There are moments in an artist's life when the work doesn't need perfection. It just needs to be seen and heard.
Last weekend, I shared three new plays over two days at The Dance Hall. They were unfinished, full of questions, and all the better for it. There is something profoundly vulnerable about inviting people into a play before you know exactly what it's about, or why you're writing it.
But that's where theatre comes alive.
Not good for the environment but great for my sense of achievement!
To everyone who came, listened, laughed, sat with uncertainty, and shared thoughtful reflections afterwards - thank you. Your generosity shapes these plays in ways you may never fully know.
And to The Dance Hall, thank you for a year-long residency that has given me exactly what every playwright hopes for: time, space, and a community willing to imagine alongside me. New work doesn't happen without places like this.
Act II: Play
A few evenings later, three of the resident artists gathered to share work. (Amy was in rehearsal, so we'll catch her another time.)
Ayan Imai-Hall, a tap dancer with his jazz quartet filled the room with rhythm. Kate Possi, a singer-songwriter shared new songs. Instead of presenting something polished, I returned to an old creative habit.
Years ago, I shared a square of writing every day on Instagram. A small observation. A fragment. A moment inspired by whatever was around me.
I hadn't done it in years.
So I picked up a marker and started writing again. First in response to the music. Then, for the final piece, I invited everyone to gather around a giant sheet of chart paper, and together we began writing a play about crows.
Setting up the page for a little unexpected play!
No one knew where it was going. Neither did I. That was the point.
It reminded me that creativity isn't only something we prepare for. Sometimes it's something we improvise together.
Act III: Today Square
I've been thinking about that evening ever since. It reminded me of a practice I've carried with me for years.
Today Square is one of the smallest and most accessible Storywork practices I know. It's both a meditation practice and a creative practice. A simple invitation to step away from devices and demands and return to the world that's already around us.
One square.
One observation.
One moment of attention.
One of the things I've learned as a playwright is that creativity isn't something we wait for. It's something we practice. This summer, I'd like to begin sharing Today Square with others.
A tiny page just for you!
We'll gather with a single sheet of paper, respond to a handful of simple prompts, notice what's around us, write, laugh, and see what unfolds together. You don't need to think of yourself as a writer. You only need to be curious.
I'm planning the first Today Square workshops in Kittery and York, Maine, and I'd love to let you know when the dates are ready.
Whether we meet this summer or sometime down the road, I hope Today Square becomes a small and beautiful practice you can return to whenever life feels full of devices and demands.
We'll write.
We'll notice.
We'll play.
And perhaps we'll leave seeing the world just a little differently.
