The Writing Process

Playwright extraordinaire Lindsay Price (of such plays as Among Friends and Clutter, Hoodie, betweenity, and many, many, many more!) invited me to take part in a #bloghop that asks writers to answer four questions about about their creative process and post those answers to their blog. (Be sure to check out her thoughtful responses here.) I'm honored that she passed the torch on to me, so here goes...

What are you working on?

Right now I'm playing around with the idea of expanding my one act play I Don’t Want to Talk About It into a full length piece. The more it is produced around the world, the more I hear from students, teachers, and parents about other issues that they would like to have addressed. I was truly humbled by a teacher who said the play was like a teenage version of Angels in America. Obviously I would never compare my work to that masterpiece (Thank you for your brilliance, Tony Kushner), but it did open my mind to the idea of taking the play and growing it into something broader that might make a bigger impact on the lives of a greater pool of teenagers. After being in a production of the play, or having seen it as an audience member, I have had many students confess things to me that they needed to talk about – things that are not in the play and things I’m not sure I could handle as an adult – and so I feel compelled to see if I can open the play up to include these new ideas. The original one act took me the better part of two years to get right, so tackling such a project would be a major undertaking, but something in my heart tells me that it’s one worthy trying.

How does your work differ from others in your genre?

Back when I was in high school there was a major lack of material specifically written for teenage performers. Basically, there were a few staples that every single school would produce on a rotating basis. The poor drama teachers of yore must have been bored out of their minds! And these plays were either “classics” that students probably had a difficult time relating to, or “modern” issue plays that were corny and overly didactic. Thankfully, with the advent of publishing companies such as Theatrefolk and Playscripts, there is now a wealth of material out there that has been specifically generated for this huge market that had previously gone untapped. Trying to keep up with the swath of new publications each year (mostly to make sure an idea I have has not already been done) is a huge task that takes up a large chunk of my time. Yet the process of doing so has allowed me to read some really great plays by talented playwrights that would not have seen the light of day in years past. I admire the work of many of my cohorts, and as is the case with admiration, influence follows. I have been inspired by so many of these contemporary plays, thinking to myself, “I wish I wrote that!” Challenging myself to come up with new ways to tackle thoughts others may have already written is not easy, particularly with the market as saturated as it is now, but that’s what makes sitting down at my computer each morning so much fun. 

Why do you write what you do?

I write plays for teenagers because of the fearlessness in which they attack the material. I find that as people get older, particularly artists, they get increasingly self conscious about what they are creating. As we see more, experienced more, we become more aware of our own work, which sometimes leads to damaging self-criticism that inhibits the creative process. In life and in art, I find that teenagers are far more open to taking risks because they have yet to experience the aftermath of failure. I love seeing this boldness applied to my words. I also think teenagers have so many wise and wonderful things to say that it is my honor to provide them with a platform upon which they can express themselves. If what I write encourages a student to express themselves, whether in theater or in life, I consider what I’ve done a success.

How does your writing process work?

I have to strike while the iron is hot and write my ideas down the moment I have them. If I think about an idea for too long, I inevitably lose my passion for it and then I end up putting too much pressure on myself to find the creative spark I had initially. For this reason I typically write my plays to completion in a day or two. I find that I can always go back and fix things that might not work, but having a completed draft takes a huge weight off my shoulders that allows me to think more critically about what I have on the page. I also try not to fuss with the words as I write them. I just throw as much as I can out into the ether, with reckless abandon, before going back to see if it’s brilliant or gibberish. Quite often it’s the latter, but I’ve discovered that gibberish can make great theater sometimes!

Now it's my turn to pass the baton on to a writer whose work I enjoy very much. Bobby Keniston wrote the brilliant and bizarre comedy Confession: Kafka in High School, among others. It's one of my favorite one act plays out there, so I look forward to hearing more about what keeps his creative ticker alive!

SDA Provincial Festival: Day 3

The final day at the Saskatchewan Drama Association was a great one! My workshops are all over for the week, so I was able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the afternoon performances. And enjoy them I did.

GLAMORGAN - Carlton Comprehensive High School - The Mad Hatter Players are known for their technical savvy, and they did not disappoint yet again. Not only was the set solid and effective, but the use of lighting effects and sound design really helped bring this play to life, particularly as it approached its climax. The ending moments of the play were truly gripping. Rare also is to be equally entertained by watching a stage crew dismantle a set after a production is over. The Carlton crew performed like a well oiled machine and it was great to see that teamwork in action.

ROSIE - Michael A. Riffel Christian High School - This sensational play was written, directed, and acted by an extraordinarily talented grade 12 student named Emma Fiorante. Remember that name because you will undoubtedly hear from this creative young mind in the future. Part pantomime and part music, Rosie was all stunning. Everything, from the set to the lights to the sound, served the story without distracting from it. The entire ensemble worked together so beautifully, but the final moment with Miss Fiorante alone onstage as Rosie embarked on a new adventure, was such a simple and glorious moment that I'm totally crying again as I write this.

I have to say that the plays in the festival this year were particularly strong, so competition was stiff across the board when it came to handing out awards. But what made the atmosphere of this festival so great (and it's not always this way) is how most everyone was there to celebrate great theatre, and one another, rather than focus too much on the outcome. That's what I love to see and I saw a lot of students congratulating one another for jobs well done. That is truly what this weekend is all about.

