This past Saturday, I had the privilege of sharing my work at the prestigious City Theatre on Pittsburgh's South Side. I was selected with other talented local writers and some Dramatist Guild writers to read excerpts from plays we have completed or are continuing to work on. It was an awesome opportunity to get feedback on my writing from the audience in attendance as well as being able to network with other artists of my discipline. It was interesting to listen to the other writers read their work aloud revealing their artistic vision. The premise of the event was to give the audience an open window into how, we the writers, want our characters to be perceived; thus "in our own voices"!
Personally, it was great for me to be exposed to the variety of other writers' techniques and their genre of interest. My piece from my second original play that I completed last Fall is dramatic. Other writers wrote plays set in the realm of fantasy, based on history, stemming from their own reality, comedy, and/or a unique combination of every genre under the sun. "In Their Own Voices" allowed me to be me (allowed us to be us). I truly feel as a writer and as a performing artist in general that I should be free to express myself and not have to conform to what a particular group of people want. If you like it then that's great, but if not then that's still great. I want my work to be real and honest. No one should feel forced to change or alter their work because of others' opinions. There is a difference between healthy constructive criticism and judgement. It's necessary to be able to discern the difference in order to stay true to your #aesthetic. Everyone should be teachable and humble enough to receive correction when it is needed, but no one should water down their vision to suit someone else's. If they truly mean well (producer, investor, director, mentor, etc.) then through healthy confrontation a compromise can be made that fits everyone. Sometimes as writers we can have a huge vision that may not be practical at the time being; causing a compromise to be made. But don't compromise when it comes to your writing style: the story you want to share with the world.
Before the actual performance, playwrights got the opportunity to meet and rehearse in the performance space. Afterwards (after speaking with some of the other performers) I met up with my mom and we sat at the Beehive Coffeehouse. It's a funky spot to chill at and we were surprised that there wasn't more people there, but there is a Starbucks that is situated across the street so...I guess it all comes down to your preference. There bathroom situation is questionable as I mistakenly used the men's restroom, but I couldn't distinguish the difference due to the walls and doors being saturated in graffiti! Nonetheless, I would recommend stopping by here to get your caffeine fix and/or working on your laptop in this hipster environment that is reminiscent of Bedford Ave in Brooklyn.
After the performance my mom and I went to Local: a restaurant in South Side that offers great seating space, hospitality, and food selection. It's a nice place to go to meet up for drinks with friends.
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http://www.citytheatrecompany.org/
https://localbar.com/southside/index.htm
*Note: As of November 2018, The Beehive closed its doors. It was a cute-funky cafe that was an iconic staple to the South Side neighborhood.
Check out this review by American Playwright and member of the Artistic Staff of City Theatre, Gab Cody, where she highlights this momentous event! https://www.dramatistsguild.com/pittsburgh/
Sante
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