YNA & DDG & PTM

Just catching my breath after this year’s FronteraFest. Feeling happy and honored (and lucky, really) to have had two pieces in the final week.

Your Neighborhood Association (YNA) was smooth and well-oiled and everyone (Lana, David, Roxy, Jenn and James) was so professional and easy. A real dream (even if it the play itself ends with a meteor taking out the planet and a peacock hurled down a hallway).

Duck, Duck, Goose (DDG) was an intense and surprising experience, which I didn’t think would actually come together in the end.  We ended up having three different people play the goose over the course of about a week, with Nhaila finally ending up in the role with less than 24 hours to get it together. She was brilliant, and I can’t quite believe it worked out, especially with that dancing stuff.

Everyone involved from the start (Noah, Hannah, Martha, Cassadie, Suzanne and Nhaila) was really wonderful, and the fact that we were able to get the show up repeatedly is a real testament to everyone’s commitment and flexibility in the face of sometimes very painful personal circumstances. I’m so grateful to all of them for making it work.

(and if this Peacock show comes together, I’m hoping we can maybe do it one more time there)

I’ve had this idea that I’ve wanted to do for a while, Pong: the Musical (PTM). It makes my kids laugh (good sign #1) and I’d like to see if I can get it together for next year’s festival.

It’s hard to imagine writing anything these days which doesn’t have political overtones, so maybe there’s symbolism in the chasm between the Pong characters representing a wall (Mexico & US? Israel & Palestine?). And then what does the ball represent? Hope?

See where it goes.

Boing-boing.