My One-Woman Show
After presenting “Bloom Where You Are Planted” at numerous local, regional, and national conferences (including the Tekakwitha Conference, National Catholic Education Association, and the National Indian Education Association Conference), I was encouraged by the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) to turn my talk/presentation into a one-woman show.
Working with director Jessica Lynn Johnson, whom I met at the LAWTF, I began developing the script.
Jessica is a published playwright, recipient of BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST AWARD, board member of the LA Women’s Theatre Festival, co-producer of Whitefire Theatre’s SOLOFEST, and founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC.
As a full-time director, developer, and dramaturge of solo theatre, Jessica has helped develop over 60 solo shows (and she’s still going strong!). As a performer, Jessica has “edu-tained” international audiences as she toured her own 25-character one person shows ZE and OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYONE for over 13 years.
Jessica Lynn Johnson has been a loyal and dedicated director who helped launch the premiere of Bloom Where You Are Planted at the Whitefire Theatre. She continues to be a consultant and reliable valuable asset to the production.
Together Jessica and I were able to write a script that is filled with humor, candor, and lots of soul searching.
My story is about a road trip. It is about friendship. It is about finding my purpose by losing my job. It is about leaving home — and coming back. It is about forgiveness, acceptance, and reconciliation. It is about gaining approval and being recognized for a job well done. It is about patience, tolerance, and teaching by example.
I learned a lot on the reservation. I learned about Native American culture, history, tradition and spirituality. Mostly, though, I learned a lot about myself. I never really knew how much I could endure until I went to Montana. One day as I was walking home from school late in the school year, one of my neighbors called out to me: “Hey, congratulations!” I said, “For what?” He said, “You survived a Montana winter.”
Yeah, I survived a Montana winter.
My story follows the hero’s journey of leaving the familiar and venturing into an unknown territory, facing obstacles and challenges, finding purpose, and bringing my new knowledge back home. My one-woman show dramatizes the journey with laughter and tears along the way. Pictures, videos, the sounds of winter, and music all come together to make the show funny and entertaining.
Besides, everyone loves a good teacher story!
After the success of Bloom Where You Are Planted, the Whitefire Theatre invited me back for another performance. A friend of mine, Dallas Bancroft had passed along a script to me that she had written in the 80’s. I updated it, memorized it and performed Rudy! Get Up! at the Whitefire Theatre for the Summer Fest 2019. Due to Covid, live theatre was no longer possible, but the show was available remotely.
Based on a real person, the story is about a woman struggling to get her teenage son up out of bed and off to school. It is a story that many parents can relate to.
November is Native American Heritage Month and I was invited back to the Whitefire Theatre for another rendition of my one woman show about my time in Montana. This time Joe Vasquez from the Blackfeet tribe provided flute music to accompany the show. Again, the show was viewed remotely.
The show continues to be seen by numerous audiences. Upcoming performances coming soon.