 It's five o'clock. It's time for I don't know what I'm clicking on things. It's time for watch me work. We do this I'm putting something in the chat again the thing about my band it's up it's time for watch me work. And we are here as we are most Mondays I hope you enjoyed your president's day. I'm SLP Susanary Parks and we are helped to bring this to you by the public theater love to the public theater love to how around we started this enterprise about 1415 years ago when I started doing these classes. I first added a little theater and then brought it into the lobby of the public theater, and we've been sitting around talking shop with people ever since, and it's a lot of fun. So what we do is what we do every week we work together for 20 minutes. And then we take questions I take questions from you about your work and your creative process and while we don't have the time to for you to read your work or show us your great piece of choreography that you've been working on or whatever. We do have plenty of time to talk shop and talk about creative process, and the folks in the new work development department, say hey people and you're going to tell them how to get in touch so introduce yourselves. You want to go first Taylor. Hey everyone my name is Haley I'm currently a fellow at the new work development with the Miranda family. Yes, and hi everyone. My name is I'm with the remnant I'm the director of new work development at the public. So happy to be with all of you and SLP. So after our 20 minutes, and when we go into our questions, we will ask you to raise your hand using the raise your hand function. Or if it's not working for you you can just raise your physical hand and we'll see you, and then we'll ask you to unmute and share your question with us. Okay. Thanks Haley thanks I'm with that and we are going to start the 20 minute timer here we go. All right, all right. That means that the 20 minutes of work together has lapsed. We're now going to take your questions about your work and your creative process so as new work development folks said if you've got a question raise your hand in the raise your hand section or just wave your hand and we will, we will allow you to unmute yourselves. Yay. Welcome back some people we saw last week and we can look for that. So we're going to start with crystal crystal please unmute yourself. How are you doing. Where are you. It's pretty. I'm in North Carolina. So, which is where my play takes place. So, yeah, it's been really great. It's been really helpful in its own right. But it, hi. Hi. Okay, so maybe I should not have done this. I'm still working on my, my play that is coming along or was coming along. I started doing some research. And I realized that the events of my I finished the first act, but the second act. I'm halfway through, but halfway through. I was like, I don't know if this could happen. If it's accurate enough. And so I didn't erase it, but it made me wonder. I started writing a little bit more like today. It's like something else and it's like, you know, what am I doing, you know. So I guess my question is like, now that I have been kind of opened Pandora's box a little bit on the research part. Can I still keep going with what I had. Do I just finish it. Or do I honor some of the new knowledge and figure out how to, I guess, start over with my second act. This is the million dollar question that we answer for free. What do you what do you want to do crystal it's it's it's your play and you know more about it than any of us on this call so what do you want to do. That's a good question. It's I don't I honestly don't know I feel very torn by it because, you know, I want it. I want to just write a good story, you know, I want to just write a good play. And, and I, I, I thought what I had was good, but I, but I questioned, if like literally if when I have to present it, if just droves of people would be like, that's not realistic that's inaccurate that can't happen. And you think of the timeline and women and how women were treated then and all of this. So I literally I'm like, do I just literally do my discipline of imagination and just try to imagine something else and, you know, for the sake of trying to be the sake of honoring the story of these two people who are actual people or they made up. They're made up people. And when do you have to present it to somebody in May. Do you have to. I do. Why. Because I, I committed. Huh. Yeah, they're going to throw you know I mean they're going to throw you into I mean what are the consequences of just writing it and then not presenting it to these people and showing them something else. I don't have anything else. So write it and write it and show it to them. And, and, and write a disclaimer over the top of it and just say, you know, historical accuracy will come in next draft. How about that. Mm hmm. Because, you know, Yeah, Pandora, you open the box and I have to deal with it and you have deadlines and so you have to, you know, either either write it or don't. I mean, it's I mean it, you know, You have to make that decision. It's your work. You have to make that decision. You have to decide whether you're going to write something that's so historically accurate that you say droves of people will come out and I don't know what they'll do those. They'll wag their fingers at you or they'll say, hey, Crystal, you have to rewrite this because it's not historically accurate. I mean, you know, you're going to, you're going to, you know, it's not life and death. It's just a play, right? It's just a piece of art, right? Yeah. I mean, it's it's simple, but it's not, it's not, you have to, we have to just think of it like, if you rewrite it, number one, there's one way to rewrite it, you can start over and rewrite it based on the information you have. Or you can keep writing like you have and write a disclaimer of the top. I know there are some huge historical inaccuracies in this. I have not I will have, I hope to rewrite it and have a chance to rewrite it in