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Arts & Entertainment

One Woman, Many Acts: A Visit with Playwright Staci Swedeen

Where the act of playing matters – Swedeen will present a play next week at the Warner Library.

On a day filled with both clouds and sunshine I sat on the Hudson River with Staci Swedeen to talk about her life as an artist, and her new play, "Pardon Me For Living."

The play is sprinkled with irony and humor, yet it deals with life's circumstances of mortality, health, and learning how to ask for help. It is also based on Staci's real encounter with a rabid raccoon and the aftermath.

Like most creative people Staci has had to juggle many balls, and has had many acts in her life as a careered artist. From jobs as a waitress, and bartender, even some youth filled days spent working at a strawberry factory.

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In the 80's Staci moved from Mount Vernon outside Seattle, Washington to New York City to be an actress. There were some acting parts and part time jobs.

"I compare moving to New York to being sand blasted," she said. "I thought I knew who I was when I moved here, but the city spun me and shook me up on the fast-dry cycle."

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Then Staci had a short stint in Los Angeles where she meet her husband, Chris. They returned to the East Coast and settled in Sleepy Hollow.

At the beginning of Staci's career, she would have never seen herself as a writer, only an actress.

Yet, in the same year that Staci made the most money acting, doing regional theater, and commercial work, it was the year she thought to herself:

"I'm not sure if I want to do this anymore. I felt really burned out about acting."

In the early 90s Staci ran into a director she'd worked with, Terry Schreiber, who asked what she was doing. Staci responded, "Not much acting." Terry being supportive noted that the push and grind of the theater could break one's heart. Terry also asked Staci to send him the one act play she'd written. Terry put Staci's play on.

"I thought well that was easy, [but more than that] it was one of those moments where someone sees you, and believes in you, and sees your talent, and how important that is."

Like a well-made tapestry quilt Staci has pieced together work to sustain a living all while she has kept her eye on the prize of being creative. Presently Staci does writing workshops, acts, directs and of course, writes plays.

"You remember the old Ed Sullivan Shows where the man gets one plate spinning, then he starts the next, then the next," she said. "That's how I earn a living and work all the things I'm interested in."

"One of my mentors is Tina Howe and she has become a great example of how a woman in the arts can sustain a career, who keeps working, and is tremendously encouraging.  She's about feeding the senses, and she understands there is a lot of phases to artistic work."

Staci has a joyful spirit, and it can be heard in what she says.

"My favorite theater makes you laugh and cry. I don't know how people get through life without a sense of humor."

At the Warner Library, Staci Swedeen's will perform her one-woman play, "Pardon Me For Living." Free to the public. Thursday July 8th at 7p.m. The show runs a little over an hour with no intermission.

You can checkout Staci Swedeen website at http://www.staciswedeen.com/

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