Hit Me With Your Est Shot!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe I'm the first non-female to blog for Estfest. Is that right, Estros?
Am I boldly blogging where no man has blogged before. Well, color me honored.

Not only is it pretty cool to be the first dude on the blog, but it's full-out kicking to be in the company of so many righteously talented women. For me, one of the best perqs of being part of any festival is the new connections, friendships, collaborators, and brunch dates that come out of the process. And, what playwright isn't always on the lookout for talented females? I for one have always got my "future collaborator" goggles on ("Ooo, she'd be great in my comdey." "Ah, she's totally got her Stage Management shit together." "Wow, where did she get those boots?!"). So, aside from getting the chance to work with some good friends (including my talented co-workers, Katie Klemme and Ilesa Duncan), I get to meet a whole slew of knew theatre peeps like the adorable and hillarious Michelle Courvais, who I fully intend to work with as frequently as possible. Seriously, people, come see her in SAGUARO, and then cast her in everything. You won't be sorry.

It's like one big pot luck up in here. Only minus the hotdish.

But, there's something that seperates Estrogen Fest from a lot of the other festivals I've been a part of, something that excites me in a T-ball Coach kind of way. There seems to be an element of fearlessness attached to Estfest, and I doubt I'm the only one who feels it. While I'm sure Joanie and Ann are probably nail-biting nervous wrecks at this stage in the game, to my eyes, this is a bunch of daring, take no prisoners, balls-to-the-wall risk takers. It started with my very first meeting when Ann decided to stick her neck out and try acting in my piece. Right on! It's that sort of sample-the-blowfish attitude that really gets my theatre juices going, makes me feel like I better bring my best to the fest, since everyone else is going for it full-out. That's scary. And scary is fun.

Break a leg tonight, everyone! Thanks for dragging this man along for the ride.