As for just about everyone I know, the last few weeks for me has meant an ongoing and ever-evolving (and sometimes devolving) effort to figure out this new normal.

Here are some projects that are keeping me stumbling forward.

Society of Professional Journalists

Proud to be working with this outstanding and important organization supporting journalists around the country. My full-time job with SPJ (working from home for now) has evolved to include some webinar work in addition to my editing and program coordinating. The webinars have included the practical and the playful (see this one on Journalism movies, with guests Carole Horst from Variety, Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune, and Nick Rogers from Midwest Film Journal). We’ve also stepped up the flow of stories to Quillmag.com, which I edit. You can flip through the latest edition of our print magazine there as well.

“The Two Noble Kinsmen”

Here’s some Shakespearean fun. More streaming theater options being offered online means lesser-known works have a greater chance to be seen. Working with Bard Fest, I concocted this idea where anyone can watch the Globe Theatre’s streaming production of “The Two Noble Kinsmen”  and then join us via Zoom for a freewheeling chat about it. On Tuesday, May 12, I’ll be hosting a panel that incluede’s Bard Fest founder Glenn Dobbs, playwright Marcia Eppich-Harris, actor/director Doug Powers, and actress/playwright/composer Paige Scott. Zoom in here.

Indy Actors’ Playground

While our monthly play reading series can’t meet in person at Indy Reads Books as we have for over 80 events, we have temporarily migrated to Zoom. Paul Hansen, my partner in the project, has pulled together a large-cast reading of, well, IAP never says what play it’s going to be reading.  (Hint: This time it’s a French farce.) You’ll have to tune in on Monday, May 18, at 6:00 to learn more. Info here.

Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards

As chair of the American Theatre Critics Association’s New Play Committee, I have the pleasure of readings recommended scripts from world premiere plays from around the country for two of the organization’s prestigious awards. Then I have the further pleasure of wrangling a very thoughtful, opinionated committee of critics in a process that leads to the presentation of big, big checks to the winners.

The plan was to present this year’s awards at the Pacific Playwrights Festival in Orange County, California. Alas, that was not to be. So the ATCA has decided to create a virtual announcement of the $40,000 Steinberg/ATCA Award winners as well as the $1,000 M. Elizabeth Osborn Award Winner. The announcement is scheduled to hit ATCA’s social media Wednesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. Tune in.

We hope to also schedule a follow-up Zoom chat with this year’s winners.

Freelance Writing

As time (and offers) permit, I’m still landing a few stories. Check out the May edition of Indianapolis Monthly for a piece on the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s incoming concertmaster, reviews of movie-related board gamesat Midwest Film Journal, and a more general board-game piece for the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Plays

After a very successful and enthusiastically received pair of industry readings in NYC, the work continues on “We Are Still Tornadoes” (adapted from the wonderful novel by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen). I’ve also got a new Wildwood play in the works, which recently benefited from a enormously helpful Zoom workshop.

I’ve got other ideas, too. Let’s see what happens. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @louharry