Laurels!

I got back from the cave last week to what felt like an early Christmas present: my play What Every Girl Should Know was honored by Indy Weekly with Best Ensemble (!), Best Direction (!!), Best Original Script (!!!), and Best Production (!!!!). You can see the full list of awards here.

These laurels are all the more remarkable when I think back on how little time we had to put it up. I delivered a final script on March 18th and the play went up April 19th, choreography and all, spun on the spot by my sister Clare, flown in from Vermont. Lucius was just getting out of his production of Blood Knot (for which he also won awards, for acting) and Marie had to leave town right after the last performance, so it was the only window of time we had. But they did it, and they did it beautifully. Sometimes the stars just align.

Below is almost the full crew, clockwise from left: Lucius Robinson (Director and Set Designer), Alice Turner (Lucy), Carolyn McDaniel (Anne), Skylar Gudasz (Joan), Marie Garlock (Theresa), Kiernan McGowan (Stage Manager and Set Designer), and me, Monica Byrne (Playwright). Not pictured are Chelsea Kurtzman (Costume Design), Steve Tell (Lighting Design), and Clare Byrne (Choreographer), who also all did amazing jobs. And of course, bottomless thanks to my theatre company Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, all of whose 2011-12 shows were named among the year’s Best Productions; and its directors Dana Marks and Jay O’Berski, who first commissioned “a play about Margaret Sanger” and then offered nothing but unconditional support for all my crazy dreams thereafter. I am so lucky.