Q & A with author Leigh Akin and Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications

SJF: In a nutshell, tell us about your written/performed Memoir Showcase piece.
LA: “Red Speedo” is a very relatable, honest and funny story about a rule-following wife and mother who finds herself in an “addictive” flirtation with an older man, shortly after she and her husband lost their second child in-utero.

SJF: What has your experience been as a writer/actor in San Diego?
LA: A year ago, I came to San Diego from New York after having surgery and receiving an offer to house-sit and recover here. It was only supposed to be a two-month stay, but in a very short time I felt fully embraced by the theater community. I felt I had more artistic potential here than I had found in New York, so I decided to stay. And in just a year I have been a producer for several smaller theater companies, a director for Scripps Ranch Theatre, and an actor in several stage productions. I have also worked a play-writing residency with Playwrights Project and am in the process of writing my own one-woman musical. It has been such a joyful transition, it is almost unreal to me.

SJF: How has storytelling/acting influenced your life?
LA: I have truly found my home on stage as a story teller. Like the memoirists in this festival, I have found that the digging and exploration that comes with writing one’s own story is a form of therapy, and I have worked as a comedian and comedic-story teller. I was also SO lucky to be asked to read “Red Speedo”; it is a naturally funny story, with such heart, I felt endeared to it immediately. It is always easier for me to speak another person’s words when I totally understand where they are coming from.

SJF: If you had a magic wand, what kind of opportunities would be available to writers/actors in San Diego?
LA: In Toronto there is a company called Soul Pepper, where all the actors are given a salary to work for months and months “devising” new shows. They bring books and stories and scripts to life over time through exploration, play, collaboration and a lot of hard work. If I could wave my magic wand, every actor in San Diego could be a part of such a residency, and every audience member in San Diego could have the joy of seeing such innovative theater.

SJF: What are you excited about when it comes to participating in the inaugural San Diego Writers Festival?
LA: As I said, I love the piece, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to perform it for more people. And being a part of the first SDWF is such an honor! Having seen the programming, I can’t wait to be there and soak in all the wisdom and creativity.

SJF: What advice would you give to a new writer/actor in San Diego?
LA: San Diego has a thriving creative community, unlike any other city I have lived in. People want to help one another; they want to see big and beautiful things performed and written and created. If you have an idea or desire, share it, ask around and put yourself out-there, and the things and the people you need will be there for you.

SJF: Many thanks, Leigh!

Learn More about Leigh Akin
Visit her blog here

Learn More about Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications