My Writer's philosphy
Storytelling originated with cave drawings, then shifted to oral traditions passing down stories from one generation to the next, finally shifting into narratives in written, printed, and typed stories. Adding music to a story adds another dimension and heightens its overall emotional journey and depth.
As Julia Cameron would say, “Anything that inspires creativity is worthy.” According to John Patrick Shanley, “Writing is acting is directing is living your life.” He writes to change his life, to confront his fears. To that effect, he describes theater as “the ultimate gymnasium.” Shanley treats his screenplays like plays. I believe we all have a story to tell, and that there are many ways to tell that same story.
"Growing up in a musical family, it was inevitable that I would become a professional musician. I simultaneously pursued a professional acting career, and sometimes even acted, sang, and music directed musical theater productions (Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional). I discovered the solo show genre along the way and started writing, developing, and performing my own autobiographical one-person shows with music. My professional performance career dovetailed seamlessly into a voice professor appointment at the Berklee College of Music (Boston).
After a decade of teaching voice lessons and music classes, devising curriculum, and directing over one hundred solo shows, various new works, and several golden age Broadway productions, I decided to pursue an MFA degree in Creative Writing with a concentration in Stage & Screen at Lesley University to better understand how to tell a story in various mediums: ten-minute and full-length feature length plays, TV pilots, and screenplays. Writing provides a platform that connects my multifaceted skills, interdisciplinary nature, and my storytelling capabilities under one umbrella.
Most of my written work incorporates music and comedy resulting in a multi-dimensional and entertaining experience for the audience. “They” say to write about what you know about it, so my stories are personal, heartfelt, and tend to focus on exploring feminine quests in contemporary drama. My written works reflect my personal beliefs, morals, and principles in hopes of impacting audiences in a meaningful and memorable way, and to prompt thought and leave everyone feeling a little more connected with each other than when they first walked into the theater.
Stories connect us to one another and make us realize that, in essence, we are all only human. However, like me, my characters push their limits and tend to overcome whatever challenges they confront. We are each the hero of our own story.
CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS
GREEN ROOM, a TV pilot (60-minute) three-season series. By Ana Guigui
LOGLINE:
Returning to her small Vermont hometown to be by her dying father’s bedside, an idealistic fifty-something background singer is forced to trade touring with a Grammy winning pop icon for singing at local Vermont weddings with her old high school band that reignites her lifelong dream of becoming the next pop singer/songwriter sensation.
Mumble Bumble is a ten-minute play (ten pages). It is a four-character comedy depicting Julie and Matt’s first date and their inner thoughts voiced by their corresponding individual inner voices. It was performed as a live staged reading with professional actors during my final June 2024 Graduate Lesley University residency. I am adapting it as a screenplay and will be producing a short film version of it in September of 2024.
Lesley University staged reading of Ana Guigui’s original comedic ten-minute play, Mumble Bumble, Marran Theater, Cambridge, MA. Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm. Director: Bridget O’Leary.
Below is the cast list:
Director |
Bridget O'leary |
Julie |
Michelle Aguillon |
JIV |
Sarah Newhouse |
MATT |
Barlow Adamson |
MIV |
Rob Cope |
Fortress Falls
is a full-length feature play (92 pages). This is a historical fictional play with music inspired by true events. This is Tifara’s personal journey in becoming a Judean woman warrior before, during, and after the Roman siege of Masada Mountain that took place in 73 C.E. in what is today known as Israel. The music is an integral part of the storytelling, and I am certain will benefit from a reading and perhaps a staged workshop to help develop that aspect further. It has a 15-person cast, which I know is large for today’s standards. However, this aspect may also be finessed via future readings and workshops in terms of casting.
Rusty & Me
A new full-length feature play (59 pages). It is an original comedic one-person play in one act with music inspired by the life and comedic career of Rusty Warren and some of the pioneer “blue humor/party record” women who paved the way for her in the 20th century. I have been granted the exclusive licensing rights to her music and story, and am greatly invested in performing the show, myself. I will be looking for a theater company and venue where I can further develop it and work towards a live staged performance in the summer of 2025.
