I ran a brief game jam at the end of 2019 going into 2020 with the following theme:

I woke up this morning and I swore I had seen a text adventure game jam that had the theme “rococo” and “pink” but clearly I had dreamed it, so sometimes you got to make your own dreams happen, so behold: we have the #RosecocoJam 

Some really great games came out of it, so I’d like to take a moment to feature all of the entries 🌸

1. the moon, the crow

blake stone / fenced forest submitted this physical game as a part of the #RosecocoJam and the #MoonJam (another very cool jam I wish I entered. The game, involving the moon and crows is very dreamy and beautiful. Even if you have not played a lot of physical games, I recommend you download it with a journal in hand and take down everything you discover.

play it here:

The creator also has a patreon, that you can take a look at here. They also have other games on their itchio page, many of which are paid with ample community copies. Be sure to check it out 🌸

2. The Art Gallery

Rain submitted this bitsy, which is described as:

you are visiting the art gallery with your wife.

I love art museums and this is a beautiful and sweet bitsy about walking through and seeing all of them. I loved talking to the npc’s and the ending is rather sweet.

Play it here:

The creator has a kofi and be sure to check out some of their other games 🌸

3. The Blush of Dawn on Roses

Jennifer Kathleen submitted this physical game and it is described as:

The Blush of Dawn on Roses is a two-player game about writing letters – love letters, to be specific. Illicit love letters, to be even more specific.

In this game, you will actually write love letters to each other, and in the process, you will be defining each other’s characters and the nature of your relationship.

This game is set during the height of the French Rococo period, when the world was awash with frivolous beauty – embrace that in your writing. “Flowery” prose is not to be frowned on here.

It is $2 and is also part of the Jen-uary bundle, though there are community copies as well.

I love the style of this game and all the characterizations that can be made. It definitely has a fun flair and I would definitely like to see Sofia Coppola direct a movie on this.

Play it here:

The creator has a patreon and you can also check out all of their great games, many of which are paid 🌸

4. Rose-Tinted Glasses

PureGem submitted this WIP game that looks lovely. It’s described as:

Follow Elise, a member of the royalty of France in her adventure to an impoverished village, as she sees the world  through her rose-tinted glasses (WIP Game)

It’s still a work in progress but it has a great style and I love the color scheme of the game.

Play it here:

The creator has other games on their itchio that you can check out 🌸

Those were all the entries of the jam and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for entering!

When it comes to this blog, we say that we’re coming back a lot. But we’re back and we’ve dialed back on other activities that have been taking a lot of time. I’ve realized that I’ve been spending a lot of time working on other people, rather than working on my own art and that’s not okay, so I’ve dialed back on that. So, I’m here and I’m jumping back in to updating our weekend mix.

Games to Play- TTRPG Edition

While I was gone (for a whole year), I’ve stumbled into the world of TTRPG’s on itchio, a space that is doing very interesting things. It’s so vast, I don’t even think I can explain it to you, so I’ll just be posting links to games that are super cool and you should play them. Many of these games are priced, but I personally believe that these indie artists are doing great work and they should be paid. I hope you can support them. As a note, many of these games do have community copies, so make sure to scroll down the page if you cannot afford the game. Here’s some suggestions:

Stuff We’re Listening To:

We’re listening to podcasts about true crime and literature and lots of Mitski and sad stuff from high school, so here are some key suggestions:

Stuff We’re Watching:

Yes, we’re still watching South Park and it’s okay, but we won’t talk to you about South Park if you don’t want to, but here are our recommendations:

Parasite

It’s ridiculously beautiful and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m so glad I was able to avoid spoilers and see this movie completely fresh. When you’re done seeing it, read this– it broke me.

First Half of the last season of Bojack Horseman

The first half of the final season of Bojack is here and it’s wild that it’s ending. I started watching it just after postgrad when I was working at the movie theatre and it’s ending, and everything he did is coming to a head. The last moments of the first half messed me up. Please watch it.

