I am thrilled with how well SEEDS is going. Weekend #2, and last night was a near sellout with a responsive audience and lots of wonderful feedback. Which of course is always going to lead to the question: “So… do you have any plans to get this produced elsewhere?” or “Next time, we’ll be seeing this in New York!”

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Playwrights, don’t you WISH we could just say, “Oh yes, because this play is doing so well here in [insert small theater in midsize city] here, my phone has been ringing off the hook, I now have an agent, and my only problem is whether or not I want Reese Witherspoon or Mary Louise Parker to play the role on Broadway.” Wouldn’t that be a dream?

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Instead, I find myself trying to succinctly explain the PROCESS of TRYING to export something, even a successful something. Which I am, of course, always trying to do, as are we all, no?  To which I am usually countered with: “You just don’t know. I just know it’s going to happen.” Or, from my mother, “Well, you’ve submitted it to theaters. Have have you tried submitting it to Hollywood?” (So in case she has a point, If anybody has that Hollywood address, please pass it on.) 

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I’m not sure what my exact rant is here, but I guess it’s just that it’s so hard to explain the challenges of being a working playwright. And maybe the answer is that I just shouldn’t. Next time somebody says something about what is sure to be my runaway success, I should just say “From your mouth to Moises Kaufman’s ears.” But then I’d probably have to explain who Moises Kaufman is.