Busy tonight? If not, be sure and come on down to the Exit Theatre for tonight’s SF Olympians show. I’m filling in for Tracy (read all about the festival from her perspective here on the box office babe’s blog). Here’s the line up for tonight: Tethys or In The Deep by Meghan Kathleen O’Connor, and Demeter or In the Silence of Tangerine Groves by Patricia Milton.

I’ll be wearing a very frilly dress (the box office babe traditionally dresses up!)… And since one of the plays is about Demeter, goddess of the harvest, my dress is brown and has flowers.

Its $10 at the door, and worth every penny. Be there or be square!

What’s your week like? I’m a tad busy over here… Packing like mad all day… Going to the SF Olympian Fest tonight, tomorrow, and Friday… Moving Saturday! And then hitting up Playwright’s Foundation’s One Minute Play Festival on Sunday… No big deal.

I went last Thursday and caught these three new plays at the Olympians Fest:

Mnemosyne and Themis, or The Broken Frame by Larissa Archer, Mnemosyne and Themis, or Leaving Earth by Susan Sobeloff, and Athena, The Musical by Roberta D’Alois and Marilyn Harris Kriegel, with lyrics by Roberta D’Alois and Marilyn Harris Kriegel, with music by Roberta D’Alois.

It was a blast and Thursday sold out completely, so show up early! Tonight I’m seeing Coeus and Creos or 12.12.12 by Evelyn Jean Pine, and Hades by Robert and Benjamin Cooper (directed by the lovely Tracy Held Potter).

Tomorrow’s plays are… Tethys or In The Deep by Meghan Kathleen O’Connor, and Demeter or In the Silence of Tangerine Groves by Patricia Milton. Friday’s are… Oceanus or The Death of All Dolphins by Evan Winchester, and Poseidon or Caenis and Poseidon, by Bridgette Dutta Portman. I can’t wait! Did you know that there’s voting, raffles, and prizes?

Saturday we move back to Berkeley! We found a nice little apartment in West Berkeley, and I am so relieved (I don’t have to cancel Christmas now!).

And Sunday is sure to be super rad with the One Minute Play Festival. It features plays by:

Joan Holden, Chris Chen, Anthony Clarvoe, Lauren Gunderson, Aaron Loeb, Chinaka Hodge, J.C. Lee, Eugenie Chan, Trevor Allen, Tim Bauer, William Bivins, Erin M. Bregman, Victoria Chong Der, Megan Cohen, Bennett Fisher, Elizabeth Gjelten, Garret Jon Groenveld, Daniel Heath, Robert Henry Johnson, Lynne Kaufman, Jeffrey Lo, Jonathan Luskin, Katie May, Patricia Milton, Marisela Treviño Orta, David Perez, Evelyn Jean Pine, Kenn Rabin, Geetha Reddy, Kate E. Ryan, Steven M. Salzman, Marissa Skudlarek, Jonathan Spector, Aimee Suzara, Brian Thorstenson, Arisa White, Kim Yaged, & Ignacio Zulueta.

Hope to catch you at some awesome indie theatre!

I just updated some information on my site! If you’d like to know more about my completed plays, please click here or on the “plays” tab above. I’ve also updated my upcoming productions, and that page can be viewed by clicking here or on the “productions” tab above.

My one act play How Terry Gross Destroyed My Life is a part of Love Creek Production’s line up for FROST BITE; Winter One Acts. And now I can tell you all the details!

Here are the dates and times:

Friday, January 4h and Saturday, January 5th at 8:00pm Sunday, January 6th at 7:00pm

The location:

The Sonnet Theatre at The Producers’ Club 358 West 44th Street (btw. 8th and 9th) Reservations 212.769.7973 Tickets $15

Full line up:

How Terry Gross Destroyed My Life

By Rachel Bublitz

Directed by Joe Leone

The Widow of Tom’s Hill

By Aleks Merilo

Directed by Eric Leeb

The Caterers

By Josh McIlvain

Directed by Steven Barrett

And Tomorrow And Tomorrow…

By Carol S. Lashof

Directed by Franziska Isabel Kniffka

In Re: Radding v Glazer

By Steve Karp

Directed by Aryanna Celenda

Don’t Kill Me, I Love You

By Fred R. Roberts, Jr.

Directed by Jeffrey Walker

I won’t be able to make it out for the show, if you’re nearby be sure to check it out and report back to me! I’d love to know how the show went.

My mother in law came to town and took my daughter and I to see SF Ballet’s Nutcracker. It was magical. My daughter loved it. We were right up front, so she could see everything. She spent her time before the ballet started talking to the musicians in the orchestra, it was her first time seeing most of the instruments and she was very curious. Once the ballet started she was glued to her seat, she didn’t even want to get the complimentary box of juice and sugar cookies they offered during intermission; she didn’t want to miss any of the dancing!

It was by far the most beautiful version of the Nutcracker I’ve ever seen. The sets were gorgeous, and… Well everything was simply lovely. I do wonder why they have everything before the snow flake dance… I found nearly everything before it a little boring. But watching my little girl watch the dancing was incredible, one of those special moments in life.