That’s just a little to get you started this weekend! Don’t forget that Rick and Morty is coming back soon and we will be talking about it. Hope you have a great weekend heading into fall

You can do a lot with your phone. In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of always staying connected. Making content, connecting with friends, reading the news, aimlessly scrolling through twitter, finding romanse, etc. There’s so much you can do that it can sometimes be super overwhelming. However, there are some apps that provide resources to make your life better. Whether you need gentle check-ins or a quiet escape, here are 3 self-care apps that can help you with your self-care routine.

1. Aloe Bud

Aloe Bud is a great self-care app that uses gentle reminders to keep you on track. The best part is that you only have to use it as much as you want. Aloe is completely free. Though if you want, you can pay for different packages to make more personal customizations, but that is not necessary for you to have the full experience. Whether you need a gentle reminder to take your medicine or a reminder to tell you to take a minute to breathe, you can be sure that Aloe bud is the pocket companion that has your back.

2. #Selfcare

#Selfcare by TruLuv is a very unconventional self-care app, but I really love using it to take a break. This app is basically a low-pressure escape room. The premise is that you’re laying a bed and recharging with various activities. That’s it. You can play low-risk games, draw tarot cards, create your own altar, do breathing exercises, and even pet your cat. In addition, it’s just beautifully designed from the graphics to the atmospheric music; it’s an excellent way to quiet your brain in this fast-paced world.

3. Happy Not Perfect

Happy Not Perfect is like having a life coach in your pocket. This app basically gives you meditation exercises to complete every day. While many users enjoy paying for a subscription, the bare basics of the free Happy Not Perfect app are excellent. This app takes you through a daily mindfulness reminder, and even a daily ritual to start out the day right. In addition, there are a lot of free courses in mindfulness. Right now I’m working with the self-love meditation and the morning mindfulness meditation. Happiness starts from within at Happy Not Perfect, and they want to give you the tools to help make that happen.

Thanks for reading!

It’s a hard world out there, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I hope some of these recommendations work well for you. Leave us a comment if there’s one that you think we should check out! 💖

As election day comes closer and closer, it’s not hard to think about colonialism and white supremacy, particularly how it still is affecting the world we live in. With that in mind, here are 3 recommended reads on the subject.

1. When the Moon Met the Tiger: Homecoming and Loss in Myanmar

I felt an anger growing. I wanted my old Burma, not this “new Myanmar.” The old Burma was palm trees in moonlight and bougainvillea petals in black hair; Buddhist monks who promised spirituality and political reform as opposed to golden pagodas built to the God of ego; bicycle bells instead of traffic jams. But then I immediately felt embarrassed, ashamed. The old Burma was also summary executions and no free press, poverty and starvation, secret police and the promise of torture for an overheard gripe in a tea house. The new Myanmar wasn’t perfect; even in 2015, the groundwork was being laid for the present-day displacement and genocide of the Rohingya people. But to want an old Orientalist fantasy back—no matter how beautiful the real edges of that fantasy often were—was the height of selfishness. I was indulging in the traveler’s conceit: wanting a country to bend to my desires, rather than bending myself to fit its reality.

When I think about colonialism, it’s hard not to think about Myanmar, and how much I don’t know about it. This piece is another look at Myanmar, how it’s changed, and how much it’s the same.

2. Is ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ A Subversive Takedown Of White Supremacy?

But it’s one line in particular that I keep returning to:

“Proud to have it, ashamed of how he got it.” (I remembered this later as “Proud of where you are; ashamed of how you got there.”)

When Hela uttered these words about Odin’s rise to dominance, I froze in my seat. This sentence, spoken as she destroyed the veneer of Asgard and shattered its image of itself, was so much truth. This sentiment is at the core of American exceptionalism, this pride in being American without acknowledging the horrors committed to become this nation people are proud of.

Thor: Ragnarok has to be one of my favorite Marvel films period and I love this analysis of the film. It’s amazing what can happen when other voices are let in the room.

3. ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Shows How White Supremacists Make Language Into a Weapon

Unchallenged manipulation of language has allowed white supremacists like Duke to legitimize themselves on a national scale. Duke sees this strategic play at respectability — suits not hoods — as his ticket to the White House, the end game of the white nationalist agenda. Lee clearly establishes how analogous his linguistic and sartorial deception is to today’s political reality

BlackKkKlansman is definitely an interesting film. I love how this writer uses language to break down how white supremacy uses language.

Those are just a couple interesting essay’s I found! Of course, there’s no limit to what you can read about white supremacy and racism. Let us know if you have any favorite essays! 

The Midterm Elections are coming up and if you’re based in North Carolina, like Plucky Media is, Early Voting has started. That means it’s time to hit the pavements canvassing or phone-lining, make time to vote, and get excited about it! The past 2 years have been less than delightful, but as a long-time lover of elections and political action, it could not be a more exciting time!

There’s a lot at stake, so here’s a quick guide to make sure you have everything you need and media to consume to get you pumped up!

1. Figure Out What You’re Voting For BEFORE You Get There

When it comes to going to the polls, it’s not as simple as remembering which political party you want to vote for. There are also often votes on nonpartisan officials, knowing more about the reps you’re voting for, and votes on local amendments and laws that you gotta know your stance on. That’s why it’s important to do your research before you get there.

Some Resources:

• If you’re based in NC, I definitely recommend Jeff Jackson’s Medium Article that breaks down all the Amendments up for a vote, so that they’re a bit more understandable. He’s my favorite Politician on Twitter (if you remember, he kind of broke the HB2 news as it was happening on Twitter/Facebook).
• Whenever I have political questions, Ballotpedia is probably the most helpful. It’s a great way to research candidates. You can also look up your ballot and get information on each of the choices.

But it’s your vote, use your best judgment! There are tons of resources out there!

Once you know what the plan is, go out and do it! I’ve never not Early Voted for any Election I’ve voted in (yes I’m a baby) and if it’s something that’s available to you, go do it now! In addition, if there are any crazy laws preventing your vote that you need to know about, figure out your situation ASAP (it sucks but racist voter id or even address laws are a reality). That way, on Election Day, you can just watch the news all day, filled with dread, without worrying about the polls closing on you.

2. Get Involved!

If you’re like me, you get phone calls every day asking you to come out and help with phones, canvassing, or whatever. Though, there are tons of ways to get involved! Hit the pavement, call some people, drive people to the polls, and there are even virtual opportunities as well.

With Crooked Media’s Vote Save America campaign, you can learn about your ballot and get involved. You can browse all the opportunities here.

3. Become Inspired

We are an entertainment blog, so what would we be if we didn’t offer you some TV shows, movies, and Podcasts to pump you up for the election? It’s not required, but a great way to have fun and get inspired:

• Election– It’s Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon, need we say more? It has all that student election drama plus some other stuff that we don’t know if it aged well or not, to fill you with all the intensity of Tracy Flick for getting to the polls.
• Parks and Recreation– Leslie Knope is perfect and she’s perfect for filling you with hope of what passionate public servants could do to improve the future. It’s just sweet and I think we need that.
• Veep– You know the opposite of what Parks and Recreation makes you feel? You’re snarky and dirty and you hate everyone but we’re all part of this machine together? That’s the itch that Veep scratches.
• Keep It– Keep it, like Pod Save America, is under the Crooked Media umbrella. It’s one of my favorite podcasts that happens to cover everything that happens in the week. It’s not all politics but it’s a great injection of current events to keep you ready. Listen to it here. 
• Hamilton– Okay, I’m basic, we know this— but when’s the last time you listened to Hamilton? With the Mix-Tape also around, it’s the perfect time to listen to all the songs about politics and get re-invigorated.

Those are just a couple ways to get started! We hope to see you at the polls and that you’re as excited about the election as we are. Let’s do it! 

