Margie Castleman

Margie Castleman a playwright and choreographer, has professionally worked in London, New York, and regionally. Her career began as dancer, segued into acting, choreography, and now works as a playwright.

Her three plays, CLOSING THE CHANDLERY, BLEND, WE CAN EAT LOVE, were all semi-finalists in the O'Neill Theatre Conference, and LARK development.

WE CAN EAT LOVE received a full production at Portland Stage Studio, Portland, Maine March, (2019).

Other production credits, THE SWIM MEET, 78th Street Theatre Lab, BLEND SheWrites Festival, THE BETH DAY and BOXED OFFICE, finalist 10 Minute Plays, Humana Festival, NBC daytime TV.

A staged reading of OVERTIME is scheduled for Sept. 2020, at VOICE Theatre in Woodstock**(ON HOLD due to Covid 19)

She holds a BA in  acting, from Bard College, and a MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College (Mac Wellman, chair).

She is a Lifetime member of  DRAMATISTS GUILD, currently developing work with HOWL Playwrights (NY), a member of HONOR ROLL..

MORE ABOUT ME
What was your most gratifying moment in the theater?*
Teaching NYC at risk high school students playwriting and directing their plays and watching their faces see and hear their plays produced. remains a highlight of my theatre career. (Through a Roundabout Theatre program)

What play or production changed your life?*
The Great White Hope on Broadway, took my breath away, still trying to catch it.

I feel most like myself when I …. *
I feel totally me, in my skin, alive in a rehearsal space, with actors, theatre artists.

How do you overcome disappointment?*
Disappointments, rejections last 24hrs. I know this, and look forward to the next day, renewed and ready to go.

What’s the one thing nobody knows about you that you’d like them to know?*
I feel obligated to make people laugh, but I'm actually shy. It's a cover.

What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?*
In down time, walks alone, staring at the ocean, watching wild birds, patting my old cat. Hanging with my sons is supreme.

Why do you keep doing theater?*
I have never worked in ANYTHING not related to theatre. It's not all I know, but whatever my skill set may be, (writing, directing, acting, choreography) it belongs in theatre. Kinda of my oxygen.

How do you imagine telling stories in these times? *
I can only tell a story as it comes to me, sort of slides in the backdoor of my mind, and if I love it  and want that idea, and  I feel it may important to the world out there, I am compelled to create its story. Short plays during this pandemic, ZOOM experiments---the big stories will come when Covid ends and we can reflect.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
SQUIRREL, a full length play, comedy, two characters and and intervening flying squirrel (never seen, just heard). A middle aged couple grapple for reasons to stay together on a freezing night without heat, no power, a gun toting invader and an errant squirrel  who comes to the rescue.

KEYWORDS
Family, children, nature, animals, equality, satire, environmental, climate, farce...science