tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26536003102875296462023-11-16T08:05:32.284-08:00Brave New WordsK.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-38748570645108106902018-04-12T13:45:00.003-07:002018-04-12T13:45:37.446-07:00SubmissionAs a writer, I love what I do. It's what happens after I write that gets my cortisol roiling — making submissions. It's a horrible word, submission. It has the air of giving over, giving in, maybe even giving up. But it is the only way to get my work into the world. I have to let other people see it and make their own judgements for my words to have life.<br />
<br />
Recently, I spent two hours believing I'd been rejected from a workshop. In that two hours, I ran through my classic litany of self-flagellation, beginning and ending with — I suck. I was, to use a Britishism, gutted. As it turned out, I was accepted into the workshop but, thanks to the mysteries of the internet, I'd received a tardy verification of my acceptance.<br />
<br />
Of course, I was relieved, delighted, overjoyed and infused with refreshed confidence in my work when I received the acceptance note. Which made me realize just how reliant I have become on the approval of others — the kiss of death in any creative endeavor. Is it possible that my work transformed into something fabulous over those two hours of devastation? No. My work is my work, and it's only as good as I can make it at any given point in time. The only thing that had transformed was my feelings about my work, which were wickedly connected to whatever others were saying about it.<br />
<br />
Take away: Enough worrying about whatever others might say. Time to do the work to the best of my ability and let it go. Time to literally submit to whatever happens without attaching my feelings of worth to the outcome. To connect with other human beings, I have to risk submission. Now, all I have to do is learn to submit without putting my head under the guillotine along with my work!K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-84365275665095732652017-09-19T14:18:00.000-07:002017-09-19T14:18:13.459-07:00In Defense of Writers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In Defense of Writers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">By K.D. Carlson <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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A lot of ink has been spilled on
descriptions of writers as sensitive, tortured souls, who struggle to live in
the “real world.” And there is a grain of truth in the stereotype. But
in my personal experience, the day-in and day-out writers I have the privilege
to know are also some of the toughest, most tenacious people I’ve ever met. And I
have a few theories why. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Writers
face unbelievable odds against their success.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Writing is a
lonely sport, with a high bar to clear before even the most amazing literary
athletes can achieve something approaching career success. Only the hardy, or
the fool-hearty (or both), would ever pursue writing as more than a hobby —
especially if they’ve read the statistics. Check out the
piece below from the Huff Post, noting that only 2% of writers are able to sell
over 5,000 copies of a published work (never mind how hard it is to get
published in the first place). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any
self-respecting carpenter would turn to another trade if faced with a 2% chance
of achieving a level of success that could sustain life. The writers I know persist. Pens. Of. Steel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
(<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-dietrich/the-writers-odds-of-succe_b_2806611.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-dietrich/the-writers-odds-of-succe_b_2806611.html</a>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Even
successful writers live in a precarious state of fluctuating income that almost
always requires keeping a day job.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Recently, I had a
conversation with an attorney friend who represents dramatists at the height of
their careers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend was having
lunch with a playwright who has won a Tony, an Obie, a Drama Desk Award and a
Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the highest accolades offered in the theatre. But during
the lunch in question, the accomplished playwright looked up at my attorney
friend (and the executive director of a big-ticket theatre who had joined them)
and said: “You know, I’m the only one at this table who can’t make a living in
the theatre.” That’s right. The Pulitzer Prize winner is keeping his day job —
as almost all playwrights, novelists, short-story writers, memoirists,
biographers, and poets (especially poets) must. Most writers work at least two
jobs (their vocation and their “pay the bills” occupation). Talk about stamina.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Writers
are at high risk for depression and anxiety.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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According to a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardian</i> article, artists and writers are
more riddled with depression and anxiety than the general population<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/dec/13/writers-depression-top-10-risk">https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/dec/13/writers-depression-top-10-risk</a>).
Psychologists are still sorting out whether or not people with the proclivity
to write also have a tendency toward mental illness, but one thing they do know
is that living from freelance gig to freelance gig, or foregoing sleep to write
after or before a day job doesn’t help. And the health hazards only increase when you add in the time that writers spend alone in the twisting, and potentially dangerous, alleys of imagination.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Only the
most exceptionally successful writers are recognized for their achievements. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To illustrate this point, please indulge me by contemplating a couple of
hypothetical scenarios.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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• You’ve completed law school,
passed the bar, earned the praise of peers and faculty. You enter your chosen
field to discover that most of the available work must be completed on “spec”—
meaning you only get paid only if the firm “hiring” you likes your work. Or,
in pursuit of a little better security, you plug into a series of freelance legal gigs, which offer no 401K, no salary, and no benefits. Or, maybe you get really lucky and
land one of the few paying jobs in your wheelhouse. However, you’re not really
an attorney. You’re someone who does research for attorneys, or writes briefs
for attorneys, or advertises the services of attorneys. And, in order to earn this coveted
salary, you need to put your “real attorney” dreams on the shelf. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt;">
• You’re a physician. You’ve
completed your coursework and residency, honed your skills working long hours. But,
because only the top one or two percent of doctors actually land paid positions
at hospitals and clinics, you have to earn your stripes by serving patients for
free while you enter contests (some of which charge a fee), submit your best
surgeries for committee reviews, and bang on the doors of successful doctors for
references.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Perhaps I
digress, but a lot of writers are faced with just this sort of scenario in pursuit of their craft. No, you don’t have to go to med school or law school to
write a book or poem (although many writers take out significant loans to earn
MFAs). But it does take a certain level of skill, preparation, and hard work to
do it well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
And here’s where
things get tricky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so-so</i> lawyers and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meh</i> doctors can make a living doing what they do — and can even earn
the odd pat on the back for it. Think about it: even the worst surgeon or the most inept lawyer occasionally gets a fruit basket from a grateful patient or happy client.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Writers
face rejection, or complete invisibility, on a regular basis.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Yes, I know
there are jobs far more demoralizing than writing for a living. Inseminating corn on a farm crew, working as a janitor at a spit-wad infested grade school, or dressing up as the furry "Advo-Cat" newspaper mascot all come to mind (partly because they're all jobs I've held).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
My point is: who
wouldn’t be a little discouraged when much of the feedback from
months or years of work sounds like this: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
don’t like your voice, This piece isn’t for us, I wanted to love this, but I
didn’t.</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We love your writing, but we don’t
think we can sell it. </i>Mostly, writers hear critiques or crickets.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>It’s tough for them to wake up every
morning with the full realization that this art they study diligently, practice
daily, believe in fiercely and pursue passionately may be just that — a pursuit, with no achievable goal in sight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So why do writers pound
their heads against such a formidable wall?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Here’s the $10 million dollar
question. And the answer is probably a little different for every writer.
