Maybe you quit too soon, she said.

I was surprised the other day when some new friends mentioned that they didn't know I was an artist.  After all, I've been working at trying to sell my art for over 35 years.  Yikes, that's a long time. 

Here I am, back a few years ago, with one of my mixed-media paintings in the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center Permanent Art collection.  They specifically looked for local artists when commissioning the art, and since I lived very near there, I was honored to be a part of it.

 I told my woeful tale of how hard it is to make a living as an artist, much less get by.  And I told them how frustrating and depressing it was to watch the art pile up, year after year.  I admitted that I had *officially retired* from the art business two years ago, and was now concentrating on my writing.

The installation of my three pieces, in their own beautiful niches, in the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center

As I looked at my new friends' amazing art collection that includes sculpture, paintings, prints and outsider folk art, I commented that I always heard that there were people who loved art, and collected lots of it, but I had NEVER, in all those years, ever met any of them.  Isn't that strange?

One of them (thanks, Ms. P!) later said "Maybe you quit too soon."  Hmmm.  Ever since then, I've been thinking about the incredible amount of artwork I've created over the years.  I've worked in almost every media imaginable. Before we moved, I'll admit I either destroyed or gave away a good bit of my collection.  I'm sure some would think that's horrible.  But my new home is much smaller than our previous home, and my office doesn't even have a closet.  In the back of my mind, maybe I was thinking that the small cottage out back of our house *might* possibly become an art studio one day, once it's protected against the elements.  I made the conscious decision to spend full-time writing.  After all, I had ALSO been writing all those years.

I do have digital photos of most of my artwork, and for me, that's OK.  Many artists, I've learned, periodically destroy some of their art.  Another new Taylor friend, also an artist, told me to keep one good piece from each of my new directions.  I liked that advice, and so did keep a dozen or so pieces. Will I regret destroying those others?  Time will tell, but in general, I very rarely regret my actions.

"Sun in a Circle" Abstract Painting on Paper

As I looked through the photos, I made the decision to add a new page to my official website for samples of my artwork.  In general, it reminds me that all those years I spent weren't wasted, that some beauty came out of them, and many people did see my paintings and such--even if they don't own them.  That's the beauty of the Internet and digital images.  And since I do have digital images, the artwork can still be shared over and over, and even printed if I choose.

Right now, I'm happy writing full-time, because our house remodeling project, and my new garden design (yes, we do all our own work), have been taking up any extra time I have.  Once we're settled in, though, I expect I'll be eyeing that space out in the cottage and dreaming of a new work space, and maybe even a painting area.

Actually, come to think of it, I have written poetry about painting, and about art.  Can I separate the two, without feeling that I'm missing something?  Maybe someday I can find a *satisfying* way to combine the two.  I hope so.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Southern Humorist Featured Columnist

I'm a featured columnist over on the Southern Humorist website with my "The Good, The Bad & the Naughty" story about snails in the garden.  Check it out! 

http://www.southernhumorists.com/chukran.htm

And while you're there, check out some of the other writers, too.  Funny stuff!

Happy trails (snails?) from Texas!

bobbi c.

Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Published!

My fun Edgar Allan Poe short story I mentioned a few weeks ago was published today.  Take a peek, and enjoy!

http://kingsriverlife.com/05/12/edgar-allan-virginia-forevermore/

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

LITTLE RED RIDING BOOTS MADE IT!

Dear friends,

My comedy fairy tale mash-up  play, LITTLE RED RIDING BOOTS & COOTER COYOTE, MASTER OF DISGUISE, made it into the YES competition this year! YEEEHAW!  Here's the official announcement, with a list of the other plays that made it---written by several of my online playwright buds, and directed by Jack Dyville.

Youth Education On Stage announces the selection of Our 2012 SUMMER SHORTS: "Animal Antics" to be produced in Williston, North Dakota at the Old Armory Theatre June 19-20-21.

 ARCTIC AFTERNOON by Christine Emmert (Valley Forge PA)
 HISS HISS KISS KISS by Marjorie Conn (Asbury Park NJ)
 LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS, OH MY! by Shirley King (Benicia CA)
 THE DOG & THE GIRAFFE by Katie Labhan (New York, NY)
 THE FLEAS WHO FLED THE FUR by Marti Johnson (Seaside OR)
THE NEW ADVENTURES of KATIE KITTY! by Jack Dyville (Guttenberg NJ)
WHISKERS LEARNS A LESSON by Martha Patterson (Boston MA)

My play ANNIERELLA & the (VERY AWESOME) GOOD QUEEN FAIRY COWMOTHER was in this competition back in 2009, where it won First Place and was subsequently published by Brooklyn Publishers.

