Due Dates and Wandering around in Research

As the due date for both the book I am ploughing through from the library and my twins rapidly approach, I am trying to stay on course with research for my play. The holocaust is not exactly the best reading for an expectant mother, but considering that the play I am working with deals with children on a very specific level, maybe this the best time to do this reading and this work.

Regardless of why I am here, I am here, and I am getting down to the last two chapters of Staging theHolocaust: The Shoah in Drama and Performance. This book has been a godsend. I have learned about plays and writers I never knew existed, one at least of which I actually have in a Holocaust Theatre anthology I picked up somewhere along the way.

Here's the problem (which is a nice problem to have, actually): I cannot stop finding plays and writers to read through this book, all of which I want to see performed (or just simply direct myself). This is a huge undertaking, and there's a nagging voice in the back of my head saying, hey! You're supposed to be writing your own play about the Holocaust, not dredging up old plays and directing them.

But so many of these plays are just so fascinating. Loads of them were written directly by survivors, giving them an extra something that would just be amazing to see staged. But then I think about how little experience I have directing. But then I think of how much experience I have had directing and how much Greg has encouraged me to take that leap into the directing seat. Perhaps right before having twins and taking a sabbatical from local theatre is not the best time to discover these plays, but maybe it might be the best time ever.

So I am still working on the play, I just might be taking a longer detour to get there than I thought.

You Can't Hurry Love

Or the Muse. But continuing to work your way through back story and research will certainly help.

I am reading a wonderful scholarly text, STAGING THE HOLOCAUST: THE SHOAH IN DRAMA AND PERFORMANCE, edited by Claude Schumacher, and there's a particular article in it that is proving extra helpful.

Freddie Rokem wrote the third article in the book, called 'On the Fantastic in Holocaust Performances' and it's a fascinating examination of Holocaust plays I was not familiar with, including GHETTO by Joshua Sobol. This particular play has a lot of very interesting elements and when I was looking to see if I could find the text somewhere online, I discovered I already have it in a compilation.

Once again, how can I look this gift horse in the mouth?

It's clear I should be working on this play right now. And with 6-9 weeks of pregnancy left, it's almost foolish to work on this sort of thing. But what can I do? It's here and calling for me.

Lots of good thinking going on for me these days--hopefully something good will come of this for my writing.