I don’t often post more personal information on my playwriting website, but this post combines the personal with the theatrical.

Recently, I had the pleasure of going to Ireland with my wife and our little littlest ones, and one of the places we stopped was the medieval city of Kilkenny, in southern(ish) Ireland.

The reason Kilkenny has such relevance for me is because it is the setting for my gothic, spiritual drama “A Flower of the Field”, which was loosely inspired by the writings of the monk John Clyn, who, during the height of the Black Death in the 14th century, wrote a historical chronicle of the pestilence (and indeed, “world” history – from Adam and Eve to his present day) in the still-existent abbey of St. Francis.

What a treat, therefore, to travel to Kilkenny on a day trip from Dublin and see (albeit, from afar – since it is being renovated) the ruins of the same St. Francis’s Abbey where my play takes place:

Not only that, but my play incorporates another figure from Kilkenny history, the noblewoman Alice Kyteler, who was accused of being a witch and fled the city, and who is remembered still in Kilkenny to this day:

I wrote “A Flower of the Field” without any knowledge of (or passion for) Kilkenny, per se – clobbering together disparate stories from the period of the Black Death, courtesy of the real John Clyn – and just happened to set the story in the very abbey that is still standing and incorporate the woman whose memory looms large in the city to this very day.

What a fun time… to see where my own play takes place!

I’m thrilled to say that my Gothic play “A Flower of the Field” has been recognized as one of the top scripts submitted for the 2023 Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition!

While the “film” title may lead you to think otherwise, the Austin Film Festival accepts all types of scripts, including stage plays that may work well as a film.

“A Flower of the Field” was among the top 20% of scripts submitted this year (and I’m happy to say was also recognized similarly in last year’s festival, as well).

One of the many great things the Austin Film Festival does is provide readers’ comments for your script, which I’m happy to include below and which include many kind nods to my writing:

Plot:

In 1349 Kilkenny, Ireland, a Franciscan friar willingly houses and treats those afflicted with the Black Death in the Nave of St. Francis’s Abbey until a witch, disguised as a healthy woman, exposes his dark secret. The conflict with every character and relationship is exposed with a moral dilemma ultimately well resolved in the end.

Concept:

A FLOWER OF THE FIELD is an original story taking place in 1349 Ireland during the Black Death, with the small cast of men and women questioning and experiencing the conflict between God’s will and witchcraft. The writer crafts a very compelling story with both potential and authenticity in the subject matter.

Overall:

A FLOWER OF THE FIELD is a unique and compelling story that begins with a mysterious slow build of tension that comes together for a satisfying resolution for the audience. The writer handles the material with ease and includes vivid stage directions. The cast size is reasonable, cast list is clear and precise, no intermission, simple location and set design all work well for the production. The writer shines with character development and surprising plot twists. The reader is invested in John Clyn’s journey and the multitude of sub-stories supporting the overall narrative arc. John Clyn’s story is complete, and the story concludes with a satisfying ending. The writer’s note on the stage directions is very helpful and makes clear the purpose is for dramatic cadence and visual poignancies. The lengthy directions do not detract from the story nor necessarily indicate the run time of the show.

Dialogue:

The dialogue works well for the created world taking place within the period 1349 Ireland. Though the speech isn’t written with an obvious Irish dialect, it’s presumed the appropriate characters will adapt appropriately. If the writer so chose, including specific dialect or Irish words might help craft more authenticity to the characters.

Structure:

The 90-page one act script can reasonably be performed in less time since much of the pages are filled with stage directions. The story is well-paced appropriately from slow build to dramatic climax with scenes that move the story forward in a consistent tone.

Characters:

The cast of five characters are interesting, compelling, distinct, and developed through backstory and action. The reader is invested in the characters and their journeys. The characters could have more Irish tone brought into the writing, but overall, all of the characters fit their words well.

I have pasted below some pictures from the recent production of “A Flower of the Field” at Tyler Civic Theatre Center.

I have posted more pictures in the Image Gallery on my website, so definitely stop by and take a look when you have a chance.

Kudos to the wonderful set!

Yesterday, my play “A Flower of the Field” closed at Tyler Civic Theatre Center in Tyler, TX.

I was very blessed to be able to travel and see two performances of the show, as well as meet the directors, the cast, the set designer, and the Managing Director of Tyler Civic Theatre Center.

