Write True to You with Zola Dee and Wendy Graf

In this episode, hear from two generations of writers, Wendy Graf & Zola Dee, about the way criticism of the self and of art can manifest and how to combat it. Moderated by Lower Depth Artistic Director & Founding Member, Gregg T. Daniel.

This month:

Wendy Graf reads an excerpt from her GLAAD Award winning play, No Word in Guyanese for Me.
Zola Dee reads from “Rain River Ocean”, a piece she developed at CalArts as part of their New Works Festival
Zola contemplates the inception and perpetuation of self hate.
Zola discusses the healing process within art and how pain plays into a cycle that also feeds you as an artist to keep creating meaningful work.
Wendy & Zola reminisce on how they struggled to be creative during COVID-19, despite having an abundance of time to write.
Wendy examines religion and someone could reconcile with their faith, instead of remaining bound within uncompromising restrictions.
Wendy emphasizes the value of being approached by people who vehemently disagree with her because she chooses to ask questions that challenge different points of view and beliefs, such as religion.
Zola talks about black artists who judge other black art and claim that the work doesn’t capture the black experience because they want the art to be something that is not what the artist intended.
Wendy advises writers on how staying true to yourself can help you embrace criticism.

“I had people who wanted to do that play, but they wanted me to change the end because they thought it was so distasteful to their theater goers. And I said, you know, that’s the truth. That’s the way it is. And then finally, I just came up with, ‘If you like the painting, you don’t ask the artist to change the colors, to match your living room.’”

— Wendy, MINUTE 42:22

Pieces Read

Excerpt from “Rain River Ocean” by Zola Dee
Excerpt from No Word in Guyanese for Me, a play by Wendy Graf

Wendy Graf is an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced nationally and internationally. Some recent plays include: EXIT WOUNDS (First Place Gold Medallion Winner Moss Hart and Kitty Carlisle New Play Initiative); UNEMPLOYED ELEPHANTS – A LOVE STORY; PLEASE DON’T ASK ABOUT BECKET; ALL AMERICAN GIRL (Stage Raw 2015 nom Playwriting and Solo performance; StageSceneLA 2015 Outstanding Solo Performance Production;); CLOSELY RELATED KEYS (dir by Shirley Jo Finney; NAACP win/nominations); NO WORD IN GUYANESE FOR ME (2012 GLAAD Award Outstanding L.A. Theater; Helen Hayes Awards Recommended); BEHIND THE GATES; LESSONS (L.A. production dir by Gordon Davidson); LEIPZIG (LADCC nomination; Garland award/Playwriting); THE BOOK OF ESTHER (San Fernando Valley Artistic Directors nominations including Best Play; ASK Theater Projects Grant Award); and her newest, A SHONDA and WEDNESDAY’S CHILD. Graf recently worked with Lower Depth in their BIPOC Voting Plays with her play, THE CROSS AND THE SABER.

Visit her at wendygraf.com

Zola Dee

Writer, theatre artist, arts activist

Los Angeles based Zola Dee is an emerging theatre artist and arts activist from North Carolina. Her most notable work GUNSHOT MEDLEY: Part 1 was Ovation Award recommended and published in Routledge’s Contemporary Plays by Women of Color. Other accomplishments include: 2017-2018 Core Apprentice at The Playwright's Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota & 2018 Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights Diversity Fellow.

Zola is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Creative Writing. Currently, she serves as the Artistic Associate at The Pasadena Playhouse, The State Theater of California where she assists in curating all artistic programming, event producing, and community engagement efforts within the Pasadena and greater San Gabriel Valley area.