Our Voices

Our Voices Playwright Kelly DuMar's One-Act Play for Youth to be performed at Middle School Drama Festival

Kelly DuMar's one act play for youth, The Adventures of Rocky & Skye, will be performed by Cameron Middle School at the upcoming Mass. Educational Theatre Guild Drama Festival, April 28, 2012, in Lynnfield, MA, directed by Maura Kate Moore.

About The Adventures of Rocky & Skye:

Comedy. 2-16 males, 2-21 females (4-37 performers total). 30-35 minutes. Suitable for all ages.  The play may be performed equally effectively by age-appropriate actors (varying by scene from elementary through middle school age), or by older (high school, college or adult) actors.  It is also ideal for scene study and classroom use, and individual scenes and monologues are well-suited for competition.  Professional rights should be negotiated directly with YouthPLAYS at [email protected].

The Adventures of Rocky & Skye premiered at Summer Shorts 4:  Celebration, produced by Youth Education on Stage (Williston, ND), where it won second place.  "Cloud Jumping" and "The Baby Artists" (scenes in the play) will be published in the Smith & Kraus anthology Winners Competition Series Vol. 2:  Award-Winning 90-Second Comic Scenes Ages 4-12 (ed. Janet Milstein). 

Prefer to print your perusal script?  YouthPLAYS is happy to provide printable PDF files of our plays for customers who would prefer to evaluate material offline.  Just click the Place an Order button above and select the Printable Perusal option.  A printable copy of this play is $5.50.  Our non-printable perusals will, of course, continue to be free.

Synopsis

Through a series of short, fast-paced scenes, a quartet of characters grow up before the audience's eyes, as we witness the friendship, fun and social skirmishes Rocky, Skye, Ratani and Grant, encounter on their journey from kindergarten through middle school.  Whether they’re debating whose father can reach the moon first, kissing and telling, picturing unlikely future careers, double dating or waiting for the last bell of middle school to ring, these charming characters inspire us to laugh and appreciate the extraordinary moments of ordinary life.

Read an Excerpt

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Our Voices Playwright Debbie Wiess Upcoming Events May, June 2012

FROM OUR VOICES PLAYWRIGHT Debbie Wiess - A number of upcoming events:

It has been a very busy spring and there are a number of upcoming events at which I am presenting work, both theatre pieces and poetry, in English and French.  Most will take place in the metro Boston area, 3 the first part of May and 1 the second half of June.  In addition, at least one of my bilingual short plays will be in the next showcase put on by the Little French Church Players in NYC mid-June.  And one of my short plays will be taped for broadcast on local Boston-area cable.  Perhaps this will give those of you further afield a reason to visit!

First up will be the 3rd Annual Cambridge Poetry Jam on Sat May 5.  From 11am to 4pm at the Cambridge Public Library main branch, located at 449 Bway, a wide variety of local area poets will share their work.  I will be reading my poem THE LITTLE GREY MOUSE/LA PETITE SOURIS GRISE in both English and French sometime between 12-1pm, the multilingual segment of the program.  The poem, based upon actual events, was written last summer originally in French and then English.  The poem will be published this spring in English in the Boston Bagel Bards Anthology.

The following day, Sun May 6, during the Somerville Artists Open Studios one of the three trolleys providing transportation for the weekend-long event, and called the Spoken Word Trolley, will have performances and readings from 12-6pm.  I was invited to curate one of the six hours of programming and will be presenting 3 of my short plays in a series called CONVERSATIONS ON A TROLLEY, as well as my mouse poem in English.  Music from a 3-woman band will round out my hour, which goes from 2-3pm though the timing could slip.  The trolley makes several stops throughout Somerville, taking anywhere from 20-30 mins to complete its loop.  The easiest way to catch it is at the stop by the Davis Square T station, across the street from the Somerville Theatre.  Signs should indicate the location.  All are welcome to get on and off whenever they want to along the route to visit the artists' studios.  Though with the entertainment on the bus you may be tempted to stay on board!

