I just realized a few days ago that at one point in time, I would’ve been about to have a baby, as our last pregnancy was due on Christmas Eve. I’m actually quite shocked that I forgot this, as I DO love to torture myself with sad facts. But instead of a baby, Christmas 2019 will be the Christmas I had a Santa Play:
South Coast Repertory commissioned me last year, and I immediately knew I wanted it to be a Christmas play. Enter one Christmas issue of Our State Magazine sent to me by One Jodie Brunstetter, featuring an article about all of the different kinds of people who end up playing Santa, and the Ancient Order of Real Bearded Santas — about the friendships in support group slash union for Santas — was conceived, in my brain. At this point, I will DROP the conception / child birth = playwriting metaphors, and just reflect on the fact that my plays really do bring me great comfort. They distract me, make me feel productive; they’re jars for all of my feelings. South Coast hosted a reading of the play last night, and not only did I get to hear it out loud for the first time with incredible actors (Michael McShane and Joe Spano, JUST TO NAME A FEW) but I ALSO GOT TO MEET ACTUAL SANTA:
Technically this is Santa True, a storyteller Santa who’s been helping me with my research, whom I named the main character after — But YOU GUYS, PRETTY SURE IT’S ALL A COVER ACT, AND HE IS HIM, AS LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE COULD BE SUCH A PERFECT SANTA IN EVERY PICTURE TAKEN OF HIM.
