Weekly Update

Back for another weekly update (see, two weeks in a row, I'm on a roll).

What I've been writing:

This week, I kept working hard on rewrites/overhaul of my play about the history of the English Bible.  I got useful feedback from both my Rhombus and Huntington playwright groups and keep trying to figure it all out.  I've got most of the first act, at least in the proper shape (I think), and am anxious to get on to writing/re-writing Act II (though I already know how it ends).

In addition, I'm working on a new novel about Civil War hero Robert Smalls--I did a bunch of research on it years ago, but it got pushed aside, but now I'm getting started again.  Tomorrow, as part of our family spring break trip, Tracy and I are getting two days on our own in Charleston (thanks, Mom!), where I can do some serious research for the book.  That's one of the cool things about being a writer--booking my tickets for a ferry ride to Fort Sumter actually counts as work.  And this week, it turned out that a brand new traveling exhibit on Robert Smalls opened at the Museum of Afro-American history here in Boston--I got to attend the opening reception and listened to an informative and entertaining talk by Professor Jeffrey Bolster (who wrote Black Jacks, a hugely useful and important book about the history of black American seafarers).  I'll be returning to the museum a lot as I jump back into the Robert Smalls research (especially since they have models of the ships, The Planter and the Keokuk).


The business side:

Just got some good news yesterday that my short play, Confirmed Sighting, will be part of the Boston Theatre Marathon on May 23rd, at the Calderwood Pavillion Theatre in Boston's South End.  This is one of my favorite theatre events of the year--producing 50 plays, by 50 writers, by 50 different theatre companies (and it benefits the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund).  I should find out in the next week or so which company will be producing my play. 

I also got myself to sit down and e-mail my list in New York and Boston about upcoming shows--Confirmed Sighting will be part of the NYC-15-Minute Play Festival next Saturday, April 24.  Lies, Lies, Lies, will be produced in Boston by the Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre on April 23 and 24th.  (And about the reading on May 6th.)

We've cast most of the upcoming reading of Constant State of Panic--with any luck we'll be done in the next few days.  (As a reminder, the reading will be at Boston Playwrights Theatre, May 6, 7pm.)


The rest of life:

This week, I had a few meetings for the Brookline Special Education Parent Advisory Council (I'm co-chair), and spent time on our various gardens (the lettuce is up, beet seeds and onions went in this week, and we repotted a couple hundred plants this morning at the 200 Foot Garden). 

Now it's time to go back for South Caroline/Florida.