I’ve tried to hide away to write my play for the high school students. One thing I notice about being a writer is I only get the most important things and the least important things done when I’m under deadline.
- Bathing – check
- Eating – check
- Grocery shopping – not check
- Steam cleaning the rugs – check
- Responding to Mom – not check
- Updating website – not check
- Figuring out car insurance before the deadline – not check
- Figuring out car insurance on the deadline – check
- Dish-washing – check
- Emailing a playwright about his work with teens – not check
- Shaving when I’m going to see people I need to impress – not check
- Shaving when I’m not going to see people for two days – check
- Floors sweeping – check
- Heartburn medication purchasing – not check
- Lessons planning – check
And so on.
Next week, I’ll be in Davis at the Ground and Field Festival, working on The Briars.
I’ve been trying to Skype into rehearsals when possible.
If you’re in the area, come on out – next Friday and Saturday (we’re Program B)
Working as a playwright at UC Davis has been a quiet dream I’ve had for many years. I’ve been explicit about my mission – to be the best damn writer and teacher I can be, and to have a career that allows me to return home to work without having to live there. And so developing a play with folks at UCD is right smack in the center of that goal.
More news soon.
As for that play I’m distracting myself from, well, it’s a tough-as-nails play to write. It stabs. The elevator pitch is, “There’s a group of teenagers in a town getting catfished by a demon.” So, yeah.
Now, B, back to work.
Briandaniel Oglesby 