Welcome to the DAC arts blog! We’re working on a weekly blog post that will deliver Durango, Four Corners and national news, along with insider information. We’re looking to develop the format and information gradually, and we welcome your tips!

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President Obama proclaims October as Arts and Humanities Month

“We must recognize the contributions of the arts and humanities not only by supporting the artists of today, but also by giving opportunities to the creative thinkers of tomorrow. Educators across our country are opening young minds, fostering innovation, and developing imaginations through arts education. Through their work, they are empowering our Nation’s students with the ability to meet the challenges of a global marketplace. It is a well-rounded education for our children that will fuel our efforts to lead in a new economy where critical and creative thinking will be the keys to success.” – President Obama. Read more here.

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If you missed TOP a few weeks ago, read more about it here.

“Last year’s event raised about $13,000 for the Arts Center programs and Salomon said much of that was used to hire new exhibits director and gallery shop manager Mary Puller. She said New Face funds will continue to seek cutting-edge projects at the center, including dance, lectures or ideas still unsprung. The group has already offered to step up and help with a proposed textile show next spring in the Conrad Gallery.
“‘This isn’t about tradition, it’s a new face and not the same old-same old,’ Salomon said. ‘This event came about when the center was struggling, but sometimes things have a life so we welcome new ideas. We’re having a lot of fun with it and raising a lot of money, so maybe we’ll do it again and maybe we’ll come up with something new next year.’” – Ted Holteen (more)

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Our Diesels and Easels event was fabulous. Catch a glimpse into what happened when artists and historians climbed on a train and traipsed up to Cascade Canyon.

“Not long after leaving the station, the ever-enthusiastic Duane Smith stood at the front of the train car – his classroom for the day. Smith, who has been a history professor at Fort Lewis College for the last 47 years and published more than 50 books, segued from vivid stories of Durango brothels to Wild West politics in one breathless stream that seemed to match the train’s steady rhythm.
“‘We live on history. It’s part of our livelihood. It’s part of our heritage. It’s part of the atmosphere. You breathe it in,’ Smith later said.” - Margaret Hedderman (more)

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This week at the arts center: Continuing through October  Hands On II, mixed media works by students of past F.O.A.L. workshops will be on display in the DAC Art Library. This Friday, October 7, is the  opening reception for Seuss on the Loose includes a lecture by curator Mary Ellen Long. The reception is from 5–7 p.m. and is $25 for DAC members and $30 for non-members. Even if you can’t make it to the reception, the Seuss on the Loose exhibit will be available to peruse in the Barbara Conrad Gallery, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The admission to the exhibit is $5; for DAC members $3; and free for students of all ages.

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Coming up at the arts center: “The Many Hats of DAC” Fundraiser will take place on Thursday, October 20, with a lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Starting yesterday, Monday, October 3, hats made by local artists will be displayed at No Place Like Home for two weeks, with silent auction cards. There will be a “buy it now” price of $100 for each hat, which includes a year membership to DAC. Silent auctions will conclude during the luncheon at DAC on October 20.

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We’re looking for your art! Abstract Views is planned for January 4 – 28, 2012, and the Durango Arts Center invites  artists to submit works of original art. Submissions are limited to original works of abstract art, which may not have been displayed previously at DAC. All media will be considered. Please click here for entry form and further information.

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Have you been in our gallery recently? Learn more about the gallery here, and take a moment to consider pottery by Lisa Pedolsky (picture to the left). Pedolsky is a local potter whose art pieces range in price from $24 – $295. She has the following to say about her art (taken from her website):
“My influences are as far ranging as childhood toys, calligraphic texts, architecture and textiles.  The thread that unites this seemingly disparate collection is function.  I am drawn to things that work, objects that serve a purpose.  Simultaneously, I have an appreciation for design that is lucid and unencumbered, and hold a deep appreciation for objects that are cohesive in all their elements.” – Lisa Pedolsky (more).

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Interested in other events at DAC? See the list of events here.

