4 Cool Upcoming Events
Storytelling stuff worth sharing
Last week my beloved Rebecca made her delectably delicious pumpkin-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies. This is my favorite cookie ever, in the world, of all time. She only makes them at this pumpkin-obsessed time of year. They are perfect.
They are also all already gone.
I bring them up because “cookie” is a term I stole from a professor in grad school, Dr. Julie Jordan. Rather than call handouts “handouts,” she would call them cookies. Perhaps to lessen the academic pressure of curated information overload, or to inject some levity into the rigorous pursuit of knowledge.
Whatever her reason, it stuck with me. There’s something fun and tasty about “cookies.” Something comforting and inviting. Here, ingest this delicious bit o’ thick, scholastic wisdom.
So for years I have likewise in my classes and rehearsal rooms referred to pretty much any little bit of know-how or tips or exercises or cheat sheets as cookies.
Some of you may have noticed that each week in this newsletter, the “Hello friends—” salutation glows purple. That’s because it’s a link! A link to a cookie that is somehow connected to a piece of content shared somewhere in the newsletter.
While the salutation may not be pumpkin-chocolate flavored, I do hope you enjoy them.
Storytelling Tip o’ the Week
This week’s tip actually comes from a reader, student, and fellow storyteller/playwright, Barbara.
She recently went through a writing hiatus, but now is back at it, and she’s using a few different techniques to keep herself focused.
The one that is currently giving her the most writing bang for its dialogue buck is the warm-up routine.
Barbara says this warm up evolves depending on the needs of her writing goals each day. She may start with a little research on a character or setting. She may start with some light editing of a previous scene. She might outline an upcoming scene. Basically, any task other than the literal WRITING that will both advance the creation of the story while simultaneously warming up her writing muscles.
I love this, because it’s so universal. Musicians warm up. Actors warm up. Athletes warm up. Heck, cars have to warm up. Get the muscles loose. Get the juices flowing.
The only cookie I would add (and I know this from multiple experiences going down and spending waaaaay too much time in rabbit holes) is to set a TIMER for these warm-ups. Don’t let the warm up become a distraction or a way to avoid doing the actual thing. When the concert is about to start, the oboe plays that standard “A” note and the other musicians tune in. The actors know the curtain rises precisely at 8pm. The athletes know the starter’s pistol will fire. The car, once warm, must shuttle its driver to work or the market.
The warm-up serves a purpose. It is not the purpose unto itself. Use it to prepare. Then GO.
Cool Upcoming Event #1
Estrella Engelhardt—who many of you know as the author of LETTERS TO JIM (published by Ibis Books)—is continuing her memoir journey with a performance in Marvelous Memoir - Live!
Here’s what’s up:
There is no such thing as an ordinary life. In this live evening of solo theatre, you will hear original stories that will make you laugh, cry, and feel inspired to tell your own! Curated through the Spoken Memoir program at Florida Studio Theatre, this event is Friday, November 1, at 7:30pm, in the Bowne’s Lab on the campus of FST.
I’m rooting hard for this event, because it not only features three of my past and current students (Estrella, Valerie diLorenzo, and Robyn Marin), but it’s a program I started many moons ago. I’m thrilled to see it continue to thrive under the leadership of Martha Velez-Reid, PhD (marthavelezphd.com).
Five bucks, at the door, November 1.
Cool Upcoming Event #2
You’ve heard me talk often about my Green Beret/NY Times bestselling author buddy, Scott Mann. His play LAST OUT: ELEGY OF A GREEN BERET has had an unbelievable run the last few years. That play actually began as a short performance assignment in my Spoken Memoir class at FST!
But he decided it was time for a reboot. Make it leaner, more agile, more accessible to a wider audience.
He tapped me to edit the two hour and twenty minute full length into a 75-minute one act. And to re-stage/re-direct this new production. I jumped in joyfully.
And here it comes! We launch this sucker on Wednesday, November 6, at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa. Then our next tour starts two days later up in Danville, Kentucky. Talk about a tight turnaround! Good thing the show is now so much more agile. :)
Here’s what’s up:
LAST OUT was pulled from the experiences of the longest war in American history, a war mostly fought in the shadows. This is a one-act play, with a small cast of combat veterans and military-family members playing multiple roles. An elegy is a lament for the dead, therefore all scenes take place somewhere in the after-life, spanning different times from Danny’s youth and military career from May 1989 until his death in 2015.
War comes with many costs, some more obvious than others. The physical wounds and loss of life are tragic but visible, and burdens that are readily shared. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of military veterans and family members for whom the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still being waged, at home. Their stories are seldom told and rarely understood. This is not only unfortunate, but a threat to our national security and the fabric of our society – but we’re changing that.
Get tickets to the Tampa show HERE.
And since Ibis Books published the script, you can buy yourself a copy of the original play HERE.
Cool Upcoming Event #3
The wonderful people over at Bookstore1 in downtown Sarasota are at it again. The next Local Author Book Fair is Saturday, November 9, from 9am to 1pm in the breezeway of 117 S. Pineapple.
Heck, you’re probably gonna be down that way for the weekly Sarasota Farmer’s Market anyway, so swing on by, because not only will you meet eighteen cool local authors, but three of those authors have been published by Ibis Books! So if you want them to autograph your copy or you want to shake their hand, you know where they’ll be.
Carrie Seidman — A PLACE AT THE TABLE: Memories of a Life Well-Fed
Dan Landon — FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE: Memoir of a Broadway Theatre Manager
Maria Schaedler-Luera — BE THE PROTAGONIST: How Ayurveda, Meditation, and Theatre Can Transform Your Life
Cool Upcoming Event #4
So I’m finally offering a playwriting class at ACE (Adult & Community Enrichment).
It’s called Playwright’s Playground, and you can sign up HERE.
Last count, I had only five slots left open. It starts Thursday, November 14, 1-3pm, on the Suncoast Technical College campus at 4748 Beneva Road in Sarasota. It runs every Thursday for six weeks, through December 19, with Thanksgiving off.
Here’s what’s up:
Do you dream of sitting in a theatre and hearing actors speaking lines you wrote? Do you have scenes and dialogue and unfinished manuscripts squirreled away in drawers, but don’t know how to turn them into finished drafts? Then come to Playwright’s Playground, a workshop for new and aspiring playwrights as well as seasoned vets looking for an inspirational refresher. From the basics of formatting to the four foundational elements of a play’s DNA… from digging into dialogue to leveraging the power of the physical world of the play… Playwright’s Playground will give you the tools (and encouragement!) you need to get your play from the page to the stage.
I’d love to see some of you there! And to hear your plays!
The Podcast
Just a reminder that my conversation with renowned speaking coach Michael Davis went live this week. We dig into the power of storytelling and communication, as well as how personal experiences (and even pets!) can enrich one’s journey in life.
Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend!
Jason “Cookie” Cannon