown, but I managed to walk right into the ACT Costume Shop just as they were beginning to seat people for Tim Bauer's reading of his play Exit Wounds. I hadn't seen Tim in a long while so it was good to see him and his wife. After the reading we all headed over to Farmer Brown to catch up.

Sunday I woke up early to make yummy cranberry scones (They were scones!--sorry, only my good friend Angel will get that).

See Smitten Kitchen for this easy recipe.

I took the aforementioned scones to the Yeah, I Said Feminist Theatre salon. It was a big meeting. Lots of ladies. The salon went until 1pm and then I went home to try and nap before heading to 2by4 theatre's Oscar Party/Fundraiser.

I didn't get that nap in.

I knew about a quarter of the people at the Oscar Party which meant I got to practice my extrovert skills. We talked through the commercials and gave each lame landing joke the Oscar host delivered a well-deserved eye roll.

Tired I left early. I was tired even on Monday. And now this upcoming weekend is shaping up to be just as event-filled. Friday I take friends to go see Hedwig at Boxcar, Saturday I'm seeing a reading of Outside Lands by Octavio Solis and Sunday is a friend's birthday party.

When's a playwright suppose to write?

-M

This is long overdue. I guess I was hoping to have my entire year figured out, but perhaps I just need to realize that adjustments and additions will happen throughout the year, i.e. more query letters will be added as I identify theatres to reach out to. So this is a living document. A work plan to help guide my work. And you'll already see check marks indicating what goals have already been met.

2013 Playwriting Plan
"Luck is the residue of design." -Branch Rickey

The purpose of this plan is to articulate my playwriting goals for this year. Goals are divided into two categories.

Writing Goals [W]
Specific writing goals and deadlines that will help me finish plays, make progress with rewrites and generate new work.

Professional/Business Goals [PB]
The majority of these goals are meant to help me send my work out to festivals, theatres and essentially get my work out and in front of more people in the theatre community.

Overall Goals
Writing Goals for the entire year:

• Write at least 3 blog posts a week
• Work on playwriting projects at least three evenings a week
• Read at least one play a month
• Finish Wolf at the Door.
• Write and finish Alcira

Professional/business goals for the entire year:

• Go to at least 1 plays a month
• Submit Heart Shaped Nebula to developmental / playwriting festivals and competitions
• Submit query letters to theatres for Heart Shaped Nebula
• Re-subscribe to American Theatre magazine
• Become a member of the Dramatist Guild
• Develop and launch a new website that incorporates my blog (would love for blog and its archive to transfer to new website)

Monthly Goals Calendar
January
1/02 Yes, I Said Feminist Gala call for 10 Minute plays--Submit Her Story ✓
1/14 Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula ✓
1/14 NALAC fellowship [PB]--Submit application ✓
1/15 Ashland New Play Festival [PB]--Submit The River Bride ✓
1/30 SF Playhouse call for plays about women and immigration [PB]--Submit Woman on Fire ✓

February
2/10 Mixed Blood Theatre [PB]--Submit 10 page query Woman on Fire ✓
2/10 eSe Teatro's Multicultural Playwrights Festival [PB]--Submit Woman on Fire ✓
2/15 South Coast Rep [PB]--Submit 10 pages query Heart Shaped Nebula [in progress]
2/15 SF Playhouse [PB]--Submit 10 page query Heart Shaped Nebula [in progress]
2/17 Miracle Theatre [PB]--Sent email to AD (rec from O.S.) to introduce self. Attached The River Bride and Heart Shaped Nebula. ✓ [good news, they will read both plays]
2/27 Berkeley Rep [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula[in progress (they accept unsolicited scripts from Bay Area playwrights)]
2/27 Wolf at the Door rewrite [W]--Rewrite should be underway [in progress]

March
3/7 Inkwell 2013--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula[in progress]
3/10 Orland Shakespeare Theater PlayFest [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula
3/15 Princess Grace Foundation Playwriting Award [PB]--Submit either Woman on Fire or Heart Shaped Nebula
3/15 Urban Theater Company [PB]--Submit inquiry for American Triage
3/25 Wolf at the Door rewrite [W]--Rewrite should be almost done on 2nd draft

April
4/1 Playwrights Horizons [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula
4/13 AlterLab retreat [W]--Wolf at the Door 2nd draft

May
5/1 Reportorio Español's MetLife Nuestras Voces [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula
5/15 Wolf at the Door rewrites [W]--Based off of table reading at AlterLab retreat
5/25 Alcira [W]--Finish a rough draft. No matter how rough.

June
6/6-6/8 TCG National Conference [PB]--Try to go and network
6/15 Alcira table reading [W]--Informal gathering with friends

July
7/15 Alcira rewrites [W]--Informed by last months table reading
?? AlterLab retreat [W]--Alcira 2nd draft.

August
8/15 Yale Drama Series [PB]--Determine if you have anything to submit.
8/15 PlayPenn conference [PB]--Check website re 2014 submission guidelines.

September
9/1 HotCity Theatre GreenHouse New Play Festival [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula

December
12/15 National Latino Playwriting Award [PB]--Submit Heart Shaped Nebula

My metaphorical theatre dance card that is.

Friday
Tonight I'm seeing Word for Word's You Know When the Men Are Gone. My friends Marilet and Chad are both in the show and get this: Word for Word is taking the show to France. That means they're taking the actors in the show to France. France! That's a pretty phenomenal opportunity and it's the one time I have to say I wish I was an actor. But I digress. Tonight I go see my friends and hopefully grab a drink afterward to catch up.

That's Marilet on the left in a blonde wig and Chad riding what looks like a piece of luggage on the right.