Adjudicators Russ Ramsden and Bill Hales had the unenviable task of selecting names and plays to bestow awards upon, although I think they did a really terrific job spreading the wealth among all the wonderful shows I saw this weekend. And as Russ himself says, it's all icing anyway. Runner-Up to Best Overall Production was awarded to Carrot River's incredibly lovely rendition of Goodbye to the Clown and Best Overall Production went to Regina's spectacular Rosie.

Congratulations to all of the participants this weekend! I'd like to send a special shout-out to my actor friends Taryn Freemantle, Philip Wiens, Emily Herridge, and Jake Heisler for taking home very well deserved acting awards. They are among a long list of actors (too long to name here) who truly impressed me this weekend. Bravo!

It's amazing how the adrenaline rushes out of a person immediately after a week packed with so much activity. I know I'm ready to stuff myself silly before hibernating for the next week or so to catch up on all the sleep I missed out on the last 7 days. So until next year, the balcony is closed!

SDA Provincial Festival: Day 2

Yet another terrific day at the Saskatchewan Drama Association Provincial Festival! It all got started with another session of my iPlaywrite workshop. I had some really wonderful students from Maple Creek and Yorkton who came up with some very thoughtful material in our time together. Using photos of tableaux and tweets from junior students at the Middle Years Festival, they put together scenes and monologues that have now been uploaded to Facebook. If you want to check out what they came up with, head over to www.facebook.com/sdafest. I've posted videos of all the scenes they came up with, as well as the students from yesterday's session. As you'll see, it's amazing what can be written in a short amount of time! Be sure to like the page and feel free to share with all your friends.

After a quick lunch, the plays continued with 2 productions in the afternoon and 3 more evening performances. Again, it was a nice variety of plays and there was a lot of great work happening up on the stage.

THE SPIRIT OF LIFE AND MAGDA AND JOSEF - Swift Current Comprehensive High School - Two plays for the price of one, these challenging plays about the Holocaust were respectfully brought to life by a strong ensemble of actors who really worked together to tell stories of various characters who were affected by the horror of World War II. I quite enjoyed the simplicity of the staging and how well all of the actors worked together. Plays with a lot of monologues are not easy and so I appreciated that the entire cast remained onstage throughout, providing solid support for one another.

KILLING BILL - Yorkton Regional High School - This hilarious play was so much fun to watch thanks to the actors, directors, and technical crew committing 100% to making every moment as big and broad as possible. There was a scene in which an enormous pancake was brought onstage by a huge ensemble of actors in martial arts attire (you had to be there) that had me laughing so hard, I wasn't sure I was ever going to rid myself of the giggles. All of the actors were awesome, but Nicole Logan and Nicole Hedley were particularly hysterical. There must be something funny about the name Nicole! I also thought the visual elements were very strong.

SEUESSPEARE: MEET THE MACBETHS - Greenall High School - This cute play in rhyme was done well and the audience was certainly with it from start to finish. Macbeth is my favorite of all Shakespeare's plays, so I enjoyed the absurdity of this translation. Tiffany Favreau as Lady Macbeth had a lot of really nice comedic moments as she slowly descended into madness and searched for ways to get the spots out, out, out of her dirty laundry.

GOODBYE TO THE CLOWN - Carrot River Junior Senior High School - I have a history with Carrot River, as they've produced several plays of mine over the past few years, and just when I think they could not get any better, they present yet another play that totally knocks my socks off. I wasn't sure if a play written more than 60 years ago would have the impact it may have had when first written, but all my doubts were cast aside the very moment the lights went up on this truly lovely production. The concept of setting the play in the 1950's, in a virtually black and white world, was an inspired one. The visuals were simply spectacular and added enormously to the overall impact the show had on the audience. What's more, the actors created wonderfully rich characters, each of them turning in a performance that moved the audience to tears. I know I was sobbing long before the lights came down.

GABRIELLE - Rossignol High School - In the 6 years I've been coming to Provincials, I have enjoyed watching how much the students and plays from the Northern Region have grown. Not only do the plays out of that region generally address important topical issues, but they continue to tackle more and more ambitious material every year. This play, written in the 1970's, is just as relevant today as the day it was written, and I appreciated ths group for stretching themselves with a play that required area staging, lighting cues, and sound elements. Sara Daugenault as Gabrielle had a very tough role to pull off, but with her powerful voice and strong stage presence, she certainly rose to the challenge.

I can't believe there are only 2 more performances to go! I swear this festival flies by faster and faster every year. So until tomorrow, that's a wrap!

SDA Provincial Festival: Day 1

The 2014 Saskatchewan Drama Association Provincial Festival got off to a big start today as students from around the province poured into the Dr. William Riddell Centre at the University of Regina. My day started with a feast at the director's luncheon, where I was thrilled to be in attendance as my high school drama teacher, Jackeline Rutledge, was honored with SDA's Lifetime Achievement Award for all of her contributions to educational theatre in Saskatchewan. This award could not have been more deserving. Mrs. Rutledge (as she will always be known to me) always encouraged me to follow my dreams and talents, and without her I know for a fact I would not be where I am today.