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We will be developing these blog posts in the future to include more news, contests, artist profiles and interesting things related to the world of art, both in the Four Corners and in the United States.

If you have any suggestions or questions, please email Liz at liz@durangoarts.org.

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When Brenda Macon and her husband, Todd, decided to move to Durango, Todd asked her what she would do in such an active town. While Todd loved biking and other activities outdoors, Macon preferred her brushes and canvases. She remembered telling him, “The light is amazing. The colors are amazing. I’m sure I’ll find something to do.”

She found several things to do. Now, she has her painting and drawing classes at Fort Lewis College, her part-time work at the Strater, her and Todd’s online rare and used books company and her 5-year-old daughter, Mia, who started kindergarten this year. In addition, she said she participates in fundraisers, including several projects this year. She is building a hat for the Durango Arts Center’s Seuss on the Loose festivities, as well as volunteering as an instructor for the art center’s Diesels and Easels event.

Macon first heard about the fundraiser while working at the railroad as the special event coordinator. She helped with the initial set-up, and Elizabeth Salkind, the development director at the DAC, asked Macon to participate. While on the trip, she will be available to answer questions and help artists. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Macon said.

Intrigued by art since she was a child, Macon said that her favorite Christmas presents were items like crayons and paper. “Those were always the things I liked best,” she said.

As for how she transitioned from enjoying art as a hobby to creating it as a professional, she said, “It was just a nature segue. For years, I tried to fit myself into conventional career paths.” She found that it was a struggle trying to figure out what she wanted to do, and she discovered that a balance worked best for her.

She found that if she did only art, or if she only worked for a company, she grew restless. Now, with all her responsibilities, she makes time for her other work in addition to her oil painting. She found that, ultimately, deciding to paint was accepting a part of her personality. “I was the happiest when [painting] and it seemed silly to do anything else,” she said.

Her career projection started when she graduated with a liberal arts degree from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she met Todd, who was from Colorado Springs. Macon and Todd were married in Michigan, where Macon grew up. After graduating, Macon decided to try law school. Discovering that law wasn’t for her, she began working on a master’s in painting shortly before they moved to Durango.

In Durango, Macon found inspiration and encouragement. “I believe Durango is a very open and welcoming art community,” said Macon. Macon said that Santa Fe was a much different world, with elite artists and a see-and-be-seen mentality with a lot of competition. In comparison, Durango, she said, was different and much healthier, granting artists a chance to be successful and aspire to greatness.

“I just feel really lucky I get to do what I love in a beautiful place like Durango,” Macon said. “It’s difficult to live in Durango and not be inspired.”

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Elizabeth Kinahan said she always knew she wanted to move out West. Born and raised in Westfield, New Jersey, she visited Arizona, California and Colorado ten years ago on a tour. Four years after that trip, she moved to Durango. Before leaving New Jersey, however, she’d asked around for opinions on the best place to live. Expecting to hear places like Sante Fe, she was surprised to learn that Durango was the most common answer.

The day she arrived in town, the Durango Arts Center’s annual arts festival filled Second Avenue with beer, art and food. “I thought, ‘This is perfect,’” she said. “I’ve been happy here since then.”

Her journey to Durango initially took a bit of a detour. Fresh out of high school, she went to the University of North Carolina and majored in nutrition. “I just hated it,” she said. “All I wanted to do was art.”

She decided to take a break from school, and she worked. One of her jobs was for Continental Airlines when the World Trade Center was hit, and it was the affirmation she needed to move out of the tri-state area. She went back to school at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ, a small, all-girls school, and she graduated one of seven art majors. After a year of working for a sign company and saving money, she moved to Durango.

Kinahan’s main medium is oil. She experimented with pastels when she first arrived in Durango, and she said she continues to play with watercolors, which her mother prefers. She has also tried acrylics, but Durango’s dry atmosphere is more conducive to slow-drying oils.

