Parenting & Playwriting

Catherine Trieschmann sets rules to govern her daily news consumption. 

Catherine Trieschmann attends a political rally, but has trouble not criticizing it through a theatrical lens.

Catherine Trieschmann’s daughter is mis-cast as the lead in the Christmas pageant.

Catherine Trieschmann considers how to talk to her children about the US presidential election results.

Catherine Trieschmann on her children’s fears and the importance of Halloween.

Catherine Trieschmann coaches her daughter through the heartbreak of rejection from the school talent show.

Playwright Catherine Trieschmann discusses tracking her writing output as her daughter tracks her reading.

Catherine Trieschmann writes about her first experience bringing her children to a production of one of her shows.

In this installment, Catherine Trieschmann shares what happened when her daughter became addicted to "Frozen" Radio, and a musical re-education became imperative. 

Catherine Trieschmann tackles what happens when she leads storytelling exercises with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, and almost all of them write about boyfriends.

In this installment, Catherine gets her dream job of directing the Christmas Pageant, only to find out her professional experience might not be too helpful with this production. 

In her latest installment, Catherine Trieschmann explores turning forty, leaky roofs, advice for parents on how to save money on childcare, and what to do when you’re working from home with your child.

Nothing stirs my blood quite like the soft knock of toe shoes on a wood floor during a piqué. And so I admit, I may have exhibited a little too much enthusiasm when Laura, four, expressed a passing interest in taking a ballet class this summer.

My feelings are more complicated than merely wishing my children would share my love of theater, however, because what I really want is for my children to love the theater, to appreciate all their access, but have absolutely no desire to pursue it as a career.

A couple of months ago, HowlRound hosted a discussion about parenting and theater on Twitter hashtag #newplay, and perhaps the most interesting question to emerge from the discussion was simply: "Should I bring my kid to rehearsal?"

Maybe it stems from the being a creative personality or being behind in writing projects, Catherine Trieschmann questions whether a renewal of occupation will uplift her creative stagnation.

On this week's edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Treischmann: going away to work on your art.

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: the first days of school.

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: unplugging from the internet... and pacifiers.

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: looking for optimism in the wake of the Boston Bombings, and finding empathy in the darkest of times.

This week on Parenting & Playwriting, Catherine Trieschmann does not offer advice... but, rather, offers up some ideas on the very many ways to handle pregnancy as a theatre artist.

On this week's edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: an update on Catherine's Christmas pageant saga.

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: our advice columnist needs your advice! Should she stand up for her vision of this year's Christmas pageant and take the director's seat?

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting: learning how to let go on the first day of school.

On this edition of Parenting & Playwriting with Catherine Trieschmann: the appearance of one little spider can change one's views on writing and life.

This post is the fifth column of a regular series on Parenting & Playwriting. In this edition, Catherine Trieschmann writes about the idea of working parent's guilt.

Catherine Treischmann's Parenting & Playwriting series continues with a question about new play development: when you're offered out-of-town production and development oppurtunities, what do you do when you're the primary caregiver to small children?

Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder chronicles her adventures as a mother and playwright at the Alabama Shakespeare Festivals's Southern Writers' Project.

Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder continues her series on being a playwright and mother at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Southern Writers' Project. This installment: developing a new play while parenting your child should surely come with a stage manager.

Playwright Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder returns to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Southern Writers’ Project with a new play and a new kid. Follow Elyzabeth in this three part series as she tries to balance rewrites and rehearsals with the challenges of being a working mom on the road.

Catherine Trieschmann continues her column on parenting as a playwright with answering a reader's question regarding "having it all." Can anyone have it all? And who would you rather be – Diane Keaton or Sam Shepherd?

In her latest installment, Catherine Trieschmann talks about finding time to write... when you're busy taking care of very tiny humans.

Catherine Trieschmann kicks off her new advice column about parenthood and playwriting with a perplexing question: is it okay to share your bad reviews with your kids?

For Catherine Trieschmann, parenthood interrupted her playwriting process by taking up time that used to be spent daydreaming.