In the second and final episode of our special two-part "Cycle of Poverty" series, enjoy a "first listen" of two in-development plays from our Commission Fellowship Program. Sage Martin & DeLane McDuffie read from their new plays which explore poverty and homelessness through BIPOC perspectives. Followed by a conversation moderated by L. Trey Wilson.

This Month

• Sage & DeLane discuss the development of their "Cycle of Poverty" plays.
• DeLane chats about how he likes to hear his plays and screenplays read aloud.
• Sage admits her love for feedback during the writing process, especially from people who don't work in theatre and non-writers.
• DeLane & Sage talk about how they discovered their perfectly-fitted play titles.
• Sage laments the prevalence of poverty in the South and how it is often the brunt of jokes.
• DeLane explains how the characters in his play are not "good" people and will do anything to stay out of poverty.
• Sage discusses how deeply the "cycle of poverty" upsets her because the U.S. has the wealth and resources to solve it.
• DeLane discusses how the "cycle of poverty" has more to do with the people who can do something about it, not the people in poverty.
• Sage reveals her love for folklore in the U.S. and the South.
• DeLane confesses his reverence for the rich language from the '30s & '40s.
• Sage chats about how she started to write stories for fat women because she had never been able to play a fat woman on stage.
• DeLane chats about how he loves to write stories from fresh perspectives that he has never seen on stage or in film and TV.

Pieces Read

• Excerpt from, MINE by Sage Martin, an Appalachian ghost story about grief, greed, and getting even, told through the perspectives of a mining family.
• Excerpt from, FOLLOW THE LADY by DeLane McDuffie, which follows a seasoned grifter who must choose between scamming or saving her people.

About DeLane McDuffie

DeLane McDuffie is a Southern-bred, cornbread-fed, LA-based playwright, screenwriter, and poet. His play The Inaugural was part of Lower Depth's BIPOC Voting Plays in 2020. Other plays include Amy & Neil, Cop & Fiske, For the Love of God, Monomachia, Granddaddy Long Legs, and Mascot Race War. His work has been produced by Towne Street Theatre, showcased at the Fade to Black Play Festival in Houston, and selected for production by Seoul Players in Seoul, South Korea. He earned BA English and MFA Film degrees from Morehouse College and the University of Miami, respectively, and attended Royal Holloway, University of London.

About Sage Martin

Sage Martin (She/Her/Mx) is an actor and writer devoted to human rights, southern folklore, and ghost stories. She is a proud graduate of Paul McCartney's Institute for Performing Arts (Liverpool, UK), performed at the Sam Wanamaker Festival (The Globe, London), and recently joined the Radical Hospitality Team at Actor's Theater of Louisville. She has had the distinct honors of presenting at the StateraArts National Conference, testifying in Washington D.C. for survivors of abuse, and speaking on tour with Senator Bernie Sanders. Sage's work is fueled by very late nights, MoonPies, and the people she is fortunate enough, tasked, and blessed to know. www.Sage-Martin.com

In the first episode of a special two part series, get an exclusive first look at two of the in-development plays from our Commission Fellowship Program. Vasanti Saxena and Marlow Wyatt read from their new plays which explore poverty and homelessness through BIPOC perspectives. Followed by a conversation moderated by L. Trey Wilson.

Notes:

• Vasanti and Marlow chat about the inspiration for their pieces for the Commission Fellowship Program and how their pieces compare and contrast to the work they usually write.
• Marlow discusses how she explored homelessness through the perspective of a carnival spectacle.
• Both writers answer the question, "How does it feel to be an observer?"
• Marlow explores how human choice, rather than the lack of money or resources, is the primary reason that homelessness continues to devastate the lives of countless Americans.
• Vasanti comments on how egregious rent inflation exacerbates homelessness and gentrification.
• Vasanti shares a story with us about how her family accidentally took her to see David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly instead of the opera, Madame Butterfly, which transformed her and showed her the power of theatre.
• Marlow discusses how acting in plays that were not culturally diverse led her to write plays that would give people like her a place in American theatre.
• Marlow explains how she develops her characters' life stories extensively because of her background as an actor.
• Vasanti talks about how her work begins with putting characters in a space, allowing them to talk freely, and allowing things to be discovered.
• Marlow admits she doesn't believe she can force a story to come out that isn't hers.
• Trey and the writers connect over their shared experiences with invalidation as a writer in a capitalistic society.

Pieces Read

• Excerpt from, working title: FOOTSTEPS by Vasanti Saxena, about two girls who grow up together in poverty and ultimately go down different paths.
• Excerpt from, BREAD AND CIRCUS by Marlow Wyatt, which follows two generations of homeless women as they help each other navigate homelessness and poverty.