In regard to what she prefers to paint, she said that she’s influenced by her everyday surroundings. She said she paints her dog, poppies and trees. “There’s probably a lot of comfort in the images because they’re familiar to me,” said Kinahan.

Her main subjects tend to be animals, which she called her passion, but she also paints a lot of flowers and portraits. She has a show on October 7, which will feature her series of 18 local women.

Her first job in town was at the Art Supply House, where she worked for four and a half years, meeting artists like Jeff Ellingson and Brenda Macon, who are participating in the Diesels and Easels fundraiser.

When the Diesels and Easels event was being developed, Kinahan’s name came up and Brenda called her to invite her to participate. Kinahan said that she takes any opportunity to encourage others to be open to art, and she has created some of her own fundraising opportunities. One of her projects is an annual August show she puts on with three friends.

“I think it’s a really nice way how I can help,” said Kinahan. “I can’t donate a lot of money, but I can spend a day on a painting and donate that. It’s more my speed and I enjoy doing it.”

On the Diesels and Easels fundraiser, Ellingson, Macon and Kinahan will all take a different car on the way up Cascade Canyon. Ellingson will talk about the history and Kinahan will talk about the nature and wildlife. She’s not expecting to paint, but will answer questions and help problem solve with people who are painting. They’re available as instructors if the painters need help. Kinahan said, “I’m really glad to have been considered for this and I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Jeff Ellingson’s love of the railroad and his love of the arts have already, for some time, melded in the various jobs he’s responsible for at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, especially his position as museum curator. Going one step further this fall, Ellingson collaborated with the Durango Arts Center to offer an arts and history fundraiser. Three artists, including Ellingson, and one local historian, will create art and discuss local history on the October 1 train trip, Diesels and Easels.  Tickets are available for $150 each, and only 120 tickets are available.

“For quite a while I’ve wanted to do a fundraiser for the arts center, and this seemed like a great way to do it,” said Ellingson. “The canyon and this railroad are very special to me, and I think this is an opportunity for artists to go and experience it and see how beautiful the canyon is.”  He hopes that the fundraiser is a success, but he also wants participants to come away with special memories—of the canyon, the train and the history that surrounds both.

“Whether you’re a railroad enthusiast or not, you can’t help but be moved by how beautiful that canyon is,” said Ellingson.  “You can’t lose by getting a bunch of artists together and putting them on a train. We’ll get out and walk around and get some of the history and some of the nature that the canyon has to offer.”

“We’re in the business of making memories for people. That’s what we do,” said Ellingson. “For older people, a lot of the time, we bring back memories.”  But more importantly, Ellingson said, riding the train is a social event, and that’s what he hopes the fundraiser will be.  “It’s not just about the train, but getting people together socially, riding a car, going into the mountains, it’s the experience of nature, the railroad, it all fits together,” said Ellingson. “We want people to enjoy what they’re doing and have a great time.”

Ellingson has worked for the train for nearly 30 years. A job that was initially obtained as a way to nab benefits and insurance has developed into a career.  “Over 27 years—that’s a long time,” said Ellingson. “You can pick up a lot of different things. Whatever I can do to become more valuable to the company is important to me. A lot of us down here multitask and learn more jobs.”

While Ellingson is now the museum curator, he started as a car cleaner, working from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. He worked all night to keep the coal stoves running and prevent the bathroom pipes from freezing during the winter. From there, he moved to the restoration shop as a carpenter when a position became available. His previous experience in a sign shop was valuable as he painted and restored cars. In the years since, he’s worked on the locomotives, shoveled coal, learned how to be an engineer, fixed cars, developed the train museum and created destinations for the children events, such as the North Pole.

Even with all the various hats Ellingson wears, Ellingson loves his work. “I really enjoy it a lot,” he said. He can’t imagine staying away even after retirement. “I’ll be sad someday when it comes to an end,” he said. “I’ll figure out a way to work here when I retire and do something as a volunteer. Just sit out there and paint during the day.”

