“Make it personal. If you’re not sweating, if you’re not scaring yourself to death, if you’re not asking yourself – ‘Do I dare to write this?’, why the hell should an 
audience pay money to see it?” Over the years of teaching play writing, I’ve dared my students to dare themselves when it comes to revealing their personal journeys on stage. But teaching means I have to walk my talk. Although all of my plays have started with a dare to myself, this one is the “double dog dare”. Cream Soda and Crème de Menthe most closely parallels my own story at one of the toughest stages of my life. Of course I don’t know anyone whose pre-adolescence was a bed of roses. But I dared myself to try to tell the truth with just enough artistic license to make it accessible, funny and moving as well. So pay no attention to the woman sweating and pacing in the back of the house on June 24 and 25. It’s only me, walking my talk, trying put the leash on my double dog dare.
- Caleen Jennings
Cream Soda and Crème de Menthe will be performed at Round House Silver Spring June 24 & 25, 2010.
