Archive for February, 2009
I’m very lucky to have many loves in my life. Avid readers of this blog have read many times about two of those loves: my amazing sister, Dina, and wonderful husband, Scott (both of whom were instrumental in encouraging me to start this blog).
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I thought I’d take a moment to acknowledge them, and the many loves (family, friends, colleagues, and of course, readers of this blog) in my life for your support and heartfelt appreciation for and belief in my work. Without which, it would be hard to keep doing what I do.
Spreading the Love!
–Sue
February 13th, 2009
Sometimes, it feels like writing the plays is much easier than getting them out there. (In fact, it’s always easier to actually write than get a play or musical into the right hands.)
I oftentimes feel like I’m trying to solve a puzzle. (Here’s a great demo for solving the Rubik’s Cube.)
When the puzzle gets too hard, I often find that when I get up and walk around a bit (and that “bit” might be days) it’ll hit me, like it did today.
The solution was so simple. Everything was right there in front of me! I was trying to make something happen, choosing between one piece or the other, and now I’ve realized the way to make both scenarios happen!
A friend in high school said sometimes you just need to let something “bake” (she was referring to ideas, but I like real baked goods too).
The thing is, if you keep opening up the oven door, it’ll never get done. If you’re willing to wait, you’ll know when it’s done because it fills up the room — the sweet smell of success.
–Sue
February 12th, 2009
There’s no being nice about it anymore, and there’s no dancing around the issue. If you haven’t written your letters (click for a template you can tweek) yet, WRITE THEM NOW.
See information below from Americans for the Arts News referencing the new stimulus bill under consideration by Congress.
–Sue
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Arts Funding Hangs in Balance as Stimulus Bill Passes Senate
February 10, 2009—The Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with a vote of 61 to 37 today. As the bill heads to Congressional conference, $50 million in recovery funds to be distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts hang in the balance. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch said:
“The United States Senate missed an opportunity today to provide much needed stimulus support to the nation’s creative workforce. By not including $50 million in recovery funds to assist nonprofit arts organizations from closing or laying-off more workers, the Senate has failed to respond to the very real economic crisis facing the nonprofit arts industry …. As the bill heads to conference, Congressional leaders and the White House need to recognize that the arts are a legitimate U.S. economic industry and must keep the arts recovery funds in the final version of the legislation. These funds will allow arts organizations—large and small—to play a vital role in reviving their local economy.”
Arts advocates are urged to take action by contacting their member of Congress and writing to their local media. Visit the online Arts Action Center to make your voice heard. Also, advertisements from Americans for the Arts with the title “The Arts = Jobs” are running Washington’s top political newspapers—Roll Call, Politico, and The Hill—this week. Click here to view the ads.
February 11th, 2009
Still wondering what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s Day? How about dinner and a show? Tickets are even buy one get one free with “On the House“, a new off-Broadway initiative to get patrons to visit off-Broadway.
Over 30 shows are featured, and at participating restaurants, you can get a free “signature drink” (probably a coke product) before or after the show with your meal. (Coke is a founding partner for the program.) Some restaurants are also offering a percentage off your total bill!(See specific restaurants for details.)
To put the program over the top, they even have a sweepstakes, with a grand prize of a year’s worth of theatre.
Happy to be spreading theatre LOVE! Enjoy!
–Sue
February 10th, 2009
Unfortunately, I tuned too late to see M.I.A.’s very pregnant performance on last night’s Grammys with the Rap Pack singing “Swagger”…and the video I’ve come across is grainy, but wow, did she rock it out!
Unbelievably, her due date was yesterday (and according to reports, she hasn’t given birth yet). As another woman I’m in awe of how strong she is, physically and mentally, and wanted to tip my hat to her.
And how about Amy Poehler’s hilarious Palin/Moose rap on SNL a few months ago? Petite Amy was as big as a house, bouncing up and down, firing fake rifle shots at a dancing moose. Totally in the moment, as if she wasn’t carrying a baby ready to push his way out at any moment.
Thanks for being such amazing role models, Ladies… I hope that when it’s my time, I have the strength you do.
–Sue
February 9th, 2009
Continuing on the theme of making time, I thought I’d share the beautiful braided challah I made last week at a challah baking workshop.
I used quite a bit of dough to make that braided beauty, but she was easily the belle of that workshop, everyone stopping to say how lovely she was.
The most beautiful part, though, was actually making the dough. Besides the blessings and the symbolism, it was getting my hands in there and mixing all the ingredients to make the dough that got me in touch with something so natural and so free.