Personally, I’m driven to create stories that explore how we are all connected,
how our most absurd quirks can be our most endearing traits, how the most
particular details of our individual lives can draw us together. In short, I write
because I love our broken world, and the broken humans who share it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Just to be clear, I know I have a
choice in this matter, as most writers do. No one came and pounded on my door,
saying, “You must be a writer. We need you!” But sometimes it feels like a
calling, one that I both take seriously and find absurd. I mean, who in their
right mind sits in a room making up stories and poems and plays every day? And
who has the chutzpah to think that anyone else would ever want to read or see
these solitary creations? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A ragtag band of rough and ready
writers, that’s who. I, for one, will be forever grateful to Michael Ondaatje,
Joseph Konrad, Mary Oliver, Anne Lamott, Kate Atkinson, Tana French, Michael
Hollinger, Julie Jensen, Doug Wright, Billy Collins, Ruth
Ozeki, and the droves of writers who have helped me see hope
in the midst of despair, connection in the face of division, and stillness in
the blur of chaos. Thank you ALL for pursuing your calling against the odds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How can we stand together in
defense of writers?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
If you’ve read this far into my
diatribe, you may be wondering how you might defend the writers you love (including yourself). I don’t have a magic wand to end the suffering, but I do
have a suggestion for helping lift the psychic load of a writing life. If you know
someone who writes, and you want them to keep writing, instead of ditching this
ridiculous pursuit for a respectable career, think about sending an occasional
“fruit basket.” It’s amazing what a word of encouragement, or a coffee punch
card, can do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And if you’re a writer who
feels called to participate in this crazy, solitary sport, please keep the
faith — in the muses and their Divine source, in the wonder of the ordinary, in the daily practice, in your fellow writers, and in the deep belief
that words have power to change lives, including our own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-33280961108793292612015-11-17T00:50:00.001-08:002015-11-17T00:50:29.648-08:00<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_6" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; overflow: hidden;">
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So thrilled to learn that an eBook I wrote with mastermind illustrator Carolyn Scott has won a Parent's Choice Award as a mobile app for kids aged 9-12. Such joy to see hard work rewarded. Check out a taste of the book at <a href="http://solutionaries.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Solutionaries.org.</a></div>
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Parents' Choice recommends the best in children's media. Content includes Parents' Choice Awards and Noteworthy Product Reviews. Parents' Choice is the…</div>
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-18903867348293369222015-11-09T21:12:00.002-08:002015-11-09T21:12:35.694-08:00DG Scholarship!<div>
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So honored to have won a scholarship from the Dramatists Guild! <a href="https://medium.com/@DGFund/writechange-kristin-k-d-carlson-934324efdd1">https://medium.com/@DGFund/writechange-kristin-k-d-carlson-934324efdd1</a><br />K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-82694300831061378282015-11-09T21:00:00.001-08:002015-11-09T21:08:09.118-08:00Just completed a project that makes my spirit sing. Could it be that writing produced on a lark sometimes soars the highest?<br />
<br />K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-88298036259884602892015-06-03T16:32:00.002-07:002015-06-03T16:32:59.998-07:00Thank You Vintage Theatre and the Amazing Cast of Unmarried in AmericaMy amazing daughter thought to take this picture outside the theatre when we attended opening night. The cast continues to astonish me with their committed, real, beautiful portrayals. Thank you to Vintage Theatre, the entire cast and crew, and especially to Craig Bond and Wendy Moore!<br />
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-24707942725920323292014-11-23T14:00:00.001-08:002014-11-23T14:00:25.554-08:00Vintage Theatre Gala for their 2015 Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Vintage Theatre Gala</div>
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Thank You for Taking the Stage for Love and Marriage!</div>
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Unmarried in America, directed by Wendy Moore, will open May 8 and run through June 21 at Vintage Theatre in Aurora. The atmosphere of the 2015 season launch at Vintage Theatre was electrifying. I'm thrilled to partner with them and to see this piece take a solo flight (sans playwright). Please come and support the theatre. They are a talented, dedicated and feisty bunch. Can't wait to see the show they produce.<br />
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Several people came up to me during the soiree part of the evening with stories to share. My favorite part of this journey has been the AMAZING people I have met and continue to meet. As my mother told me: Love always wins. I see it over and over again.<br />