After the luncheon I had a phenomenal time working with students from Moose Jaw, Swift Current, and Yorkton in my brand new playwrighting workshop, "iPlaywrite: Collaborating Via Social Media." It's a brand new workshop for me so I was unsure how it was going to turn out, but I had a blast with the students and was amazed at all the creative ideas they came up with in our time together. The concept of this new workshop is for students to collaborate on writing a new play with other students via social media. Currently I have students in Toronto writing a collective with students in Houston, using social media outlets such as Twitter, Skype, Instagram, Vine, and Facebook to share their ideas with each other. It's been going so well that I decided to see if I could get the senior students at the Provincial Festival to collaborate with the junior students I worked with earlier this week at the Middle Years Festival. Using ideas, characters, photos, and videos generated by the juniors, I challenged the seniors to come up with scenes and monologues that built upon the information that was provided by people they had never met. The results were incredible, and if you stay tuned to the blog, I will post some video clips from our afternoon together to Facebook and Instagram. (First I need to secure a decent internet connection that's a lot faster than the turtle-slow connection provided by my hotel, but I promise it will be worth the wait!)

If that wasn't enough, there were four productions in the evening. And, boy oh boy, what a variety of plays they were.

THE TROJAN WOMEN - North Battleford Comprehensive High School - Anyone who has seen as many plays as I have will have undoubtedly seen one or more adaptations of this story, so I had an idea of what to expect going in. So it came as a nice surprise to see some thoughtful and unexpected ideas brought to this production that made it stand out from the others I have seen. What I enjoyed most was the addition of two live musicians onstage. Using a select, but well chosen, number of instruments, they really helped the transitions between scenes and allowed them to occur without going to blackout. Anyone who knows me knows how much I despise pretty much any and all blackouts. In fact, I have a new play coming out later this year titled "Blackouts Are Bad." No blackouts here and I know the audience also enjoyed the visual elements of this production, the costumes in particular.

THE MOUSTACHE - Lampman School - This so-over-the-top-that-you-have-to-look-down-with-binoculars-just-to-see-the-top dark comedy had the audience by the throat from the second the lights went up, and never let go for its entire 50 minute running time. This is a difficult play to describe because it morphs from a pleasant comedy into a dark, dark, dark satire that involves mass murder, world domination, and finally, nuclear warfare. There was a lot of theatrics at play, and when I say "a lot," I mean A LOT. It was fun to be a part of such a hot crowd, and you could really feel the shift from laughing along with the characters to feeling slightly uncomfortable for wanting to laugh because the subject matter was so disturbing. Yet we all continued to laugh in spite of ourselves, which I think would have made playwright Davis Alianiello very proud to have written a script that zinged so many nerves.

HIM & HER - Vanier Collegiate - I had the great privilege of adjudicating this play last month at the Region 2 Festival in Moose Jaw, so it was wonderful for me to see how a play continues to develop and grow over time. In the four weeks since I last saw it, small yet significant changes were made to the original script by Keyanna Burgher that improved the production exponentially. I loved the play when I saw it the first time, but tonight it had a shiny and professional polish that took my breath away. Jake Heisler and Emily Herridge as the title characters are exceptional actors who are able to make an audience both laugh and cry, sometimes within the span of a single sentence. They are both so honest, so genuine, so natural, that you really believed their characters existed in the real world. And better yet, that you knew them. I have to admit that I lean toward the "less is more" school of theatre, and this production knew exactly what the script required and resisted the temptation to add any unnecessary bells or whistles. The result was a deeply moving portrait of two people in love that had me smiling through tears.

PANDORA - Hanley Composite School - I was told this was the third time this original drama by Hanley's director Leanne Griffin has advanced to Provincials, and it's easy to see why this would be the case. The script provides a number of creative challenges for both actors and technical crew, and everyone involved in this production certainly faced those challenges head-on. One of my personal favorite theatrical conventions, and one I have used several times in my own plays, is a chorus that remains onstage throughout a play, providing constant support to the main characters in the story. The chorus of five girls in this production were very strong and always "present." They definitely added energy, power, and humor to the otherwise serious plot.

With that, Day 1 at the SDA Provincial Festival is in the history books. It was a long day, but one filled with laughter, tears, creativity, and more than a little craziness. I can't wait to see what tomorrow has to offer!

Time Capsule

I was floored when a Canadian high school drama teacher got in touch with me and asked if I would mind being the subject of an entire unit in her Grade 10 drama class. A requirement of her curriculum is to study a Canadian playwright, and after years of studying the likes of Robertson Davies and Merrill Denison, she felt it was time to mix things up and introduce her students to a contemporary (not to mention living) playwright. She happened upon one of my scripts (Split) and thought my point of view would grab the attention of the students in her class. Needless to say, I was thrilled by her request and more than happy to oblige.

Seeing as I am alive (and relatively well, at least compared to Davies and Denison), the final assignment of the unit was for the students to pair up and get in touch with me via email to ask me one question that they could then turn into a visual presentation. I have to say that it's pretty cool that there will be a dozen or so posters all about me on display in some school foyer where I have never been!

Anyway, some of the questions I got were the usuals ("How did you start playwrighting?" "Where do you get your ideas?"), but one of the groups asked a particularly thoughtful question that I thought warranted a blog post unto itself.

YOU HAVE WRITTEN A LOT OF PLAYS. IF YOU COULD ONLY PUT ONE INTO A TIME CAPSULE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? AND WHY?

At first glance, this is a variation on the old question, "Of all the plays you've written, what's your favourite?" This question is, obviously, a tough one to answer (impossible, really) because each play is special to me and the most important thing in my life at the moment I am writing it. However, this question had just enough of a twist on it that I immediately had an answer. I knew exactly what play I would want in a time capsule and, although it may or may not be my favourite (like I said, I have no favourites), it does represent a large part of who I am as a writer and, even more-so, a person.

