July 2020

New skills for a new world

Worried about how to connect with an audience virtually?

Read my blog post this month and learn about one highly successful strategy for dynamic delivery.

Workshops for better communication
Let me help you communicate your leadership and authentic presence across the miles and through a small camera. Check out my pair of workshops that go beyond the "top three tips" and help you quickly master skills to get your message across while listening to others. More info here.

Video Tips You Can Use!
Check out my new videos that offer tips for presenting with virtual presence!

In other news

It's going to be a busy August!

My newest play, Saltwater Farm, will be serialized and read in two parts, livestreamed on Zoom. Recordings will be available on YouTube, so if you miss Act One you can catch up before Act Two, and if you see Act One but can't make the live Act Two, you can log onto YouTube and see how it all ends! More details on our Pipeline Playwrights website.

AND. . . 
it's My Party! will be livestreamed in August by Echo Theatre of Dallas, Kateri Cale, Managing Artistic Director. More details, and info on how to purchase tickets can be found here.

June 2020

A change of heart

In this month’s blog post I reflect on the tumult we’re feeling in Brooklyn (and around the country) these days. And it got me thinking about an earlier example I witnessed of an awakening to the racism that permeates our nation’s history.

Workshops for better communications

In these turbulent times, there is a real need to address big issues. And any discomfort, lack of clarity, or trouble projecting leadership through a teeny-tiny camera gets in the way of these larger concerns. So we need to overcome any lack of confidence in our virtual communication to do the work that needs to be done. Let me help you communicate via video chat from home. I am offering a pair of workshops that go beyond the "top three tips" and help you quickly master skills to get your message across and to listen effectively to others. More info here.

Video Tips You Can Use!

• Meetings over video chat platforms take more energy and focus. To be effective, plan ahead, and get your talking points ready so you are respectful of everyone's time.

• Schedule a video meeting to be at least 20% shorter than a comparable meeting held in-person. A good rule of thumb is any meeting that would be an hour at the office should be 45 minutes online.

Check out my new videos that offer tips for presenting with virtual presence!

In other news

Join me for a virtual reading of The Whole is Greater — presented by NYC ONLINE: FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTLIGHTS

Friday, July 10, 2020 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (EDT)

The lives of a "motivational guru," a cynical unemployed professor, a corrupt local politician, and a wily Dollar Store cashier intertwine unexpectedly. Comic drama unfolds as definitions of success, matters of justice, and finding your place in the world collide.

Registration here

May 2020

Breathing in breath-holding time

This month of The Great Pause, I am thankful for quiet morning walks and spring flowers. And I blog about how our physical routines help us achieve so much more than our fitness goals.

Video Tips You Can Use!

• Using a headset/earbuds with microphone can cut down on background interference that you might not be aware of. Helpful for barking dogs, chirping birds and random TikToks from the next room.

• Make your video window smaller so you don't distract yourself. But don't turn your video camera off during a work meeting--your boss will suspect you're not really there.

• Speak clearly and a bit slower that usual. And speak with energy! Even if you have a great mic, the sound on the other end could be occasionally muddied or garbled. Don't add to confusion by being a mumbler/fast talker/low talker.

Do you have questions about navigating video communication in this time?
Shoot me an e-mail and I'll answer them in upcoming videos.

In other news---

My suffrage play It's My Party!  is still on schedule for its September, 2020 Southwestern Regional Premiere. It'll be at Dallas' Echo Theatre, Kateri Cale, Managing Artistic Director. More info here. 

If your community is looking for ways to celebrate the Suffrage Centennial, please note that it has been extended to August 2021. So there's plenty of time for you to consider staging a production or organizing your own reading of It's My Party!  Virtual readings on Zoom could work too! For more info, click here.

Selections from my work-in-progress Saltwater Farm kicked off Pipeline Playwrights' spring reading series, Playwrights at Work!  The reading got a great response; I'm busily writing more of the play. I hope to serialize it and post segments on YouTube this summer.

Visit Pipeline's website for the latest news.