LatinaLista — Once upon a time there was a woman who when she wasn’t busy being a wife and mother of two young children, she dreamed of what it would be like to be a playwright. So she read books on how to write a play but there was no book to tell her how to create a story.
So every day, before anyone in the house was awake, she would drag herself out of bed, go sit at the kitchen table before an old typewriter. The minute she put paper into the typewriter, the most wonderful thing happened — stories began to take shape in her mind and she couldn’t type fast enough to get the words on paper.
Ultimate Latina Theater Festival
Before she knew it, she had two completed one-act plays. Feeling rather proud that she had finished the goal she had set for herself, she decided the next step was to see if the plays were any good. So she entered them in different play competitions around the country.
At first, the responses were not encouraging but she persisted, always revising her plays along the way. Finally, one day she got a call from a local competition that had told her that her play had been selected as a finalist in their competition. Needless to say, the budding playwright was ecstatic.
She dressed her children in their best clothes, made her husband wear a suit and tie, trucked in extended family members, and the whole family went to the play festival like it was a world premiere — and it was.
There is nothing more empowering for someone than to hear actors make their stories come alive. As my simple (true) story tells, not every playwright has formal training in writing plays but if you want it bad enough, like with everything, you just do it.
Luckily, there are more opportunities for people to try their hands at being a playwright. The latest one is sponsored by Latino Flavored Productions. They have put out a call for submissions but you only have till April 30 to make this deadline.
SEEKING SUBMISSIONS
ULTIMATE LATINAS OUT LOUD: EPISTLES
e·pis·tle
1. a long formal letter that often serves to instruct (formal)
2. a literary work in the form of a letter
The 2009 Ultimate Latina Theater Festival
Nuyorican Poet’s Café – NYC
Event: JUNE 11th – 7pm
SUBMISSION INFO:
What: 3-4 minute performance piece of a letter to someone.
Can be funny, evocative, poetic, etc.
Who: Poets, Actors, Singers.
When: Deadline for submissions: is April 30th 5pm
How: Submit bio and written submission to Linda Nieves-Powell and Jenny Saldana: latinoflavored@aol.com
