Fresh off the “Grace Project” I’m up again with “The Gratitude Monologues,” part of an initiative with All Souls Church in New York. Needless to say I’m excited to participate. The monlologues and musical performances run for 6 weeks and I’ll be reading mine, “Baltimore Bound,” on July 27th. The event starts at 10:00am.

The monologues are 10 minutes or less, and “Baltimore Bound” is something I created several years back. Never thinking it would fit a particular theme. But lo and behold….it fits! Many thanks to Leslie Corn (my favorite Genealogical Forensics person) for reaching out. She’d heard me read an excerpt of “B-Side Man,” on one of Roland Tec’s monologue events. Looking over Leslie’s background it illustrates that RIGHT NOW folks are making deeper dives into the world of connections, connections on a very organic level. I think “Grace” and “Gratitude” are perfect examples of this. They explore what makes us human and what brings us together. Though the monologues and performances are all very different, the chords they strike will ring true with all of us.

The role of a “playwright” — certainly the one I grew up with — has expanded exponentially. And over the course of my career writing opportunities are no longer limited to which theatre or artistic director deems you suitable for a production. If you’re willing to create from a more expansive place, then you may find an audience that appreciates more than your purely dramatic efforts. If you can speak to the humanity that everyone wants to feel part of, you may be “discovered” by people who’re seeking observations that open up our senses, and allow us to reflect on our spirituality.

Here’s some more info about the All Souls event.