Process Statement

My process began with writing one sentence a day. I established a goal that at least once every day, I would write something even if it were just a sentence. Shortly after, character voices started to develop. The first voice I heard through the darkness was Howard- the father of the protagonist. I spoke with Howard, had a conversation with him. In high school I had the privilege of working with actress and playwright Regina Taylor. The advice she gave me almost a decade ago still resonates with me to this day, informing my creative process. I asked Ms. Taylor how to best know what my characters want. She told me to have a conversation with them, to really speak with them, and they will tell me. I speak with my characters as if we were sitting side by side: "How do you feel about your brother today?", "Why does this project mean so much to you?" It helps me to paint a better picture of my characters, and really flesh out their stories.

The original concept of the play- a short one act- had its first staging at the Producers Club (NYC). Back then I only had a title that I couldn't stop thinking about even in my sleep: "Heidi's Marvelous Mysteries" which then - after countless drafts- would grow into Dr. Heidi & The Tales of Frankendoll. I have always had a keen interest in supernatural stories. Some of my favorite childhood novels were sci-fi or dealt in the occult, such as Wait Till Helen Comes, and Deep, and Dark, and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn. The types of literature and dramatic works I like to read have definitely influenced my writing style over the years. That piqued curiosity definitely comes through in Heidi, and her very big adventures.