 I don't know who the hell this person is that I've invited. Of course, I know Hagen Bryce, but most of you may not know who he is. I discovered Hagen through like most playwrights because I get asked to read a lot of applications for fellowships from, you know, various organizations like U-Harmony, and the Playwright Center, which is how I got to know Hagen's work. And I really loved it. So I met Hagen through their work and I was, as I was thinking about this series and wanting to, you know, pollinate it with a cross section of Latinx artists, and really thinking about the intersectionality and cross section of Latinidad and bringing in everyone from Afro Latinx to white Latinx to folks who we may not even like on, you know, on the surface know that they might be Latinx. You know, we call them stuff, Latinos. And so I said, I'm going to invite Hagen because I don't know him, but I want to know more about him because I loved his statement, I loved his work. And so I'm happy to bring in the first playwright from the state of Pennsylvania, not including me. I'm in Pittsburgh and Hagen is calling us from Philadelphia, so welcome Hagen Bryce Walker. Thank you. Thank you. So today I thought that we would talk a little bit. I've been watching these, I'm so happy to be here. And I've been watching them to kind of think about what I was going to talk to you guys about. And I think what we're going to talk a little bit about today is artistic statements and really trying to find our artistic voice, which is a huge component of playwriting that I feel like we usually skirt around and don't really talk about. So what we're going to get into today, if you're someone who is not a playwright, you can use this to work on your artistic statement for whatever that art thing that you do is or you aspire to do. And I think it'll be helpful. So I'll tell you guys a little bit about me first because as I was saying before you guys join and like they these people have had like famous people on here like Jose Rivera and yours are probably like who the fuck is Hagen Bryce Walker. A little bit about me. I'm definitely an early career playwright so I will start I reject the term emerging, because like if Lauren Gunderson can win an emerging playwright award I'm not in that category so I'm going to say I'm early career that is where I am. I'm a half Puerto Rican half white trash kid that grew up in the swamps of Virginia. My parents are professional bodybuilders so growing up things were strange for me. So I came to Philadelphia for college and in Philly, I run a small theater company with my collaborator Elena DeMonaco, and together we do late night BYOB horror friend shows that we self produced. So at the end of you guys have any questions about like self production or anything like that. I'm happy to answer any of those questions. And then from Philadelphia as you guys heard, I got a many voices fellowship at the playwright center. So I spent a year at the playwright center in Minnesota and it was very, very cold, very, very, very cold. So I escaped Minnesota after my fellowship year and I came back to Philly. And now I am a I 73 playwright with page 73, and I'm spending a year in Nashville as part of their ingrown new works program. So also any questions about any of these organizations or programs I can like answer those things at the end as well. So just a little bit about me. I will tell you guys I always describe my work in the same way so the way I describe it is my plays are like if beloved streetcar named desire Texas chainsaw massacre and mean girls got shit faced at a buffalo Wild Wings happy hour, and then they stayed into the neighborhood bath house while belting the soundtrack of in the Heights. That's like my work in a nutshell to me. That's the way I describe it to people when they asked. So that's kind of what I work with any questions about like genre camp, I can help you guys maybe with that stuff at the end to So you guys are going to need a pen and a paper and we'll get started. So the first thing we're going to do is just a little writing warm up. And the writing warm up is going to be intrinsically connected to when we go through the artistic statement. So the two things will kind of speak to each other. So the warm up that I have graciously borrowed from the amazing L Feldman who's another Philadelphia playwright. So check out her work as well. But this is the warm up so I'll give you guys each of the things today we're going to kind of rush through so there are time for questions at the end, but you guys can always of course go back to these things and I'll give my email and everything in case there's any follow up questions that you may have. Okay, so for our writing warm up. The first thing we're going to do is I'm going to give you four different things and I just want you to write for about a minute for each one. Kind of like the first thing that pops into your mind about it. So the first one is the stuff I'm hungriest to write a play about is and I'll give you guys a minute to jot that down. Okay, so the next one is to the thing I'd be most afraid to write a play about is the thing I'd be most afraid to write a play about is the number three. If I think globally, the thing I'd really like to wrestle with is if I think globally the thing I'd like to really wrestle with is. Number four is an incomplete list of all the questions I have not voiced an incomplete list of all the questions I have not voiced. Great. So these four things are kind of what I like to think of as the wells. So these are like the wells in which you write or create from. I find it good to kind of do this every now and again to kind of go back and see where you're feeling in the world, and kind of if you're looking for inspiration. This is a