<br />K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-57017747063659424272014-09-30T18:23:00.001-07:002014-09-30T18:23:18.511-07:00Auditions for "Unmarried in America" at Vintage Theatre Starting Soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post is a great big thank-you to everyone who has been a part of "Unmarried in America" in any way. Auditions are coming up soon at Vintage Theatre for a 23-show run. SO excited, and I couldn't have done it without a "village" of talented theatre pros. Gratitude ABOUNDS.</div>
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-18123683676092636042013-08-06T11:34:00.001-07:002013-08-06T11:34:09.645-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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PHOTO CREDIT STEPHEN BIRD<div>
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Thank you to CCTC (the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition) for inviting the cast and crew of "Unmarried in America" to Denver to present an encore performance of the competition cutting ( presented at the AACT event in IN, where it secured four awards). Every actor in this piece, and every actor who has nudged it along its path, has been absolutely phenomenal to watch. The dedication, the skill, and the heart of these people is phenomenal (and I don't use the word lightly). I've always thought that theatre is one of the best "anti-bullying" training grounds, because actors (and directors, and set and tech designers, and audience members) are asked to identify with people who think and act differently than they would. They are asked to empathize and to motivate every action and word (and to view every action and word) through the passionate gaze of another. It's an amazing and beautiful craft to watch. If you happen to be headed to Denver this Friday, or if you have friends in Denver, please invite them to join us at the Denver Center Theatre Academy's performance space, in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for Theatre Education (the theatre in the old tramway building)<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">. </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tickets are $10 and are available at the door. The performance begins at 2 p.m. Hope to see you there.</span></div>
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-10039166610513076852013-06-05T22:26:00.003-07:002013-06-05T22:26:50.497-07:00One more rehearsal before we head off to Indiana to share our work with a wider community. I am thrilled and terrified and trying to remember to breathe and enjoy whatever comes. Some days, this writing life is such a roller coaster that I just want to make it stop, or hop off the ride. But, the deeper truth is that even though the low points can make me gasp for air and even want to scream, they take my breath away and teach me things that all the level ground in the world can't. So, I am grateful. For the literal and figurative journey— and for all the people who are riding through the deep curves and steep drops, and yes, the high points, with me. Deep breath.K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-52427814011861853552013-05-24T17:03:00.002-07:002013-05-24T17:10:05.559-07:00The Aspen Stage performance of "Unmarried in America" at Lake Dillon Theatre Company was a powerful reminder of the joy of making art with an ensemble. Every member of the team showed up ready to work and play with an attitude of pure, curious commitment. Whatever the weekend would offer up, they were game. The result was a whole lot of deep-belly laughter and a few soul-cleansing tears. Theatre is, at its heart, a team sport, a communal effort. And the role of the audience is crucial. The audience in Dillon brought a willingness to engage with the characters and the material that enriched and enlivened the experience for everyone involved in the production. Wow, what great questions they asked! As a guest in a host theatre, I was suddenly aware of all the little moments of pure miracle that bring a production, a cast, a crew, a theatre, and an audience together. I am humbled and grateful. Deep breath. And on to Indiana.<br />
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K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-30303663570489852652013-04-22T17:41:00.001-07:002013-05-03T14:47:58.339-07:00Please support us in taking this show on the road!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 19px;">As the trail for my play, "Unmarried in America," winds on its way, I can't begin to thank all the partners we've had on the journey. I am grateful for every contribution from every actor and artistic director and every college program and theatre company that has supported us! As you may know, Aspen Stage took a cutting of “Unmarried in America” to the CCTC festival in Salida, CO last August, where it won “The People’s Choice Award” and a chance to advance to a regional competition. In March, a performance at Thunder River Theatre Company earned us a spot representing our region (WY, CO, UT and MT) at the AACT national competition at the Tarkington Theatre in Carmel, IN. If you believe in marriage equality and the message of “Unmarried in America,” please help us take this show on the road to spur discussion beyond the valley! To support us, simply use the secure PayPal button on this site. No donation is too small or too large.