Dana Bagshaw, novelist, playwright

updated 20 April 2009

The author is currently seeking publication of her second novel RUNNING FROM GRACE. Based on the memoirs of her great-uncle Victor, the novel contains real-life detail of a working man's struggles during difficult times in the American Southwest during the 20s, 30s, and 40s: A local boxing hero, a singer, a charmer, Victor tries to make a place for himself in the Oklahoma oil town of Ponca City . But his mother insists that he stick close to her as her primary breadwinner. Her menace destroys his promising career as a boxer, as well as his first romance. Hoping to leave her behind forever, he joins a Conoco Oil survey party as a rodman, traveling to Texas and Louisana. Never short of adventure or ladies, Victor enjoys his freedom -- until fate catches up with him, in California.

RUNNING FROM GRACE recently received excellent on-line reviews from fellow authors during a ten-week stint on the HarperCollins website Authonomy. You can view the first three chapters with photos and then add your own comments on runningfromgrace.blogspot.com

Available from Evans Publishing, Inc. Bagshaw's first novel, MAMA GRACE, is based on an original manuscript by the author’s grandmother, Letha Crossman. It tells the story of her family homesteading in Oklahoma in the early 1900s: A young woman's fiber is toughened when crossing the plains on her own in a wagon with seven children, making a home for them with their grandfather, and putting up with the erratic comings and goings of her husband. The book was selected as an official project of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and includes photos of the period. For more about this novel, see press release and press coverage and reviews. See also reader's comments and author's tour photos.

Bagshaw's major dramatic work CELL TALK explores the lives and thought of two icons of Medieval times, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe. Cell Talk's sixth production went on a tour from the Cameo Theatre Company based in Cambridge. It opened at St. Mark’s Church in Newnham, visited St. Julian’s church in Norwich where Julian once served as anchoress, St. Nicholas church in King’s Lynn from which Margery was once expelled, Michaelhouse Centre in Cambridge, Ely Cathedral and finally All Saints’ Church in Ashdon, Essex. Rex Walford, Director, reports that in all but one venue they experienced sell-outs, with people being turned away from the door. See review from Ely Standard.
Ken Eason as John Kempe	Tricia Peroni as Margery Kempe		Rosemary Eason as Julian of Norwich

Photos by Sophie Wilson

John: Have you seen Margery?	Julian: While I sit here to comfort the troubled, you go out and stir up the untroubled!

Cell Talk was produced by the Center for the Performing and Visual Arts at St. Paul's Cathedral, San Diego, California in October 2004 with Canon Richard Lief directing. Sara Meriwether, a veteran director and actor, played Julian and Gretchen Sousa, a spiritual director for clergy, and a published and well-recognized poet, played Margery Kempe. Photo by Marcene Van Dierendonck.

Cell Talk formed the basis of a women's retreat held 10-12 January 2003 in northern California, with a mother and daughter, Cheryl and Lisa Houts, playing the parts of Dame Julian and Margery Kempe. Photo by K & M Winchester.

Cell Talk - a duologue Playing time: 1 hour Winner of the Radius 2000 Playwriting Award, Cell Talk was produced by Radius in the Covent Gardens Theatre Museum on June 16, 2001 -- directed by Rex Walford with Eunice Roberts as Margery Kempe and Yvette Byrne as Julian of Norwich. Cell Talk was published in February 2002 and reprinted in 2008 by Radius. Available through amazon.co.uk or www.radius.org.uk.

Performances of Cell Talk were held on the 20th and 21st of June 2002 at St Mary's Church, Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Betty Stokes, a Radius council member, played Dame Julian and Dr. Elisabeth Dutton, a lecturer in Medieval literature at Magdelin College at Oxford played Margery Kempe. See article by Dr. Dutton. The two women revived their performance on Saturday 6 March 2004 in Sowerby sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Theology and Health . See Press Release.