Ellingson has been an artist for a long time. As a young child, he drew.  When he was in junior high, he oil painted. When his teacher saw how much he was thinning the paint with linseed oil, watercolor was suggested as an alternative. However, he said he didn’t take painting seriously until 1998, when he became a single parent.  “That’s when I really started to paint, to try to help out my income,” said Ellingson. “And the railroad takes good care of me, but I needed to make more money. We were a two-income family and suddenly went to one-income and it worked out fine. I’ve been doing commissions ever since.”

His first commission was the result of his work at the train station. After he was transferred from the car shop to help establish the museum in its current space, the owners of the railroad started looking for paintings.  He pulled his artwork from a local gallery and put it in the museum. “In no time flat, I was selling train art like crazy,” said Ellingson. “Because everyone all over the world walks here, and it’s been a perfect set up.”

Ellingson’s art is now in homes all over the United States and even the world, including places like Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Great Britain. He has found that if he wants to do art shows, he has to borrow his own artwork since he sells his pieces before he even creates them. “It’s always surprising,” Ellingson said of his success. “It was a matter of trying to survive, and it worked out a lot better than I expected it to work out.”

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To join the local artists and historian on this special event, purchase a ticket through the Durango Arts Center or the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Tickets are limited to the first 120 people and cost $150, with a discounted price of $125 for DAC members (discounted tickets must be purchased at the DAC box office). Tickets include a gourmet lunch on the train and complimentary wine and light appetizers at the reception. For more information contact Elizabeth Salkind at (970) 749-7688.

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This fall, get a special glimpse of the canyon, the railroad and their history with local artists and historians. The Durango Arts Center is partnering with the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Train for an artistic and historical adventure.

On October 1, 120 people can join Jeff Ellingson, Brenda Macon, Elizabeth Kinahan and Duane Smith on a train trip to Cascade Canyon, the Tefft Flag Stop and Sawmill and the settlement of Niccora. The four artists and historians will travel in different cars up the canyon, talking about history, art, wildlife and the wild west. Once there, they will remain available for questions about the area or art, as attendees set up easels.  Ellingson will lead a rarely given walking tour of the area.

“Whether you’re a railroad enthusiast or not, you can’t help but be moved by how beautiful that canyon is,” said Ellingson.  “You can’t lose by getting a bunch of artists together and putting them on a train. We’ll get out and walk around and get some of the history and some of the nature that the canyon has to offer.”

Ellingson, the curator at the railroad’s museum, said he was glad to get involved when the idea for Diesels and Easels was suggested. As a watercolor painter, Ellingson’s work is all over the world.

Another artist, Macon, added that concessions have been made regarding time spent in the canyon. She explained the typical amount of time to spend in the canyon is 30 minutes. For this fundraiser, the time will be extended to two hours. “It’ll be nice to have some time up there,” she said.

Macon, who has lived in Durango for seven years, teaches art at Fort Lewis College and the Art Supply House. She first heard about the trip while working at the railroad as the special event coordinator. She said that she will be available to answer art-related questions. “If anyone has any questions or gets stuck, I’m happy to help them,” Macon said.

While Macon is now at the Strater part-time, she helped initially organize the fundraiser while working for the train and Elizabeth Salkind, the development director at the Durango Arts Center, invited Macon to participate. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Macon said.

After hearing about the event, Macon suggested adding Kinahan, a painter originally from New Jersey, to the group. Animals are a passion of Kinahan’s, and on the train ride, Kinahan plans to talk about nature and wildlife. She said she enjoys opportunities to encourage other people to enjoy art, and she is looking forward to the trip.

“I’m really honored to have been thought of for this,” Kinahan said. “I’m really glad that people are thinking of me as an artist.”

In addition to the three artists, local historian Duane Smith, a history and baseball professor at Fort Lewis College, will be available to answer questions.

He said that he does many tours with the train, riding through the canyon in a private car. “I do a history lecture on the way up and back,” he said. “I’ve probably ridden that train in the 46 years I’ve been here close to 50 times.”

