I’m honored to be one of the 2026 recipients of the Artists’ Support Fund Grant from the Arts Council of Rockland (ACOR). This is a major milestone: the first grant awarded to support the development of Raising Cain, the musical I wrote with my husband and creative collaborator Paul Guzzone. The grant will help finance the transcription of the show’s music into a complete piano-vocal score, which is now near completion.

Having music and lyrics rendered into sheet music transforms a work of imagination into tangible form, a profoundly gratifying experience for us as its creators. In the brilliant Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical Sunday in the Park with George (which I quote frequently), the fictionalized version of painter Georges Seurat exclaims, “Look, I made a hat! Where there never was a hat.” That’s the feeling.

In practical terms, it means we have the materials needed by musicians and performers for a reading or full production. And that means we have a stage-ready package to offer potential theaters and producers.

ACOR’s Artists’ Support Fund Grants are intended to help Rockland County artists sustain, advance, and energize their creative practices. This year the grant was awarded to eleven artists representing a diverse cross-section of the county’s creative voices. Fields of practice include visual arts, music, performing arts, poetry, murals, sculpture, and sound art.

I so appreciate the support of ACOR as Paul and I move closer to bringing RAISING CAIN into the world. The award is a validation of our efforts. While artists absolutely need financial assistance, we also need encouragement from champions within our families, friends, and communities. ACOR is such a champion.