the coming months. And you acknowledge to the committee or whoever is going to be reading it that you know that's not what you hope. And that's what is called a second draft. Either or your choice. I mean, this is, you know, on a very, you know, low stakes level in a way, if you will, this is, you know, your right to choose. This is what it is. So you can choose rewrite it from the beginning or put a disclaimer on it and finish it. Okay. You know, you know, it's your choice. Yeah. Or you're going to take it out in the backyard and burn it and run away and never write it again. I mean, there's that's a third choice. Huh. You know what I mean? Yeah. It happens all the time. It's a something, but it's what happens when you do research and you find out that things bother you and then you're bothered by them and either you're bothered by them or you're not bothered by them. And if you're bothered by them, then you need to do something about it. Okay. I mean, they lack the, when I said a couple of weeks ago, just go ahead and write it. You were talking about accent and dialect and things like that. And you were talking about, I don't know everything. And I'm just going to write it. Well, halfway through you started to know more. You know. Yeah. It's okay. You know, it's just a play. Right. It's just a piece of creative writing. It's just a piece of creative writing. It's, you know, hopefully, I mean, I don't know the situation, but hopefully lives are not hanging in the balance. Like, you know, right? I mean, I really hope not. And if there are, then, you know, let's, let's get some professional help who could help us with that. I'm not that person to get professional psychological help if lives are hanging in the balance. I just want to offer that disclaimer. I'm not saying that I am that person. Okay, we're just talking about what happens when we don't know which way to go and this has happened to you in your work more than once. So this is a pattern that you need to look at it like going full speed ahead and then, oh my God, I put the brakes on for reasons, you know, for many different reasons. So, you know, yeah, you know, I would, you know, I would finish it and write the disclaimer. And then hopefully they'll give you a chance to rewrite it. You know, if you have, if you have time to do that, or hopefully you'll get a chance to rewrite it before, before the due date. Yeah. Okay. Sorry to complain. You're not complaining, you're asking for advice and I'm sitting here giving it to you. It's just, it's difficult not knowing all the specifics, you know, I haven't read the play. I don't know the specifics and, you know, unfortunately we don't have that kind of band with in this offering to do that kind of work. Yeah, so we're just encouraged to continue. I just want you to continue to do your work, you know, and I want you to continue, which either way. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Okay, thank you. Okay, thank you. Next Sharon, if you could unmute yourself. Hi, hi, hi SLP. Sharon. Hi, you gave me some great advice a few weeks ago so I'm back. Great. And it's my questions a bit broad. I have a few projects that cause me anxiety, my creative process has started to cause me a lot of anxiety because the last bunch of years it's been connected to my income. And I spend a lot of time applying for grants and trying to get funding and pitching and all this stuff. And I have a few projects that are in process, but I'm a bit stuck on them, and I have this. The next month I have a studio space which I haven't had in a while that I can go to and work and it's a nice big empty room. And I'm trying to think of what I can do, you know, I'll only be spending an hour or two there in the mornings but what can I do to have a generative place space where I'm just like creating like how how much of a frame to give myself what the frame should be I don't know if you have specific prompts or thoughts on how to come up with my own prompts but how can I like love it. Right, right. Oh, that's congratulations on getting a studio space and that you can go to regularly that's a real blessing that's really great. Is it going to be a studio space is just yours or will other people come and go in and out of it. Just mine and it's a nice big room I really like to even in writing work spatially like have different pieces of paper out and stuff like that so I'll have that. Yeah, oh well great well take I mean take some of your favorite things, you know, and because you can put things in them in the room and leave them there. Okay, great. So, take some of your favorite things and put them around the room so when you walk in every day. It feels like, oh this is my space, right. So if you I mean I like sticking things up on the walls, you know, even with, you know, not nailing anything if it's you know but you glue things I mean not glue tape things on the walls. That's kind of fun pictures you like things like that. In terms of prompts. The best prompts are your mindset. All through the day, starting now, which is going to be say things like. This is a really wonderful time for me to be working. You know, I really have time to focus here. I have so much fun all those positive affirming things you can think of. And every time. Maybe a negative or an anxious thing crosses your mind right just turn your mind toward the positive really worried about money. I know money's going to come. I'm just going to focus on what I love. I can do this, you know, you know, big friend or spirit is in my corner, things like that. Those are the best prompts I know. Just. Yes, go ahead, go ahead. And when you don't, when you're writing outside of a specific story or project and you're just sitting down and you're like, I'm just going to like invent. Do you, are you doing something other than inventing? Do you, do you do that? Like, is there, is there a way that you're guiding your invention process or your, your. How you're knowing what to write. Well, you said you had a couple of different projects