Musings

I went into 2019 knowing that it would be busy, but there was no way to know just how intense the year would be! 7 readings of 5 different shows, plus a production, recordings, retreats, concerts across the US, Canada, and the UK… This year included a brush with commercial musical theatre, writing the book of a Danish jukebox musical for a few drafts over a few weeks (plus a whirlwind first trip to London.) I got to return to one of my favorite places in the world for a week writing in Weston, Vermont.

I got to dive back into my collaboration with Karlan Judd while continuing to pushing full steam ahead with my collaborator Julia Meinwald, and I got to work with so many wonderful actors, musicians, directors, stage managers, music directors, and more:

Renée Albulario, Glenn Seven Allen, Delaney Amatrudo, Nadja Bering-Ovesen, Quinn Bernegger, Matthew Berzon, Kim Blanck, Taylor Boes, Ally Bonino, Samantha Bourque, Nikita Burdein, Caroline Burton, Sam Button-Harrison, Samantha Carter, Nathanial Cedroni, Shelby Coleman, Shannon Colfer, Miranda Cooper, Chris Coton, Mackenzie Dade, Stephanie Dean, Nikki DiLoreto, Miranda DiPietro, Samantha Dorrance, Mara Einson, Melissa Erickson, Manoel Felciano, Rachel Flynn, Fra Fee, Emily Fishman, Alexis Floyd, Madison Gattullo, Britain Gebhardt, Susanna Gellert, Ta’Nika Gibbs, Miriam Goldstein, Paul Gregor, Paul Nelson Gregory, Edith Grossman, Tori Hargreaves, Rob Hartmann, Sam Heldt, Mila Henry, Kendyl Ito, Kaitlyn Jehle, Rachel Johnson, Heather Jones, Melody E. Jones, Taylor Jones, Tori Kalberer, Julia Kehrley, Clara Kim, Gloria Kim, MinJi Kim, Annadelle Kimber, Erin Danielle Krebs, Amanda Kuo, Lily Lester, Carl Limbacher, Amy Linden, Emily Llewellynn, Michael Lluberes, Josh Lococo, Liz Lococo, Isaac Loomer, Melissa MacKenzie, Ellen Macy, Claire Marlowe, Evelisha Martinez, Andy Massey, Anna Mazurik, David Merino, Katie Miller, Elexis Morton, Madison Mullahey, Alex Newkirk, Sophia Perez, Grace Petrillo, Jeanna Phillips, Sam Poole, Allison Posner, Katie Pritchard, MaryPaige Reiffel, Annabelle Revak, Colette Robert, Casey Robinson, Katie Rodgers, Dakota Rose, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Keith Rubin, Brian Sanders, Sean Sennett, Rich Silverstein, Ryan Speakman, Tony Speciale, Katya Stanislavskaya, Anna Stolli, Annie Tippe, Saki Uetsuhara, Paige VanSickle, Michael Walkup, Tatiana Wechsler, Tim Welton, Joanna Whang, Simon Willmont, Jeremy Yaddaw, Andy Zinsmeister, and more that I’m sure I’m forgetting…

Preparations for all that is to come in 2020 have already begun, and I can’t wait to keep you up to date on all that’s coming down the pike!

Happy New Year!

What a year! From the world premiere of The Loneliest Girl In the World at Diversionary Theatre this summer to a beautiful week at SPACE at Ryder Farm this fall; from artistic homes at the 92Y to Page 73; from beginning drafts of Choreomania and Left to finishing new drafts of The Magnificent Seven and Something Blue –  I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my work on both coasts this year, celebrate a decade of collaboration with Julia Meinwald, and, best of all, getting to work with amazing artists like:

