Check Out Leda Siskind’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leda Siskind.

Hi Leda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was a professional actress for many years (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Los Angeles) before I turned to playwriting after an audition that inspired me to write my first play about eight years ago. Since then, my plays have been produced in various Los Angeles theatres (Theatre 40, Pierson Playhouse, The Lounge, The Rifkin, The Pico Playhouse) as well as in New York (Polaris North.) ‘All My Distances Are Far’ and ‘Surveillance’ are available at Stage Rights publishing. ‘Out of An Abundance of Caution’ (Flowersong’s COVID plays) and ‘Snowman’ (Smith and Kraus’s ‘The Best 10 Minute Plays of 2022’) will be published this fall. I am a member of the Dramatists Guild and co-leader of Fierce Backbone, a playwriting collaborative.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The artistic road is always a bumpy one, with dead ends and happy excursions along the way to creative fruition. The biggest obstacle had been, unsurprisingly, the epidemic. Temporary closures became permanent ones for many small L.A. theatres and scheduling became backed up at venues due to the shutdown of many shows that were forced to close mid-run. It’s been difficult to stage live shows and some groups have chosen to only present virtual pieces, which reduces the experience and vigor of theatre.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I tend to write political/ historical work which, I believe, resonates in our lives today. My play ‘Surveillance’ is about domestic spying from the days of the Red Scare to the mysterious ‘Havana Syndrome’ that attacked our embassy workers in Cuba to the A.I. devices on our phones and in our living rooms. ‘All I Know’ investigates the present lives of those who survived the Argentine junta in the ’80s. ‘Vacuum’ is based on white supremacists in Wisconsin, while ‘Beatnik Girl’ looks at the life of a young woman in 1957 New York. I’ve also written a play about adoption (‘Fern and Cliff’), a comedy about a 70’s band (‘Sunrise Does Not Mean The Dawn’) and a year in the life of troubled teens with their high school counselor (‘All My Distances Are Far.’)

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Every play is different and so the creative task is different for each play. I’ve learned to be more patient and allow the play to emerge on its own.

Contact Info:

• Website: ledasiskindplaywright.com