One Snap Two Snap Red Snap New Snap

To all who venture here, a hardy hello,

Since it'd be a bit delusional to assume everyone on the internet knows who I am, allow me to give a quick introduction: my name is Hannah Fretz. That means nothing to you, I see. Allow me an elaboration. I am one of the seven playwrights who are lucky enough to have our plays produced in this year's One Acts Festival; but, while I am a playwright and novelist, I am not much of a blogger. 

Let's give it a go though. 

First of all, a bit of background to the playwriting process for those of you who are of the curious variety. Most of the selected playwrights participated in two terms of a playwriting sequence in which their skills as writers were critiqued and honed by peers and the insightful Professor Liz Helman. 

I am not part of the majority in this instance. 

Toward the end of Fall term this year, I approached Liz about sitting in the back of her second term Playwriting Workshop due to the intense jealousy I felt for those who were fortunate enough to better their writing under her. I promised to sit quietly and listen and learn, figuring I would not be allowed to take the sequence again after completing it two years prior. 

Liz just shrugged and said: "Take it again." 

So I did. 

I love writing and haven't really stopped since I discovered my love for it when I was nine. And my goal is to write for a living so I was, and still am, so appreciative of the opportunity to get my peers' feedback and Liz's personal critiques. She sees ways to tighten my play even after I have poured over it for weeks: reading and rereading, editing, reducing, expanding. I know that might sound frustrating, but I am always hungry to improve my work, which is what I have continued to do in the days leading up to auditions. 

My mother calls me obsessive. 

She's not wrong. 

Where the previous two terms have been dedicated to refining the plays on paper, this term focuses on bringing our words to the stage. I was fortunate to be chosen by a wonderful director, Mack Powers, who is as excited about The Three Snap Shoe Swap as I am. While I am excited to collaborate with him moving forward, I have no qualms about leaving my "baby" in his capable hands. I know he will do justice to my story, while enhancing it to make it more than I ever envisioned. 

With auditions Sunday April 14, and Monday April 15 at 6pm in the Withycomb lab theatre (just a quick plug for those of you who are perspective actors), I am excited to press on in the process. 

Thank you for reading. 

Sincerely,

An Amateur Blogger and Excited Playwright