The Deadline Workshop is an intensive 8-week collaboration between a particular theatre troupe and the Chicago Dramatists. This is a twice-a-year event here in Chicago, where playwrights create new work in a short time for a performance.

My contribution, "Where Is The Breakdown?", is a bleak little number running about 35 minutes. It's the story of a young woman in a car crash who learns she's the start of a violent zombie plague. Yes, I love zombie movies. No, this is not a rip-off of any of those. There are many surprises. But, true, it's zombies.

The troupe for this workshop is Bades With Blades, an all female stage combat group with great acting chops and fighting chops. Though I've written physical plays, I'd never written anything like this -- full-on fighting. It was a really interesting mission and I think everyone's really pleased with the play. It's not for the weak of heart, mind you. Sad, violent, strange and horrifying, I hope everyone digs it. The idea came to me fast and I knocked out a draft within a day then tweaked over a coupla weeks.