The Value Remains TBD

The scant four decades I have have been on this Earth have wrought many stories. I am a storyteller who has spent three of those decades in the theatre - that's 75% of my life. Therefore, it makes sense that I am a writer who is compelled to bring my stories to the stage.

If you are reading this post it is likely because you are a friend of mine. This blog is fresh enough that it hasn't garnered much of a following outside of social media. In a way, that is a good thing. This post is for my friends and family, my colleagues and the people who know me.

Tonight was meant to be the world premiere production of my new play A Gift of Undetermined Value. However, due to creative differences, the theater made the decision to cancel the production. I won't go much more into it. Differences are differences and everything happens for a reason.

I am still relatively new to this. I am no Beth Henley (see how I chose a female Pulitzer Prize winner there?) but I am a playwright. And I am a fairly decent one at that. I have proof positive on that declaration. Google it.

This particular story was inspired by a high school friend's relationship with a man who murdered his wife and three children. My friend was a New York Times reporter. While he was in the process of being fired from his job at the Times for blending several stories into one, a murderer, Christian Longo, was assuming his identity and living the high life in Mexico. The result was a bizarre and fascinating relationship that resulted in a book and a movie deal. The basis of my play, however, was the the next chapter of the Christian's life which explores the bio-ethical issues of organ donation by death row inmates inspired by his organization GAVE.

My play takes the bio-ethical issues of organ donation by prison inmates and intermingles those issues with the dynamic interpersonal relationships of family, marriage and friendships in the aftermath of a tragic situation. The story is still good and I am proud of it. It has a future. I am confident.

I am sad that this snowy March night in Connecticut will not see the premiere of my play. But I am happy that I am able to make the rewrites I felt it needed. When it finally does move forward, it will be with confident steps and with the support it deserves.