Been a pretty busy spring and as things move into summer, I’m feeling reflective AGAIN. Well, it IS the Life of Alonzo, and as most bloggers go, I’m also living in a reflective state 24/7….

As a Playwright, you quickly learn that you can’t just sit home writing plays all the goddamn time. Nooooooo, that model is not workable. What you need to do is get yourself out there and offer whatever gifts you have to people and places that would benefit from such an offering. Would it KILL YOU to network a tee tad? Nooooooo, it would not. So here be Alonzo right before the start of the Northwest Maryland Poetry Out Loud finals. Next to me is Gerard LaFemina (“Gerry,” to friends, Director of the Frostburg Center for Creative Writing, and good buddy. A few years back, one of my plays “Monifa’s Kiss” had a reading at Frostburg, that’s when I met Gerry. I’ve been a judge for “Poetry Out Loud”  the last two years and each time the poets (they read published poems, not their own) get more and more and more excellent. It’s a delight to sit and inhale their passion and expertise. That’s no lie, friends. They are on-point and take their tasks very seriously.

Next up (above) the Waxter Center performed “Alvin Ailey,” (written by yours truly) about a week or so ago and I was proud as punch of the job they did. That’s “Alvin,” on the left, the choreography for the piece was out of this world!!!) and afterwards I was invited onstage for a quick Q&A. As I’ve said before, this is such a rewarding experience. The seniors and visitors get a genuine treat because the writers, directors and actors PUT ON A SHOW. You’d think this was off-broadway, because everyone pulls out their  “A game,” for these performances. Tyrone Requer oversees “Waxter Wisdom,” and his daughter Dawn directed Alvin. Alonzo just throws out da script. Happy I wasn’t in the same outfit for each event…..