good like warm up place to kind of free your brain and maybe find some stuff from there. So that warm up is directly connected to our artistic statement exercise that we'll be doing today. So usually I feel like artistic statements are the thing that nobody ever wants to talk about when it comes to playwriting it's the thing that we all kind of avoid. So if our goal is to get productions as playwrights, which a lot of us that is part of our goal. One of the ways to get productions is through residencies, fancy writing groups, or fancy MFA programs like there's like, that's it there's like pipelines from these organizations that help people get productions. And the thing that these things have in common is they always require a statement. And I think a lot of times people take the statement for granted. You think oh I wrote like a bomb ass play like that's going to be enough. But most of the time these organizations and programs are selecting playwrights they're not selecting plays. And that's just something to keep in the back of your mind. Usually when you make it up to like the finalist round of something your statement becomes just as important as the quality of your play. So you really need to have a kick ass statement. I also think that a huge part of finding your play is really about discovering who you are. That's like a huge part of the play who you are in this moment and obviously who you are can change. Your statements are really helpful in unlocking that somebody also once told me that a mentor of mine that people are going to put you into a box, and instead of trying to avoid that to just decorate the fuck out of your box. So I that has been really helpful to me to like not to avoid like, you know, critics and stuff are going to put you in this box, but instead of trying to be like, I don't want a box just decorate the shit out of your box and I think a way to decorate your box is really through artistic statements. I one last thing before we get started I'll say is that I've been doing a lot of like theater generals recently with organizations and the two things that they always ask you are. Tell me who you are as a writer, and what are you working on they always want to know that and playwrights hate that fucking question what are you working on and tell me about yourself as a writer we all hate it. But you have to answer it so I hope that this is helpful in unlocking some of that for you guys. Okay, so I think an artistic statement of good artistic statement has four components and like I said we're going to kind of blow through this and you guys can go back after we're done. That way, we have time for questions at the end, but the first component of any artistic statement is biography. The first thing that I want you guys to do is I want you to write down three biographical truths about yourself. And this is really about you it's not about your work at all so don't think about I'm like, for example like my my play this one this it's not that kind of biography right it's really like your biographical truths which will illuminate your work, but not troops specifically referencing your work. Okay, so three of those first. So once you have your biographical troops, the next one is three interesting biographical facts. So like the more juicy the more interesting, the better. We don't need all your skeletons in your closet but like maybe throw us one skeleton in your closet in this interesting fact. This is the part where we're really going to start to sense the scope of your work a little bit. Okay, and now answer the moment I became a writer, like what was the thing that made you a writer, what was that moment that you feel like. Okay, boom, now I'm a writer the thing that made you want to write what is that biographical moment. Okay, great. So that is the first kind of component, and we're now we're going to move into the second component of an artistic statement so we've got some stuff on biography down. Our second is influence. So I'm going to give you guys a couple minutes I'll give you guys like two minutes and I want you and this will honestly probably take longer than this, but I want you to think about what I call your artistic genealogy. So these are the artists and pieces that make up the DNA of everything that you create. So, think of plays, songs, films, prose, painting, sculpture, poetry, or bodies of work, like if someone's full like cannon really resonates with you, you can put that down to and be selective so just liking something isn't enough for it to be artistic genealogy it has to live and breathe and contextualize who you are in the world through the context of someone else. So if you just like Beyonce like I love her but she's not my artistic genealogy. Okay, that makes sense. So you guys like two minutes for that. And now, once you've had who those people and things are that make up your artistic genealogy. Go through each one and give a why. So, if you put like mean girls on your artistic genealogy and the why is dialogue, you would put that, or if the characters in this really like whatever the meaning is the texture of this like put the why of each moment in your artistic genealogy. Cool. Okay, so for the third part of artistic statements, we're going to talk about your specific play worlds. So the world that you build when you write. That's what we're going to dive into next. So really think about who you are as a writer and the plays you've created or the plays you know you want to create is fine too. And we have, I have five questions that I want you to think of. So the first one is I write plays that I write plays that the second one is my characters. And I'll give you guys time to go back and think about these. So two is my characters. Three is my audience dot dot dot. And