Day Three – Orquevaux!
After a good night’s sleep in my hotel room, I gathered my luggage and taxied to the Gare de L’est train station to catch the 1:21 train to Chaumont. We were told to wait near Paul’s Cafe, as the trains to Chaumont would be at the nearby gates. Slowly, the residents traveling on the train begin to assemble. It was very hot in the train station (just like everywhere in Paris), and thus a bit uncomfortable, but it didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. We spent some time getting to know each other as we waited for the announcement. Near 1pm, we learned our train was on platform nine. By then, there were 24 of us!
The ride was a quiet and gentle one, and there were three other residents in my carriage: Sharon from Toronto, Sommer from Australia, and Anandi from Virginia. There was some chatting, but mostly we sat in silence. That was the energy in the car, and I think we all responded to it. There were only two stops–after nearly two hours we stopped in Saint Dizier. Forty minutes later, we arrived in Chaumont.
We did have a rather special traveler with us:
We arrived in Chaumont, greeted by staff members from the Chateau. They did a roll call, tagged our luggage, organized our bags into a trailer, and herded all 24 of us into three minivans.
The Chateau staff organizing us for the trip to Orquevaux.
We then headed to Orquevaux for the 45-minute ride to the chateau. It was very exciting to see it from the road–we had all seen it countless times on the website. But here it was in real life!
We were greeted with champagne, cheese and charcuterie. Warmly welcomed by the staff, we were given a brief orientation, but the employees were careful not to overload us with too much information. It had been a hot day; we had been traveling and many of us were jet-lagged. After the initial welcome, the employees took us to our rooms; we would be shown our studios and salons tomorrow. Lea led us upstairs (and we discovered our luggage had already been brought up) and directed us each to our rooms. I was elated to discover mine:
After settling in and unpacking, we headed back downstairs for dinner: vegetarian shepherd’s pie, with potatoes, green beans, salad and chocolate mousse for dessert. The dinner was delicious and we spent time connecting even more. After dinner, I took a walk with Emory, a writer and English teacher from Brooklyn, and by all accounts a first-class dude. We encountered many of the animal residents of Orquevaux.
All in all, it was a full day! I am excited about the creative energy brought by my fellow residents (there are over 25 of us) along with the inspiration from this beautiful place. And I am so grateful for the time to create. I cannot wait to discover what awaits us all the next three weeks.
Day Two – Arrival in Paris
One of the things I enjoy about international flights is that they are very much how air travel used to be, even if you were only going to Cleveland. Pillows, blankets, and headphones all provided. Two full meals, and not one that was a snack box which required payment on the spot. It sometimes seems hard to imagine that was once the standard for air travel. As I arrived in Paris early Tuesday morning after a red eye flight, I was certainly sleep deprived, but I had been comfortable in my seat and my belly was full. I was ready to go.
On my taxi ride from the airport, I was driven by an enthusiastic cabbie who spoke no English but seemed to mostly speak Italian. He was very excited when I agreed to let him play music and spent much of the drive bopping his head and drumming the steering wheel to his beloved French pop music. Not to worry–we were mostly sitting in stop and go traffic, so at no point did his antics seem unsafe. He got very excited when Celine Dion came on the radio–I don’t think he would have been more excited if he picked her up as a hitchhiker along the way. Throughout the ride, he offered me sparkling water, still water and an apple. Each time I accepted his generosity, he shouted, “Good taxi!” whilst pointing at himself. I could only laugh and shout, “Oui, good taxi!” right back. At the end of that eventful ride, my new best friend dropped me off at my hotel.
I stored my luggage at the hotel and headed into the heart of Paris. I only had one day, so I had four items on my agenda, the first of which being my first trip the Rodin museum. It was an enjoyable museum, the highlight being the gardens that decorate the great sculptor’s work.
