The Question I'm Asked Most Often

Carlo Fiorletta (photo by Dana Halsted)

I see myself as a writer first and a producer second:  I write because I want to but produce because I have to.  I'm frequently asked if I've always written, and the answer is a resounding "no."  The 2nd question, of course, is how and why I started to write.

I met my husband Carlo Fiorletta (pictured at left) in 1995, and he had already been acting for several years.  I went with him to numerous off-off-Broadway plays in and around NYC, mostly in small black box theaters.  I eventually reached the following conclusion:  a lot of the actors were terrific, and a lot of the directing was good as well.  But much of the writing was downright awful.  It's not that there aren't good playwrights in NYC:  there are tons of them.  But much of what got produced at that level was written by the actors or directors simply so they could highlight their talents.  As much as I understand that, it didn't make for great theater.

After I said that a few times (ok, I whined about it), Carlo had a simple response:  If you think you can do better, do it yourself.  I thought I could, so I started to take a few classes.  First, some classes at the Gotham Writers Workshop.  Later, screenwriting classes at The New School.  I found that I could indeed do it, although I'm definitely a fan of Dorothy Parker's statement :  "I hate writing, I love having written."

The pay-off moment for me - when I realized what a rush it could be to have my writing performed in front of a real live honest-to-goodness audience - came on September 19, 2001.  Carlo was a member of the NYC group Love Creek Productions.  This now 30 year old group produces one act plays on a year-round basis, and he had the opportunity to direct a new play of his choice.  We agreed that he would put up my romantic comedy "Bermuda Triangle."

My little comedy went up in midtown Manhattan just 8 days after the 9/11 terror attacks.  The theater was full.  My sister and brother-in-law came up from the Philadelphia area, at a time when people were afraid to be in the city.  People laughed.  And applauded.  They so very much wanted to laugh, to get away for just a few moments from the terror and death and fear of the past week.  It was the most amazing experience I had ever had.  That was the moment that I knew that writing would always be my "thing."

So no,  I haven't always written.  I didn't always want to be a writer.  But I love having the ability to touch people's emotions.

Here's a recent profile of Carlo that appeared in Backstage.