Playwright Insight: Thelma Virata de Castro
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 walgreens 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 Thelma Virata de Castro talking about her play, Cookies for Prisoners.
How has working with theatre artists from Cygnet Theatre and Playwrights Project helped your writing for Playwrights in Process?
Even the interview process was a learning experience! Producer Derek Livingston asked me questions that focused my rewrites for Cookies for Prisoners. I had a great meeting with Dramaturg Robert May in which we discussed the big question, “What is this play about?” Director D. Candis Paule brought out the central theme of family. We had two table-reads with the actors and it’s been so helpful to hear their voices in my head. Veronica Murphy, Nicolette Shutty, Shuan Tuazon-Martin, Tom Ashworth and Austyn Myers take all the craziness quite seriously. It’s just been fun! Robert has said many times that if playwrights want to get their plays produced, they need to write better plays. Well, receiving support from Playwrights in Process has definitely helped me write a better play.
On her inspiration for the play: My idea for the play was to have characters bake cookies for prisoners, but to have the characters be as guilty as the prisoners themselves.
About Cookies for Prisoners: Margie bakes cookies for prisoners, takes in stray people and advocates for underdogs, but all bets are off when it comes to tolerating her own son. All the characters in this play are hiding horrible secrets in the kookiest ways.
Click here for more insight from Thelma on her play and Playwrights in Process.
See Cookies for Prisoners on Friday, Nov 7 at 8:00pm. View complete information on workshops and plays:https://www.cygnettheatre.com/connect/playwrights.php
A huge thanks to Festival sponsors Bill and Judy Garrett.
Come to the Cabaret – Cygnet’s Gala
What is it about leading a fundraiser’s auction that makes it so appealing?
Interacting with Sean and Bill, Veronica and Manny, Jason and Jessica (a theatre’s dream team) off stage, behind the scenes, sharing a common vision of providing this little theatre with the means to produce big, relevant and important works is so satisfying.
It’s my raison d’etre. In addition, it’s provided me a grand occasion to meet people in my broader San Diego community with whom I normally would not cross paths.
Wow! What I am experiencing through this fundraising process has far exceeded any expectation.
Like everyone these days, I’m a busy person with way too much on her plate. Besides being haunted by a daunting calendar, auction canvassing is time spent on activities that don’t directly increase my bottom line. Never mind that! More importantly, it compromises family time, which is primo to me. But being on this auction committee and having the opportunity to support something for which I passionately believe is just plain irresistible! I’m a sucker for a good time. That’s why I do it. Continue reading
Fabulous Event
If you missed Cygnet’s Sundown Safari this year you missed a great party. The zoo is such a beautiful place to spend a spring evening and our decorators (all volunteers headed by Doreen Black) did a terrific job of surrounding us with the colors and feel of a Saharan Sunset.
The event is a fundraiser so there were many terrific auction items, both silent and live, but the best part was the people. Sean and Bill had a chance to speak with almost everyone, I think. And other Cygnet Artists were there to sing and perform and engage with our guests. When I wasn’t running around like an ‘event coordinator’ I got to spend time speaking with our donors and patrons, both new and old. For me, that’s the best part. I met new people and had a chance to ‘catch up’ with long time friends of Cygnet.
We’ve had rave reviews about the food, the music, the entertainment, the animals, the dancing, the auction and what a great time the whole evening turned out to be. A very special thanks to our event chair, Tim Mulligan and the many volunteers who made the whole thing happen. Oh….did I say we raised over $50,000?
You won’t want to miss it next year!
We’ll announce the date as soon as it’s scheduled.