Later that week, on Wed May 9 my short French play L'ART DE LA RENCONTRE, a 12-minute long play set in an art gallery in Paris during an opening will have a production during the art opening of French artist Denis Lefèvre in the gallery space of the French Cultural Center at 53 Marlborough St in Back Bay Boston.   The opening goes from 6:30-8:30pm and my play will go up around 7pm.  This will be the play's first production in Boston in French.  Last year it had a reading at the Boston SWAN Day event in English.  The play was put on bilingually last Sept in NYC and in English in TX last Feb.  Please call to rsvp at 617-912-0400.  Lefèvre's art will be up the month of May.

The above mentioned 3 May events are free and open to the public.  They should all be very original presentations of my work in unusual venues and at interesting occasions. 

In June, over the second weekend, Fri-Mon, June 8-11, there will be 4 presentations of the Little French Church Players Show, held at the Church of St-Esprit at 111 E. 60th Street (between Lexington and Park) in NYC.  My bilingual French/English play IN A BEDROOM AFTER A PARTY, which was written for this show, will be in the program of short pieces and scenes.  

Two weeks later, Fri and Sat, June 23 and 24, my short play WELCOME INN will be presented in a program of staged readings by Theatre One in its Fourth Annual "Slice of Life" Festival of New Work.  The festival takes place at the Alley Theatre in Middleboro, MA, about an hour south of Boston.  This will be the 3rd year that my work has been selected for this festival.  The 2-character play takes place in a hotel lobby where appearances can be deceiving.

I'll send out more info later on about the June events when the details are available.

Also for those in Newton, MA this weekend my short play LET'S PLAY CLUE! will be taped for future broadcast with an interview with the author/director (me) and actors.  So look out for that on NewTv in the coming months as the show will be broadcast over a 4 week period.  This new play was recently presented in a staged reading at this year's Boston SWAN Day event at the end of March.

Hope all of this gives you the chance to catch some of my work this spring!  Let me know if you are able to come out.  And please do pass this announcement to others who could also be interested!

Hope all is well!  A bientôt !

Debbie

Ellen Davis Sullivan, "Call of Duty," Program, Our Voices 6, 2012

Call of Duty

By Ellen Davis Sullivan

(Staged Reading, Evening Program, March 24, 2012)

Lis Adams (Sarah) - Lis enjoys performing with many area theater groups in the Boston area, playing everything from tap dancing nuns to murderous little old ladies.  Most recently she appeared as Kate in the Vokes Players Production of The Cripple of Inishmaan.  Daytimes she is Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House in Concord, Mass.

Geralyn Horton (Mother) –Geralyn was cast in her first acting role at age 5, and hopes to be taking curtain calls at age 99.   New plays are her vocation, and women writers her Cause.  More about her than you really want to know is on her web site www.stagepage.info. 

Kerrie Miller Tilney (Beth) - has devoted four decades to teaching, tech-ing, acting, directing, and dancing in theater productions in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Locally, Kerrie has performed with Concord Players, Hovey Players, Playwrights’ Platform, CentaStage, Winchester Players, and others.  Favorite roles include Maggie (The Man Who Came to Dinner), Christine (The Bad Seed), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing) and Jesse Mae (The Trip to Bountiful). When she’s not acting, Kerrie can be found at the computer writing educational material for national publishing companies.

 

Owen Mortner (Jason) – Owen began acting with the Watertown Childrens’ Theater three years ago at age 8.  His favorite roles include: Lampwick (Pinocchio), Schroeder (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown), the Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) and the lead role of the Prince (Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper).  Most recently Owen played a screenwriter in Poe, Poe, Poe.

Lida McGirr (Director) - Lida began her acting career as a 7- year-old singing and dancing leprechaun at Nathan's on Coney Island. She spent her early twenties as one of three start-up members of the Little Theater on 26th Street. Since moving to Boston, she's won an EMACT DASH Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, appeared as Dean Kenny in the Elliot Norton Award-winning Spinning Into Butter, received rave reviews for her portrayal of Shirley Valentine at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham and most recently was Mrs. Banks in Barefoot In the Park at the Zero Point Theater in Watertown. She has directed a short opera protesting the cancellation of Saturday's at the Met, productions for libraries and private functions, as well as many local community theater productions including TCAN's award-winning A Piece of My Heart nominated for four EMACT DASH Awards. Her short plays have been performed in festivals, retirement centers, a romance novelist convention, a bakery, and board meetings throughout New England.