LITTLE RED RIDING BOOTS started out about five years ago as a  children's picture book, then turned into a play.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Flash fiction, anyone?

Dear friends,

I'm not sure why, but the older I get, the more frustrated I get with long books or stories.  Maybe it's because of all the blogging I do, or because I'm so busy that by the time I get a chance to sit down and read, I'm exhausted and can't stay awake!

Recently, I've realized that my best work tends to be short--both my plays and my stories.  I discovered *flash fiction* a few years ago, have just discovered *flash memoirs* and have to say that I'm really excited about some of the stuff I'm reading out there.

I have had two short flash stories published online, at the Clockwise Cat blog.  Check 'em out, HERE. The editor called them "absurd" fiction, which I found interesting.  I call it quirky-strange fiction, maybe even a bit macabre.  OK with me!  LOL.

Here's a short garden story I wrote.  Actually, I guess it's a "flash memoir" because it really did happen.  Hope you enjoy reading "Help!  Mantis Attack!"

I love taking a snippet of conversation, an observation about a quirky character I see, or an idea, and running with it.  I had one of these flashes of inspiration yesterday while sitting in the garden, dripping with sweat, covered with mud, listening to the chaos from a house down the street from us.  Seems they decided to cut down a pecan tree.  That idea, coupled with a chance comment a friend of mine made last week, turned into the draft of a short story that I hope will be a good one.  If not good, then at least amusing. :-)

As I practice writing flash/short fiction, I look around the 'net for great examples of other stories.  I learn more by reading fiction by others than I ever have from how-to books.  (I'm still trying to find the ultimate how-to-write-flash-genre-fiction book.  So far, no luck.)

This morning I ran into the new (to me) WIGLEAF website that focuses on  (very) short fiction.  Lots of good stuff there and great artwork, too.

If you have never read any flash fiction, I suggest you "do a Google" for "flash fiction stories" and go from there.  There are thousands of great short stories online for you to read--for FREE!  AND great collections of them for sale inexpensively on Amazon.com.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Dark Shadows and Vampires

 

I can truthfully say that I've been a fan of DARK SHADOWS since I was ten years old.  It first showed up on TV waaaay back in 1966 and ran for five years, until 1971.  A gothic soap opera, the likes of which nobody had ever seen, titillated and thrilled with the story line that included vampires, werewolves, witches and dare I say---leviathans!

I was one of those rabid fans, and had a serious crush on Jonathan Frid, who played the vampire Barnabas Collins.  Sadly, he recently died on Friday, April 13th, at the age of 87---RIP.  I'm sure I wasn't the only young girl who sent away and anxiously awaited the free fan photo.  It finally came in the mail, and had a constant place under my pillow at night.

Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins

On the days when our school bus was delayed (my memory is a bit sketchy at the reason), my mother would tape the show on an ancient reel-to-reel tape recorder, and I'd listen to the audio later that night.  Those were back in the days before VCRs, and it took a lot of imagination sometimes to figure out what exactly was happening in the scene---all those dreaded, heavy silences drove me mad--wondering.

 I obsessively collected the novels and read them under blanket cover late at night, scaring the bejeebers out of  me.  They were written by gothic novelist W. E. Daniel "Dan" Ross under the pseudonym Marilyn Ross (his wife's name).

I recently learned that two former actresses on the series have their own novels based on the show--Lara Parker (who played Angelique) and Kathryn Leigh Scott (who played Josette).  And I even developed a crush on David Selby, who played the werewolf Quentin Collins.  How could anyone resist those sideburns?

David Selby as Quentin Collins, werewolf

I also had his fan photo, and it lay safely under my pillow, along with Barnabas'.

And oh!  That music!  There was something about that haunting, eerie music.  I bought the record album (remember those?) and played it over and over.  I still have that album, forty-six years later!  According to Wikipedia, the original soundtrack made the top 20 on the Billboard national  chart in 1969 and still ranks as one of the top-selling TV soundtracks ever.

