Writers Revealed

• Cycle of Poverty: Part 2 with Sage Martin & DeLane McDuffie

  In the second and final episode of our special two-part “Cycle of Poverty” series, enjoy a “first listen” of two in-development plays from our Commission Fellowship Program. Sage Martin & DeLane McDuffie read from their new plays which explore poverty and homelessness through BIPOC perspectives. Followed by a conversation moderated by L. Trey Wilson.   This Month Sage & DeLane discuss the development of their “Cycle of Poverty” plays.  DeLane chats about how he likes to hear his plays and screenplays read aloud. Sage admits her love for feedback during the writing process, especially from people who don’t work in theatre and non-writers.  DeLane & Sage talk about how they discovered their perfectly-fitted play titles.  Sage laments the prevalence of poverty in the South and how it is often the brunt of jokes. DeLane explains how the characters in his play are not “good” people and will do anything to stay out of poverty. Sage discusses how deeply the “cycle of poverty” upsets her because the U.S. has the wealth and resources to solve it. DeLane discusses how the “cycle of poverty” has more to do with the people who can do something about it, not the people in poverty.  Sage reveals her love for folklore in the U.S. and the South. DeLane confesses his reverence for the rich language from the ‘30s & ‘40s. Sage chats about how she started to write stories for fat women because she had never been able to play a fat woman on stage.  DeLane chats about how he loves to write stories from fresh perspectives that he has never seen on stage or in film and TV.   Pieces Read Excerpt from, MINE by Sage Martin, an Appalachian ghost story about grief, greed, and getting even, told through the perspectives of a mining family.  Excerpt from, FOLLOW THE LADY by DeLane McDuffie, which follows a seasoned grifter who must choose between scamming or saving her people.   About DeLane McDuffie DeLane McDuffie is a Southern-bred, cornbread-fed, LA-based playwright, screenwriter, and poet. His play The Inaugural was part of Lower Depth's BIPOC Voting Plays in 2020. Other plays include Amy & Neil, Cop & Fiske, For the Love of God, Monomachia, Granddaddy Long Legs, and Mascot Race War. His work has been produced by Towne Street Theatre, showcased at the Fade to Black Play Festival in Houston, and selected for production by Seoul Players in Seoul, South Korea. He earned BA English and MFA Film degrees from Morehouse College and the University of Miami, respectively, and attended Royal Holloway, University of London.   About Sage Martin Sage Martin (She/Her/Mx) is an actor and writer devoted to human rights, southern folklore, and ghost stories. She is a proud graduate of Paul McCartney’s Institute for Performing Arts (Liverpool, UK), performed at the Sam Wanamaker Festival (The Globe, London), and recently joined the Radical Hospitality Team at Actor's Theater of Louisville. She has had the distinct honors of presenting at the StateraArts National Conference, testifying in Washington D.C. for survivors of abuse, and speaking on tour with Senator Bernie Sanders. Sage's work is fueled by very late nights, MoonPies, and the people she is fortunate enough, tasked, and blessed to know.  www.Sage-Martin.com

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• Cycle of Poverty: Part 1 with Vasanti Saxena & Marlow Wyatt

  In the first episode of a special two part series, get an exclusive first look at two of the in-development plays from our Commission Fellowship Program. Vasanti Saxena and Marlow Wyatt read from their new plays which explore poverty and homelessness through BIPOC perspectives. Followed by a conversation moderated by L. Trey Wilson.   Notes:  Vasanti and Marlow chat about the inspiration for their pieces for the Commission Fellowship Program and how their pieces compare and contrast to the work they usually write. Marlow discusses how she explored homelessness through the perspective of a carnival spectacle.  Both writers answer the question, “How does it feel to be an observer?”  Marlow explores how human choice, rather than the lack of money or resources, is the primary reason that homelessness continues to devastate the lives of countless Americans. Vasanti comments on how egregious rent inflation exacerbates homelessness and gentrification. Vasanti shares a story with us about how her family accidentally took her to see David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly instead of the opera, Madame Butterfly, which transformed her and showed her the power of theatre.  Marlow discusses how acting in plays that were not culturally diverse led her to write plays that would give people like her a place in American theatre. Marlow explains how she develops her characters’ life stories extensively because of her background as an actor.  Vasanti talks about how her work begins with putting characters in a space, allowing them to talk freely, and allowing things to be discovered. Marlow admits she doesn’t believe she can force a story to come out that isn’t hers.  Trey and the writers connect over their shared experiences with invalidation as a writer in a capitalistic society.   Pieces Read Excerpt from, working title: FOOTSTEPS by Vasanti Saxena, about two girls who grow up together in poverty and ultimately go down different paths.  Excerpt from, BREAD AND CIRCUS by Marlow Wyatt, which follows two generations of homeless women as they help each other navigate homelessness and poverty.    About Vasanti Saxena Vasanti Saxena is a writer whose work explores the fissures of family and relationships, memory, and historical legacy. Her plays have been produced/developed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Chicago Dramatists, Silk Road Rising, Chalk Rep, Company of Angels, East West Players, The Road Theatre Company, and Santa Monica Rep. Her play Sun Sisters was the winner of East West Players Pacific Century Playwriting Competition, a finalist for Chicago Dramatists Many Voices Project, and a semi-finalist for both the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Princess Grace Award. It is published in Contemporary Plays by Women of Color (London, UK: Routledge 2017). Fellowships and commissions include: 2017 Outfest Screenwriting Lab (with the screen adaptation of Sun Sisters), NYTW Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship, and an EST/Sloan commission.   About Marlow Wyatt Marlow Wyatt is a writing artist, actor and community advocate. She received her BFA (magna cum laude) in Acting from Howard University. Her thirst to share the richness and beauty of Black culture manifested into playwriting. As a playwright Marlow has been fortunate enough to share her creative expression with audiences across America. Some of her works include: SHE (2022 World Premiere Latino Theater Company, Long Beach Playhouse New Works Winner, HUMANITAS Finalist, NBTF A-List Reading Series) Robbin, from the Hood (2021 Eugene O’Neill semi-finalist, 2021 New Works Pipeline/SBT), and Red Ribbons (2022 Voices for Victory Reading Series, 2021 Headwaters New Play finalist, NBTF –A-List Reading Series).

