Great quote: ”Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” – C.S. Lewis

My script Home has accomplished this. Now let’s hope someone else thinks so. I finished the re-write a couple days ago and sent if off to several competitions including the Nicholl Fellowships, Bluecat and Page International. I’ve spent the last three weeks, reading and re-writing the script, making some significant cuts which have improved the story and focused the characters. I first began writing Home back in 2005 and I have gone back to it throughout the years, believing each time that I could make a better script. This last draft is my best piece of writing and I look forward to seeing if it places in any contests.

My play Circus now awaits me. I have strong ideas as to what I would like to do with Circus, but I am not looking forward to dissecting the play apart in order to achieve this goal. As I have said before, so much of writing is re-writing and re-thinking an idea through. With Circus, the idea of mental illness can be shown more visually on stage. Rather than talking about the illness and seeing the main character “act crazy”, let’s see the illness manifest itself in a concert way so that the audience sees what the main character sees. Some of this is happening in the first draft, but not enough. Too much of this current draft is telling rather than seeing.

Speaking of plays, The Way of the Cross was a most satisfying, if not draining experience. This Easter production was performed over the April 4/5 weekend for three performances. I directed the piece and watched 13 volunteer actors bring to life three separate stories that come together in the end. It was a real pleasure to work with a community of individuals who brought to life the words I created. One of the reasons I like doing these projects is the immediacy of the work. You write, you cast, you direct and you perform within a tight window of time. It’s like exercise: it’s hard and often times unrewarding work, but you keep “fit” by continually doing it. And just like exercising the body, if you spend too much time away from writing, it then becomes that much harder to get back into. You must do it, even when you don’t feel like it.