Baltimore Center Stage: Write Now, Play Later (#WNPL)
Inspired by my experience with Baltimore Center Stage’s Write Right Now program (which creates personal, customized, on-the-spot plays at various Center Stage performances), I pitched and later helped to create Wright Now, Play Later with BCS’s Dramaturgy Department.
Our brainstorming lead to four separate weeks of theater-creating insanity. #WNPL would pick a location somewhere in Baltimore City, propose writing themes based on the location to our social media followers, and request writing “prompts” for our playwrights back (Monday). The next day, our 3 remote playwrights would create 3 plays based on their favorite prompts (Tuesday). Our social media followers were then asked to vote on which of the plays would be performed based on a one-line synopsis(Wednesday), then our group of six or so actors would appear at the now disclosed location in Baltimore to perform the chosen plays (Thursday). Performances were live streamed on Facebook Live and Twitter via Periscope.
Ignite Baltimore: You too can drink better tea!
It’s not the easiest thing for me to watch this video. It’s far from my best presentation. I share it here because I’m proud that I took on Ignite’s 5 minute/15 slide format to talk about my favorite pastime – steeping and drink tea. I was also very newly pregnant and entering a major family crisis, both of which I had learned of just days before this presentation. Since there was nothing I could do immediately, I decided to move forward through the emotional storm.
I am still up for uncomfortable and sometimes quirky challenges. I still obsess over a cup of good loose-leaf tea. And I think, most importantly when things get tough I do what I can to pull it together and stick to my commitments.
Adagio.com: TeaMuse
For about a year before moving to Baltimore I had the pleasure of working for Adagio Teas, one of the leading online retailers of gourmet loose-leaf teas in the US. As their “Resident Tea Expert,” I answered questions regarding teas and Adagio products throughout the day, and had a chance to pull together a couple of blog posts when time allowed. Once you get to TeaMuse, search “Amanda Schwarz” in the search bar to see my submissions. And if you want to share a cup, shoot me a note!
AmandaSchwarz.com 