En Nueva York

We've returned to New York City and have just completed the final performance of The Ecuador Project.  The final two weeks in Quito, Leslie seemed to disappear at Papaya Net and then suddenly a script appeared (yes, I continue to be in awe of writers).  We hammered out the final edits and put our play on its feet… Then we had a rapid turnaround before our theatrical debut two days after our arrival in New York, perhaps as to avoid the impending culture shock of bills, jobs, social engagements, and the forgotten money-sucking black hole that is this lovely city and our lives living here.

 

So now I’m home and I apologize for this lengthy and unpunctual update.  This particular theatrical endeavor has finished and I suppose this entry is meant to be my final thoughts and summations, epiphanies and moments of self discovery…hmm?  How many drafts do I get? My transition into the pace of New York City is still taking its toll on me and I'm slowly unpacking literally and metaphorically.  I’m still evaluating and assessing the effects of this trip and our performance, of which a clear perspective is ever allusive.

 

The nature of our project and the work we accomplished has evolved from our original concepts. The play we’ve created is more a documentation of our travels and experiences, like a scrapbook of our journey through Ecuador… It is an attempt to create snapshots of a much larger, more complex picture.  

 

More than anything, these past two months have helped to nourish and inspire a different kind of journey for me, one that is personal and very much about my profession. Being a part of this kind of a project at this point in my career has proved to be a wonderful step.  For me, The Ecuador Project became about developing an artistic process and method of working with artistic agency.  It has encouraged me to be clear about the kind of people I desire to work with and the theatre I’m interested creating.  It has opened creative doors and in many ways encouraged me to think outside the box as an artist. Inevitably, I will carry this experience with me as I chose future endeavors and as I continue in lifelong travels. And of course there is infinite room for growth.