In Lieu . . .

It has taken a while to be able to post anything. I have written some things but in the end they did not feel right for putting up on this blog. Maybe the timing was just not right. So, nothing has gone up for months.

But now, with the opening my friend’s play Daphne Mintz’s wonderful “In Lieu of Flowers,” it’s time to put words on this blog.

As a playwright, your dream is to get your play produced. And as I have been very successful in producing short plays by many Atlanta playwrights and some of my own short plays the production of one of my full-length plays is still a goal that has remained unfulfilled. And I have some strong work that is ready for production; I just don’t do a very good job of submitting my work. I decided a couple of years ago that I wanted my first full-length production to be in Atlanta so I have limited myself to a large degree. I’m sure I need to re-evaluate that position.

But then Daphne’s play kind of fell into my lap and I decided to be the one to produce her lovely play. I was first introduced to the work through a staged reading of the play presented by Working Title Playwrights. After hearing the reading, I knew at that moment this was a gem of a play and assumed one of the local theatre companies would snap up the play. But they didn’t. So, fast-forward a couple of years and Daphne and I had grown close and worked together through Onion Man Productions. I don’t remember the moment it happened, but she gave me the “okay” to produce her play. But I did so stating that if a better offer came along, I would want her to take advantage of the larger exposure. Onion Man is still a new company and would be straining its resources to produce her play, but I felt it was a gamble that would pay off. But there was also this . . .sensation, feeling . . . that I would only need to take the play part of the way and someone else would step in to finish the job. And I was right.

Thankfully, Tanya Caldwell, a close friend and Artistic Director with Lionheart Theatre Company agreed first to direct the piece and then agreed to also produce it as part of Lionheart’s season. I happily stepped aside and was thrilled for Daphne and the play. I knew Tanya could do the play justice. It also allowed me to fall back into the role of volunteer and supporter of the creative effort. It is a role I relish and felt I could really help the play by doing a lot behind the scenes. In the end, Tanya ended up listing me as Technical Director. A kind gesture and a reward for all the time and effort I put into the production of this lovely play. But that is not “why” I worked so hard to see this play succeed.

Going back to the idea that a playwright’s goal is to see their work produced, it began to dawn on me that maybe the best thing I could do was help another playwright - one I admire, respect and love - gain their first full-length production. Having been way too self-absorbed for much of my life, this seemed like a good opportunity to put another’s dream ahead of my own, and I set a goal to work just as hard on the production of her play as I would one of my own. I also had a great love for her play and an emotional connection to the work, although I only came to really understand that deep connection through the process. And I would also be helping out Tanya and Lionheart Theatre. So, there was a lot to be gained in the process, but none of it was directly about me. And well, I guess it’s almost unnatural to invest yourself in someone else’s dream. But I did it and her lovely play has hit the stage and become a fully realized dream.

Maybe blogging about all this takes away from the effort and focuses things back on me. I don’t know. But I learned so much. And I have always carried the hope that in some karmic way by helping another playwright gain their first full-length production it would at some point come back to me in the form of a production of one of my own plays. But you can never know. It is an act of faith and love.

Often in my relationship with God, it is easy to complain, whine or get my nose out of joint based on my life. But what I often don’t see are all the little ways God blesses me and allows my life to continue to grow and serve a greater notion. And, of course, I rarely acknowledge that love. God is selfless. It is a whole other way to experience love. And it is new to me . . . to give with little expectation of return, to fight against any growing need of reward, to just to give and find satisfaction in giving and seeing it cause joy for another. It is certainly not something I am used to experiencing. But I have been thoroughly touched and amazed by how deep the experience can be in terms of my understanding the love of God. That’s a big lesson for me.

I pick up this post the night before the closing performance of “In Lieu of Flowers.” The experience has only grown richer. I have witnessed this gem of a play touch people. As a team working on the play, we have all grown and gained from the experience. It has truly been a joy. Friday night, in a moment of joy, Daphne jumped into my arms and we laughed and embraced. That was it. That was the moment that made all the work worth the effort. To experience that kind of joy with another person is so deep and wonderful.

And then there is a neat twist in this story. One I never saw coming and then it just kind of happened. Tanya, the director and producer of “In Lieu of Flowers”, and I were exchanging emails. We were kidding about how well we worked together. So I proposed she direct one of my plays. The one play she was aware of that I have completed and ready is not one she wants to touch. And I get that. But, I was like “No, no no, I have this other play that is REALLY funny.” And it is. So I sent her the play and she totally gets the humor and sees the potential. Next thing I know she is offering to produce my play “Bleach” as a part of the 2012 Lionheart season. It truly was the last thing I saw coming down the tracks. I was stunned and amazed. Here I was totally engaged and enthralled in the production of Daphne’s play and next thing I know I’m finding out that I will get my play produced. Someone should have just gone ahead and kicked me in the head. I was dizzy.

I conclude this post with a prayer. A prayer that many will start to take themselves less seriously and learn to give of himself or herself to someone, or something, they love. It is not only well worth the effort, it is where true meaning can be found in this life. To give as God gives – not because we expect something, not because we feel obligated but because we are able.

This post is dedicated to Daphne and Tanya. I love you both. I am blessed to call you friends.