 

Ellen Davis Sullivan (Playwright) - Ellen’s full-length play Louisa At Last was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2011 Ohio State – Newark New Play Contest and was given a public reading as part of The Provincetown Theatre Company’s 2011 Winter Reading Series.  Her locally produced plays include Koi (2010 Boston Theatre Marathon; published in the Marathon anthology by Smith and Krause), Her Honor (2009 Playwrights’ Platform Festival of New Plays) and Recessed! or When the Mortgage Goes Upside Down (Zero Point Theater 2012 Winter Festival). Most recently her ten-minute play Frosty was picked for the 2012 Association for Theater in Higher Education’s New Play Development Workshop.  Her published short stories include Yiddish Land, winner of the 3^rd place prize in Moment Magazine’s 2007 fiction contest.

Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich Program Our Voices 6, 2012

 ATTENTION SHOPPERS

By Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich

Directed by Lydia Anderson

With Jaime Carrillo, Lydia Anderson and Emily Lazaro

A widow in the war in Afghanistan roams the aisles of a military commissary, searching for answers from a decorated officer who can’t stop following her.

Lydia Anderson. Directing work includes: Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich’s “Rox-N, Miss Thang” for Boston Theatre Marathon; short plays by Victor Shopov and John Grenier-Ferris for Fringe Wars and Have You Read?; Abraham by Hrotsvit of Gandersheim with the Claremont School of Theology. Dramaturgical work includes: The Baltimore Waltz, Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, Kid Simple: A Radio Play in the Flesh, The Mistakes Madeline Made, and Hideous Progeny with Holland Productions; Infinite Story with Exquisite Corps Theatre; the upcoming Polaroid Stories, a co-production with Happy Medium Theatre, Boston Actors Theatre, and Heart & Dagger Productions.

Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich. Plays include The Next Big Thing, Sister Sister, The Woman With Orange Hands, The Body Clean, Still Life, Boy Girl Boy Girl, Double Vision, Absolute Flight: A Reality Show With Wings, Big City, Hitting the Wall, Three a.m., Rox-N Miss Thang, June In White, and 4EVER. Her work has been produced or developed in New York at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage, Rattlestick, Roundabout, Women’s Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Georges, The New York International Fringe Festival (and the extended off-Broadway series, Fringe NYC Encore Series), and The Sumer Play Festival; Regionally, at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Trinity Rep, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Hangar Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Six Figures, Boston’s New Theatre, LA’s Elephant Theatre, and Chicago’s Collaboraction Theatre.

Jaime Carrillo. Jaime holds a B.A. with honors in Theater Arts from Brandeis University.  He has performed regionally and abroad, including in Dublin, Winnipeg, Mexico City, New York City, and Washington, D.C. The historic Living Theatre recently featured his plays Una Vida deCalidad and Coat Check Casanova.  Jaime is participating in IATI Theatre’s upcoming new voices program in New York City.

Wendy Lement's Artist Statement, Our Voices 6, 2012

A unique feature of the Our Voices Festival is that each playwright is given The Our Voices Artist Statement template to fill out and share directly with the audience during the evening of staged readings just prior to presenting her play. Audiences continue to share their gratitude for this opportunity to hear directly from the playwright about her inspiration and experience in writing the play. For the playwright, it's an opportunity to take a risk - to stand for her voice & vision in front of an audience.     ~ Kelly DuMar

Wendy Lement: Artist Statement

 

 

Six Pairs of Hands is the result of oral history and performance project, co-written by Regis students, including Jacqui Williams, whose piece was incorporated into the segment you’ll see tonight.

 

The play was inspired by the struggles and triumphs of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association.

 

A major block I overcame is that my initial play concept didn’t work. There was a disconnect between what I thought the story would be about and what the interview subjects shared in their oral histories.

 

One thing that surprised me while writing the play is that it transformed into a musical, two weeks before auditions. While writing the play I learned that I enjoy writing song lyrics.

 

This play is built upon my strong belief that personal stories contain rich material for drama, and that seemingly ordinary individuals have the power to affect global change.

