But not farewell
I enjoy being the Lee Playwright in Residence here at the University of Alberta. The Department of Drama is a serious but friendly place richly stocked with interesting professors/theatre practitioners, students and staff.
This week, I return to Toronto for my ‘gap year’ – a year to write a full length play that the current second year BFA students will perform in 2017, the year they graduate. It is a delightful but nerve-wracking challenge.
Colleen Murphy. Photo by TJ Jans.
It has been a busy eight months meeting and working with lots of students, as well as with many folks from the U of A Playwrights Forum, the PGC Script Salon, the Citadel Theatre Playwright’s Forum, playwrights at large, and playwrights from Vancouver and Calgary.
I’ve been kept busy with rehearsals too. My play Pig Girl played at the Finborough Theatre in London, UK in the New Year. January and February, The Goodnight Bird had a strong run at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal and the Kay Meek Centre in Vancouver, with Nicola Cavendish in the lead. And here in Edmonton, Theatre Network rose like a phoenix from the ashes and with the kindness of many people from the Edmonton theatre community, mounted an excellent production of Armstrong’s War. We closed on April 19 and it was difficult to say goodbye to everyone.
I will continue to blog over next year from Toronto – writing about plays, theatre, politics and the politics of theatre.
Thank you, Salena and TJ for helping me with this blog!
So long to the many people I have met so far. Have a grand summer and a productive time next year. See you all again in September 2016.
– Colleen Murphy
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