"Rejection, Rinse, Repeat- 3/72"
My room during my three-week residency at Arquetopia in Oaxaca, Mexico
5/11/21
According to etymonline.com, the word rejection can be traced to the 1550s from French “rejection” or from Latin reiectionem, “the act of throwing back,” it also could mean "excrement." Okay. Fair enough.
Today I begin a three-week writer's residency at Arquetopia in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is the latest of three applications to develop my work at theatres and residencies, that said, "yes" vs. 69 that said,"no thanks." I would never have been a recipient had I not trained myself to keep going despite failures.
The day before yesterday I received my latest rejection letter, via email. That would make 69 rejections in three years and dozens of other great ideas and collaborations that, for myriad reasons, just didn't get off the ground. But some do.
I know the euphemistic verbiage by heart, “…We received an overwhelming volume of submissions this year and are grateful to you for trusting us with your work throughout our exhaustive review process. Unfortunately, your piece was not selected for this year's competition, but we sincerely hope you will submit to us again in the near future.”
Three years ago, I began more aggressively and systematically applying for professional artistic opportunities nationally and globally. Many things way out of my league, and others that I felt really confident about, like so confident I thought they were speaking directly to me. I created a spreadsheet (counter-intuitive to say the least,) and imagined I couldn’t fail. Something good HAD to happen if I was prepared and persistent. My dad always said, “It’s a numbers game, my friend. You keep going.” His rules were clear: Never lie. Always leave doors open behind you. Never knock your competitors. Never give up. Keep your promises. Always show up. “It will happen. You’ll see. He definitely practiced what he preached too.
I began receiving some rejection letters almost immediately after my rigorous submissions began, still more kept coming after waiting --for months—hopeful and thinking, “No news is good news.”
Sixty-eight rejections in total, all “excrement?
The first opportunity that was a “yes” was in May of 2018 when an excerpt of my play, Eva Chase Wood? was selected for a staged reading at The Davenport, an Off-Broadway theatre in NYC. My daughter; Chels, my great friend Jane, and I attended.
It would be another full year of rejection letters before anything happened again. I had been researching artist residencies world-wide in order to spearhead an effort to begin one of our own at Cork Arts District where I have a small art space. I liked it so much as a model, that I decided to apply. After submitting many work samples and interviewing on a Skype call with the program directors, I was invited to be a global resident artist in May of 2020 a full year later. I accepted.
The third and last “yes” out of 72 applications and submission, was an Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP)/Andrew Mellon Foundation funded, Cultural Exchange Grant to go to Senegal and develop my musical drama, Majigeen. I had followed that grant and organization for two decades and KNEW I was ready for it.
In 2016, the cognitive-studies researcher Xiaodong Lin-Siegler of Columbia University’s Teachers College published a study that found that high-school students’ science grades improved after they learned about the personal and intellectual struggles of scientists including Einstein and Marie Curie. Students who only learned about the scientists’ achievements saw their grades decline.
Not surprising. I found that my students are empowered much more when I’ve shared with them my struggles, obstacles, failures, and rebirths much more than hearing a list of successes. Study the path of your mentors, influences, heroes and sheroes. It’s likely that in addition to their achievements that are well-known, the path behind them is littered with attempts that did not succeed along the way.
Playwright, Margaret Edson’s play, Wit was rejected from over seventy theatres before being selected in one theatre and that ultimately led to being awarded a Pulitzer Prize for drama. It’s now performed worldwide- in dozens of countries- and has been translated into many languages.
It is hard to believe in what you’re doing if others don’t seem to yet. You know though that it’s worth it. Embrace the times when your artistic work and the recognition for it are aligned. Embrace the process. And keep submitting your work.