 

If my play could change something, it would foster greater appreciation of women who publically fight political battles and personally strive to maintain traditional cultural values.

 

I hope this play empowers the women our students interviewed for the project.

 

In this segment tension mounts between the Master of Ceremonies and the Fishermen’s Wives about how their lives should be portrayed.

 

The cast includes: Jessica Andra, Danny Bolton, Matteo BonTempo, Anna Correa, Melissa Frederique, Susan Lombardi Verticelli, Alicia Martin, Patrick Meehan, Barbara Pedulla, Beth Randall, Danielle Sanford, Semi Sephillari and Jacqui Williams.

Wendy Lement's "Six Pairs of Hands" to be produced at Regis College Fine Arts Center & Cape Ann in Gloucester, April 2012

SIX PAIRS OF HANDS

The Regis College Theatre Company Presents Six Pairs of Hands, based on oral histories of members of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. The original musical honors the extraordinary lives and the political battles waged and won by these courageous women. Six Pairs of Hands will not only be performed at Regis College, but will also tour to the Cape Ann (The Annie) in Gloucester.

Book by Wendy Lement and Regis students in the Oral History and Performance Class. Music by Peter Stewart; Lyrics by Wendy Lement; Musical Arrangement & Director, Colleen Henry; Choreography by Besti Graves; Costume Design by Jeffrey Scott Burrows; Set Design by Steven Hall; Lighting Design by Andre Schiff. Stephanie (Schmidt) Orchard is the Stage Manager.

In 1969 Gloucester fishermen’s wives formed an association to fight federal regulations that favored large corporations and would have destroyed their local fishing industry. Since then, the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association has become an international model for conserving and protecting valuable fish stocks and a working waterfront for future generations. Through their dedication, solidarity and faith, these remarkable women have endured numerous hardships, obstacles, and tragedies with strength of spirit and grace.

“Another dream come true!” said Angela Sanfillipo of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. “The GFWA always dreamed of having their story told in a play. To be a musical is even better. We hope that our message of commitment and hard work carries far and wide across the globe. The same issues that we have been battling for the last 41 years are being fought all around the world. People call us from across the country and around the world for advice and support."

Regis College - Performance Dates: Wed., Thurs., and Fri. April 11, 12, 13 @ 7:30pm & Sat. April 14 @ 2:00pm.  Admission: $15 general public; $10 seniors, students, Regis College faculty, staff and alumnae; free admission for Regis College students w/Regis College ID. For tickets and information call the Box Office at (781) 768-7070.

Tour Dates to The Cape Ann (The Annie), One Washington St., Gloucester - Friday and Saturday, April 20 & 21 @ 7:30 PM & April 21 & 22 @ 2:00 PM - For tickets and information contact Henry Allen at: 978-704-1269. Advance tickets are now on sale at www.TheAnnie.org.

 

Kelly DuMar Artist Statement & Program, Our Voices 6, 2012

A unique feature of the Our Voices Festival is that each playwright is given The Our Voices Artist Statement template to fill out and share directly with the audience during the evening of staged readings just prior to resenting her play. Audiences continue to share their gratitude for this opportunity to hear directly from the playwright about her inspiration and experience in writing the play. For the playwright, it's an opportunity to take a risk - to stand for her voice & vision in front of an audience.     ~ Kelly DuMar

ARTIST STATEMENT: Kelly DuMar

Wish

This play was inspired by. . .

An uncle, now living in a nursing home, who has not had any relationship with his children for many, many years.  

One thing that surprises me about this play is. . .

It hits close to home, but I chose to cast African American, rather than white, actors for this reading, but I didn’t write it intending it to be played by any specific race. I started developing the character of STARLING in a scene I wrote for a workshop with Stuart Spencer last summer, writing spontaneously and unconsciously from a prompt. That’s where I found her – or she found me. I wrote three STARLING scenes before this one, which I wrote from the inspiration of my uncle and cousin, and I knew I wanted to work with Yvonne as STARLING. Once I knew that, and she agreed, I asked Kamau.

This play is built upon my strong belief (or faith) in. . .

The possibility of survivors healing the damaging psychological scars of incest.

If my play could change something what would it be?