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 19px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX2zJCKvDwcLw_l446zxNAXJ2bA8bGdPoY3icHC0nVgFD9-YWMWCiYdYk7kasr9BXZgsXKFjmVt5AyAKwnxIG9z4ZGx_W8-YIUIxRP7ASDPSBsjs421ePXBP3GZ8RLbeutNdy8Sg1FSw/s1600/screen-capture-62.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX2zJCKvDwcLw_l446zxNAXJ2bA8bGdPoY3icHC0nVgFD9-YWMWCiYdYk7kasr9BXZgsXKFjmVt5AyAKwnxIG9z4ZGx_W8-YIUIxRP7ASDPSBsjs421ePXBP3GZ8RLbeutNdy8Sg1FSw/s1600/screen-capture-62.png" /></a></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-67208632631058543852013-04-15T17:09:00.000-07:002013-04-15T17:09:11.450-07:00Join us in Dillon, CO"Unmarried in America" has been invited to perform at Lake Dillon Theatre in Dillon, CO on May 17, 18 and 19 (7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday). The support for this piece has been generous and humbling. If you live in the area, or know people who do, please plan to attend and support us!<br />
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Every time I think this play has gone as far as it can go on its own steam, another set of tracks appears and away we roll. I will be ever grateful to the people who have believed in this project from the beginning and who have stayed with it through all the terrain we've crossed so far. I am so honored by your faith in this piece.<br />
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As the Supreme Court deliberates, the court of public opinion is also in session and making its own decisions. The people I've met and the stories I've heard while researching this play have cracked open my mind and my heart in ways that have compelled me to jump onto the witness stand and share what I've seen and heard. I hope you'll consider entering the discussion too. Please join us in Dillon.K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-29325157046673852112013-04-08T16:56:00.001-07:002013-04-08T16:56:40.103-07:00Brave New Words: Eudora's Box<a href="http://kdcarlson.blogspot.com/p/eudoras-box.html?spref=bl"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Brave New Words: Eudora's Box</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> I just wanted to share the review of Thunder River Theatre Company's production of my play, "Eudora's Box," from their website: http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/eudora'sbox.htm<br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white;">It was SO much fun, and I'll be ever grateful to Lon Winston, Valerie Haugen, and Brad Moore for believing in this project.</span><br />
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</span> <b style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><span font="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span font="" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">REVIEW FOR EUDORA'S BOX<br />
By Trina Ortega<br />
Sopris Sun Contributor</span></span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><span font="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span font="" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></span></b><br />
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</span></span></b> <b style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><span font="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span font="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img align="left" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2015a.jpg" /><div align="left"><span style="background-color: white;">As a regular patron to the Thunder River Theatre, I was a bit disoriented walking into the seating area on opening night of Kristin Carlson’s “Eudora’s Box.” The normal entrance was blocked, and seats were positioned on all sides of “the stage.” I was still a bit mixed up at intermission and tried to walk out where the stage fridge was positioned.<br />
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But it was exactly what Thunder River Theatre Company members Brad Moore (director of “Eudora’s Box”) and Lon Winston (set design) intended. The subtle but brilliant rearranging of the audience chairs, along with the deliberate darkness at the opening of Act I, put me in the shoes of a person dealing with Alzheimer’s, which is the basis for the play.<br />
</span><img align="right" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2020a.jpg" /><span style="background-color: white;">“Eudora’s Box” was TRTC’s 2010 New Play Development selection and celebrated its world premiere last week. It continues June 29-30 with a 7:30 p.m. curtain; July 1 with a 2 p.m. matinee; and July 5-7 (7:30 p.m. curtain).<br />
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The play centers around “Pop” and his three adult children. When Pop is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the kids swoop in to plan his future, including arrangements for assisted living and finances, down to every last penny. Meanwhile, Pop desperately searches for his wife Eudora’s “box.” But his children find it first and upon discovering the contents begin to delve into childhood memories and re-evaluate the person they knew as their mother.<br />
</span><img align="left" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2024a.jpg" /><span style="background-color: white;">It’s a bit scary to admit, but Carlson sheds light on how our own memories of events and people may not be in line with others’ recollection of the same events and people. I fight for “my memory” to be the correct version but, in fact, a sibling or friend may have a more accurate recollection. Scarier still, perhaps the stories of our lives begin to take on a little more fiction as time passes.<br />
