BWW Blog: Cassandra Hsiao - From Page to Stage Part 3: Coming To Life

I am a writer. Yet words can hardly explain the rush of emotions I felt this past weekend. I speak plainly because there is no way to convey the immense gratification of being treated as a professional playwright at the age of 16.

After two weeks of non-stop rehearsals, "Supermarket of Lost" premiered with a bang at the Stella Adler theatre as part of The Blank Theatre's 24th Annual Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival. I attended three out of four performances with recaps below.

Opening night (June 9, 2016):

Hosted by Kirsten Vangsness from "Criminal Minds"

I was a bundle of nerves. Even though I had written the play and had seen it in rehearsal and performance over fifty times, chills still ran up my spine. I held my breath in the dark of the theater. Magic-and the nerve-wracking aspect of unpredictability-unfolded on stage. Anything could happen. I was moved to tears by stunning performances, intentional, meaningful actions, and organic, spontaneous beats.

I left feeling so proud of my cast, director, and crew, as well as the other playwrights' work. That night, I was truly among strangers (I attended opening night alone) but never felt more unified. The best theatre audience, I realized, is one that is loud, in laughter and gasps and tears. It was a rollercoaster I never wanted to get off of.

Saturday night (June 11, 2016):

Hosted by Seamus Dever from "Castle"

This time, I was surrounded by friends and family, some who drove hours to see my play. The excitement was tenfold-watching it the second time allowed me to observe and process the play as I wasn't able to the first night. My list of moments that deeply moved my heart grew longer. Even the technical flukes added something special to the scene. As lights went down, cheers filled the theater.

It was a special night for another reason as well: my 17th birthday. My cast greeted me with presents and hugs, as did my friends and family. As Daniel Henning, founder of YPF, invited me up on stage to hand me the award, my cast shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" And of course, singing ensued-the loudest, in-tune, most exciting birthday song I've ever experienced. Having a birthday coincide with a performance, Daniel informed me, was yet another first in the 24 years of the festival. I stood there with the biggest, goofiest smile on my face, holding back tears. Here I was, celebrating another trip around the sun with the people who loved me most and strangers who made it a night to go down in the books.

Closing night (June 12, 2016):

I felt pure happiness. There was a true joy in watching the very real chemistry between the actors. The moments they shared-I shared in them as well. It was a performance I will never forget.

I heard Daniel's closing speech for the third time-and I could see why he never tired of giving that speech for 274 different plays. It was a speech where he acknowledged all the love, time and energy that was poured into the festival-from producers to apprentices to managers to directors to mentors to cast to playwrights. It was a speech about what it meant to give back-that a true artist is only one who passes on his or her craft to the next generation, inspiring young people to follow their dreams. It was a speech about who made it possible to give back: volunteers, donors, and most importantly, theatregoers. "Without you," he addressed the audience, "this isn't theater. It's just rehearsal." I was brought to tears, overwhelmed with what I had experienced in the span of two weeks.

Thank you to The Blank Theatre for making me feel like I've just won a Tony Award (side note: closing night coincided with the Tony Awards in which 3-time YPF winner Stephen Karam won Best Play for "The Humans" on Broadway)! Thank you to my cast and crew for bringing the Supermarket to life. Thank you to fellow playwrights for letting me step into your worlds. And most importantly, thank you to every single person who believed in me-from people I've just met to people I've known my whole life. I am so grateful and blessed for the amount of love and support I've received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

"Supermarket of Lost"

Written by Cassandra Hsiao

Mentored by Adam Belanoff

Directed by Warren Davis

Cast:

Sloane Siegel as Austin

Cait Pool as Hailee

Grace Bethany

For more information, visit http://ypf.theblank.com

To purchase tickets, visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/90/1464753600000

"Supermarket of Lost" premiered the second week of the festival from June 9-12.

Week 2 Winners:

"Supermarket of Lost" by Cassandra Hsiao

"About Art" by Alexa Derman

"Biting Elephants" by Sarah Steuer

Join The Blank Theatre for Weeks 3 (June 16-19) and Weeks 4 (June 23-26)!

Read Part 1: /los-angeles/article/BWW-Blog-Cassandra-Hsiao-From-Page-to-Stage-Part-1-Table-Read-20160531

Read Part 2: /los-angeles/article/BWW-Blog-Cassandra-Hsiao-From-Page-to-Stage-Part-2-The-Joy-of-Rehearsal-20160606

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