Intermission
a creative coffee break from writing the play

At the end of April, I completed the draft of my wild and woolly ensemble play. I began this play in May 2006.  Way too long between start and finish.

Yet, there was no straight line from the beginning to the end. That is, as I began that play, I was finishing up the “final” draft of a different full-length play. During that two year period, I wrote two shorter plays, other plays had staged readings, some out-of-state workshop was attended, oh yeah, I moved from San Francisco to Louisville, and started an even newer play. I’m good at setting deadlines. Somethings, though, the glories of Life take precedence, and the play gets finished when it gets finished. MBH has an envious way of writing his first drafts very quickly, and then takes longer for his re-writes. I’m the opposite. I take longer to finish the first draft, and then get through the re-writes faster.

Perhaps that’s all bullsh*t. My process keeps evolving. That’s the one thing I know for sure.

I gave MBH the draft to read. Then he gave me some notes, a couple “this is me writing your play” comments, and mostly what he gave me was great conversation about the play. It was helpful to go through the play with him, and talk about what I had accomplished, and what I hadn’t. One of the ideas I had for he play, I had not yet accomplished and wasn’t sure how to get there. By the end of our conversation I knew exactly what I needed to do. And it wasn’t from anything he told me to do. It was from listening to his experience of two main characters that prompted the light bulbs to go off in my head. That kind of helpful conversation comes when someone knows your work, knows what you’re capable of, and doesn’t have any ego invested in his own opinions about all of that.

It bears repeating that you need those Safe Friends to share your work with.

The last two weeks have been spent re-writing, and I’ve been very excited about the shape the play has taken. The Beloved is out of town this weekend. No distractions for me mean I’m confident this round of re-writes will get finished while she’s gone.

And today from my home state, the Cali Supremes said:

In light of the fundamental nature of the substantive rights embodied in the right to marry — and their central importance to an individual’s opportunity to live a happy, meaningful, and satisfying life as a full member of society — the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all individuals and couples, without regard to their sexual orientation.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA
In re MARRIAGE CASES (S1479999)

I had no doubt they would rule in this just manner.