Mark-Eugene Garcia
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News

Sometimes Career Highlights. Sometimes Blog Entries

Arc of Triumph: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Poetry Inspired  His Plays & Musicals

10/10/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
or Insight for Playwrights Magazine
by Sally Deering.  Copyright 2013.  Used by permission. 

Name: Mark-Eugene Garcia 

​Place of Residence: New York City 
 
Selected Titles:  (Musicals) STANDBY; THE HOLY COWS OF CREDENCE SOUTH DAKOTA; FACING EAST: A NEW MUSICAL; and THE JOURNEY. (Plays) (UN)MISSED CONNECTIONS; INSCRIPTIONS; WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR; and THE KEYS 

Mark-Eugene Garcia discovered his passion for writing musicals post high school, after penning several angst-ridden poems about unrequited love. Looking at them one day, once he got over the unrequited love and with a clear head, Garcia found that his poems formed an arc. 
“I spent the better part of the next few years writing dialogue and lyrics to connect the pieces,” Garcia says. “I had no guidance and it was very rough. The project wouldn’t (and still won’t) ever see the light of day, but it got me started. When I later discovered the Academy of New Musical Theatre, I sent in some of that work. They must have found potential in the jumble because they brought me on. Suddenly, at 22, I found myself learning how structure, prosody and dialogue worked, while working toward my first production: a mini-musical based on the story of the Prodigal Son.” 

Last year, Garcia’s play, (UN)MISSED CONNECTIONS was part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, a community of artists that not only strives to put on shows, but each show must ‘give back’ to the community. When they applied, they were scheduled to do a staged reading. A few weeks later, they got the news they had been bumped up to a full production.  
 
This past year Garcia had two musicals open within a month of each other: THE HOLY COWS OF CREDENCE, SOUTH DAKOTA about a pastor’s wife finding her lost faith after a recent tragedy; and, STANDBY, a rock musical about five strangers waking up in an airport terminal with no recollection of how they got there. A few friends caught both shows and afterwards, one told Garcia she was surprised he was so religious.   

“I gave her a confused look and mentioned that I wouldn’t classify myself as ‘so religious’,” Garcia says. “I explained that ultimately my work was about connections. She then pointed out certain things in my work that proved her point, i.e. I tend to write about people seeking redemption, searching for forgiveness, and needing answers to the big questions. I looked at my next show opening in a few weeks in Texas, FACING EAST, which deals with a Mormon Family and their gay son, again dealing with religion. I asked myself, do I have a theme here? Sometimes it takes someone with an objective eye to point it out to you.” 

Mark-Eugene Garcia’s five tips to playwrights: 

1. Don’t just stare at a screen. Walk round the room. Jump. Dance. Block your scenes. Act your dialogue. Sing your lyrics…even if you look silly. In fact, go ahead and look silly. If you are collaborating with another writer, get silly together. Let go.  It helps. 

2. Read as much as you can about everything. Make research fun. If you find something that isn’t useful for this project, read it anyway. It may inspire something.  

3. Outline like crazy. Make sure the structure is solid.  Then, once you’ve done that, don’t’ be afraid to deviate from it and see where your freedom and passion take you.  

4. Trust your actors. They know their characters’ through-lines as well as you, maybe more. If they have a question, collaborate and figure out a solution. You never know what they might bring to the table.  

5. It is so important to find collaborators and friends that you can trust to support and nurture you along the way. Do the same for them. 

Sally Deering is an award-winning playwright/librettist whose work has been produced Off-Broadway and regionally. ​
1 Comment
best essay writers link
12/29/2018 05:19:42 pm

If I were to become a writer someday, I want to be like Mark-Eugene Garcia. He writes script for musical shows, mostly theatrical shows in general and you can see so much passion through the description I have read about him. It's a not a surprise for me that he is a successful person right now; he is a passionate person whose love for writing and arts and beyond unimaginable! I am looking forward to meet him if I will be given the chance. That would be a good opportunity for him to also know him better. I was so inspired by his story!

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    Mark-Eugene Garcia

    Writer/Actor/Storyteller. Theatre Maker. Husband. Bad Hombre. Cat Taunter.

    Contents


      • Winner: Best Supporting Actor - British Web Awards

      • Review: Jaime Lozano and La Familia's "Songs by an Immigrant" album gives a heartfelt voice to the Latinx Experience- DC Metro Theatre Arts

      • Review: Songs by an Immigrant Makes Bold Statements at Every Theatrical Turn - Broadwayworld.com

      • Jaime Lozano and The Familia Release New Video "Hold Tight"

      • Am I The King of the World or In Davy Jones Locker? Find out on The Spoony Bard's Aural Theatre Podcast- Permadeth! 024: Survival At Sea

      • People En Espanol names "Hold Tight" as One of Eight Songs You Need to Hear

      • A Best Supporting Actor Nomination from British Web Awards.