I can truly say that visiting TCTC was one of the more enjoyable experiences in my time doing theater and I left extremely impressed by the great job everyone did on the show.

I have already written about my happiness with TCTC’s production, but some kind theatregoer left this lovely post on Facebook under a post by the theater reminding people of the closing performance of the play on Sunday:

Comments like that that really push you forward – as a playwright, as an actor, as a director, as anyone involved in the world of theater.

I also thoroughly enjoyed my talkback sessions while I was in Tyler, getting a chance to chat with the audience and with the actors in the play.

I’ll be forever grateful for TCTC giving ”A Flower of the Field” its first set of wings and I look forward to when it can grace the stage again!

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing another performance of my drama “A Flower of the Field” performed at Tyler Civic Theatre Center.

I also had the pleasure of conducting another talkback with the audience following the performance and hearing their very valuable feedback.

During this experience, I confess I had an experience I have not had previously in theater, sitting in the audience as the play was concluding and the very last line was spoken and the lights fell – and somewhere in the darkness, though I don’t know where, I heard a woman say under her breath… “AWESOME.”

I must say, this is also my view of the great work done by Tyler Civic Theatre Center and the wonderful cast and crew who made my play come to life.

There are so many people to thank…

• David Dickerson – for his marvelous directing and deft use of the stage
• Kevin Willis – for playing the lead role of John Clyn with so much inner strength and humanity
• Aletha Nelligran – for playing the nefarious Alice Kyteler with such understated evilness
• Bryan Michels – for changing type to play a villain with such priestly, well-adorned aplomb
• Heather Hufterson – for playing Mathias O’More with such sing-song Irish smarminess
• Georgi Dumas – for learning her role in a little under two weeks (!) and yet acting her part with such fervor and feeling
• Kevin Phillips – for bring a shadow to life! (you have to read the play to understand this)

Again, I can’t begin to express how impressed I have been with the work by David and the cast, for a piece that is rather difficult to perform.

I have left the experience with awareness of where I need to tweak the play, but also confidence that this is a piece that truly has wings.

Last night, I had the great pleasure of seeing my drama “A Flower of the Field” come alive for the first time at the Rogers Theatre at Tyler Civic Theatre Center in Tyler, TX!

“A Flower of the Field” won the People’s Choice Award in Tyler Civic Theatre Center’s 2022 new play contest after an excerpted reading was done of the piece last July and the audience voted it the show (out of five others) that they most wanted to see produced.

I must say, I was extremely impressed with the great work done by TCTC’s production of “A Flower of the Field” – everything from the deft directing by David Dickerson to the extremely talented cast of actors and actresses to the marvelous synergy of lights, sound, and set that created such a gothic atmosphere around the play and encapsulated its eerie, mysterious, threatening feel.

Additionally, I must give a shoutout to Tyler Civic Theatre Center for such a great theater complex (they have two theaters, both in-the-round) and such a vibrant artistic community in Tyler, TX (including extensive educational outreach to the surrounding community) and really see them as a perfect representation of how the future of theater is increasingly in the community, with all the talents that communities offer.

Lastly, I would be amiss not to point out that I learned Tyler Civic Theatre Center is the oldest continuously operating theater-in-the-round in North America – an undervalued way of producing plays.

I will be around in Tyler, Texas for the Saturday evening show, as well.

Tonight, my gothic drama “A Flower of the Field” opens at Tyler Civic Theatre Center in Tyler, Texas!

I will be traveling to Tyler to see the performances on Friday and Saturday this weekend.

You can still purchase tickets for the show here – don’t miss out!

To the cast… break a leg!

Check out this great promotional video for the upcoming production of my play “A Flower of the Field” at Tyler Civic Theatre Center in Tyler, TX!

I’ll be coming down to see the show the weekend after next.

You can buy tickets to the show here.

I’m thrilled to say that tickets are now on sale for my play “A Flower of the Field” at Tyler Civic Theatre Center this May!

My play won the People’s Choice Award in TCTC’s 2022 new play festival, where the audience voted it the winner from among five other finalists.

You can purchase tickets online at https://bit.ly/3KjF2bG or by calling the Box Office at 903-592-0561 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm).

The show runs for one weekend only:

• Thursday May 4, 2023 7:30pm
• Friday May 5, 2023 7:30pm
• Saturday May 6, 2023 7:30pm
• Sunday May 7, 2023 2:30pm