By Jessica Herndon
Veronica Reyes-How’s journey from stage to screen is a testament to the power of pivoting. A seasoned actor with Broadway credits, including Rent, and appearances on hit shows such as Blue Bloods and The Blacklist, Reyes-How was encouraged to pick up a pen and explore writing by a casting director after wowing them with her sharp insight into character and plot development. What began as a side pursuit turned into a passion, pushing her to dive headfirst into the craft of screenwriting. “I still have an acting agent and manager,” says Reyes-How, “but I’m not actively trying to pursue acting because I’ve really fallen in love with writing.”
Her determination to hone her skills led her to Sundance Collab, where she enrolled in courses like “Screenwriting: Core Elements” and “TV Writing: Crafting Your Pilot.” These courses helped Reyes-How sharpen her understanding of story structure, character arcs, and the art of crafting a gripping, must-watch narrative. It was through this invaluable training that her voice as a writer truly began to take shape, blending humor with emotional depth in a way that was uniquely hers.
Now, Reyes-How is poised to showcase her talent with Mother, May I Have a Kidney?, her debut series set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. This heartfelt comedy-drama explores the awkward and often hilarious reunion between Doug (Doug Plaut), a man in need of a kidney transplant, and his estranged mother, Rhonda (Tina Benko). Reyes-How’s witty and profound story is being praised by the National Kidney Foundation. “Kidney disease affects millions, yet so few truly understand its impact and the silent struggles of those living with it,” said Dolores Machuca-Ruiz, Chief Marketing Officer at the National Kidney Foundation. “This series is more than just a story—it’s a call to action. By bringing these experiences to the screen, we hope to spark conversations, encourage early detection, and ensure that no one faces this disease in silence.”
Below, we chat with Reyes-How about Sundance Collab’s influence on her writing process, finding community among other participants, and the inspiration behind Mother, May I Have a Kidney?.
Watch Mother, May I Have a Kidney? at the Tribeca Film Festival, which starts on June 4. And for the latest on Sundance Collab, including events online courses in directing, screenwriting, TV writing, producing, and documentary filmmaking, sign up for a FREE Sundance Collab account and subscribe to our newsletter.
Why did the Sundance Collab courses appeal to you?
I started on the feature class, and then I jumped over to the TV class. I was trying to formulate a pilot about my mother, who has a photographic memory and she’s a doctor. The TV class felt so great in terms of structure. After that point, those structural tools were in me. I took them in 2021, and 2022 is when I got the job for Mother. You get a year of access to the same class, and I went back to the classes and made sure the structure was there and could really make people compelled to keep watching, not just want to watch a little bit.
How did Sundance Collab help you build confidence in your voice as a writer?
One piece of feedback I received was, ‘You pick and choose what notes you take, and if this doesn’t work for you or if you really love this idea, then go with that.’ And I think that’s helpful to hear. Take my notes with a grain of salt. So, I kind of just mimicked what I heard in the class. I think beginner writers will tend to assign authority to whoever’s speaking to them and say, ‘Oh, they must know.’ But, I have found that a lot of times, it starts to kill really individual and unique works. But what can you bring that’s different? I really leaned into that with Mother.
What was the inspiration behind Mother, May I Have a Kidney?
It started with Doug [Plaut], the actor who plays Doug, wanting to create a project where he was featured as the main character. He put out a call for a writer on a Facebook group for people in musical theater, and he heard my name mentioned several times by different friends of mine. He contacted me, and then the story came about because he gave me carte blanche on what I could write. I just asked him to tell me his story. I wasn’t going to write a copy of his actual life, but I feel that if this is featuring him and he’s financing the project, then let’s figure out how to incorporate some real elements.
He told me two things: He’s estranged from his mother, and he grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. He did have health issues when he was a kid, but he didn’t have leukemia. I created that. I got that idea from my mother, who is a doctor. And I wanted to write about estranged relationships because a lot of people I know are going through that with people in their family. I wanted to create a situation where they had to come back together.
Tribeca is such a major milestone. How did Sundance Collab help you prepare for this moment?
It elevated my writing ability. My experience at Sundance opened my mind to how I should elevate the way I write. Also, watching how people either use or break structure is so fascinating to me.
What advice would you give to emerging writers interested in taking Sundance Collab courses?
It’s worth the investment, not only because of what you learn but because you get the course for a year. You also make a lot of contacts. Even when you do a self-paced course, you still have a core group of people who you get to connect with. I met people whose writing I loved, and I’m still in touch with them. You can’t replace that experience of building community. That’s the trifecta of taking a class at Sundance: you have the community of people, you have incredible teachers, and you have the material for a while so that you can go back to it.
