Playwright’s Notes
Irene Ziegler
| Introduction Cast & Crew Playwright’s Notes Director’s Notes Full Plate Collection |
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I put together this play in the manner of Dr. Frankenstein. I gathered parts, hung them on a structure, then looked for a way to breathe life into the thing. For the breathing part, I depended on a host of talented people from several creative disciplines, all willing to play—which is, of course, why we call the result of such a process a play, as opposed to, say, a monster.
This play was conceived a year and a half ago by three women who wanted to celebrate the Minds Wide Open theme of Women in the Arts. Brainstorming over a pitcher of beer, we fell in love with the image of America’s cultural female icons playing poker. From there we started gathering parts.
Erin Thomas Foley’s part was a mentoring element in which young women would work alongside female theatre professionals. Jenny Jones Hundley’s part was leading an all-day workshop, in which actors explored certain women-centered themes through improvisation and theatre games. Other parts included a stage manager and design team from heaven and, in our partnership with Barksdale Theatre, a venue and the administrative support we could not have provided on our own.
I stumbled on the play’s structure when Jenny said something about her plate being full. Aha! Plates. Painted plates. Collectors’ items! And where might one buy such a collection? The answer to that would give us our setting, and the play’s conceit.
We knew that Keri Wormald was absolutely the right director. Despite her own full plate, she dedicated herself to this project and branded it with her unmistakable stamp: a mixture of smarts, attention to detail, and off-beat choices wrapped in humor.
Paul Deiss stepped in late and wrote melodies so perfectly tuned to our world, it was as if he’d been at every rehearsal.
Once rehearsals were underway, I revised almost every night, weighing welcome suggestions from the director, the cast, and sometimes the design team. It wasn’t always easy, and I didn’t always have fun, but I was always exhilarated, in the way Dr. Frankenstein was exhilarated just before throwing the switch.
And so that moment has come. Stand back, look on, and watch out, because there’s no telling what will happen once this play takes on a life of its own. 