After the museum, it was time to head deeper into the left bank–my favorite Parisian neighborhood. I hopped on the Metro and headed towards the legendary bookstore Shakespeare and Company. I had visited the store when I was last here thirteen years ago, and no trip to Paris is complete for me without it. Those of you know me might be surprised to discover I only purchased one book–Anthony Horowitz’ new Susan Ryland mystery. There was a line to enter, and patrons are not allowed to photograph inside the store, so I only have an exterior photo:
After this, I noticed my phone power was getting low–and the phone had become central to my travel day. My museum entry tickets were on it, my taxi app, my Metro ticket app, my dinner reservation info, not to mention the GPS needed to get around the city. I stopped at the Shakespeare and Company cafe, which served a lovely ginger lemonade, but had no clear interest in allowing patrons to charge their phones. A quick Google search sent me to the Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve. Paris libraries are open to all, and I was able to sit and relax whilst charging my phone. However, in order to enter, the library had to create a temporary library card for me:
Even though I was there largely to charge my phone, I was impressed with the library’s design. I was also not allowed to take photos, but I managed to sneak this one:
After my literal and figurative recharging, it was time to head to Luxembourg Gardens, one of my favorite places in the city. And while it was 95 degrees in Paris that day, the gardens were beautiful. In spite of the heat, I am very glad I showed up.
Before I headed off to Marais for dinner, I wanted to check out the nearby St. Sulpice Church. It was my understanding that this was a stunning church, but given its proximity to Notre Dame cathedral, very few people visited it. Best of all–it was just a short walk from the gardens. I was a bit surprised to pass this one the way, as I didn’t think this was actually a French company:
The church did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous example of 17th and 18th century design and artwork. As expected, I was among a very small number in attendance.
After visiting the church, I crossed the Seine and hopped back on the Metro and headed off to dinner.
I met four of my fellow residents at an Algerian restaurant called Salon Marais. I was joined by Ambrose, another writer from Vermont, and three visual artists: Joe from New Jersey and Cate and Deanne, both from Melbourne, Australia. It was great to finally meet some of the people I would be joining me for this experience over the next three weeks. The food was very good (the hummus and falafel were delicious) and the company was excellent.
After dinner, I headed back to the hotel for a shower and some rest. Our adventure at Chateau D’Orquevaux would begin in earnest tomorrow.
Day One – The Drive to JFK
For those of you who don’t live in New England, you might not be aware that the only two weather patterns we have experienced this summer are: oven and shower. In some cases we’ve gotten both. Oveny showers? Showery Ovens? That last one sounds vaguely like the worst stripper name in the world, so perhaps not.
The short version: it’s been hot and rainy. Today the warmth backed off, but the rain showed up in full force. My drive from Connecticut to JFK airport would have made an excellent scene from a Wolfgang Peterson film. The visibility became so poor that virtually all the vehicles were driving with their hazard lights on. At one point, the traffic came to a sudden halt, and for a moment I feared I hadn’t enough room to avoid the car in the lane before me. However, my mechanic just replaced all of my brake pads, shoes and calipers. He did such an excellent job on the upgrades it is likely the reason I am writing this on the plane, and not in the emergency room wondering how much the charge nurse reminds me of Katherine LaNasa.
When I use airport parking, I have a knack for finding a parking service with a 24 airport shuttle that shuts down every day for four hours. That four hour window is almost always aligned with my arrival or departure time. (I suppose “20 hour airport shuttle” hasn’t the same ring.) Happily, my luck has changed—the airport shuttle was running and I was dropped off with over two hours to spare.
As it turned out, I needed that time. By the time I checked my baggage and went through security, I had just enough time to get to the gate and board. So here I am, awaiting the plane to leave the gate and begin its taxi. Tomorrow I have a day planned in Paris.
Before I go, I noticed this little guy waiting to board his flight to Paris. It doesn’t look like his first one…
A Residency in France
For the rest of the month of July, I will be in France.
Not for a vacation, or to flee the horrors of Trumpism (although a short reprieve is not unwelcome).
Last summer, I applied for a writing residency at the Chateau Orquevaux, and I was accepted. I will be at a chateau in eastern France, using the time to write and share my work with the other writers, artists and musicians in my cadre.
I leave tomorrow, catching a red eye out of JFK, and I will spend Tuesday in Paris. I will be having dinner with some of my fellow residents, before we catch the Wednesday train for the two-and-a-half-hour ride to our destination.