In May 2004 Norwich Cathedral welcomed Dorothy Root as Julian with Leanne Mitchell as Margery, directed by Roy Wyse in a production of "Cell Talk". It played to full capacity seating in the North Transept of the Cathedral.

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A Master script and videos of expanded versions of Cell Talk are available from the Julian Centre in Norwich, e-mail: TheJulianCenter@ukgateway.net This group of plays is described below:

Dorothy Root as Julian, Leanne Mitchell as Margery, and Brian Glover as John Kempe. Photo by Roy Wyse

Visiting Julian Playing time: 1 hour In addition to the two women, this version features Margery's husband and three extra men, with narrative between scenes by Margery's husband. It was performed to a large audience at Oadby Baptist Church, Leicester, on Saturday, 13 Oct. 2001.

Tried and Tested Playing time: 90 minutes This promenade production featured the arrest and trial of Margery in 1417 at Leicester and added a full cast, with Phyllis Page as Julian, Leanne Mitchell as Margery Kempe, and Brian Glover as John Kempe. This version was performed at the Leicester Guildhall to a standing-room-only audience on 18 August 2002 during the Castle Park Festival and again on Saturday 5 October with live music of the period performed by the Longslade Consort. See Leicester Mercury review .

Mad for God Playing time: 1 hour 45 minutes Performed in June 2004 at St. Margaret's in King's Lynn, this version adds more scenes set in King's Lynn exploring the full impact of Margery's temptations, contrasting her mad world with the sanctuary she finds in Julian.

Other plays written by and available upon request from Dana Bagshaw are:

CRUISE TO EGYPT Playing time: 30 minutes A one-act about four strangers traveling together on September 11, 2001. Presented as a staged reading on October 12, 2002 at the Leicester's Playwrights Showcase of Plays. May employ any combination of 4 male / female actors.

BROKEN ICICLES Playing time: 30 minutes Based on Inuit folktale, a young "seal maiden" is attracted to a hunter and suffers the consequences. This play for six or more young people with original score for "Song of the Seal Maidens" composed by Jenny Miles. The play premiered on 25 March during the 2004 All-England One-Act Play festival at Countesthorpe College Theatre. The role of the Old Mother of the Sea won the Adjudicator's Own award.

HILDA, daughter of Woden **Newly published** Playing time: 1 hour A short play with song about the life and times of Lindisfarne and Whitby during the 7th century. It was developed with the young people of St. Peter's Oadby and premiered on Easter Sunday March 2002. Revised in May 2008 during a retreat at Lindisfarne with Ray Simpson, guardian of the Aidan and Hilda Community. The play is now available from Aware Publications. See press release.

KARATE FOR KIM Playing time: 1 hour A thirteen year old prefers the company of newts to boys and pesters her parents to let her take Karate. The play was performed on 25 March during the 2008 All-England One-Act Play festival at Countesthorpe College Theatre. "Well structured with good characters and snappy dialogue," said Paul Fowler, adjudicator at the Leicestershire festival. He nominated the play for an awards in five of seven possible categories.

COMMISSIONED PRODUCTION -- a comedy script with song written for the 75th Anniversary of the Leicester Bach Choir: The Complete History of the Choir (Abridged) presented by the Reduced Bach Company, Saturday 3 May 2003 Leicester Guildhall.

For copies of scripts e-mail: cdbagshaw@btinternet.com

web page: http://www.cdbagshaw.btinternet.co.uk/dana.htm

About the author:

Photo by Steve Gorton

Dana Bagshaw grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, attended Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma and received a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from San Jose State University, California where she studied playwriting. She subsequently took employment in Silicon Valley as a technical author/trainer for ten years. She worked as a process analyst and workshop facilitator for consulting firms in the U.K. for another ten years. Dividing her time between the U.S. and the UK, she now works full time on her writing. In the UK she meets as often as twice a week with members of the Leicester Writer's Club for readings and feedback.