I picked the name for this little blog more because I liked the sound of it, than that I had anything I could articulate.  For most of my life I’ve abused that form of punctuation and relate to it in general more than I do to others.  But as I write this, I feel like right now nothing sums up my life and the world in general as well as the ellipses.  Gaps being bridged. Volumes communicated in silence. Answers pending. Work behind the scenes.  The things not said.  Suspense.  Exasperation.

While I’m in the middle of a job search for the professional life I don’t have much interest in talking about here, I’m working full time on several theatre projects.  Taking advantage of the downtime to be productive elsewhere.  I have a big announcement to make about something that I hope will be a grand creative journey, but not yet.  I can’t announce it yet. I’m directing for another show this fall, but can’t announce that yet either.  I also submitted to a writer’s program that I don’t believe I’ll be selected for (it’s rare for people to be selected the first time they apply), but there’s a possibility I could be, which would be a great opportunity.

Of the things I can talk about …  ReproRights! The Body Politic has a one night only performance on August 25th as part of the 3Girls Theatre New Works Festival.  I announced previously that my play AS OF ONE is included, but since then (aside from actually writing the play, which had been merely a proposal before) I also took on directing one half of the show.  It means a lot to me.  Women’s body and personal autonomy, now especially, is such a critical, important conversation to be had. The pieces in this show are all – every one of them – powerful in different ways.  Different voices, different stories, different topics.  I’m very very proud to be part of it and thrilled that it has sold out already with a waitlist – that’s more than two weeks out it’s already fully reserved.  As a director I’m especially excited to be working with the cast, I feel like Santa brought all my presents this year.

On August 19th I’ll be playing Decima again in the fifth installment of Ex Nihilo’s Tera Incognita at the Octopus Literary Lounge in Oakland.  It’s free but reservations are strongly recommended.  The playwright has asked me to sing a little bit for this episode, which is not something I normally ever think of myself doing, and I’m glad it’s just a little snippet, but also kind of looking forward to trying it.

I will also be taking on a challenge that is new to me on August 19th.  I’ve joined one of the creative teams for the 48-Hour Film Festival.  What this means is that I’ll have a few hours on the evening of the 19th to write a 4-7 minute screenplay, which will be filmed and edited that weekend.  Since I’ll be in rehearsals for ReproRights as well as seeing a couple of shows that weekend, I won’t be able to participate in the filming or editing.  But as terrified of this as I am, I’m also really really looking forward to stretching these skills.  I’m thankful to Wesley Cayabyab and Colin Hussey for asking me to take part.

In September I’ll be reading a part in another developmental reading for PCSF as part of their reading series.  THE SEPARATION by Aren Hahn on September 26th at the Shelton in SF.

I will also be directing one of the nights of the Olympians Festival in October.  Three one-acts, dubbed The Servants (October 14th at the Exit) which will include plays by Marissa Skudlarek, Bridgette Dutta Portman, and Elizabeth Flanagan.  I’m really pleased to have been asked and can’t wait to explore these plays and work with these intelligent writers.  Knowing them, I know that each is going to have a very different voice and style and good, as in don’t miss it good.

My own writing is also making slow, if sometimes painful, progress.  UNDERNEATH THE ABOVE AND BELOW has shape and theme, about 34 pages so far and even plot!  I’m exploring what happens when we break the rules, in a common way, one that is very low risk, one that people do frequently enough to have normalized it, but it goes terribly wrong.  What does it say about us?  How do we handle it?  How do others judge us, and is that fair?   PITCHFORK AND LIGHT is at about 54 pages and while I have the mechanics of the murder that’s at the heart of this, as well as a strong sense of who each of these characters is, I struggle with some of the plot points.  P&L is looking at what happens when something from our past intrudes on and disrupts our present.  I explore different kinds of abuse and how we have to change our view of people after they die.  What excites me about this one is incorporating dance (and I have my eye on a choreographer I want to collaborate with).

So my theatre life continues to be full and sometimes overcommitted, but always in flux and always stretching and growing.  Two years ago I would have scoffed at the idea that I’d be doing so much directing, that I’d have acted in anything, that I’d be trying a screenplay.  Life’s not too bad on the ellipses…