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Written by Gwendolyn Rice

You wrote that?

Posted 1-5-12

For about a year now people have been asking me the same question: “How does it feel to have a play in Forward Theater’s 2011-2012 season?” And the truth is, it always felt a bit surreal.

When I was in high school and college people often asked me about my major and my career plans. My first answer was usually, “I’d like to sit in a room and write plays.” After the laughter subsided I conceded that I’d probably end up teaching high school English, because I didn’t know it was possible to have a job in writing or theater, or in my case as communications director of FTC, both. It seemed about as practical (and as likely) as planning to be a princess.

So it was with some surprise that I sat down at the table in the FTC rehearsal hall, two days after Christmas to hear an amazing group of professional actors read my play aloud for a small audience, including the designers and director who had been working on bringing the play to life for months now. As I listened to the lines I remembered initially writing the script; staying up late every night for weeks, the glow of the computer screen lighting up the office. I sat down each evening, opened up my Word document, and visited these people, some real, some imagined, writing down what they said, not knowing exactly how the story would end. It was quite an adventure.

 
Photo by Kathryn Lederhause:  First read-through of A Thousand Words

The first time I heard the play out loud, it was a week before I submitted it to Wisconsin Wrights – a biannual playwriting contest for Wisconsin authors. I had invited my closest friends over to my house for dinner, dessert, and drama. They each took a part, and with no preparation, no idea what the play was about, they acted it out in my living room. When they finished there was applause, and more pie, and I remember thinking, I hope that’s not the last time I hear the story of A Thousand Words. Little did I know. . .

Four years later, I’m sitting behind a folding table in the basement rehearsal room of Madison’s locally-produced, professional theater, my laptop open, ready to make subtle (and not so subtle) changes to a script I still love, in preparation for its first full production. I am giddy. I’ve never worked more intently on a piece of writing than I have with this play – it has gone through two staged readings and four sets of rewrites. So far. Frankly, I’m still not sure how it’s going to end, but with only two and a half weeks to go until opening, I had better decide soon. . . .

I look around the room and it’s full of the most talented people I’ve ever met. I feel excited and lucky. A little nervous. How does it feel to have a play in Forward Theater’s 2011-2012 season? It feels absolutely amazing.

 ~ Gwendolyn Rice, playwright