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• We Are Becoming with DeLanna Studi and Jason Grasl

  In this month’s episode of Writers Revealed, we hear from DeLanna Studi and Jason Grasl, two wonderful writers with Native American heritage, as they discuss generational cycles of behavior and the call to be a beacon of change. Moderated by EDI coordinator & facilitator, L. Trey Wilson.    This Month  Jason Grasl reads outloud from “That Time Hans Solo Fell Off From A Precariously High and Unrailed Bridge”  DeLanna Studi reads outloud from two pieces that analyze traditional Cherokee folklore and how it used to inform our sense of self and womanhood  L. Trey and Jason discuss how mistakes can repeat themselves in cycles, and how that presented itself in Jason’s piece Both writers discuss, “How do we keep tradition alive? How do stories help us heal and evolve?” DeLanna and L. Trey discuss code-switching in comparison to shape shifting and how a lot of BIPOC artists are forced to shape-shift in different spaces around different people  Each writer discusses their call to playwriting and how they found their way  Jason discusses finding his way through college and finally writing his first play DeLanna discusses how her need for writing came from her need to be heard as an actress Each writer discusses how deadlines are beneficial in their writing process L. Trey introduces how relationships are a key part of life and difficult to maintain but that our relationships and awareness of others defines who we are  The writers discuss assimilation:  The point of how assimilation is a journey into finding who you are and becoming a beacon of change. Assimilation is never an option because our culture never questions us but the rest of the world does.  Both writers talk about our inherent need to be understood and be seen for who you are, while still having moments feeling not seen. Both writers talk about how we decide what to share and also the power of if we will ever share   Pieces Read Excerpt from, “That Time Hans Solo Fell Off From A Precariously High and Unrailed Bridge” by Jason Grasl Excerpts from two short plays, "Wolves" and "Flight" by DeLanna Studi    About Jason Grasl Jason is a playwright, actor and director. His recent play, The Normal Force (a sci-fi drama), was commissioned by San Diego Rep for their Here U.S. Now Festival. Jason was a commissioned playwright in Lower Depth Theatre’s Pandemic Short Play Festival. Which focused in on a pair of neighbors and their assumptions/guilt surrounding race.  Jason works closely with the theatre company ‘Native Voices at the Autry’ as an ensemble member and writer. His play, “Lying with Badgers” was chosen to have a world premiere production at Native Voices at the Autry.    About DeLanna Studi DeLanna Studi is a well accomplished actress and playwright. DeLanna serves as the Chair of SAG-AFTRA’s National Native Americans Committee, and as the Artistic Director of Native Voices at the Autry.  DeLanna’s TV credits include ‘Dreamkeeper’, ‘Edge of America’, ‘Shameless’, ‘General Hospital’, just to name a few. She was also a part of the First National Broadway Tour of ‘August: Osage County, Off Broadway’s ‘Informed Consent’ and ‘Gloria: A Life’. With established relationships at Theatre for One, The Theatre Center, and Period Piece. Her play “And So We Walked”, retraces her family's footsteps along the Trail of Tears. 