And my plan is to write, whilst posting photos and videos of my experience, on a daily basis. Some of these posts may contain a number of details, whilst others may be rather brief. But posting on this blog will be part of my accountability and discipline–if I will be reporting to you on the progress of my day, I need to make certain I am using my time well.
So, beginning today, expect to see a daily blog post. Tomorrow’s will be near the end of the day, probably from the plane. Hopefully, it will be brief, and I won’t have a dramatic story to tell you about the journey into New York to catch my flight.
Either way, thanks for joining me. I will endeavor to make it worth your while.
Until tomorrow, then.
Summer Shorts in Owensboro
Owensboro, Kentucky is known for a number of things: the hometown of Johnny Depp, the birthplace of bluegrass music, and according to Food and Wine magazine, the best BBQ in Kentucky. While I was happy to partake in two of those distinctions (I’m afraid I did not cross paths with the estimable Mr. Depp), that was not the reason I spent a long July weekend in Owensboro.
I was here because I had submitted my ten minute play “All Sales Final” to the Theatre Workshop of Owensboro’s Summer Shorts Festival. There were 105 plays submitted, and mine was one of six accepted for the festival. I was excited that my play was being produced, but I wasn’t sure what to expect upon my arrival. What I ended up with was one of the best theatre experiences I ever had.
I was met at the Evansville, IN airport by Lisa Mingus-Tullis, the Theatre Workshop Board President. Lisa was helpful in introducing me to the theatre (about to begin its 62nd season), the town of Owensboro, and the history of both. She was also kind, excellent company, and enthusiast of both tea and eighties heavy metal.
I had arrived on Thursday, before the three weekend performances, but Lisa invited me to see the rehearsal on Thursday night. I met more members of the staff of the Theatre Workshop, all of whom were very kind and welcoming. I took my seat, and watched the performance of all of the plays. All six were good–it was an excellent show, and the director and cast did a splendid jon with my play. I would go on to watch every performance over the weekend, and the cast would nail it every single time. I felt honored to have such a dedicated and talented cast and director bring my work to life.
I was treated like an honored guest. I was chauffeured about by Lisa, John,and Spencer. John and his lovely wife Kathy invited me to lunch on Saturday, after which John and I braved a thunderstorm to visit the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum. I knew very little about bluegrass music, but learned some surprising things: it is a relatively new genre, its origins tracing back to 1945. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn bluegrass was influenced by 1970s progressive rock. There was an extensive exhibit dedicated to Jerry Garcia, who began his musical career playing bluegrass. At the Saturday show, Courtney presented myself and Spencer with her beautiful painting of hydrangeas, which are featured in the play. The paintings were created to thank me for writing the play. I didn’t know what to say.
After the final show on Sunday, I was introduced to Owensboro’s other claim to fame: BBQ. The entire cast, plus director Spencer, producer Leslie Morgan (also cast member Hayden’s mother) and actor Erin Grant (who appeared in “Going Up,” an excellent play) brought me to the Old Hickory, the place where everyone seemed to agree was the best BBQ. I had a lovely meal with these kind and wonderful people, and was often the case during my time in Owensboro, my money was no good.
On Monday, Lisa arrived to pick me up and return me to the airport in Indiana, I was rather sad to leave. True, I didn’t win either of the prizes (both went to a terrific play named “Thank Thee, Ten” which certainly deserved the award). And after Lisa dropped me off, I didn’t exactly have any easy trip home–my flight was delayed for an hour, upon returning to my vehicle near the airport, I discovered I had a flat tire, and by the time AAA arrived to help and dispatch me, I didn’t make it home until 430 the next morning–I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. The theatre community of Owensboro is filled with talented, dedicated, passionate and very kind individuals. There is nothing more you could ask.
And I hope I get to return. Very soon.
“Invincible Summer” On Stage
First of all…the blog is back! I hadn’t posted anything since August, and its hard to keep up during the school year. But things really got away from me this year!
Thus, I have some catching up to do. I never wrote about the production of my play “Invincible Summer” last May at the Hole in the Wall theatre in New Britain, CT. I also completed an entertaining and successful film festival “tour” in the fall (that brought me from Mystic, CT, to Philadelphia, Hamilton, Ontario and then back to Philadelphia again.) And I also made my film acting debut in a short film. Oh, and I have a play premiering in Kentucky next month. So there is much to report.