SIXTEEN IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS

Perhaps I'm cheating a little, considering this play is actually made up of ten separate 10-minute plays, but if you read the play as a whole you will discover that they are not separate at all. Not only do the characters overlap, but the themes connect in a way that (I hope) paints a clear picture of my personal outlook on life.

I bring up the subject of "theme" because I am often asked what the themes are of each of my plays. I love turning that conversation around and asking students what they think the themes of my plays are. While there are no wrong answers, their answers rarely line up with what I had in mind as I was writing. For instance, Split could certainly be classified as "a play about divorce." But it's actually a play about love and all of its various permutations. Divorce was simply the hook upon which I hung stories about characters who are afraid of love, embarrassed by love, embracing love, etc. Similarly, I Don't Want to Talk About It could be considered "a play about silence," but it's actually a play about listening.

 

This brings me to the theme of Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less. All of the characters in the play are sixteen years old, which is the hook I used to create this play. But "a play about being sixteen" is not the play I was interested in writing. I wanted to write a story about a group of teenagers who are not quite kids anymore and not quite adults either. Thus, the theme of the entire play became "Not Quite."

FRIEND REQUEST - Not quite friends.
DOUBLE CLICK - Not quite attractive.
BRACE YOURSELF - Not quite smart enough.
LAZY EYE - Not quite normal.
FIREWORKS - Not quite in love.
PAY PHONE - Not quite trusting.
BENCH WARRANT - Not quite popular.
WHEELS - Not quite independent.
TUMBLEFUR - Not quite understood.
STATUS UPDATE: A SYMPHONY - Not quite ready.

Another reason I am fond of Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less, and why I've chosen it as the answer to the question in question, is the variety of styles I was able to include under one title. I pride myself on being able to write a serious drama one day and a laugh-out-loud comedy the next. It may come as a surprise (it does to me) that I wrote Lip Service, a wacky farce, the same week I finished I Don't Want to Talk About It, a much more serious play about suicide. Likewise, Split and They Say... were both written in a span of two days. If you take a look at them side by side, they could not be more different. One is a seriocomedy made up of very short vignettes that span a year, while the other is a straight forward situation comedy that takes place in one place and one time. I never want to write the same play twice, so I always try to take a brand new approach with my work when I'm staring a new play after finishing another.

Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less was fun to write because I was able to hit on a wide variety of theatrical genres. Among others, it includes an ensemble piece (Friend Request), a comedy duet (Brace Yourself), a drama (Wheels), a monologue (Tumblefur), an absurd comedy (Pay Phone), a fantasy (Lazy Eye), a romance (Fireworks), and a choral piece (Status Update: A Symphony). My idea was to keep the audience on their toes by never allowing them to be quite sure what's coming next. I was also conscious to make sure each individual play could stand on its own in the event it is performed as a stand alone production. I believe I succeeded in doing these things, or at least I hope that's the case. I've always told myself that a belief is the end result of a hope, and by hoping that each characters gets what they want, I believe in them. To that end, I say: mission accomplished.

So while I could proudly pick out any one of my plays to put in a time capsule, right now -- today -- I would select Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less. And I could not be more honoured that the rights to this play are carried by Theatrefolk. Founders Craig Mason and Lindsay Price understand better than anyone I know what teenagers are thinking of, dreaming of, and made of, which is exactly why they have done such an incredible job nurturing the play. In the two years since publication, it has slowly discovered a large and passionate audience of teenagers and adults who have repeatedly let me know what an impact it has had on audiences. It means the world to me to know that it has touched the lives of so many people.

To read a preview of any or all of the plays included, visit Theatrefolk.

Sears Drama Festival Regional Showcase

Last night was one of the most incredible experiences, both personally and professionally, of my entire life. By complete happenstance, two of my plays advanced to the Sears Drama Festival Regional Showcase in Bradford, Ontario. And in an even bigger coincidence, both plays were presented last evening, back to back. Considering what an accomplishment it is for schools to advance to Regionals, not to mention that it's a five day event, the fact that I had two plays being presented on the same evening was too great an opportunity to pass up. So I rented a car for the day, drove up to Bradford, and was greatly rewarded with two stellar productions of my work that far exceeded my expectations.

With the hysterical cast and crew of "Lip Service"
St. Theresa's Christian High School

The first of my plays was Lip Service, presented by St. Theresa's Christian High School. Apart from a brief email exchange with the student director earlier this year to approve a couple of changes she wanted to make, I had not been in touch with this group before the showcase so I had no idea what to expect. Well, I was totally blown away! Lip Service is a deceptively simple comedy that has been produced numerous times by both students and adults. It's an easy play, in that it's one set, one story, and none of the roles are very large. However, it's a difficult play to pull off well because of the speed in which it must (or should) be presented. This young cast, under the wonderful direction of Lily Ventura, totally "got" the spirit of the fast-paced dialogue and absolutely nailed the comedic timing from start to finish. Seriously, there was not a weak link in the bunch. I was particularly impressed by the two leads, Randy Baumer and Bailey Thompson. They had the hardest roles to pull off because they must remain relatively sane amidst the cast of crazies that surround them. Both did a remarkable job, resisting the urge to join in on the zaniness. Had they done this, the play would not have been as successful. Their performances allowed the wackos that make up the rest of the cast to truly shine in their roles. All I can say, and this is about the highest compliment I can give them, is that they perfectly captured the free-wheeling fun of a Preston Sturges film, which is exactly what inspired the play in the first place. Now, I'm not sure if the director or any of the actors have ever even heard of Preston Sturges, but his films have always been a huge influence on my comedies, so to be able to see my words and characters come to life in a similar fashion was an enormous delight!

