DANDELION MOMMA to play at the Kelly Writers House

On Monday April 20th, I am presenting a staging of Dandelion Momma, a play written during the summer of 2006. While in Austin, I worked on this play previously with Yellow Tape Construction Company (you can read an interview of the process), and have been looking for opportunity to get back to the play for the past three years. The ArtsEdge Residency provides me a wonderful opportunity to step back into this play, to continue to learn what its worlds are, and to listen to what these characters need.

Director Julianna Taylor and actress Faith Taylor (as Delores) in the 2006 workshop presentation (Yellow Tape Construction Company; Austin TX. Photo by Wylie Maercklein)

The April staging will take place outdoors in the garden of the Kelly Writers House (Philadelphia) and will be directed by Wally Zialcita.

The play's action takes place all on the same porch in the southern United States, but told through three different sets of characters over three different time periods. It is also largely my second attempt at a "great depression" play.

I have always liked Dandelion Momma (the young character, Delores, has always been one of my favorites), but have not taken enough time to fully develop it. I look forward to the work ahead on it, and to sharing it with another audience.

A short description of the play:

An eight year-old girl takes care of wayward dandelions and sees the lights inside of people. A farm girl and a writer search for life inside of each other while planting seeds in the hardened soil of the Great Depression. A one-hundred year-old woman reflects back on her life through broken pieces of memory. The ground becomes harder, the girl becomes tired, the air becomes heavier, and something new must be born.

More details will be posted as they come. In the meantime, feel free to check out the event page on the KWH website.

(Big thank yous to Jessica Lowenthal and Erin Gautsche.)

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ROMERO