So, I'm in the process of writing a post-apocalyptic trilogy call 105, that spans radio-play, immersive theatre, and dance ballet.
And that piece has gotten accepted to The Cohen New Works Festival.
More soon.
The MFA Years: An Introduction
Occasionally, I'll be writing posts for the MFA Years.
Here's a sneak peek from the first one:
On Writing
The Cocktail Party Pitch: I write immersive theatre and work that seeks to redefine the theatre going-experience.
What That Actually Means: I like writing work where you’re not just sitting and watching. Maybe you’re wandering around, maybe you’re eating something. I like writing work that’s experiential (whatever that means) and weird. I like work that surprises you.
Other Things You’ll Find in My Work: Strong female protagonists, because, yes. Wild broken things. Poetic stage directions. The agony of choice and the suffering of love.
You can find the whole article here.
Untameable Nominated for an NYIT Award
Untameable was nominated for a NYIT Award for Outstanding Choreography and Movement.
Yes.
Here's an excerpt from an interview that Nikita, Ian, and I did:
What was your favorite part of working on this production?
Ian: My favorite of working on Untameable was the process of translating Daria's words into movement. Due to the enormity of the script and the many different pieces required to make it happen, the rest of the scenes that occurred outside of the vignettes between the Lady Queen and the Boy Prince were highly structured and needed to be as such to work effectively. Our moments were so flexible and fluid. It was very freeing.
Nikita: My favorite part of working on this production was interacting with the audience. Particularly as an immersive show, every evening was extremely different based on the audience's energy. I was able to feed off of their responses, as well as off of the work of my dance/devising partner, Ian Stewart every night. Often Ian and I had to work around bodies in our playing space so while we had structure, the moments of improvisation were thrilling.
Daria: The people. We assembled a smart, ambitious, passionate, talented beyond talented team. It was a dream.
Full article here.
The One You Feed Reading at 440 Studios
Right before heading off to grad school, we did an awesome reading of The One You Feed at 440 Studios. Kristan Seemel directed, and Rachel Lin, Rachel Christopher, Olivia Jampol, Geany Masai, Fedna Jacquet, Annie-Sage Whitehurst, Maki Borden, Inés del Castillo, and John Racioppo brought the piece to life.
Grad School Bound: UT Austin
This is the picture I took when I walked to dinner after getting called by Kirk Lynn, letting me know that I'd gotten in off the waitlist for UT Austin.
I got into grad school, guys.
UT Austin, Here we go.
Faster Than Bullets at Going to the River
Kana Hatakeyama and Isabella Sazak in Faster Than Bullets' debut at The Oneness Project.
Faster Than Bullets is part of the 2016 Going to the River Festival!
It will be performed on Wednesday, July 16th, at 7pm at Ensemble Studio Theatre, with the talents of Leslie Lewis and Amanda Salazar, with Elizabeth Van Dyke directing.
Untameable: Finalist for the 2016 Dionysia New Play Competition
Untameable is a finalist for the 2016 Dionysia New Play Competition, sponosred by Khaos Company Theatre. An excerpt of the piece will be presented during the the New Play Competition, and the winning play will receive a full production. It will be directed by James Mannan, and will be performed Friday May 20th and Saturday May 28th.
If you're in Indianapolis, IN- check it out!
Interview with Robert Kuang of Self-Care with Writers
The lovely Robert Kuang interviewed me for his blog Self-Care with Writers.
Here's a quick peek:
Did you grow up wanting to be a writer?
I’ve always been writing. I started skating around three or four and remember Tara Lipinski winning a ton of competitions. I told my mom, “I want to go to the Olympics so I can write an autobiography.” She was like, “You can probably write an autobiography without going to the Olympics.” I didn’t realize writing was a “career path,” and I say that in quotations because I still don’t think playwrights can make a living writing plays.
You can find the rest here.
Untameable Press is Up!
Untameable Featured in Inés del Castillo Short
The Amazing Inés del Castillo asked to use some of Untameable's script to make a short film piece. It's pretty awesome.
Check it out!
Coax Me at Rising Circle's "Love in Living Color"
A short piece I wrote called Coax Me is being performed as part of Rising Circle's Spectrum Series, "Love in Living Color." The event will be happening on February 9th, at Jimmy's No. 43.
