Humana Highlights

I've emerged from a simply wild and crazy weekend at the Humana Festival of New Plays at Actor's Theatre of Louisville. This was known as "big weekend," the one where Critics, agents, casting folks, literary managers and artistic directors arrive to party, schmooze, and watch eight plays in three days, one of which I was 1/6 responsible for. Here are some highlights:

• The most personal highlight was Brink!, the anthology written by Lydia Diamond, Kristoffer Diaz, Greg Kotis, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Deborah Stein and myself, directed by Sean Daniels, turged by Julie Dubiner, and starring the twenty one Actor's Theatre apprentice company actors. For nine months, this group has been working at Actor's running crew for every show, playing roles in some productions, taking workshops, mounting other productions, and appearing in this show written for them at Humana. The production exceeded my wildest dreams. Every moment was seized, huge production numbers and dancing abounded, and it was an honor to be there. What a treat to write for 21 people! The script will be published with all the Humana Plays in a little while.
• Watching the other plays which ranged from a celebration of poet Wendell Berry to a play about Slasher movies to a play about three chemical factory workers so poisoned that their feet steam, to an incredible genre busting musical examination of Katrina to a play about family betrayal to a play that featured asking people in the audience when they'd last had sex to a series of ten minute plays about assassins, a drag race, and history re-enactors in Roanoke. An eclectic weekend is putting it mildly.
• Getting drunk with literary managers, artistic directors, playwrights, directors, actors, critics and theater lovers.
• While there was no chocolate fountain at the Gala, there was a tower of little cupcakes.
• Hitting the gay bars of Louisville, including one that is the size of a city block and is in fact eight bars in one including a video bar, a shower bar, a dance club, and the largest drag show stage you will ever see.
• Bourbon
• Sneaking backstage at an intermission to eat Chili at the food station set up by the Actor's associates (volunteer supporters) keeping all the workers and volunteers nourished over the crazy festival and getting back just in time for act two.
• Being told by an artistic director at a bar "OK, you're done" after theorizing about dental anesthesia and what that means about death.
• Being called out by two literary managers for having brought two different brown hoodies to Kentucky
• The apprentices. They simply rock and I am hoping the best for them as they emerge into wild world that lies ahead.
• Being in a room packed with people who love doing what you do and love that everyone else is doing it too.