I was doing yoga this afternoon, and I was inspired for a new scene in my musical.
I didn’t rush the routine, I kept going through it. The scene continued unfolding before me. When I was done, I promptly ran to my journal and wrote.
I was so grateful for finding that stillness in that moment, for being able to clear my mind so that I could create.
Yes, I have a bunch of chores to do, and matters that should be attended to, but focusing on those first wasn’t going to allow me to entertain the muse today. (Though recently I found laundry had a calming effect.)
At times, it’s so easy to let the small things distract us from the bigger picture… I am the queen of errands and appreciating the small moments… But as I get deeper into this project, I am refocusing the lens to take it all in, and write it all down.
I hope that all my readers have the opportunity — scratch that — MAKE the opportunity to carve out a few moments to find that stillness and create something extraordinary.
–Sue
July 11th, 2008
I had a nice long chat with one of my girlfriends and she told me about a conversation she’d had with her mother last week.
I was so moved, and so inspired, that I promptly wrote a song for my new musical literally minutes after we hung up.
I called her later to thank her, and share that song, plus another I’d written today. My friend was crying — telling me how moved she was.
So today was a day of movement… moving forward with the musical, being moved by my friend’s story, and moving my friend with my songs…
None of that movement would be possible if we both didn’t share of ourselves with one another… and now we’ve both walked away feeling fulfilled.
Thank you again, my dear friend!
–Sue
July 9th, 2008
This morning, after a dream that I was back in school, I realized how much support I had from the multitude of wonderful teachers, professors, and mentors I had cheering me on all along the way. (I learned a lot of hard lessons too…)
I thanked most of them while I was their student, and I feel I’ve repaid my debt as a teacher to a population of students most had long given up on… But I wanted to take this opportunity to thank them again…
The guidance, support, and knowledge they imparted to me helped make me who I am, as a person, and playwright.
I also realize that I’m ready for that setting again… a place where I can be challenged to learn and grow — pushing myself and being pushed beyond my current limits to be an even better person and writer.
But this time, it would be my peers whom I would learn from, and who would learn from me.
–Sue
July 7th, 2008
Flim-flam.
Whim, wham…
Ha-cha-cha!
The quota has been filled.
–Sue
July 2nd, 2008
We caught a matinee of Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls this past Saturday at the Biltmore Theatre. (I had seen her play Blue Heart in London in 1997.) It was really well done, and even though much of the play was sad, there were many light moments and reaffirmations of life.
One of those moments happened on line at the ladies’ room during the second intermission. Sitting only a row behind me was a young woman I had gone to high school with, we sang in chorus class together.
We exchanged the obligatory “How have you been?” and “What are you up to?” When I told her I’m a playwright, she said, “Oh, then this must be boring for you…”
I said, “No, it’s fun!”
She said, “Yeah, but this is what you do… You’ve already seen this all before.”
And I said, “No, it’s still fun!”
I walked away laughing to myself… I’m lucky to be doing what I love doing… and even if I’ve been doing it for a while, and sometimes it’s hard, it’s still wonderful… How could I keep at it so long if I didn’t love it?
But then I realized, not everyone is so fortunate to do what they love. Not everyone is so fortunate to know what they want to devote their lives to… and actually DO it.
To borrow a Paul Simon lyric, I’m “still crazy after all these years” about theatre, and I hope that’s how I’ll always feel.
–Sue
July 1st, 2008
I wrote a scene today where it’s more than obvious that the character is flat out lying… She even gets up before the camera stops taping — that’s how bad she wants out of the interview… I was nervous about her coming off sounding like an @$$hole, but when she just flat out lies like that, she sounds like even more of one…
The thing is, I don’t really want to change what she says… I wrote the scene straight the first time… I had her say exactly what her motivation was, but it was too cut and dry — and it just wasn’t real.
I realize not every character will be liked… I’ve written more than a few who aren’t… but that was always my intention from the outset, and this time, that just wasn’t the case.