that can be like who you want your audience to be made up of what your audience was going to feel like any of that works for that. These are really open ended. The fourth one is my plays are filled with and this is a chance for you to give a little inventory. So my plays are filled with and pick out like all the good interesting stuff. If they're filled with living rooms, maybe don't include that maybe pick something else that are in your place. And then five is my plays are and for this one, I challenge you to come up with a metaphor or a simile, right, that represent your place. So my plays are and then some sort of like a poetic moment, if you will, about your plays. So those are the five questions about your play world. So I'll give you like two minutes to kind of ruminate in those and think great. Okay, so now we're going to move into the fourth part of artistic statement, which is your commitments. Okay, so the first thing is we're going to talk, we're going to start by talking about times that you got really mad in the theater. So the first one is I want you to think of a time that you left to play mad as shit because the play was so good. The playwright did such a good job that you were like I fucking quit like I will never write a play that good. I quit I'm dropping my pens. I'm disabled on Microsoft Word account. It's a rat. Whatever that whatever that experience is right what that moment or what that play was for you. And then tell why, like what did the play do that was so amazing. What did the playwright do and their play that was so amazing that made you feel that way. Okay, so now on the flip side of that. What time a play was so bad, and not because of the production because of the play. It was so bad that you wish the dramatist guild would come arrest the playwright. What play was that you were like yo the dramatist guild needs to come in here storm this place and take this person away. And why was it so bad. And then using all of this. Using all of this come up with your big three, what I call your big three. And these are like your commitments essentially to your audience to your collaborators, and they can be things as simple as like theatricality can be one, or you can do like, I'm like, like Latinx stories, right, or genre can be one it can be any number of things for your big three commitments, and then beside each one of your big three just jot a little note as to like what that means. Okay, so that's kind of a breeze through what I think the components of a great artistic statement are so you have biography influence. A little bit about your play worlds. And then lastly like what your commitments are essentially to the world to the audience to your collaborators. The last part of this which is the part that I implore you to do on your own after this is to obviously organize it in a way that makes sense, but really think about what the voice of your statement is. So the voice that you write your statement in should also be reflective of your body of work should be reflective of the play that you submitted with the statement. So that when people read the statement that it's like a preview of what they're going to get in the play. I think that literally you should think about everything on the statement so like you should think about your font, your formatting, the blank space on the page, all of that stuff matters. And then of course if you're doing an artistic statement that's part of like a statement of intent for an organization. They're going to want all of this plus like they're going to want you to obviously talk about their organization and why you need the fellowship or whatever. I would encourage you that during that just continue continue your voice throughout that. Because like I said previously that these organizations are really selecting people, not just plays they want my good playwrights to be in a room with. And this is really an opportunity for you to start a conversation with an organization, or even if it's an artistic statement that's on play exchange right. It's an opportunity for you to start a conversation with all of the people that are going to encounter your work on there. So yeah I think that that's kind of my exercise on artistic statement so I will leave it to you guys to finish that up if you so choose and if you have any other questions about it you can of course email me. Fantastic, should we take some questions. Yeah, let's do it. Welcome back everybody feel free again to turn on your. Your cameras if you'd like to join the conversation. If you have a question go ahead and hit that raise hand button again you can find that down at the participants tab. You click that participants button it should come up with a little blue hand if you don't see the blue hand there's little dot dot dot you click the dot dot dot, then you should see the blue hand. And it works to pass them over in the chat. So first question we have is from Sean Sean you are unmuted. Hey buddy. Oh hi. So my question is, for anyone that knows your work. They know that your titles are pretty fantastic. So, can you talk about your title creating process. Yeah, I actually I think that my, I feel like my title creating process is similar kind of to what we just worked through. I think that it's really about building and establishing a brand, which is kind of what artistic statements are. So the first thing is a title is a promise to an audience right so that's number one, like a streetcar named desire, there better be a fucking streetcar and there better be some desire or like we're not going to be into the play right. Well I think that like, first is like you it's really about a promise to your audience long days journey and tonight as a fucking long ass play and when we end it is going to be nighttime