Fall is here! Though, living in the South, it doesn’t always feel that way. It’s still hot and humid out most of the time and the leaves are trying their best to change, but it isn’t really happening. When your Pumpkin Spice Latte makes you feel sweaty and weird, it can be hard to get into the Autumn spirit. That’s why it can be a great reason to turn to video games to get that crunchy leaves, orange everything feeling you need. With that in mind, here are some free and paid games to help get you in the mood.

Paid Games

 

The best things in life aren’t always free. Sometimes, you can support developers and studios that made some really great games with Fall experiences. Here are some of my favorites:

1. All the Farming/Resource Management Games

I love playing farming/foraging/resource management games because they all have beautiful fall seasons. Since there are so many similar ones, for the same reasons, I’ve lumped them all together here:

• Stardew Valley– By far, I think Fall is the most beautiful season in Stardew Valley. The color palette, the foraging, all of the fall festivals— it’s a beautiful way to wander around and just relax. You’ll just need to make sure to have a save file in the Fall season.
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf– Because it takes place in real time, if you open up your Animal Crossing game right now, it’s gonna be fall. The trees are cute, you can talk to your friends about sweaters, and even run errands for the Pumpkin-headed Jack. It’s sweet and relaxing and just cute.
• Harvest Moon: More Friends in Mineral Town– This is a nostalgic one because it is one of my first favorite games but Harvest Moon in the fall is delightful. Of course, ideally you would still have a GBA, but it can be played on emulators or Play Retro Games online (if you want- it’s a little less than ethical but I’ll keep your secret if you’ll keep mine). Because of the emulation thing, it’s kind of free but kind of not, so I’m gonna keep it in this category.

2. Graveyard Keeper 

This one is a little bit in the Farming/Resource Management column but also, it’s so much a different experience than the above games. The seasons never change, you’re stuck in some sort of purgatory, and you’re managing the most unrealistic/unethical graveyard business ever. For that reason, it just feels kind of Halloween-y. There is so much to do in this game, it’s the perfect way to feel a little spooky and really grind to craft as many things as possible. There’s also the fun of selling burgers made of human flesh at Witch burnings. The season never changes, but it’s definitely a seasonal mood.

3. Night in the Woods

It’s hard to not keep coming back to this game. The whole game takes place in fall and it really captures the “I’m completely lost, don’t know what to do, and back in my hometown in Fall” feeling. There are leaves everywhere, the sky is always beautiful, and even in creepy moments it’s great to run around and f*ck sh*t up as Mae.

Free Games

Sometimes the best way to have a fall escape is to play a small, sweet game about fall. Some of these great games on Itchio and Mobile devices are perfect for doing just that.

1. Cauli’s Night

This is a great pick from the Harvest Jam, which has a ton of fall-themed games. It’s just a perfect way to spend a cool fall night, as a dog talking to worms and running around.

NOTE: Make sure to head to the Harvest Jam page for more great picks! One of the reasons I had a harder time with this section is because there were so many great fall games in the Harvest Jam that I didn’t wanna overwhelm this section with!

2. Ghosts in the Garden

For a spookier pick, play as a cat witch trying to catch all of the ghosts in a garden. It’s definitely a quick and easy way to have some Halloween fun.

3. The Arcana

Definitely more of a Halloween Vibe, but The Arcana is an interesting visual novel mobile game, where you as a Fortune Teller to get to know people and make choices in a magical world. It has a beautiful design and definitely a great way to kill some time and learn more about Tarot.

4. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery 

I don’t know about you, but I do get some serious fall vibes from Harry Potter. I always imagine Hogwarts as a sweater-y place, where the leaves are always orange, though I know that wasn’t the case. It’s a great way to escape and live out your Hogwarts fantasy.

5. Pocket Camp 

Animal Crossing has already been mentioned once before, but there’s nothing like Autumn in that world. With Pocket Camp, it’s available whenever you want. I fell out of the game, but I have been into it once again, with the Fall season update. It’s a great time and a fun way to experience fall.