As the school year winds down, I expect I will have an opportunity to catch you up on all of these. I also have been ruminating on some posts about the current state of education since, oh, around January 20. So look out for that as well. But until then, let’s go back about twelve months…
It’s Finally Produced…!
As I detailed in my last post in August, getting this play to the stage was quite the journey. I won’t rehash it here, but feel free to take a look if you’d like a reminder. Now, we had three performances in front of a live audience, plus a talk back on Sunday. We had a stage, a stage design, props, costumes. Not a zoom screen to be seen–a real performance in front of real humans. I recall the first time that something I had written had been presented in front of a live audience–it was instantly thrilling, and knew right away I wanted to be a playwright. That was one performance of one short play. This would be different.
And how did it go?
The cast (Mark Gilchrist, Allan Church, Valerie Solli, Christie Maturo, Lois Church, Jerry Rankin, Liz Harnett and Frank Dicaro) did a terrific job. They worked so hard to ensure every scene was infused with all of the heart, humor and pathos required. Our director, Dana Sachs, worked closely with the cast to be certain the blocking and the pacing was used to maximize the performances, and his better half, Cynthia Parisi, assembled the props and the stage design, making sure it took advantage of the L shaped space of the audience. It was all a thing of beauty to behold.
And the audiences were great. Friday and Saturday were approximately 2/3 to 3/4 filled–and Sunday was a sell out! All of the crowds seem to respond well to the energy of the cast. I was touched by how many people I knew personally attended: not just many local friends, but several of my work colleagues, former students, members of the Connecticut playwriting community, cousins from as far away as Maine, members of our hiking club in New York, other friends from as far away as Philadelphia and Virginia–even two members of my old Sea World crew came down from Boston. It represented quite a mosaic of the various aspects of my life. And, everyone seemed to react very positively to the play, which was intensely gratifying.
On Sunday, the final performance, we had a talk back with the audience, which was incredibly enjoyable. I really liked discussing and reflecting on the work, even knowing we had finished. I appreciated what the audience had to say, enjoyed answering their insightful questions, and it was fun to essentially be on a panel with the cast.
And then it was over. Everybody went home, and while we are all still in touch, and I have seen several cast members doing other productions since, I do miss the weekly rehearsals, the performances, the camaraderie. I had only done 24 hour play festivals, so I never really had a chance to learn so much from this process and bond with a cast and crew. I know it won’t be my last time, but I will always cherish the first time it happened.
Just gotta keep writing more plays.
Producing “Invincible Summer” for the Stage, Part One
It took a long time to get here.
We did a Zoom reading in 2021. We had a production scheduled in late 2002, and began rehearsals over the summer. But they the theatre changed their mind and canceled our production.
We had a production booked in another theatre in June 2023, but the deal eventually fell apart.
Late in 2023, we received word that the Hole in the Wall Theatre in New Britain, Connecticut wanted to produce the play. I was excited about the possibility, but leery–when is the rug going to be pulled out from under us this time?
But that didn’t happen. I guess the fourth time’s the charm. Well, fifth actually, because “Invincible Summer” was accepted into a Brooklyn, New York theatre festival which was going to produce the play …in summer 2020. So, no.
Through all of that, the director of the Zoom reading (Dana Sachs) stuck with the project and was instrumental in getting to the Hole in the Wall Theatre. His wife, Cynthia Parisi, acted as our stage and prop master, and worked closely with Dana, myself and the cast to ensure the vision we wanted was presented on the stage. And most of the actors from that Zoom reading–Mark Gilchrist, Christie Maturo, Allan Church, Frank DiCaro, Elizabeth Harnett, Lois Lake Church, Jerry Rankin, and Valerie Solli–all stuck with the play through its ups and downs and the false starts. Every time Dana went to the cast and said we’re doing “Invincible Summer” they were in.
Our production was scheduled for early May, so in March we began devoting our Saturdays to rehearsals in Dana and Cynthia’s living room. Dana very generously allowed me to be a part of every rehearsal, which gave me a chance to get to know the actors, but also to pay attention to how Dana works. I learned a lot watching his approach to the material, his vision for the play, his instructions to the actors, and his ability to successfully guide the cast through the production.
I also enjoyed discussing the characters and the story with all of the actors, and learning what they were bringing to each of these characters. So many of the actors had great suggestions, thoughtful questions, and I did my best to be open to any ideas or changes they might suggest. I really fell in love with the collaborative aspect of producing the play. Writing it is such a solitary experience–but working with Dana, Cynthia and the cast to make this the best possible show was exhilarating.
Everyone worked very hard, but we also laughed a great deal. I took that as a positive sign. I did not perceive it as a sign the cast were not taking it seriously–it was a sign of camaraderie, and evidence the actors were enjoying themselves. I also noticed that lines of dialogue were playfully finding their way into the ordinary conversations between the cast members. I asked Mark if that was common during rehearsals, and he confirmed that it was–but only if the actors are enjoying what they are doing.
My favorite example of the cast’s morale was a prank they pulled on Dana. Dana informed the cast that they would need to come to the following week’s rehearsal wearing the costumes they had chosen for their characters. The following Saturday, the cast arrived at roughly the same time dressed like this:
I already knew the cast was talented and hard working, but one thing was abundantly clear–they are just great, fun, people.
I couldn’t have asked for a better company. And after nine weeks of rehearsal…it was showtime.
Mid-Year Review
This has been, without a doubt, the most exciting year I have experienced as a writer.
It began with the news that my drama, “Ravine” finished third in the StoryPros Screenplay Awards. Six months later, my romantic comedy “Outclassed,” would finish second in the same contest.
In March, we began rehearsals for my stage play “Invincible Summer” in preparation for a production the first week of May at the Hole in the Wall Theatre in New Britain, Connecticut. I only missed one rehearsal, when I flew to New Orleans to attend the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival–because I had won the one act play contest. A staged reading of the play was performed at the festival, and it will be published later this year by Bayou Magazine, the literary journal of the University of New Orleans.
I also received word from the Depot for New Play Readings will be doing a Zoom staged reading of my play, “Save the Man” for their autumn/winter schedule.
In April, rehearsals for “Invincible Summer” continued, and in May was the performance. I haven’t yet written about it, but that will be the topic of my next blog post. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so proud of the cast and crew that brought my work to life.
Also in April, a Zoom table read of my screenplay was held thanks to the good people at Actors’ Think Tank.
In June, I learned that my screenplay “Season of Mists” was in consideration by three different production companies.
In July, I learned that my screenplay, “Leviathan” was named a finalist in the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival. Six minutes later, I received word that my stage play, “Save the Man” is a finalist in the Mystic Film Festival. I will be attending both festivals, which are the final two weekends in September.
I also learned that two of my stage plays were accepted for the Off Page Film Festival, also in Philadelphia. Since they festival only selects one play per playwright, I was asked which one I would prefer to see move forward and be performed at the festival. I have selected my play, “All Sales Final,” because it is new (I wrote it in January) and I am anxious to see and hear it on stage. The festival is in November, and I will be attending.
And guess what? It’s not even August yet. I can’t help but wonder what the rest of the year will bring…
So today was it. I’ve had a wonderful time connecting with friends, making some new ones, learning from other terrific authors, and attending some wonderful performances. But today was the day I would get to see my winning play performed at the award ceremony.
Since the first event for which I signed up didn’t begin until 11A.M., I was able to have a leisurely morning. I arrived at the Hotel Monteleone in time to see the NOLA Project perform a staged reading of three Tennessee Williams One Acts. The plays chosen for performance were “In Our Profession,” “Auto Da Fe,” and “Every Twenty Minutes.” Given the big event was going to be the staged reading of my one-act, this seemed like a very appropriate way to begin the day. I wasn’t familiar with any of the plays, but the actors from the NOLA project did a lovely job. The reading also occurred in what was essentially the penthouse of the hotel, so there was also a panoramic view of New Orleans to be enjoyed.
