[NoHo Arts District, CA] – In this month’s Soaring Solo blog, Jessica Lynn Johnson discusses “3 Roadblocks to Writing and Performing Your Solo Show.”
“Creativity is a crushing chore and a glorious mystery. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
I recently read the book ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER: LOVE, LOSS, AND LIBERATION by author Elizabeth Gilbert, who became famous with her memoir-turned-feature-film EAT PRAY LOVE in 2006.
Her most recent book is raw and vulnerable as it explores Liz’s complex, decades-long relationship with her late partner, Rayya Elias. Liz, a happily married woman, had been in love with Rayya, rather inconveniently, for many years. When Rayya was diagnosed with cancer and had six months to live, Liz finally admitted her true feelings to herself and to Rayya. Rayya returned these feelings, and Liz left her husband to pursue this romance for the last chapter of Rayya’s life.
In a nutshell, and without too many more spoiler alerts, Liz and Rayya did not just ride off into the sunset together. Instead, as the book unfolds, we tragically witness both women’s addictions ferociously flaring up and taking them to hell and back.
The reason I bring up this book in the context of solo theatre is that as I listened to multiple podcasts with Elizabeth being interviewed about the creative process of writing this profound story, I realized that her creative challenges strongly resembled the roadblocks that stall, misdirect or cause a complete breakdown for many solo artists as they are creating their one-person shows.
Roadblock Number 1: She initially fell into the temptation of writing around her story.
Roadblock Number 2: She had to reckon with the fact that she might look really, really bad, and really, really flawed if she told the whole truth.
Roadblock Number 3: She did not want to relive the painful memories all over again.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you question how you will arrive at the destination of having a compelling solo show when you are starting at a place of such stuckness?
If so, this month’s blog will help guide you through each of these three roadblocks to writing and performing your solo show and provide a map to solo success.
Let’s hit the road!
ROADBLOCK #1) Writing Around Your Story
What do I mean when I say writing around your story?
Writing around your story is the thing that occurs when you stay vague about what happened and never delve into the specifics of what actually transpired.
Specifics are the key to a solid solo show script, and sometimes those details are the hardest things to put on the page.
You’ll know you are writing around your story when you say things like…
“That was a really hard decade. A lot happened then. It’s too much to get into here.”
Or…
“I said and did some things that I am not proud of, but now I am on the other side of it thanks to a lot of healing. Now, here I am today standing in front of you as a changed person.”
Do either of those examples shake you to your core? Do you lean in hungrily desperate to know more?
No. Not at all.
Why not?
Because the person is writing around the story!
Eliminate ambiguity and get into the nitty gritty.
Tell me exactly why that decade was hard. Did you sleep with your best friend’s wife? Were you pulled over for drunk driving? Was it a season of doing meth under a bridge and nearly dying on the street corner?
Or in the second example, what specifically did you say and do that you are not proud of? Did you call your own father an asshole to his face while he was dying in hospice? And what were the healing modalities that saved your life? Were you in and out of rehab for 10 months or sitting in 12-step rooms constantly breaking your bottom lines or traveling to Peru for an ayahuasca retreat?
Reveal yourself.
Whenever someone tells me an incredibly impactful true story from their life during a coaching session and then quickly follows it with, “yeah, but that won’t go in the show. I could never say that on stage,” nine times out of ten, it absolutely goes in the show, and not only that, but it typically winds up being the most integral key to unlocking the story.
ROADBLOCK #2) Avoiding the Unflattering Stuff
Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “if I tell the truth, I am going to look really awful. I did some really bad things in my life that I am not proud of.”
You’re right.
You might look bad in that particular moment of your show. What you did may have been awful.
But the truth is…we have all done bad things. We have all made awful choices.
We are perfectly imperfect human beings and hurt people hurt people.
However, the fact that you see those past actions as transgressions likely means you have grown beyond them and have a profound story to tell about exactly how you did that.
And when you are brave enough to share those dark sides with your audience, it releases the shame that enslaves us all, and it surprisingly allows the audience to trust you more than if you just stood up there giving them an Instagram-highlight-reel version of you and your life.
They ain’t buying it.
The reason that they won’t buy it is because they know it’s not true for themselves either. We all make mistakes and, if we are lucky, we will change and become better people. We can then share our experience, strength and hope with others so that they know that their worst day is not the end of the story. Your solo show is living proof that it doesn’t have to have an unhappy ending.
