Flight jitters
Oh, hi friends!
I’m just back from California, where I saw my parents, grandma, brother, sister-in-law, and lots more family and friends for the first time in two years—well, 22.5 months, to be exact. It was incredibly nice to see them, even though the visit was bittersweet (missing Grandpa something fierce).
And I was strangely nervous to fly again? Maybe it's all the news stories about awful flights or my own misplaced anxiety, but our minds can play tricks on us depending on the narratives we choose to follow—and the longer we don’t do something, the more intimidating it can become.
Of course, all was OK. Delta is the best. On one flight I sat next to a woman who did hair for Hamilton (seriously!). I kept my laptop in my bag for the first time ever and abandoned the idea that I must work on flights to make them “productive” and instead watched Funny Girl and All That Jazz. And all the flight attendants were kind, funny, generous—one even gave me a hug after I told her they made me feel comfortable flying again.
So I guess I’m thinking about which story I’m listening to lately.
Is it the story that says, This will be too hard or difficult.
Or the story that says, Stop being a baby, this is a piece of cake.
Or maybe even the one that says, This might be hard or difficult—but I have the tools to get through it anyway.
I hope your story today is one you want to hear.
And if it's not, I hope you feel you can change it—because you can.
“When you’re writing, you’re trying to find out something which you don’t know. The whole language of writing for me is finding out what you don’t want to know, what you don’t want to find out. But something forces you to anyway.”
— James Baldwin, The Paris Review interview (credit to RSM)
And…we’re back highlighting more talented and hardworking folks! I’d love for you to meet Becca Schneider and Jenn Haltman, co-creators of the new original show TRICH, a funny, deeply personal story performed by Becca about her mental health from teenage years to now.
I love their blurb: “This is a solo show about living with Trich. You might not know what that is, but don’t worry, I’ll tell you when you get here. You’ll meet a teenage girl with an undeniable secret that no one seems to notice, so she hides in her basement cubicle wondering if anyone will come downstairs.”
They created TRICH over the last two years—it’s premiering this week!—and I was eager to find out their secrets for staying creative, adaptable, and dreaming big.
You managed to create an original work of art during the pandemic. Let's stop and consider how huge that is. How did you keep writing and developing the piece, especially when you were in different locations?
Jenn: Thanks! It definitely feels like a huge accomplishment, especially when we take a step back and see what we’ve made. Pre-pandemic, we were in very early stages of development and meeting about once a month. Our other co-creator Casey Pfeifer and I were giving Becca writing prompts, and we were just beginning to play with structure ideas. When March 2020 hit, we began meeting over Zoom once a week which not only kicked building the play into high gear, but also grounded us during the insanity and allowed us to mark time together.
What were some of the hurdles you had to jump over to bring this performance to light?
Jenn: Aside from your-average-pandemic…
Becca: Right, not being able to work in the same room for a year and a half — that’s a lot of tablework.
Jenn: Which was honestly great, but eventually you need to get on your feet and explore to take things to the next level.
Becca: In addition to that, I would say my own personal blocks have occasionally interfered. This is an extremely intimate piece and something that my insides still fight me on creating from time to time. Emotional walls, defense mechanisms, all that good therapy shit. Can we swear? [Editor's note: Yes! No rules!]
Jenn: But at the same time, I’d argue that those parts of you have made the play what it is. It’s been growing with you. So yes, the hurdles are there, but they’re always moving and changing. And one thing that’s been remarkable for Casey and me is seeing Becca find confidence in her voice as a writer.
This is an 85-minute solo show. Becca, how...how do you do that?!
Becca: I’m hoping you can tell me! I’m not quite sure yet as I’ve only had the opportunity to do it a handful of times so far. It certainly takes a lot out of me given the subject matter and how much vulnerability is required of me to get the story out. Performing it is like a ride. Once I’m onboard, it takes me through all the way to the end. If something stops me short, then there’s a script issue we need to address. It should feel like a snowball picking up speed all the way down a hill. So long as there are no blockades, it flies by and I look up at the end and realize it’s over. Plus a lot of water.
When it comes to creating and sharing a personal show like TRICH (or any new work of art), what is your "brass ring"? What do you hope to find and what have you already discovered from this process?
Becca: I discovered that I was actually capable of doing this, something that I never believed was possible. I can write down the things that terrify me most and share them with an audience. And in doing that, I’ve come to really believe in the play and the importance of saying these things out loud. By exploring topics often kept in the shadows, we’ve created a story that is extremely personal and specific.
Jenn: And yet remarkably universal. Which is the true goal, right?
What is your ultimate dream for this play?
Becca: Usually I live in a pretty practical headspace, but Casey and Jenn have been encouraging me to daydream about what this play can be.
Jenn: We want to take it on tour to mental health conferences, schools—educational environments in addition to theatrical spaces.
Becca: Ultimately I’d love for as many people as possible to see this piece. If that means a long-term Off-Broadway run followed by a Broadway transfer where it will eventually be filmed for HBO after winning multiple prestigious awards, so be it.
Where can people find you online—and in theaters?
Becca: You can follow Between Two Boroughs on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter.
Jenn: And TRICH will be performing at the United Solo Theatre Festival this month at Theatre Row in Times Square! Here are our dates:
Friday, November 5th at 7:30pm
Saturday, November 6th at 2pm SOLD OUT
Friday, November 12th at 9:30pm
Saturday, November 13th at 7:30pm SOLD OUT
Friday, November 19th at 1:00pm
To purchase tickets and for updates about additional performances, visit our website. We hope to see you there!
Oh hi! Kara again: I can't wait to see this show and hope you all are as inspired as I am to keep creating. <3
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Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara