#TheLark

A natural gas flare in North Dakota. A rainbow appears to arc over it. An image of hope, or of despair?

A new play and new collaborators

A natural gas flare in North Dakota. A rainbow appears to arc over it. An image of hope, or of despair?

As it’s most imminent, I’ll start with an upcoming online workshop with Phamaly Theatre. Last year, I started writing The Hard Price at The Orchard Project as their inaugural Reg E. Cathey Writer-in-Residence. Set in North Dakota oil country and spanning the United States’ two wars in Iraq, the play follows the effects of those 2 conflicts on 2 generations of the Erekson Family, using the story of The Oresteia as a jumping off point. (What? Me adapt a classic Greek play? How unexpected…)

In September 2019, I got to hear a very rough draft read at The Lark. (Lords, remember when we could just hop on the bus, get off in New York, walk a few blocks and be welcomed by the loveliest and most talented people? #fuck2020). I’ve been working on the play since then and recently completed a more polished draft that I get to work on for a few days with Phamaly Theater and a few of their core artists. If you don’t know Phamaly, it’s a great time to get acquainted. They’re a Denver-based company that serves as an artistic home for artists with disabilities. Remember how awesome Ali Stroker was when you saw her perform as Ado Annie in Oklahoma/on the Tonys? Cool, now imagine the entire cast is that same kind of awesome. The Artistic Director at Phamaly is the incomparable Regan Linton, and I’m really thrilled to have been invited to collaborate with her and her peeps.

I also get to work with the phenomenal Jessica Kubzansky who, as both a freelance director and as artistic director of Boston Court Theatre in Pasadena, has brought the most exciting plays/productions to the LA Basin.

As if all that wasn’t good enough, this project will be a lovely, cross-generational, UCSD get together as I (class of ’06) get to work with the aforementioned Regan Linton (class of ’13), AND MacGregor Arney (class of ’16).

So, really, what’s not to love?

The workshop will be closed to the public but I’m very excited about this play, so write to your Congressional representatives BECAUSE WE NEED ELECTION SECURITY NOW. And then, hopefully, in some post-45….er, post-Covid-19 world, this play will quickly appear on our stages.

Looking Ahead (and a little bit behind)

In 2018, I finally got around to writing On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle; or, Owed—my Oedipus adaptation that completely pushes Oedipus offstage, giving the story to the women of Thebes. Thanks to the Playwrights Center and the Lark, I wrote about 150 pages over the course of just 3 weeks.

And then I got to workshop that play TWICE at the Kennedy Center. The first time via the National New Play Network‘s MFA Playwrights Workshop—of which I’m an alumni—and the second time courtesy of the amazing Gregg Henry, artistic director of the KC’s American College Theater Festival.

Most exciting of all is that I’ll be workshopping Every Link at the Lark this spring via their BareBones program. This includes public performances, so be sure to stay turned for details as we put together our team.

Coming up on January 31, I’ll be participating in the Project on Tyranny. Along with Franky D. Gonzalez, C.A. Johnson, Rajiv Joseph, Mona Mansour, Liza Jessie Peterson, and moderator, Lloyd Suh, we’ll be discussing the ways in which art and activism come to intersect in these challenging times.

Cheers, y’all.