The Catskills are magical.

Every place has its own magic but it reaches a higher level in the Catskills. Part of it is the orgy of nature. The creeks, streams, rivers, and waterfalls splash the seeds of life into the air and you can’t help but inhale them. Inspiration drips from the trees. Beauty defies you to dispute it.

Last week a group of people I had never met conspired [with each other] to help me develop my play Renewal. They inhabited the characters that grew inside my skull and showed me things about those characters I hadn’t seen.

The best part about being a playwright is the people you meet. Theatre people are a unique breed. We all use our imaginations but only theatre people can populate the land of make believe.

As good as my imagination is, I can’t get lost in anyone other than myself or someone I love. I cannot make a fictional character come to life.

In the Q&A section on the second night, I was compared to Neil Simon, Noel Coward, and – I shit you not – William Shakespeare. I might as well hang up my quill right now while the inkpot is hot.

I played hooky a few times in high school. My brother and I would hide from the bus and then go out into the woods near our home to wander and joke and taste freedom. This felt like that.

After this experience, I feel more confident than ever that Renewal will receive a full production someday.