johannahmaynard

All I can think about this week is the threat of a global pandemic.

I\’m trying to think about it more as an engaged, responsible citizen. But most of the time, I admit, I\’m thinking about how it impacts me and my corner of the world. I\’m thinking about my own health and navigating this moment as someone who is immune-compromised. I\’m thinking about what\’s best for my child…

I know it\’s been a few weeks since the last WTF Wednesday installment….and there\’s a very good reason for that: I was prepping for and attending SETC\’s (Southeastern Theatre Conference) annual convention! SETC\’s convention is the largest event of it\’s kind and it can definitely be overwhelming–there\’s so much to do and be a part of! This was just the second time I\’ve attended the conference, but in true WTF fashion, I think I maximized the experience! I\’m excited to take you through my SETC adventure!

I\’ve been geeking out on lots of plays lately and, because it\’s impossible to produce all the things, I\’m sharing some of them with you! If you\’ve been thinking about pitching a show to WTFringe (or you just like to learn about totally cool plays), this listicle is for YOU!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all that we\’ve got going on right now? Cool–me too! It just so happens so that everything runs smoothly down the road, we\’ve got to move things along now. So let\’s consider this WTF Wednesday installment as your \”Girlfriend\’s Guide\” to wtf is happening at WTF right now. Ok, deep breath…..and GO.

Interested in being a part of WTFringe 2020? Women’s Theatre Festival invites you to attend our Friday evening info session (January 17, 6:00–9:00 p.m.) and our Saturday Bootcamp for Directors and Producers (January 18, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) at NC State.

Mia Self (Assistant Director of Acting and Directing at NC State) and Rowen Haigh (Freelance Director, WTF Director of Regional Engagement) will facilitate.

All of our projects, no matter how noble or exciting or artistically excellent, mean nothing if we aren\’t doing our part to make the ecosystem of the triangle theatre community grow. It has become increasingly evident to me and WTF\’s board of directors that, as an organization, we haven\’t been a very good partner, ally, or friend to many of the other theatre groups in our community. My top priority coming into this year is to rectify that.

It\’s hard not to get discouraged…or blinded by rage. I don\’t have the power to greenlight Hollywood films or write nice big fat checks to women directors or really even know anything about the grinding gears that propel some people towards success (however you want to define that) while continuing to marginalize so many others.

This morning, someone said something terribily profound to me. They said (and I\’m certainly paraphrasing), \”For everyone whose face is in the spotlight, there are others who are holding that person up to the light.\” I\’ve spent the rest of the day meditating on who I hold up and how I share the light I am fortunate to receive. In that spirit, I\’d like to devote today\’s column to sharing some light.

Be honest about your time: Learning how much time certain tasks take is the first step and it\’s important to be realistic about what you can accomplish in a finite amount of time. What can you do quickly and what things take you more time? And, if you\’re like me, factor in child interruption time!