right. So I think that like really thinking about that is first. The second thing is I think the title really needs to speak thematically and tonally to what the play is. So if you're writing like I write like a lot of like really like crazy kind of can't be horror plays. I feel like that crazy can't be horror needs to be in the title. And then the last thing is, I think that making a really fantastic title is the first thing the audience potential audience is going to see in regards to your work. So really making sure it's something that has a grab to the title, I think it's like really, really important. That's awesome. Wonderful. That's awesome. I'm not seeing any other questions feel free to to toss them in the chat. If you're not figuring out la look you have a question. I do. Why did you start your own theater company. Because nobody in Philadelphia will produce me I'm kidding. I'm actually I'm not kidding. No, I believe I would believe that actually. It's starting your own theater company is that is like it's a true bitch to do that like it's really hard. It's financially draining. I don't really have like a funding model right it's like crowd sourced all that stuff. So I think that part of it was me really leaning into this idea that every play is a hypothesis. And in order to test said hypothesis. It's really about getting the play up on its feet and getting the thing moving. I sort of recognize that like there are parts of my plays that are like, you know, like potentially challenging like, okay, great, these were wolves are going to eat each other out and then have sex right like theaters are like, the will must not like a werewolf, eat each other out play like that's not happening. Shocking I know. So a part of it was like, great. Okay, so what the hell am I going to do and, you know, really finding your people is another thing that's like really important. So I think that finding your collaborators is a huge part of this. So I was able to really find a core squad of collaborators here in Philly that really understand the work and understand how to help the work grow, which is so important. And in doing that, I think we sort of accidentally started a theater company like it started off as like, Oh, we'll do a friend show. And then it was like, oh shit, now we've done like five. It's like a thing. So it started off by accident, but it was really just to kind of get the work up, get it out into the world, because you don't really know if it's working unless it's, you know, as realized as you can make it. So yeah. I have a little bit of a, this is sort of a logistical question if I can jump in. I'm wondering if you can expand on what the like the three biographical truths and the three interesting biographical facts of like what the distinction is there and like how those tie into the statement. I think like, for example, like a biographical truth to me is like, I'm queer, like that's like a, that's like a truth like I'm queer. I was raised in the south, like these are like truths. But to me, like an interesting fact is like, my parents were professional bodybuilders my, you know, I, what's another good like interesting one about me, I have two boyfriends like whatever right like whatever the interesting. I think that the biographical fact is really about establishing and just grounding yourself. And a lot of that is about like identity and just like base level kind of surface. I think the interesting fact really ties back into who you are as a writer. So for example, like I think that my thing with, you know, being raised by like two conservative bodybuilding parents. That speaks to like the displacement in my play worlds. So then it's like you start to connect between like, Oh, this interesting truth to like, Oh, now in the play worlds, we're talking about like displacement, and we're talking about the conservatives out and we're talking about that and then you start to draw connections between like who the person is to who the work is. All right, thank you. Yeah. Next up we have Sean is back you are unmuted. Yeah, I got I got another kind of series of questions about what you're talking about about finding your people. So I mean, the first question is, how important do you feel it is for a playwright to have a not not a director to that directs only all their plays but like a core director collaborator. The second part of that is, what was it about Elena that you knew they were your person. And is there ever any temptation for you to direct your own work. Okay, so direct my own work. Absolutely not that that is and I have met playwrights who are so good. My friend Morgan bull like she'll only direct her own work and like she. It's that's a great skill set to have. I don't have that I'm not like a multi hyphenate artist like a lot of people are like I'm a playwright and a producer and it like it stops there for me. So for me, no, I do think it's great that playwrights can direct their own work that's just not in particularly in my skill set. So I think that it is really important, finding your director is a lot like dating, or like finding like a hairstylist I feel like those things are like like right like you have to like see a lot of people before you find the person that does your work. So you have to like date a lot of people to find like the person or persons that work for you. So I think that really it's about having a similar and a shared vocabulary. So one thing that made me and Elena really great was that we went to the same art school together. So we had a vocabulary right there together like a shared vocabulary that her and I already had going into collaboration. So I think any sort of shared vocabulary is helpful in finding that. And I think that the other thing is she her perspective is