New version of Ana (with Dorothy Dix) goes over great!

A really good audience and, it seems, a really good way for Ana Fortier to talk about Elisee Reclue, Oak Alley, Antoine the slave, the righteous demands of the streetcar workers' strike in New Orleans, 1929 ... and, yes, a little about anarchy as she understands it.

Such a fine experience for me, the playwright, but I really think it was a good experience for all who came.  A good audience, a good beginning to the Seguin artsFest, ... the first time there was a theatre component, but surely not the last.

I am grateful to all who attended, to Keith Giles who gave us the use of the wheelchair accessible Aumont Hotel lobby, to the organizers of the Seguin artsFest for accepting Ana's Key to Anarchy (even if its title might off-put), to Carol Hirschi and Griffin, ...

and it was lovely, lovely.

New Version of Ana in Seguin artsFest

As part of the 2nd annual Seguin artsFest, there will be a staged reading of Ana's Key to Anarchy.  7 pm, Friday, March 30, The Aumont Hotel.  Free and open to the public.

This new version is a two-woman show.  Dorothy Dix just happened to be in New Orleans when we need her.  Carol Hirschi will read the role of Dorothy Dix.

Ana's Key to Anarchy for a UU forum in Comal Co.

Kathy Center could not read Ana's role, as I explained with the last entry. I did it myself. I welcomed the assembled Comal County UU's as if they were the delegation sent from Mayor Walmsley's Office (New Orleans) to see what kind of old lady would object to the Mayor's comments with "He doesn't even know what anarchy is!" (She'd seen in the Times-Picayune his statement, referring to the streetcar workers, on strike for better conditions, that "Anarchy must cease". )  Jan Estes, who organizes the Forum events on Wednesday night for the UUs, said she wished we'd taped it, for the play but also for the great discussion that followed.

But once again, I failed to get any pictures! Sorry.

I want to thank the Comal County UU's, of course, including Jan Estes; also my friends Bev and Rob who drove me over, Paul Martin who rode his bicycle from Seguin, Monta Zengerle and John Bushnell for attending, and Carol Hersch (the Mosheim Mansion, Seguin) for loaning me an antique telephone appropriate to 1929. Thanks.

Kathy Center in a new play

When I learned that Ana's Key... may get another staged reading in January, I wrote Kathy Center who did such a fine job with the role for the staged reading at the Blue Theatre in Austin in August, hoping she might be interested in reading the part again. But Kathy will be in rehearsal for another play. Below is what she could tell me about that play and and its performances:

Here's the play info so far:


CAFÉ AT THE END OF TIME
A stage play by Sue Carroll Moore
the story of a gay bar in the Florida Keys and the characters that call it home.

Directed and Produced by former LA Director - Marian Jones.
Performance Dates Feb 3 - Feb 19 at the Daugherty Arts Center, Austin, TX


I'm playing "Tony" the bar owner and manager, a dyke from New Jersey who's juggle two girlfriends: the former, emotionally-dependent gal who just won't let go, and the younger, current gal, who's losing patience. All the characters are gay or lesbian and equally colorful.


Thanks,
Kathy

BLUE THEATRE ANNOUNCES!

Good news for new play!

Ana's Key to Anarchy will get a staged reading at the Blue Theatre in Austin! Also to have a staged reading, the same evening, PÈRE BOISSON, based on a story by Guy de Maupassant. Hurray for Blue! August 8, 7:30 pm, "Free and Open to the Public." Link to Blue Theatre at the right.

beaucoup de français, mais pas trop (in new one-woman show)

Elisée Reclus


I've just finished a new play. It's Ana's Key to Anarchy. Catchy title, right? The one woman of show is Ana Fortier, whose family had the sugar plantation in Louisiana where Elisée Reclus, who would become an important geographer and anarchist, was the resident French teacher from 1853 to 1855. She's 87 as she addresses us in 1929.(He left, of course, because he could not tolerate an economy based on slavery). Dans cet piéce il y a beaucoup de français, mais pas trop.

One more play set in 1929 and I'll have another trilogy. A December Eve's Visit with Frederic Demuth (NYC International Fringe Festival show 2008, a one-man show) was also set in 1929. Any ideas?

This new play takes place as the streetcar strike is in progress in New Orleans. Ana is wanting one of those new PoBoy sandwiches that the Martin Brothers created to give out to hungry strikers.

I've re-subscribed to Celtx, though it has no Celtx Central anymore, which I dearly miss. With this new Celtx you can generate PDF files of the plays, so that helps. If anyone would like a copy, let me know!

It's 106F here in Texas where I post this. (I like that snow on the mountains behind Monsieur Reclus.) Stay cool.