In 1964, Smith came to the state to attend the University of Colorado. A life-long lover of history, he said that he loves Colorado. “History’s exciting,” he said. “Writers and teachers of history are dull, but history is not.”

Smith and Elizabeth A. Green, who co-wrote Seasons of the Narrow Gauge, A Year in the Life of the Durango & Silverton, will have a book signing at the wine reception and art opening in the museum. There will be an opportunity for artists who participated in the fundraiser to display works in progress at the museum.

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To join the local artists and historian on this special event, purchase a ticket through the Durango Arts Center or the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Tickets are limited to the first 120 people and cost $150, with a discounted price of $125 for DAC members (discounted tickets must be purchased at the DAC box office). Tickets include a gourmet lunch on the train and complimentary wine and light appetizers at the reception. For more information contact Elizabeth Salkind at (970) 749-7688.

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On Friday, August 19, the Greater Tuna performance at the DAC will be a benefit for the La Plata County Humane Society. LPCHS members who wish to attend may call the DAC for reservations and receive the group rate of $15 per adult. Curtain is at 8 pm, with doors opening at 6:45 pm. Seating is first come, first seated. The Durango Arts Center is located on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 8th Street in Durango, and the phone number is 259-2606. Tickets are available by calling the DAC, dropping by or buying tickets online. LPCHS members desiring the group rate should identify themselves as LPCHS members.

Greater Tuna, the satirical comedy set in Tuna, Texas—the third smallest town in the state, where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies—continues for eight more performances in the DAC Theatre. Tuna’s population may be tiny, but the personalities are Texas-sized. Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie at Radio OKKK report the daily happenings, complete with UFO Sightings, Smut Snatchers and Puppy Pushers. Sign-on to sign-off, there’s a laugh in every sound bite. In a tour de force of quick-change artistry, Geoff Johnson and Miles Batchelder portray the OKKK radio hosts as well as 18 other comic caricatures including the gun toting-promoting DiDi Snavely and her reprobate husband, R.R., dog-hating Pearl Buras, failed cheerleader Charlene Bumiller, her psycho-killer brother Stanley and Klansman, Elmer Watkins. Young, old, hard-bitten or soft-hearted, the two actors depict most of the news-worthy inhabitants of the greater Tuna area.

The only decent person in Tuna, Texas is Petey Fisk (played by Miles Batchelder), the Tuna Humane Society Officer but his is an uphill struggle in the tiny town of red necks and bigots. In fact the sociopathic Pearl Buras (played by Geoff Johnson) poisons dogs that she thinks might eat her chickens’ eggs. Please remember that this is satire. To counteract the Pearls of the world and support the Peteys, The DAC is partnering with the LPCHS. During intermission, DAC ‘Tuna Helpers’ will pass pet bowls to collect money for the Humane Society. An anonymous donor has agreed to match the total funds collected. Humane Society Director, Chris Nelson, will be present to encourage and thank donors.
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One caveat: Viewer discretion advised for the particularly sensitive. Greater Tuna satirizes the abusive, ridiculous and dreadful characters portrayed, but we understand some people don’t find satire funny.

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For the next three months at the Durango Arts Center, two actors bring to life 20 characters from the small, conservative town of Tuna, Texas.

Miles Batchelder and Geoff Johnson, both Fort Lewis College alumni, often have mere seconds to make costume changes as they transform from one town resident to another for Greater Tuna.

Photo by Jonas Grushkin/Photogenesis Photography

Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard wrote Greater Tuna as part of a series in the early 1980s. Since 1988, the play has been the most produced, professional show every year.

Director Terry Swan, who is also the president of the Durango Arts Center board of directors, said he chose the play mainly because of its cost effectiveness. With a two-person cast, a minimalist set and recorded music, Swan estimated that the play will cost $520 each performance night. In comparison, last year’s Always… Patsy Cline, also an economical play, cost $1,300 a night.

