Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
How do I find inspiration to write a play when the thing I’m trying to right can’t be done right now? Or not having the fear that after I’m finished writing it and so fortunate to have it be produced, that it won’t be postponed or canceled? I’m not saying that there will never be live theatre again, but it’s hard. Needless to say, these are trying times for theatre makers 🙁 It’s hard for me not to be discouraged when the very thing I love and try to create may or may not actually happen.
In trying to remember what sparks me to create, I’m brought back to watching THE WILD BRIDE presented by the Kneehigh Theatre Company at Berkeley Rep about 10 years ago. I left there in awe of their way of storytelling for the stage. That production will be what pushes me on what I want to create.
As with a lot of these highs, the memory of this sole production I witnessed would be the only one as they’re company closed in 2021 🙁
Another factor why it’s been hard for me to write, well maybe other than being lazy, is that I get so hyped up after WATCHING a play. I get so inspired by what I just saw. From the performance, to the structure, to the character arc development, to the visceral experience of being in a space with a group sharing the same emotions TOGETHER… those all contribute to why and how I write a play.
Although I’ve had TWO of these moments since March 2020, it’s just not enough to sustain what I want to do. It’s a crappy excuse, I know, but it IS a factor to my process as a playwright. So, how can I break that attitutude?
One thing I’m trying to do right now is holing myself up in a hotel room in a city far away from home and WORK! Close any youtube tabs and focus. Sure, the thought that this play I’m working on might NEVER see the light of day, at least I can work on something that I love. Something that I’ve invested a lot of time (years) and dollar (MFA) into pursuing. I just need to somehow focus on those things because I have wandered down that inevitable artistic hole laundered with the question of “why am I even doing this?”
Fortunately, the play I’m working on is something I hope that an audience will enjoy as much as I enjoy watching them–a play that is a storytelling fantasy. It’s a way to get back those emotions I felt after watching THE WILD BRIDE and THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX by PigPen Theatre Company which I saw at The Globe in San Diego.
The memories from these productions are giving me newfound life of wanting to be a storyteller again. While the future of live theatre is still uncertain, I don’t want to give those negative thoughts power in making believe that I can create tale that will hopefully give others life.
Let’s go!