different from mine and that she's like a queer woman. So I think that finding a person who is different from you, and as many ways as possible is actually really helpful in the relationship. And that means that the notes that they're giving and the perspective that they're seeing the work through is through a different lens. So during Wolfcrash for example she was like yo you're writing these lesbians like they're gay boys and like this is not how lesbians like this is not how this works and I was like, I'm not a lesbian so please tell me how that works. I'm someone who is like in your core that's able to push you, but also is someone who is different from you is super helpful. Awesome. So, next up we have Issa, you are unmuted. So my question, I'm only starting out as a playwright. I'm an actor, first and foremost, but it's about like finding your artistic voice and specifying it. As I was doing this exercise, I feel like I just have an amalgamation of a bunch of different things that I want to do, both as a playwright and an actor like in every sense of my artistic life. So like narrowing down and specifying what it is I do. Does that make sense? Yeah, I think that you don't have you don't have to only do one thing right like you can like write about a lot of different things and you can of course like want to explore a lot of different terrain when you write I think that that is like super super helpful. I do think that really it's about what story do you need to tell like right now, right? And I think that these artistic statements can change like a lot. That is something to note like I don't think you write an artistic statement one time and then you're like I'm done. So what is important to you right now? Like what right now must you tell? And I always think about it as like what do you need to tell that literally like if you won't tell it like you will die right like the stakes have to be as high for you as an artist in order to like I think produce like what the best work is. I also think it's helpful with the artistic genealogy part of this exercise is to do that for every play you write sometimes that's helpful to be like okay great I'm writing this play. And in this play the things the truths that run through this play are these things I think that can be really helpful. And that can also like limit you from thinking like this is like my personal like I have to adhere to this like thing. Yeah, so yeah I hope that's helpful. It is thank you. Yeah. So, next up what we have Herbert, Herbert you are unmuted. I thank you for this. I really enjoyed this, the genealogy of the artistic statement because, you know I've been around as you guys know, and I've noticed you know the guy who writes political Latino satire but, but it's, what does that mean right I like how do you get with your artistic statement because nobody really knows me, they know my work, but you know no one knows the fact that my parents are from El Salvador, you know, that has influence. I was born in San Francisco, not LA. So you're saying it where you're born is very, you know, it tells what you're what you're about, you know, the fact that I grew up on content plus and money python, you know, these are interesting facts that have influenced my work and people don't know this see. So, I've been using an artistic statement that has been faulty I think all these years, written by other people, how they see me, instead of be putting in what I think people should know about me. So thank you very much it was really, really, really helpful. Thank you. But I'm glad. Beautiful thank you. Next up we have Justin, Justin you are unmuted. Oh, hi. Hi. The artistic genealogy thing was also really great. I was listening down the things that I can inspire or, or kind of make up what's in here. I was like Jesus Christ this is a wide swathe of things. I'm having some trouble with the, the, my big three, like I don't. I don't know. It's good. I don't, I don't even know what I'm trying to really say with this. Um, so the big three is like what you want to do with your work. I think that the big three are promises to yourself and also promises to your audience. So like what are the three things that like, and once again this is something like to ease this point this is something that can change a lot. Like for me, I think right now, my big three and thinking about like what I'm writing. One of them is gay sex on stage. That's one of my big three. My big three right now is camp and like playing with elements of camp. And then one of my big three right now is making sure that queer millennials of color are playing queer millennials of color. So that right now is my big three and next week or next month it could change to be something else. I think that they are just the things that you are promising to yourself, your audience, your collaborators about like what your work is made up in that moment and that can change. All right, thank you. Also guys, I found out through this that Justin is like my cousin and we like just connected so hello cousin Justin. Second cousins or something. Yeah, but I'm like, never really met so bizarre. Really? Oh my God. Yeah. Yeah, small world. Well, I'm glad that that a family collect connection was made on the Super Friends. That's amazing. We write plays and we bring families together. So, Hey, again, what, what brings you joy in the time of the pandemic? What's giving you a, you know, relief from all the, you know, all the bad news, all the stuff. I've been drinking a lot. I actually have been able to write a little bit which I know a lot of people I feel like I've been fortunate in that a lot of people have not been able to write during this time which I completely respect and I think that if you want to, you can't write or do