Excerpt:
She: So, do you come here often?
He: My writing group meets here on Thursday evenings; yes.
She: Is that usual? For a published author to still have a writing group?
He: Absolutely. Feedback is better than a home-cooked meal.
She: I’d think that would depend on the meal.
He: Oh?
She: Well, you know, pot noodles aren’t exactly on par with shrimp scampi.
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Excerpt:
JACQUES: Do you know why these were made without handles?
MELISSA: I do. It was so the submarine officers on watch could wrap their hands around them for warmth.
JACQUES: Warmth is something we all need when we are at sea.
(he places the mugs on a low table between them, and pours tea from a pot into each)
Do you need milk or sugar?
MELISSA: I used to. Not so much anymore.
JACQUES: I find I like the bit of astringency that comes with black tea. It’s bracing. Reminds you you’re alive.
Notes: Some of Jacques’s lines are taken from actual quotations.
Follow the link below to read the entire play.
Brief: Write a monodrama (A play for only one performer.)
Excerpt:
The Cousteau has just completed a humanitarian mission to the planet we refer to as Aquaria Three, though the native population – a race of sentient marine mammals not far removed from the Terran cetacean species – has a different name for their world. The organic beings among our crew have been unable to reproduce the name, but I have managed a close approximation that the locals told me was ‘close enough for krill.’
Notes:
This piece is a sort of prequel or companion to a short story written a couple year’s ago: A Winter Tale
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Brief: Write a play using one or more of some pre-defined characters, using some or all of the provided traits.
Notes: I didn’t feel that any of the suggested characters were speaking with me so I went to the THEY FIGHT CRIME generator and stole two that I liked, but used a couple of traits from the pre-defined characters.
Excerpt:
HOBBES: Then how did you mean it?
CALVIN: I’m Aristide. Calvin Aristide. Metal dude on my right is Sparky.
HOBBES: (ruffling her wings in irritation) And this information matters to me… why?
CALVIN: (annoyed) The Agency didn’t tell you? I’m your new partner.
HOBBES: The Agency hasn’t bothered to contact me in weeks. They still blame me for what happened with the last guy. It wasn’t my fault he decided to go to Kestrel Five without me. I mean, who does that?
(beat)
Figured they’d call me in, put me on permanent sabbatical, not assign a new partner. Do you drink?
CALVIN: Well, not blood…
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Brief: Choose a random phobia from a list, and use it to inspire a play. I chose Eisoptrophobia: the fear of mirrors or of looking into them, or of seeing your reflection.
Excerpt:
QUEEN: My hunter. I had him, in my home, in my bed.
THERAPIST: And the mirrors?
QUEEN: Their voices were quiet for a time. And then they were not.
THERAPIST: When did the mirrors start speaking to you again?
QUEEN: Jeremiah mentioned that the girl was becoming a beautiful woman.
THERAPIST: And?
QUEEN: He said she was the only person more beautiful than me.
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Brief: Write a play that is a love letter to part (or all) of Europe.
Excerpt:
Ignacio: I had some tea from the replicator, thanks. And you’re underestimating with “chilly.” The last hour of the trip, I couldn’t feel my fingers… or my chin.
Naomi: I guess I’m just acclimated. Well, don’t worry; you won’t have to visit the surface anytime soon, and once you’ve passed quarantine, you’ll have access to the hot springs.
Ignacio: Hot springs? I didn’t think Europa had geothermal heat?
Naomi: Europa doesn’t. Nuevo Madrid does. We cycle our waste energy through a couple of the springs within the complex, filter out any traces of radiation – don’t worry, there’s nothing harmful. Well, there was that one person who grew gills…
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Brief: Use the number 2 as inspiration for a play. Write about pairs or couples, or interpret it another way.
Excerpt:
YU: It’s funny isn’t it?
WILL: What do you mean?
YU: Well, in our parents’ time, marriage was the default. Now? I know so many couples who don’t marry until they’ve had children. Or even after.
WILL: Yeah. The question used to be when will you marry, or who. Not, you know… will you ever. (He takes a beat). Will you?
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Since it’s New Years Eve, it seems appropriate to talk about the three drinks that are used to celebrate Christmas in Mexico: Cidre, Ponche and Rompope.
Cidre is exactly what it sounds like: hard sparkling cider. Some people like it sweet, while others prefer dryer varieties, but either way apple is the traditional flavor.
And speaking of apple, there’s another apple-based drink that’s had at Christmas: ponche. Ponche – or punch – is sort of a cross between hot cider and wassail. It’s made with dried fruit (usually apple or pear), hot water, brown sugar, spices, when it’s done, you can drink it just like that, or add rum. The most traditional ponche is stirred with a stalk of sugar cane, but we just used a spoon.
And finally, there’s Rompope. This is a drink similar to eggnog, but it’s not as sweet, and it’s sold bottled with rum already mixed in. It’s also served at room temperature. Some brands have pictures of saints on the label, some don’t, but it’s a lovely holiday treat, and very festive.
If you’re wondering which is my favorite, I like them all, but I think Rompope is the one I like most. It’s one of those drinks that can soothe a sore throat and warm your entire body, with just a tiny sip, and while it’s usually available only for Christmas, we bought the last bottle in town for our New Year’s celebration.
Whatever you’re drinking tonight, I hope you’re safe and warm, and that 2020 brings you joy and peace.
Felices fiestas.
One of my favorite times of year is Tamale Season. Other people know this as Christmastime, Advent, or just the holiday season, but whatever you call it, from around Thanksgiving through the first of the new year, tamales are on the menu.
In Mexico, of course, they’re a traditional Christmas food, and Mexican tamales always come with an olive – with the pit still in it – in the center.
Some people say that the olive represents Mary holding the Christ Child within her, and some people say it represents all mothers and their future children.
But the reality is that whether they’re wrapped in cornhusks or banana leaves, tamales predate Christianity, so it’s more likely that the olive represents the seeds we plant for future harvests.
Whatever the meaning really is, I think we can all agree that tamales are a tasty treat, made more special by being limited to specific times of the year.
Felices Fiestas.
Like buñuelos, mazapánes only come out for the holidays. Individually wrapped in either waxed paper or colored saran wrap, these are light, with an almost shortbread-like texture, made with peanuts, and just sweet enough that one is completely satisfying, though we could all easily eat five or six.
There is some debate about whether they’re a cookie or a candy (they feel like a cookie to me) and whether there is any flour in the recipe. (Most recipes only list peanuts, peanut butter, and powdered sugar, but they may not be accurate.)
The mazapánes we have were gifted to my mother by her friend An, who apparently makes masses of them every year. (An is a gourmet cook and loves to share her food.)
When Mom brought these around at her posada, all the Mexican guests immediately lit up, recognizing the special holiday treat. The American and Canadian guests had to be introduced to this new delicacy.
Everyone agreed they were delicious.
And An has promised to send me the recipe… once she figures out how to write it out in English.