Dramatists Guild
Went to a great meeting late yesterday with our regional representative from the Dramatists Guild of America: Tammy Ryan. She was pretty enthusiastic about her experience and what the DG meant to her and her region, which was Pittsburgh and most of the rest of Pennsylvania. The only down side is the recognition that New Yorkers somehow still consider the Midwest as some strange amalgam of people who are, for all intents, the same. I say this because someone’s wisdom was to lump Ohio into the same region as Pittsburgh; as well to provide Philadelphia with a region and stuff the rest of Pennsylvania into a Pittsburgh region. Frankly, it’s a far stretch to believe that Cleveland should represent the whole state of Ohio (and there weren’t many at the meeting who disagree with that–and there was one person from Columbus and one from Cincinnati); but the point is only more acutely made: not only is it a stretch to think of Cleveland representing all of Ohio; how much more odd to think of the Pittsburgh region representing all of Ohio?
The meeting was great, though, and I came away pretty fired up; as I think, did others. There were quite a few people represented, too, including Seth Gordon and many from the Playwright’s Unit, including Eric Coble, Eric Schmiedl, Faye Sholiton, David Hansen, Margaret Lynch; there was also Linda Eisenstein, Mike Geither, and several of the NEOMFA students.
It was a revealing meeting in that many opportunities of which I was unaware were revealed, and so, I learned that more opportunities existed in Cleveland. Also, from Ms. Ryan’s reaction, I came to understand that the Cleveland scene is pretty fortunate, developed, and cohesive. I also came away understanding that there will soon be more cohesion, as we will shortly be forming a regional unit ourselves. Cleveland has a lot going for it when it comes to theater, and soon the rest of the country will come to see it as well; just like Chicago in the eighties and early nineties.
On another note, Eric Coble’s new play is opening this weekend and I look forward to seeing it.
