Good news--maybe more to come!
Well, kids, sorry it's been a while since I've written. It's not as if I haven't had some happy news on the writing front; I've just been tired and lazy, I guess. So here goes. First of all, I was selected to be part of the Lakeshore Players 10-minute play festival in MN this June. Yay! I found out today that I will get $30 ($10 royalty/performance)--a big deal for me (what to buy? ;-)), plus a copy of the program and a CD of pictures. Of course, what's more important is being selected. We were winnowed down from semi-finalists to finalists and then to winners, and Mark and Bill from the Binge listserv were chosen as well (good job, gentlemen). Funny story: I heard that Mark and Bill got in last weekend. I was not having a good day; I had worked on REMEMBERING, my entirely unsuccessful hair play, for a few hours, and then pretty much decided to give up after over a year, with confirmation of its lack of success from Shirley (who is nothing but encouraging but also honest, so she felt what I did, and now it's in the drawer for good, bloody hell).
Then I ushered for a depressing play in the South End about violence in Boston, walked home in the cold, my toe still aching (it is MUCH better now), and watched FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION after dinner (one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time; shame on you, Christopher Guest, for such drek). And then I read the emails that said Mark and Bill had won, and since I had heard nothing, I naturally assumed I was not chosen. I wrote to Claudia, a binger and friend who is part of the listserv, and said I was sad I had not been chosen (she is also part of Lakeshore). She wrote back to say that Yes, I had, and congratulations. I was completely puzzled--was she mistaken?--and we wrote a number of emails back and forth. Turns out I *had* been chosen, but I had given Judi (one of the producers) the wrong cellphone number (I went back and checked, and it was wrong on all of the title pages I've sent out in the past six months; horrible), and she had tried to reach me four times, but couldnt, since her email was down. Claudia gave me her phone number, and I called Judi to apologize and give her the correct one. I am especially pleased because this play, THE SATCHEL, had been turned down by a number of festivals, including ACME in Maynard, MA (still upset about that, and yes, I do need to get over it already), so it has finally found a home. Of course, I can't go (as much as I'd love to meet Claudia), but it's exciting to have made it. I think I'm at either seven or eight states I've had plays accepted in, and each win is exciting.
And then this week, I learned that two of my plays, WEDNESDAYS (the one performed by the Two Spoons Theatre Company in NYC; they are so nice, and thank you, Cinda, for your kind words abot my writing) and NOT A COMPETITION (revised for the SAS Festival in Middleboro a couple of months ago, but having had no interest to date; maybe they will choose it), are both going to be part of a reading series by Studio 400 in Pensacola, FL later this month. This is for a play festival they are going to hold next year, and it's an honor to be part of such a group of strong plays (most by the Bingers, I should add). So I'm having a good couple of months, after a string of six fruitless ones (aside from writing some new plays, of course), and trust me, I do not take this for granted. What I am waiting to hear about, and it should be this weekend (I hope), are the results of the Boston Theatre Marathon. I sent PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES (the best of the ones I've written, I think) and REMEMBERING (see above, yuck). We should hear soon, and I hope it's this weekend and it's favorable, b/c I really, really want this one (too much, I know). I also sent WEDNESDAYS off to Brown Couch Theatre in Chicago (I've corresponded with them before, and they seem very nice), b/c it had to take place on a brown couch (get it?!), and WEDNESDAYS, being a cafe play, certainly fits the festival theme. I still need to write my dreams play for Lebanon Theatre (they give the winners $100--woo hoo!), and it's a prestigious festival. Alas, I only have until the end of April to write this, so I need to get cracking (and I have NO ideas whatsoever).
