It’s now only nine days until Essie, Moe and I board a plane for the US and spend two months visiting plays being workshopped, and friends being creative, in faraway cities.

First off, Seattle Children’s Theatre puts the third draft of a fast-paced and hard-boiled noir play for children through its paces, and I’m sure to get much dramaturgical nourishment from director Rita Giomi, AD Linda Hartzell, and the amazing ensemble of local actors.

Then a beautiful train-ride south to Portland, and three weeks spent talking about works in development with Oregon Children’s Theatre:
The first, co-produced with First Stage (Milwaukee) & Magik Theater (San Antonio) is ‘The Snow’, which follows a child-sized hero and giant-sized sidekick as they battle their way through the titular tundra.
And the second, a co-production between Kaiser Permanente’s in Portland and Denver, sets its sights on a fictional town that has lost its heart, and a small band of kids who climb mountains and descend canyons to reunite their community.

Finally, from West Coast to East, and five weeks in New York, spent helping children generate new stories with the good folk at Off The Page, and checking in on The Boy at the Edge of Everything, as the next stage of his performative life is reimagined in the rich minds of Trusty Sidekick Theatre Company.

Also in July, two conferences await, with a keynote to deliver at the Lincoln Center for the Arts (New York), and a panel to attend via skype for the 2015 Drama Australia Conference (Sydney).

And besides all this, a northern hemisphere summer to enjoy, and ever-new stories to imagine.