Introductions

My friend Larry (my writing wing man) and I headed down to the Pacific Playwrights Festival yesterday at South Coast Repertory in lovely Costa Mesa, CA yesterday. It's across from my fave childhood mall, South Coast Plaza. We were going as members of The Playwrights Union, an organization of LA-based theatre, film and TV writers. It actually seemed pretty cool yesterday because there were a ton of playwrights at the festival.

In years past, I used to attend as a theatre and TV professional representing the management/production company I used to work for. Then I would wedge in the fact that I was a playwright in there somewhere. Now I get to introduce myself as a playwright in a year where they are really celebrating all playwrights in attendance. After all, it is called the Pacific Playwrights Festival. We even get our own special purple badges. And artistic folk are encouraged to come up to us purple playwrights and ask about our work and ask to read it. I love it when an organization is actually organized. That never happens. But it's great to meet other theatre folk, see old friends, and be in a community in the middle of white, Republican Orange County.

But because of white Republican Orange County, a theatre festival that has been actively been pursuing new work for the past 15 years can exist and thrive. And I've always loved my white OC boys, so I can't complain too much. I have a confession to make that I will make in the middle of this paragraph so maybe it gets lost or maybe someone happens upon it: I've always wanted to work at SCR. I've sent them my plays over the years. They have always been open to that. But it's in my backyard. I grew up going to the mall (not the important fact here) across the street. And I'm a homegrown kid. I'm from Downey, CA. I'm a native. And while that's not a reason they should workshop, read or produce my work, it's a reason I would be really excited if they did. It would mean something different coming from a theatre that was essentially in my hometown. It's the same reason I want to work at Centre Theatre Group and other LA theatre companies of note (even Theatre of Note, actually).

But what's nice now is that when I introduce myself to these people, some who don't even know about my past life, I can assertively talk about my work. I can talk about the play I'm having a reading of in two weeks. I can talk about the next one I'm getting ready to write. I can talk about the play last year that was a finalist for the O'Neill. I can talk about the workshop I had last year. I'm no longer "the buyer." And while that gave me a certain level of control and clout (and a hefty expense account which I took good advantage of), it wasn't the reason I should have been at the party. I'm a writer...whatever that means to people. Even if it comes with no expense account, no business cards, nothing but just me and my sparkling personality and body of work. That's fine with me. That's the person I want to introduce to you.