      • Best Performance Award Winner From the 2020 Creature Feature Competition

      • Spotlight: Wasted on the Young

      • Track-By Track Breakdown: Lin-Manuel Miranda Introduces Jaime Lozano's Songs by an Immigrant- Playbill


      • Mark-Eugene Garcia and Ashley talk about Musical Theatre, Acting, and Depression - Eff Your Fears Podcast


      • Cast Album: The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota

      • Mark and Rodrigo Join Other Interracial Couples Reflecting on BLM- Bloop


      • Jaime Lozano and The Familia Release 'Hold Tight', Collaboration With Raul Midon.


      • Standby is included in Frolics "Love This, Try That: TV Shows and Musicals Edition

      • Making Multiple Encores Talking About Encore! on the Encore! Encore! Podcast With Ben Siemon and Hanna LoPatin!

      • Back to the Woods Again. Again. The Encore! Encore! Podcast Covers -Encore! Into The Woods


      • Music Video: "Screen to Screen" by David and Paul Rigano featuring the #friendsofriganosongbook


      • Into the Woods we Encore Again Again

      • Standby is Included in Frolic's "Love This Musical? Try THAT YA Novel!"


      • Kristen Bell's Encore! Reunites High School Theatre Geeks!- Gush About


      • Binge Alert: Season One Of Demon Doctor is Available for Streaming


      • Get Ready For Chills and Laughs: The Demon Doctor Trailer is Released


      • Tiempo De Premio: 8TP at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards

      • Standby is included in Frolic's "Four Musicals You Need To Listen To Immediately."


      • #ToySoldierMark is Back Back Back Again

      • Spotlight: Eight Tales of Pedro at the Secret Theatre

      • Award Winning Latinx Play Returns to the Secret Theatre for 11 More Shows- LIC Post"

      • Playwright Interview with the 50 Playwright's Project"

      • A Thought Provoking Focus On Latino Heritage- Queens Chronicle

      • #Personofchange: An Interview with Mark-Eugene Garcia


      • Video: The Skeleton Crew Season 4 Trailer

      • Eight Tales of Pedro Returns to the Secret Theatre In October


      • Spotlight: Eight Tales of Pedro at the Un-Fringed Festival

      • Play Opening Sunday Explores the Story of Modern Latinos- LIC Post


      • Video: Eight Tales of Pedro on TIEMPO with Joe Torres


      • Dramaturge for The Temple of The Souls at the New York Musical Theatre Festival"


      • 8TP - Giving Myself Permission To Write

      • Perfect Timing During The Deadliest Decade


      • MEET THE CAST OF UNDERPANTS GODOT!- Secret Theatre Interview!

      • Blog: When it Happens: My Journey Through Anxiety


      • Duncan Pflaster and Mark-Eugene Garcia discuss Terror Train on the Screamqueenz Podcast"

    • Encore, Kristen Bell's Reunion of High School Theatre Classmates, Needs To Be A Full Series Immediately- Reality Blurred

    • Getting Unstrapped in Strapped for Danger

    • Kristen Bell Reunites High School Musical Cast Members for Encore! Premiering December 10 on ABC- Playbill

    • Spotlight: Encore! on ABC with Kristen Bell!!!

    • Video: Encore! Preview on ABC Denver

    • Kristen Bell Explains Why Encore! Is the Perfect Show for These Anxious Times- Entertainment Weekly"

    • If You Were a Theatre Kid, You Should Watch ABC's Encore!- Vulture

    • Video: The Official Encore! Trailer

    • Kristen Bell Returns to Theatre Roots with ABC's Encore!- Variety


    • Entertainment Tonight Releases the Encore! Trailer!!

    • Encore! Sets Premiere Date and Will Feature Into the Woods


    • Spotlight: Standby at the Towle Theatre

    • Midwest Premiere of "Standby" at Towle Theatre- PanoramaNOW Entertainment News


    • Towle's "Standby" Deals With Timely Topic- Chicago Tribune


    • Review: The Underpants Godot Works On Many Levels

    • Spotlight: The Underpants Godot at the Secret Theatre

    • Video: Waiting for Godot (Avant Garde) - The Underpants Godot


    • Video: Christina Bianco sings "My Faith In You" From the Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota


    • Video: Mario Mazzetti sings "Still Standing" at Underscore Theatre Company

    • Video: World Premiere of New Song "Don't Wait" at the Underscore Theatre Company in Chicago

    • Video: Underscore Theatre Company performs "'To Feel Alive"

    • Video: Mikki Miraj sings "Last Goodbye" at Underscore Theatre Company

    • Blog: Orlando

    • Review: Facing East is Both Heartbreaking and Revitalizing

    • Video: Facing East Final Week

    • Video: Alyssa McGuigan sings "Mr. Right Now" from The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota at Don't Tell Mama.