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But as Pop questions: Is that really so bad?<br />
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At one point or another, each sibling deliberates this. Early on, the judgmental and controlling older sister, Faye (played bravely by Summer Thomas), sighs, “Nothing is ever how we remember it.” Thomas plays the role convincingly, creating an abrasive sibling whom we despise most of the time but can sympathize with in her struggle to forgive those who have “betrayed” her. “Can’t the little lies we tell ourselves be as good as truth?” she pleads.<br />
</span><img align="right" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2018a.jpg" /><span style="background-color: white;">G. Thomas Cochran’s portrayal of Pop is tender, sad and comical at times. We fight with him as he screams at the kids, “I’m right here, talk to me to my face.” We laugh with him as he describes his neighbor friend yelling at him as though he’s deaf (he wears ear plugs nearly the entire time). We respect him as though he’s our own wise ol’ Pop as he explains that he needs Eudora’s box to put the “missing puzzle pieces” of his brain back together.<br />
</span><img align="left" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2019a.jpg" /><span style="background-color: white;">Jeff Carlson plays Richard, the middle child, a son who constantly seeks his father’s approval, and his repugnance upon hearing intimate details about his parents’ loving relationship is both hilarious and relatable.<br />
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Sophie Sakson, however, steals the stage in her role as Lucy, the youngest child and Pop’s “favorite” (at least on the surface). Sakson has a natural presence and transforms her character into a sexy woman facing the reality that she may not even “know how to love.” Despite her promiscuous behavior and still-innocent view on life, we love Lucy for her optimistic attitude, honesty and accepting nature.<br />
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Nyle Kenning plays Lucy’s lover, Jarod, and their on-stage chemistry creates some steamy moments that should make Sakson’s real-life parents a bit nervous.<br />
</span><img align="left" src="http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/photo/EB%2014a.jpg" /><span style="background-color: white;">“Eudora’s Box” is a funny, heart-warming and heart-wrenching play featuring remarkable local professional talent (the playwright, acting and production).</span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
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</span></span></span></b><span font="" style="background-color: magenta; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span font="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></span>K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-61962245904752878662013-04-05T21:36:00.000-07:002013-04-05T21:36:14.359-07:00Unmarried in America — It takes a village to raise a play. Thank you!OK. So, there's very little that's actually brave about this blog. Except that I am somewhat technically challenged — and that I am striving for more courage in my life and my art. More faith. Less fear. So, here goes.<br />
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I am beyond thrilled that my play, "Unmarried in America," has been selected for presentation at a national community theatre festival in IN. From the start, I wanted to create a piece that could play in the heartland and spark respectful conversation. Performing this play in Carmel, IN is an incredible opportunity.<br />
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I still have to pinch myself when I think about how this play came into being. An acquaintance just happened to suggest that I take a close look at the Prop 8 Trial. Then, a friend just happened to know a witness in the trial. And that witness, Ryan Kendall, just happened to be willing to talk to me and to put me in contact with his circle of friends. That's a lot of happenstance. Which is why this process has felt like more than coincidence since the beginning.<br />
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And I haven't even begun to address the amazing actors who just keep showing up to donate their time and talents, the phenomenal director who materialized for the first-ever table reading of this project, and the theaters (Colorado Mountain College Theatre, The Wheeler, Sol Theatre and Thunder River Theatre) that have appeared to offer us performance space.<br />
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Truly, it takes a village to create a viable play. And I am blessed beyond measure and beyond reason by an incredible community of supporters. The response to this piece has been overwhelming. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who has tossed fertilizer, in the form of time, energy and commitment, on this project. It is growing. And I am grateful. Thank you, thank you!<br />
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<br />K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653600310287529646.post-738323133207137682012-11-08T14:26:00.002-08:002012-11-08T14:26:58.573-08:00Away we go...Coming soon!K.D. Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052477425648779848noreply@blogger.com0