February 2025:
In the summer of 2024, I stepped back into writing more prose, and I’m happy to report that two of my flash fiction pieces (approx. 5-minute reads) made it to publication. Wedding Shoes was published in Macrame Literary Journal, and With All Due Respect to Raspberry Jam was published in Academy of the Heart. These successes have given me the courage to continue down the oh-so-rocky path of prose.

 June 2025:
I started submitting to film festivals and learned that there are many categories up for consideration. So, I submitted my full-length play Framed and was fortunate to have it named “Best Stage Play” in the Purple Sky International Film Festival based in Hamburg, Germany.

Also in June, the executive director of the Cheshire Town Players in Cheshire, Connecticut, reached out to request the rights to include my short play Afraid of the Dark in a new program the group was starting called “Games Night.” During this event, actors are randomly assigned to a play, and they have 45 minutes to read the script, rehearse, find props they might need, and be ready with script in hand to perform when their time is up. I love that this theatre group has found a creative way to give actors a chance to spread their wings, engage with the local community, and provide audiences with a glimpse into live theatre.

In addition, Mother Lode was included in the Little Theatre of Bedford’s Gilded Showcase. This was my first time in Bedford (Indiana), and was impressed with the theatre, which has been around for over 65 years.

July 2025:
The Cheshire Town Players executive director touched base again to let me know that since Afraid of the Dark was so well received during the “Games Night” in June, she requested permission to include it again in their July “Games Night” along with The Haunting of Bellflower Manor. What fun!
 
August 2025:
I do not consider myself to be a photographer, but occasionally I can capture something interesting. I tried my hand at submitting a few photos to publications and was thrilled that “Remnants of the Past No. 1,” was published in issue #23 Fall/Winter 2025 of Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine (click on that issue and go to page 70).

September 2025:
I had the pleasure of working with an amazing director and wonderful group of actors from the Nashville/Bloomington, Indiana area for a staged reading of my one-act comedy, The Princess and the Crone. The reading took place before an invited audience of theatre professionals and lovers of theatre on September 27 at the beautiful Brown County Public Library. I am truly grateful to the audience and cast for their feedback during the talk-back session. Many thanks to the cast: Emily McGee, Emily Bedwell, Erin Rudich, and William Goveia, and special thanks to the director, Susan Rardin.

My one-act comedy, The Rumor of Rogue Falls, was named a semi-finalist in the Twin Pines Theatre Company’s Winter 2025 Reading Series in Guilford, Connecticut. Although I did not make it to the finalist list and receive a reading, I’m pleased that Rumor received recognition with this (new to me) theatre company.
 
October 2025:
Straight Up with a Twist, a short comedy, was included in Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre’s “Happy Hour” staged reading series of plays set in bars and read in bars. The October event took place at a bar called My Buddy’s in Chicago, Illinois, on October 21. This theatre group did a couple of these staged readings in 2025, which were very well received. I love that Ghostlight Ensemble found a creative way to get plays performed and engage audiences outside of a traditional theatre setting.

Upcoming in 2026:
February 20 – March 1 – A Leap of Faith will be included in Eclectic Full Contact Theater Company’s 5th annual Patchwork Play festival at The Edge Theater in Chicago. If you are interested in tickets, please watch their socials or website https://www.eclectic-theatre.com/play-festivals.html for details.

March 13 – March 15 – In the Name of Love will be part of Imagine Performing Arts’ “Hope and Happiness Festival, Part II” (Indiana playwrights only) in Connersville, Indiana. If you are interested in tickets, watch their socials or their website https://www.imagineperformingarts.com/ for more information.

Cheers to a happy, healthy, productive 2026!
Enid