    • Spotlight: Standby in the Overtures Series at the Gallery Players

    • Video: Facing East World Premiere Opening Night


    • Spotlight: The World Premiere of Facing East: A New Musical at the Jericho Arts Center in Vancouver

    • Review: Facing East: A New Musical Challenges LGBTQ biases - Broken Leg Reviews

    • Blog: Facing East- Bringing my Dad into the Story

    • Blog: Gems by Jack

      <
    • Reunited: Private Standby Table Read


    • Goodnight to Our World of Toys


    • Review: Facing East in Concert- LondonTheatre1

    • Video: FACING EAST LONDON - In Rehearsals!

    • Spotlight: Six Silences in Three Movements at the Brick Theatre


    • Video: Facing East in Concert at the Lyric Theatre, London

    • Write Naked/ Write Now in GoNaked Magazine


    • Video: Kristine Humerfelt sings "Without A Doubt" from Standby at Presented by Lights Up Entertainment in Liverpool.

    • #ToySoldierMark at FAO Schwarz


    • Feeling Blissfull with Bliss at all the Awards


    • Video: She Called It Hair Gel- from Broadway's Epic Fail


    • Jenna Leigh Green, Russell Ficscher and More Sings Songs That Are An Epic Fail- Playbill


    • What an abstract experience "Born to Die: Trapped Abstract" was


    • Epic Fail at the New York Musical Theatre Festival


    • Video: Mario Mazzetti sings "Still Standing" at Underscore Theatre Company

    • Spotlight: Bliss By Hannah Leshaw

    • Spotlight: (Un)Missed Connections at the Abstract Sentiment Theatre Company


    • Video: Evie Pickerill sings "Home By Now" from Standby at Lights Up Entertainment in Liverpool.

    • Video: Camile Favre sings "Travel On" from Standby at Lights Up Entertainment

    • Cast Album: Standby


    • Attending "Uncle Fester's Hurricane Party"

    • Arc of Triumph: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Poetry Inspired His Plays & Musicals


    • Behind The Scenes: Recording the Standby Cast Album


    • The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota at the Planet Connections Theatre Awards

    • Video: Peter DiCesare performs "Still Standing" from Facing East at At Mama's Party

    • Blog: Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

    • Blog: If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

    • Blog: What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

    • Blog: When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

    • Blog: If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?y

    • Blog: Which is worse, failing or never trying?

    • Blog: How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

    • Spotlight: Facing East Concert in Dallas


    • Blog: Travel On

    • Video: Standby- Meet The Band

    • Video: Standby- Behind the Music

    • Review: Standby at the New York Musical Festival - Lettersfromthemezz

    • Video: Standby at Broadway Sessions

    • Spotlight: Standby at the New York Musical Theatre Festival

    • Video: Standby Now Playing at the NYMF

    • Opening Night! Standby at the New York Musical Festival

    • Video: Standby- Road to the New York Musical Theatre Festival

    • Standby at the New York Stock Exchange

    • Countdown to Standby at the New York Musical Festival- Darren Ritchie Presents "Nothing But The Truth"


    • Sneak Peek: Standby in Production

    • Video: About Standby

    • Planet Connections Interview- Mark-Eugene Garcia of "The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota

    • Video: The Holy Cows: Writer Interview

    • Spotlight: The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity

    • Video: Julia Menn sings "Even Then" From Holy Cows at Cows Night Out


    • Cows' Night Out at Hurley's Saloon. Presented by The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota.

    • The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota Joins the 5th Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity- Theatremania

    • Video: "From Out Of Left Field" by the Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota

    • Jenna Leigh Green, Darren Ritchie, Matt Shingledecker and More Will Fly Standby at NYMF

    • Behind the Scenes of Filming Bliss


    • Why the F did we do Promenade?