anything that's good for you like take the time. But I feel like I've always given myself a lot of excuses as to why I don't have time to write, and they all revolve around like working a shitty like retail management day job with like hours that don't, you know, I don't have a set schedule. I've been trying to put off writing and I feel like I have no excuse for that being furloughed so I've been trying to kick myself in the ass and like really write some stuff. So that's kind of what's been just filling me alcohol and like writing. Well, you know, one of the reasons why I sort of consider this our writing time. So all of you, this is writing time, even if we're just talking. Yeah, I feel like anything can feed into the writing process whatever you're going to do, whether it's reading, watching, bingeing a show or whatever but you know, the fact that we're all here together and we're all interested in people's processes and and and being open about, you know, what what's what what we can do to better ourselves as creators is totally was the whole purpose behind this I see we have another. Yeah, we do. About 10 minutes left, I think. Perfect. I'm definitely on the I haven't felt very independently inspired but having these sessions is really kept me kept me honest. We have a question from Lynette you are unmuted. Thank you for that exercise it was super helpful as everybody else mentioned already. I have a question about towards the end you spoke about voice and how it should be reflective of the body of work and to think about all the elements that compose that compose the text from like the font to. Even like the tone and all of that and so I just did a graduate program so I'm just like in this mode of like everything needs to follow this format. And there's no double space after a period and you know, everything is just so prescribed so you know I would have otherwise approached an artist statement in the same way right like it has to have this and has to have that so. I want to share a little bit about just how much leeway you have to be like creative and then just some things that like okay no you you have to do this, you know, it's necessary. I think that it's important to know, depending on what the artist statement is for so like for example if your artist statement is just going on new play exchange like you can do whatever you want with that right like that's like you're on a personal website like you can literally have all the freedom in the world it can be as a list, it can be like there can be so many components to that. I think that you do have a lot of leeway when you're doing submissions and stuff it just what's most important is that you answer all the questions that they ask for, and they're pretty much all asking for the same kind of thing that you really hit their points. And the other thing is you want to research the organization and really see who you're speaking to. So not only is it what's important in like the organization as a whole, but if it's an organization in which the artistic director is the person who is selecting materials, also like looking who the hell that person is what are they into that will also give you some guidance I think there's a lot of organizations playwright center included in like new dramatist where it's a rotating panel. So you never know who's going to read your shit. And I think that that is super freeing, because that means that you can, I think you can do like whatever you want with your artist statement as long as you're answering all of the questions, and that it makes sense. So, something that to be careful of, if the best play you've ever written that you're submitting is like a year old, let's say hypothetically but it's like you think it's the play that's the best representation of your work. And you're writing an artist statement that's current. Sometimes what happens is you the things that you're caring about now are not what you cared about a year ago, even though that play is the best sample of your work. So you might have to work a little bit extra to do a bridge there to really make sure that what's in that statement make sense with the work. If you are talking about in the statement how you're really interested in like experimenting with the form and really like, you know, breaking the fourth wall, and your submission is a living room play. That's going to be jarring to readers like that might be confusing. So I think that's the big thing to kind of keep in mind but I think you actually have a lot of leeway and you should just go. Wonderful. Next up we have Emma well you are unmuted. Hi. Can you hear me. Yes. Okay. Thank you so much it was extremely helpful and very clear and brilliant. I have two questions that one is, when do you feel like you're ready to ask other people to come into try your stuff out. So I have a thing of like not wanting to waste people's time. So at one point, like you need to test out your play to see if it works, but I don't want to bring in, you know, people who you know professional actors and then say oh like it's not finished enough. That's the first question and then the second one was what do like getting involved in organizations like page 73 and I think there's like the New York theater workshop or things like that like what what are the benefits like how do they work in. Yeah, these are like a lot of pressure or is it very supportive and like what stage in your developmental career do you need for that to be helpful like you don't want to go in. Yeah. So, okay, so the first question, I think that really it depends on how well you know your collaborators. So I feel like my squad here in Philly, now that we've done this together for so many years, I can give them like a 300 page first draft and like be like, this