Well!  Let me just announce right here that I was beside myself with joy---giddy, one might say, when I heard that there would be a new DARK SHADOWS movie.  And I was even more excited when I heard that none other than Tim Burton would be directing it.  I've been a fan of his work from the get-go, and knew that something special would come of it.   Then to find out that Johnny Depp would play Barnabas?  I tell ya, that was a swoonable moment.  Not to mention the lovely Ms. Pfeiffer.

Johnny Depp and the cast of the DARK SHADOWS movie

When I saw the first trailer, I was blown away.  WHAT?  A SPOOF?  of my beloved DARK SHADOWS!  Yes!  It totally works!  I love the idea.  I, ahem, recently wrote my own vampire spoof, THE JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER, and am totally delighted that the writers and director decided to play it this way.  After all, there are many who say that the original show was played a bit tongue-in-cheek anyway.  (Oh come on, yes it was!)

If you go back and watch the show on DVDs (yes, of course I own them!), you just have to laugh.  At the time, of course, I didn't see it as funny--it was serious stuff.   I've been watching the trailers over and over, and I cannot wait to see the movie.  Stay tuned for a review, right here!

In the meantime, listen to this interview of the writer, Seth Grahame-Smith.  BTW, he also penned the script for the new ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER movie coming out in June.

RIP, Jonathan.

But in the meantime, won't you meet me down at the Blue Whale, where we'll hoist a pint of ale (or root beer) in honor of the original DARK SHADOWS cast.

 In memory of those who have crossed.  Or have they?  ;-)

 (Cue the howling wolf. Cue flapping wings.)

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Dracula ala Mel Brooks!

   If you laughed at "Young Frankenstein," you'll love this twisted take on DRACULA.
http://amzn.to/ItLBH6   The plot and characters are straight out of Bram Stoker but with a wickedly funny slant. Renfield is a scream! The only thing better than reading this play script would be seeing a production.
--From a review on Amazon.com

Short Story Published!

Dear friends,

I found out last night that my short story "Edgar Allan & Virginia, Forevermore" will be published in the May 12th edition of King's River Life magazine.  Great timing, since The Raven movie is also out now!  It's a story about those who live with writers, and the sacrifices they have to make.  And yes, of course, it's a comedy.

This is a "love" story that started out as a short play I wrote for Valentine's Day last year in response to a call for plays about love.  When the producer never acknowledged my submission (something that happens way too often these days), I decided to turn it into a short story.

It's especially exciting because it's my first short mystery story publication and first fiction  ever in a professional online magazine.  I'm honored to join all the other authors who've been published in KRL.  Thanks to Lorie for putting out the call for stories.

I'll remind y'all again once it's out.  LOL.  In the meantime, check out King's River Life, where you'll find lots of other great mysteries, reviews, news, etc.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.
http://bobbichukran.com

ANNIERELLA Productions Coming Up!

Alton Schools in Alton, Missouri will be doing two performances of ANNIERELLA & the (VERY AWESOME) GOOD QUEEN FAIRY COWMOTHER on March 9, 2012.

Yeehaw!

EDGAR ALLAN & VIRGINIA, FOREVERMORE. New ten-minute play!

I just put the finishing touches on a new ten-minute play titled EDGAR ALLAN & VIRGINIA, FOREVERMORE, just in time for Valentine's Day.   Yes, Edgar Allan as in POE.  

Set in 1845 right before the publication of THE RAVEN, EDGAR ALLAN & VIRGINIA, FOREVERMORE is a two-hander (one male, one female with the male being older) comedy about love, marriage, Valentine's Day and the reality of living with an author.   Funny how some things never change.

The setting is a simple table with two chairs, and just a few props.  Costumes are standard Victorian.

Before I wrote the play, I did quite a bit of research on Edgar's life and his marriage to his much younger cousin, Virginia.  I've always been a fan, and read his stories over and over in high school and afterwards.  They never cease to thrill me.  I tried to sprinkle snippets of his "phraseology" into the play, to give it a period feeling while still using my signature word play.

I'm seeking productions and readings for this new play. For more information, please contact the playwright, Bobbi A. Chukran, by e-mail.

Resolutions, anyone?

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, as such.  I do try to think about my goals for the next year, though.  Since we've been working on our huge remodeling project of the 1930's house, I haven't had as much time to write as I'd like to.  I find myself spending a lot of time chatting online with friends. Granted, we do talk about writing, but that ain't exactly gettin' the writing DONE and out there.  So I decided that in 2012, I will excavate those little gems from my the depths of my writing drawer, polish them up and find someplace to send them.

Oddly enough, I realized that many of my poems and stories are what some might call "speculative" fiction.   So be it!  I also want to write another full-length play for youth theatre using some new tips I've learned.

I hope all of you have a safe and Happy New Year, and that your writing dreams come true!  From our family to yours!

Happy trails (tails?) from Texas!

bobbi c.

JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER Kindle E-book On Sale

My JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER vampire play e-script for the Kindle has just been put on sale for 99-cents!  This is a limited time offer.  Suitable for young adults and adults, any vampire comedy lover would swoon to have a copy of their own!

Here are current reviews, from Amazon:

"Don't be put off because this is a theatre script - it's as enjoyable to read as any book. If you laughed at "Young Frankenstein," you'll love this twisted take on "Dracula." The plot and characters are straight out of Bram Stoker but with a wickedly funny slant. Renfield is a scream! The only thing better than reading this version would be seeing a production."  S.D.

"This play was fun to read and very entertaining. The characters, especially Renfield and Lucy, were a hoot! The play was easy to read and read more like a fast-paced novel than a playscript."  D. H.

"The Journal of Mina Harker is definitely a play schools should consider for production. It's funny, sly humor with some broad humor thrown in for contrast, and the familiarity of the Dracula legend makes for good fun and crowd pleasing potential. Reads well and will play even better. "

Happy trails, and thanks for supporting an emerging playwright!

bobbi c.

ANNIERELLA rides again!

Just got some photos from the recent November 2 production of ANNIERELLA & the (VERY AWESOME) GOOD QUEEN FAIRY COWMOTHER,  performed by students at St. Peter Catholic School in Beaufort, SC.  Thanks to Sister Judy for sending the photos. :-)

Eula Gee, the stepmother, explains about the Cowpoke's Ball at the Lazy R&B ranch!

Stepmother, Eula Gee, tells Annierella she cannot go to the ball, while here three step-sisters---Mozelda Joe, Brizelda Jane and Frizzelda Ann--look on.

Annierella meets the Good Queen Fairy Cowmother.

The Fairy Cowmother does a little magic and with the help of her helpers transforms poor Annierella into a princess right before our very eyes!  :-)

At the ball, Annierella meets the rich rancher, Roy Bob, who's immediately smitten.  (LOVE those red boots they found for Annierella to wear!)  But alas, time runs out and she has to leave, but not before losing one of her fancy dancing boots!

The step-sisters are SURE that one of them will make the boot fit.  But it's not to be!  (We knew that.)

After finding out that Annierella was the one wearing the missing red boot, he proposes.  But what was her answer?

Sorry, you'll have to read ANNIERELLA to find out!   LOL!!

(By the way, ANNIERELLA was the FIRST PLACE WINNER at the SUMMER SHORTS 4, Youth Education on Stage Festival at the Old Armory Theatre, Williston North Dakota June 23-24-25, 2009. 
Directed by Jack Dyville.)



bobbi c.

New improved website

Dear friends,

I've finally found the time to update my official website, and have included information on buying play scripts as well as full descriptions of all my  plays.  I've also included information on my ten-minute plays, which are great for speech competitions, drama class forensics, readings, etc.  Take a look!

Comedy Plays for Youth Theatre by Bobbi A. Chukran

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Writing is a messy business...

Being a writer doesn't feel like you think it will...

When I was ten years old, writing my first poetry and submitting them to contests, I'm not sure what I thought the life of a "real" writer would be like. All I knew was that I loved to write, and wanted to do a lot of it. I don't really remember a lot more of how I felt back then.

But as I got older, perhaps a starry-eyed teenager, I guess I formed a picture in my mind of what it would be like when I finally became published, became well-known, or at least, well-read by intellectual types. Maybe I would sit at a wonderful old oak roll top desk, with a little lamp on the corner sporting a cheerful green glass shade (it had to be green). I thought I'd be sitting at that desk all day with an old typewriter clacking out page after page of wonderful Stuff. Or I'd be sitting by a crackling fire, sipping cognac, pondering Great Thoughts.  Honestly, where did THAT come from?  Masterpiece Theatre?  LOL.