    • World Premiere: "What Friends Are For" plays as part of Gaylicious at The Stonewall Inn


    • Blog: Standing By

    • Blog: A Cousin Is Your First Best Friend


    • Video: Standby Performs Preview Medley at The NY International Fringe Festival Teaser at Jimmy's No. 43, NYC

    • The Darker Side of FringeNYC- Gay City News

    • Losing My Pants At The Planet Connection Awards

    • Review: Standby- TimeOut New York

    • Video: Standby at NYC Fringe Previews

    • Spotlight: Standby at the New York International Fringe Festival


    • Behind the Scenes: Standby in rehearsals for NYCFringe


    • Spotlight: Inscriptions at the Puzzle: Marbles Festival of New Works

    • Review: The Taint of Equality at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity- Happiest Medium

    • Review: (un)Missed Connections- 2012 Planet Connections Festivityy

    • Planet Connections Interview- Mark-Eugene Garcia of (un)missed connections.

    • Spotlight: The Taint of Equality or I Want Your Sex

    • Video: Sneak Peek at (Un)Missed Connections

    • Spotlight: (Un)Missed Connections at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity

    • Sneak Peek: The Taint Of Equality Rehearsals

    • (Un)Missed Connections presents and evening benefiting GLAAD at Vlada.


    • (Un)missed Connections- 5 Things to Know About The Show Before You Go. - The Happiest Medium

    • Countdown to (Un)Missed Connections

    • Wit. Daring. And two Orgies! - AM New York

    • Blog: Writing My Mother

    • The Taint of Equality or I Want Your Sex- Time Out New York Feature

    • Video: For Whole the Southern Bell Tolls at the CCNY One Act Festival

    • Little Corner Novel wins Dortort Prize in Creative Writing

    • Spotlight: Treasure at the Secret Theatre- Featuring "Inscriptions"


    • A Statement by Mark-Eugene Garcia - The Greener Room


    • Spotlight: One Night At the Golden Boot - Instant Theatre

    • This is My Jenny Commercial

    • Spotlight: The Full Monty at City College New York


    • Video: Kevin Duda sings "Still Standing" from Facing East at The Metropolitan Room

    • Untucked: Five Short Plays Celebrating the LGBT Community

    • Spotlight: Facing East in Chicago


    • Developmental Concert of New Musical "Facing East" to benefit The Trevor Project

    • Spotlight: The Man Who Loved Islands


    • Spotlight: Men in Towels at the Erotic Cabaret

    • Extreme Weight Loss: The Diet Secrets Behind Three Local's Amazing Slim-Downs


    • MK-Ultra: The movie that could have been awesome!

    • Spotlight: The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota at The Puzzle: Marble's Festival of New Works

    • Spotlight: Pioneer One

    • Spotlight: Nocturnal Fury

    • Behind the Scenes of Nocturnal Fury


    • "Six Silences In Three Movements" is Poetry In Motion

    • Spotlight: Six Silence In Three Movements in Manhattan Theatre Rep

    • Duncan Pflaster's "Six Silences In Three Movements" Begins a Limited Run This Weekend- Stagebuzz

    • Video: Six Silence in Three Movements - Promo Video

    • Spotlight: The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.


    • Spotlight: 10 Pages, 25 Words, And A Nude Scene At the Nuyorican Poets Cafe


    • Spotlight: Hamlet at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Centery

    • Spotlight: The Boys In The Band at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center


    • Music Video: Vampire Drag Queen


    • Spotlight: New York” at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center


    • Spotlight: The Banana Kiwi Murders


    • Spotlight: The Messageboard

    • Spotlight: Leaves of Grass: A Nude Adaptation of The Iconic Song of Myself at the Cell Theatre


    • NYC Stage Debut! Love Creek Productions: Brief Acts


    • Blog: My 25 Facts

    • Blog: Love Letters

    • Disney's Flashback 06 at the Hyperion Theatre Disney's California Adventure

    • Spotlight: Up in the Air reading at the Colony Theatre Burbank


    • Happy Birthday, Mr. Sondheim! - At the Hollywood Bowl



    • Disney's Flashback at the Hyperion Theatre- Disneys California Adventure

    • Up! In the Air (Academy of New Musical Theatre) - Bookwriter/Lyricist


    • Spotlight: "The Journey" at the Academy of New Musical Theatre


    • Spotlight: If Men Played Cards As Women Do at Citrus College


    • Spotlight: Oklahoma! - Covina Valley Playhouse


    • Spotlight: The Rainmaker at Citrus College

    • Spotlight: Fiddler On The Roof- Covina Valley Playhouse -


    • Spotlight: City of Angels at the Covina Valley Playhouse


    • Spotlight: The Mousetrap at Citrus College


    • Festival Of Short Plays- Citrus College


    • Channel Surfing- Where so much began

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