Saturday
I'm going to ACT's Costume Shop to catch a reading of Exit Wounds by my friend and fellow playwright Tim Bauer. I saw a reading of this play a while back (and so happens Chad was in it playing a very naughty Jack Kennedy). I'm looking forward to seeing what Tim's done with the play and checking out the Costume Shop (this will be my first visit there).

Sunday
In the morning I head to the Yeah, I Said Feminist Theatre Salon's fifth salon. There will be brunch and good conversation. Which reminds me, I need to figure out what dish I'm bringing along.

In the afternoon I'm headed to an Oscar party and fundraiser for 2by4 theatre, a new Bay Area theatre with some exciting people behind it.

And that's it. That's enough. That's four theatre events in three days.

I'm sure some sort of massive post about the weekend will be in order next week.

More soon,
M

I usually don't take breaks from blogging unless I'm traveling. Which I haven't been. Hmm....perhaps it's that I started journaling. I haven't been very good about keeping a diary, but thought I'd start with 2013 to write down all that I don't write here. You know, the personal stuff.

So what's happened since I last blogged? Let's see...

• I saw Warm Bodies.
• I had an amazing Buelleresque day complete with brunch, a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and a visit to Fisherman's Wharf to play skeeball.
• I finished the prologue to Alcira.
• I submitted a query letter to a theatre.
• I worked on other query letters/submission packets.
• I emailed an A.D. at a theatre in Portland on the recommendation of a friend and fellow playwright, sending them my work. Good news, I got a nice reply and they're gonna read my work when they get a chance.
• I saw Se Llama Cristina by Octavio Solis at the Magic. (And if you haven't seen it, do so immediately.)
• I ate bacon poutine.
• I rode on the back of a motorcycle (and I'm improving in my passenger-riding abilities).
• I cleaned my house.
• I got my work out routine going again.
• I pretty much finished outlining my work plan (I'll post that later this week).

Oh, an my garden of tulips is growing despite the fact that I didn't plant new bulbs or dig up and replant the old ones. I take it as a sign. A fortuitous sign.

More soon,
M

When I left my casita yesterday morning I had intended to come home after work, cook dinner and go to bed early.

I'm happy to report that by lunch time my plans had changed. I was invited by my friend Hugo (who recently stepped into the role of Luther) to go see Boxcar Theatre's current production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

I jumped at the chance.

And I'm so glad I did.

I left the theatre elated. And while I love the movie version of Hedwig, the immediacy of having performers slide down a fireman / stripper pole to dance on your table and the stirring vocals vibrating through the air was so emotionally satisfying. Several times I found myself wiping tears from my eyes.

So if you are here in the Bay Area I'm telling you now: Do not miss this show.

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to Boxcar's website and get yourself a ticket and bring your friends for an evening of fantastic theatre.

After the show I joined Hugo and other members of the cast and crew at a near by bar for one drink before hopping on the back of a motorcycle to head home. Pulling off the helmet all my hair was tangled at the ends by the wind. And I went inside my casita, happy as a clam and running my fingers through the ends of my hair.

-M

Not in any particular order, but I'd like to do the vast majority of these things this weekend.

• Finish my 2013 Playwriting Work Plan
• Laundry
• See best friend perform (she's belly dancing at the Rickshaw Stop)
• Figure when I'm going to see Word For Word's current show (friends in the cast) and Se Llama Cristina (because Octavio Solis--of course!)
• See a reading of Blue God Countdown by Geetha Reddy (my dramaturg is working on it and actually it's at the beginning of next week)
• Make this delicious number for the Super Bowl party I'm going to on Sunday
• Go to the library
• Clean house (literally)
• Clean the garden (also literal)
• Write

-M

Turns out doing rewrites while flying is something that I can do. Quite productively, in fact. Thankfully JetBlue has plenty of leg room for me to juggle my binder and journal--the binder holding the fragments I've already written for Alcira and the journal with clean pages ready for my writing. Side note: I am one of those writers that likes writing journals sans lines.

I did two rewrites. One on my flight to Texas and one on the flight back (this morning). Both concentrated on the opening prologue for Alcira. And the latest rewrite I did this morning is really exciting (for me). I can't wait to share it at AlterLab.

As for the discoveries I made about the play. One wasn't really a discovery, one was a question that led to a discovery.

So on Saturday, as I tried to explain to a friend what I was working on, I was reminded yet again that I don't have a concise way to describe Alcira. No elevator pitch, as it were. And I began to worry. Is it too convoluted? That is, that Alcira is a witch from the times of the Aztecs. That she learned her craft from her mistress Malinalxóchitl, a powerful sorceress and sister to the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli. Huitzilopochtli, Hummingbird on the Left, is the reason why Alcira turns her victims into hummingbirds as a way of paying tribute.

Hummingbirds have become a central image in the play.

Are you confused. You may well be. There's a lot of family tree stuff happening up in that paragraph. So I began to wonder if I should cut Alcira and make the play's antagonist Malinalxóchitl, the sorceress.

Searching for more information on Malinalxóchitl online I came across something new. I mean, I had already learned that the Mexicas (Aztecs) abandoned her in the middle of the night to get away from her because she was a tyrant. The new discovery (new for me) is that when abandoned Malinalxóchitl led her loyal followers to found the city of Malinalco

Malinalco is considered a magical place because supposedly Malinalxóchitl taught the people there magic.

Learning this made me very happy. I feel like I can keep Alcira (and I very much wanted to) as my antagonist. She is one of those loyal followers who went with Malinalxóchitl to found Malinalco. I feel more grounded in the actual folklore, something that gives me roots for my narrative. What's that saying? That to make a lie believable you include some truths.

Not that I think playwriting is lying. But it is a form of fabrication. And sometimes we need that footing in reality to help us tell our stories.

-M