When it came time to go to college, I decided to major in art. To this day I wish ONE person had said “You have talent. You should write.” It took years of frustration trying to sell my artwork before I started writing about it instead and stumbled onto a whole new path.

Well, you know what? I finally got published. And it was NOT the way I thought it would be. My first desk was a fold-up, rickety card table in the corner of my bedroom in a low-rent apartment. I had an electric typewriter by then, but produced a manuscript using plain white paper and a lot of White-Out.  (Ironically enough, I'm writing on a rickety card-table again.  This time it's temporary, and is in the utility room of an old 1930 house we're remodeling, and I'm writing on an old laptop, and not a typewriter.)

My first advance for a 250-page book was $500. In those days, that paid about one month’s rent and a few bills. Over the next few years, the royalties weren't much more than that. But I didn't care; I was published!

My first books were resource guides that took hours and hours of research and correspondence. After twenty plus years,  that got old, and my old dream started nibbling at the corners of my mind.  I wanted to write STORIES, maybe even see people act them out.

You think you’ll sit down, and begin at the beginning, and write a story or a play from beginning to end. You think that if you have your little stack of color-coded index cards, that you’ll have your plot all worked out, nice and neat. Little do you know that once you put two characters in a room alone, they’ll start a conversation and pass you by so fast your head will spin. You’ll have no control over them, what they say or do. You’ll be freaked out about this, but go with it.  And they will wear the most atrocious clothing, like Mina Harker does in my new vampire comedy spoof inspired by Stoker's DRACULA.

You won’t have set hours to work. You’ll feel like crap all day because you stayed up too late the night before, have a cup of tea (caffeine!) at 5pm, then the next thing you know it’s 4am, you’re freezing, and you have produced some pages. You have no idea what you wrote, or where it came from.

You feel Out of Control. You are a writer.  Writing is a messy business.

You think that you’ll “dream up” the beginning of a story, and if you keep working on it, you’ll work straight through from beginning to end. Nope. Doesn’t work that way. The first inkling you have of a story might be a snippet of conversation you hear over breakfast in the neighborhood diner.  Like the one I overheard recently.  "…after my first son was born, I had a flap of skin that hung down to the floor, honey…” Take that and run with it. Turn it into a character. Write about that poor woman, then see what she wants to do. Or it might be a news story you hear in passing about a mutant rodent. Go with it.

Here’s the Big Secret that it took me years to learn. You don’t always start at the first sentence---you hardly ever start at the first sentence. Writing is not a linear activity, it’s more of a spiral thing. A story is organic, it grows, a little this way, a little out that way. You don’t have to know the ending until you get there.  You don't even have to know the beginning until later, either. Wow, what a mind-boggling idea that is!

I sure wish I’d known this long ago. I think it would have helped me be a little freer with my writing and get to the authentic stuff before now. I would have written more without stressing over having to know the first sentence, or trying to write a perfect book straight through. I would have paid better attention to the folks in the back corners of old diners.

Here’s the other Big Secret…you are not in control. Not really. You are a writer.

Bobbi A. Chukran
Copyright 2010

It's alive, it's alive! My DRACULA e-play adaptation...

Come on, you KNOW you want to read it...

No, not Frankenstein's monster....my new Kindle e-book on Amazon!  Just in time for Halloween reading...THE JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER is now ready for purchase for only $2.99.

DOWNLOAD A FREE SAMPLE or BUY THE BOOK FROM AMAZON.COM

Since a few of my friends have asked, I thought I'd write a bit about the background of this play, and how I came to write it.

A few years ago,  I was looking for a classic book to adapt into a serious, literary play, suitable for high school students. I decided to do Bram Stoker's DRACULA since I grew up watching (and loving!) the old DRACULA movies with Bela Lugosi and other vampire movies of the time.

Look deeep into my eyes...

Although the Lugosi movie was loosely based on the book, it didn't completely follow along with the original story.  I didn't know that until I actually sat down and read the book.  Once I started, I was mesmerized by the language, the imagery, and the story.  And I was fascinated to learn that a lot of the things we think we know about vampires didn't come from the novel; they came from the movie.

Turns out, the book is told through a series of journal entries, some by Jonathan Harker (Daniel in my story), and some by his wife, Mina.  Some of it comes through letters sent back and forth between the main characters (Jonathan even collected recipes that he sent home to Mina).  When I read it, I was astounded to learn that it really was Mina's story that she had pieced together from all these letters.  So I decided to tell it from her viewpoint.  Since it is a play, I had to shorten it so I choose to leave out a few of the original characters and scenes.  I do mention Holmwood and Texan Quincey Morris, but they don't show up in the play as real characters.

