I was at Starbucks one day, during my time lag between two city buses, on my way to work. I idly read the announcements on the bulletin board waiting for my white mocha or extra-shot latte or caramel macchiato. A flier caught my eye, asking for submissions of one-act original plays to eventually be featured in a festival called New Works New Haven.

So I entered.

Of course, it wasn't that easy. My computer's hard drive crashed and blue-screened me about a month prior to seeing the ad. So I had my best friend email me pieces that I had sent her, part of a project called Redboy Burn. We both had similiar experience of dating Irish boys who were with someone else at the same time, so we were trying to create an artistic piece paralleling our lives. It never worked out, because she was interested in a graphic novel and I wanted to write a play.

Either way, I got my material sent to me and I holed up in my office at work for a weekend, working 6-8 hours for two days. Somewhere, a play congealed and by the end of the weekend I had emailed my submission.

Then came the waiting. The call-by date came and went. I hung my head in defeat. And then this email came, on December 13, 2005:

Hi Rosana,

Congratulations! Your play "Redboy Burn" has been chosen to be produced in the 2006 New Works New Haven Festival. This will prove to be a great project as we forge ahead...

Once again thank you so much for participating in this years festival and I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Sincerely,

Nicholas J. Clarey
Executive Director
New Works New Haven

And then I was in.

Slowly, more information trickled in. First, that my director was Dana Sachs from the Actors Ensemble in Branford. Second, that the festival would be at Stage II of the Long Wharf Theater (this was HUGE!). Third, that it'd be in fall of 2006. Then that was changed to January or February 2007. Then just February.

But this month, October 2006, is when things get rolling.

Stay tuned for more adventures of a playwright in a newborn festival.