365 Days/365 Plays

Last night, we took a drive to Mt. Holyoke College to take in ten of Suzan Lori-Parks' "365 Days/365 Plays." Brought to and for hundreds of venues across the country, the concept is remarkable. Parks, the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright who learned her craft at MHC (assist to James Baldwin) and Yale Drama, wrote a play a day for a year. At the moment, her alma mater serves as one of many locations for the plays. During the current run, New World Theater of the University of Massachusetts presents the short works which Parks and her friend Bonnie Metzgar produced.

Not surprisingly, some of the scenes ("Babe Catcher," "Coney Island Joe's," and "Project Macbeth," in my case) appeal more than others. The quality of performance, from actor to actor, varies greatly. Cast members included some teenagers, others who are college theater veterans, and at least one individual who has appeared on the regional stage.

So, this is cool.
I've been fortunate to watch premieres of Parks plays such as "Topdog/Underdog," "Venus," and others at New Haven's Yale Rep. She is a vastly talented writer. "365" demonstrates her versatility and vitality. What about the days when she awoke and really hadn't any notion or desire to think hard, long, and specifically enough to compose maybe a ten minute play?