So, if I started out writing a serious adaptation, what happened?  LOL.  Well, the characters took over.  When I write fiction or a stage play, it plays in my head like a movie. When Dracula first enters and stumbles and almost falls, it occurred to me that he was "blind as a bat."  Hmmm.  I tried to ignore that, but  later, when poor Mr. Renfield ran into the room with his underwear over his head, spouting his Renfield rap---in Latin, no less--he's a really bad poet---I knew it wasn't going to be a serious adaptation.  Mina started wearing the most ginormous hats,  Daniel got a craving for an onion tart, and the Count demanded to know if his new home had nice curtains. After that, the characters took over and it became a comedy.  What else is an author to do?

Let's just say, it ain't Bela's DRACULA.  :-)  Sorry, Bela!

 (And with apologies to Bram.)

(And this hilariously fun play still needs a production.  Run time is approximately an hour.  E-mail me if interested.)

bobbi c.

DRACULA adaptation, The Journal of Mina Harker, published for Kindle

Dear readers,

Ever since I got a Kindle for Christmas last year, I've wanted to make some of my work available in that format.  Last year, I started work on my DRACULA adaptation, THE JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER, a comedy vampire play.  I edited and re-edited, reworked the characters, decided to go for a pure campy style and decided to tell it from Mina's point of view.  Yes, it's a bit twisted; it is a spoof, after all.  Finally, I was satisfied with it enough to publish it.  (By the way, I'd say it's rated PG-13...with just a few naughty innuendos. :-) )

So, just in time for Halloween 2011, I uploaded it to the Amazon.com site tonight.  Within 24-hours, it should be available for purchase in Kindle format for $2.99.

I'm convinced that people love to read plays and act out the parts in their minds.  I know I do.   At any rate, the script is also available to groups who want to do readings (and of course, productions).

I'll post the link when it's available on the Amazon website.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Monologues for Middle School published

I'm excited to announce that two of my original monologues for middle school age actors will be published by Dramatic Publishing in a new collection coming out soon--ORIGINAL MIDDLE SCHOOL SCENES and MONOLOGUES.

The two pieces are titled POWER PLAY and TELLING STORIES, and the short monologues are perfect for competitions or drama classes.

For more information, contact me.

Where the heck have I been?

Ah, good question.  For one thing, I've been trying to survive the drought from H.E.Double-Toothpicks here in Texas.  So far, so good, and doing that while simultaneously trying to remodel a VERY old (1930) home in Taylor, Texas.  That's like vintage, man.  It's been a dream of mine for years to do this, but didn't have the chance until recently.  Working on the house has left little time for writing much more than a few blog entries at my new Two Sisters 1930 Cottage blog. In the process of working on the house, I have come up with a few dandy ideas for plays and novels based on some of the characters I've met.  My lips are sealed!  For now.

In playwriting news, my ANNIERELLA play has chalked up a few more productions and my newest full-length fairy tale twist-up, PRINCESS PRIMROSE & the CURSE OF THE BIG SLEEP, won Third Place in the East Valley Children's Theatre Aspiring Playwriting contest for 2011.  Yay!  That's my second win with the great folks at the EVCT.

More news later.  And oh, by the way, why not consider doing a fun comedy play for a fund-raiser for your school, non-profit group, church or community event?  I have a GREAT Christmas play that needs a production.  Just sayin'....  :-)

Happy trails from HOT Texas!

bobbi c.

I am right chuffed!

One thing I do with my plays is offer some of the new unproduced and unpublished short ones to schoolteachers who use them in reading or playwriting exercises. In the past, school classes in several places in the U.S. have read my plays, and that was thrilling. Recently, I got an e-mail from an elementary school teacher in Cambridge, England who wanted to use one of my short plays with some drama exercises in her primary school class, to get them ready for a Wild West theme. I LOVED this idea, and sent her a few scripts that she's using now (The Lonely Cowboy and Little Red Riding Boots). I'm honored that the teacher reached out to me, all the way here to Texas. I hope eventually I'll get a report on how the kids used my plays for their exercises.

Happy trails from cold Texas!

bobbi c.