Playwriting.
Cam concentrated in playwriting at the University of New Orleans’s Creative Writing Workshop and continues to write new work for the stage.
For a list of their completed works, see Cam’s profile on the New Play Exchange website. (You’ll need an account to view detailed information and download scripts; if you don’t have one, don’t hesitate to reach out by email for more information.)
Click here for a listing of selected play productions and readings.
A generative session with Kendra Unique in the development of “Paula and Clara” at Dancing Grounds, 2024.
Ongoing Projects
Rainer Maria Rilke and Paula Becker: a dramatic diptych
In 2018, Cam drafted a one-act play exploring the artistic relationship between 19th century German poet Rainer Maria Rilke and French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The abstract and surrealistic piece, entitled “Un Homme a Besoin d’une Femme; or, the Invention of Empathy” focuses in particular on each artist’s attitude towards women and love (the literal translation of the French title is “a man needs a woman”).
Historically, Rilke was profoundly affected by the death of his close friend, the painter Paula Becker, due to post-partum complications. Though the script for “Invention of Empathy,” which alludes to that event, felt complete, Cam was not satisfied to relegate Becker to a footnote in a man’s story, her death a catalyst in his artistic development.
Following multiple well-received readings of “Invention of Empathy,” Cam began drafting a new one-act in 2024, this one focused on life and career of Paula Becker. The script (with the working title “Paula and Clara”) centers around the friendship between Becker and the German sculptor Clara Westhoff, who would eventually marry Rilke. Together, the two one-acts will create a full, complementary theater program: a dramatic diptych.
Dance and music are essential elements of both pieces. Kendra Unique has provided interpretive movement for staged readings, and has been a key collaborator in the development of “Paula and Clara.” Alex Tronson has created original music tracks.