is, this is not great. Like we can rock right. I do think that it depends on what your connections are to the people that you're bringing in. But I will also say that actors are eager to read things and actors are eager to work, not for not for free. Basically, literally pizza and beer go a long way. Truly if you're like hey like once we're out of quarantine. I'm having a reading like at my place it's like super new. I'm going to have pizza and beer like people might be down for that especially if they're like people that you know like friends. The other thing I will say is, it's great to be near an undergraduate like acting program because undergraduate actors are super hungry. They're super eager, and they love new plays. So that's like a really great resource we have like a really good like BFA program here in Philly and we like use all the kids and like that's been really supportive it also is like developing like the next generation of people that we're going to use so that's been helpful. So I think that for your next question about being in writers groups and things the first thing that I want to say to make sure people know is the the thing that people don't tell you is so much of being a playwright is being able to workshop. And that's like something that people just think it's about writing a play, but actually being able to sit in a room and come prepared for your own workshop, which is like great. So for this is I know how I want it I know how I want my feedback and I know what my questions are. That is like a huge thing that no one really teaches you that you should be prepared for. And then the other thing that's really important is to know how to respond to other people's work. That's huge. There have been so many times like this is no shade where I've been in a writers group and the work is garbage like hot garbage right. So literally, having to think on your feet of something to say that's encouraging that is a gift that you need as a playwright like no shape to anyone because I'm my place had been there too. Where I've been like wow this is really bad and I'm looking at everyone's faces and they're doing a really good job of thinking of something that is the good of this. So that is super helpful so those things are important. The benefits of being involved in organizations like page 73 playwright center are the connections are incredible so you you're like connections are out there. And also their email list goes to like everyone so there becomes like a little bit of like, like soft heat I'll say like around you right like it's oh like I'm in like I 73 like other theaters have seen that. And I got I 73 because I was at the playwright center like so these connections I feel like are a huge part of it. We had a salon at the playwright center with the artistic director of page 73 we met we talked about. So a lot of connection making is like a huge part of this. So I've said some like what are some places that people should apply to that are early career. I think that playwright center is great. Like the Jerome fellowship for writers and the many voices fellowship many voices is specifically for artists of color Jerome is for everyone you can apply to both. That's a good one. I think page 73 for their I 73 writers group is a really good one and their fellowship scratch pad series at playwrights realm is a really good one to apply to. The last one that's like a little known Jim is in Grom new works which is the Nashville Repertory Theater. Essentially, you write a pitch for a play. So you're like this is my pitch. This is my statement of who I am and this is a pitch. And they select your pitch and if you get chosen you get flown out to Nashville for like five day weekends once a month for the year and you're put up in this amazing mansion Airbnb which is like the nicest house I've ever stayed in in my life with the other playwrights and you get four meals a day. You can play everywhere your airfare is included and it's you write a play, but really it's like you're kind of partying with other playwrights in Nashville. So that is one I cannot recommend enough. Yeah. Just a couple other plugs if if you're young and you, you know, once we're out of this pandemic you're able to do this is one of my early starts was being a production assistant for the Hispanic Playwrights Festival at South Coast Rep and that was in the mid 90s and that was just super helpful and gave me just a real life introduction to what new play development was so looking at the new Harmony Project, the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference where you don't have to be a writer you can just go and, you know, be an assistant to the dramaturge or the director or just, you know, be a fly in the room and just take that all in so you get a night sort of an understanding of an idea of what what that's all about. Okay. Beautiful. We are. Is it time? At 1.02. Wow. 4.02. 4.02. Come on the West Coast. Hey, good. This is such, this was such a wonderful blessing to have you and it's so nice to meet you. Thank you guys for having me. It was so much fun. We need to figure out where we can meet in the middle of Pennsylvania and just, you know. And do margaritas or something? No, do camp and margaritas. Okay. Yes. I love it. Anything else you'd like to say as, as a farewell or. No, I mean, everyone, you guys can. Oh, you have a website. Tell us about your website. I have a website. I also on the rocks Philly, the company has a website on new play exchange. I might email and everything is there. So if you guys have other questions or thoughts, you can email me. Yeah. Right. And if you need anything at all, you can always email me. I love it. Thank you guys so much. See you on Monday. Memorial Day with Mando. Yeah, see you Monday. Bye.