already. Is that correct? No, I do. Yeah. So you have projects already. It's true. I guess I feel mad at them. So I'm inclined to just start something else. I said, I'm acquired. Oh my God, that's so painful. You're mad at projects because, because, because they're shy. Maybe they're shy. Yeah, they're shy. Oh, you're going to, how many projects are there like, how many projects? It's a four. Oh, goody. So the first day, take all, I mean, take, I mean, not big trunks of stuff, but take pieces of each one of them and take them to the party and put them around the room and entertain them, spend time with them. If you like candles, and it's not a fire hazard, you know, bring a candle in there, bring some sage, you know, and burn some sage, bring some of your favorite music, have a little like party for them. You know what I mean? Yes. Reacquaint yourself with these dear spirits that came to you, Sharon, they came to you. And they said, please include me. And then they got a little shy and you got a little shy. Now you guys are talking. Befriend them and then one of them, you know, during that party, you know, that mixer, if you will, will emerge as the one who really wants to be the one that you work on. Okay, the warmest one, the one that's most talkative. Okay, so you're going to work on her, you're going to spend all the whole time with this one. And positive mantras, positive self-talk, hypnotize yourself to toward success. Okay. Okay. And really, especially if we sometimes we feel anxious or worried or all that, just, you know, turn up the volume of the good self-talk. It really, really, really works. So it's writing a journal, write positive things in your journal, your prayer notebook, whatever you want to call it, positive things. Okay. Thank you so much. Yeah, have fun. Bye. Bye. Thank you, Sharon. Before we move on to our next question, I'm just going to go through the queue because we have several questions, including in the chat someone who's not able to raise their hand. I'm just going to go through the order and then we're going to go from there. So next up we have Jonathan after that Kimmy D, then Rocky, and then Catherine Gold. So Catherine, I saw your name in the chat so we will go to you afterwards. So Jonathan, please unmute yourself. Hey, Jonathan. That took me a minute. Can you hear me? Hi, you're good. So I was so interested to hear Crystal say I'm in North Carolina where my play is set, because my question is about setting. And how important do you think it is how and how much world building, you know, as playwrights. Do we are we on the hook for you know because like in, in, in other art forms like film and novels and places like that like there's a lot of world building that goes on but then if you look at, you know, like, like Shakespeare, he'll just have a character and, you know, this is the Forest of Arden and like he's done like that's it here we are in the Forest of Arden and then we just go. Because I have a bunch of my plays were set have been set in New York City where I live for a long time and that was sort of effortless and then I have a new one though that set not in New York City and to the play but I don't know how well that sense of place is being brought forward, you know, and I don't know like, should I be trying to do it in stage directions right like writing out long descriptions I think a lot of times other partners may not directors or, you know, other creative partners may not be into my stage directions or my the scene right. So how, how do you think about that and how important is that and what what kinds of where is it that we have those opportunities to do like that kind of world building. That's a great, great question Jonathan and you're right Shakespeare's here we are in the Forest of Arden and that's enough, you know, or the whole thing with Lear and that they were on the promontory and he fell all brilliant brilliant theatrical stories are being told with not a lot of stage directions. I would say, make it real for the character. Like you don't need a big hunker of a stage direction to make it real for a director. I don't feel. Yeah. And oftentimes directors don't like reading them anyway. But I do feel that you need to make it real for the character. For example, if it's a if they're sitting on a front porch, and there's a neighbor lady across the street, who is watching them as they talk. You know, that needs to be real for the characters you understand the same. So we don't need a big stage direction, they sit on the front porch it's a screened in porch blah blah blah blah blah. But if the if there's a neighbor lady across the street watching them that needs to be real for the people who we are watching in the play. I always tell people paint the room furnish the room, even the room that you don't see. So if it's a if it's a play that takes place in a house and you never go into the basement. The characters shouldn't need to know what the basement looks like. You know, or the front yard. Yeah. Because when they look out the window, what are they seeing? You know what I mean? When they look out the front window, what do they see when they look out the back window? What are they looking at? You see what I'm saying? So it needs to be in the mind of the character. And then it will be in the in the play. It will be in the writing of the play, which is much better than put it in the stage direction. And Shakespeare did that a lot. He would put it in the line, the action and the state and the description if necessary in a line like here we are in the forest of Arden. Right. You know, he didn't say the forest of Arden, lots of trees. The character says here we are in the forest of Arden, which is great because you can't set it anywhere else. He's got you. He's a great control freak. We love him. Yeah, that's helpful. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Great question, Matt. Thank you. Thank you, Jonathan. All right. Can you unmute yourself? Hey, Kimmy, how you doing? Hi, SLP. Hi, everybody. Thank you for being here again. I don't know if this is a dumb question because maybe it's just obvious to most people, but could you please explain to me what new development at how round of the public is? I don't know what that means. Oh, new development. Go ahead, folks. Sure. So new work development. It's a department at the public theater. We currently have five of us, including Haley. And we, we support the development of all plays and musicals of the public. So that looks like everything from supporting writers with readings and workshops of their new plays, providing material support, both in those developments as well as for main stage productions. We, we have commissions that we hire writers for to, you know, write about what they want and we support that. We have writers residencies with SLP is a part of one of our residencies, and we support writers over multiple years. So, so yeah, so that's, that's our department. So how do you get involved in something like that? You, right now, you know, I will say, we currently have programs where we are supporting many writers artists in duration. So we don't have any invite openings right now for our programs. The only one that we do have right now that is a open invitation is the emerging writers group, which that information is on our website for application. But when we do, you know, I'd say check our website, we do have a great development page and we'll share updates with you. Okay, thank you. Thanks SLP. Sure. The writer group is such a wonderful group of writers and, and, you know, they, they learn a lot from being in the group in the cohort and really fabulous writers. Thank you so much. I've applied to three schools for playwriting. And I'm just, I mean, I'm doing what you told me to do. I'm trying to hypnotize myself and every time I get nervous, I say something positive. But there's, there's that, but you're 62 and it might not happen. And so I'm still looking for other avenues because I don't want to give up, even if I can't get into school. Great. Well, if you go to school, you're going to be in great company. If you don't go to school, you'll be in the company of those of us who did not. So, you know, you can win both ways. Thank you so much. God, I love you. Okay, thanks. Thank you, Kimmy. Thank you, Kimmy. Rocky, please unmute yourself. Okay. Thanks for the advice last time. I got that film in a good place. So thank you for that. Oh, great. Congratulations. Good for you. Um, okay, so this is kind of like a totally different type of question. I'm going to a gala this week and I'm wondering your advice on chill networking, particularly in a post pandemic world, because like, I wear a lot of hats. I'm like a freelance designer. So I'm like always seeking new work. But also I'm trying to like subtly promote this new documentary as well to a bunch of people I don't know. And I'm also flying solo to the event. So I don't know. And I don't know anyone there. So I'm just wondering if you have any advice on just like chill networking. Oh, gala can be a lot of fun. Is it a sit down gala? Is it like a, is it a, what kind of is it like a cocktail and then an event? What is it? I don't know. Um, that's a good question. It's wonderful to be invited, you know, so it's always fun to go put on a fabulous outfit, right? Something that makes you feel good, that you feel really good in. That's the most important thing, right? Because you want to like look in the mirror and feel like, yeah, this is me. And go there and talk to people. People, in my experience, people love to talk about their work. So you can always ask people what they're up to. And that gives them an opportunity to be heard. And oftentimes when people heard, then they can separate and kind. And wear something that you feel really handsome in, you know, really lovely in and then you'll have a wonderful time. Make sure your phone. Make sure your phone is charged. Yeah. Make sure you got plenty of juice. Thank you, Rocky. Okay, next is going to be Catherine Gold. You could unmute yourself whenever you're ready. And Catherine, I know you've had some trouble with the raise hand function, so we're also try to find you. Oh, are you with us? There you are. There we go. But she's not, she's still muted. Yeah, we've asked to unmute Catherine. So are you able to unmute now? She can't. Huh. Okay, we're clicking the ask to unmute. Okay, I got it. I'm going to turn my light on for that. That's amazing there. Hello, everyone. Hello, SLP. It's lovely to be here. Another great session. So I'm going to ask a little bit of a different question. As one of our dear and revered playwrights, I'm curious to know what's your process in working with the director. So what historically has worked for you? What are your expectations? You know, what in your view are best practice of best practices of writer director collaboration? Right. Oh, Catherine. Question. And I would, I would answer in the watch me work fashion in this show about you. So I'm going to ask you, are you about to start working with a director? I am a director. Our director. Okay. And are you working with a writer? Yes, I work with writers all the time. And some of them are some of them just totally leave it to directors discretion. And the problem with that is that I'm not getting much feedback from the person who conceived this work of art. Our personal style as a director is that I go by the letter of what the player I wrote, because I think they wrote it for a reason, it came for a reason. I try to stay as loyal to the actual text as possible. I am that person who constantly dings people if they miss the lines or if they rewrite the play. Right. As a director, I am very, very interested in your input as to writer and director collaboration and what has worked for you. What do you like? Yeah, well, I would say that different writers like different things. And because I like something doesn't mean that other writers might like it. Some writers like directors to take the lead. Some writers are not as visual