You waited long enough
Oh, hi friends!
Internet Wisdom says don’t send out emails on Fridays at 5pm. But I don’t care! Rules, what rules!
Lots going on but I wanted to highlight a few memorable moments: I had one of those long chats over coffee with a new friend that reminded me what it was like to a) actually make a new friend, something that hasn't happened in literal years and b) drop the pretense of sharing only the good news or the perfect narrative.
Reminder: Just be real. Be honest. Show up how you are.
This week I was also able to see a reading of another friend’s new musical, and a production of a play directed by yet another friend. And I am so struck by the creativity and persistence and effort.
Sharing this with you because none of these things came easily. There were COVID outbreaks, recasting, multi-year delays. And yet, they happened. I sat there and watched them happen.
Linear narratives no longer exist. We got loops, baby.
To that end, I’m about to close a loop of my own. My short musical Letters From May is getting its first production, for real, this Monday, May 23.
And for the past two-and-a-half years, while composer Kris and I waited…and waited…and waited…I thought, many times, what’s the point? Who cares? It’s only 10 minutes. Move on.
Then, on Monday, I sat in a rehearsal room with forces of nature Eric, Jack, Dolores, Liz, and Stephanie, and watched our brilliant director Tyrone spin words off the page into scenes on the stage, and I knew: Oh yes. OK then. This is how it was supposed to happen.
Those lessons, that waiting.
It does lead you somewhere new.
So if you’re waiting, hold on.
Hold on.
It will be worth it.
“For some reason I had an unshakable faith that all would work out. I don't know if it's because of that voice, which I tried to stop and kill, or because I just thought, I am an actress, and that is what I'm going to do. I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about the future. I would suggest that—a little time but not a lot. Pay attention to where you are. Celebrate the small victories. Every time I got a role, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I didn't care if I had two lines or if it was a Broadway opening, which was thrilling. I thought, Oh my gosh, someone said yes. Someone said, ‘I see. I agree with you. Go on now.’ It's a beautiful thing, but celebrate the small ones, darlings. It may take time.”
Loved every word of this piece by Ann Dowd on what it was like not finding success until her fifties.
Oh Wait I Forgot the Invite
I always poke friends who never send out invites to their shows or Big Events, and yet...I kind of forgot to do it myself.
If you’re in New York and would like to see a stellar line-up of new musicals by some of the most talented (and patient) people I know, please come to the Sound Bites Musical Festival on Monday, May 23 at 7pm at the beautiful Kaufman Music Center on the Upper West Side. (The code FNF15 gets you a 15% off friends-and-family discount...'cause we're all friends here.)
Our musical Letters From May tells the story of a fictitious artist named May Dalton and her journey from scrappy, humble beginnings to stardom and, eventually, fame. Through the course of the 10-minute musical Dalton ages from 22 to 82 — and the themes, well, they’ll be familiar to anyone who’s ever read this newsletter: Creating! Failure! Focus! Starting over!
Most of all, thanks for listening to me write about this for all these years. It helps. A lot.
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
You can also support my work by checking out my motivational journal, Do It For Yourself, designed to guide you through your creative and work projects, and my upcoming journal Do It Today, which encourages you to find time for the things that matter most to you.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara