Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival is Cygnet Theatre’s annual festival of readings of new plays presented in collaboration with Playwrights Project. The festival introduces San Diego playgoers to new works by local artists and also offers a series of workshops designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of playwriting. In addition, the three-day festival at the Old Town Theatre includes opportunities for informal forums to meet the playwrights.

With the festival around the corner, we asked our playwrights to tell us how the process is going for them. Here’s playwright Diana Burbano talking about her play, Silueta, with playwrights Tom Shelton and Chris Shelton.

How has working with theatre artists from Cygnet Theatre and Playwrights Project helped your writing for Playwrights in Process?

They are generous and are deeply invested in helping our play grow. It is rather delicious to feel like we have a whole group of people who are “in” on the story. We are very grateful for the time and brainpower that Jessica Ordon, Katherine Harroff, Derek Charles Livingston, Veronica Burgess and Charles Maze have given to us. It feels hugely collaborative and energizing.

Diana on her inspiration for the play: I was and am dismayed at the lack of interesting roles for women of my age and ethnicity. 

About Silueta: Silueta is a two-person show based on the true story of Ana Mendieta, who fell 34 stories to her death in 1985. Almost three decades later her ghost returns to ask her husband a question for which she needs an answer: Did he push her.

Click here for more insight from Diana on her play and Playwrights in Process. 

See Silueta on Sunday, Nov 9 at 2:00pm.View complete information on workshops and plays:https://www.cygnettheatre.com/connect/playwrights.php

A huge thanks to Festival sponsors Bill and Judy Garrett.