About Vasanti Saxena

Vasanti Saxena is a writer whose work explores the fissures of family and relationships, memory, and historical legacy. Her plays have been produced/developed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Chicago Dramatists, Silk Road Rising, Chalk Rep, Company of Angels, East West Players, The Road Theatre Company, and Santa Monica Rep. Her play Sun Sisters was the winner of East West Players Pacific Century Playwriting Competition, a finalist for Chicago Dramatists Many Voices Project, and a semi-finalist for both the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Princess Grace Award. It is published in Contemporary Plays by Women of Color (London, UK: Routledge 2017). Fellowships and commissions include: 2017 Outfest Screenwriting Lab (with the screen adaptation of Sun Sisters), NYTW Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship, and an EST/Sloan commission.

About Marlow Wyatt

Marlow Wyatt is a writing artist, actor and community advocate. She received her BFA (magna cum laude) in Acting from Howard University. Her thirst to share the richness and beauty of Black culture manifested into playwriting. As a playwright Marlow has been fortunate enough to share her creative expression with audiences across America. Some of her works include: SHE (2022 World Premiere Latino Theater Company, Long Beach Playhouse New Works Winner, HUMANITAS Finalist, NBTF A-List Reading Series) Robbin, from the Hood (2021 Eugene O'Neill semi-finalist, 2021 New Works Pipeline/SBT), and Red Ribbons (2022 Voices for Victory Reading Series, 2021 Headwaters New Play finalist, NBTF –A-List Reading Series).

In this month's episode of Writers Revealed, we hear from DeLanna Studi and Jason Grasl, two wonderful writers with Native American heritage, as they discuss generational cycles of behavior and the call to be a beacon of change. Moderated by EDI coordinator & facilitator, L. Trey Wilson.

This Month

• Jason Grasl reads outloud from "That Time Hans Solo Fell Off From A Precariously High and Unrailed Bridge"
• DeLanna Studi reads outloud from two pieces that analyze traditional Cherokee folklore and how it used to inform our sense of self and womanhood
• L. Trey and Jason discuss how mistakes can repeat themselves in cycles, and how that presented itself in Jason's piece
• Both writers discuss, "How do we keep tradition alive? How do stories help us heal and evolve?"
• DeLanna and L. Trey discuss code-switching in comparison to shape shifting and how a lot of BIPOC artists are forced to shape-shift in different spaces around different people
• Each writer discusses their call to playwriting and how they found their way
• • Jason discusses finding his way through college and finally writing his first play
  • DeLanna discusses how her need for writing came from her need to be heard as an actress
• Each writer discusses how deadlines are beneficial in their writing process
• L. Trey introduces how relationships are a key part of life and difficult to maintain but that our relationships and awareness of others defines who we are
• The writers discuss assimilation:
• • The point of how assimilation is a journey into finding who you are and becoming a beacon of change.
  • Assimilation is never an option because our culture never questions us but the rest of the world does.
• Both writers talk about our inherent need to be understood and be seen for who you are, while still having moments feeling not seen.
• Both writers talk about how we decide what to share and also the power of if we will ever share

Pieces Read

• Excerpt from, "That Time Hans Solo Fell Off From A Precariously High and Unrailed Bridge" by Jason Grasl
• Excerpts from two short plays, "Wolves" and "Flight" by DeLanna Studi

About Jason Grasl

Jason is a playwright, actor and director. His recent play, The Normal Force (a sci-fi drama), was commissioned by San Diego Rep for their Here U.S. Now Festival.

Jason was a commissioned playwright in Lower Depth Theatre's Pandemic Short Play Festival. Which focused in on a pair of neighbors and their assumptions/guilt surrounding race.

Jason works closely with the theatre company 'Native Voices at the Autry' as an ensemble member and writer. His play, "Lying with Badgers" was chosen to have a world premiere production at Native Voices at the Autry.

About DeLanna Studi

DeLanna Studi is a well accomplished actress and playwright. DeLanna serves as the Chair of SAG-AFTRA's National Native Americans Committee, and as the Artistic Director of Native Voices at the Autry.

DeLanna's TV credits include 'Dreamkeeper', 'Edge of America', 'Shameless', 'General Hospital', just to name a few. She was also a part of the First National Broadway Tour of 'August: Osage County, Off Broadway's 'Informed Consent' and 'Gloria: A Life'. With established relationships at Theatre for One, The Theatre Center, and Period Piece. Her play "And So We Walked", retraces her family's footsteps along the Trail of Tears.