With the incredible "I Don't Want to Talk About It" family
Jacob Hespeler Secondary School

The second play was a complete change of pace, although as the adjudicator so astutely pointed out, also featured characters suffering from mental illness, albeit much more seriously. I Don't Want to Talk About It, presented by Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, was among the greatest productions of my work I have ever had the privilege of watching with an audience. This play has become my most popular, produced hundreds of times across the world, yet I've only shared the experience with an audience a few times. Well, rest assured, I will never forget Jacob Hespeler's extraordinary production so long as I live. They attacked the play with such passion, such focus, such command, that I got lost in the story they were telling and completely forgot I had written it. The characters, of which there are many, seemed so real to me that I found myself emotionally invested in each and every one of them. That is a huge testament to the wildly brilliant ensemble of actors, for I usually close my eyes during my plays and listen to the words, always thinking how I could improve upon what I had initially written. There was no need to do that with this group, as they took my words and improved upon them for me. With such a large cast, and so many roles, it's easy for one or two actors to get lost in the shuffle, or see a vignette that doesn't register. Such was not the case last night. The entire drive home, and well into this morning, I kept thinking back to this character or that actor and reliving their stories as though they were still happening. I truly felt like I knew them, inside and out. All of the actors were so real, and human, that the audience felt free to laugh with them, not at them, and cry in equal measure.

As amazing as the production was, the best part of my evening was, by far, having the opportunity to spend an hour with the students from Jacob Hespeler School and express my gratitude for giving voices to not just the characters in the play, but to all of the teenagers (and adults) in the audience who have something important to say, but may not have the courage to say it. As if often the case with this play, students came up to speak with me privately to confess how this moment or that character touched them because they could relate to the situation. Many told me that the play gave them the strength to "talk about it" with others and, in some instances, even saved their lives. It's not always easy for me to keep my composure during these conversations, but exactly the reason I wrote the play. I am so proud of all the actors in this production -- Brad Golding, Arleigh Burnes, Brandon Fergson, Tara Ferguson, Tristan Greenhough, Sam Haney, Nathan Horner, Joseph Hynes, Jackie Ketchen, Julian Lam, Lauren McCallum, Igor Samarin, and Colin Williams -- and honoured beyond measure to have met them. I would also like to thank director Courtney Wilson for not only selecting my play, and not only for her extraordinary creative vision, but for assembling an ensemble of actors that truly became a family during the rehearsal process. A family that I am humbled and grateful to now be a member. It was obvious they had a special bond, and clear they also realized what a special experience they were a part of, so to be accepted into that family with open arms meant the world to me.

One of the actors said something that really stuck with me, and I'm not sure he's even aware what a huge impact it had on me. "If 100 million people were to see this play, 100 million people would be able to relate to it." I will carry these words with me so long as I live, as a reminder that what I do is important, and continue to give a theatrical outlet for those teenagers out there with voices -- huge voices -- that deserve to be heard.

To everyone I met last night, everyone involved with the Sears Drama Festival, and everyone in the audience for becoming part of my extended family, thank you.

Region 1 SDA Festival: Awards

Congratulations to Lampman School! Their production of THE MOUSTACHE won Best Overall Production and will be headed to Provincials in Regina this May. I look forward to seeing how the provincial audience reacts to the terrifying final moments of the show. The audience in Carlyle was screaming with fright, so I can only imagine an audience twice the size will roar.

The adjudicators ran through the list of awards quite quickly, so I was unable to write them all down. However, here are a few of the main awards that were handed out:

Runner-Up to Best Overall Production went to Redvers' production of MISS BETH. Best Visual Production went to Moosomin's 27 REASONS NOT TO BE IN A PLAY. Best Technical Production was awarded to Lampman's THE MOUSTACHE. The Mary Ellen Burgess Award for best actor/actress was given to Kaley Aime for the role of Samantha in MISS BETH. I thought she was extraordinarily creepy in the play, so this was certainly well deserved. In addition, here are the awards my 3 plays snagged over the weekend:

SELFIE
Acting Medal: Emily Klatt for the role of Laura
Technical Medal: Desiray Weber for sound
Acting Certificate of Merit: Daysha Smith for the role of Tyrese
Acting Certificate of Merit: Megan McAuley for the role of Morgan
Technical Certificate of Merit: Jasmine Pylatuik for crew
Unsung Hero: Brook Zacharias

TEACHERS ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Bob Hinitt Award for Technical Excellence: Payton Hannem for directing
Best Stage Manager Runner-Up: Payton Hannem
Acting Certificate of Merit: James Forester for the role of Jordan
Technical Certificate of Merit: Drew Fleck for lighting
Unsung Hero: Payton Hannem

SMARTY PANTS
Most Courteous Cast and Crew
Acting Certificate of Merit: Judah Wardrope for the role of Dallas
Acting Certificate of Merit: Kyle Bye for the role of Taylor
Acting Certificate of Merit: Jillian Hietanen for the role of Casey
Acting Certificate of Merit: Anna Doty for the role of Blair
Technical Certificate of Merit: Brittany Rowe for prompter
Unsung Hero: Kyle Bye

Congratulations to all of the schools and students who participated in this year's festival! It was a terrific weekend of plays and I know for a fact that everyone involved had a great time. I'd also like to extend my thanks to everyone in Carlyle for the warm welcome, particularly Darcy Howe, Kevin Dyck, Dean Zacharias, Justine Stephanson, Rae Nicoll, and Shannon Klatt. They treated me like a VIP all weekend and I hope they know how much I appreciate their support and encouragement.

