Why I Love Writing Plays #20: COMPENSATION

A photo of three envelopes containing playwright compensation with return addresses of theatre companies.

I was debating whether to post this or not and I think that’s a problem! Sometimes, I think of writing as just a hobby. You know, do something you love because it’s something you love doing… like breathing. But as I move further into existence, I’ve come to believe that what I do has VALUE. Of course, it’s awesome to know that my work is appreciated by audiences, but it also means a lot when theatre companies acknowledge the time, effort, craft, and the education I put into writing a play that I get recognized in a tangible and sustainable way. Having the self-respect as an artist in receiving compensation of fair value needs to be recognized and accepted.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #36: MENTORSHIP

Pictured: A blurry selfie with another great playwright, Marissa Martinez, after her successful play reading, your twenties.

I suck at teaching. It’s because I’m more of a do-er… so I can give advice on what to do… errr what not to do as a playwright. And actually that doesn’t sound right as well. Writing is an art and should be discovered by doing as an artist. By exploring, working, failing, and just being yourself in the medium you choose.

It’s pretty cool now to feel myself as more of a mentor in that I have been writing for about 20 years. I lost track… 1994-5 ish… And I suck at math, so you do the years. But experience-wise, I’ve been fortunate. I took so many steps (and missed some too) in my journey that it’d feel wrong not to help other artists whom want to be writers for the stage. Whether it be to give advise on how productions work or just to tell another artist that it’s GOOD and NORMAL to be nervous before a public stage reading for their play. I’m really lucky to be able to feel like that kind of person for another.

Pictured: A blurry selfie with another great playwright, Marissa Martinez, after her successful play reading, your twenties.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #14: HUSTLE

Pictured: The staged reading cast of WELGA with fists raised as performed at Z Below in SF produced by SFSU, Greenhouse Festival.

Normally, this is my least favorite thing about writing plays, but with a change of attitude, I’ve come to appreciate my courage in doing what I need to do to make my name as a playwright. So call it what you will, hustle / network / ~~submit~~ / post, the main objective of being a playwright is to get other theatremakers to put on my play in some capacity. So being able to believe in my work enough to tell others about it is a part of the gig. The belief of “oh, I’ll just write my plays and when someone finds them, they’ll hype them up for me and I’ll get work that way” doesn’t really fly all the time.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #18: IMAGINATION

A fallen angel trying to convince her boss to stay on earth to finish a mission, an axe chopping off the foot of a certain wicked witch, and a wind pointing a princess towards her freedom. These are a few of the things I love about being a playwright: creating worlds for the most unimaginable actions can happen. Sure, writing plays is mostly about the dialogue, but it’s so freeing to be able to write something with the hopes of having a director and designers to take those written directions and create practical magic on stage.

Pictured: A photo of Ramon Abad and his merry band of puppet and theatremakers for the show, PICKLES! at Bindlestiff Studio.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #25: REPRESENTATION

A photo of a female actor wearing a barber's apron and a male actor sitting in a barber's chair in a short play titled, REMEMBERING THEM, about the power an old barber shop chair to bring back the memories of the manongs who sat in it.

I proudly wear the Filipino American Playwright Identity because I grew up not seeing a lot of people who looked like me or shared my same background represented anywhere else. I went to a conference while in college called, Know History, Know Self… No History, No Self. And in one of the workshops, the attendees talked about representation in media. Back then, I didn’t see many fil-ams on tv as opposed to now. And I think from that workshop, I made it my vow to write more parts for Fil-Am actors to represent the lives of our stories.

Pictured: a short play titled, REMEMBERING THEM, about the power an old barber shop chair to bring back the memories of the manongs who sat in it.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #29: GROWTH

One of the best ways to combat trying to be too perfect in writing is to know that there is a possibility of growing and getting better. LOL and if not to get better, it’s about trying to do something different as a lesson to grow as a writer. To always change and never be stagnant until I find out what comes natural to my style and process.

Pictured: a scene from my Zoom Noir Play, THE RUBY REDS produced by Bindlestiff Studio.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #21: NOTES

The coversheet for JULIE AND THE STARMAKER with various notes and questions written in red ink with a red pen resting on it.

As most performing artists can attest, notes are an essential element of the development process and I love them! When given with the intention of building up the work (and artist), notes are the hallmark of true collaboration. And in the same spirit of collab, notes should also be questioned at times, especially between artists. And one of the good things about theatre is that several notes can be given and worked on before locking in what truly works for everyone.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #33: STILL

One of the best things about being in that “zone” while writing is knowing that when I sat down to plug in my laptop and start typing away, the sun is still shining through the windows… and when I look up, all I see are headlights going through a parking lot. Time freezes, everything is still, and the only thing moving are the pages of a fresh new play. It’s the greatest thing about being an artist in flow… just a stream of energy that happens while time passes in a blink of an eye. Writing a play gives me that power, and truth be told, it’s NOT ALWAYS like that, but when it does… magic.

Pictured: a photo of a laptop with a script written in Final Draft in a Starbucks Coffee Shop.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #32: MERCH

It’s one thing to see my name on posters and flyers, but it’s another thing to see it on wearable merchandise! Grateful for this unexpected possibility with Cosumnes High School. Beyond my wildest dream to see artists connected with their production of WELGA being on, off, and behind the stage wearing the title for a play I wrote several years before. Just a trip… a wild, fun, and proud trip!

Pictured: a photo of a hoodie for the mainstage full-length Cosumnes High School production of WELGA (2019) and a t-shirt for their one-act version performed at the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival (2020) in Folsom, CA.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #26: MYSTERY

A photo of three book covers for Mian P. Manansala's mystery novels, Arsenic and Adobo, Homicide and Halo-Halo, and Blackmail and Bibingka.

I forgot what book I read this from, but it said something to the effect of, All plays are mysteries. It’s like the author need to always be one step of the audience. As the playwright, one of your jobs is to NOT give everything away. But part of that job is trying to solve the mystery of HOW to put the play together so that it feels like a mystery that the audience solves and will eventually, and hopefully, remember the play after they leave the theater cuz they figured out what was happening. That figuring out part is so hard to do in the writing process and definitely one of the things I love about writing plays.

Pictured: A photo of three book covers for Mia P. Manansala’s mystery novels for the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Series: Arsenic and Adobo, Homicide and Halo-Halo, and Blackmail and Bibingka.

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Why I Love Writing Plays #37: SURPRISES

It’s taken me a while to think of another reason than the other 36, of why I Love Writing Plays, but being away from writing anything creative has reminded me of one: being surprised!

There’s absolutely nothing like being in “the flow” of writing when a character takes over my fingers and starts to say things I never even thought they would say or go. Or if I’ve already outlined everything that’s going to happen, a character does something to change the direction of the scene or entire play. Luckily, I’ve been writing long enough to embrace those surprises! Being a control freak, those instances could be maddening, and in real life, those times would drive me up the wall, but in the creative safe space between the margins of a Final Draft page riding on a floating cursor, those surprise journeys makes writing the story really enjoyable.

Also, those are the times when I feel like I’m more than the person I am. I don’t know what I did to have those “superpowers” of storytelling, but I’m truly grateful for those moments.

Pictured: a photo of a scene from my play, JULIE AND THE STARMAKER, written for The Kwento Times Full-Length Play Reading Festival at Bindlestiff Studio.

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