Live & in Color Literally Made Me (A)Live & in Color with a Renewed Hue of Life
By Valerie David
Ah…gobble gobble…Thanksgiving—November’s rust and gold-colored leaves illuminate the trees of Manhattan’s Central Park—colors vibrant and special—as other significant splashes of hues permeate, in contrast to the usual, uniform green summer leaves—an opportunity to see the autumn uniqueness for that brief time during the year. Thanksgiving is a time where we are giving thanks. And what better time for me to give those thanks than to the Live & In Color (LAIC) program, whose very name exhibits multicolors that illuminate the lives of artists year-round, including my own when I spent a week there at the LAIC writing retreat in Salem, Connecticut. My own personal colors became more purposeful, more meaningful, and more important by being a writer-in-residence there last fall.
I wrote a new solo show, a follow-up to my award-winning first solo show titled The Pink Hulk: One Woman’s Journey to Find the Superhero Within, about being a three-time cancer survivor. And when I was a writer-in-residence, it was also instrumental in literally saving my life, and at LAIC, I was then only a two-time cancer survivor of both lymphoma and breast cancer.
This second play I was working on that was selected by LAIC was titled The Home We Left Behind, and even that name changed with the aid of another writer-in-residence (Nancy Nachama Cheser) and with encouragement from Dev Janki, the LAIC Artistic Director. This revised name helped to solidify what my new play was really about.
While overlooking the rolling hills in the bungalow as I sat writing, the screen door open to fresh air with the Connecticut sunshine streaming in—and thank goodness for that—definitely not polluted air of gritty New York!—I began to do rewrites on this new creation. I had pretty much ignored pains in my chest from the past few weeks—too busy—until that moment where I could finally be an artist in this beautiful, serene environment with no distractions and to pay attention to the world around me and to focus on me and this new play.
I took a short break and decided to call the cancer hospital I was a patient at—my most recent cancer in full remission. I spoke with my nurse at the hospital’s survivorship department. I told Nurse Kathleen, “I have these really bad chest pains, and they are the same pains I had when I was diagnosed with lymphoma years earlier. I have a cancer again.” I don’t know why, but I just knew it. She replied, “I am sure it’s just a pulled muscle,” and I responded, “I’d like to think so, but I know it’s not.” I then had an appointment a few days after the LAIC retreat for a follow-up, so I felt relieved that whatever the outcome, I knew I would know soon enough.
I went back to writing The Home We Left Behind with that sense of relief to have made that call. What made this so special to be there was that even though I was nervous about that appointment, I was able to focus on revising this solo show, and could hear the musical, Present Perfect, rehearsing in the building next to me. These sounds of music were further inspiration for me. The LAIC retreat was a mecca of artistry and developing work, and I met such lovely actors, writers, and directors. These artists were rehearsing and working on this musical production that was to be presented the week after The Home We Left Behind. As a solo show artist, I often feel like it is a form of solitary confinement—often a lonely process, but not at LAIC. It was such a wonderful collaboration with my fellow artists there. Meals together and social time getting to know some of the most lovely people I had ever met. And during dinner, we would put notes in a jar about what we are grateful for and then read them aloud. And I received such support and guidance from them over the dinner table that helped me shape my piece.
Actress Sherz Aletaha, who came that Saturday of the evening performance of The Home We Left Behind, was to be the reader and play me in my story. Then during our rehearsal, Dennis Corsi, who is LAIC’s Director of New Works, offered expert direction and suggestions for changes. Then it was an hour until the performance. So excited and ready to go, I incorporated all the suggested changes (in exactly that one hour, I might add!) and then show time: A beautiful, cool night with candles lit, a reception beforehand and a full house. I wasn’t nervous at all—the one and only time ever—and that is because I was in the comforting and nurturing hands of LAIC. It was a magical evening. The happy tears, the applause, the support from the audience and Dev’s compliments of my work and his kind words to me made my heart sing.
I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback, the warm reception and talkback that followed. The rewrites and cuts brought the play to a new level. I felt like I finally had something—and Sherz brought my play to life magnificently. Dennis and I sat next to each other smiling together in the front row as The Home We Left Behind unfolded before our eyes. And it made me realize what the play was about. Put simply, it was about my father and my relationship with him and that title now reborn to Baggage From BaghDAD with the aid of Nancy and Dev, as mentioned previously. My father is from Baghdad, and he and his family, who are Jewish, fled Iraq because of religious persecution during the June 1941 Farhud. His survival influenced who I am today and my own Jewish identity. The Farhud was an uprising against the Jews of Baghdad, and my family fled the city that night only with what they could carry and had to start anew in America. My cancer survivals stemmed from the strength of my father and his family who were determined to both thrive and survive.
Being at LAIC, I did not think about anything but being in the moment with the greatest moment being a part of this program. And so much so, that I came back the next weekend to Connecticut to see the glorious presentation of Present Perfect. I felt I was with a second family—I was known as Auntie Valerie by my fellow artists!
And a PS to my LAIC experience: I was diagnosed with cancer for a third time after I came back from my time at LAIC—I was unfortunately right about my gut feelings, and I should actually say fortunately I was correct about my instincts!—and if it weren’t for being at LAIC, I would not have made that phone call then that changed and saved my life. It afforded me the time to take care of myself—focus on me and my new play. And my third cancer bout was Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. And again, I survived this cancer too. Five months after receiving oral medications—there is no evidence of disease—no trace of my cancer. I beat cancer a third time! The rewrites of Baggage From BaghDAD helped The Pink Hulk become the Pink Hulk again, reactivating the superhero within me. And my own solo show of my family’s survival was a reminder and motivator for me of their courage, determination and strength that had arisen in my soul to fight back the repeated adversity that had come my way, just like they fought back the adversity that had come their way in 1941.
My LAIC writer-in-residency nurtured a new tree to grow with leaves of renewed, spirited colors that are all my own and something to be proud of as I continue to see what is next for Baggage From BaghDAD, grateful to be able to continue my life and live life on my terms.
Thank you, LAIC. I am truly honored by the love and support. I am giving thanks to all of you this Thanksgiving. I am (A)Live & In Color—in full bloom as an artist and person once again.
Valerie David, a Manhattan resident, is an actress, singer, improviser, writer, editor and motivational speaker. Sheis the writer and performer of her award-winning solo show The Pink Hulk: One Woman’s Journey to Find the Superhero Within and the writer and performer of her follow-up solo show Baggage From BaghDAD (formerly The Home We Left Behind). A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-Manhattan Campus and James Madison University, her credits include the Off-Broadway production of A Stoop on Orchard Street, Cookie in Rumors and Claudia Shear’s Blown Sideways Through Life. Films: How I Became that Jewish Guy and Bridges and Tunnels.
As a marathon cyclist, she cofounded Cycle of Hope, which raises money for national and international cancer organizations through bike marathons. Her most recent biking event raised almost $5,000 for the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She wrote and starred in the one-woman musical Bring on a Man!; and cowrote and starred in the two-person show Wanted: A Few Good Men and Two-mur Humor: He’s Malignant; She’s Benign.
Memberships include the Dramatists Guild, TRU, League of Professtional Theatre Women, AEA and SAG-AFTRA. She also performed improve throughout New York City with improv groups Faceplant, Cronuts and Cherub. For more info, visit https://pinkhulkplay.com/.