Recently I woke up early one morning knowing that I had to apologize to a friend. In my tiredness the night before, I had conflated my feelings about two different things going on in my life and unnecessarily laid it at my friend’s door.
In my apology, I borrowed some wisdom from my father, “My dad always said it was better to eat crow early while its fresh and so I’m doing that now because at least where I am, it’s still early.”
Apologies, healing and Jack’s play Step 9 are some of the things I talk with Jack Canfora about in the most recent Wise & Shine podcast that dropped this morning. Step 9 is the story of Emily, a woman wrestling with the implications of prosecuting the man who raped her in college 30 years ago. Is she willing to relive the horror of that night in the pursuit of justice?
I found Step 9, the play which is beautifully acted by a great cast, to be a richly healing experience. For anyone who has suffered trauma without recourse, or an apology that comes too late, or who is in a family in which there are different generational approaches to what justice looks like (I’m thinking that most everyone qualifies), this play is a meaningful drama that meets our woundedness and walks us towards wholeness. And as Jack says, it also has jokes. Because as many of us know, my dad included, humor helps us deal with the difficult, dark and important things in our life.
I hope you’ll tune in to the podcast with Edgerton award winning playwright Jack Canfora. Or just listen to Step 9, found by searching New Normal Rep Step 9 wherever you podcast or by going to: https://tinyurl.com/Step-9-NNR Or best of all – listen to Step 9 and then listen to this podcast with the witty, wise and great writer, Jack Canfora.
Links:
Wise and Shine Episode 10 podcast with Jack Canfora and Wynne Leon
Step 9: Search for New Normal Rep Step 9 wherever you podcast or go to: https://tinyurl.com/Step-9-NNR
Show Notes:
About the participants:
Jack Canfora is the recipient of two Edgerton Playwriting Awards, for Jericho (2010) and The Source (2018) and the winner of the 2016 Webby Award for Best Writing Online TV & Film for the pilot of a web series he co-wrote and co-created with Andrew Rein, The Small Time, www.thesmalltimeseries.com His Off Broadway plays include Poetic License, (59E59 Theaters), featuring Geraint Wyn-Davies, which was hailed by the Associated Press as “White-hot entertainment,” and Jericho, (59E59 Theaters), a New York Times’ “Critics’ Pick”), featuring Jill Eikenberry.
Jack has been busy democratizing theater as Creative Director of New Normal Rep. His play Step 9 has just been released as a theatrical podcast. Visit the Now Playing page at NNR to learn more about Step 9, or search New Normal Rep Step 9 on your favorite podcast platform to start listening to this great theater. Or go to: https://tinyurl.com/Step-9-NNR
You can check out Jack’s posts here or if you are looking for a great writing coach, contact him through his website.
Wynne Leon is an optimist, an enthusiast of endurance sports and a woman intent in charting her own path. Which is a combination that has led to an unconventional life. When she was younger a life of adventure meant climbing mountains, traveling the world and being an entrepreneur.
More recently, it’s been starting a family as a single parent at age 46, having another child at age 50 and adopting a highly-strung kitten, even though she really is a dog person.
In addition to blogging, her writing includes technical computer manuals, articles about meditation and parenting, and Finding My Father’s Faith, a memoir about spirituality, solace and her relationship with her beloved father.
You can check out Wynne’s Wise & Shine posts here or visit her personal blog site at https://wynneleon.wordpress.com
What a delightful conversation! Thank you both…so many inspirational thoughts and themes. Yes, the subject matter of the play is intense but for me, the assault wasn’t ‘the story’…it was the catalyst to examine relationships, along generational themes that you both discussed — differences wrapped in love and respect. As I listened to the play, every bit rang true about relationships and how, as you both put it, “baffling and wounded” we can feel as a result of family…’no one hurts you like family’. And the acknowledgements of privilege – that women need to be more aware as we navigate the world…as you said, Jack, the need to be more perceptive. And lastly, the reminder that parents are people…doing the best they can in their life context. Cheers to both of you. More, please. 😊
Oh, Vicki — what a thoughtful and delightful review!! I couldn’t agree more about the relationships and the generational themes being the story of Step 9.
Thank you so much for listening – to both the podcast and the play. And for your fantastic comments and feedback!! XOXO!
My pleasure…so many good things about Jack’s play and your awesome interview of him. Nice job, Wynne! 😉😉😉
🙂 :<3 <3
Thank you, Wynne and Jack, for sharing this incredible conversation. I absolutely loved it–what depth! The question of justice from the perspective of human eyes is very interesting, to say the least.
Thank you, Art. You are right, that question of justice from the human perspective is hard. I really appreciate you listening and commenting!
I think a lot about this topic–my own need to apologize as well as hoping to hear it from others. Gary Chapman (author of the Love Languages) wrote the 5 Languages of Apology: How to Heal In All Your Relationships, and more recently from Molly Howes, Ph.D–The Good Apology: 4 Steps to Make Things Right which focuses on making effective apologies. Whats hardest is if the person you wish to apologize to is no longer living.
I didn’t know that Gary Chapman wrote about apologies too. I’m so glad that you mentioned it here. And yes, when the person is no longer living – so hard. Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment, Evelyn.
I believe that apologies are easier to give and to accept if they are genuine. A very necessary life skill to maintain healthy relationships!
I agree with you 100%, Tamara!