At Lincoln South Rotary Club on October 14 we heard from local playwright Nancy Shank on her journey from idea to production of her play.
It started in high school - a trip to New York - and show tickets - where she viewed Chicago from the last row and stage looked like the size of postage stamp.
But, there was something about that experience that sparked her interest. She did not know exactly what was going on but knew that she wanted to learn more. She continued to be a fan of theater art - always from the audience - never part of the production.
That all changed when she learned about Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German pastor. Her father had a large library including books by Bonhoeffer. At first she did not pay much attention he was a pacifist for the most part so she did feel there would be much of interest. But, as she started to read she was intrigued by his life - it was upsetting to learn that he was murdered by the Nazis.
She found herself reading everything she could about him. Her husband even bought her the complete works - 14 volumes. Those publications included some of his letters and lectures as well as notes from his students.
Though she was learning more and more about him, she was find it hard to understand how he turned from a pacifist to joining a German military intelligence organization opposing Hitler. From the internet: "By the late 1930s, Bonhoeffer realized that, for him, even though he respected pacifism and nonviolence in principle, Hitler's war-making and injustice required resistance. A Christian must act, he insisted, so he joined a conspiracy to oppose Hitler."
Nancy was trying to understand how that happened - why that happened - wanted to understand the transition from pacifism to standing up to the Nazis. No matter what she read, she realized that she needed to see it in a play - acted out for her. She researched and did not find any - and she would have traveled anywhere to attend. So, she decided that she needed to write the play - that she needed to write the play that she wanted to see.
First, she had to learn how to write in script format. That took time and a lot of help. She reviewed resources and hired interns to help.
She was doing all of this work and had not shared with anyone - her family or friends . . . until she had lunch with a couple of friends including Barb Bartle. Barb introduced her to the Angels Theater Company in Lincoln.
The group would read the work of members and critique them. It was all open and honest and very helpful to her process. She learned what true collaboration was - working with the professionals that were creative and brought the characters to life. She found that they continued to work on the script - it would develop and change as they would work scenes.
She had to cut down the length of her script and the number of characters. But, with collaboration she learned how to make that work and still keep the spirit of the story.
What is next? She is working on another play. The story is post Civil War and addresses gender and racial issues. It is a romance between an black man and white woman. She said she thought the second one would be easier - but it is not - there are new challenges. But, it is an exciting challenge.
BIO
As a high schooler, Nancy was bitten by the theatre bug when, from the last row of the highest balcony, she saw A Chorus Line on Broadway. She is thrilled to move from the audience to backstage with her first play, This Mortal Life Also, produced by the Angels Theatre Company and part of the 2021-22 Lied Center for Performing Arts season. This Mortal Life Also tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the 20th century’s most renowned theologians, who opposed National Socialism and became in the plot to assassinate Hitler. Nancy’s work explores personal integrity and the search for meaning during times of societal upheaval. The production will receive the Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Event this month.
Nancy’s presentation to Lincoln South Rotary will take members on the journey from idea to production of her play.
Nancy is co-host of the Front Porch Book Club podcast (https://frontporchbookclub.com) and is at work on a contemporary novel based in the United States that explores notions of community. She is also working on another play.
Nancy retired as Associate Director of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center where she supported the public policy aims of national, state, and local organizations. She earned a PhD in Human Sciences and an MBA from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE), and a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg, PA).
Nancy is a member of: Dramatists Guild (New York, NY), New Play Exchange, Playwrights’ Center (Minneapolis, MN), and Playwrights Collective (Lincoln, NE).
Find Nancy at https://nancyshank.com