as other writers. So I appreciate that you're saying that you really follow the letter of the play because yes, when we write stuff down on paper we usually mean for even if it's the long stage directions that Jonathan is contemplating you know we'd like them to be read and we write them for a reason. Not that they have to be adhered to exactly, but at least a director might offer a question like do you want this to be adhered to exactly, you know. So it's the beginning of a conversation the stage directions, and the lines are also beginning of it's a beginning of a conversation. And if hopefully your writers are present. You know, if they're new plays especially it's great to have the writer in the room. If they're classics and then you know and the writers long passed away, then you have a lot more leeway and freedom about what you might do. But yeah, I like a director just in short I like a director who is willing to listen. But then I like that in all people. Oh yeah that's that I you know willing to listen. Someone who pays attention. I like that in all people, the golden rule gold hey your name is gold you know do unto others, you know give someone who who gives as they would like to be given to. Yes, respect, what I'm learning a lot from a director I'm working with right now, Steve H broad next the third SHB three we call him respect he reminds us that respect is literally means to look again. And I would add to respect rehearsal which means to re here. So someone who's willing to listen. Someone who's willing to look. Someone who pays attention. Someone who has fun. I love the record should know how to have a good time. You know, especially when the work is is is is, you know, a lot. A director who can who can bring levity and joy into the room, even when it's it's it's you know material that's challenging, whether formally or subject matter whatever. That's a real gift real real gift. Sounds like you're a wonderful director Catherine. I appreciate you saying that. I think it's my responsibility as a director to create a safe environment where the actors feel safe in taking risks, exploring in just playing until it. It's formed, you know, playing, playing, practicing, practicing. I remember, I took this Steen study class with Lyle Kessler. And he always told us it's called play for a reason just have fun, play, have fun. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, and that's another thing I do like it in the gaps that I have in my directing, I go and take a scene study class or do Meisner training do something to ground myself in the craft of acting. Because I think that makes a better director out of me to know the craft of acting. Definitely. Wow, sounds great. Thank you for your question. Thank you for taking my question. Thank you. Thanks. Are there any other questions from anyone in the room. And then I know SLP we want to hold the final few minutes for our next week. Okay, we'll just slide into that now. The Watch Me Work suggestion of the week, the suggestion for your digestion is just to realize that creativity is a form of self-care. So when we allow ourselves to do our work, which is why I'm encouraging you to do your work. Because it's not like it's and find ways to continue to do your work. And a lot of times whether it's I don't have all the historical facts right or I don't have a workspace that's perfect or my kid likes to come in here and talk to me, my kid likes to come here and talk to me while I'm writing or whatever. Conditions don't have to be perfect. I constantly encourage you to get your work done and to give yourself affirmations positive affirmations so that you can get your work done because creativity, allowing yourself to engage in the creative act is a form of self-care. And there are lots of forms of self-care out there. This is just one of them. But this is kind of a great one and it's kind of free. Yeah, yeah, anyway, so that's the suggestion for your digestion for this week and our announcement. So we promised last year that we'd have some special guests. And we've got a whole bunch of people who want to be our special guests on the show and so we have our first special guest of 2024 coming. When I'm with on the fourth of March, on the fourth of March. And it's, oh my God, it's out of the box out of this world. It's Neil deGrasse Tyson. Oh, Neil deGrasse Tyson's a brilliant mind, brilliant scientist and also a brilliant writer and a brilliant creative soul. And he's going to be with us on Watch Me Work talking about creativity, talking about his work, but also talking about the creative process and all those good things. And we're just thrilled Newark Development has organized his, his, his participation with us. So we're just really, really happy that he'll be on next week. Anything else I'm with that I'm forgetting to just not forgetting I just thank you SLP and just also want to amplify. Please continue to spread the word and come back and see us on Watch Me Work. It's been so wonderful to start the year off with such a robust group that keeps on growing and multiplying. We love that. So please come back. Please spread the word and we're thrilled to see you next week. Yeah. And even if you don't have any specific questions for Neil deGrasse Tyson, if you just want to work in his presence, which I know I do. I just want to vibe with him as he's working. I want to be working. And it, you know, his courage is contagious. His brilliance is contagious. And I want to catch some of it. He said the other day like we are actually stardust. We are actually stardust. And I'm like, yes, we are stardust. So it's not just lyrics in a joining Mitchell song. It's true. So come on to Watch Me Work, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your neighbors. We're going to be doing it next week with Neil. So come on down. Okay. And yeah, it's like practically six o'clock. Yeah, look at us. Look at us at that time. Thank you all. Thank you for the last Watch Me Work of February for being with us. See you again soon.