Shaleah Adkisson, Renee Albulario, Delaney Amatrudo, Ian Axness, Elisa Benzoni, Sash Bishoff, Ally Bonino, Stephen Brotebeck, Bonnie Durben, Rachel Flynn, Isaac Fowler, David Friedlander, Holly Gould, Steve Gouveia, Sam Heldt, Peter Herman, Victoria Huston-Elem, Lauren King Thompson, Joey Kirkpatrick, Matt Lescault-Wood, Lily Lester, Allison Lian, Ellen Macy, Patrick Marion, Christina Martin, Matt Morrow, Kate Morton, Allison Spratt Pearce, Robin Sanford Roberts, Lynne Marie Roseberg, Keith Rubin, Johnny Shea, Hana Slevin, Kendra Stockton, Robbie Collier Sublett, Shaun Tuazon-Martin, Ryan Everett Wood, Marci Anne Wuebben, and more…

I’m so excited to reconnect with some of these wonderful people, and meet even more wonderful people, in 2019!

This year brought two back-to-back bicoastal workshops, an international production, a bunch of table readings, a few concerts (big and small), a new look at an old idea, an ultra-productive writing retreat (RIP YIMT), and a wonderful new agent. Best of all, it gave me the chance to work with so many artists I love and respect, including…

Delaney Amatrudo, Robert Ariza, Sash Bischoff, Ally Bonino, Jack Brinsmaid, Liz Lark Brown, Sojourner Brown, Liz Carbonell, Max Chernin, Jackie Colquitt, Adam Cuppy, Jessica Fisher, Tara Forseth, Chris Gilroy, Holly Gould, Lux Haac, Molly Hager, Sean Hagerty, Susan Hammons, Chase Hauser, Sam Heldt, BP Houle, Emily Jenda, Benjamin Kamine, Angelina Kelly, Lauren King Thompson, Tara King, Caitlin Kinnunen, Lindsay Kipnis, Marina Kondo, Kelsey Lake, Adam Lawrence, Lily Lester, Allison Lian, Carl Limbacher, Amy Linden, Ellen Macy, Evan Maltby, Lauren Marcus, Patrick Marion, Megan McClain, Eric William Morris, Matt Morrow, Elexis Morton, Sam Paley, Angela Pardini-Gomez, Allison Posner, Katie Rodgers, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Keith Rubin, Allie Sandler, Danny Saulle, Geremy Schulick, Charlotte Seelig, Libby Servais, Johnny Shea, Rich Silverstein, Allison Spratt Pearce, Phoebe Strole, Nicole Sumlin, Allie Trimm, Kira Vine, Emily Walton, Sally Wilfert, and Jeremy Yaddaw.

It also made me take a long, hard look at the work I do and be even more conscious of and conscientious about what I put into the world. More than anything, it forced me to re-up on my forever goal to be aggressively empathetic. In the midst of a difficult year culturally and politically, it was a thrilling year of creation.

Here’s to all the 2018 holds!

What a year this has been! Two new musicals are well underway, while another had new life breathed into it. Three writers groups, a few writing retreats, some new songs… And a whole lot of wonderful people and collaborators who made this year possible:

Shaleah Adkisson, Delaney Amatrudo, Robert Ariza, Collin Batten, Michael Berresse, Ally Bonino, Jen Brissman, Michael Bush, Nikki DiLoreto, Hanako Greensmith, Sam Heldt, Ciera Iveson, Benjamin Kamine, Kelsey Lake, Amy Linden, Ellen Macy, Evan Maltby, Lauren Marcus, Megan McClain, Eric William Morris, Elexis Morton, Gillian Munsayac, Brynn O’Malley, Matthew Oster, Andrew Neisler, Allison Posner, Alex Ratner, Ned Riseley, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Keith Rubin, Sara Sahin, Jaclyn Scoville, Libby Servais, Johnny Shea, Rich Silverstein, Adam Stasiw, Dana Steingold, Dustin Sullivan, Pearl Sun, Nikola Tomic, Elinor Vanderburg, Emily Walton, Jeremy Yaddaw, and Andrew Zinsmeister… I’m so grateful to you all!!

And of course, I’m so grateful that I got to go through everything this year with my collaborator extraordinaire, Julia Meinwald.

I can’t wait to see what 2017 holds!