As this year comes to a close, I am happy to report I was asked to direct five monologues for the Playground Experiment’s 2021 Faces of America annual monologue festival last month. I was also on the selection committee this year, and we had 300 monologues sent in from all over the US. It was incredible! It was hard, only having 25 slots available, because we received so many wonderful pieces of writing.

There were five directors each directing five monologues. I had wonderful actors and I loved the monologues I was given to direct, so it was a heavenly assignment! The event was successful, as it usually is. This was our third year – our first festival was live in the theatre and the past two were on zoom because of, well, you know. My hope is that next year we will be live again in person in a theatre.

It was gratifying for me as well, because the first year my monologue was one that was selected by the committee. The monologues are given to the selection committee with no writer’s name on it, so it truly is a blind selection, just on the merit of the writing. The second year, I was asked to perform one of the monologues, and this year I directed five of them – so I feel like I’ve won a trifecta!

I am also upping my tango technique by dancing more. My feet are getting used to tango heels again and aching less, so I think that’s a good sign I am making progress in my stamina. Class, practicas and milongas are all filling my dance card for 2022.

Writing and getting my work produced is a targeted goal for the New Year as well. Getting in shape for tango is a precursor to the marathon I know I will be running to get things off the ground and going, but I’m ready, willing, and hopefully able to do it!

Happy Holidays