To free survivors of incest from the shame that is exploited by perpetrators and belongs to perpetrators. To encourage incest survivors to re-claim the treasures that are stolen from them.

One thing I’ve learned about myself/my writing from this play is. . . .

Reminder: Trust my instincts

A block or resistance I have had to overcome in creating this play or monologue was (is still?) my fear/belief/concern that. . . .

It's always challenging taking on a taboo topic – do it anyway

My wish for this play is. . .

Starling’s wish -

Wish

Written & Directed By Kelly DuMar

CAST:

STARLING:           W. Yvonne Murphy

BABY DADDY      Kamau Hashim

TIME:  Day of reckoning: the time when one is called to account for one's actions, to pay one's debts, or to fulfill one's promises or obligations.

PLACE: A patient’s room in a nursing home. Late fall sunshine lets a bit of weak light into the room. There is a bed (optional), nightstand, a simple chair – standard furnishings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: During a visit to the Alzheimer’s wing of a nursing home, a woman confronts her aging father whom she hasn’t seen in many years – who is also the biological father of the daughter she gave up for adoption as a teenager.

Kelly DuMar (PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR) Kelly’s monologues, one-acts & full-length comedies & dramas for adults & youth have been produced around the US and Toronto – and are published by Youth Plays, Heuer, Brooklyn, and her monologues are published in Smith & Kraus audition anthologies for actors. She is pleased that her newest short play, Everything Blows Away, will be produced March 20-April 1 in Toronto by the New Ideas Festival, and it was selected as a finalist in the Nantucket Short Play Festival, 2012. Kelly is a past president of Playwrights’ Platform, a member of the Dramatists Guild, a Playback Theatre artist & author of a non-fiction book writing book for parents, Before You Forget – The Wisdom of Writing Diaries for Your Children. This is Kelly’s 6^th year co-producing the Our Voices Festival, and she is tremendously grateful to Yvonne & Kamau for sharing their talents in Wish. To learn more about her plays, go to http:// www.diarydoor.typepad.com/stagedoor.

W. Yvonne Murphy (STARLING) This is Yvonne’s second year performing in the Our Voices Festival, and we’re honored to have her! Last year, you saw her perform in Sybil Roberts William’s play, Zimbabwe – or, She Talks to Bob Marley . Yvonne is a Boston-area actor and theater educator (Wheelock College) whom I met her through the Actors in Residence program at Playwrights’ Platform where she won best actor award. To learn more about her as a performer, please contact her at [email protected].

Kamau Hashim (BABY DADDY) began his professional acting career in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of "Le Blanc". He also performed in many Publick Theatre productions (under the direction of Spiro Veloudos before he joined the Lyric Stage) including "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in which he played Oberon and "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To The Forum" in which he played Miles Glorious. He was last seen in Wheelock Family Theatre's production of "Seussical" as Horton the elephant. Kamau is pleased to be doing Kelly DuMar's ten minute excerpt from "Wish". You may reach him at [email protected]

Sarah Moon, Artist Statement, Our Voices 6, 2012

A unique feature of the Our Voices Festival is that each playwright is given The Our Voices Artist Statement template to fill out and share directly with the audience during the evening of staged readings just prior to presenting her play. Audiences continue to share their gratitude for this opportunity to hear directly from the playwright about her inspiration and experience in writing the play. For the playwright, it's an opportunity to take a risk - to stand for her voice & vision in front of an audience.     ~ Kelly DuMar

ARTIST STATEMENT: Sarah Moon

Arbitrage Ends in Rage

This play was inspired by. . . A story I heard on NPR about the EPA devaluing human life. I thought that was wrong on so many levels.

One thing that surprises me about this play is. . .

How real the characters are to me, even though it’s such a short play.

This play is built upon my strong belief (or faith) in. . .

The fact that when values of things are dictated solely by a number and, thus, fluctuate, there will be winners and losers, there will be really happy people and really angry people.

If my play could change something what would it be?

The idea that you’d ever take a pricetag placed on a human (or any living thing) seriously.

One thing I’ve learned about myself/my writing) from this play is. . . .

I really enjoy humor, this is one of the most purely comedic plays I’ve ever written and I loved hearing it read.

