Day 8 - Thank you to our Guardian Angels!

For the past several years, the Seven Devils New Play Foundry Board has given a special award of recognition to one of our supporters and partners who have made it possible to do what we do. No -- more than that, someone who makes our work joyous, and rich, and who brings something special to us.

This post is just for them -- because they've given a great deal to us, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge this huge gift.

2017 - Kit Worthington

The very first recipient of the our Guardian Angel Award, Kit Worthington, opened the Bistro 45 in McCall just prior to the very first Seven Devils Playwrights Conference. Just a short walk from the Alpine Playhouse, and stashed away from the traffic of Third St, in the courtyard of the Hotel McCall, the Bistro's cozy wine bar vibe, adjacent patio, bocce courts and glittering Christmas lights quickly became the place we went to eat, drink and be merry.

Was it genius, a mutual fondness or optimism that drew Seven Devils and Bistro 45 together? Perhaps we'll never know, but as Kit will often say, Seven Devils and Bistro 45 grew up together. We learned from each other who and what we could be, and how we could each support the success of each other. He has provided us with food, let company members run tabs during the conference, stayed open late so we have a place to go after rehearsal, secured the space we now use as our administrative offices and donated the use of it during the Conference.

​When Kit sold the Bistro, he negotiated the continuance of these practices for us. He wanted to be sure we were taken care of. Our part of this bargain - which we enjoy tremendously - is to eat, drink and be merry with each other and with our audience at the Bistro as often as we humanly can. We can't imagine what the Conference would be without the generosity and spirit of Kit Worthington! 

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2018 - The Board of the Alpine Playhouse

We were thrilled to honor the Board of the Alpine Playhouse with our 2018 Guardian Angel Award. The Alpine Playhouse has been home to the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference for 20 years. And even before Seven Devils, in the 1990s, it was home to our work as id Theatre. 

But the Alpine is more than just a space we inhabit when we're in McCall. When the Board of the Alpine Playhouse decided, way back in 2000, to donate their theater space to us for the Conference, they did it not as a gift to us, but rather as a gift to the Community of McCall. The Alpine's generosity is truly what makes it possible for us to offer all our work free of charge. Our relationship with the Alpine is the foundation of our relationship to the community of McCall. One of the most amazing things about this relationship is the mutual respect, admiration and gratitude we have for each other. And we each seem to think we got the greatest gift of all: each other.

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2019 - Sarah Jessup

Yes, the very same Sarah Jessup we honored a few days ago as our company photographer. It's hard to overstate the gift of Sarah's work. It is essentially through her amazing ability to capture the spirit of Seven Devils that we are able to share our efforts with the world. Sarah spends hours in rehearsal, she is curious about what we're doing and how she can share it through her skill and talent. She prints and delivers her beautiful photos to us every day. Theater is, by nature, an ephemeral art form. Sarah's photos give us something real and tangible, something that reminds us what we're there to do. What more could a theater company ask for?

2020 - Simon Brooking

You probably recognize this actor from years and years of readings in the conference. Simon Brooking is not only a gifted and fearless actor, he's also one of the founders of id Theatre, a long time board member and on top of all that, he is a Laphroaig Ambassador, and toastmaster extraordinaire. He has designed and led some truly extraordinary Scotch Tastings for us - both in Idaho and New York City - raising funds and creating long-standing and rewarding community connections. As part of our 2020 Virtual Conference, Simon even taught us all how to make our own amazing drinks at home. We have benefited from his talent and dedication on so many fronts. So Simon, here's a toast to you:
Willie Brews a damn fine scotch, and Rob and Al came to taste it.
Once uncorked, the friends confessed that not a drop will be wasted.
Oh, we’re not drunk. We’re not that drunk. Just a little tipsy.
The day may dawn, work may call, but we’ll still drink our whisky.
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Thank you, Simon, for teaching us about scotch, about generosity, and about remembering to toast each other early and often!

Thanks to ALL our Guardian Angels!