What can you accomplish in 15 minutes?

“In 15 minutes, I can listen.

That may not sound like a lot, but everything I do as a playwright depends on me being conscious of the voices I hear everyday, both those of others and my own.

Crafting a scene or even a pageful of dialogue takes a considerable amount of time, but finding inspiration in the people and the conversations around me can happen within seconds.

If I’m present, I can do the impossible. I can time-travel. I can defy laws of science and ideas of theoreticians. I can wage family-shattering arguments, explore unknown multiuniverses, or simply question, “What if?”

The best part: I can do this all without ever leaving my favorite park bench in Washington Square. Pen and paper, always by my side. But, and I can’t emphasize this enough, all of this starts with listening for those crucial, uninterrupted 15 minutes.”

photo by: Stephen Hébert