SWAN Prompt

No matter how many playwriting workshops I facilitate, I just never get over the thrill of a group of writers sitting around a table, pen on paper, scribbling a soulful whisper onto the page.  The second part of the SWAN Day afternoon saw scenes being written from the Promptor exercise.

There were seven prompts:

1.  a place

2.  an action

3.  anything to do with a swan

4.  a secret

5.  a Chinese phrase (or an English phrase if you are writing in Chinese)

6.  the first line of dialogue

7.  the last line of dialogue

Each person chooses a prompt which is not their own; these random elements are to prompt and guide the scene to be written.

The participants will post their scenes in the SWAN Day reports.  Here, I post my SWAN scene (after basking in artist Lucy Zhou's awesome teaching glow):

A:  Who are you?

B:  School

A:  What are you drinking?

B:  The students

A:  How can you drink the students?

B:  They are like water...with no form...flowing anywhere...if not contained.

(B drinks.)

A:  Hey

B:  gurgle

A:  Hey hey!

B:  gurgle gurgle

A:  HEY HEY HEY!

B:  gurgle gurgle gulp

A:  I'm, I'm a--

B:   gurgle

A:  Stop drinking me!

B:  AHHH!  (wipes mouth)  Get hold of yourself, then.

(A flaps wings like a swan--white feathers flutter everywhere.)

B:  I'm still thirsty.

A:  Don't drink me.  I must save myself...for myself.

(B accidentally catches a feather in its thirsty mouth, starts to feel uncomfortable.)

A:  I must, I...so you know who I am, I must--

B:  cough cough

A:  I must--

B:  cough cough cough

A:  I must tell you something.

B:  COUGH COUGH COUGH!

A:  Are you OK?

B:  (COUGH)  No! (COUGH.)

(A slaps B's back.  School coughs out a white feather).

B:  (ahem, ahem, kuh, kuh)

A:  Better?

B:  Sorry.  You were saying (pause).  You were going to tell me something.

A:  (Chinese)  Wo bao ta  (I hold her).

B:  Huh?

A:  I kiss her, too.

B:  Ah?

A:  And that is why I am like water.

B:  That is why when I drink you, I cough.  You are not for me to drink.

A:  That is correct.  You are school.  You are dry.  You should not suck out the liquid, the blood, the love out of the students.

B:  They leak out their own treasures.

A:  I hold mine.

B:  They know not what to keep.

A:  And so you should teach them, and not just drink them.

B:  To be or not to be.  That is a question.

Signpost Map to SWAN Day Shanghai

Here is the front gate of the Downstream Garage/Performance Space where SWAN Day Shanghai will take place.  It's a little tricky getting here, so I thought I'd lead you through a signpost map to get to this yellow gate that says 'xia he mi cong.' It's a warehouse district so if you ask for 'xia he mi cong' people can point you to it as well.
You take Subway Line No. 1 to Caobao Rd. Station and come out of Exit #4 towards Longcao Rd.  Caobao becomes Longcao Rd.  Here is 218 Longcao Rd, a hospital, where you will enter to find the Downstream.  Once you see this, turn right.
This is the unseeable sign that gives you the actual address of the Downstream...200 Longcao Rd., but never mind.  (Anti-sign posted).
After turning right at the hospital at 218 Longcao, walk straight until you see this FOCUS sign and turn right after it (you're not going into Focus Base, but onto the road after it).
There you will see the neutralish 'mecooon' sign that has a subtle arrow pointing you leftward.  Go left!
And follow this...
You will see this building...it means you are very close.  Look to your right and you should see the Yellow Metal Gate...'xia he mi cong'...Downstream...
Enter here...
Go up to the third floor.  This is Xiao Zhou...he is the caretaker of the Downstream.

You will enter, pass a snooker table and come upon the blackbox space where we will hold SWAN Day Shanghai.

SWAN Day 2009

SWAN Day is being celebrated all over the world in two weeks on Saturday March 29, 2009.  It is an international holiday to fete and support women artists through a multitude of events including, readings, performances, panels, workshops, fundraisers, anything, really, that the host dreams up.  Last year, for the inaugural SWAN Day, there were 160 events/house parties in 11 countries.  The SWAN site helps you to plan, post, advertise and manage your event, and also check out events happening in your city, country and the rest of the world.

The swans you see above were made by Lucy Zhou Cuan Qing, an artist who makes such sculptures out of disposed materials, anything from plastic bleach containers to nylon stockings to styrofoamy apple protectors.  She will be one of 6 artists  SWAN Day Shanghai, that I'm hosting from 13:00-17:00 at the Downstream Performance Space in the Xuhui district.  After the artists talk about their work, I will facilitate a writing workshop for both Chinese and English writers.  And then us gaggle of gals will swan our way into the Shanghai night and continue celebrating.

Check out the International SWAN Day events, happening on 5 continents, from Argentina to Berlin, from Quebec to Kenya.  Also, for you Usians, you can see where the U.S. SWAN Day celebrations are happening in your city--participate or host an event of your own.  Think of all the women artists you love, whose work you support, and set aside March 28 to gather, toast, fete, and enjoy.  

I mean really, how often do you get a holiday where the only gift you have to give is good feeling and appreciation, and where a woman can be seen beyond being a mother, love object, or the cooker for the feast?  Good reason to celebrate.  Women artists are so neglected and pushed into the margins that one day of good international vibration will be an uplifting miracle and something to do besides mope about the economy.   

And now that more people have been pushed into the margins, what is there to lose in appreciating the strength and resilience of women who, despite all the pressures of the patriarchy, listen, follow and create their own voice?  Now that the good ole boys have run the machinery into the ground, one day to listen to the gals express may yield valuable content, at least nurse back a trust for truth and alternate ideas.

Happy Swan Day!