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Among Amazon.com’s 300 books on creativity, Julia
Cameron’s bestseller The Vein of Gold: A Journey to
Your Creative Heart, a companion to her classic The Artist’s
Way, proffers a wealth of insight into the creative process.
Artists across the spectrum–painters, writers, actors,
dancers, mystics, scientists, architects, interior designers,
poets, shamans, anthropologists, musicians, directors, teachers,
professors, psychologists, physicians, even politicians–make
the case that creativity is “an inherent subjective
ability present within the psyche of every single human being.” The
challenge for many of us is how to objectify this innate
artistry so that we may share it with others.
In this book we find the anonymous quote: “Art
is not just ornamental, an enhancement of life, but a path
in itself, a way out of the predictable and conventional,
a map to self-discovery.”
To Neapolitans Janina Birtolo, author, actress and playwrite,
and Kristen Coury, founder and producing artistic director
of Gulfshore Playhouse in Estero, self-discovery is the essential
ambrosia that feeds their creativity. Natural Awakenings
is delighted to chart the story of their highly individual
journeys.
Writing or Acting or Both
Janina Birtolo’s interest in the arts began in high
school. She aimed to major in theatre at Boston College,
but her parents had other ideas. Chuckling at the outcome,
Birtolo quips, “For some reason they thought freelance
writing offered more financial stability and security than
acting.” And so she stepped into the headwaters of
destiny’s river.
Following the birth of her children, she dove into her writing
career as a reporter for a chain of weekly Cape Cod newspapers.
Soon she accepted a promotion to the position of arts editor.
While pursuing an idea to write a feature that followed a
local community theatre troupe from auditions through production,
Birtolo stumbled onto a course-altering circumstance.
It came about that the director had a
poor turnout of women to read for the female role. “Janina,” he said, “since
you’re here, would you read for the part?” Birtolo
agreed and was offered the role that launched her career
in community theatre.
On occasions such as these, just showing up can dovetail
beautifully with important synchronistic moments poised to
pose life-changing decisions, if we are but awake to them.
Birtolo wisely surrendered to the flow.
In 1990 this writer cum actor moved to
Naples where she continued to act in local community theatre
while expanding her freelance career. As a single mom with
bills to pay Birtolo willingly wrote for any publication
that offered assignments. Today she pens more discriminately,
regularly publishing in N Magazine, The Phil, Gulfshore
Life, Times of the Islands and Naples Illustrated. In 2001
Florida Magazine named her “Writer
of the Year.” Several years ago Birtolo finally put
her degree in broadcast communications to work by signing
on as a field producer for Arts Edition Prime Time, an art
magazine show produced by WGCU-TV.
Acting still figures prominently as Birtolo’s second
vocation and she appears regularly with The Naples Players
and Theatre Conspiracy in Fort Myers. In recent years she’s
even learned to combine her gift of writing with performing
in her original one-woman shows celebrating famous women
from various eras. The call to playwriting came as the result
of her love of reading women’s biographies.
Dava Sobel’s book Galileo’s Daughter, a story
about Galileo’s relationship with his daughter Suor
Maria Celeste (1600 –1634), a Poor Clare Nun, first
tugged on her spirit. Her highly satisfying one-woman production, “Most
Affectionate Daughter” continues to play well with
area audiences.
“If Maria were alive today, we’d be sharing
a similar philosophy about life,” she says. Resonating
strongly with Sister Maria Celeste’s feelings about
supporting her father’s controversial scientific inquiries,
Birtolo notes that her own scientist father often shared
with her his thoughts about reconciling his Catholic religion
with his work.
Then a request for a presentation on
Amelia Earhart (1897–1937)
from the Zonta Club of Collier County sparked Birtolo’s
interest. She penned “Daring to Dream,” which
has proved her most popular offering. Next came “Ghosts
of the Desert,” the story of Gertrude Bell (1868 – 1926),
a female Lawrence of Arabia and WWI spy for the British. “La
Vie Divine!” on the life of French actress Sarah Bernhardt
(1845–1923) followed. “Remember the Ladies,” a
study of Abigail Adams (1744 –1818) based largely on
Cokie Roberts book Founding Mothers is her latest work. She’s
now planning a play about Catherine de Medici (1519 –1589),
the wife of Henry II of France. Audiences are so charmed
that they return to frequently partake of her inspired creations.
“Earhart’s life taught me to never be deterred
from pursuing my dreams,” says Birtolo. “Marie
Celeste affirmed that religion and science have more in common
than they do opposition. Abigail’s lesson reminded
me to be vigilant and protect my liberties, and Gertrude’s
experience taught me respect of other cultures. Sarah showed
a way to live life with passion and panache.”