It was an amazing release. I thought of nothing else while we were making and shaping the dough, because I was so present in those moments.
You can make time for something, but if you’re not present, it’s not worth much.
Though I’m not a religious person, I do consider myself spiritual. I can appreciate a practice, even if I don’t follow it according to custom. Shabbat (in Hebrew), or Sabbath (in English) is all about making time for tranquility, contemplation, and most importantly, gratitude… And best of all, it’s celebrating with family and friends.
I hope you all set aside some time for yourselves and your loved ones to celebrate your lives together.
Shabbat Shalom! (Good Sabbath)
–Sue
February 6th, 2009
I’ve been trying to find time to do a lot lately… As you can imagine, I’m having a hard time finding any time…
The problem is… I can’t find time, I have to MAKE time. I’ve known this for a while consciously, but I wasn’t putting it into practice in my daily life.
The words of Maritza from my meditation DVD are ringing loudly in my ears… “…you’ll find that the practice makes space for you.” Her wise words, when imploring us to make time for the practice. She goes on to talk about putting one’s energy into nurturing what nurtures us.
Making time for what’s important (whether that’s meditation, a blog post, or dinner with a friend) might seem really hard to do when you’re doing a hundred other things and have a list with a hundred more…
When you’re trying to make that time and space for whatever calls to your heart, focus on how good you’ll feel afterward. How good it will feel to put your energy and effort towards what nurtures you most.
It takes a lot of responsibility to own your own time, and some juggling too… But when I was meditating today — breathing in the stillness, I felt like space and time were mine!
–Sue
February 5th, 2009
I’ve been getting a lot of compliments lately… Not for the normal stuff like I’d expect, but for random stuff.
My friend Idil, whom I’ve known for a while, and who has heard me speak quite a few times by this point, mentioned to Dina that she loves the way I speak. My syntax and vocabulary usage impressed her last time we spoke. She told my sister that I’m really a “writer’s writer.”
Mind you, we were at a party at the bar at D&B in NYC…not the place for deep conversation. I just wanted to make sure she could hear me, it was so loud in there. But she did more than hear me, she listened.
Another friend, Lelan, way back from graduate school, commented on the other day’s birthday post. I had no idea she was reading, and didn’t realize that such a simple and vulnerable post touched her so much, to compel her to reach out and comment.
Dina, our resident artist, pointed out today that she thinks the pictures I choose for my posts are great.
It’s not like I’ve never gotten a compliment before. C’mon people!:) It’s that I’m hearing them for regular things that I do…for things I wasn’t expecting to get complemented for.
I think I’m also taking them in differently…
My dad told me long ago that someone who knows she’s good doesn’t need to hear she’s good, or look to hear how good she is from others.
And, while I’ve come to understand the wisdom in that, it’s pretty darn nice to have people notice what I’m doing naturally — and even nicer to have them connect and let me know.
Thanks again.
–Sue
February 4th, 2009
I’m looking outside my own window, watching the snow collecting on air conditioner sleeves and the branches of the weeping willow outside my window. There is something pretty magical about snow… And I’m sure Londoners agree, especially after not having seen so much of it for the past 18 years.
Consequently, the West End (their equivalent of Broadway), was almost entirely shut down. One headline called the usually bustling area a “ghost-town.”
Nature does, after all, put on the best shows…
–Sue
February 3rd, 2009
I took the day off on Friday… a small gift to myself. It was my birthday, a day I usually use for reflection. It’s also a day to take stock — to know if I’m where I want to be, or to figure out where I want to go.
I normally relish my birthday, since I usually have a clear idea of where I’m going or where I want to be. This year, I woke up feeling a bit crunchy… brushing off the world a bit.
I have a wonderful husband and family… the support system is there. We live in a lovely home, and I’m following my dreams.
What could I possibly have to complain about?
Nothing… and I’m not complaining… I just wasn’t feeling like myself.
And as the day progressed, and after talking to a friend who sent birthday wishes, I realized that I have the plans, I know exactly where I want to go. I just don’t know how I’m going to get there.
AND… a lot of my plans rely on others… the input of others, or the schedules of others, or just the whims of others to make them happen.
I can’t always push to make things happen, no matter how hard I try… and maybe that’s why I’ve been so tired lately. I’m still just figuring out how to hang back AND HAVE FAITH IN THE UNIVERSE AND OTHERS.
I can’t do everything on my own, because I’ll just burn myself out…
So… as another birthday present to myself, I’m letting myself off the hook a bit…
–Sue
February 2nd, 2009
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