 

Those are just a couple fall gaming choices! Of course, the possibilities are endless. Let us know what your favorite games are in fall! 

Hocus Pocus is charming, don’t get me wrong, but there is a whole world of witchy movies we can be watching this Halloween season. It doesn’t have to be all Hocus Pocus all the time. With that in mind, here are 3 witchy movies that you can add to your October Watch-List.

1. The Witches

It’s a mood. The glamour of a fancy hotel setting, menacing women sculking around all wearing beautiful dresses, the body horror of the mouse transformation sequences— it’s a complete package. It’s like Stuart Little plus all your worst nightmares and your October fashion mood board combined. Watch it to re-live some 90s/2000s movie nostalgia and live your best life.

2. The Witch

The Witch, is definitely more creepy than the campy children’s movie that is The Witches. With beautiful visuals and an accurate to the time period script, it’s definitely perfect when you want some real historical witch content. In addition, the ending makes all of the dread you feel the whole movie worth it.

3. Kiki’s Delivery Service

Kiki’s Delivery Service is perfect and it’s not just because she has an adorable black cat and a giant bow (and not because I used to watch it every single night on VHS). She’s trying her best and no matter what the season, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself and not burn yourself out doing the thing you love. It’s perfect and sweet and just a wholesome witchy way to get into the season.

Extra Credit:

Those were just a couple of witchy movies, there is so much more witch content to watch and a lot of series with the same theme. Here are some other options:

• The Love Witch- This 2016 movie was written, edited, directed, produced, and scored by Anna Biller, who I love following on Twitter for her content on the female gaze in film. It’s about a witch that uses her magic to make men fall in love with her but she ends up killing them with her love. It looks beautiful, it has a retro style, and it’s been on my list forever. I haven’t gotten a chance to see it yet, but check it out!
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina- This show is coming out on October 26th and is sure to be a dark and cool new manifestation of the franchise. It looks really cool and it’s just around the corner!
• Macbeth- For me, watching a version of Macbeth is always peak witch content. My favorite stars Kate Fleetwood as Lady M, if you wanna check it out!

Those are just a couple suggestions to get you started after you watch Hocus Pocus for the gazillionth time. Let us know what your favorite witchy movies are! 

It’s been a while. Us, the people running this site, got really swept up in:

1. Losing our jobs
2. Facilitating the most recent run of Women’s Theatre Festival
3. Getting new jobs

But we’re settled and we’re back and we’re ready to play cute games, watch a lot of TV, and cope with existential dread with all of you. With that in mind, I like to cope with existential dread with cartoons and cute tiny video games. To get started, here are 3 soft games to help.

1. Five Great Places to Get a Nice Cup of Tea When You Are Asleep

Cephalopodunk has to be one of my favorite bitsy creators and is maybe one of the most prolific. From games about being a cool archaeologist to those about a witch telling bedtime stories to her cats, to even coming up with dope fish names— they all slap. This game in particular plays to my favorite thing, ever since I ever saw Uncle Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender: fictional tea shops. There are 5 teashops you can explore, each one more interesting than the last. It’s great and it’s a perfect, relaxing escape.

2. Short Trip

I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve been really craving games about train-esque modes of transport. People enter them, people leave and you just keep going. In this one, you’re a cat in the country running a train for other cats. It’s just relaxing and beautiful. If you want to pair two train games, Rusty’s Rail is also a great train management sim, but without the fun of actually running the train.

3. Dreamer of Electric Sheep

When I think about MUD-style, text-input RPG’s, I usually think about a certain color palette. I think of a black backdrop with sharp reds and oranges.

Dreamer of Electric sheep uses generative text and a beautiful calm, purple-y color palette that is soothing even when dream entities start to attack you and shout at you to wake up. It’s definitely an interesting dream to partake in when you need an escape.