After the play reading, it was time for some poetry, and this discussion was a long elevator ride down to the first floor. The topic was Rendering the Landscape in Poetry, and featured three poets whose work I enjoyed immensely: former Alabama poet laureate Rodney Jones, current Louisiana Poet Laureate Allison Pelegrin and schoolteacher/poet Christine Kwan. All of them were excellent; I think Rodney’s poetry spoke to me the most, and I ordered a copy of his most recent collection upon my return home.
Normally at this point, I would have found something to eat, but I had a serious case of butterflies before the reading. I decided then to defer eating until after the awards ceremony and the play reading. Happily, my friends Amanda and Kara both attended the reading, and both being actor-writer-directors and both being totally awesome, got on very well. When I confessed that it was so strange knowing my work was going to be performed without any communication with the director or the actors, Kara–who has been involved in theatre longer than I–informed me that this is much more common than being treated as a collaborator. This was a feeling, then, I perhaps needed to get used to.
The awards ceremony involved more poetry from Allison Pelegrin, as well as a reading from Tara Lynn Masih, the Very Short Fiction Judge. All of the winners in the poetry and fiction categories were recognized, and then, finally, the staged reading of my play, “Leviathan.” The play was directed by David Hoover, a theatre professor at the University of New Orleans, and features only two characters: Father and Son. Mr. Hoover read stage directions. Overall, I was pleased with the reading. The actor playing Father was not particularly strong–I am uncertain if he was cast late, but he seemed as if he were encountering the script for the very first time. The young man who played, Son, however, was superb, and moved the audience with his emotional performance. Sadly, I never got to meet the actors, and did not even catch their names. I met Mr. Hoover very briefly, who followed up with a nice email. Not being able to meet and have a conversation with the director and actors was my only regret from the experience. Still, traveling a great distance to this remarkable literary festival and experiencing my play as a culminating activity? There aren’t a lot of things better than that.
After the reading, it was time for some food, so Kara, Amanda and I walked over to Louis Armstrong Park, where the New Orleans Rhythm Festival was in full swing. With a jazz, soul and funk soundtrack playing behind us, we sat down for a late lunch (I had some real New Orleans rice and beans, and they did not disappoint) and the three of us had a lovely time hanging out. We also got to see the Mardi Gras Indians in their elaborate, beautiful costumes–some of which take nearly a year to construct–and they were a wonder to behold. Eventually, I had to part ways with both Amanda and Kara, but not without expressing my gratitude for their support and their excellent company.
It was then time to experience my final event of the festival, and the final performance of a Tennessee Williams work. This performance was presented and performed by a theatre troupe called The Fire Weeds, and it was entitled “Outraged Hearts: The Pretty Trap and Interior: Panic.” These were performances of short plays, but they had the distinction of being early versions of “The Glass Menagerie” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” It was an interesting experience, to be certain–the first play was performed in a traditional space (although the actors often worked amongst the audience). Afterwards, we were moved to another room that was set up in a horseshoe around a small kitchen set, and featured some of the actors performing through a video feed. While I appreciate the attempt to stage these works in a non-traditional manner, I am not convinced all of it worked. Instead, it seemed to present something of a distraction from the stories being dramatized. I will say the actors were very strong and threw their hearts into their performances.
And that was the end. I caught my rideshare back to my Vrbo, knowing that tomorrow a plane would take me back to reality. I have been to film festivals, and some literary festivals before, but I have never had an experience like the whirlwind of the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival. It will be a treasured memory for the rest of my life.
And who knows? Maybe I will be back.
After the long but great Friday, I slept very well in the Vrbo. So clean, with snacks, and a comfortable bed. Like I said, perfect.
There was a lot on today’s docket, but first was a Tennessee Williams walking tour of the French quarter. Whilst waiting for the tour guide to come collect us from the meeting spot, I met a very nice gentleman from Florida name Larry. We were having a very nice chat, and when I told him that I was the play competition winner, he got very excited. In fact he, insisted on getting a selfie with me. I have, suspicion, however, we less star struck and instead thought I was kinda cute. Shortly thereafter, we were met by the tour guide and headed out on our neighborhood journey. We visited several of the apartments Williams lived in, and learned the phrase “Shoebox Apartment.” This is not to suggest the apartment was small, although it certainly was–it referred to the fact that a tenant had to be prepared to shove all of their belongings into a shoebox and sneak out quickly. This was a necessity when the landlord would show up to collect past due rent. This is the sort of vagabond life Tennessee lived during his first time in New Orleans. One of the stories about one of these residences involved a jilted sailor out on the street shouting up to the playwright’s apartment: “Williams you bastard, you gave me crabs!”
