A Caribbean Enchanted Bookshop Musical

I'm beyond thrilled for my Trinidad and Tobago premiere today as the Native Caribbean Foundation opens a twelve-show run of The Enchanted Bookshop Musical. This makes my 25th country overall and my first in the Caribbean.

The Native Caribbean Foundation does a lot of work with marginalized communities, bringing the magic of theater to people who may not have experienced it before, and this production is no exception. One of the performances includes a sign language interpreter for deaf persons. Another is a relaxed performance for those with sensory sensitivities (think dimmer lights, lower mic volumes).

As president and CEO Marlon Espinoza put it in a recent Pioneer Drama Service newsletter article,  "I feel an immense amount of personal satisfaction and joy at being able to provide these children with a life-changing experience."

The best part? Both of these special performances are completely free for attendees.

 

I wish I had some stills to show you, but the foundation primarily relies on Facebook and Instagram reels, which I'm unable to copy here. Instead, I urge to go check out the wonderful work they're doing by visiting their Facebook page or Instagram page.

As for the theater, it's truly a beaut.

A Fine-Feathered Murder is now available!

There's fast. There's super fast. And then there's lightning fast.

I'm talking about the speed with which Pioneer Drama Service published my latest play, A Fine-Feathered Murder. It's my 30th play with them and my 5th new play this year.

But first, the deets. A Fine-Feathered Murder is a one-act comedy about an opera-singing parrot that gets bumped off. It has a cast of 8 (2M, 4F, 2 any), uses a single set, and runs about 25 minutes.

So about that speed. I submitted the play on August 26. Pioneer accepted the play on October 9. And they made it available on their website today. That makes 77 days from submission to publication, and that was after I delayed my editors a week so we could get a Louisiana middle school's world premiere into the script.

And by the way, that was only 139 days from when I started writing the script. Whoosh!

Why did it happen so fast? Well, for one thing, the publisher told me the script needed very little editing. Except for a few minor changes, it was ready to go from the start.

But they also see a huge market for it. It's short. It's funny. It's super easy to produce. And it's a fresh take on a well-loved genre. As far as I can tell, there isn't another murder mystery in which the victim is a parrot. Or really any other avian creature.

This play really is for the birds! (Sorry.)

I've already told you how I came up with the premise for the play. I've shared a fun excerpt from the script. So all that's left is to tell you what the darn thing's about. Here you go:

Apollonia is a very unusual parrot. Not only can she talk and sign, but she can perform Verdi's opera Rigoletto from start to finish. 

That is why her oh-so-snobby owner Lilith has invited a few special people to  private recital by the parrot. Unfortunately, just as the recital is about to begin, Apollonia is discovered lifeless at the bottom of the cage.

All signs point to murder. But who could have done it? The greedy impresario who hoped to cash in by sending Apollonia on a worldwide tour? The sinister ornithologist who wanted the fame of probing the bord for scientific purposes? Lilith's long-suffering husband? Their fun-loving but opera-hating teenage daughter. Their forgetful elderly neighbor? Or their cheeky, outspoken maid?

I just know you're going to love this one! To find out more, please visit the play's web page.