In 1999, I wrote the 10-minute play The Mason Jar. After reading it, my dad emailed me and said it was “destined for greatness.”
He simply meant it was a good play and would achieve a certain amount of success. And it did.
It ended up getting produced at Stages Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Turnip Theatre Company of NYC and the Minnesota Fringe Festival. It received a staged reading at Chicago Dramatists and was converted into a short film for On the Waterfront Film Festival in Rockford. So my little play about a mom who stores her daughter’s emotions in Mason jars did pretty well.
It was also rejected at least as many times as it was accepted.
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I’ve been working in theatre for nearly 35 years and can easily say I’ve had more work rejected than selected. That’s just the way it is for most artists.
Though most of us are educated, trained, experienced, connected and reliable, none us ever know whether or not someone will accept our work.
Though I don’t believe in fate and destiny, I believe in timing, instinct, agenda and taste. I believe in letting someone else determine whether or not something is a good fit. I believe in doing my absolute best, no matter what. I believe in accepting the wins with the same grace as I accept the losses. I believe in growing and learning and yearning to do better.
I think most artists feel this way. At least I hope they do.
Thanks for reading! -Connie
P.S. I’ve never received a rejection in a haiku poem. Yet.
Rockford Fringe 