Greater Tuna’s minimalist set includes chairs, tables, a painted background by education coordinator Sandra Butler and the girls in the GOAL program, and a simple radio station.

“A funny show that’s cheap to put on is what we’ve got to do here,” said Swan. “This theater and the shows that we put on are designed to fund the other things that we do.”

Swan added that part of his decision included his previous experience producing Greater Tuna once before in 1996 at the New Stage Theater in Mississippi. The play was a success. The sequel, A Tuna Christmas, was also a hit.

In Durango, depending on audience response, he plans to produce A Tuna Christmas for this holiday season.

In addition to the cost and his familiarity with the play, Swan chose the play because it’s a satire that makes audiences laugh.

“I know that it’s very, very funny, and audiences always go for it,” said Swan. “It’s a satire about rural life and conservative politics. People enjoy laughing at themselves—that’s the great thing about people—and we have a lot of conservatives that live here and tourists from Texas.”

Auditions for Greater Tuna were held on April 3, and Swan said that 10 or 12 people auditioned.

Johnson first heard about Greater Tuna auditions through a friend. He then met Swan and was encouraged by Diane Panelli, the DAC Theater Manager, to audition. As a member of Durango Dot Comedy, Johnson was often in the arts center and knew Panelli.

Batchelder first heard about Greater Tuna at a Fort Lewis College performance. Batchelder is roommates with Johnson, who also mentioned it. Batchelder has worked with Johnson before, in Waiting for Godet. “We played off each other well,” said Batchelder. “I think we have a really good stage chemistry.”

Regarding his actors, Swan said, “These guys had worked together before and really play well together and are about the same age. They’re both Fort Lewis College grads. It’s natural to get the two of them together for the show.”

They added their own spin to some of the characters, including Didi Snavely, a woman played by Miles Batchelder. Batchelder plays her as a woman with a gravely voice as the result of years of smoking. As the owner of Didi’s Used Weapons, she wears a black camouflage hat and constantly holds a cigarette.

“I haven’t been doing very many plays recently and it seemed like a really big opportunity,” said Batchelder. “I liked the show – I got a copy of the script early on, so I was able to read through that and familiarize myself with it. I showed up for auditions on the same day as Geoff and I guess we were able to wow them. The rest is history.”

In addition to being roommates and Fort Lewis College alumni, Johnson and Batchelder both started their careers years before. Born and raised in Durango, Johnson acted in his first full-length play in the eighth grade. Batchelder, a Conifer, CO native, started in high school.

Johnson first became interested in acting while still in elementary school, after seeing Peter Pan. “It was really cool and I wanted to do it,” he said.

He did school pageants and small class projects while in elementary school. After his full-scale production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he went on to do high school theater and performances in college. “I just continue to do as much as I can,” he said.

In Greater Tuna, his favorite character is Pearl Burras. Johnson described her as “an old aunt that poisons people’s puppies.”

Batchelder, who is a self-described introvert, said he followed his older brother’s example, who was an extroverted athlete and actor. “He was a jock. He was into theater. He was always popular and getting a lot of attention,” said Batchelder. “I didn’t really have anything.”

He decided to try acting.

“The first time I was on stage, I was addicted, I was hooked,” said Batchelder. “And I haven’t wanted to stop ever since, so that became a big part of my high school career.”

He attended Fort Lewis College, and brought his interest in theater with him. “I’ve done a lot of Fort Lewis programs and a lot of Fort Lewis shows, and I’m looking to break into the community more.”

Batchelder’s favorite character in the show is Didi Snavely. “It’s just interesting to play a lot of those more abrasive characters,” said Batchelder. “It’s not something I do a whole lot.” He tends to play old men characters and clowns, he said. “It’s nice to change it up a bit.”

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See Aunt Pearl and Didi Snavely, along with other men, women, children and dogs of Tuna, Texas, at the Durango Arts Center Theater beginning this weekend. Tickets are $18 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Group rates are available. Purchase tickets online at www.durangoarts.org, over the phone by calling (970) 259-260 or in person at the box office located on 802 East Second Avenue, Durango.

