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A Writer's Anxiety

When one writes a story, be it for print or for viewing on screen or stage, one is always a little anxious about how it will be received. I know full well that my works are not to everyone's taste. However, to date, my four scripts, -some staged, some filmed and some both,- have received quite positive reviews. Now, I also know that those who may not have enjoyed them, could well have been too polite to say so.

Desperately Seeking Samuel has only just been released. To date, there have been only a few replies. One couple, who have enjoyed my past works in theatres, lamented that they were on rural dial-up internet and could not view it. Another couple complained that they were luddites and were having trouble figuring out how to view it on their big screen TV. I have had a Well done. Applause, Applause, Applause. Sad though. And so it goes.

However, out of the blue, I received an email from someone whom I had not seen or thought of for ten or more years. The link to the film had been sent to her by someone else and, having viewed it, she immediately contacted me. 

Now some praise is gratuitous. But Vlasta Van Kampen is an accomplished writer and illustrator and a wonderful artist. She is self-assured and did not need to contact me. 

We met when I was running a retail store in the artisan village of Warkworth, Ontario. She had seen me perform on stage at the local theatre. She asked me if I would be interested in adapting a children's book of hers for the stage. I did. Then she asked me to direct it!

There was a sizeable cast. It meant corralling assorted shopkeepers and local residents, some who had acted before and most who had not, into hours of rehearsal and production efforts. The play, Marigolds Wings, was a huge success and children came from all around to view its several performances. 

Vlasta wrote: You are A WONDER. I was so swept up with it, shed a few tears and related to the aging process that is already staring me in the face. It spoke to me on many different levels. BRAVO!

If no one else responds, this has made my day!

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