That Unattainable Expanse

Lately I find myself imagining a future when I will have more time. More time for research, for reading, for creative exploration, for taking classes, for playing video games. But I actually wonder if these are all fantasies that will never be realized. July and August were supposed to be months that were more freed up, more flexible. And while July started that way, within about a week or two, tasks arose that seemed to take over my schedule. Sometimes these were planned tasks that took longer than I had expected. Or they were completely out-of-the-blue tasks that suddenly needed my full attention. And if I’m honest, I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.

That said, I was able to carve out time for a week-long vacation in August. So I’m not saying that I will never have time off. But there’s this idea that someday I will have a very freed up and flexible calendar that I will get to waft through, selecting whatever my heart fancies to focus on. This idea may not be real.

What is real, however, is that I do get pockets of time to wander. I might have 30 minutes one evening where I can read without falling asleep. Or find myself with the time, mindframe, and a sudden urge to take 15 minutes to watch educational videos. Or listen to music. Or play a bit of a video game. I think I need to get used to the idea that instead of an unrealistic vast expanse, my creative explorations will more often than not take the form of “an hour here, an hour there.” But just like the doctors say your weekly 150 minutes of exercise can occur at any time during the week and at any interval - I think this piecemeal exploration ultimately adds up to the expansive version in my head. At least, I hope it does?

Red Rock Canyon. Another kind of vast expanse.

Hello, Old Friend

I haven’t opened this script in almost two years. After my post-production dramaturgical meeting, I decided to let The Four Immigrants rest on my bookshelf until the time for revisiting emerged. Thanks to the upcoming concert presentation at USC this fall, that time is now. And while I have thoughts about what I might want to revise, I find myself a tad overwhelmed. How do you even begin to approach something that has been such a huge part of your career? To focus in on the minutiae of something that consumed a large chunk of your time previously, and yielded such memorable and rewarding results? Where do you even start to deconstruct something that has felt so central to your sense of self?

I could learn a lesson here from Grace Lin’s Minli, who, as she gazes upon the Paper of Happiness reads the word that is meant for her: Thankfulness.

I am so thankful for the relationship I have had to The Four Immigrants, both Henry Kiyama’s original work and my adaptation. All of the people I have crossed paths with as a result. And the ways in which I grew.

And it turns out, with thankfulness acknowledged, the script allows itself to be revisited. And the work is no different than before. Bigger picture, specific moments, character arcs all come back when I put aside the idea of how daunting it all is and replace it with a sense of gratitude for what it has all meant. Time to get to work.

Creativity Quotation #30

“In a consumer society, contentment is a radical proposition.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.

Discussing Brecht's GOOD PERSON

Recently, choreographer Natalie Greene and I discussed how we tackled Brecht in Cal Shakes’ current production of THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN. Take a listen to the podcast episode below! But SPOILER ALERT: Listening is only recommended once you’ve seen the show!

My First Mario Maker Level

This isn’t readily apparent in this blog, but I am a huge Nintendo fan. For a while, I’ve been considering how I might bring my love of video games into the conversation around writing and dramaturgy. In my mind, there’s a lot of connection between video games and storytelling. How a video game unfolds may require unique parameters, but it’s not so different from how a play or musical unfolds. What the audience experiences in real time is key for both artforms - and yes, I definitely consider video games an artform.

Enter Super Mario Maker 2. With its predecessor on the Wii U, I was fine simply playing the levels that people from around the world have created. But last night, I ventured to create my first level. This brought me back to younger days when I would make mazes for friends to solve. I loved making a puzzle and challenging others. So, naturally, my Mario level is a puzzle, a maze. I’m not sure how many more levels I’ll feel inclined to create, but it was fun considering once again how I would both hinder and help a player as they solve the puzzle I made. Some will find it tricky. Some will find it too easy. But, here’s my first Mario Maker level code, for those Switch owners who might want to try it:

94M-QR7-FDG