Birtolo says that acting has had the
most impact on her life. “The challenge of taking on another persona carries
the realization that I need not be nervous, afraid or intimidated,” she
says. “I’ve learned how to make a mental adjustment
and take on a fearless character whenever I need to.”
Journalist Anita Diament advises writers
to read widely and deeply to feed their Muse. Birtolo complies
by breathing life into historical women with lessons and
wisdom relevant to our times. As she reads historical biographies
with the intent of carving out a personal story, it seems
that Birtolo’s
characters sometimes dictate the script. “I hear them
talking to me in my head,” she says.
Birtolo’s description of her creative
process sounds like a chef describing a recipe. Underlining
and making notes in the books she reads, she puts a story
idea and details into the stew pot of her mind. They simmer,
gain substance and in their own time bubble to the surface
where she captures them on paper and eventually embodies
them on stage.
Birtolo listens for messages. “I get to where I’m
supposed to be by looking at every gift the Universe sends
me,” she advises. Well beyond fears that once interfered
with her willingness to take chances, Birtolo’s “life
is an adventure” attitude together with her embrace
of spirituality help form and shape her life. She’s
known for her hallmark positive outlook and consistent attitude
of gratitude. These qualities light her way.
From Managing to Directing
Kristen Coury too recognizes the therapeutic
value of acting in that it “encourages self-discovery.” College
acting classes forced her “to reach inside and find
out who I was and what I was transmitting to the world,” she
says. “I also discovered that I could take control
of my destiny through my actions, energy output and behavior.”
Plumbing the depths of one’s soul
is priceless spiritual work. But Coury has learned that
such work can yield useful lessons if we both listen and
act on what we hear.
Instead of treading the boards herself,
Coury has spent significant time observing other people’s creativity
from backstage in her initial role as theatre company manager.
After managing touring companies for two major musicals,
Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat,
one day Coury got the clear inner message, “It’s
time to move on.”
Watching a final performance, she suddenly
realized that she loathed the bulk of her job, one that
revolved around managing repetitious details, facts, figures
and logistic planning. Her one pleasure was watching the
show. “I
saw it as creativity food for my soul,” she says.
“What’s next” and “what if” questions
soon had Coury entertaining two possibilities as stage manager
or casting director. Her inner critic loudly declared, “You
only have a degree in directing. How dare you!” To
which Coury trumpeted, “I am a director, and I can
do it.” Her conviction proved the equivalent of Ali
Baba’s “Open sesame!” A door quickly opened
for the opportunity to direct the Broadway musical Steel
Pier.
A trip to Southwest Florida and an accidental
turn in the road led Coury and her husband to a Naples
beach. With no prior intention of relocating, the couple
sat and pondered the “what ifs of life.” Two
days later they decided to move here.
“As a professional director I realized I wouldn’t
have much opportunity to work here, and clearly saw all the ‘what
ifs’ in considering a self-producing playhouse,” she
says. But Coury’s contagious enthusiasm has helped
her manifest her dream of a Gulfshore Playhouse, now well
on its way to becoming a reality. Already Coury has directed “3
Men and a Diva” starring Carol Lawrence as well as “Florida
Stories,” a theatrical presentation that’s the
result of a local writing contest, now in its third competition.
Creativity, concludes Coury, is inextricably
intertwined with life. “In an artistic sense, my life is my creative
canvass. I paint it every day with my thoughts, words and
deeds,” she says. “It’s where I create
my best self, living the life I want.”
Confident in the necessity of following
her creative bliss Coury revels in the stream of synchronistic
events that happened when her vision became crystal clear.
For her, “Creativity
and synchronicity have a lot to do with showing up and with
being mindful and grateful.”
Cameron’s Vein of Gold includes many writing exercises
that pose questions and spark ideas that require deep soulful
exploration. She insists that digging for “nuggets
of self” below the surface of our lives is the only
way to explore our creativity and go on to realize our destiny.
Gulfshore Playhouse, a member of Lee
County’s Alliance
for the Arts, is now accepting stories for Florida Stories
III and scheduling auditions for Oleanna by David Mamet to
show October 15-25. For information on submissions and auditions
visit
GulfshorePlayhouse.org or reach Coury at 239-398-3143.
For information on Janina Birtolo’s
upcoming play dates visit www.JaninaBirtolo.com.
Source:
By Linda Sechrist
Additional Information:
Date:
2006/08/27 03:10:00 GMT-7
Article was published in:
Naples/Ft Myers
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