ROADBLOCK #3) Reliving the Pain
So, even if you can get over the fear of being judged for your flaws and looking less than perfect in front of friends, family and strangers, there is still the very painful reality of reliving trauma and drama from our lives.
Sometimes even though we feel the urge or the calling to tell our stories, when we actually start to put pen to page or fingers to keyboard, the memories start to rush in and they are often hard to be with.
What I can offer you in this regard is to make sure you have set yourself up with an amazing support system as you embark on your solo journey. The Soaring Solo Community is just that, a community. And while it may be a one-person play, it absolutely takes a village to bring it to fruition. Therefore, I encourage you to surround yourself with a creative community.
There is also no shame in booking a few extra therapy sessions, hitting the meditation cushion a little harder, or telling your friends and family that you may need to lean on them a bit more for the next several months. And if you have a spiritual practice, you may turn that up a few notches as well.
Another tip is to step away when you start to become too triggered. Either stop working on the show entirely for that day or simply move to a lighter part of the story.
It is also important to work with a professional solo theatre dramaturg, coach or director. Make sure you feel comfortable with this person and allow them to help you unpack your story safely.
With all of this intentional support around you, I have no doubt that you can push through these roadblocks.
I’ve lost track of how often I have been told by solo artists that I work with that writing and performing their solo shows provided them with more healing and transformation than years of talk therapy. There truly is something uniquely cathartic about telling our stories on stage and being witnessed by an audience.
Well, solo artists, I hope today’s blog entry has taken you by the hand and led you through some intimidating territory and in the direction of an inspiring destination.
As always, remember that solo theatre may not be easy, but it is so worth it!
Jessica Lynn Johnson
Founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC
SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com
www.SoaringSoloStudios.com
Enjoy these Solo Theatre Resources to Further Guide You on Your Solo Journey!
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Award-winning director and developer Jessica Lynn Johnson hosts a slew of powerful solo show script readings and full staged productions addressing various impactful and inspiring topics.
This full Soaring Solo Studios calendar can be found by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Start Writing Your Own Solo Show One Freewrite at a Time With “FREEWrite Friday”!
Join BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST WINNER Jessica Lynn Johnson for FREEWrite Friday!
Utilizing thought-provoking writing prompts, Jessica will lead you in writing exercises that are sure to assist you in the development of your solo show.
A one-person play is not typically written in one fell swoop. Rather, the Soaring Solo Methodology teaches that the creation of solo art is much like that of creating a Mosaic…one beautiful piece at a time.
All that is required to attend this inspiring event is a willingness to explore, having a pen, paper, or some other means of capturing your thoughts, the ability to access Zoom, and signing up on this page as your official RSVP.
We look forward to having you join the Soaring Solo Community in this event because your story matters!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP and obtain the Zoom link and password.
Attend the Soaring Solo FREE One-Person Play Development Class ONLINE!
No matter where you are in the creation of your solo show, idea phase, curiosity phase, full draft written, touring the festival and college market, BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST and founder of Soaring Solo, Jessica Lynn Johnson, will meet you where you are at and take you to the next level! All that is required to attend is a willingness to explore, a pen, and some paper. No previous writing or performance experience necessary, and no need to have written anything to bring to class. Each week, Jessica will guide you in exercises to help generate and stage NEW material! So come and meet other creatives in a supportive space for expression and exploration! The class is ongoing and so you may pop in and out as you please, as long as you RSVP BY CLICKING HERE for this FREE ONE-PERSON PLAY CLASS.
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation with Jessica Lynn Johnson to discuss the possibilities for your solo show!
Jessica brings her 15+ years of solo theatre expertise to work privately with solo artists from all over the world on an as needed basis.
A 1-on-1 consultation is for you if…
-You are curious about creating a solo show, but you need writing prompts to help you generate material.
– You are tossing around ideas for your solo show, but you need some accountability and encouragement to commit those ideas to the page.
-You have already written some material, but you need expert feedback on editing, story structure and play formatting.
-You have a great first draft, but need guidance on how to utilize multimedia and solo theatre technique in order to make your show a dynamic piece of solo theatre.
-You already premiered your solo show and now you want some tips on how to tour colleges and festivals, and garner accolades and great reviews!
-You have heard great things about Jessica’s work and you’re curious about hiring her as a Director & Developer for your solo show, but first, you want to feel her out and see if she is the right fit for you and your project.
Wherever you may find yourself on your solo journey, Jessica will help you overcome whatever immediate obstacle stands between you and your solo success.
If you resonate with many of the things on this list, then take the next step by emailing SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com for more information.
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