A block or resistance I have had to overcome in creating this play or monologue was (is still?) my fear/belief/concern that. . . .

It’s too light, it won’t make a strong enough impression

My wish for this play is. . .

To have it accepted to the Actors Theatre of Louisville National 10-minute play festival

Arbitrage Ends in Rage by Sarah Moon

Program

On a hot day in July in Franklin Park, D.C., an unlikely duo are working to ensure ten cats find a home before the end of the day. But the question of monetary value unsettles their mission and invites a volatility that only a savvy financier could embrace.

BIOS:

Sarah Moon (playwright) holds an MFA in Playwriting from Brandeis University where her play Losing the Game won the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Award for Best Original Play. Sarah’s work has been featured at experimental theatre hubs Dixon Place and SoHo ThinkTank in New York City and at Brooklyn’s Gallery Players. In Boston, Sarah’s work has appeared in the Boston Theatre Marathon, the New Words Play Slam and most recently, at Boston Actors Theatre. 

Actors

Jaime Carrillo (Rick) holds a B.A. with honors in Theater Arts from Brandeis University.  He has performed regionally and abroad, including in Dublin, Winnipeg, Mexico City, New York City, and Washington, D.C.  The historic Living Theatre recently featured his plays Una Vida de Calidad and Coat Check Casanova.  Jaime is participating in IATI Theatre’s upcoming new voices program in New York City.

Lisa Caron Driscoll (Marissa) is thrilled to be working with Sarah Moon and be a part of this unique showcase of talented playwrights.   An actor in the Boston and community theatre scene for over ten years, Lisa's favorite roles have included Annie in the The Real Thing, Meg in Crimes of the Heart, Dorothy in Act a Lady, Rosie in Simpatico, and a stint as a woman coming out of a coma after decades in Pinter's  A Kind of Alaska.  Today's performance is dedicated to my adopted kitty~ Luna. 

Corianna Moffatt (Molly) is a Boston theatre artist originally from Nashville, TN and rural Washington state.  She is the Associate Producer of Playwrights' Commons, a playwright development organization (look out for our Playwrights' NIght Outs and summer Freedom Art Retreat), and currently works as a dramaturg and community outreach facilitator for Company One.  She is directing Tasia Jones' The Inside for Can't Wait Productions, opening in early May and is a founding member of the puppet troupe Free Hands, which is currently workshopping their newest production, The Three Blessed Brothers, a tall tale adventure story complete with folk songs, jovial dancing and lots and lots of puppets for a summer library tour. 

Tom S. White (Gary) is an actor/producer with Rogue Theatre Company.  He has most recently worked as a staff actor for the Burt Wood school and done film projects  for Andrew Osbourne and Shane Kinsman. Tom is proud to have worked for and with some of the best people in Southeastern Mass, including Sarah Moon, Gateway Players, Star Players and Theater One.

 

M. Lynda Robinson Artist Statement, Our Voices 6, 2012

A unique feature of the Our Voices Festival is that each playwright is given The Our Voices Artist Statement template to fill out and share directly with the audience during the evening of staged readings just prior to presenting her play. Audiences continue to share their gratitude for this opportunity to hear directly from the playwright about her inspiration and experience in writing the play. For the playwright, it's an opportunity to take a risk - to stand for her voice & vision in front of an audience.     ~ Kelly DuMar

ARTIST STATEMENT: M. Lynda Robinson

An Egg is an Egg is a Jellied Egg

Setting the scene: 

This play is a fantasy based on the real life of lesbian couple Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.  It takes place during the 1930’s in the drawing room of their apartment in Paris which has become the well known gathering place of established people of literature, art and society, as well as many who are trying to become part of the celebrated salon circle.  The walls are covered by now-famous paintings by Picasso,  Matisse. etc.  ALICE and GERTRUDE have been together about 25 years.  Gertrude is writing & Alice is preparing for their weekly salon taking place that evening.

 1.  This play was inspired by: the humorous imagined idea that Gertrude Stein spoke the same way she wrote – complete “free-form” thought, without punctuation, with many repetitions, etc. - & what effect that would have on her and her partner Alice B. Toklas trying to accomplish ordinary projects, as well as their relationship.

