TESTIMONIALS
"Okay, after a couple cups of coffee, let me see if I can clearly articulate all that this weekend entailed: a total of six hours of sleep, several pieces of paper filled with morning pages, multiple improv games, a walk to a lake where we watched the geese soar over us, dancing down the street, dancing in a garage, hundreds of negative space images, wrote a new ten minute play, started developing two more scripts, ukulele playing, singing, rocking out to epic music, getting down with Beyonce’s Get Me Bodied, blind dates, cold readings, hilarious drawings, interpretations, spontaneity games, watching friends grow and develop with each new moment, having awesome warm ups, delicious meals, cups of yogi tea, sharing quotes, and ending with some amazing readings late last night! FILLING THE WELL FOR THE WIN.Now twelve hours have passed, and I am still processing all that happened over these blissful couple of days. It feels as if I’ve been gone for weeks versus a mere weekend in Pennsylvania. So much to write about. So many words to use. Epic- that’s definitely one. Crazy- another. Motivational- yes. Awe inspiring, serene, enthusiastic, carefree, loving, safe, encouraging, spiritual… the act of being reborn. Hm. I wonder if I ever will get that tattoo of a phoenix… now seems like a pretty opportune moment in my opinion. But I digress, and there will be no digressing from the subject at hand. The subject being this amazing experience that I shared with eight beautiful/bomb ass artists in Pennsylvania this weekend.
When I got home this evening, I had an email from Diana Oh- the one behind it all. She stated, “What we produced this weekend, did not exist 3 days ago. In 3 days, we are that much more changed, we have produced work so much bigger than us. Now here comes the true test: DO NOT LET YOURSELF DIE. How? By keeping on making. EVERYDAY.” That is exactly where I stand. How do I keep going with this same enthusiasm I have burning inside me after all of this? How can I harvest this and allow it to stay safe with me on a daily basis?
Well I must keep going on the morning pages. I must continue to write everyday. Create something new everyday. Be open. Not criticize myself. Love myself. “I AM ENOUGH.” Repeat it. “I AM ENOUGH.” Yes. We all are. We all are enough. We all are human. We must continue to live life enthusiastically. Never lose your childish enthusiasm. Who said that? Fellini. I think so.
If you live in New York, and even if you don’t, I recommend this retreat above anything else right now. Above the latest apps, above Florence + The Machine’s new album, above chocolate, above spending your week’s paycheck on new clothes and booze. This retreat will do so much more for you than any of those items. It will open your mind and help you remember a version of you that you knew years ago. It will get you to branch out, scream, sing, dance, leap, jump, write… always writing. This is hard for me to articulate in the proper use of words, so I ask you to allow me some breakage of structure.
I have never felt this cleansed, this alive, since I’ve moved to the city back in January. I have never loved myself more than I do now, and I know I will only continue to grow with this new found enthusiasm each and everyday after this. Just got to keep pushing myself and never stop working, trying… being. - Christine Drew Benjamin, Fall 2011
When I got home this evening, I had an email from Diana Oh- the one behind it all. She stated, “What we produced this weekend, did not exist 3 days ago. In 3 days, we are that much more changed, we have produced work so much bigger than us. Now here comes the true test: DO NOT LET YOURSELF DIE. How? By keeping on making. EVERYDAY.” That is exactly where I stand. How do I keep going with this same enthusiasm I have burning inside me after all of this? How can I harvest this and allow it to stay safe with me on a daily basis?
Well I must keep going on the morning pages. I must continue to write everyday. Create something new everyday. Be open. Not criticize myself. Love myself. “I AM ENOUGH.” Repeat it. “I AM ENOUGH.” Yes. We all are. We all are enough. We all are human. We must continue to live life enthusiastically. Never lose your childish enthusiasm. Who said that? Fellini. I think so.
If you live in New York, and even if you don’t, I recommend this retreat above anything else right now. Above the latest apps, above Florence + The Machine’s new album, above chocolate, above spending your week’s paycheck on new clothes and booze. This retreat will do so much more for you than any of those items. It will open your mind and help you remember a version of you that you knew years ago. It will get you to branch out, scream, sing, dance, leap, jump, write… always writing. This is hard for me to articulate in the proper use of words, so I ask you to allow me some breakage of structure.
I have never felt this cleansed, this alive, since I’ve moved to the city back in January. I have never loved myself more than I do now, and I know I will only continue to grow with this new found enthusiasm each and everyday after this. Just got to keep pushing myself and never stop working, trying… being. - Christine Drew Benjamin, Fall 2011
"Thank you to the most generous spirits for a truly magical weekend." -Elizabeth Seldin, Fall 2011
"During one break I kept blinking back tears. I couldn't figure out why, so I word-vomited about love for awhile in my notebook, and cried, and then I was able to write my scene. I'm still not totally sure what brought that out in me at that moment, but I think it was the light in the sun room, and the lake, and the acres of grass behind the house, and how much you can learn when you just listen to yourself.
The love and support and "YES" in the room was unlike any other environment I've been in. Rarely in a room of theater professionals do I experience such a profound lack of judgment. Every single person was talented, generous, excited about each other's work, and compassionate. We confessed ugly secrets. Some of us cried; all of us laughed our asses off. We were totally present for each other, even when we were exhausted.
The improv games and the contact improv dance, in addition to being absurdly fun, made us feel safe. We said "yes" to each other so that we could say "yes" to ourselves privately as writers. I danced a duet with another girl and neither of us could stop smiling the whole time. We hugged trees. We hugged each other. We walked like robots. We drew pictures." - Mariah MacCarthy, Fall 2011
The love and support and "YES" in the room was unlike any other environment I've been in. Rarely in a room of theater professionals do I experience such a profound lack of judgment. Every single person was talented, generous, excited about each other's work, and compassionate. We confessed ugly secrets. Some of us cried; all of us laughed our asses off. We were totally present for each other, even when we were exhausted.
The improv games and the contact improv dance, in addition to being absurdly fun, made us feel safe. We said "yes" to each other so that we could say "yes" to ourselves privately as writers. I danced a duet with another girl and neither of us could stop smiling the whole time. We hugged trees. We hugged each other. We walked like robots. We drew pictures." - Mariah MacCarthy, Fall 2011
"My well successfully re-filled, perhaps even overflowing, along with the following accomplished in 2.5 days: 1 short play written, 1 short story, First scene of a full length play, 1 detailed outline of another full length play, another 1,000 photos taken, 7 miles run in the dark, a few hours of improv, 6 pages of journaling, probably a hundred epic/sexy/wild dances/images created, and all on about 6 hours of accumulated sleep with the most awesome and diverse team imaginable." - Brian Hashimoto, Fall 2011
"I don't have to have it all figured out because i can write a 10 minute play and not a 90 minute play. i don't have to have it all figured out because i can trust that people will know how to cook a nutritious meal for 9 people. i don't have to have it all figured out because i can sleep in a bed with a new friend and be better friends as a result. i don't have to have it all figured out because i'm still learning what makes me a good writer. i don't have to have it all figured out because i think i actually have two voices, or 4, or 6. i don't have it have it all figured out because i'm still learning when and how much sleep i need in order to get the work done that i need to get done.
this is what the well taught me. this is what you taught me.
the well teaches us to have patience. it teaches us to laugh. it teaches us to let go.
in a way, it's not only filling the well....but it's learning how to climb out of it." -Emily Peters, Fall 2011
this is what the well taught me. this is what you taught me.
the well teaches us to have patience. it teaches us to laugh. it teaches us to let go.
in a way, it's not only filling the well....but it's learning how to climb out of it." -Emily Peters, Fall 2011