Now I have a few weeks off before I'll be back in Saskatchewan once again for the Middle Years and Provincial Festivals, May 5-10. Hope to see you there!

Region 1 SDA Festival: Day 3

The final session of plays at the Region 1 SDA Festival is complete, with the final 2 plays going up this afternoon. Both were comedies, which was a nice way to end the festivities.

TEACHERS ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN by Bradley Hayward - Arcola High School - Teachers going totally insane seems to be a theme that runs through many of my plays, but never so evident as in this one. The Arcola cast seemed to be having a lot of fun up on the stage bringing the nutty teachers and bemused students to life. It was nice to see one of my outright comedies on the stage, especially since I've seen more of my "serious" comedies in the past year than the farcical stories I once wrote exclusively. A few of my high school friends attended the performance today and they all told me they saw a few quirks from our old teachers in the characters. That made my day, and is a huge compliment to the Arcola cast.

HAIRBALL by Lindsay Price - Lampman School - Director Christine Branyik-Thornton always goes full tilt for every production she works on and this was no exception. I have seen this play several times before, but I have never seen the titular "hair" done with such humor and creativity. There had to have been at least 20 inventive wigs created for the show, each one bigger and more outlandish than the one that came before it. Seriously, it is obvious that a lot of work went into each one of them and the result was absolutely stunning. The visual aspect of the show was the best I have ever seen for this particular play. Even better, the acting was equal to the wigs and it was clear the audience appreciated all the hard work that went into this very fun production.

I was able to have yet another ice cream Blizzard at Dairy Queen after the performances (my 4th in the last 3 days...which is probably 4 too many) with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. It was great to catch up with them and hear what they thought of all the plays. Now there are a couple of hours to wait before the banquet and awards ceremony. Stay tuned to the blog and I'll be sure to update you with the results!

Region 1 SDA Festival: Day 2 - Evening

Three more plays closed out Day 2 of the Region 1 SDA Festival, and quite a variety of styles they were. The audience was treated to a dark comedy, a political satire, and a dramedy about teenage life.

SELFIE by Bradley Hayward - Gordon F. Kells High School - This play is one that means a lot to me because so many of the issues addressed hit very close to home. Yet I worked hard to make avoid the play becoming an "issue drama," but rather a human drama. Each character has their own struggle, and while some these struggles may appear to be greater than others, what each individual is dealing with is to them just as valid as the next. The actors did a marvelous job bringing light and joy to all of the serious situations, which only served to enhance the drama. I also loved the beautiful scenic design and thoughtful, simple staging. The less is more approach had just enough variety to keep the story advancing dramatically, and I appreciate that the directors resisted the temptation to add more than was necessary. Perhaps I am biased, but I thought it was a lovely, solid, and moving production.

MISS BETH by Don Zolidis - Redvers School - Talk about a 180 degree change of pace! This dark take-off on Macbeth had a lot of funny moments and creative staging. I really enjoyed how the cheerleading scenes were accomplished, not to mention the simple but effective use of color in the costumes. There were also a number of standout actors in the show, most notably Kaley Aime, with her wickedly hilarious and evil grin, and Basi Kgobisa, whose energy radiated off the stage and had the audience in stitiches.

THE MOUSTACHE by Davis Alianiello - Lampman School - This very challenging, very political satire had a lot to offer an audience, although it required a huge leap of faith on the part of the actors that they would get all of the symbolism and historical references in the text. I was impressed to see the young cast really go for it, especially in the later passages of the play that dealt with the complete annihilation of Planet Earth. It was certainly startling how they used light, sound, and actors to portray such a catastrophic event. I know I was scared when that final KABOOM ended everything. It's rare to be frightened by a play, but this production certainly scared the hell out of me. That was clearly what they were going for, so mission accomplished.

Region 1 SDA Festival: Day 2 - Afternoon

Today got off to a great start at the Saskatchewan Drama Association Region 1 Festival! There were 2 plays this afternoon, but before they got started I was thrilled to find my Auntie Donna, Auntie Bev, Auntie Joan, and friend to the family Evelyn in the audience. We had a nice visit before the plays began and then another afterwards over ice cream Blizzards at Dairy Queen. I'm also part of a scavenger hunt taking place for the drama students, so I was hunted down by several dozen teens to pose for group photos with them. I hope to track down the pictures so that I can share them with you here. Such fun to hear "Mr. Hayward, we need your picture!" And now a little bit about the 2 plays this afternoon!

DOG FLEET by Rory Panagotopulos - Oxbow Prairie Horizons School - This is one bizarre play and I loved how the cast really bought into the science fiction elements of the story and never held back for a second. High concept, high energy. There were some very strong senior actors in this play and they kept the audience's interest from start to finish. The production was also very visually beautiful. It had a great set, fantastic costumes, and phenomenal make-up. With such a strange storyline, it was cool to see how the audience really stayed with the play and it was obvious from the laughter that they appreciated seeing something so original up there on the stage.

