Very pleased I got images to work on Beehiiv.

Short one this month. So short I’m drafting directly into Beehiiv’s editor, which I have yet to have done. I realize I may be overcommitted.

Please check out The Last True Fan’s Instagram campaign if you haven’t. We’re looking to spread the word for our film project as much as possible. If you want to follow Ryan and my work more broadly, we’re here where social media is concerned.

Dealing in the past.

Theatre in Washington Heights called The People’s Theatre. Saw a flyer for free admittance to a reading to be held adjacent to La MaMa (blisteringly cool experimental theatre dating back to the 60s). Of course I’ll attend free theatre.

Almost didn’t. “Wasn’t feeling it.” Glad I did. Was good to get out.

SombraLuz is written by Monserrat Méndez and directed here by Jean Carlo Yunén. Play about a Marine Corps veteran who lives in Washington Heights who was an interrogator in Guantanamo Bay during the War on Terror. This veteran, Luz, needs to confront her demons—and her kids—when a burst pipe in her apartment causes her to manifest her inner torment as a ghost.

Solid cast. Well-directed reading. More to say about the writing.

My high school theatre teacher—I know—taught us in Playwriting that “plays deal with the present.” He might have said something cautioning us about ghosts. I’ll give this one to him, because it’s good advice.

The SombraLuz saw Luz and her kids stuck in the past through the action of the play. Their deep-seated issues were ultimately with each other, but they took it out mostly on this ghost, who the characters themselves called out for being verbose. The wrenching drama at the core of the family was explored mostly via interactions with the ghost and monologues about the past, rather than gritty, difficult conflict between the family members themselves. The play didn’t deal with the present.

I feel as if there must be a better way for the characters to grapple with their relationships than to wrestle with a literal ghost. I feel like the ghost could still be present and yet the action could take place more between Luz and her kids, if there was a desire to hang onto the ghost as a dramatic element. Not enough was happening between the characters in the moment to make it quite feel like the final reveals were earned. I started getting fidgety probably 2/3 of the way into the play. Didn’t stick around for feedback. Was feeling shy. Wasn’t sure what to say.

Very glad The People’s Theatre is in WaHi telling underrepresented stories. Was glad to see a free reading. Emphasized the importance of the present to me. Wishing the playwright success—he’s got an impressive portfolio.

Don’t say, do.

Job prospects are looking grim this summer. Been pretty demoralized about writing in general since the Disaster Draft I wrote about previously, which read worse than I already felt about it. Aiming to apply to Yale this year. They require prospective playwriting students to submit at least two or three works. I have zero full-length plays that I’m satisfied with.

Was going to write a lot more about my goals here, but I was reminded of the topic of the very first edition I wrote for this newsletter. Been questioning the usefulness of A&C to my artistic venture. Hope to keep it up in a way that’s actually meaningful. Right now I just feel like an ouroboros. Choking on my own tail thinking it’s a tasty worm or something.

So. No goal displacement for Michael today, where I talk about what I’m going to do as a substitute for actually doing it. I already let my plans slip to a few friends, and I simply cannot satisfy myself with more talk. So. Onwards.

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Michael