Join our Facebook page for opportunities to win free tickets, reserved seating, popcorn and drinks.

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Chicago Resident Wins Grand Prize in 10-Minute Play Contest

Lynne McMahon, a Chicago resident and winner of the 10-Minute Play Contest, discovered the contest online and was intrigued by the offer of a production as part of the contest.

“This was the first competition that offered both a prize and a production,” she said. “It was a big deal.”

The contest was suggested by Terry Swan, the president of the Durango Arts Center board, said Rochelle Mann, Professor Emerita and Chair of the Department of Music at Fort Lewis College, who took charge of the contest. Swan’s wife, Dinah, had successfully put together a similar contest in Oxford, Mississippi, and he felt it would be a good opportunity for the arts center.

“We liked the idea because not only does it foster creating new art,” said Mann, “it increases visibility for the DAC, provides performance opportunities for local actors, and has the potential to generate some income for the arts center.”

Mann cataloged the entries, removed title pages with author names and distributed plays to the judges. There were three rounds of judging prior to the final staged readings in May, and each play was read at least twice. “The judges were terrific,” said Mann. “They included actors as well as theater and English teachers from Fort Lewis College, Durango High School, and San Juan College.”

It went national after Mann sent notices to all state arts organizations and asked them to send it to interested authors. She also contacted other 10-minute play festivals. What she didn’t expect was how popular the contest would be. She thought that perhaps 50 entries would come in. She ended up with 92.

McMahon’s play, Grief, was just one of the many entries.

A poet for 25 years and a retired professor, McMahon wrote poems exclusively until she decided, six years ago, that she wanted to try something different.

“I wanted to reinvigorate my brain,” she said. “Once I started writing dialogue, it was exhilarating. It’s still exhilarating. It was a whole new set of challenges.”

Now, she writes full-length and one-act plays in addition to 10-minute plays.

“I’m drawn to the 10-minute play because of my background as a poet,” she said. “I like the economy of the play. It has to have a dramatic act; it has to have characters that have movement. It turns on an element of surprise, much like a sonnet does.”

In the six years that she’s become a playwright, she’s written 18 plays, which includes eight 10-minute plays. The rest are full length or one act.

Grief is about an elderly woman and her middle-aged son examining an apartment, which is her new home. Eventually, it is revealed that she’s a ghost and he just attended her funeral. “Grief was a play that I worked on for a couple of years and I felt—I still feel that it’s my best 10-minute play,” she said. “The dialogue is about the things that they can’t say to one another.”

The inspiration came from a funeral that McMahon attended. She found a Tupperware insert in the funeral home’s brochure, for neighbors to stick on their dishes when dropping off meals for the family. “The absurdity of it was too ready made to pass up,” McMahon said.

In her play, the son and his partner burst into laughter in the middle of the service, and his mother wants to know why.

In addition to winning this contest, McMahon has received a Guggenheim Foundation Grant, an Ingram Merrill Award, and the Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her play Half Irish was a finalist the Heideman Award (Actors’ Theatre of Louisville); The Bird Sanctuary was a finalist for the Tennessee Williams One-Act Play Competition. McMahon’s play The Party was produced by the Manhattan Theatre Source Estrogenius Festival October, 2006. The Bird Sanctuary received staged readings in both Chicago and Ann Arbor, Michigan, and had a full production at the Side Project, Chicago, April-May, 2009, under the direction of Adam Webster.

McMahon came to Durango three years ago with her husband, Sherod Santos, who is also a playwright and poet. She said that they thought it was amazing. It was snowing during March when they visited, and she remembered seeing people wearing flip flops. McMahon and Santos, both who were professors at the University of Missouri, retired to Chicago four years ago.

Mann is already planning on another contest for next year. She added, “Although I think I’ll need some additional help if this gets any bigger.”

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