This isn’t a problem, but more of a milestone… That scene, and those two minutes, might be the most humane two minutes I’ve written for this piece to date.
This is starting to get good…
–Sue
June 24th, 2008
It hit me yesterday amid 3 loads of laundry why I needed to have the foundation of a loving relationship and marriage before I could or would “make it big”…
There are many many things on this earth that I love doing more than doing laundry… But, it needed to get done. To make our household run smoothly on a daily basis, I do a lot of small things that aren’t anywhere nearly as glamorous as accepting my Tony Awards…
But, the truth is, a lot of that stuff needs to happen to make any collaborative effort have any kind of chance. Everyone needs to pitch in and do whatever they can, whenever they can, to make it work. Theatre, just like a home and family, is a collaborative effort.
As small as laundry may seem, it’s a bunch of those small things that make this big thing, our life together, work… and our life is so much bigger than me…
I was actually thankful folding socks and underwear yesterday… thankful to be a part of something so big and full of love.
To be great, I have to be grateful. And I am… but I never thought I’d feel that doing the laundry!
–Sue
June 20th, 2008
A few moments ago, I heard Mandy Patinkin give an acceptance speech on behalf of Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Stephen Sondheim.
Sondheim quipped that “there’s a finality” to a Lifetime Achievement Award, and he’s right…
What struck me as wonderful, and so appropriate, is that there wasn’t a hurried montage of some of Mr. Sondheim’s past achievements, there was a single staged performance from the revival of his amazing “Sunday in the Park with George,” currently at the Roundabout Theatre.
The number, “Move On,” was so wonderfully poignant, relating to the veteran maestro’s words, but also to any artist featured during the evening or watching the Tony Awards on TV.
Dot sings:
Just keep moving on
Anything you do,
Let it come from you
Then it will be new
Give us more to see…
I promise, you’ll get more from me…
–Sue
June 15th, 2008
As regular readers of this blog know, I love many of the reality shows on Bravo. I love watching artists create in real time, and watching as they get feedback from trained professionals in their respective fields.
The newest delightful addition is “Step it Up and Dance.” We’ve been watching each episode with rapt attention.
Cody Green, the ultimate technician, seemed to be on top early on, but later got hammered for not emoting enough. He was finally pushed to the edge and ended up dancing his way to the winner’s circle.
The way judge Nancy O’Meara pushed him reminded me of a teacher I had at Emerson who pushed me. Her name was Betsy Carpenter, and she put up with two semesters of me talking through a lot of my own crap while successfully pushing off doing my work.
Betsy passed away a while ago, and so she won’t get the chance to see my plays on their feet, but I’d still like to thank her.
At the time, especially during my thesis defense when I thought I might not graduate, I hated her. I hated her for not “helping” me… She just kept saying “I can’t write it for you, you’ve gotta write it on your own, Baby.” She made me fight for my own voice… and now it’s so loud and clear! It was the preparation I needed to keep going in a business where it isn’t easy to get one’s voice heard.
So, Betsy, I’d like to thank you for pushing me, and in the best way you could, helping me find the strength to push myself. Even if you’re not watching now, I hope you will be at the theatre. I’ll be sure to save a seat for you.
–Sue
June 9th, 2008
I was working on a proposal for a new musical (in its preliminary stages) yesterday when it occurred to me that I don’t really know one of my characters all too well… I started wondering why that was, and who he is… And then I went off to take a shower…
Wonderfully, between shampoo and conditioner, I heard him speak. Actually, I heard another character (his ex-wife) talking about him, and then I heard him describe himself.
Naturally, I ran to write it down… I had been waiting months to hear him, and it was an inspired moment.
When a friend called in the middle, I told her that I’d heard him speak and was trying to get it all down. She laughed it off, thinking I was just being Sue, I guess…
But the point is, that while it’s true a lot of my work is crafting… a lot of it is also just LISTENING… being open enough to hear what’s already there…
My other point is, we can all probably find lots of inspiration in every day life by just listening and being open to what’s already there.
–Sue
May 22nd, 2008
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