Although I was not one of two winners of The Voaden Prize in Playwriting, my play ANIMAL came close to the top. Read the press release below:
This was a big victory for me. After ANIMAL was performed at the Alumnae Theatre’s Fireworks Festival back in 2018, I received lots of feedback. Watching the play with an audience also informed me of where I felt the play needed work. Over the next two years, I re-wrote ANIMAL three times and held subsequent readings. Each reading further informed me as to where the play should land.
One of the dramatic moments that happened in ANIMAL during it’s 2018 production occurred in the middle of the play. Each night I watched it, the audiences reaction was the same…they felt the play was over after that moment. It meant major re-writes would follow to make that moment land at the end of the play. The entire play had to be reconfigured and refocused. It was a heavy lift and there was times in the re-write process I wanted to give up.
The Voaden Prize sent me a critique. One of their suggestions was that the two flashbacks in the play felt a bit long and would benefit from trimming. This was one element that I re-worked in ANIMAL. There used to be more flashbacks and I cut them out in the re-write. It appears I’ll need to do more tweaking on the flashbacks that remain.
I want to focus on what The Voaden Adjudicators’ felt was the strength of the play. Here’s what they said:
Animal is an imaginative exploration of a challenging subject matter. It has many strengths; particularly notable is the use of humor, the element of surprise, and the high dramatic stakes. The characters are complex and believable. Raina’s energy drives the show. It is a powerful moment when Daniel’s energy takes over on page 82. The visual revelation of the bite marks here is beautifully timed and well-handled.
It’s that last part – “the powerful moment when Daniel’s energy takes over” and how that moment is “beautifully timed and well-handled” – that’s the moment I moved from the middle of the 2018 production to the end of the play in this latest version. Once I read that, I felt more justified and satisfied in the direction of the re-writes. I’m hoping as ANIMAL competes for other prizes it will receive similar positive vibes as it got from The Voaden Prize.
Until next time, write on…
Congratulations, Romeo! Such a great confirmation that you’re on the right track. Blessings Always!
I’m exhausted just thinking of the amount of energy it took to do these rewrites. Not to mention the creativity it takes to find new solutions to story problems. Oh, and you have to be brave to rip a script apart – remove/change/add one new idea and the whole thing can topple like a house of cards. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Good for you Romeo.. You keep on reworking this play and each time you get closer to the top.
Well done! And yes!! Powerful is the word for this play and its characters. I will always be excited to read this play on my own or during a reading. It deserves recognition. Thank you for keeping me in the loop with these updates!!!
Well done, Ciolfi! Just getting mentioned like this in the competition is a big win for your script!
Congratulations Romeo, so proud of you for your stamina in keeping on improving creative works. Looking forward to seeing Animal when it goes into production- one day it surely will. So happy that you came so close to the top!
That’s pretty close to the top!
Congratulations Romeo, on obtaining Honourable Mention for Animal! The positive feedback in the Voaden critique is indeed very inspiring and will spur you on to further success, with Animal and other plays you have so diligently worked on.
Step by step you move forward!
Such great confirmation of the hard work you did to re-tool the flow of the narrative and the value that the multiple readings had in that process. So many writers are not open to feedback and their works suffer and stagnate as a result. Not you, Rome! Well-earned praise!!