What You Don’t Know

Instinct and inspiration are a writers best friends! I enjoy the initial spark of new when a story idea bids. Once that spark is lit, keeping it glowing, honing it into a blaze is the not so pretty part of creation. Creation of any kind is a labor and is often followed by metaphorical blood, sweat and tears. In my 20 plus years of writing and acting, and after seeing 14 shows move into professional production status, my play, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, has been the most joyful of experiences! This show wasn't a labor, it was a painless pleasure.

It was mid year 2010 when I found a listing for a playwriting competition being given by Arizona Theater. I often work on multiple projects at once, so entering this contest heaped my plate pretty high. Despite the business of creating a show for Lunch Time Theater (The Herberger Theater's Outreach Community Program, providing mid day entertainment via a diverse season of one act plays, written and produced by various local theater groups of which I'd written and performed for five years previous) I felt this was a competition to which I needed to submit.

After a month or so of waiting, I was informed that I'd been chossen as a finalist. Though it wasn't the big prize, I loved knowing that I'd written a worthy full lengh play.

Since the contest, I've had plenty of opportunity to develop the show. It was selected for a stage reading in 2011 by Arizona Women's Theater, performed at Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts for the Pandora Festival and again for the Pandora Showcase which featured past winners of the play reading series. It receieved a low budget production value at the Pandora Showcase.

Thoughtout the journey of development and growth, re-writes and edits, I've been given the chance to see my play 'become' through the eyes of audiences who've been honest and supportive in their feedback. What's touched me most about the reaction to this show is how audiences have related and bonded with this family, the Bridges, owners of Bridges Inn Restauraunt. Dealing with the fall out that comes from keeping secrets repressed too long, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, is an unpredictable exploration of what happens when betrayal reveals itself once and for all. Audiences seem to respond to this very human experience.

Now is the time to give this show the production level it deserves!

With your help, I will be able to produce WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW on a stage with a larger budget! I plan to run the show for two weeks, 8 shows at Playhouse in the Park, in Phoenix, AZ. I'm asking for funds that will cover cost of the set, costumes, props and promotional budget but most of all, pay my actors. The most important element to this and any show is the talent who breaths life into a production. Without them, a script is simply words on paper.

Any amount is a huge help!