After intermission, some of the kids from Act 1 sat down near us, and she actually met the young man that posed as a rat in the picture we took that’s posted below. She was so impressed with him, she told me that she’d rather be a rat than one of the ballerinas.

Near the end, was another special moment… She passed gas and loudly asked me, “Mommy, an you smell my fart?” I had a hard time keeping the laughter down.

All in all, great time watching live performance and it was fun sharing it all with my daughter.

I’ve been thinking a lot about rejections today. This morning I got an email from Acme Theater Productions… By the way, thanks for actually sending out rejections, a lot of places you never hear anything. Anyway, I’d sent them two short plays for their upcoming new works festival, and I was not selected. In this place I’ve decided to work, this creative/subjective space rejections are a constant truth. I’m rejected much more than I am selected… That’s one of the big reasons why I submit as much as I do, cast a wide net and you get more fish.

Also, making the selections for the 31 Plays in 31 Days anthology and internet reading made me see the selection process from the other side. It’s really hard rejecting people. It’s like auditioning, you never feel the same way about it after you’ve had to be an auditor.

I enjoy rejection letters, it makes me feel like I’m pushing as hard as I can… Otherwise I wouldn’t get any rejection letters in the mail…. I’d probably get a whole lot of nothing.

I guess the point that I’m trying to get to, is don’t take rejections so hard. Get back up and move on to what’s next. And know that it doesn’t mean that you don’t do good work… I know! We had to turn down some great plays last week. There’s a lot of talent out there, all you can do is your best and keep pushing forward.

I love starting a new play. It’s all rosy cheeks and endless opportunities. It’s actually quite similar to having a new born, when you look at them, or think about them, you think of all the glorious/amazing/beautiful/inspiring things they have to offer the world. They’re fresh and new, and not tainted by anything. And a new play, or any new project is much the same. So I’m in the romantic/honeymoon stage of my play, and I’m trying to milk it for all it’s worth. I’ve banged out the first five scenes, and I’m hoping to finish the sixth one tonight. It’s a little hard considering I’m also in the middle of moving and packing and all those pesky holidays, but to hell with everything else! I’ve got a first draft to get out!

Super, SUPER, excited to announce that I’ll be one of the talented writers for next year’s SF Olympians Festival! I’m writing the full length for Achilles, the date is 11/9th! I decided a while back that I was so excited about the play I proposed I was writing it anyway (whether I got in our not), but getting in is really wonderful. I’m currently reading my third book of research for the piece, and I’m glad to be able to tell folks what I’m actually researching! Ha. So mark your calendars. And, check out the other amazing writers set for next year:

November 6

AJAX MAJOR- Charles Lewis III

AJAX MINOR- Barbara Jwanouskos

NESTOR- Robert Estes

DIOMEDES- Joel Street

TEUCER- Marissa Skudlarek

PATROCLUS- Daniel Hirsch

THERSITES- Daniel Hirsch

NEOPTOLEMUS- Barbara Jwanouskos

November 7

MENELAUS- Annette Roman

AGAMEMNON- Anthony Miller

November 8

ODYSSEUS- Megan Cohen

November 9

ACHILLES- Rachel Bublitz

November 13

HECUBA- Patsy Fergusson

LAODIKE- Marissa Skudlarek

ANDROMACHE- Sarah McKereghan

POLYXENA- Peter Hsieh

CRUESA- Tonya Narvaez

CHRYSEIS- Carol Lashof

BRISEIS- Carol Lashof

OENONE- Ashley Cowan

November 14

PARIS- Kirk Shimano

HECTOR- Bridgette Portman

November 15

CASSANDRA- Claire Rice

November 16

AENEAS- Colin Johnson

November 20

GOLDEN APPLES I- Helen Noakes

THE SHIELD- Meg O’Connor

THE HELMET- Meg O’Connor

THE SPEAR- Neil Higgins

THE SWORD- Tracy Potter

THE SHIPS- Tracy Potter

THE BOW- Sunil Patel

GOLDEN APPLES II- Allison Page

November 21

THE WALLS- Madeline Puccioni

THE PLAINS- Jeremy Cole

November 22

HELEN- Sam Hurwitt

November 23

THE HORSE- Stuart Bousel

And I know it’s hard waiting until November, 2013… Oh, that’s right, you don’t have to! Because this Wednesday, SF Olympians 2012 Festival begins! Make sure to come out and support!

The Bay Area One Acts Festival is one of my favorite theatre festivals. I was blown away by BOA 2012 and I can’t wait for this year’s festival. Want to be a part of it? If your’e a local playwright, I strongly suggest you get your scripts to them before 12/15! You must be from the Bay Area, the script has to be less than 30 pages, and all you need to do is email them a copy. For more details, see their submission guideline’s.

Well? What are you waiting for?

I had a crazy weekend. We’re looking for a new place to live (which is super stressful), and one of my kids was sick (aren’t they always?), AND the SFSU MFA deadline was looming over me like a ticking time bomb…. But guess what? Not anymore. Yes sir, I got in all my junk today! And, 11 days before the deadline… Now I can go back to worrying about finding shelter for my kids.