We traveled north to Maine on Thursday, May 22nd.  The day of travel was Stephen Kingsque including strange lights on the dash, piles of zombie traffic and a stop by a state trooper. Eventually, we made it to what I call home home, Seal Cove, our spot away from NYC.  This is the third summer that we've been doing this living in two places thing. It is odd, thrilling, mostly satisfying and occasionally annoying.  Where's my...? Fill in the blank. Beyond that, this spot, this Island is very much home.  For those of you who don't know or remember, it is where I went to College.  I still remember my first visit in the dead of winter when I fell in love with the College and the Island.  And my first stay, when my boyfriend at the time dropped me and my stuff off in front of a mansion on Frenchman's Bay that was my dorm.  And all the visits in between. Mount Desert Island gets under your skin.  The mountains, the sea, the lakes, the beaches, the meadows, the hawks and all.  It is a joy to see how much our dogs love it as we do.  They have their favorite haunts.  Things they must see and do right now.  Every time I go to put on a pair of shoes, Lady circles me with six suggestions.  Today is my last day in the ankle boot, so I will be able to give her what she wants starting tomorrow. The hardest part will be not doing too much too soon. Which is, of course, my middle  name.  I am planning to ease into walking gradually and hold off climbing Sargeant for at least a month.  

In the meanwhile, and always, I write.  Finished the first draft of The World Avoided.  Three cheers. So excited for this play.  Will hear it for the first time on June 13th with Steve Andersen - the lead character - in the house.  Steve and I will be attending  The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences conference the day before where I'll get to meet some of the folks I've been writing about.  The work on the play will continue in July when the most extraordinary thing is happening. Steve has invited me to participate in the next meeting of the Montreal Protocol.  In Paris!  I've been reading the 26 year history of meetings to write the play and now I'll get to attend - In Paris -  and meet more of the folks I've been creating.  Wow!  In Paris.  The meetings will include:  52nd Implementation Committee Meeting, Workshop on Hydrofluorocarbon Management (HFC Workshop), and 34th Open-Ended Working Group Meeting - Montreal Protocol. Steve and I have an apartment reserved in the 7th Arrondissement.  We'll be there for 10 days from July 9 - 19th and I am so so excited!!!!!  The first draft is noble, but I know I have miles to go before this script is ready and I am anxious and ready for the work ahead.

Also on tap, two spec scripts.  I'm applying for some television opportunities and for the first time am making myself do two spec scripts.  That classic, almost outdated practice.  I also have two pilots I'm excited about, so t.v. world get ready.  I think there is a job out there for me somewhere.  

Once I get through that work, it is back to Lf&Tms. We've been dreaming and scheming this month and have a good sense of how we want to deepen the show.  

Oh, and, in the meanwhile, this very coming week.  Live and in person.  Zev and Emily's wedding in North Carolina officiated by Auntie Andy.  That's me.  I'll report in next Sunday.  

As I sign off, I'll load some more pictures of my beautiful island.




Still learning about blogging if that is what you call what I am doing here.  I just figure it is useful to keep the website active with news and updates.  I had been spot on every Sunday, but not at the same time.  And then I fell off. Now I understand that same time and place gets you notice. So here is a new commitment to high noon on Sunday.  Which i recognize looking at my calendar will be a challenge. But I always love a challenge.

This week I made big headway on The World Avoided. There was a big show down in London in 1990 over how to assist the developing countries in phasing out ozone depleting chemicals. The concept was "Polluters Pay." And the polluters were the developed countries who had enjoyed air-conditioning, refrigeration and other benefits for decades whist the developing countries were only just getting such products.   In the end, after a spectacularly dramatic and semi-treasonous debate, a multinational fund and technical assistance program was agreed to that went a long way to  phasing out the bad compounds and adding years of life to the planet.   I also, thanks to the great minds in my monthly Meeting of the Minds at the Lark Play Development Center, had a huge structural breakthrough. I had created a very fun Host character. I loved him. But he distanced us too much from the action. Steve, who is telling me the story, has to tell us the story.  As soon as I made those changes to Act One, it all felt more emotionally connected and driving.  Thanks, smart minds.  It is oh so good to have good playwrights in my life.  

I've also begun the re-write of Lf&Tms.  Early going bringing in the new elements and action we decided on, so still in the mourning the darlings we are killing as we go.  I trust it will all be to the good in the end.

Also very active with my volunteer work.  We had our round of grant decision making for Open Meadows Foundation last Saturday.  I have some follow up to do updating our website.  Very good work going on across the globe that we are happy to support.  Equally happy to say no to the less good projects. Ha!

Also gearing up for On Her Shoulders. We took a month off and will next do plays from the Provincetown Players on May 21st.  Planning Fornes, Hurston and more over the coming months.

That's my quick update of the morning.  Maybe I'll post at 11:11 every Sunday.  I kind of like that.  Here goes.