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• Smelling “American” with Penelope Lowder and Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay

  In this month’s hilarious episode of Writers Revealed, we hear from two prolific LA writers, Penelope Lowder & Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, about how family, history, and culture affects our writing and vice versa. Also, there’s a lot of Jean Nate. Moderated by EDI coordinator & facilitator, L. Trey Wilson.    This Month  Penelope Lowder reads outloud from her book, ‘Three Seconds of Hell’ entitled ‘Sixth Floor Showdown’ which takes a look at how colorism is rooted in hatred and can lead to violence  Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay reads out loud from a collection of her own poems. L. Trey discusses how each of the writer’s work really embodied their own share culture, both the good and the bad  Both writers discuss their experience with generational trauma and how their parents played important roles in their lives Penelope discusses how her parents connected her to her shared history and culture at a young age. She also talks about how she feels called to share this information with the world.  Saymoukda discusses the power of laughter and how it helps BIPOC through trauma  Everyone discusses… How racism is used as a weapon by most How BIPOC use racism against other BIPOC as a trauma response The places where people feel comfortable Colorism and skin whitening creams  Saymoukda discusses how community and writing helped her deal with generational trauma  Penelope discusses how the pandemic turned a lot of her writing to the darker side. She discusses how a lot of her stories and characters lost hope. She turned to comedies to help get herself out of the funk.  Saymoukda discusses how the pandemic gave her a lot more inspiration and led her to writing more than she ever had  Both writers discuss their journeys into writing Saymoukda talks about her organization the Faulk, an organization dedicated to giving a platform to Asian women    Pieces Read Excerpt from “Three Seconds of Hell” by Penelope Lowder  Excerpts from a collection of Saymoukda’s poems    About Penelope Lowder Penelope Lowder (@lowderpenelope) is a force to be reckoned with. She is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Her past on stage productions include 15 Minutes, The Follicle Prison War, and WEST ADAMS: which was selected as an LA Times Critics Choice! Her debut novel, Three Seconds of Hell, looks at her own father’s experiences in a 1950’s motorcycle gang.  Penelope was commissioned by Lower Depth Theatre to writer a 10-minute play, UNIT HOPE JUST WANTS TO VOTE, as part of our BIPOC Voting Plays in Oct. 2020.  With established relationships at CTG, Skylight, and SkyLAB, we are beyond proud to continue working alongside Penelope here at Lower Depth Theatre. We know her mission and vision will take her far. Welcome back Penelope!  Learn more about Penelope’s work here:  http://penelopelowder.com About Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay (@refugenius). Hailing all the way from Lao, Saymoukda is a “revolutionary” as quoted by CNN’s W. Kamau Bell. She is best known for her award winning play KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS CANNIBALS. Her first children’s book entitled WHEN EVERYTHING WAS EVERYTHING details her own experience in America as a refugee. She writes about ESL Classes and food stamps as a love letter to survivors who have also lost their homeland.  Saymoukda is currently an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence at Theater Mu, a McKnight Foundation Fellow in Community- Engaged Art, and a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow in playwright.  Check out more of her work here: www.refugenius.net 

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• Writers Rising With Giovanny Camarena and Zharia O’Neal

  In this special episode of Writers Revealed, we join two up-and-coming young playwrights, Giovanny Camarena and Zharia O’Neal. These two bright and energetic artists share a little about how they got to where they are today and where they hope to go in the future.    This Month:  Giovanny and Zharia discuss their background and how the settings of the pieces were inspired by where they grew up. Giovanny discusses the origins of the symbolic and iconic names in THE AMERICAN DREAM.  Zharia talks about how reality television inspired her play ROOST.  Giovanny talks about his process of writing a play and how immigration inspired THE AMERICAN DREAM.  Both writers discuss how their understanding of the American Dream has evolved over time.  Both writers break down their writing process.  Zharia talks about inaccessible theatre norms and how she wants to make going to a theatre show more available to all types of people in her work.  Giovanny emphasizes the importance of BIPOC writers telling stories about people who do not have the same racial makeup as themselves.  Zharia and Giovanny tell us about their experience dealing with COVID and racial violence and how it changed their writing and their lives.  Both writers answer the question, “Who are we (as BIPOC artists) writing for?”   Pieces Read Monologue from the play, THE BLOOD OF A HIBISCUS, by Zharia O’Neal Monologue from the play, ROOST, by Zharia O’Neal Excerpt from a work-in-progress play, THE AMERICAN DREAM, a play by Giovanny Camarena   About Giovanny Camarena  Giovanny Camarena is a latine actor and playwright. He received his first commission from The Breath Project 2020 to write a full length play. He is currently developing a short he wrote to be entered into film competitions. Giovanny also has experience on stage and dubbing foreign tv shows for Netflix. He received his bachelor degree from the University of Southern California and has also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He currently works for Lower Depth Theatre as their Program Assistant.    About Zharia O’Neal  Zharia O’Neal is a playwright, poet, and multi-medium storyteller hailing from the British Virgin Islands. Her work, seasoned with fistfuls of fish, fungi, and B/black comedy tends to explore liminal spaces between places, nationalities, languages, and genres, and has been recognized and commissioned by HUMANITAS PLAY LA and the Association of Los Angeles Playwrights. O’Neal is currently an International Artists’ Fellow and third-year candidate for an MFA in Dramatic Writing at the University of Southern California. She is also Associate Literary Manager at Playwrights’ Arena, and has worked in association with the Ojai Playwrights’ Conference.

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