Besides that, well, not much going on. I'm able to exercise for the most part again, and am really being careful about watching my weight, which ought to result in weight loss fairly soon (it better). With my friend Shirley's encouragement, and other Bingers as well, I've been submitting alot, and we'll see what pans out over the next few months. Were I to get into Brown Couch, it would be awesome to go to the festival, since it's in Chicago, and I've never been to Chicago in nice weather; the two times I went it was cold and snowy, and I went with ImprovBoston, so it was not a good time for various reasons I won't get into here (thankfully, I am out of the acting business). If I were to get into DrekFest, another festival in Chicago, I would have my airfare paid for (unbelievable) and would get help with housing, but I certainly can't count on it, though I do think A GENETIC TRAIT is organically bad, and that would fit DrekFest's requirements (but you can count on nothing; you write or revise, submit, and anxiously await, and this is one I'd REALLY love). I think it would be hysterical to put on my resume that I was chosen by DrekFest for the worst play ever. ;-) But right now, I am holding my breath (not really) waiting for the results of the Marathon (please, please, please say yes),
In the meantime, I will be ushering with Anna for Neil LaBute's play FAT PIG (I've wanted to see that for quite some time) at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End this afternoon. Tonight, Karen M and Karen Z are coming over to watch the Red Sox ( not Dice-K, unfortunately--that was Wednesday, I believe, or Thursday), but I'm just happy the Red Sox are playing again (I was needing a sport fix after the Patriots heartbreaking defeat in the AFC Championship game), and the pathetic Bruins and Celtics do not count, nor were there any local teams that made it to the Top 16 in NCAA basketball). Tomorrow, after I work out, I will see my mom and dad, who have returned from Florida, for Chinese food (you can't get reservations at other restaurants, due to it being Easter Sunday, and no yoga, either, though I am able to do it again, albeit with some difficulty), and then watch the Sox and the Masters Golf Tournament. So it should be a fun weekend, but MUCH MORE FUN if I get into the Marathon. More news as it becomes available. I often hear from festivals on Saturday nights (odd, but I guess they all meet on Saturdays, a free day), so this could be the day, and I will either get a call from Kate Snodgrass (she called the winners last year) or an email. I shouldn't care, I know, not this much, but I do, and so I wait and wonder and stare at the cellphone in anticipation, as I've been doing for about three weeks now (yes, I know, get a life).
If I get in, you will hear about it right away. If not, well, I'll send along the sad message after I've received enough consolation to be able to write about it (oh, man, I am way too involved with, even knowing how subjective the bloody process is). Sigh. So that's it for now. It is still ridiculously cold here in Boston (we had snow earlier this week--SNOW in APRIL!!!), and will only get into the high 30s today. I have to break out the warm brown coat, dorky hat (as much as I love it, I don't want to wear it again, but must), and gloves for the one hour trek to the theatre. And just keep busy till I hear something about the BTM (and who knows, it could be tomorrow or Monday or even later!). The suspense is killing me and Debbie and God knows who else...So in the meantime, life goes on (in far more important ways, trust me), and I just want my knees to be okay and my toe to get better and to watch Volver and Entourage, season three (all here, from NetFlix, and I can't wait), and read and just have a nice weekend. The same to all of you. :)
Then I ushered for a depressing play in the South End about violence in Boston, walked home in the cold, my toe still aching (it is MUCH better now), and watched FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION after dinner (one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time; shame on you, Christopher Guest, for such drek). And then I read the emails that said Mark and Bill had won, and since I had heard nothing, I naturally assumed I was not chosen. I wrote to Claudia, a binger and friend who is part of the listserv, and said I was sad I had not been chosen (she is also part of Lakeshore). She wrote back to say that Yes, I had, and congratulations. I was completely puzzled--was she mistaken?--and we wrote a number of emails back and forth. Turns out I *had* been chosen, but I had given Judi (one of the producers) the wrong cellphone number (I went back and checked, and it was wrong on all of the title pages I've sent out in the past six months; horrible), and she had tried to reach me four times, but couldnt, since her email was down. Claudia gave me her phone number, and I called Judi to apologize and give her the correct one. I am especially pleased because this play, THE SATCHEL, had been turned down by a number of festivals, including ACME in Maynard, MA (still upset about that, and yes, I do need to get over it already), so it has finally found a home. Of course, I can't go (as much as I'd love to meet Claudia), but it's exciting to have made it. I think I'm at either seven or eight states I've had plays accepted in, and each win is exciting.
And then this week, I learned that two of my plays, WEDNESDAYS (the one performed by the Two Spoons Theatre Company in NYC; they are so nice, and thank you, Cinda, for your kind words abot my writing) and NOT A COMPETITION (revised for the SAS Festival in Middleboro a couple of months ago, but having had no interest to date; maybe they will choose it), are both going to be part of a reading series by Studio 400 in Pensacola, FL later this month. This is for a play festival they are going to hold next year, and it's an honor to be part of such a group of strong plays (most by the Bingers, I should add). So I'm having a good couple of months, after a string of six fruitless ones (aside from writing some new plays, of course), and trust me, I do not take this for granted. What I am waiting to hear about, and it should be this weekend (I hope), are the results of the Boston Theatre Marathon. I sent PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES (the best of the ones I've written, I think) and REMEMBERING (see above, yuck). We should hear soon, and I hope it's this weekend and it's favorable, b/c I really, really want this one (too much, I know). I also sent WEDNESDAYS off to Brown Couch Theatre in Chicago (I've corresponded with them before, and they seem very nice), b/c it had to take place on a brown couch (get it?!), and WEDNESDAYS, being a cafe play, certainly fits the festival theme. I still need to write my dreams play for Lebanon Theatre (they give the winners $100--woo hoo!), and it's a prestigious festival. Alas, I only have until the end of April to write this, so I need to get cracking (and I have NO ideas whatsoever).
Besides that, well, not much going on. I'm able to exercise for the most part again, and am really being careful about watching my weight, which ought to result in weight loss fairly soon (it better). With my friend Shirley's encouragement, and other Bingers as well, I've been submitting alot, and we'll see what pans out over the next few months. Were I to get into Brown Couch, it would be awesome to go to the festival, since it's in Chicago, and I've never been to Chicago in nice weather; the two times I went it was cold and snowy, and I went with ImprovBoston, so it was not a good time for various reasons I won't get into here (thankfully, I am out of the acting business). If I were to get into DrekFest, another festival in Chicago, I would have my airfare paid for (unbelievable) and would get help with housing, but I certainly can't count on it, though I do think A GENETIC TRAIT is organically bad, and that would fit DrekFest's requirements (but you can count on nothing; you write or revise, submit, and anxiously await, and this is one I'd REALLY love). I think it would be hysterical to put on my resume that I was chosen by DrekFest for the worst play ever. ;-) But right now, I am holding my breath (not really) waiting for the results of the Marathon (please, please, please say yes),
In the meantime, I will be ushering with Anna for Neil LaBute's play FAT PIG (I've wanted to see that for quite some time) at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End this afternoon. Tonight, Karen M and Karen Z are coming over to watch the Red Sox ( not Dice-K, unfortunately--that was Wednesday, I believe, or Thursday), but I'm just happy the Red Sox are playing again (I was needing a sport fix after the Patriots heartbreaking defeat in the AFC Championship game), and the pathetic Bruins and Celtics do not count, nor were there any local teams that made it to the Top 16 in NCAA basketball). Tomorrow, after I work out, I will see my mom and dad, who have returned from Florida, for Chinese food (you can't get reservations at other restaurants, due to it being Easter Sunday, and no yoga, either, though I am able to do it again, albeit with some difficulty), and then watch the Sox and the Masters Golf Tournament. So it should be a fun weekend, but MUCH MORE FUN if I get into the Marathon. More news as it becomes available. I often hear from festivals on Saturday nights (odd, but I guess they all meet on Saturdays, a free day), so this could be the day, and I will either get a call from Kate Snodgrass (she called the winners last year) or an email. I shouldn't care, I know, not this much, but I do, and so I wait and wonder and stare at the cellphone in anticipation, as I've been doing for about three weeks now (yes, I know, get a life).
If I get in, you will hear about it right away. If not, well, I'll send along the sad message after I've received enough consolation to be able to write about it (oh, man, I am way too involved with, even knowing how subjective the bloody process is). Sigh. So that's it for now. It is still ridiculously cold here in Boston (we had snow earlier this week--SNOW in APRIL!!!), and will only get into the high 30s today. I have to break out the warm brown coat, dorky hat (as much as I love it, I don't want to wear it again, but must), and gloves for the one hour trek to the theatre. And just keep busy till I hear something about the BTM (and who knows, it could be tomorrow or Monday or even later!). The suspense is killing me and Debbie and God knows who else...So in the meantime, life goes on (in far more important ways, trust me), and I just want my knees to be okay and my toe to get better and to watch Volver and Entourage, season three (all here, from NetFlix, and I can't wait), and read and just have a nice weekend. The same to all of you. :)
posted by Sue B at 3:56 AM
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