Playwright insight: Connie Schindewolf

When she worked as a drama teacher, Connie Schindewolf never had time to write her own plays. Since her retirement in 2006, she’s written five full-length plays and 50 playlets.

The Players Centre for Performing Arts’s production of “Mammoth Bones” is her first full-length play to be performed onstage. Schindewolf was happy to share what that meant to her.

How would you summarize “Mammoth Bones?"

“Mammoth Bones” is about a man who lost his self-worth after his daughter went off to college. He becomes depressed and overmedicated — and strange things begin happening in his mind. Finding a fossilized mammoth bone in his yard starts him on a journey that forces him to deal with the past and present.

What was the germ of the idea for the play?

They’d started excavating an old golf course near the subdivision where I live in Bradenton. One day, they actually dug up some mammoth bones — and work ground to a halt. That discovery started my mind on the path to this story.

How did it feel to win the 2016 Players New Play Festival?

I’d had other plays in the New Play Festival before. But winning meant the Players Centre would mount an actual production. I was naturally elated. Seeing your work on stage is the ultimate goal of any playwright.

And now you have! How does that feel?

It’s an eerie yet awesome experience. It’s eerie because the characters are amazingly similar to what I had in my mind; it’s awesome because the characters have far more depth than the words on the page. The direction and acting are both superb. During last night’s rehearsal, I quit following the script; I just sat back and enjoyed watching what this play has become. I had tears in my eyes.

Tell us about the workshopping process with director Carole Kleinberg.

Last February or March, we had a workshop with some actors at a table reading. Carole made suggestions for revision, and changes were made. Auditions took place in April. After we started rehearsals in early July, we’d talk about problems with the dialogue, and I’d go home and revise. Just two nights ago, we changed the dialogue at the end of one scene — and the actors were great to adapt so quickly! Last night, Carole pointed out two sections she wants me to think about revising after the show closes. She’s always trying her best to make the play better and I think she's been successful.