SMARTY PANTS by Bradley Hayward - Gordon F. Kells High School - Many of the students in this play have never acted before so I was extremely impressed with their energy and charactarizations! This play was written to be an educational piece so that young actors can work together as an ensemble. One of the themes of the play is "teamwork" and the kids did such a great job working together. This is especially true for a scene involving a jump rope, written specifically to be a physical challenge on stage, and they pulled it off wonderfully! I was also thrilled to see each actor commit to their character and they all had very distinct personalities. I can see these kids moving forward in drama and really developing into awesome thespians. It was an honor to see them hit the ground (or stage, as it were) running in one of my plays.

I'm excited to see the festival continue this evening with SELFIE, MISS BETH, and THE MOUSTACHE. More on those later!

Region 1 SDA Festival: Day 1

Earlier this evening, the Region 1 Saskatchewan Drama Association one-act play festival started off with a bang, with two laugh-out-loud comedies. Let's get started!

HOW TO KISS A GIRL by Wade Bradford - Oxbow Prairie Horizons School - Student director Mackenzie Warriner did a nice job keeping this very funny show moving along at a steady pace. It was quick without feeling rushed, nicely acted, and featured a truly wonderful technical element that still makes me smile. One of the characters is a recordered computer voice (think Siri) and OPHS did a phenomenal job recording it or mixing it or altering it or whatever they did to achieve it, because it sounded absolutely authentic and was so funny that it stole the show.

27 REASONS NOT TO BE IN A PLAY by Alan Haehnel - McNaughton High School - I can think of dozens and dozens of reasons not to be in a play that I could write about, but Alan Haehnel beat me to the punch and wrote this fast paced ensemble comedy. Actually, there are well over 50 reasons in the various renditions of the play, but McNaughton plucked 27 of their favorites and brought them to life. I was impressed that McNaughton had a totally different approach to their play this year. I am used to them building huge, beautiful sets, but this year they scaled back the set to nothing but black blocks and instead created beautiful stage pictures with the actors themselves. And there were a lot of actors up there, so they had plenty of options and took full advantage of them all.

It looks like more laughter is on the way tomorrow afternoon. At 1:00pm: DOG FLEET from Oxbow Prairie Horizons School and SMARTY PANTS from Gordon F. Kells High School. Then at 7:00pm: SELFIE from Gordon F. Kells High School, MISS BETH from Redvers School, and THE MOUSTACHE from Lampman School. I can't wait!

2014 Region 1 SDA Festival

The 2014 Region 1 Saskatchewan Drama Association one-act play festival kicks off tonight in Carlyle at 7:00pm! I'm so excited to be there to cheer on the students from all 9 productions. Here is a schedule of all the plays:

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 7:00PM
HOW TO KISS A GIRL - Oxbow
27 REASONS NOT TO BE IN A PLAY - Moosomin

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1:00PM
DOG FLEET - Oxbow
SMARTY PANTS - Carlyle

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 7:00PM
SELFIE - Carlyle
MISS BETH - Redvers
THE MOUSTACHE - Lampman

SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1:00PM
TEACHERS ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - Arcola
HAIRBALL - Lampman

Both plays from Carlyle (Selfie and Smarty Pants) and the one from Arcola (Teachers on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) were written by me, so while I love seeing plays by any playwright and by any school, it's definitely extra exciting to see one's own work come to life. I can't wait to see how they play before a large audience!

I'll be blogging about each play as the festival moves forward, so check back here and on Twitter @haywardplays for updates. And if you're in attendance, I sure hope you'l come find me to say hello. See you there!

Region 2 Festival

Well, the 2014 Saskatchewan Drama Association Region 2 Festival in Moose Jaw has drawn to a close and all I can say is that the experience was truly amazing. The wonderful people at A.E. Peacock Collegiate gave me a warm welcome and the warm welcomes continued as I met all the talented students and teachers from Cornerstone Christian School, Vibank Regional School, Vanier Collegiate, Canora Composite School, and Riverview Collegiate.

Of course I enjoyed watching the productions -- and they were all entertaining! -- but the best part for me was getting to spend time with each school in our adjudication workshops. One hour is never enough, especially for someone like me who gets excited when the students start inspiring even more creative ideas than what I had written in my notebook. I know that on more than one occasion, a student or teacher would say something that would lead me on an unexpected road of creative exploration. Thankfully I had many inventive students who were more than willing and ready to go down that road with me. It's been two days since the festival ended, but I'm still laying awake at night thinking, Oh man, I should have said this! or If only I had time to try that! Here's hoping each school has a chance to take what advice I had to offer and apply it toward a future performance.

I'd like to once again congratulate all of the students who participated on a job well done! My biggest hope is that each student returns to their home school proud of what they accomplished up there on that stage. I'm also looking forward to seeing Him & Her, winner of Best Overall Production, for a second time at Provincials in May. It's always interesting to see how a play grows and develops over time, and Vanier Collegiate's beautiful production is sure to make a strong impact at the Provincial level.

Now I am gearing up for the Region 1 Festival this weekend in Carlyle. This time I get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the productions. Although that's nearly impossible, considering how nervous/excited I get when watching one of my plays come to life. I'll be posting about all 9 plays, including 3 written by me, as the festival commences on Thursday. Stay tuned!

Drama Time in Saskatchewan

The years just seem to fly by faster and faster, as it's time once again that I'm traveling to Saskatchewan for drama festival season!