Bonus Round: Make a Game!

Of course, one thing I love to do when I’m in a particular existential dread-y mood is to make something! There are a lot of cool jams out there that you can do right now. Here are a couple that look like a great experience:

• Harvest (Bitsy Jam)– The pumpkin spice lattes are here and we at Plucky Media HQ can’t wait for Summer to please go away (please). This is the perfect way to get your feet wet with bitsy by making a small game about “harvest” and whatever that encompasses.
• itsy-bitsy jam- rain– It’s another bitsy jam but it also looks really cute! It’s about rain and with the remnants of Florence still floating around, it seems like a great idea to get your rain ideas flowing
• Greek MytholoJam 2018– If there is a topic with lots of cool game ideas in it, it’s Greek Mythology. You can get your myth on and this is a nice long jam that you can really explore an engine with.

That’s it! We’re back and noodling around, so hopefully, you’ll see some more content from us soon. Let us know what games you like and whatever game jams you participate in! 

🚨Spoilers for Westworld Season 2, Episode 2: “Reunion” Below🚨

Plucky Media is back with a look back of the most recent episode of Westworld. It’s not a summary but it has some observations. Am I right? Who knows! But here we are. 

Throughout Westworld season one, one phrase you heard again and again was,

“These violent delights have violent ends.”

It just felt strange. I knew it was Shakespearian and while it seemed to fit the context, whenever Ford was cleaning up a newly bloodied and abused host, but when I looked it up, it didn’t really make sense.

The line, even though thematically you would think it would come from a grander play like Hamlet, or a gorier on like Titus Andronicus, actually comes from Romeo and Juliet,

“These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey

Is loathsome in his own deliciousness

And in the taste confounds the appetite.

Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.

Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.”

In the play, they come from the friar, urging Romeo not to fall in love too deeply and not let it consume you quickly. And it did, obviously, and they died horrible deaths.

Upon viewing this episode of Westworld S2: “The Reunion”, the phrase seems less of a warning for the hosts than it is the guests of the park. Throughout the episode, we dip into both the memories of Dolores and The Man in Black/William, and see how the park pivots their business, not unlike the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal, as a way to harvest user data through the eyes of the hosts. While how they’re harvesting that data and what exactly they’re doing with it remains unclear (and seems like something that we’ll only fully learn at the end of the season), the way the hosts are acting in the park definitely takes on a more biblical tinge than I was expecting.

Everywhere you turn, hosts and humans alike are talking about “judgment”. Dolores can’t stop talking about ” The Great Beyond” or “The Pearly Gates”, or as mini-Ford says in the previous episode “the door” or “the way out”. She sees the door as a weapon. The Man in Black/William sees it as the center of an even deeper maze that he never found the center of in the first place.

It feels as if Westworld itself is positioning itself as an alternate Garden of Eden, but as it is, it only offers temptations. Every flower and fruit and creature in the garden is a snake, offering something you can’t get anywhere else with no consequence. It is a garden of Eden with a God that only restricts the snakes. When the restraints go away and the temptations are free to do what they wish with the guests of the park, we see the fallout.

The violent delights are making their violent ends. Some of these delights, like Dolores and her crew, are exacting revenge en masse, and even recycling some ridiculous lines from the “gods”. Some, like the inhabitants The Man in Black/William, found in Pariah, create their own end by killing themselves rather than help someone “win a game”. Some, just keep going and keep pouring drinks and fighting petty battles as if nothing has changed.

Back in another essay, I supposed that the phrase “These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends” was all about suffering and that it was all about achieving enlightenment through it. Now it seems, having memories of this suffering in a few key characters is doing something totally different than self-actualization. What it’s doing though, I don’t know yet.

But of course, we’re only in episode 2, so literally, anything could happen. Either way, it seems that Ford, a man spouting the words of a Shakespearian friar, forged a holy war as his final act. A war that seemed to end, by Hosts dumping themselves into the sea. Though there are more questions than answers, this looks like an interesting season of Westworld, perhaps of biblical proportions.