It'll be featuring the talents of Oladimeji Akinwande, Siho Ellsmore, Kevin R. Free, and Matthew Barbot, with Kana Hatakeyama directing.
Would be delighted to see you all there!
Untameable named a Wordsmyth Theatre Finalist!
Untameable was named a Wordsmyth Theatre Finalist.
Bit by bit...!
Also, check out Wordsmyth Theatre. They do awesome work.
Who I Killed For You at The Flea
A Serialized Version of Daria's Red Runs The Stories, called Who I Killed for You is playing at The Flea as part of #serials! It's starring Crystal Arnette, Hye Young Chyun, and Brendan Sokler, with Kristan Seemel directing.
You can catch it this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 11pm. It will be awesome.
And maybe next week, IF it gets voted back.
Come out and support!
More Untameable Interviews
When it rains, it pours. Here's some more interviews and articles about Untameable and immersive theatre as a whole.
CULTUREBOT: QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING DIAMOND HEISTS, FIFTH-GRADE REUNIONS, AND OTHER IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
GO SEE A SHOW PODCAST: DARIA MIYEKO MARINELLI AND ELANA MCKELAHAN OF UNTAMEABLE
AXS: INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT DARIA MIYEKO MARINELLI
Adam Szymkowicz Interview
And sometimes dreams do come true. While producing Untameable, I got interviewed by Adam Szymkowicz for his blog, I Interview Playwrights.
Here's a little peek:
Q: Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person.
A: I inappropriately saw Fight Club when I was 13 at a poorly supervised sleepover. After that I decided I was going to write a grimy violent novel, but it was going to be "experimental" in that it was going to only have dialogue. What I actually had written was a play. I wrote my first play and was calling it "an experimental novel."
Which is to say, I'm the kid who sticks out at the edge of the class photo. I'm kind of in the wrong spot and maybe (hopefully) it's endearing enough to not get me kicked out of the class. I'm rubbish at staying in line, I revel in independent deviation, I have a penchance for stumbling upon previously invented wheels and calling them new, and I have a deep affinity for fast banter dialogue, swift punches to the gut, and sweeping landscape moments where you watch the city burn.
Untameable Teaser
We made a teaser. Check it out here.
Untameable playing at St. Paul's Hall!
Guys, it's finally happening. Love & Diamonds & 5 Years of Rewriting. And here we go.
The cast honors me, the design astounds me and it's a cutting good time.
Grab your tickets here! Because who ever said no to an immersive diamond heist?
See you there.
More Info about Untameable (like, what it's actually about) found here.
Untameable is a co-pro between The Unsoft War & Highly Impractical Theatre.
Faster Than Bullets at The Oneness Project
Faster Than Bullets will be presented on July 26, 2015, at Access Theatre as part of The Oneness Project, an collection of theater dedicated to social justice. The piece examines how to right a wrong, and asks what superheroes look like when justice itself is a murky term. Faster Than Bullets will be directed by Erin Daley, and features Kana Hatakeyama and Isabella Saka.
Red Run the Stories read as part of plumage.'s End of Season Readings
Red Run the Stories was presented at my place as part of plumage.'s End of Season readings, on July 12th, 2015.
Elana McKelahan directed, and Irene Rivera, Gerrit Thurston, Cristina Pitter, Ugo Anyanwu, Eliza M. Simpson, and Michael Rosete read.
After You in 10x10 In the Triangle
After You will be going up in Carrboro, NC as part of 10x10 In the Triangle, a short play festival presented by The Arts Center. Show runs July 10th-26th.
Here's the whole line-up!
* Broken by James McLindon directed by David Berberian
* Work by Catherine Castellani directed by Tamara Kissane
* As We Knew It by L. Robert Westeen directed by Hope Alexander
* Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? by Jack Karp directed by Monet Marshall
* Alban’s Garden by Rich Espey directed by Brook North
* Two Mothers at a Roadside Cafe by Allan Bates directed by Gregor McElvogue
* Couples Therapy by Matt Crowley directed by Meredith Sause
* After You by Daria Miyeko Marinelli directed by Laurel Ullman
* The Third Person by Dan Borengasser directed by Jules James
* Stop/Frisk by Rich Rubin directed by Lormarev Jones