First up, I'm the front-of-house adjudicator at the Saskatchewan Drama Association Region 2 festival in Moose Jaw this weekend. From April 3-5, hundreds of students, teachers, and parents from Moose Jaw and surrounding areas will gather together to present 8 one-act plays. I'm thrilled to be adjudicating this particular festival, as all of the schools competing are known to produce truly exceptional work. In fact, last year's Provincial champ, Admissions, came out of this region. The plays are an interesting mix of comedy and drama, old and new, published and original. I've read each script several times over so I know them fairly well, but I can't wait to see them brought to life. The productions rarely ever look like what I had envisioned, which is why I love the theatre so much. It's amazing how a director's interpretation of a certain script varies from what I see on the page. The plays are as follows: Him & Her (Vanier), Snow Globe (Vanier), The Romancers (Canora), Born to be Wild (A.E. Peacock), The Substitute (A.E. Peacock), Wanted: One Groom (Vibank), Baby (Riverview), Booby Trap (Cornerstone). I've judged a couple of these plays before, but I'm excited to see them all anew. The best part, and what I'm most looking forward to, is being able to meet the students involved and offer what expertise I can to further strengthen each production. I always learn a thing or two myself from the students, so I'm eager to see what they all bring to the table...or the stage, as it were. I know it's going to be an awesome 3 days of theatre!

Next, I'm thrilled to be traveling back to my hometown of Oxbow. The Region 1 festival is taking place April 10-12 in Carlyle, which is just a short drive from where I grew up, and I will have the extreme good fortune of seeing 3 of my plays in competition. Smarty Pants is being presented by Gordon F. Kells Junior Drama on Friday, April 11 at 2pm. This comedy was inspired by my sister, who is the best teacher I know because of how much she loves her job and students, and I'm delighted to have the chance to see such a young cast bring the play's zaniness to life.  Later that same say, at 7pm, Gordon F. Kells Senior Drama will be presenting Selfie. This is a brand new play that I wrote specifically for this group of actors and I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to see how they bring the characters to life. Many of the actors in the cast are graduating, and they've been in a handful of my plays over the years, so it was important to me that I send them off in with an important play with an important message. They've been keeping me updated throughout their rehearsal process, while also keeping many of their choices a surprise/mystery, but from what I can tell so far, they are all very committed to making it the very best it can be. I'm so proud of these students and know they will do a great job. Then on Saturday afternoon, at 1pm, Arcola High School is presenting Teachers on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I have yet to see this play with an audience, but it has quickly become my most popular play this year, so I'm really looking forward to sitting back and (hopefully) watching the sparks fly. It's one of my sillier plays, and Arcola did a phenomenal job with another of my goofy plays a couple of years back (Note to Self), so I'm sure it will be a hoot! The other plays being presented are: The Moustache (Lampman), Hairball (Lampman), Dog Fleet (Oxbow), How to Kiss a Girl (Oxbow), Miss Beth (Redvers), 27 Reasons Not to Be in a Play (Moosomin). Region 1 is another region that consistently has strong productions (Lampman's excellent showing of Boy Meets Girl was runner-up to best production at Provincials last year), so I'm geared up for another excellent roster of plays this time around.

Naturally, the very best part of traveling back to Saskatchewan is getting to reconnect with so many of my friends and family. While I love living in Toronto and all it has to offer, there is nothing quite like coming home and feeling the safety that comes from knowing exactly where you are and how it shaped the person you've become. My family means the world to me and I'm most looking forward to spending time with them and sharing the experience of my plays together. I'm so proud of what I do for a living and I hope by seeing my plays they will realize what a huge impact they've had on me since the day I was born. A writer writes about what inspires them, and my family inspires me, so I hope they see pieces of themselves, and the influence they've had on my life, up there on the stage.

Check back for updates as the next 10 days unfold!

Now Published: SELFIE

Earlier this year, The Oxford Dictionary named "selfie" as Word of the Year.

selfie

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛlfi 

(also selfy)

noun (plural selfies)

• informal A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website: occasional selfies are acceptable, but posting a new picture of yourself every day isn’t necessary

Spending so much time working on plays with teenagers, I could not help but notice how they would whip out their cameras and phones whenever they had the opportunity to snap a picture to document their day. This inspired me to write the play Selfie, which is now published by Playscripts, Inc.

Synopsis: It's senior year and problems are mounting for a group of high school students as they prepare for the future. Facing bullies, parents, pressure, sickness, and their own self-judgment, the characters search for ways to stand out. As they document their year, one click at a time, they come to realize life is not about what other people see -- it's about the pictures they have of themselves.

Cast: 3 females, 1 males, 4 either. Easily expandable.

Set: Bare stage, with a large screen, upon which photographs are projected.

Running Time: 30 – 35 minutes. 

I could not have written this play without the support, inspiration, and encouragement of the students and teachers from Gordon F. Kells High School in Carlyle, Saskatchewan. Directors Darcy Howe and Kevin Dyck have produced 7 of my plays in as many years and they always add to my work far more than I ever could have accomplished without them. The same is true of Selfie and I am so proud, not to mention honored, to have developed such a strong partnership over the years. It is truly a match made in heaven -- they take my words and elevate them, every time -- and one that I hope continues for a long time to come. Their talent and creativity means more to me than they know.

World Premiere Cast of "Selfie" / Gordon F. Kells High School

To read a free preview of the play, or to request a complete script, click HERE.