Spotlight on Anne Marie Szucs - Playwright for From Cradle to Stage 2012

Anne Marie Szucs - Playwright of The Loneliest Number

What did was involved for you to bring you to this production at Walterdale? Several years of writing, rewriting, worrying, hoping, worrying, rewriting, submitting!

What is your background in theatre? Almost 25 years in theatre - acting, directing, producing, teaching, you name it - most recent is this foray into playwriting. Co-AD of FinallySauces, an independent theatre company, with Kristen Finlay. Training at Keyano College (Fort McMurray) and Seacoast Studios (Vancouver). First got involved in Walterdale through the Board and then acting (Pieces) and directing (Kiss within a Kiss; Much Ado about Nothing).

What were the challenges for you? The biggest challenge for me has been bringing this play to life. I wrote the first draft in an afternoon at a fishing lodge in B.C. in 2007. I didn't know what to do with it after that, so it sat on the shelf for a while. Then, when I could look at it again (without cringing), I did, and it wasn't as bad as I had remembered. Knowing there was hope, I decided to play with it for a while. It is still literally a work in progress. What is most exciting? I am excited to hear it read aloud in front of an audience for the first time - I am also quite nervous. It's been a long time since I've been truly nervous in a theatrical endeavour - this is really good for me!

What was your inspiration for this piece? I had been thinking a great deal about the nature of female friendships when I sat down to write The Loneliest Number. What are they built on, and how delicate is this foundation? How can we truly connect with each other through clouds of expectations and judgment? The central idea hasn't changed much through the process - character arcs have shifted somewhat, and their voices have solidified for me. I anticipate further changes after the reading.