Gregory Powell has led a very full life – being involved of many fields that have created a well-honed existence. Gregory’s Ruby’s Harmonicas and Piano, Inc. will be staged on Saturday, March 14, directed by James Brown.
BPF Board Advisor Larry Lambert connected with Gregory to discuss his career, how it has influenced his writing and what he plans to tackle as he travels this creative universe.
L – You have taken part in so many professions: Poet, Playwright, Photojournalist, Editor, Author, Lawyer, Minister and Educator, not necessarily in that order. You also routinely lead protesters to march on Congress for social justice and civil rights. How on Earth do you keep up with all this activity?
G – You have to take life one day at a time. Also, I started working at a very young age, so I have learned to maximize my time, even if I have little.
L – In one of your background pieces mentions that you started as a poet at a very early age and tackled playwriting not that long afterward. What was that timeframe and do you see any similarities between the two?
G – I have been writing poetry since 2nd grade and unsuccessful plays since 8th grade. I think my love for poetry fuels the dialog that I use in my plays: When you write a sonnet, each word is weighed, tallied and counted. I think the same is true for the dialog that paces a play.
L – Have you found that some professions lead you into situations that produce playwriting opportunities?
G – As an attorney, you have to focus on a case’s overall narrative to convince a jury and a judge to follow your fine line of reasoning.
L – You spent almost 20 years in labor and employment law, much of it for the government. Did this inspire you to write Ruby’s?
G – Since I have worked as a labor and employment law attorney, I am always inspired by voting rights, civil rights, and the power of the Vote! If you do not vote, you cannot complain, says a good friend, Dr. Christopher Hamlin.
L – Were you a minister during the time you were a government lawyer? Did one profession influence the other?
G – Yes, I am both a minister and a poet and attorney. I love it all. You have to focus.
L – Ruby’s Harmonicas and Piano, Inc. has had multiple readings. Have you found things within the play that needed changing based on reactions from those performances?
G – Yes, I take the readings very serious, and I do make changes.
L – What do you want our audience to take away from this performance?
G – That each of us has the ability to demand justice for everyone, especially those who live within the margins of society.
L – What are your plans for the creative journey going forward.
G – I have published two collections of poetry (“Tin Ears” and most recently “Shot-Gun House Guitar). I am currently writing my third collection of poetry, which will include free verse, blank verse, French forms, villanelle, sonnets and prose poems. I have completed three additional full length plays and my plan is to write a total of 7 plays related to the 1960s.
L – Last question: where do you do the bulk of your creative writing and why?
G – I write wherever I am at the time. There is no one place.