Gobsmacked

Writers are seldom at a loss for words, but I was absolutely gobsmacked to see my name and my short play, Near Mint, mentioned in Broadway World.

I wrote the play in 2018, specifically for The West Side Show Room’s annual Rockford New Play Festival (now called Rockford New Words). It was among six plays selected to be read at the event. It was exciting to see actors add their own spin to my dialogue and hear their feedback on the play itself.

Thanks to an acquaintance the play was also read, minus an audience, by a group of actors in upstate New York. But because Near Mint hasn’t technically been “produced,” I’ve been able to submit it to more competitions. Last year I entered it in The Center for Performing Arts Bonita Springs’ annual Stage It! festival. While it wasn’t selected, organizers said they would keep some of their favorite plays in mind for future opportunities.

Just before Christmas, they asked for permission to include Near Mint in a staged readings event on January 13, 2023. Of course I said yes—especially since it will be read alongside works by far more experienced playwrights like Judd Lear Silverman, Marsha Roberts, Luke Herzog, Paul Sedgley, and Debra A. Cole.

While I wasn’t surprised the event itself would be mentioned in Broadway World, seeing my play mentioned—and called “hilarious”—was a total shock. A wonderful shock.