We sat down to talk with Elaina Mittleman, a playwright of a new work titled Suspended. Elaina Mittleman is also the President/Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Blacklist Theatre. She recently graduated from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and is pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a co-founder of Blacklist, she hopes to create a space in which stories of underrepresented groups can be told and honored. She believes in the importance of art as a vehicle for change and is excited to offer a platform for powerful perspectives. Here is her story.

What inspired you to write Suspended?

Initially, I was inspired by a friend of mine who committed suicide within the last year. I was struggling with the idea that her beautiful mind is no longer in existence. I started to ask myself hard questions about my spiritual beliefs and the possibility of an afterlife, so I wrote it down. Mental health issues, in general, are very important to me and I think that society is still using the wrong language around these issues. We have made great strides in the last few years, but I think we need to focus less on why people are mentally ill and more on what can be done to help.

Who are your greatest influences?

Sarah Ruhl was the first playwright who I really fell in love with. Reading her work inspired a new kind of love for theatre that is outside of the box. She addresses tough issues in a way that is artistic and raw, yet soft. I am just all about it. The poet Jeanann Verlee has also been a huge influence as of late. She candidly recounts her own experiences in a way that is bitingly brave. I love the idea of making something beautiful out of hardship and diving into something that many are afraid to touch.

This is the first show for Blacklist Theatre— why was it important to choose this one?

Blacklist Theatre is a company that has a lot of heart. We all care deeply about the work that we do, so I thought it important to kick off our first season with something very personal. Honestly, at first I was a little hesitant to dive right in a produce a piece that I wrote, but the feedback that I have received on the play made it clear that it fits perfectly into our goals as a company.

If 2017 was a year for anything, it’s a year when Millenials got really into mysticism— crystals, astrology, tarot, and straight up witchcraft. Tarot plays a huge role in your play— why did you choose it?

Yes! I love how we’re opening up to different spiritual ideas. Tarot has always been something of interest for me and as a writer, it served as a great plot device. This is my first one-woman show and I was initially intimidated by the prospect of moving the plot forward using a single voice. I needed to find a way to help the character make discoveries about herself. Tarot is great in that it plays on previously held beliefs. So it worked well for offering a glimpse at the character’s thought process.  

What does it mean to you?

I’m not sure how much clout I’d put into the validity of tarot, but it is something that is important to me. Through my own mental health journey, there was something comforting about turning to the cards when things got tough. For me, it was a way of initiating self-reflection and helping me figure out my next steps.

What do you see in the future for Blacklist theatre?

That is a very big question. I hope to see Blacklist become a respected presence in the community. We’ve seen a lot of great companies in the triangle come and go and I would love to offer a place for artists to continue to create. A huge dream is for us to become financially stable enough to offer compensation to actors, designers, and our production teams. Mounting a production is hard work and those involved deserve payment for their time and efforts.

What do you want people to take away from Suspended?

I don’t want to give too much away, but I really hope Suspended makes an impression. I want audience members to go home and continue to think about the content. Ideally, the relatability of the main character will help to personalize the content for those who have little experience with or understanding of mental illness. Most importantly, I hope that I have honored those who have been touched by suicide.

Do you see the piece growing after this? Is it standalone or do you see it becoming a larger work?

Nothing is ever perfect. I will absolutely continue to make edits and do rewrites post-production. I think that it could find a nice place in a larger work, but I have no concrete plans right now.

There’s not a lot of one woman shows around here— why do you like the form? Why do you think this is best as a one-woman piece rather than any other form?

I wanted to create a play that is completely honest. I think the one woman format is best for this. The character has no reason to alter the truth, she’s not trying to elicit any sort of response from anyone. I also think that the majority of the storytelling that we do is inside of our own heads and I intended this to be a sort of snapshot of that. Unadulterated female voices are always hard to come by and this felt like the perfect opportunity.

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