I also learned about the Chinese and Italian histories in New Orleans–in fact, Stanley Kowalski was originally written to be Italian, but there were too many broadway plays running at that time featuring Italian villains, so Stanley was “WASPed” up. The tour guide also shared the fascinating factoid that the most common language spoken in New Orleans in the 1850s was German. As the tour guide put it, “Who do you think put sausage in all of our food?”
After the tour, I had three literary discussions I wanted to be sure to attend, the first of which was on Writing Southern Gothic in Modern New Orleans. I loved the discussion, and in particular loved learning about novelist Alex Jennings new work, “The Ballad of Perilous Graves.” In the novel, nine powerful songs have escaped from an important piano, imperiling the city of New Orleans. It falls to an 11 year old magician to find the songs and return them to the piano. Complicating the fact is the songs all think they’re people. It’s the kind of idea I wish I had thought up.
Following that I attended “History is My Muse: Finding Inspiration in the Past.” I was fascinated with several of the authors at this discussion, including Julia Mayle’s “Pelican Girls,” about poor women shipped from France to the Louisiana Territory to father to children of French colonists; Maurice Carlos Ruffin, who imagines his female ancestors were Union spies in “The American Daughters;” and perhaps most intriguing was Wendy Chin Tanner’s novel “King of the Armadillos,” which draws upon her father’s experience at the very last leprosarium in the United States, which just happened to be in Carville, Louisiana.
Next, I headed to a discussion between Maureen Corrigan and Colm Toibin. One of the great things about Colm is that he answers every question with a story. He discussed the intersection of history with his fiction, the challenges of admiring someone’s work whom you find personally repugnant, and his sequel to “Brooklyn.” (Fun fact about the film adaptation: it was the first time Saoirse Ronan played an Irish character). Even though Colm is a college professor, he doesn’t teach writing; he teaches literature, and finds that there is still joy in teaching difficult works like “Ulysses.” He find that each generation of young readers sees the book differently and develops insight he never considered, keeping the works fresh and exciting. I definitely want to study literature with Professor Toibin.
Now it was dinner time, which mean time to meet up with my friend Kara Krantz. I hadn’t seen Kara in ten years, shortly after meeting her for the very first time. She was directing one of the plays at my very first Play in a Day Festival, and since then, we’ve only been connected by social media. This would be the first time we’d have an actual conversation since the second Obama administration. Not to worry: Kara was great to talk to, and I enjoyed her company very much. We had a lovely dinner and it was great to reconnect. Kara would also attend the play reading on Sunday.
But there were to more places to be before my return to the Vrbo. I headed to a local theatre called The Twilight Room to see a one man show, entitled “Tennessee Rising: The Dawn of Tennessee Williams.” Actor Jacob Storms performed as the great playwright, chronicling his “Shoebox” period right through to his Broadway debut. Storms was phenomenal, and once the play ended in 1946, I really wanted it to continue. The play was followed by a talk back, wherein Storms discussed his acting and writing process, and how director Alan Cumming helped him refine the narrative.
And finally, I headed over to The Temple, the former home of Alistair Crowley, now owned by actor John Cameron Mitchell to see a performance of “Nightingale.” Performed by actor-musician Vinsantos, “Nightingale” was a powerful blend of monologue and music, inspired by Vinsantos’ own life and a minor character from one of Williams’ plays. Aside from being a strong actor, Vinsantos is an excellent pianist–like, Rick Wakeman good. After the show, Mitchell came out to do a talk back about the show, which Vinsantos clarified was still in the workshop stages. Mitchell was lovely, and very patient with me when I ran into him in the hallway and gushed, “You were so good in ‘Sandman!” (in my defense–he was). He also congratulated me on my playwriting award.
After the fullest of full days, I rideshared my way back to the Vrbo, and drifted off to sleep, knowing that an even bigger day awaited on Sunday.
Danger Is My Business 