Reflection from Ben Muzi

A second response:

I was really excited about seeing Impression: Sunrise performed at the NJ Young Playwrights Festival and for weeks I was really looking forward to it. But when I walked into the theatre the Tuesday morning of the performance, I couldn't believe how nervous I was. When I saw the easel standing on one side of the stage I nearly fainted because I realized that was for my play. Fidgeting and hyperventilating was how I passed the time waiting for everyone to get there and for everything to get started. I was extremely anxious, panicky and worried as the play started. What if it flopped? What if no one got it? What if it was boring and dense, just talk, talk, talk? I relaxed as the play started. The actors were remarkable. The rapport between the brother and sister is key to Impression: Sunrise. The actors immediately developed the quick back and forth of the dialogue and they perfectly embodied what I had envisioned. I tried hard to sit back and enjoy, but I did find myself saying the lines along with the actors in my mind. I tried to let go of how I had pictured the pace of the conversation and how the actors moved. I knew the play had been well directed and the actors were well prepared. The best moment of the entire experience came near the end of the play when the brother's injury is revealed and the people sitting around me, who did not know me, let out audible gasps. That moment was so powerful. I felt like I could have floated out of the theatre.

I guess I was lucky to have been the first play because then I could relax and enjoy the other three plays which were terrific. They were so different, so beautifully written and so inspiring. The feedback and comments I received from the judges were also inspiring and really helped me think about the whys of my writing and not just the whats. At this moment, I am not sure if I have another story to tell. Perhaps another idea will find me.

- Ben Muzi, author of Impression: Sunrise