2.  One thing that surprises me about this play is: that Gertrude’s language, although exaggerated  and annoying, ended up expressing both intellectual ideas and emotional feelings.

3.  This play is built upon my strong belief in: the power of words.

4.  If my play could change something what would it be? a new interest in Gertrude Stein’s contribution to playwriting.

5.  One thing I’ve learned about myself from this play is: that “word play” is my favorite kind of play.

6.  A block or resistance I have had to overcome in creating this play is my fear that: a lack of knowledge of the two historical characters - Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas – or of the style of Gertrude’s writing – may render the play completely incomprehensible.

7.  My wish for this play is: that the audience embrace the language & characters and have fun!

Our Voices 6 - Geralyn Horton, Artist Statement 2012

A unique feature of the Our Voices Festival is that each playwright is given The Our Voices Artist Statement template to fill out and share directly with the audience during the evening of staged readings just prior to presenting her play. Audiences continue to share their gratitude for this opportunity to hear directly from the playwright about her inspiration and experience in writing the play. For the playwright, it's an opportunity to take a risk - to stand for her voice & vision in front of an audience.     ~ Kelly DuMar

Artist Statement: G.L. Horton

A 90 Pound Lap Dog

This play was inspired by. . .  My desire to create material for actors for auditions and class work has resulted in 200 monologues published on my web site, www.stagepage.info   I've only heard about 2 dozen of them.  I wish I could hear-- and revise-- them all!

One thing that surprises me about this play s. . . How hearing it made me want to rewrite nearly every line.

This play is built upon my strong belief (or faith) in. . . Storytelling, and the shaping and sharing of stories.

If my play could change something what would it be?  Cutting out the middleman between dramatic/comic writers and the people who would enjoy bringing their words to life by by embodying a character.

One thing I’ve learned about (myself/my writing) from this play is. . . . Hearing it in different voices I'd like to be able to tailor it for each one.

A block or resistance I have had to overcome in creating this play or monologue was (is still?) my fear/belief/concern that. . . .  Shaping or re-imagining material read or overheard into a piece for an actor to re-imagine in performance is a fascinating exercise but an existential conundrum.

My wish for this play is. . .  That people speak it, hear it, do variations on it, and be inspired to seek out my other pieces or invite me to collaborate with them in devising some. 

Each playwright will be invited on stage to introduce her play and actors to the audience and read her artist statement

Your Name:  Geralyn "G.L." Horton

The Title of Your Piece: A 90 Pound Lap Dog.

Setting Your Scene: Actor, age and gender unspecified by author, is telling a story to a friend or a small group.

June Lewin will play the role of Twinkie's beloved human companion.

My monologue was directed by:  Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro

 

A 90 POUND LAP DOG  by G.L. HORTON

ACTOR: June Lewin works professionally in the Greater Boston theatre. She particularly enjoys performing, directing and developing new plays. She has worked on various scripts by Rosanna Alfaro and G.L. Horton, including directing Geralyn in the original production of Rosanna's Martha Mitchell for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She has toured with a pantomime company from Poland, taught at the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut, and appeared with the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven and on stages in New York City, Berkeley, and across New England.

DIRECTOR: Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro is a Huntington Playwriting Fellow (2011) whose play "Before I Leave You" was in current Huntington Theatre season, garnering 3 IRNE nominations.  Her plays have  been performed at Pan Asian Repertory, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Magic Theatre, The Boston Women on Top Festival, La MaMa ETC., etc. She is the writer/narrator of the documentary Japanese American Women: A Sense of Place. Seven of her short plays have been in the Boston Theater Marathon, and eight were finalists in the National Ten-Minute Play Contest. Her work is  anthologized by Baker’s Plays, Heinemann, Charta Books, Smith and Kraus, and Meriwether Publishing.

AUTHOR: Geralyn Horton has written 100s of monologues and dozens of plays and musicals, from one minute to three hours long.  Almost all of them are on her web site stagepage.info    (The Big Musical has its own: <www. precious-bane.com>   For a quarter of a century Geralyn has had the inestimable privilege of working on new plays with this Dynamic Duo as director, actor, or reader, turn and turn-about.   Long may we flourish!